SSM Greyhounds 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)

[EvenSteven]

Dickinson wanted to be dealt and was.

Martin sure sounds happy to me. Hounds’ brass sure sound thrilled to have him.

Apples - Oranges.

My Dickinson comparison was simply that he was a big piece to London’s team as a 16 year old rookie, and would Martin have the same value to the Soo at the same age.

 

[DeletedAccountt]

My Dickinson comparison was simply that he was a big piece to London’s team as a 16 year old rookie, and would Martin have the same value to the Soo at the same age.

Yes, in fact I think Martin will have more of an impact.

 

[Houndzfan20]

Oh, man. Why wait until September? We got long months to kill now!

I don't think anyone would argue the following:
1) We will be much better than last year
2) We will be competitive

But those are very different than:
1) We will be great
2) We will contend

^^^^^

This. Thinking we won't finish 9th. But not top 4 either. Which I'm good with. As long as we are rebuilding the right way I'll be happy.

 

[BeliveauFan4ever]

My Dickinson comparison was simply that he was a big piece to London’s team as a 16 year old rookie, and would Martin have the same value to the Soo at the same age.

The Hounds roster, pre-draft, featured a near-empty cupboard of dynamic offense.

There’s just no way Hounds are thinking of making a deal involving Martin.

He’ll be a big piece and a key building block. He’s the kind of player you build a team around.

 

[Wolf on a Wire]

Yes, in fact I think Martin will have more of an impact.

Wrong! Come on man, unless he’s the next coming of the Great One he ain’t going to be better than Dickinson. Not many 16 year olds play a premier position on a contender and shine! Not saying Martin won’t be elite, but he ain’t a Unicorn like Dickinson…IMO.

 

[DeletedAccountt]

Wrong! Come on man, unless he’s the next coming of the Great One he ain’t going to be better than Dickinson. Not many 16 year olds play a premier position on a contender and shine! Not saying Martin won’t be elite, but he ain’t a Unicorn like Dickinson…IMO.

Lmfao are you serious... a Unicorn...

 

[Wolf on a Wire]

Lmfao are you serious... a Unicorn...

I can only think of Ekblad as the last man/child 16year old elite DMan in the OHL over the last 10 plus years…yeah Unicorn.

 

[Wolf on a Wire]

If London was willing to trade him, which they are not, it would take Martin +++(+) to get him…

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

BMB would be traded over Martin any day with this being his probably last season in the O IF that is even where this team is going come trade deadline

 

[HockeyPops]

I have yet to see Raftis make a move like sending BMB out the door in his 19 year old season.

 

[DeletedAccountt]

I have yet to see Raftis make a move like sending BMB out the door in his 19 year old season.

And unless we do absolutely horrible to start the year, I have a feeling you won't see it this year.

 

[dmead]

And unless we do absolutely horrible to start the year, I have a feeling you won't see it this year.

Thats too bad. Would love to see him in London.

 

[BeliveauFan4ever]

Thats too bad. Would love to see him in London.

I don’t think that’s unrealistic.

I’m among the group of fans waiting to see if the Hounds ever do a big TDL deal to rebuild.

They have many OHL calibre bodies, many with experience, but I suspect a middlin’ team next season. More wins, more fun to watch, but not a contender for hardware.

Dealing BMB to his hometown team will likely make sense, but will the Hounds make that deal if they’re clearly and merely middlin’?

Won’t hold my breath.

 

[Fischhaber]

C’mon man… that’s like me not saving you a cupcake and you telling everyone “I don’t like cupcakes anyway…”.
Of course we would find a spot if we had a chance and of course you would love if it we did.

We have Kudryavtsev and the #7 overall pick. I can't see us cutting him or passing on our pick to make room for Nordh, even if he were willing to come. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made on imports.

 

[jjhound]

I have yet to see Raftis make a move like sending BMB out the door in his 19 year old season.

That's because McCann and Hayton both made the NHL as 19 year Olds, otherwise they were gone.

We have Kudryavtsev and the #7 overall pick. I can't see us cutting him or passing on our pick to make room for Nordh, even if he were willing to come. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made on imports.

You can pick 7th regardless. Kudryatsev is signed by the NHL, so you can pick.

 

[HockeyPops]

That's because McCann and Hayton both made the NHL as 19 year Olds, otherwise they were gone.

It's easy to say they were gone. But I have yet to see Raftis pull the trigger.

 

[DWI Dale]

It's easy to say they were gone. But I have yet to see Raftis pull the trigger.

I recall many of us assumed Hayton wasn't coming back as a 19 year old and suggested he should be traded as an 18 year old like Robert Thomas in 2018. But as you've said, Raftis has not demonstrated he has the intestinal fortitude to make these kind of forward thinking moves.

 

[dmead]

I recall many of us assumed Hayton wasn't coming back as a 19 year old and suggested he should be traded as an 18 year old like Robert Thomas in 2018. But as you've said, Raftis has not demonstrated he has the intestinal fortitude to make these kind of forward thinking moves.

... or... he is overly loyal to his players? I dont know, dont follow the team that closely.

 

[DWI Dale]

... or... he is overly loyal to his players? I dont know, dont follow the team that closely.

I'm not privy to his thought process but I've heard the following:

1) Player X didn't want to to leave
2) The franchise wants to avoid the boom/bust cycle of junior hockey and be a perennial contender
3) The organization believed we were contenders

To be honest I'm not sure I care WHY he hasn't made any big outgoing trades, only that we haven't while teams that have like Hamilton have lapped us in championships. I don't know a fan out there that isn't willing to endure a year or two of struggles to build a juggernaut.

 

[HockeyPops]

Perennial contender is great, but you need to draft better and manage your picks cupboard better. I believe Dubas could manage a perennial contender, but not sure Raftis can get there.

 

[DWI Dale]

Perennial contender is great, but you need to draft better and manage your picks cupboard better. I believe Dubas could manage a perennial contender, but not sure Raftis can get there.

Even "perennial contenders" like London trade top players in order to restock the cupboards and rebuild on the fly!

 

[Houndzfan20]

... or... he is overly loyal to his players? I dont know, dont follow the team that closely.

i would hope he isn't overly loyal to his players. hard time building a contender trying to please everyone.

Even "perennial contenders" like London trade top players in order to restock the cupboards and rebuild on the fly!

London can somehow even trade marginable players for a haul lol. Idk how they do it

 

[jjhound]

i would hope he isn't overly loyal to his players. hard time building a contender trying to please everyone.

London can somehow even trade marginable players for a haul lol. Idk how they do it

Savard for a 2nd, two 3rds and a 4th was a pretty good haul for an 11th round pick.

 

[dirty12]

Perennial contender is great, but you need to draft better and manage your picks cupboard better. I believe Dubas could manage a perennial contender, but not sure Raftis can get there.

I have doubt Dubas could manage a contender without Keefe.

 

[HockeyPops]

Dubas has shown himself to have a good eye for talent and surrounding himself with others who do as well. At the OHL that is far and away the most important aspect of the GM's job. Since players are in the league for such a short time, drafting is far more important than in a league like the NHL (still important, but many other aspects increase in importance there).

If you want to be a perennial contender in the OHL, you need to draft well every year. The rest is gravy. If Dubas was here but without Keefe, I have no doubt he would have success.