Peterborough Petes 2023-24 Season Thread (Part Three)
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Any kid not wanting to play in Peterborough would be making a terrible decision. I’d be surprised if there was many kids that would be so misinformed.
A young rebuilding team with a very strong head coach and top notch front office.
This is a great opportunity next year for kids out of the draft to get ice time.
With respect to the “who missies the playoffs comment”…..
You have to think the top three teams going into next season are Brantford, Brampton, and Oshawa. They are top teams that return much of their existing roster.
The next tier would consist of Kingston, Sudbury and Barrie who return solid rosters and would be in a position to add players and potentially compete with those other three.
North Bay and Ottawa would be in that group with the three teams above but I don’t think they are in position to add players so I place them in the 7/8 spots. They may sell and if they do, they may drop out of that pre-season 7/8 place position.
That leaves Niagara and Peterborough. Niagara will likely fight for a playoff position while the Petes continue to build. The Petes are likely to be competitive on the ice but maybe not on the scoreboard. Niagara has a couple really nice pieces that are maturing (Roobroeck and He). I’m not sure they will get a playoff spot BUT if Ottawa and/or North Bay are aggressive sellers, they would likely turn into next year’s version of the Petes this season, solid in the first half and dead the second half.
That said, the Petes have some really solid building blocks that simply need time to gain the requisite experience. There is a strong organization in place and as @ScoutLife4 said, any draftee would be stupid to avoid Peterborough. I agree. But, the Petes seem destined for a 10th place finish next season in their first true rebuild year. If you play the cycle to the extreme like the Petes did, you need to be prepared for that outcome. The positive part of it is they will have a solid crop of ‘07’s supported by a stellar top ‘08 prospect. When the ‘07s are 19 and that ‘08 is 18, that should be another GO-GO year for the Petes.
You have to think the top three teams going into next season are Brantford, Brampton, and Oshawa. They are top teams that return much of their existing roster.
The next tier would consist of Kingston, Sudbury and Barrie who return solid rosters and would be in a position to add players and potentially compete with those other three.
North Bay and Ottawa would be in that group with the three teams above but I don’t think they are in position to add players so I place them in the 7/8 spots. They may sell and if they do, they may drop out of that pre-season 7/8 place position.
That leaves Niagara and Peterborough. Niagara will likely fight for a playoff position while the Petes continue to build. The Petes are likely to be competitive on the ice but maybe not on the scoreboard. Niagara has a couple really nice pieces that are maturing (Roobroeck and He). I’m not sure they will get a playoff spot BUT if Ottawa and/or North Bay are aggressive sellers, they would likely turn into next year’s version of the Petes this season, solid in the first half and dead the second half.
That said, the Petes have some really solid building blocks that simply need time to gain the requisite experience. There is a strong organization in place and as @ScoutLife4 said, any draftee would be stupid to avoid Peterborough. I agree. But, the Petes seem destined for a 10th place finish next season in their first true rebuild year. If you play the cycle to the extreme like the Petes did, you need to be prepared for that outcome. The positive part of it is they will have a solid crop of ‘07’s supported by a stellar top ‘08 prospect. When the ‘07s are 19 and that ‘08 is 18, that should be another GO-GO year for the Petes.
If the 07’s get bigger and stronger over the offseason then I think the Petes could surprise some people. They aren’t going to be contenders but an automatic 10th place assumption is wrong.
It is the pre-season prediction based on likely scenarios. The Petes traded two full draft classes when they went for the Championship. That leaves them with “OK” 04’s that return as OA’s (likely to be traded at deadline) and an awful ‘05 class. Make no mistake. That ‘05 class is terrible. Page, Faulkner, Matejicek, Haley, and Bowen is garbage. I’m being real, not trying to make insults. The ‘06 class has a couple good players (McCallum and Strohack) but not good enough to carry the club because of the weak ‘05 class.
We need to assume that post deadline without the good OA’s, it is unlikely the ‘07s and two ‘06’s are capable of carrying the club. The landscape in the Eastern Conference next year is very competitive. Other than Niagara who is already starting to turn it around a bit and maybe North Bay IF they sell the farm heavy, there really aren’t any teams that you can look at and honestly suggest the Petes “should” finish ahead of.
This isn’t a situation where anyone would be mocking the Petes. They did what they did in an effort to win a championship and they won! It all worked out. But, if you essentially trade the top of two draft classes to get where you wanted to get to, you have to understand life will be not as fun for a few years. It is what it is.
The bright side is they did an amazing job starting the rebuild adding three ‘07’s which exceeds everyone’s expectations without a doubt. But those guys will be 17 years old and none of them are top of class ‘07s. Those players don’t “typically” lead their teams at 17. Some do, but odds are those players will still need their 17 year old year to continue building momentum. The focus needs to be on continuing the rebuild and likely trading Melee, McIntyre, and Sztuska at or near the deadline. Continue to stockpile future assets. Get another top 4 pick ‘09. Go into the ‘25-‘26 season with some really solid players that have started to gain some experience and see where the chips fall in ‘26-‘27 when the ‘07s are 19 years old and the top 4 pick ‘08 is 18 years old and probably poised to light the league on fire.
Although the Petes are aligned with 10th place next year, the future looks very bright. This isn’t a Niagara situation where there is a tire fire for multiple years with no hope on the horizon. The Petes have set themselves up for another strong run in ‘26-‘27. Their focus will likely be on aligning that season. Next year will be jsut the second step in that process. Step one went unbelievably fantastic this year.
Petes, Wolves, Firebirds, ...fans taking pot shots at the Icedogs are either new to the OHL or have selective memories. Comparing the present Petes to Icedogs will not really change the fact that the Petes face a long rough rebuild, and just might be setting yourself up to eat some humble pie.
If you have been around awhile, you might recall the spitfires as a seller when their three '94 born 1sts were in their age 19 season.
If you have been around awhile, you might recall the spitfires as a seller when their three '94 born 1sts were in their age 19 season.
The Petes had a short blip due to a poor GM but are one of the most successful franchises in the history of the OHL. The Petes have won the OHL 10 times. Flint, Sudbury and Niagara have combined for a grand total 0. Niagara and Flint have had lots of scandals and Sudbury is Sudbury.
I do believe when people talk smack about Niagara they are directing it at the owner who is pretty obviously not the best fit to have a OHL team.
I did however hear a couple weeks ago from a Icedogs source that DD has sold off his other 2 JR teams he owned to devote all his attention to fixing the Icedogs.
I don't think the turn around will be as long as some think for the Petes with the way the fire sale went. Oke was able to secure some very good rookies and restocked the draft cupboard.
This will be a team fighting for a low seed 7th or 8th playoff spot next season and making it would be considered a success.
If the Petes bring Sztuska back, they could absolutely battle for one of the bottom playoff spots, though right now I'd suspect it's probably Melee, Lefebvre and McIntyre.
That Petes take is pretty hot considering their lack of talent at the more experienced age groups. I agree that the ‘07 class they acquired will be pretty solid, maybe even be decent at 17 years old but could that get them into the playoffs when factoring in the landscape of the Eastern conference next year?
I think it is possible that North Bay does a selloff big enough for them to bottom out. I am not sure they are going to go far enough to do that but it is within the realm of reasonable possibility. I could accept an argument that the PEtes end up ahead of North Bay when a few caveats are thrown into he discussion.
Niagara is Niagara. We simply don’t know whether DD has really learned anything. If what you say is true and he has sold off his other interests and will focus on Niagara AND will put the right people in place to develop a solid franchise then I think Niagara could be a playoff team next year. But, that hurts Peterborough’s chances of making the playoffs next year.
I cannot see any of Brantford, Brampton, Oshawa, Kingston, Barrie, Sudbury, or Ottawa finishing behind Peterborough. Ottawa could potentially sell off and bottom out but I don’t think that is James Boyd’s style. I think he will make a few strategic seller trades (mostly OA’s and maybe Pinelli) and remain competitive. I get the same sense from North Bay, although, I think hey have less to work with than Ottawa when the dust settles after trades so they may drop out of the playoffs.
In light of where those teams should be around the Petes, how do you envision them getting as high as 7th? Again, I could be talked into 8th with Niagara and North Bay sliding behind them but 7th? Which team do you see tumbling backwards. I don’t see it.
I don't see Niagara being any better next season in all honesty.
I don't have high hopes for Barrier either.
Ottawa is most likely going to sell off.
I wouldn't be shocked to see Peterborough finish ahead of all 3.
But its to early to tell. My comment on fighting for a low seed is more so based on Oke's abilities as a GM and Wilsons coaching style. (Its not something i'd put a 100$ on yet) Lol.
The difference is the Petes are coming off an OHL Championship and as a result went into a rebuild. The Petes have a plan for future success. Niagara has had a consistent losing record the last four seasons and has not made the playoffs since 2019. They also have had sanctions levied against two general managers, one head coach and two players over that period.
From the hours of 2pm to 430pm TODAY ONLY....Every Oshawa Generals Fan is a Peterborough Petes fan.
Stun the Battalion would you?
Stun the Battalion would you?
I heard the same around the start of the season that DD was selling or working on selling his jr teams.
The Petes rebuild will certainly hinge on the development of the '07-1sts. I like years with a 5-6 very competitive teams, so I hope the rebuild goes well. We shall see if Wilson is as good for 8-10 players aged 16-17 as he is with a dozen 19-20 yr olds.
I think you might be a bit optimistic with the seeding. It is quite possible the Petes are 50 goals shy of the next lowest scoring team.
you are deflecting from a very, very weak Petes team by trashing a franchise that has struggled mightily.
How many games did you watch after the deadline? Have you watched Carson Cameron play? Taylor was on pace for 40 points once he got opportunity in Ptbo. It’s not uncommon for kids to go from 15 points in year one to 60 points in year two.
You’ve been wrong on a lot of stuff the last two years so hopefully you continue that trend.
What is your goal here? Trashing the Petes because?…. Is it because you’re a Sudbury fan who’s still salty?
Niagara is the author of its own misfortune. The stuff they did was bad for the OHL as a whole. It’s had to blame kids for not wanting to gamble their future while a team is figuring it out.
trashing you for beating a dead horse in an attempt to deflect from a weak Petes team. Defend your team without trashing another
peskypetes101
Guest
I agree with some of this, it’s still going to be tough for the Petes to make the playoffs next year. They will be in a dogfight for the last spot again. I don’t agree with the “garbage” statement though. Some average players in that 05 class for sure, but I think Matejicek was a great pickup in the Owen sound deal. Plus Addy is going to be a beast.
I think your wrong about none of the 2007’s being at the top of the class. Carson Cameron was a steal at 13th overall. He will probably finish the season leading all 2007 defensemen in scoring on the lowest scoring team in the OHL. I’m not sure on blocked shot stats, but I would bet he is at the top of that category as well not just for 2007’s, but the whole league.
Caden Taylor is top end talent too, just starting to see what he can do with more ice time. Once he gets a little stronger look out.
So why don’t you go back and look to see that it was in fact a NIAGARA fan who came to the PETES forum stated that this team is so terrible. People in glass houses should not throw rocks.
The Petes are rebuilding and everyone knew it was coming and nobody is upset. The banner was worth it. It’s a hell of a lot different than being last place for the fourth year in a row because nobody wants to play there.
Now run along back to the Sudbury thread and hope that they win something for the first time ever.
He’s a big Petes hater. He was proven wrong last year in the playoffs and this year at the deadline.
LOL. Agreed. Too early to place a wager. We need an offseason first. I also agree about ability. My issue is the massive hole in ‘05s and ‘06s for Peterborough. It will be tough no matter what other teams decide to do. I cannot see the Petes making buyer additions to fill gaps. At best, they decide to not trade the returning OA’s in an effort to be somewhat competitive. But, with them still having some draft pick gaps, I think they will try to fill those gaps by trading the OA’s and bringing in some better value ones at a lower replacement cost.
I was a little off at the deadline. I didn’t predict the six teams to bunch up so closely. I felt North Bay would be the team most likely to finish 1st in the conference and they have an opportunity to do so on the last day of the season. I predicted Mississauga and Brantford would slip back a bit int he standings to the 5th/6th/7th seed with Kingston. Their ability to maintain their level of play after selling players is a testament to their strong coaching. I predicted that Kingston would need the offseason to properly address their team makeup and align the players attributes to the way Mann likes to play hockey. I predicted that if Ottawa were to add the two OA centres and a capable OA D-Man, they would compete for the division. I predicted Sudbury would maintain its struggles with goal suppression and although they probably have the most impressive roster on paper, they likely wouldn’t win the Division and finish ahead of North Bay who plays a better team game. I predicted the Petes would struggle post-deadline after all the trades.
Generally speaking, I think I did a relatively good job at painting the picture for the second half. I was a little off here and there but I was pretty close overall.
I also complemented the Petes on having the best deadline of any team hands down.
Further to that, I have done nothing but compliment the Petes on their roster going forward and how well they have done in the early stages of the rebuild. If I were a “Petes Hater” as you suggest, I find it hard to understand why I would be throwing so many compliments at the Petes organization. The reality is, if you are a team that embraces the pure cycle of Junior Hockey where you trade away all future assets for the now, you have to then follow that by doing wha the Petes did this seaosn. That leads to bottoming out int he standings the following year. It is just logical to make that assessment. IT isn’t mean spirited. I am not poking fun at the Petes. I am making an objective comment. I have backed it up by stating that the discipline of doing wha the PEtes are doing will likely lead them to another Championship run in ‘26-‘27. So, again, I don’t understand the comment that I am a Petes Hater. For a Petes Hater, I sure have a lot of good things to say about the Petes.
The Petes “05 & ‘06 class consists of:
‘05 - Page
‘05 - Faulkner
‘05 - Matejecik
‘05 - Haley
‘05 - Velliaris
‘05 - Bowen
‘06 - Partridge
‘06 - McCallum
‘06 - Strohack
‘06 - Woulds
‘06 - Rye
That is your backbone of 18 and 19 year old veteran players. That is a very weak list of players. Anyone that suggests that is the nucleus of a playoff team as opposed to a bottom four team in the league has to seriously follow that up with a justification.
By contrast, here is the Niagara ‘05 & ‘06 class:
‘05 - Assadourian
‘05 - Levin
‘05 - Stewart
‘05 - Paris
‘05 - Wycisk
‘05 - Podrecar
‘05 - Robertson
‘06 - He
‘06 - Wray
‘06 - Vermeulen
‘06 - Chernowski
On top of that, they have the 17 year old Roobroek who is a better player than anything currently on the Petes roster. I could say the same thing about Kevin He. Although, I really like McCallum so it is tough not to throw him into the mix even if his overall production will be lower than those tow players.
The Ice Dogs have some Dogs at the top of the roster that will help generate offence and give them more chances to win hockey games. Niagara has other handicaps that are organization related so I understand and agree we need to temper expectations for the Ice Dogs, but or the purpose of this conversation, the Ice Dogs, from a Roster construction perspective, have a better chance of pushing for a playoff spot next year than the Petes.
All that said, the PEtes have a better nucleus of younger players that will benefit from another year of development which will likely put them in a bette reposition when the ‘07s are 18 years old as opposed to as 17 year olds next year. So, I like the future outlook of the PEtes better than Niagara…. For now. If Niagara can get their shit together, Roobroeck will be a major player for them if he sticks around four years.
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It is on channel 466. It is getting ridiculous with these final game ceremonies. Today North Bay is handing out their player awards. Is that not what the Year End Banquet is for?
