Sudbury Wolves 2022-23 Season Thread (Part 3)

[yalbmert25]

I believe unloading Goyette this year was the smart move. The team has too many holes to fill. Its very difficult to go from 8th place to winning everything in less than one year. Especially with too many question marks. On a good team, it would be hard to pick who would be a top four defence man from the Wolves. Maybe I get proved wrong, but I just don’t see the right players in the important positions on this team.

Why would trading your best player, when he's very, very likely to be back next year be "the smart move"? I don't see this take at all. If you're doing that you trade Musty, Pharand and Mania too. Just blow up the entire core and start over. If you trade Goyette you're giving up on next year's run for sure. You aren't making one next year without Goyette in the lineup. If you aren't interested in making a run next year, Blow the whole thing up. I don't think this team is that far away from contending next season. The core is fine.

We went from possibly upsetting Ottawa in the first round on Friday at 9:30 to going back to this past years deadline and selling our top player. How can we possibly swing that hard that fast?

 

[WeThe North]

Coach won’t say it but the 3 games in 48 hours show that the fitness level of this team is still not good enough. The hard forecheck is a tough system to play and demands more out of the players. We are going the right way.

 

[jrwhopper]

Larmand is listed as suspended indefinitely as per the OHL website.

 

[Generalsupdates]

Coach won’t say it but the 3 games in 48 hours show that the fitness level of this team is still not good enough. The hard forecheck is a tough system to play and demands more out of the players. We are going the right way.

Yeah asking 17-20 year olds to do something active 3 days in a row is a crazy ask...

You see a ton of excuses on the hfboards, but that might be a first for that one!

The Wolves will be fine, should be one of the better teams in the East next year if they can get an NHL drafted import goalie. They're going to lose games though, you don't need to come up with an excuse why they lost every time..

 

[HockeyPops]

Didn't read it as an excuse at all? More a roadmap of where the team needs to get to?

 

[hockieguy]

Why would trading your best player, when he's very, very likely to be back next year be "the smart move"? I don't see this take at all. If you're doing that you trade Musty, Pharand and Mania too. Just blow up the entire core and start over. If you trade Goyette you're giving up on next year's run for sure. You aren't making one next year without Goyette in the lineup. If you aren't interested in making a run next year, Blow the whole thing up. I don't think this team is that far away from contending next season. The core is fine.

We went from possibly upsetting Ottawa in the first round on Friday at 9:30 to going back to this past years deadline and selling our top player. How can we possibly swing that hard that fast?

Nexts years run is not feasible. There are way too many holes to fill. No goaltending, horrible defence. This teams “core” is fighting to make the playoffs this year, and the likely possibility of of this group of players improving at least 30 points in less than a year against teams with their “core” players is very unlikely. I have mentioned that I don’t believe this group of platers are even close to making a run next year. Acquiring draft picks for Goyette, Musty and Mania would be smart. I’d would keep 21 because he has more defensive capabilities than 27 plus he is bigger, faster and stronger. This would allow a real opportunity to make a winner, but even if Papineau was staying, he is not smart enough to put together a great team, or he would already have done it.

Teams like London, Ottawa etc. dismantle teams after winning and take maybe a year to retool and challenge again. The wolves have been in perpetual rebuild for 30 yrs. and Papineau is doing the exact same thing.

If this team wants to win, then invest in a GM that knows what he is doing, rebuild the farm team, then work on the draft. That is just my opinion.

 

[WeThe North]

Nexts years run is not feasible. There are way too many holes to fill. No goaltending, horrible defence. This teams “core” is fighting to make the playoffs this year, and the likely possibility of of this group of players improving at least 30 points in less than a year against teams with their “core” players is very unlikely. I have mentioned that I don’t believe this group of platers are even close to making a run next year. Acquiring draft picks for Goyette, Musty and Mania would be smart. I’d would keep 21 because he has more defensive capabilities than 27 plus he is bigger, faster and stronger. This would allow a real opportunity to make a winner, but even if Papineau was staying, he is not smart enough to put together a great team, or he would already have done it.

Teams like London, Ottawa etc. dismantle teams after winning and take maybe a year to retool and challenge again. The wolves have been in perpetual rebuild for 30 yrs. and Papineau is doing the exact same thing.

If this team wants to win, then invest in a GM that knows what he is doing, rebuild the farm team, then work on the draft. That is just my opinion.

I honestly think that if we add a top goalie and keep the core plus OA’s McCallum, Toure and Anania we are going to be close to a championship team. I’d love to get a quarter back like Donovan for the powerplay and a top scoring right winger. Think about it we’re not that far.

 

[HockeyPops]

Is Krawchuk not your man going forward? .317 and .895 are pretty good for a 17 year old, no? I look at Schenkel this season and he's playing really well for the Soo, top 6 for both GAA and SAV amongst goalies with 10 or more starts. But his numbers last year at 17 years old were much worst than Krawchuk's this season. I am just really surprised at this near universal conclusion that in order to contend they need to add a starter?

 

[WeThe North]

Is Krawchuk not your man going forward? .317 and .895 are pretty good for a 17 year old, no? I look at Schenkel this season and he's playing really well for the Soo, top 6 for both GAA and SAV amongst goalies with 10 or more starts. But his numbers last year at 17 years old were much worst than Krawchuk's this season. I am just really surprised at this near universal conclusion that in order to contend they need to add a starter?

I haven’t seen a lot of teams try to win a memorial cup with an 18 yo goalie. Last year we had Weeks and only Weeks. This year Krawchuk is way above expectations but next year we need a clear number 1 and a very good second in Krawchuk in my opinion.

 

[hockieguy]

I honestly think that if we add a top goalie and keep the core plus OA’s McCallum, Toure and Anania we are going to be close to a championship team. I’d love to get a quarter back like Donovan for the powerplay and a top scoring right winger. Think about it we’re not that far.

That’s your opinion, but the wolves an 8th place team today. Which team do you believe will have no core of platers or players that do not improve as much as wolves players.

 

[dirty12]

I honestly think that if we add a top goalie and keep the core plus OA’s McCallum, Toure and Anania we are going to be close to a championship team. I’d love to get a quarter back like Donovan for the powerplay and a top scoring right winger. Think about it we’re not that far.

I think the wolves contending next season is possible, just not with both Anania & Toure as OAs and Bishop or Walton as top 7 D. The wolves D will need significant change.

 

[WeThe North]

That’s your opinion, but the wolves an 8th place team today. Which team do you believe will have no core of platers or players that do not improve as much as wolves players.

If you take our top 8 leaders only DeGrazia is OA and McCallum is the only 19 yo on the list. So confidently DeGrazia is the only guy we’re losing. We currently have the 6th best offence in the OHL. Not bad for such a young group. And that’s with a bad PP.

 

[HockeyPops]

I haven’t seen a lot of teams try to win a memorial cup with an 18 yo goalie. Last year we had Weeks and only Weeks. This year Krawchuk is way above expectations but next year we need a clear number 1 and a very good second in Krawchuk in my opinion.

I dunno, you have 2 of the top 4 OHL teams this year with either an 18 year old or 17 year old starter (North Bay and Windsor). You have Gaulton coming in next season as backup. I would think you give a Krawchuk/Gaulton tandem some runway next season and see if it might work before you look at bringing in either a starter or backup?

 

[dirty12]

I haven’t seen a lot of teams try to win a memorial cup with an 18 yo goalie. Last year we had Weeks and only Weeks. This year Krawchuk is way above expectations but next year we need a clear number 1 and a very good second in Krawchuk in my opinion.

DiVincentis is 18.
But I agree, expecting an 18 yr old first year starting goalie to start 45+ games, and win four play off rounds is a bit much.
Papineau will need to be willing to over haul the back end for the wolves to contend next season.

 

[SilverCity]

I honestly think that if we add a top goalie and keep the core plus OA’s McCallum, Toure and Anania we are going to be close to a championship team. I’d love to get a quarter back like Donovan for the powerplay and a top scoring right winger. Think about it we’re not that far.

I completely agree with you and hockieguy. We are not as far-off as many here feel. Let's just put it this way, if we don't make a major leap up the standings next year, it means that our coaching and management has let us down. Not to sound like a complete homer, but I think we had an incredible '04 and '05 drafts. To come away with Goyette, Delic, Konyen, Collins, Musty, Assadourian and Mania, then add Pharand. I'd like to see a younger group of more talented players than these guys. Let's just say that something went wrong when you draft these guys, and you're having to re-build a couple of years later. For those reasons, re-build is out of the question!

I feel as though, our coaching doesn't stress the importance of playing D. It's almost as though we have 4 or 5 Bobby Orr's on this team (Robinson, Collins, Toure, Anania and Mania). Sometimes, Mania is looking for the outlook pass for the breakaway...lol. Does anybody on this team want to play D?

I feel with a couple of tweaks, we have all the talent to be a top 5 team in the league next year. Coaching and management can no longer afford to make mistakes with this team.

 

[Wiserbud]

I think the team just need tweaks for a good run next year, and DM to return next year as well. Its clear they are playing a much stronger brand of hockey now, just need a few missing pieces. Not as far away as some suggest.

 

[djscooter]

I think they really only need to make 3 improvements.

1) Improve the PP - Current 19th, even moving to 7th translates to 8 more goals, maybe give up 2-3 less shorthanded goals

2) Improve the PK Currently 17th, bump them up to 7th that's 10 less goals against

3) Ideally also cut down on the number of penalties taken.

Those alone would make a season look very different.

 

[dirty12]

I completely agree with you and hockieguy. We are not as far-off as many here feel. Let's just put it this way, if we don't make a major leap up the standings next year, it means that our coaching and management has let us down. Not to sound like a complete homer, but I think we had an incredible '04 and '05 drafts. To come away with Goyette, Delic, Konyen, Collins, Musty, Assadourian and Mania, then add Pharand. I'd like to see a younger group of more talented players than these guys. Let's just say that something went wrong when you draft these guys, and you're having to re-build a couple of years later. For those reasons, re-build is out of the question!

I feel as though, our coaching doesn't stress the importance of playing D. It's almost as though we have 4 or 5 Bobby Orr's on this team (Robinson, Collins, Toure, Anania and Mania). Sometimes, Mania is looking for the outlook pass for the breakaway...lol. Does anybody on this team want to play D?

I feel with a couple of tweaks, we have all the talent to be a top 5 team in the league next year. Coaching and management can no longer afford to make mistakes with this team.

There are plenty of teams with as much young talent imo. Guelph, OS, Kingston, London, Erie though Erie has no picks. Saginaw & Miss are loaded with 2005-06 and Ottawa & Oshawa will likely be as well

 

[NorthernBridge7]

My expectation for this team in 2023/24 right now is that it is entirely possible to secure a #3 or #4 spot in the conference.

It's easy to get too high or too low. As someone pointed out this board was very different this past Friday compared to Sunday. Still lots of hockey to be played this season but overall I like what I've seen for the most part.

As pointed out, we are really only losing DeGrazia next season. One year can make a big difference for a whole team that is returned together.

Here is a look at some players of note lost from other teams (won't be 100% accurate):

Ottawa - Morrison*, Mintyukov*, Tolnai, Matier, Boucher
North Bay - Petrov, Jackson, Bloom*, McDonald, Ertel, Zito*, Winslow*
Barrie - Cardwell, Vierling, McDonnell, Clarke*, Cholach
Peterborough - Robertson, Hayes*, Beck*, Othmann*, Stillman, White*, Zanetti

* = didn't play for team most of the year

Between SBY/MIS/KGN/HAM/OSH, these teams aren't losing many players between now and next year. And all 5 have been playing good hockey since the deadline. SBY has a strong case to be the best among these 5 teams come next season - let's see how the boys play the next 18 plus playoffs.

 

[billoink]

Wolves will be very active at the trade deadline next season if they are in a realistic position to go for it. A lot of holes will be filled you would think including a top goaltender. If DM is still behind the bench agents may be less hesitant on advising players the option to report their. The uro draft could work out just fine. Just a thought.

 

[I Loveallsports]

Thinking Larmand gets no less than 7- 10 games. I don't they'll go easy on him.

 

[Wolf on a Wire]

My expectation for this team in 2023/24 right now is that it is entirely possible to secure a #3 or #4 spot in the conference.

It's easy to get too high or too low. As someone pointed out this board was very different this past Friday compared to Sunday. Still lots of hockey to be played this season but overall I like what I've seen for the most part.

As pointed out, we are really only losing DeGrazia next season. One year can make a big difference for a whole team that is returned together.

Here is a look at some players of note lost from other teams (won't be 100% accurate):

Ottawa - Morrison*, Mintyukov*, Tolnai, Matier, Boucher
North Bay - Petrov, Jackson, Bloom*, McDonald, Ertel, Zito*, Winslow*
Barrie - Cardwell, Vierling, McDonnell, Clarke*, Cholach
Peterborough - Robertson, Hayes*, Beck*, Othmann*, Stillman, White*, Zanetti

* = didn't play for team most of the year

Between SBY/MIS/KGN/HAM/OSH, these teams aren't losing many players between now and next year. And all 5 have been playing good hockey since the deadline. SBY has a strong case to be the best among these 5 teams come next season - let's see how the boys play the next 18 plus playoffs.

Who has the most draft capital among those 5 teams?

Wolves will be very active at the trade deadline next season if they are in a realistic position to go for it. A lot of holes will be filled you would think including a top goaltender. If DM is still behind the bench agents may be less hesitant on advising players the option to report there. The uro draft could work out just fine. Just a thought.

Dvorsky’s new NHL team may want him playing CHL…next season. Let’s hope.

 

[I Loveallsports]

 

[NorthernBridge7]

Who has the most draft capital among those 5 teams?


Dvorsky’s new NHL team may want him playing CHL…next season. Let’s hope.

I'm not sure

 

[I Loveallsports]

Thinking Larmand gets no less than 7- 10 games. I don't they'll go easy on him.

Was close. 6 games