Sudbury Wolves 2019-20 Season Thread (Part 3)

[yalbmert25]

If your GM hadn't given up 4 picks (1 conditional) for Purboo, would he still be with the team? Very very average goalie who was outplayed by a kid plucked out of Rayside out of need due to injury. To just release him would be egg on GM's face!

I think they realized during preseason that they needed to upgrade the G position. Weeks and Lemaire wasn’t going to work. What else was out there at that time?

totally hindsight but should have went after Ingram during the off-season. I figure manegement thought Dichow could still report and wasn’t ready to make a move.

To answer your question goaltending has been atrocious! Not worth picks given away. That’s all I can really say!

 

[cub]

Happy New Year!!!!!!! For all the Hindsight Managers, get that resume ready.

 

[dirty12]

Happy New Year!!!!!!! For all the Hindsight Managers, get that resume ready.

Happy New Year cub.
You are invited to the present so that you may gauge the present and near future value of the GM’s work so far. How far into the future do we wait to expect the most out of Papineau’s biggest/costliest acquisitions in Candela, Nizhnikov, Stratis, UPL, Ruzicka, Demeo, Purboo, & Byfield.
Time is quickly running out cub. Half of the roster consists of ten 19-20 yr olds. Papineau has 10 days to finish building a contender; or, realize he failed and start his next 3 year plan. Some of us are still very hopeful something good comes from his rebuild.

 

[jjhound]

Happy new year from your Northern neighbor!
I believe as others said you need to look at the GM and coach. In the last 5 years you have had 2 first overall picks and a second overall pick. The two firsts are still in your lineup. You also should have had the corresponding high second round picks but moved some. You added other seconds except one year. Only Thompson was a high defenceman picked who remains with all the potential to draft top back end talent. Currently you have all 3 OA as forwards and many 19 year olds, and are struggling to stay above .500 in a very weak division. How can you not look at the last 5 years of managing and current coaching as the problem?
To compare, the Hounds had no second round picks in the last 5 years and only two first rounders are with the team, the 2002 and 2003 picks, very late picks around 19th overall. We only have one OA forward and an OA goalie, plus 2 defenceman and one forward who are 19. We know that our team is setting up for the next two years yet we have the same record as the Wolves, are amongst the league leaders in goals for and play in a really tough conference. Guaranteed Raftis will add to help the future and still have a good chance to get one or possibly two playoff rounds in.
The drafting, coaching and asset management in Sudbury needs a total revamp. If you buy big this year it is going to be a very long 3 or 4 years, but I hope it's worth it if you feel having a chance to get to the conference finals compensates for the tough future years ahead.
Good luck, I just hope for your sake the past does not repeat itself.

 

[dirty12]

Happy new year from your Northern neighbor!
I believe as others said you need to look at the GM and coach. In the last 5 years you have had 2 first overall picks and a second overall pick. The two firsts are still in your lineup. You also should have had the corresponding high second round picks but moved some. You added other seconds except one year. Only Thompson was a high defenceman picked who remains with all the potential to draft top back end talent. Currently you have all 3 OA as forwards and many 19 year olds, and are struggling to stay above .500 in a very weak division. How can you not look at the last 5 years of managing and current coaching as the problem?
To compare, the Hounds had no second round picks in the last 5 years and only two first rounders are with the team, the 2002 and 2003 picks, very late picks around 19th overall. We only have one OA forward and an OA goalie, plus 2 defenceman and one forward who are 19. We know that our team is setting up for the next two years yet we have the same record as the Wolves, are amongst the league leaders in goals for and play in a really tough conference. Guaranteed Raftis will add to help the future and still have a good chance to get one or possibly two playoff rounds in.
The drafting, coaching and asset management in Sudbury needs a total revamp. If you buy big this year it is going to be a very long 3 or 4 years, but I hope it's worth it if you feel having a chance to get to the conference finals compensates for the tough future years ahead.
Good luck, I just hope for your sake the past does not repeat itself.

The hounds, like Miss and Erie and maybe Flint, made good out of finishing out of the playoffs 3/4 seasons; yeah, it’s a backhanded compliment getting to where the hounds got from being among the very worst. It would be hugely disappointing if the wolves don’t; especially, considering all the assets moved and used have little benefit beyond this season.

 

[Petes]

Alright so most say load up... lets hear some targets or see some mock trades!!!

I want:
Jenik (if he's ok)
Noel (if Jeniks not or price is cheap)
Kyen Sopa (another possibly good addition)
Zack Trott (depth addition)
Leguerrier
Tucker
Ingham (if possible)
Kooy (backup to Ingham but would rather just pay up)

Ingham won’t be dealt... Kitchener is on fire right now. Your best bet is to pony up big time and get Daws. Guelph will still be sellers.

 

[Wolfman Jack]

Happy New Year!!!!!!! For all the Hindsight Managers, get that resume ready.

Too easy of a statement to make! What are we supposed to do after all these years. Put duck tape on our mouths or get rid of our keyboard. Cmon this season has gone down the tubes. Pathetic management has destroyed our chances. I don’t care who we trade for now it’s really too late to compete. In recent weeks we have lost to Kingston, Erie, Owen Sound, Soo x3, and North Bay. It’s over!!! With Jenik now hurt and out for the year prices will jump for the imports remaining that can be dealt and the possibility of GUelph getting Phillips back may mean they take another chance to cash in on a couple of playoff rounds. Again waiting this long to add pieces is the demise of the season. We are just too far behind. Can’t keep muzzling fans for being upset or adding their thoughts. We have waited too long and having Byfield for a second season we should have planned better IMO.

Happy New Year Cub! The best thing that can happen now is Zulich getting a new management team in place. This one has had their chance.

WJ

 

[jjhound]

The hounds, like Miss and Erie and maybe Flint, made good out of finishing out of the playoffs 3/4 seasons; yeah, it’s a backhanded compliment getting to where the hounds got from being among the very worst. It would be hugely disappointing if the wolves don’t; especially, considering all the assets moved and used have little benefit beyond this season.

Check back to the 2010 draft and you will see for 3 years we both drafted once first overall and we both also drafted in the top 4 or 5. The Hounds twice, but over the next decade that was the last time the Hounds drafted higher than 9th overall. The improvement began with Kyle Dubas, his vision for sustained success. It gave us several opportunities to go for it and still get two playoff rounds the last 6 or 7 years. This year will likely be our highest selection in some time but we will hopefully get a round or two in the playoffs and a bright future.
Point being Wolves management needs to either be changed or have a major philosophy change. Dubas fired Stapleton after 1.5 years of underachieving and brought in Keefe. Is Stillman the right guy? Consider the age of your roster and higher picks you have in your lineup it needs consideration to change your coach now. IMO he has not shown any ability to coach at this level successfully.

 

[cub]

We even got "Hindsight Managers" from the Soo talking about the Wolves this is a first. Get that resume ready you might be our saviour.

 

[dirty12]

Check back to the 2010 draft and you will see for 3 years we both drafted once first overall and we both also drafted in the top 4 or 5. The Hounds twice, but over the next decade that was the last time the Hounds drafted higher than 9th overall. The improvement began with Kyle Dubas, his vision for sustained success. It gave us several opportunities to go for it and still get two playoff rounds the last 6 or 7 years. This year will likely be our highest selection in some time but we will hopefully get a round or two in the playoffs and a bright future.
Point being Wolves management needs to either be changed or have a major philosophy change. Dubas fired Stapleton after 1.5 years of underachieving and brought in Keefe. Is Stillman the right guy? Consider the age of your roster and higher picks you have in your lineup it needs consideration to change your coach now. IMO he has not shown any ability to coach at this level successfully.

We mostly agree. The backhanded compliment was for using SSM as a model. Teams not in London, Oshawa, Kitchener, and to some extent Ottawa and Windsor, realize that the surest way to build a winner is be a loser for 3-4 seasons.
If you want to point out the hounds run of 2nd round losses as model of consistency, I will give you my opinion that a team losing in round two without having added at the deadline is a team management did not believe could win and would rather keep assets to stay slightly above mediocrity into the future.

 

[jjhound]

We mostly agree. The backhanded compliment was for using SSM as a model. Teams not in London, Oshawa, Kitchener, and to some extent Ottawa and Windsor, realize that the surest way to build a winner is be a loser for 3-4 seasons.
If you want to point out the hounds run of 2nd round losses as model of consistency, I will give you my opinion that a team losing in round two without having added at the deadline is a team management did not believe could win and would rather keep assets to stay slightly above mediocrity into the future.

League final and conference final losses. McDavid killed us and Hamilton( injuries to Timmins and Verbeek killed us) plus Hamilton added something like 8 players at the deadline. Regardless, we had two legit shots at a championship the last 6-7 years and between those seasons still got 2 rounds of playoffs in every year.
All I am saying is management style put us into a position to challenge every 3 years and still get the couple rounds of playoffs in between. Sudbury has to evaluate their management like the Soo fid 8 years or so ago.

 

[cub]

League final and conference final losses. McDavid killed us and Hamilton( injuries to Timmins and Verbeek killed us) plus Hamilton added something like 8 players at the deadline. Regardless, we had two legit shots at a championship the last 6-7 years and between those seasons still got 2 rounds of playoffs in every year.
All I am saying is management style put us into a position to challenge every 3 years and still get the couple rounds of playoffs in between. Sudbury has to evaluate their management like the Soo fid 8 years or so ago.

Why you worried about Wolves coaching and management? Do we really need to know how awesome the Soo are on our board? However, if really want to help submit your resume for management, you seem very knowledgeable and can bring us to the promise land.

 

[jjhound]

Why you worried about Wolves coaching and management? Do we really need to know how awesome the Soo are on our board? However, if really want to help submit your resume for management, you seem very knowledgeable and can bring us to the promise land.

Lol, just discussing. I wish you luck as a fellow Northerner and hope we can see 2 strong franchises for the North for a long time, that's all.

 

[hockeynorth]

Lol, just discussing. I wish you luck as a fellow Northerner and hope we can see 2 strong franchises for the North for a long time, that's all.

I mean it is a discussion board

 

[cub]

I mean it is a discussion board

Yes please share more lovely success stories from the Soo on our board, I love hearing them.

 

[I Loveallsports]

Lol, just discussing. I wish you luck as a fellow Northerner and hope we can see 2 strong franchises for the North for a long time, that's all.

Lol

Not buying it...

They ship will turn one day for the wolves. We'll be fine.

 

[hockieguy]

There's no need to become defensive on here. Every poster is allowed to put their opinion down and sometimes their opinion doesn't agree with yours or mine. My posts aren't always well received, but its my opinion only. Everyone, lighten up a bit! There are a lot of good points made, on every discussion, but try and keep it to a discussion and not an argument. It's 2020 already!

 

[dirty12]

League final and conference final losses. McDavid killed us and Hamilton( injuries to Timmins and Verbeek killed us) plus Hamilton added something like 8 players at the deadline. Regardless, we had two legit shots at a championship the last 6-7 years and between those seasons still got 2 rounds of playoffs in every year.
All I am saying is management style put us into a position to challenge every 3 years and still get the couple rounds of playoffs in between. Sudbury has to evaluate their management like the Soo fid 8 years or so ago.

Every 3 years?! More accurately, twice in 15 years.
Sudbury is simply tragic And, they likely will embark on a full blown rebuild in a matter of days or end of season.
But, maybe Zullich dreams big and does not want or need to be a model of mediocrity like the Soo, OS, & (battalion were). NB & OS were in a conference final and a league final too.

 

[hockeynorth]

Yes please share more lovely success stories from the Soo on our board, I love hearing them.

I personally love the Soo model so I may be biased, but I prefer how they're run as a model for the typical OHL team and a way to sustain success as opposed to the London model especially for a team like us, simply due to circumstances. Personally, I don't love the way London is run though you can't deny their success, heck I'd have a team like Ottawa above them in terms of management *for the typical OHL team* too.

 

[dirty12]

I personally love the Soo model so I may be biased, but I prefer how they're run as a model for the typical OHL team and a way to sustain success as opposed to the London model especially for a team like us, simply due to circumstances. Personally, I don't love the way London is run though you can't deny their success, heck I'd have a team like Ottawa above them in terms of management *for the typical OHL team* too.

well, you probably won’t see that under Zullich. He wants to part of a proud city and championship club in a very bad way. If it comes in an unexpected magical (2007 type post season) costing every last tradable asset, all the more glorious

 

[jjhound]

Lol

Not buying it...

They ship will turn one day for the wolves. We'll be fine.

Yes we will have down times and hopefully you will have many successes.

 

[jjhound]

Every 3 years?! More accurately, twice in 15 years.
Sudbury is simply tragic And, they likely will embark on a full blown rebuild in a matter of days or end of season.
But, maybe Zullich dreams big and does not want or need to be a model of mediocrity like the Soo, OS, & (battalion were). NB & OS were in a conference final and a league final too.

Since Dubas, every 3 years approximately. Before that only one run under Torrie with Hartsburgh coaching, made conference final.
Otherwise it was slim pickings for us pre Dubas.

 

[dirty12]

Since Dubas, every 3 years approximately. Before that only one run under Torrie with Hartsburgh coaching, made conference final.
Otherwise it was slim pickings for us pre Dubas.

So Dubas-Raftis have created a model of consistency, or mediocrity as I see it, similar to OS & NB who have both been to conference and league finals in a similar time frame. It’s probably a better economic model for those franchises to hold assets year to year to stay relatively competitive and take a shot when it’s obvious the team can contend. Just know that not selling to recoup assets mortgaged in contending years will eventually lead to a down turn which OS is experiencing and NB is about to climb out of. Maybe, you can tell me of a team that has not experienced a need to re-tool in the past 15 years? Imo, the Soo is near the brink where they need Hayton to sell or they will find themselves battling just to be a playoff team.

 

[hockeynorth]

So Dubas-Raftis have created a model of consistency, or mediocrity as I see it, similar to OS & NB who have both been to conference and league finals in a similar time frame. It’s probably a better economic model for those franchises to hold assets year to year to stay relatively competitive and take a shot when it’s obvious the team can contend. Just know that not selling to recoup assets mortgaged in contending years will eventually lead to a down turn which OS is experiencing and NB is about to climb out of. Maybe, you can tell me of a team that has not experienced a need to re-tool in the past 15 years? Imo, the Soo is near the brink where they need Hayton to sell or they will find themselves battling just to be a playoff team.

This is true as well, I would sell if I were the Soo now, even guys like Carroll and Mackay. I more meant simply they always seem so well managed and ready. I wouldn't call them mediocre however, I'd have them up there with London, Ottawa, (Windsor to an extent) and teams like that

 

[hockieguy]

Right now, there are a lot of frustrated Wolves fans out there. There isn’t really any need to speculate on anything until if and when something happens. Until then, there are no right or wrongs, just opinions, which everyone has one or two of.

The one element that has been missing from the Wolves, which is very important in restructuring a team is consistency. The Wolves have not had a chance to get there yet. Over the years this team has been consistently bad and it will take time and planning to get there. Believe it or not, a team builds this consistency through good drafting and some good free agent pick ups. The wolves have not had either. It’s very difficult to attract any talent through the draft until there is consistency and solid performance over a few seasons. Even if that consistency is a few years of being IN the playoffs, at least there is something to point to.

Consistency isn’t drafting a hot goalie and having 1 year of playoff success and determining that the next year the team is a contender. That is gambling with success and success isn’t measured in a season but seasons.