Windsor Spitfires 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 8)

[rve24]

You can be tough, intimidating and be able to outmuscle and not necessarily fight. Just knowing your opponent can do that and fight!! Your going to shy away from the physical part of the game. Thats what happened in that series. Spits refused to go to the dirty areas, instigated very little physical stuff, being unable to dig out pucks and get to the net cost us goals, not being able to cleAr our zone and slot, cost us goals. That series was lost because windsor didnt have the ability to reply to kitcheners physical play imho. Its not just my opinion either. I dont go to games for scraps but its part of the game and theres a place for it. When u cant or wont respond to getting tossed around your not going to win many playoff series.

We mostly agree here.
It's a great thing to see a team get "smacked in the mouth" and stand up to it, win or lose. Big lessons in that beyond hopefully winning the game. It's even better when ya know it's a little out of their character and they still battle. Seen it go both ways in competitive leagues.
I do get frustrated when kids lie down n take it. But is what it is. Ida got an earful if I laid down, win or lose lol.
I just grew tired of the fighting. Sure we could share a bunch of stories with or without fight where players "fought back" n it changed the dynamic. I just got old n soft n would rather it be done as W Clark did with a chat to P Bure Not a punch needed but everyone on the Nick's settled down

 

[Cherrydon]

I'd rather recall McCarty punching the f out of Claude Lemioux and deservedly so after Lemieux went after Chris Draper who never stirred the pot. And yes, that set the tone that year between the Av's and Wings.

 

[hockeylegend11]

Spits have signed import dman Josef Eichler to a contract.
He is a dman,likes the physical play is 6'-192 lbs,turns 18 in December.

As camp draws near with 56 players expected to arrive by Thursday am,including 11 free agents, 8 goalies,18 dmen and 30 forwards I thought I would offer my views re every position.
Should mention that I would have invited forward Patrick McManus to camp even though he now an OA and chances unlikely to make the squad,reward him for last year,plus his grit and ferocity could inspire others to show the same.
1st position I will bring up is goaltending as 8 guys are expected,fortunately this is a position I have no concerns especially Costanzo returning as the #1 tender at age 18 was the 5th best goalie in the league both in average and save percentage, it's his 1st camp in Windsor after being acquired at the end of last years exhibition season, in fact only 3 of the 8 goalies were here last year at camp,Carter Froggett, Tre Altiman,and Pablo Frasca.
Speaking of Frogett,I think despite being only 17,if he equals his play this camp like his camp last year,he should be the number 2 guy,imo gives Windsor excellent goaltending for the next 3 or 4 years.
Ian Michelone (19) acquired after the season started last year also looking at being at his 1st Windsor camp too,will be looking to be the backup and I dont want to have a 19 year old back up,we made that mistake last with a 20 year old being the backup,dont do it again.
Michelone might have an ally in his camp as he trained with Spits new assistant
coach Casey Torres this past summer
Tre Altiman (18) had a real good season last year in La Salle,along with Michelone actually who played well in La Salle.
One free agent amongst the newcomers in goal Cole Stevens(18) 6'5"-175 is intriguing 4.63 goals against but .904 save percentage
The others Pablo Frasca,Dante Bortolin both 17 yrs old and Gabriel Donahue who doesn't turn 16 till Dec round out the rest of the tenders here in camp.
Downey,Medina,Onuska, Dobrich and Joshua Branton are the goalies not here this coming camp,with Medina and Onuska aging out,Dobrich an OA,Downey 19 playing for Erie and Branton now 18 released by Windsor.
Should be interesting hopefully I am right moving forward with Costanzo and Froggett being the goalies moving forward with Altiman or Stevens being the 3rd tender,Bertolin will be playing in La Salle and Donahue developing, Michelone being moved.
Tomorrow we will look at the D.

 

[Cherrydon]

As camp draws near with 56 players expected to arrive by Thursday am,including 11 free agents, 8 goalies,18 dmen and 30 forwards I thought I would offer my views re every position.
Should mention that I would have invited forward Patrick McManus to camp even though he now an OA and chances unlikely to make the squad,reward him for last year,plus his grit and ferocity could inspire others to show the same.
1st position I will bring up is goaltending as 8 guys are expected,fortunately this is a position I have no concerns especially Costanzo returning as the #1 tender at age 18 was the 5th best goalie in the league both in average and save percentage, it's his 1st camp in Windsor after being acquired at the end of last years exhibition season, in fact only 3 of the 8 goalies were here last year at camp,Carter Froggett, Tre Altiman,and Pablo Frasca.
Speaking of Frogett,I think despite being only 17,if he equals his play this camp like his camp last year,he should be the number 2 guy,imo gives Windsor excellent goaltending for the next 3 or 4 years.
Ian Michelone (19) acquired after the season started last year also looking at being at his 1st Windsor camp too,will be looking to be the backup and I dont want to have a 19 year old back up,we made that mistake last with a 20 year old being the backup,dont do it again.
Michelone might have an ally in his camp as he trained with Spits new assistant
coach Casey Torres this past summer
Tre Altiman (18) had a real good season last year in La Salle,along with Michelone actually who played well in La Salle.
One free agent amongst the newcomers in goal Cole Stevens(18) 6'5"-175 is intriguing 4.63 goals against but .904 save percentage
The others Pablo Frasca,Dante Bortolin both 17 yrs old and Gabriel Donahue who doesn't turn 16 till Dec round out the rest of the tenders here in camp.
Downey,Medina,Onuska, Dobrich and Joshua Branton are the goalies not here this coming camp,with Medina and Onuska aging out,Dobrich an OA,Downey 19 playing for Erie and Branton now 18 released by Windsor.
Should be interesting hopefully I am right moving forward with Costanzo and Froggett being the goalies moving forward with Altiman or Stevens being the 3rd tender,Bertolin will be playing in La Salle and Donahue developing, Michelone being moved.
Tomorrow we will look at the D.

Nice preview. I always appreciate the time and effort you spend on this. Things will take shape fast now. Lots of intangibles with new coaches and lots of decisions to be had. I still think this team will be better than expected. Lots of proven experienced scoring brought back. Costanzo could really make hay this year and Froggett as well.

 

[rve24]

I'd rather recall McCarty punching the f out of Claude Lemioux and deservedly so after Lemieux went after Chris Draper who never stirred the pot. And yes, that set the tone that year between the Av's

Awesome

 

[OHLTG]

I just got old n soft n would rather it be done as W Clark did with a chat to P Bure Not a punch needed but everyone on the Nick's settled down

This reminds me of a story I heard years ago. I won't name names but a former Windsor boy got traded and stuff happened to his new team. He calmly skated over to the opposition bench and told them that nothing was going to happen from there on out. Message received.

 

[Guy In Burlington]

Yeah it’s probably best to leave names out of that story. It could really take on a life of its own if we knew who the players were.

 

[Teflon]

I still find it amusing that we have folks here who mostly dont know anything about each other yet they choose to tell them they dont know anything, their clueless or your wrong… heres a bit of info. Theres a few on here i do know, of those theres a wealth of knowledge and experience. Yea some of might be a bit dated, some is also very current. They have coached, scouted or worked in various levels and positions. I find it ridiculous that those that claim to know call out those that do! Ive always found that open ears are far more valuable than an open mouth!
Lets try and behave this season so we dont have pages of bickering to wade thru!

 

[OHL 17]

Bring on camp!!!!!!

It will be competitive as shown by the number of free agents invited.

 

[hockeylegend11]

Bring on camp!!!!!!

It will be competitive as shown by the number of free agents invited.

Free agents at camp now at 12,as they have added Cen Ryan Struthers to their training camp list.
He was released by Mississauga a 19 year old (04)born.
He has played 93 games in the OHL with Niagara and Missy.
4G,11A,plays aggressive will see what he can bring.
Should mention team rosters now up on Spits website,Blue,Red and White.

 

[rve24]

Good luck to all the players at camp.

 

[hockeylegend11]

Free agents at camp now at 12,as they have added Cen Ryan Struthers to their training camp list.
He was released by Mississauga a 19 year old (04)born.
He has played 93 games in the OHL with Niagara and Missy.
4G,11A,plays aggressive will see what he can bring.
Should mention team rosters now up on Spits website,Blue,Red and White.

As promised yesterday here is my prospective look at Windsor's D for the coming season.
No doubt defense needs work, though its only good if the forwards do their job too,and of course a decent goalie the final line of defense (team)
Windsor returns 4 D with a season or more experience, Christoforo, Dionicio, Deangelis and Jodoin,with Carson Woodall expected to make the club this season after playing 6 games last year,now has gained over 10 lbs and Euro dman Josef Eichler just signed yesterday,
As of now I like the 1st 4 D,think Woodall has upside to improve and contribute,will be interesting to see how Eichler adjusts,apparently likes to be physical for me he plays with Dionicio, Christoforo with Deangelis, and Woodall with Jodoin.
From there I can see 18 year old Tanner Winegard all 6'6"-230 of him cracking the squad,will be his last chance imo,showed improvement last year in B,needs to show something.
Other dmen of interest include 17 year old Evan Hjelholt drafted 1st round in U18 draft big and physical, free agent 17 year old Lucas Hihn,nice size 6'1-205 physical with some offensive skill,as well as 2-16 year old dmen Adrian Manzo and Michael Lavigne, both have decent size especially Lavigne ,Bowler and company like both for their upside,will be interesting to see how they perform against players mostly older then them,as only 10-16 year olds are at this camp.
17 year old Gage Evan's drafted last season and trying to make La Salle this year,which he should,has good size and is physical,while 17 year old free agent Christian White is big and is aggressive .
At the end of the day it's the area that needs the most work and talent,compared to the goaltending and forwards.
Tough to predict the 7 and 8 guys,I will go with Winegard for the 7th spot,with Hihn and Hjelholt chasing him.
Tomorrow I will look at the forwards for the coming season.

 

[ohloutsider]

As promised yesterday here is my prospective look at Windsor's D for the coming season.
No doubt defense needs work, though its only good if the forwards do their job too,and of course a decent goalie the final line of defense (team)
Windsor returns 4 D with a season or more experience, Christoforo, Dionicio, Deangelis and Jodoin,with Carson Woodall expected to make the club this season after playing 6 games last year,now has gained over 10 lbs and Euro dman Josef Eichler just signed yesterday,
As of now I like the 1st 4 D,think Woodall has upside to improve and contribute,will be interesting to see how Eichler adjusts,apparently likes to be physical for me he plays with Dionicio, Christoforo with Deangelis, and Woodall with Jodoin.
From there I can see 18 year old Tanner Winegard all 6'6"-230 of him cracking the squad,will be his last chance imo,showed improvement last year in B,needs to show something.
Other dmen of interest include 17 year old Evan Hjelholt drafted 1st round in U18 draft big and physical, free agent 17 year old Lucas Hihn,nice size 6'1-205 physical with some offensive skill,as well as 2-16 year old dmen Adrian Manzo and Michael Lavigne, both have decent size especially Lavigne ,Bowler and company like both for their upside,will be interesting to see how they perform against players mostly older then them,as only 10-16 year olds are at this camp.
17 year old Gage Evan's drafted last season and trying to make La Salle this year,which he should,has good size and is physical,while 17 year old free agent Christian White is big and is aggressive .
At the end of the day it's the area that needs the most work and talent,compared to the goaltending and forwards.
Tough to predict the 7 and 8 guys,I will go with Winegard for the 7th spot,with Hihn and Hjelholt chasing him.
Tomorrow I will look at the forwards for the coming season.

Thanks for this. Any insight from anyone is appreciated.

 

[Cherrydon]

Was interesting to read in the Star that Smith said emphasis on the Defensive side of of the puck will be a priority this year from day 1.

 

[windsor7]

Was interesting to read in the Star that Smith said emphasis on the Defensive side of of the puck will be a priority this year from day 1.

Should of been last year too

 

[OHLTG]

Thinking out loud here...

Currently, in no particular order, they have...

F:

Spellacy, Morneau, Abraham
Maillet, Nesbitt, Davis
Christo, Smith, Greentree
Castle, Peer

- You know that one of Cristo/Maillet/Peer will be gone, which leaves room for two or three forwards to step in. Guys like Greenwell, Dean, Martin, and Struthers are likely at the forefront but then the FAs could have something to say.

D:

DeA, Cristo
Dionicio, Jodoin
Woodall, Eichler

-- They're going to likely carry 7 D so this is a tough battle. Lavigne, Hjelholt, Winegard, Manzo, or even Bacik could do something.

G:

Costanzo

-- The backup spot is likely between Froggett and Michelone, though I'd rather see Froggett get it simply because he's got a longer future with the club. Michelone is solid but a 19-year-old backup feels odd to me.

 

[punch1943]

I always appreciate the opinions and views of the posters who are able to get to the training camp(s). These old legs just can’t do it anymore. It’s always nice to hear how things look in the year in question. Hopefully we can begin the rebuild with a solid defensive core.

 

[Cherrydon]

Should of been last year too

Agree but Savard was in charge last year

 

[Cherrydon]

Eichler can't travel mono. Hopefully that will be soon, but mono can linger. Christopoulis as we know had surgery and out till October minimum. That will likely keep the OA decision on ice for a while longer.

 

[OHLTG]

Okay, some thoughts from tonight...

I'm not going to get into how the players looked because it was their first time on the ice and practices are a bit harder to gauge. However (in no real order)...

- If you told me Greentree clocked in at 6'4, I wouldn't doubt you. Either he's grown or a few others have shrunk. He looks bigger and I'm eager to see his weight-in totals.

- Christopoulos was on the ice, taking part in some skating drills. When it was time for other drills, he worked on his own near the benches.

- I have to say, Ethan Martin looks faster. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me but I remember saying "he did some work over the summer."

- Matt Maggio was on the ice getting in some work before he heads to the pros. He hasn't lost any of his form.

- New Asst Casey Torres got right into things, teaching drills, showing individual players how things are done, etc. He looks like he has been there for years. Haha he also reminds me a lot (facially) of Gord Ogilvy (Goon).

- Jerrod Smith was very vocal and detail-oriented. I didn't catch everything he was saying but he made sure that, if he said something, he explained and gave reasons.

- I was wondering about Eichler; when I was leaving the arena, I thought "wait... did I even notice Eichler?" It makes sense now. Hopefully he arrives soon.

Again, this is just based off of three practices, all of which were the first for the players in camp. Once scrimmages start up tomorrow, I'll have more. I won't be there in the morning but the evening should be doable.

It's worth noting that cuts will happen tomorrow after the evening scrimmages, too.

 

[OHLTG]

Notes from the Windsor Star:

- Christo can skate but can't touch pucks right now. We'll know more in two weeks when he meets with docs. He's aiming for a mid-Oct return.

- Eichler is still in Czechia with mono. He's waiting for test results but feels fine now.

- Dionicio (Ana), DeAngelis (CBJ), Maillet (Van), Peer (Cal), and Smith (Car) all leave for camps within two weeks.

 

[FiveHoleo]

It's disappointing we won't get eyes on our import for a while. I'm going to assume he's another waste of time until he can prove otherwise. Not being a high pick or prospect that anybody knows about that's most likely the case given Bowler's history of bringing in beer league imports like Hebek and Baisov.

 

[OHLTG]

A few quick thoughts on tonight's scrimmages (more later)...

- Morneau and Greentree have hit another level. They were zippin' around like they owned the place.
- Michelone, Costanzo, Froggett, and Frasca were on their games in goal.
- Lavigne comes as advertised - that gritty, in-your-face D. Even got into a scrap with Gaymes after a hit, lots of chirping over a stretch, and finally they went. A few ppl talked to Lavigne, too, incl Ethan Martin and Bacik.
- Speaking of Martin, he's quicker and seems to be getting more engaged. Plus, he's not afraid to use his 6'6 230ish frame, which is a bonus.

 

[OHLTG]

Okay, more thoughts now that I have a few minutes, going team-by-team...

- As I said earlier, Froggett, Frasca, Costanzo, and Michelone have really stood out as the four to beat right now. None of the ones in camp have done poorly, though. It's going to be a tough decision for Bowler but Saturday's stuff plus preseason should bring clarity. I know that Froggett has signed with London Jr B so that may play a factor.

- I like Lavigne's game. He's not flashy or anything like that but you notice him every time he's out there. He does the little things and showed some of that grit today. He made the hit at the bench, then got into a chirp session with Ryan Struthers, who didn't back down. After that, Ethan Martin, Bacik, and Dionicio had a few words for Lavigne a few seconds later. As I said, Lavigne eventually went with Gaymes in a good tilt.

- Gage Evans seems like he has some potential. You don't notice him for a while, then he makes some really smart plays and gets involved. His dad was former Spitfires' tough guy Cory Evans and you can see the resemblance. He's also 6'3 180ish with plenty of room to bulk up. This one is worth watching.

- Jodoin can be added to the list of "he's ready to take the next step" along with Morneau and Greentree, plus Peer. Jodoin looked like a leader out there.

- Cole Davis showed some slick hands; I'm eager to see what he does during a full OHL season.

- Alec Stewart showed some improved speed and a nose for the net. I can see why they liked him.

- Hjelholt plays another simple but effective game. I didn't see him use his size much but I like his potential.

- Winegard gets involved a bit more and you can see his confidence growing both with and without the puck. Decent speed for a guy that size, too.

- Nick Lofranco was a FA, I believe. Not big, just 5'8 154, but good speed, good eye, and didn't seem afraid of a whole lot. He's in tough as a D but I can see him going to LaSalle or Jr B somewhere.

- Struthers could be a fun third or fourth-line guy. He's not going to look for trouble but he's definitely not backing away from it. He was yelling at a few guys and didn't shy away. Good speed, some grit, some offence. He's an 04 so not sure how that'll work for or against him.

- Ethan Martin is a beast, physically. He's gotta be 6'6 230 and is slowly starting to use it. He had a few hits and was part of the crew that got into Lavigne's ear. He's also getting quicker and no doubt trained in the off-season. He's not going to score 30 in the OHL but the potential is there for a strong two-way forward with size and snarl.

- Greenwell and Dean are in the same boat for me - I'm kind of expecting more from them. You see them skating around and getting to the net but nothing really materializes from it. I know Greenwell had a really good 22-23 with Komoka so the offence is there. He's also a year older than Dean (06 v. 05). This is a tough one as I think they'll need a really good showing on Saturday to stick around for the preseason.

- While Lavigne has shown well, I haven't noticed Manzo nearly as much. He could be that strong, silent type, which is fine, but... I need something.

- I like Blain Bacik's game. He's an 04 so it's a tough one but you can see the grit and veteran ability in his game. Add him to the list, too, of the Lavigne crew (I'm remembering stuff as I go along here).

- Graniero... speedy kid, good offensive instincts. Is it enough to make the club full time? That's really tough right now. He's another 04; does he pull a Morneau? It's not ruled out.

- Gaymes - 15th round pick in 2022 but playing like a mid-round at worst. He's only 5'11 165 but isn't afraid to get involved, has good speed and a nose for the net, and seems to be working his tail off. Every time you notice a play and go "ooooh", it feels like he's involved somehow. He played last season with the Tor Jr Canadiens so wouldn't shock me if he's sent to LaSalle for some seasoning.

- Nesbitt is fun to watch. He uses his size around the net, doesn't seem phased by much, and has a really nice shot. I didn't get much chance to see his motor, though, which I'm eager to on Saturday. (hard to not compare him to Miedema right now)

As far as I know, cuts were supposed to be made after Friday's scrimmages. If Legend hasn't heard anything by Saturday morning, I'd imagine we'll find out soon enough.

 

[hockeylegend11]

Solid summary agree with most of what you wrote.
Have not heard of any cuts yet,though based of what I know is that both Costanzo and Michelone will not suit up today,the other 6 goalies will.
Agree with you on Greenwell and Dean,though both were a bit better last night then the morning need to see more,though a source tells me Windsor has signed Greenwell but haven't announced it.
Assuming all 6 goalies other then Costanzo and Michelone don't dress will be interesting to see whol else doesn't dress today for 4.00 game.
With roster available to play at 53,including Christopoulis and Butt not playing,Eichler back in Czechia dealing with Mono,and Jack Rimmer a no show free agent,pretty sure dman Anthony Christoforo will not play because of injury,down to 50 including Michelone and Costanzo not being dressed,if I were Windsor I would sit the 5 players headed to NHL rookie camps,Maillet, Perr,Dionicio, Deangelis and Smith,down to 45,add 2 goalies to make 43,and only 3 players cut.
Toss in 14 D left,I would have 2D and 1F to get cut to get to 42 dressed.
Whether Windsor does this or similar remains to be seen,we could hear maybe 7 or 8 guys cut last night just don't know at this time.
Will say it's been a competitive camp so far with more pleasant surprises then disappointments.
More on this in a bit.