Ottawa 67s 2024-25 Season Thread, Part III

[AGranderson]

Who has the best (sarcasm) schedule for the rest of the year, us or North Bay

How much ice time are the 3rd and 4th line getting these days

Is DC coaching to make the playoffs or developing players

How do you make all of these comments, predictions if you don’t even go to or watch the games or no the schedule’s, you just do it all blind? If so that explains your takes

 

[beastintheeast]

How do you make all of these comments, predictions if you don’t even go to or watch the games or no the schedule’s, you just do it all blind? If so that explains your takes

I love it please make up your mind,

Either you want me to say what I think or you want me to get more info. I can listen to the games but it does not tell me what DC is doing.

Instead of giving my opinoin I ask for others and you jump allover me LOL

I guess having me to kick is your favourite past time and means you are leaving others alone so plesae keep picking on me

 

[OMG67]

Who has the best (sarcasm) schedule for the rest of the year, us or North Bay

How much ice time are the 3rd and 4th line getting these days

Is DC coaching to make the playoffs or developing players

I’m sort of going against what I said I was going to do and comment on this year…

Because of players out of the lineup, we haven’t really had a 4th line, maybe just a player or two relegated to the 4th line but other players have to rotate in. Most nights we are playing with 16 skaters.

I think with all the injuries, DC is coaching simply to get through the games. I don’t think development is a strategy right now. Players are moving all over the place in an effort just to scratch together a lineup.

Guys are starting to come back from injury/suspension so we may start to see some sort of structured lineup going forward.

WRT schedule, NB has a three games in hand and we play them two times at home and once on the road. It is likely that those three games will have a significant impact on how we finish in relation to NB. Same with the Petes. Three games vs them as well but we have a 7 point lead. Those are the only games Ottawa has vs below .500 teams the rest of the way. The remainder of their schedule is relatively difficult. NB has Flint, Sarnia, and SSM as below .500 teams left to play in addition to the three vs Ottawa. I’d say Ottawa has the weakest schedule, followed by NB and then Peterborough.

 

[OMG67]

Early prediction:

Kaden McGregor is playing for the Ottawa Valley Titans U-16. He seems to be hovering around that #5 slot in the rankings for the OHL draft. The 67’s have a strong tendency of picking Ottawa kids in round one when it makes sense. If Ottawa were to make the playoffs and sit in that #5/6 pick territory, I could see them going in that direction. Additionally, if they are not picking 1st or 2nd, I could see them go that way at #3 too.

Current stat line: GP 27 G 36 A 39 P 75 PIM 30

I think this is the kid to watch. OVT has a pretty good team. Three players ranked inside the first two rounds.

Defenseman, David Buchman, lines up nicely in the 2nd round for Ottawa as well. We have Niagara’s pick. We should be picking somewhere in the middle.

It is a little too early to truly judge rankings. We need to wait until after the OHL Cup but these would be two names to watch.

 

[Larionov]

So what has become of Ryan White? They acquired him with quite a flourish, and reading between the lines I think that they were hoping for him to replace some of Mews' production and possession skills. When they signed him on January 10 or so, we were told that he was just finishing rehabbing an injury and would be available imminently. It is now February 13...

 

[OMG67]

So what has become of Ryan White? They acquired him with quite a flourish, and reading between the lines I think that they were hoping for him to replace some of Mews' production and possession skills. When they signed him on January 10 or so, we were told that he was just finishing rehabbing an injury and would be available imminently. It is now February 13...

He hasn’t played anywhere since signing with Ottawa.

 

[beastintheeast]

Kaden McGregor looks like a good pick seems to have some height.

right now, Niagara would be 13th in round 2

 

[analyser]

He hasn’t played anywhere since signing with Ottawa.

Boyd said a swift skating defenceman, with vision and playmaking abilities. Well if we do not see him sòon it will not happen, he is committed to Providence College for 25-26 season.

 

[OMG67]

Boyd said a swift skating defenceman, with vision and playmaking abilities. Well if we do not see him sòon it will not happen, he is committed to Providence College for 25-26 season.

Yeah but if he misses most of the season with injury combined with his size being so small (around 5’8” 155), I am not sure he will be ready for NCAA as an 18 year old, especially with all the new recruits lined up coming in as 21 year olds. Keep in mind, no matter what happens, he has to actually make the team. A commitment doesn’t really mean much.

We shall see what happens with a lot of these 18 year old recruits for the 2025-26 season. They could get squeezed out. It is a tough league for 18 year olds and it will only get tougher with so many 21 year olds committing after their OA season is complete this year.

 

[analyser]

Yeah but if he misses most of the season with injury combined with his size being so small (around 5’8” 155), I am not sure he will be ready for NCAA as an 18 year old, especially with all the new recruits lined up coming in as 21 year olds. Keep in mind, no matter what happens, he has to actually make the team. A commitment doesn’t really mean much.

We shall see what happens with a lot of these 18 year old recruits for the 2025-26 season. They could get squeezed out. It is a tough league for 18 year olds and it will only get tougher with so many 21 year olds committing after their OA season is complete this year.

I agree, he may get squeezed out. I know he is on the smallish side but it would be nice to see what he can or cannot contribute to the team. We need help and he just might fill a void.

 

[OMG67]

I agree, he may get squeezed out. I know he is on the smallish side but it would be nice to see what he can or cannot contribute to the team. We need help and he just might fill a void.

I prefer to look at it as a big picture sort of thing. I am not concerned about this year at all. My concern is more what they plan to do moving forward and what sort of opportunities are available for Ottawa when it comes to the guys leaning more toward NCAA.

That landscape has changed a lot. I am not sure how commitments are even going to be kept by a lot of these NC?AA schools with how so many of them are heavily recruiting.

The one aspect of the NCAA scholarships people typically don’t’ fully understand is the player needs to make the team EVERY year. Their scholarship is dependent on it. We could see the squeeze put on the younger recruits like White but it could also come int he form of squeezing out 2nd and 3rd year depth players as well. I am sure there are depth players that cling to roster spots in these programs but not having viable replacement options made them safe. Now? When a team can go out a sign three OHL OA’s that are all fantastic players, how does that affect the “loyalty” of keeping the marginal depth players? Do teams keep those guys and squeeze out the younger recruits and skew the team older or do they squeeze out the depth guys and use the younger recruits in depth roles to start? I am not sure how that will flesh out. But, the answer to that will become evident soon enough.

I think we will start to see some delays in start dates for commitments. I think the schools will begin to encourage players to keep their commitments but delay them one year.

 

[Vector Calculus]

Wow, a full lineup. Foster and Pinelli return. Horner on D with Dietsch.

 

[mianjo]

67's down 1-0 on a goal scored bt Brady Stonehouse

 

[mianjo]

1-1 after 1

Goal
#19 Kohyn Eshkawkogan (3) scores. Assists: #20 Luca Pinelli
1st 19:59

 

[mianjo]

2-1

Goal
#3 Josh Brady (4) scores. Assists: #22 Matthew Mayich, #10 Nic Whitehead
2nd 18:35

 

[mianjo]

3-1

Goal
#18 Jack Dever (6) scores. Assists: #23 Will Gerrior, #34 Filip Ekberg
3rd 14:28

 

[mianjo]

4-1

Goal
#29 Cooper Foster (16) scores. Assists: #18 Jack Dever, #23 Will Gerrior EMPTY NET
3rd 19:09

67's win 4-1

 

[beastintheeast]

Boyd said a swift skating defenceman, with vision and playmaking abilities. Well if we do not see him sòon it will not happen, he is committed to Providence College for 25-26 season.

LOL Boyd also said tht Ekberg was a goalscorer, which was an excellent find, LOL So amazing that he sits on the 4th line most of the year.

The worst thing White did was sign a contract with the 67's, and now he can not play in any other league. Whieis is probably getting more ice time playing shinny with dad and friends than he would in Ottawa.

Not sure what Boyd was thinking.

 

[mianjo]

67's win 4-1

Stars of the Game​

First
#33 Collin MacKenzie G
SH 36sv 35GA 1Ottawa

Second
#3 Josh Brady D
G 1A 0+/- 0Ottawa

 

[OMG67]

LOL Boyd also said tht Ekberg was a goalscorer, which was an excellent find, LOL So amazing that he sits on the 4th line most of the year.

The worst thing White did was sign a contract with the 67's, and now he can not play in any other league. Whieis is probably getting more ice time playing shinny with dad and friends than he would in Ottawa.

Not sure what Boyd was thinking.

He’s injured. It is the middle of February. There is about 4 weeks left in the CCHL season. Unless he ends up on a very strong affiliate team in the CCHL, he likely would be done for the season around 2nd week of April. I think their playoffs are done around 3rd/4th week of April.

On top of that, if he doesn’t’ come back in time, HE will have played around 12 games this year in the BCHL and that’s it. There is a good chance he will delay his college option.

Regardless, Ottawa held his rights so his only opportunity of OHL hockey was with Ottawa. So, had he not signed with the 67’s, if he wanted to play OHL next year, it woudl have had to be in Ottawa. The BCHL will have lost all credibility by next year with the two top teams joining the WHL next season. They already lost a bunch of guys this year. That league is dead. That leaves the USHL as the only other viable league for him. It is not like options were limitless.

 

[analyser]

LOL Boyd also said tht Ekberg was a goalscorer, which was an excellent find, LOL So amazing that he sits on the 4th line most of the year.

The worst thing White did was sign a contract with the 67's, and now he can not play in any other league. Whieis is probably getting more ice time playing shinny with dad and friends than he would in Ottawa.

Not sure what Boyd was thinking.

I was just trying to figure out where White is, not why Ekberg is used on the 4th line or why White signed with Ottawa. This Ekberg fiasco has been discussed many times.

 

[beastintheeast]

I was just trying to figure out where White is, not why Ekberg is used on the 4th line or why White signed with Ottawa. This Ekberg fiasco has been discussed many times.

My point was that Boyd talks up players, and then they do not meet the hype.

OMG67 stating that he is injured answers the questions now it will be up to White if he wants to come back here or go to NCAA camp.

 

[analyser]

My point was that Boyd talks up players, and then they do not meet the hype.

OMG67 stating that he is injured answers the questions now it will be up to White if he wants to come back here or go to NCAA camp.

We talk all the time about Boyd's and DC'S mishandling of players but until OSEG steps up this is the cards we are dealt. Like OMG stated White has to make the Providence College team as an 18 year old and also he is small in stature for a defenseman at 5ft 9in and 154 pounds. We shall see what happens.

 

[Larionov]

The BCHL will keep going, but it will be a shadow of what they envisioned it to be. Basically it will be glorified Midget AAA, and a place for guys who may have fallen through the cracks to try to get noticed. In the past there were a not insignificant number of kids who got drafted straight out of the BCHL to the NHL - those days are gone. In their defence, though, every other Junior A league in the country will be in the same position. Given the current situation the BCHL and Hockey Canada would be well advised to kiss and make up - it would be best for both parties.

As for White and Providence College, the problem is that those NCAA programs love to whisper sweet nothings in the ear of their recruits - "Hey, there are plenty of opportunities to play early here, blah blah blah." The problem is that every top shelf NCAA hockey program carries a huge roster, with a number of Black Aces who only practice and never dress for a game all year. (When I saw a game at St. Lawrence last year, I think I counted 27 on their roster.) There is a huge risk that he becomes one of those. IIRC Tyler Boucher wasn't getting a ton of ice at his NCAA school, which is why he packed up and came back to Ottawa.

As for our squad I'll say this - at least these kids haven't quit on Dave Cameron. They are showing some fight lately, which is positive. Cameron takes a lot of grief around here but I save most of my criticism for Boyd and the series of poor decisions he has made over the last couple of seasons. Combine that with some mediocre drafts and you have what you have. The ghost of Toe Blake would have a tough time squeezing much out of the roster Cameron has currently been given, and I'm not sure next season looks a whole lot better. The 67's absolutely have to improve their drafting, and desperately need to find a diamond in the rough in the later rounds if they want to improve. The series of underperforming high picks and import players have absolutely crippled the roster.

 

[OMG67]

The BCHL will keep going, but it will be a shadow of what they envisioned it to be. Basically it will be glorified Midget AAA, and a place for guys who may have fallen through the cracks to try to get noticed. In the past there were a not insignificant number of kids who got drafted straight out of the BCHL to the NHL - those days are gone. In their defence, though, every other Junior A league in the country will be in the same position. Given the current situation the BCHL and Hockey Canada would be well advised to kiss and make up - it would be best for both parties.

As for White and Providence College, the problem is that those NCAA programs love to whisper sweet nothings in the ear of their recruits - "Hey, there are plenty of opportunities to play early here, blah blah blah." The problem is that every top shelf NCAA hockey program carries a huge roster, with a number of Black Aces who only practice and never dress for a game all year. (When I saw a game at St. Lawrence last year, I think I counted 27 on their roster.) There is a huge risk that he becomes one of those. IIRC Tyler Boucher wasn't getting a ton of ice at his NCAA school, which is why he packed up and came back to Ottawa.

As for our squad I'll say this - at least these kids haven't quit on Dave Cameron. They are showing some fight lately, which is positive. Cameron takes a lot of grief around here but I save most of my criticism for Boyd and the series of poor decisions he has made over the last couple of seasons. Combine that with some mediocre drafts and you have what you have. The ghost of Toe Blake would have a tough time squeezing much out of the roster Cameron has currently been given, and I'm not sure next season looks a whole lot better. The 67's absolutely have to improve their drafting, and desperately need to find a diamond in the rough in the later rounds if they want to improve. The series of underperforming high picks and import players have absolutely crippled the roster.

Let’s look at Boyd…

Drafting:
The ‘07 group is very deep. We have twelve signed players with eleven of them playing games (Whitehead is the 12th but injury has kept him off the ice so far). Of those twelve, five are relatively important players - Whitehead, Ekberg, Dietsch, Nelson, and Jackson. Kingwell, Yanni, and Houben will likely be regulars next year. We aren’t sure about Conway, White, Avila, and Bowes. What we do know is we have a lot of mid sized LW ‘07s so there isn’t room for all of them! But, for a team to have twelve in one age group that mostly look half decent, it is pretty good, if not anything special.
The ‘06 group is the leadership group next year. That group is thinner than thin. Four players - Korbler, Brady, Kelly, and Marrelli. Horrid draft. We lacked centres and Boyd passed on Beaudoin (a big Ottawa area centre rated very high) for a converted forward D-Man (Mews). Shocking really. That pick changed the trajectory of this team dramatically and it wasn’t’ for the better. That pick truly put a stamp on how this team selects players. If you want to boil down all the problems at the draft table lately, you can point at that one single pick and understand where the issue lies.

No one can truly criticize me for revisionist history either. I was following that draft pick by pick because there were a few centres available that may slide to Ottawa. Clearly Misa wasn’t going to drop to Ottawa and we were pretty certain Villeneuve wouldn’t drop to Ottawa but there was a good chance Van Volsen and Beaudoin would be available to Ottawa at #7. Ottawa tends to lean local when possible so if not Villeneuve, you’d think they’d go with Beaudoin. We had ZERO centres returning that season so we needed to land on a centre. Nope. D-Man + D-Man with the two 1st round picks.

Four key players over two seasons decide that the 67’s organization isn’t where they want to play. This is an organization that provides the players with EVERYTHING off ice. Yet, four key players (Rohrer, Beck, Gardiner, and Mews) decide, “Nah. I’m out!” How is that possible? Is it an anomaly? This is something that truly needs attention by senior leadership in OSEG.

Trades:
This is another area we have discussed at length. Making a half hearted run two years in a row (2022-23 and 2023-24) after getting out managed in 2019 by Burnett isn’t acceptable at this point. This team should have two Championships (2019 and 2023). Letting Burnett pilfer Owen Sound for Suzuki and Durzi, basically at the 12th hour of the deadline for peanuts and not swooping in with a better offer is inexcusable. Tolnai plus a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th would have gotten that deal done with zero issues. That deal wins Ottawa a Championship in 2019 hands down.
Then in 2023, he held on to Mews and didn’t use him for Shane Wright. If you are going to dump 18 draft picks into Morrison and Mintyukov, what the hell are you doing not moving Mews or Marrelli for Shane Wright? Out in the 2nd round to the eventual Champions and then the following year, with zero centres ont he roster, you acquire two at the deadline but stop short of getting that last piece AGAIN for the 3rd time. Out in round 2 again. Keep in mind, had Boyd done what he needed to do in 2022-23 by trading Mews for Wright, we wouldn’t have been in position to make a run in 2023-24 which means we wouldn’t hav likely retooled a bit. With what the Petes managed to get for their players, I can only imagine what Ottawa would have gotten Stonehouse, and Mayich as 19 year olds at that deadline.
That brings us to this year. I know a lot has been said about Pinelli wanting to stay etc. but IMO, this was about communication. It is incumbent on the GM to communicate the plan with a player like Pinelli. That allows the player to come to grips with the fact that the team is selling and there is zero sense for him to stay under any circumstances. There should never have even been a situation where Pinelli chooses to stay in Ottawa. Ever. Then it comes down to Boyd gauging the market and communicating that market to Pinelli. If Kitchener was never really interested then so be it. If Griffin wouldn’t waive to come to Ottawa then so be it but these details needed to be communicated a week before the deadline. I’m fine with allowing the player to pick the destination but it has to be the destination that is available. Oshawa #1 of the available? Fine. Griffin won’t waive? Fine. Next is Barrie or Brantford. Pick one. Both were apparently available. This boils down to communication. The GM needs to paint the picture to the point the player feels they have no real choice. In other words, if you don’t go, you will be surrounded by nothing and will be at best a 50-50 shot of even making the playoffs. Communicate it and be blunt about it.
On top of that, I am reasonably certain that the cuts would have been deeper had the Pinelli deal gone through. I think they felt they didn’t have a choice with Mews but when Pinelli wasn’t moved, they shifted focus on at least trying to make the playoffs. They kept all of Foster, Mayich, and Dever. Another bad decision. AND, to top it all off, let’s assume I am wrong about by assumptions of the deadline. That means it is even worse! We have a GM that couldn’t read the landscape in front of his own eyes and approached it as if he had options.

So, that is all the negatives surrounding Boyd that I can come up with. There are positives as well but this comes down to what the OSEG instructions are. Is Boyd somewhat handcuffed? Does he have shackles on his ankles that prevent him from doing what we feel is the better course of action? Possible. I don’t know. This is why I cannot say for certain that Boyd needs to go. However, if he is shackled and he knows he is being shackled, why would he stay? If he left Ottawa, he’d get snapped up somewhere else for sure. This is why I lean towards him being the one that makes the decisions with relative autonomy.