SSM Greyhounds 2022-23 Season Thread
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I would have expected at least one of the OAs to garner something, Watson I think could have brought back a few picks but maybe there wasn't a huge demand for OAs this year from the buyers. I didn't expect many other players to move given their age and potential for next season.
Cup or not, off season will see some movement of players.
saska sault
Registered User
I haven't watched enough OHL hockey to even know this year. Been to 3 games, and haven't followed the league closely. Just trying to catch up to date lately on the state of the franchise.
You and me both, I knew this year would be a stinker so wasn't much to follow this year for myself personally
saska sault
Registered User
Im in the same boat, may need to get season tickets again starting next year. Can only focus on so many teams as I get older and OHL hockey took a back seat this year.
shot caller
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- Apr 16, 2018
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I hear you but I just can't seem to pick out the players that we will move.
Ivanov? Maybe, but unless there is a scramble in close where he pulls a remarkable save out of nowhere, he is not a steady OHL-calibre goalie and I think if he was, he would have been marketable this season. BMB or KK? They won't be going anywhere in the offseason if they didn't go anywhere by this deadline.
So what does that leave? A few underachieving players with failed development? That seems incredibly valuable to a bunch of teams looking for upgrades. So, your statement of "...off season will see some movement of players." is something I cannot wrap my head around.
@DWI Dale has been echoing this for what seems like years and I have always agreed with his points. This ball was dropped years ago and we are seeing the impact now. In years prior to that, we didn't sell off but no one would have sold with how we were drafting players the keep the wheels turning. As soon as the drafting suffered, and maintaining the aforementioned model of not selling, our goos was cooked. With some shrewd business dealings, we could have been a favourite for the memorial cup next season - and not just because we are running to host it, but because we could have been good enough to make it!
You cannot just assume that Raftis can move players out. They ain't going no where if they are not wanted. He could release a bunch and start fresh to some extent but again, how has our drafting been over the last 4 years in the rounds where we have been able to draft?
I am not a professional and I don't claim to be one but I think logically and can reason with most people why next season we should be selling the farm and going through some lean years to MAYBE take a run at hosting the next time the OHL has the Memorial Cup. We have no business applying for it this year and if for whatever reason we are granted the tournament, we will be incredibly unprepared to compete.
That's one of the worst takes I have ever seen from a fan of a sports team. It's really a shame that people feel this way about the Greyhounds. I want to see a Memorial Cup and I want to see the team have success. Hoping that the community wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars and the opportunity of a lifetime for young fans to see an amazing tournament is really just an awful thing to say.
This has been the model organization for well over a decade and as soon as a lean year comes, everyone is ready to jump ship and slam the management group that got us here. Our General Manager isn't a fool and he knows that a rebuild will be necessary in the future.
I'll never wish such tremendous failure on my team Or community. I don't think a person who does so can even call themselves a fan.
This has been the "regular season" model franchise. And realistically it was started by dubas. It started to go downhill after the players he drafted aged out. I'd take the Hamilton model. Two championship years and memorial cup berths in the last 4 years over losing in the second round any day.
That can be debated, but it's not exactly what I was discussing. A successful Memorial Cup run sets us on a boom and bust trajectory anyways.
A person wishing massive failure on the city and franchise so they can 'be right' and get their way is no fan at all.
Soo fans:
Landon Hookey practiced with his new team today.
He was slotted with LA Kings draft pick Kaleb Lawrence and OA Matt Papais.
He also saw PP2 time .
We look forward to welcoming him to his first home game Saturday .
Please cheer for Julian Fantino.
These are still kids, and trades are a big, big deal for them .
All the Best
Landon Hookey practiced with his new team today.
He was slotted with LA Kings draft pick Kaleb Lawrence and OA Matt Papais.
He also saw PP2 time .
We look forward to welcoming him to his first home game Saturday .
Please cheer for Julian Fantino.
These are still kids, and trades are a big, big deal for them .
All the Best
HockeyPops
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- Aug 20, 2018
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Lol, what?
This team has underachieved for half a season. Underachieving for one more full season is hardly wishing massive failure.
The massive failure would be what would happen after a successful bid in 2024. A la Erie Otters post Connor McDavid. And they don't have the team to win it anyway. Why would you be wishing that on this city?
No Fischy, much better to sell at the 2024 deadline. That sell sets us up for another bid attempt in 2027 when hopefully the team and draft cupboard could better support it.
You don't just put in a bid on a whim. The city is sinking 5 million dollars into this and it's happening whether you like it or not.
There's so much more at stake here than your satisfaction at playing armchair GM.
HockeyPops
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It's not happening if they lose the bid. Whether you like it or not. Only winning the bid would trigger those costs.
Of course I will support the team as I always do. And if the mem cup comes I will support that too and all of the economic development that comes with it. But I don't think it's right for the city at this time.
I will be watching the London Knights closely this playoff run. I feel that a Greyhounds team that Raftis assembles next season to make a run would look similar to the Knights this year. Built off goaltending and defense, but a little light on the forwards. Hunter had more ammo to add to his team this year than Raftis will next year, but Hunter exercised restraint so the additions will probably be similar. If the Knights win the league this year then I will be forced to reassess my expectations for the Hounds for next year.
The big difference is that although we could assemble a similar team next year, we would not have nearly as much left in cupboard as Hunter does now. It would continue the cycle that desperately needs to be broken. Raftis is a decent GM, but hasn't shown he has the ability to sell his blue chip players when the time is right. Sometimes people need a nudge to take that leap for the first time. I am personally hoping Raftis gets that nudge that he needs.
Of course I will support the team as I always do. And if the mem cup comes I will support that too and all of the economic development that comes with it. But I don't think it's right for the city at this time.
I will be watching the London Knights closely this playoff run. I feel that a Greyhounds team that Raftis assembles next season to make a run would look similar to the Knights this year. Built off goaltending and defense, but a little light on the forwards. Hunter had more ammo to add to his team this year than Raftis will next year, but Hunter exercised restraint so the additions will probably be similar. If the Knights win the league this year then I will be forced to reassess my expectations for the Hounds for next year.
The big difference is that although we could assemble a similar team next year, we would not have nearly as much left in cupboard as Hunter does now. It would continue the cycle that desperately needs to be broken. Raftis is a decent GM, but hasn't shown he has the ability to sell his blue chip players when the time is right. Sometimes people need a nudge to take that leap for the first time. I am personally hoping Raftis gets that nudge that he needs.
I'm an optimist going into this bid, while others may disagree with the direction Raftis and Lukenda may be leading this team, IF we win the bid, I'm sure they'll pull something out of the woodworks to make our team competitive next season...we wouldn't be bidding if there wasn't something we likely don't otherwise know
There's homers, then there's Fischhaber. LoL!
He takes his delusions to brand new levels, even going so far as to suggest that we are cheering against our own city and franchise because we won't lick Raftis' boots.
This is the kind "doubling down" I was talking about in a previous post. Every prediction Fishy made the past 5 seasons has been way off. His read on the franchise has been way off. He has blindly supported everything Raftis et al have done. And when his prognostications don't come true he blames every but himself and lashes out. Rinse. Repeat.
Just sit this one out bud. You're nuts.
He takes his delusions to brand new levels, even going so far as to suggest that we are cheering against our own city and franchise because we won't lick Raftis' boots.
This is the kind "doubling down" I was talking about in a previous post. Every prediction Fishy made the past 5 seasons has been way off. His read on the franchise has been way off. He has blindly supported everything Raftis et al have done. And when his prognostications don't come true he blames every but himself and lashes out. Rinse. Repeat.
Just sit this one out bud. You're nuts.
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i think the worry some of us have is that we don't have the draft pick capital to "pull something out of the woodworks". acquiring top talent is expensive. just look at the prices scoring forwards went for this deadline. being optimisitic is fine as long as you can simultaneously appreciate the corner the franchise has backed itself into. our challenges are of our own making and that is frustrating.
our one hope that remains is that a few long shot players will report. for example mcgroarty. but otherwise we have very limited options for moves we can make to improve the team.
HockeyPops
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- Aug 20, 2018
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| TEAM | Soo | Saginaw | Kingston | Niagara | Guelph | Sudbury | London |
| PICKS THROUGH 2027 | 4x2nds 3x3rds | 6x2nds 4x3rds | 5x2nds 5x3rds | 7x2nds 5x3rds | 5x2nds 6x3rds | 6x2nds 6x3rds | 3x2nds 4x3rds |
| IMPACT PLAYERS | McConnell-Barker Kudryavtsev Allard? Schenkel? Gibson? | Haight Sapovaliv Misa Mangone? Loukus? Mancini? | Ludwinski Soto Miedema Hemstrom? | Poitras Buchinger Allen? Leaver? Enright? | Goyette Collins Musty Delic Mania? McCallum? | George Edward Sim Bonk? Crane? Gazizov? Cowan? |
I threw together this matrix comparing the 4 teams bidding, plus three more teams that should be competitive next year. I don't think Niagara is really in the running any more but included them just the same to respect the bid process.
How are we going to turn this team into a contender?
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pray to god some of our long shot players report as @DWI Dale mentioned above. Honestly I think we need to wait and see at this time what the team has cooking up behind closed doors hence my 'optimist' mentality
Landon Hookey 1A, 1 fight, +1 in his first game with the Attack, made his presence known .
don't see the logic in playing ivanov 15 games in a row, and having Miller on the bench,
where is the development ?
Is Dean worried about his job status if team doesn't make the playoffs ?
where is the development ?
Is Dean worried about his job status if team doesn't make the playoffs ?
Dean isn't free of blame but if heads are gonna roll it should start with Raftis.
JD can only work with the players he's given.
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This mustard character is correct. Dean can only work with what he's got and he's not a miracle man here. He doing fairly well given what he was dealt. Which is a fairly weak top six lineup. There's a reason why we are like last in league for scoring. It's a thing called fire power. You could switch the majority of those kids out of lineup with the thunderbird and you wouldn't notice a difference.
But what gets me about Dean is Miller getting slivers on the bench and then tossing him in the when the team is getting crushed.
For crying out loud, start the kid. You guys drafted him 2nd round. By doing that the gm is telling me he's got lots of talent and will eventually be the guy!
There is not a better game to play him then a home Sunday game against a weaker team during a long home stretch.
Makes no sense and brutal for development especially when he could be crushing minutes on the birds.
For crying out loud, start the kid. You guys drafted him 2nd round. By doing that the gm is telling me he's got lots of talent and will eventually be the guy!
There is not a better game to play him then a home Sunday game against a weaker team during a long home stretch.
Makes no sense and brutal for development especially when he could be crushing minutes on the birds.
Raftis has done some exciting things with this team and has brought in very exciting players to watch. But has definitely not hit the trade for picks button when needed.
This recipe generally makes for excitement and wins during the regular season, but his model is just not designed for playoff hockey.
This recipe generally makes for excitement and wins during the regular season, but his model is just not designed for playoff hockey.
Massive win tonight! We're seeing guys like Kostov and Brown come into their own and winning down the stretch is only going to enhance their development. This is very reminiscent of the 15-16 team that upset Sarnia in the first round.
Sirizzotti and Fantino are really looking good as well. We may have gotten a couple of key middle 6 forwards next year for a pretty moderate price. No team in the league has a better group of defensemen for the next couple of years, so their contributions up front could be massive.
Sirizzotti and Fantino are really looking good as well. We may have gotten a couple of key middle 6 forwards next year for a pretty moderate price. No team in the league has a better group of defensemen for the next couple of years, so their contributions up front could be massive.
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