Erie Otters 2020 Offseason Thread

[NOA]

That's a fair analysis. I could quite see that being their move. Brown has done an incredible job. Many of us thought taking a forward in the first round was questionable, but should the Saganiuk to Erie move be true, he knew exactly what we needed.

I said weeks ago that Khusnutdinov was their best bet and I still feel that. But now adding Saganiuk (Ross?) means Erie should feel good about their young forward group (Lockhart/Bressette too). The Sova pick makes way more sense


The current forward group:

Golod - xx - Fowler
Yetman - Lockhart - Swankler
DAmato/Sproule- Saganiuk- Hoff/Sellan
Cohen - Bressette- Ross/Sedore

That xx spot hopefully becomes Khusnutdinov. They also will have a top 30 import pick.

My comments over a month ago about trading 2 of the 2001 forwards is looking more accurate now. They just simply won’t have room if you factor in import(s). The good news is they will have flexibility and competition will be good among those 2001s

Add two imports (one on defense) and add a veteran goalie for Campbell insurance and things become very interesting

 

[EON]

This is a huge signing if true. Colby has high end speed and skill, looks like he just got buried a bit this season with the USDP team. Forgoing a scholarship at PSU too. He'll probably step right into the top 9. If they can get Khushnutdinov signed the forward group looks pretty good all of a sudden, and they'll have two 01's to possibly deal.

Right now, imo:

Top six: Fowler/Swankler/Golod/Yetman/Lockhart/Khushnutdinov?
Third line: 2 of Sproule/Sellan/D'Amato/Hoffmann + Saganiuk
Fourth line: Ross/Sedore/Bressette/Cohen

Some pretty good depth with another elite piece or two, plus hopefully some progression from returnees.

 

[OttersFan]

I said weeks ago that Khusnutdinov was their best bet and I still feel that. But now adding Saganiuk (Ross?) means Erie should feel good about their young forward group (Lockhart/Bressette too). The Sova pick makes way more sense


The current forward group:

Golod - xx - Fowler
Yetman - Lockhart - Swankler
DAmato/Sproule- Saganiuk- Hoff/Sellan
Cohen - Bressette- Ross/Sedore

That xx spot hopefully becomes Khusnutdinov. They also will have a top 30 import pick.

My comments over a month ago about trading 2 of the 2001 forwards is looking more accurate now. They just simply won’t have room if you factor in import(s). The good news is they will have flexibility and competition will be good among those 2001s

Add two imports (one on defense) and add a veteran goalie for Campbell insurance and things become very interesting

This could be exactly what we see in the fall. As for trading, I could see us trading Sproule and Sedore. While Sedore is '02, I think if teams are looking for an extra year of "eligibility" for their roster, they take Sedore over Sellan. Sproule is the obvious choice. He could fetch us a few decent picks. Both are excellent players.

I'm no expert either or really look into which picks we could get or how they value, but just taking what i've watched from their skill level and stats, that's my opinion. Maybe i'm totally wrong.

 

[NOA]

The Saganiuk news is coming from a good source but we probably should pause until the team announces

I still would question the high end talent (Though Marat would help) but the depth could be special if someone like Bressette takes off. Add in four 2001 players that are all somewhat capable of having a leap in their production

The reality is Erie has a ton of flexibility with their forward group now. Just see what works and what doesn’t. IF they know they are getting Marat and Ross too, I count 15 forwards that are all OHL talented players next year. Doesn’t even account for other draft picks from 2019 or 2020...
Makes for an interesting situation and means they aren’t going to be relying on everyone to leap in their production

The question now becomes, do they go defense or goalie in the import? Goalie could make a ton of sense if they expect to win on depth and speed upfront (but not necessarily scoring at will). Adding a top defender though means the defensive depth would be just as strong as the forward group. Though could leave us vulnerable in net

 

[NOA]

Watching Saganiuk highlights though and it does intrigue me to put him with Lockhart. Just let those two grow the chemistry and play with speed. If it works, you could have magic for 2/3 years

also if you want a fun little story,
His billet dad was Martin St. Louis (yes that one) and his billet brother with Ryan St. Louis and Luke Hughes (Jack Hughes’ brother)

 

[Mata]

Waiting on the Erie Otters News/Twitter feed...

We'll be more likely to end the pandemic!!!

In all seriousness, this is great news for Erie. It will really start to up the competition for roster spots. Outside of the top say 6 - 8 players, I would think there are quite a few that will have uncertainty and have to respond positively. Given the talent levels of Saganiuk and the likes of Marat, it could make ice time really hard to predict.

I can't help but think the Hoff/Sellan/D'Amato line would stay at 3 mainly because of consistency. Signing Saganiuk would also lessen the blow if rumors were true that Swankler leaves.

I would likely still have:

Fowler/Yeti/Golod
Lockhart/Swankler/Saganiuk
Hoff/Sellan/D'Amato
Bressette/Sedore/Cohen/Sproule/Ross/insert up and coming surprise

And that doesn't include Marat who would be an instant top 6 or Alexander (though unlikely).

It certainly shifts the "need" in my opinion from offense to Defense/Goaltending with the more that commit to the front line.

The biggest question marks now become outside of Duff/Drysdale:

How does Morton/Kyrou develop this off season and would they be strong enough together to hold a solid pairing?
Where does Sova fit...2nd or 3rd line and with whom?

What to do with Kish/Gillard/Henry.

In net, can Campbell make the jump and run 2/3 of the games sans Murphy and do it consistently (live up to his hype)?

 

[NOA]

I think you are 100% mistaken to have Sellan/DAmato/Hoffmann staying together if they sign Khusnutdinov. Which I’m telling you is more likely than not to happen. The biggest hurdle in signing him is actually just the uncertainty of the season with COVID. But a few days ago I would have told you he had a bigger chance of coming than Saganiuk and I still feel that even if Saganiuk signs

In that situation Erie has their top 7 forwards pretty much set because Saganiuk will demand the ice with his talent. And Erie isn’t signing him to stick him on the 4th line all year.

So you expect that above line to be on the 4th line? Not happening. I would also argue that without Khusnutdinov, Erie would be more likely to take a forward in the import, creating more of a log jam

Let me also add that Cohen, Bressette and Sedore will need more ice next year if Erie expects them to develop. I’m not saying all of them will get it or earn it but I feel confident that one from that trio will be ready to take on more and get more ice time. I’m not giving someone like Sellan or Sproule more ice over Bressette if Bressette is showing signs of a bright future. I’m also not trading that younger trio unless Erie is dominant in the 1st half Of the season and chasing a title. The only way that above 2001 line stays together is if they all raise their game to a higher level

Because regardless of next year, the Saganiuk signing is more significant for the future years. Lockhart, Saganiuk, Bressette, Ross has the chance to be a nice group. Meaning I want to see Saganiuk and Bressette getting more opportunities not less because those 2001s are in the way. It’s not like Bressette is buried behind Strome and Debrincat. He’s buried behind what is currently old players with 3rd line talent..

 

[Mata]

I don't base the Hoff/Sellan/D'Amato line off of my personal belief of their skill levels and where they should fit but rather how Hartsburg coaches and his man crush for that line. So yes, I believe as it stands currently, he keeps that line together given the players we assume make it through camp. Whether they are 3rd or 4th line is debatable at this point because we don't know if there will be more moves prior to the season or not.

I purposely left out Marat, because unlike Saganiuk it appears as if there is a verbal commit from him and we are all but assured he shows up for camp and makes the roster. Given that fact alone it is more likely to speculate where he could end up on a line as opposed to Marat who at this point has been for the most part, silent.

Should Marat sign and commit, then the lines would likely change further, but to me that is where it would start to get even dicier. Regardless of Marat signing though, I still hold firm in the belief that Hartsburg holds the Hoff line together unless the stars align and there is absolutely no shot for the 3 of them together and we are forced to trade/cut someone. Hoff being the least likely of that trio to leave because he appears to be the "leader" of the line and could serve the team as a mentor on a 4th line (again) to the likes of Bressette/Ross should Marat commit in the future.

 

[NOA]

As blind as Hartsburg can be in our minds, I don’t think he will coach the same if Saganiuk and Khusnutdinov show up. Especially if Lockhart takes the next step

Reality is that last year we had a bunch of guys. Golod/Yetman really the only exceptions. Hartsburg was obsessed with that line probably because he felt they at least gave him effort which was their only way to create consistent offense

All the sudden the skill level up front is massively better so we can rely on skill to perform more.

It does frustrate me that he was obsessed with that line and thought they had some majestic chemistry. I see it as “well yeah because unlike the rest of the forwards, you actually played those guys together multiple games in a row”
It’s almost like chemistry takes some time to develop..

Their strategy next year should be “go out and earn it, may the best win”

In no world do we have Saganiuk AND Khusnutdinov and those 3 2001s are still playing together. We do realize that Brown is the GM right?? He will not allow those 3 guys to take ice from better talent or sit on 4th line just so they play together

2019-20 is not the same as 2020-21. Things change. Players develop. Players are signed. That trio of 2001s were together last year because of a lack of top skill (which we could now have). Brown will be the one to notice that and make the necessary trades. We aren’t hitching our wagons on keeping a 2001 line together as if they are Raddysh/Strome/Debrincat

Which reminds me..
2015-16 those 3 looked great together but guess what? In 2016-17 things changed and they were no longer a line

Unless DAmato/Hoffmann/Sellan improve and all become 60-70pt players, because their chemistry is sooooo amazing allowing them to play soooo dominantly, they are not staying together. Too old, too limited. The history of the OHL shows that won’t happen

 

[NOA]

I think we have also forget that Cohen, Bressette and Sedore are still developing. All of those players in my mind have a higher ceiling than Sellan. Bressette and Cohen in my mind have a higher ceiling than the entire 2001 trio. It’s possible that the younger trio comes into camp and makes big strides while that 2001 group is still the same (capped out on their potential).

Reality is that the 2001 group only stays together if they get better. Because between the potential of Saganiuk / Khusnutdinov and the young guys developing, they will 100% be passed over based on skill and youth.

There is certainly room for 1/2 of those 2001s on the 3rd line. But not all 3...

 

[Mata]

Sellan and D'Amato doubled their production in 1 year along with Golod as the only 3 on the team. That is a pretty significant jump especially on an underperforming team. However, it is hard to see where production goes for the upcoming season, you'd hope it is up but look at Sproule who actually appears to have regressed and MacDougall who showed a ton of promise in year one as well (I feel they are more in line with the skillset of that Trio).

If they do another double (highly unlikely) the trio would be 50 - 60 points each and nearly at the level you've just described and put them on par with Fowler/Swankler production WITHOUT running PP1. I could realistically see that line putting up around 120 points next season and an average of 40 points out of the 3 of them is pretty decent for a "3rd line" and an improvement of about 12 - 15 points per player.

I should also like to point out...

Sellan -22 to -2
D'Amato -23 to 15
Hoffman -11 to 7

That is arguably the MOST improved line overall in spite of not being on the level of Golod/Yeti/Fowler and seeing significantly less ice time.

 

[Mata]

And I get it...

The "roof" of Fowler and others is much higher, but either the expectation is too high for them, they haven't reached their potential...but what if they never do? What if Fowler puts up up only 45 points next year? What if Golod or Yeti go from monster seasons to 50 point seasons?

Would also like to point out...

Amongst the top 6 players, Fowler is the only one with a negative +/- and has only marginally improved over 3 seasons with the "highest upside".

 

[NOA]

Sellan and D'Amato doubled their production in 1 year along with Golod as the only 3 on the team. That is a pretty significant jump especially on an underperforming team. However, it is hard to see where production goes for the upcoming season, you'd hope it is up but look at Sproule who actually appears to have regressed and MacDougall who showed a ton of promise in year one as well (I feel they are more in line with the skillset of that Trio).

If they do another double (highly unlikely) the trio would be 50 - 60 points each and nearly at the level you've just described and put them on par with Fowler/Swankler production WITHOUT running PP1. I could realistically see that line putting up around 120 points next season and an average of 40 points out of the 3 of them is pretty decent for a "3rd line" and an improvement of about 12 - 15 points per player.

I should also like to point out...

Sellan -22 to -2
D'Amato -23 to 15
Hoffman -11 to 7

That is arguably the MOST improved line overall in spite of not being on the level of Golod/Yeti/Fowler and seeing significantly less ice time.

Swankler and Fowler should also see spikes in their production..

I could see 1/2 of that 2001 trio improving, which is why I have 2 of those 4 (Hoffmann, Sproule, Sellan, DAmato) on a line with Saganiuk.

Lets just play the game of IFs though

If they get Khusnutdinov and Saganiuk and if that 2001 line doubles their production (all around 50 point players)

In that situation, Saganiuk or Lockhart is on the 4th line..
That’s a disaster waiting to happen in their draft year

Even in the scenario where those 3 2001s are playing great, it actually just opens the door for Brown to get great value in a trade. Because all of them will be eligible OAs (but Erie has too many 2001s). Flipping one of them for picks to get a 3/4 defender is something Hartsburg would want more than keeping “his” line together ..

This idea that Hartsburg is obsessed with them to the point of being blind is also a bit premature. That line played together for 1 year lol. One year. As a 3rd/4th line grouping. Largely because out of the entire bottom 6, they stayed healthy while MacDougall couldn’t and Sedore/Cohen weren’t physically ready.
Locking in that line for next year means half the lines across the entire OHL which were together most of last year are also locked into their spots next year because their coaches are obsessed (since they kept a line together for a full season)

Like I said, if they were top tier OHL players, we can probably discuss them keeping that chemistry. But they aren’t. They are role players. Someone like Hoffmann might actually benefit way more with Saganiuk on his line.

Time to start new chemistry because last year all our team did was win 26 games..

 

[NOA]

And I get it...

The "roof" of Fowler and others is much higher, but either the expectation is too high for them, they haven't reached their potential...but what if they never do? What if Fowler puts up up only 45 points next year? What if Golod or Yeti go from monster seasons to 50 point seasons?

Would also like to point out...

Amongst the top 6 players, Fowler is the only one with a negative +/- and has only marginally improved over 3 seasons with the "highest upside".

You can’t play the what if game and then pick and choose the ones who pan out (the 2001 trio) and the ones that don’t (Swankler/Fowler)

Fowler is 87th ranked for the NHL draft for a reason. He has elite skating and great hands. He has not been able to stay healthy and has had shuffled linemates. He is way more likely to break through and put up more numbers. To say he has marginally improved over 3 years is a bit dramatic when he missed basically his entire 2nd season due to a broken collarbone. Could have said the same about Golod going into to last year and finally things clicked for him

Is it fair to say we don’t know who will improve and who won’t? Yes thats the reality

At the same time, Fowler has the raw skills to be elite at this level. Swankler has the skills to be pretty good. So if those two don’t develop and have already reached their highest potential, then Erie isn’t going anywhere next year. Which also opens the door to play young guys more (not a bunch of older 2001 players..)

I will hitch my wagons on Fowler and Swankler taking a leap over that 2001 line. Considering they are already better than those 2001 players, have more offensive skills, and should be surrounded by better top talent (Khusnutdinov/Lockhart/ Saganiuk).

 

[Mata]

You can’t play the what if game and then pick and choose the ones who pan out (the 2001 trio) and the ones that don’t (Swankler/Fowler)

Fowler is 87th ranked for the NHL draft for a reason. He has elite skating and great hands. He has not been able to stay healthy and has had shuffled linemates. He is way more likely to break through and put up more numbers. To say he has marginally improved over 3 years is a bit dramatic when he missed basically his entire 2nd season due to a broken collarbone. Could have said the same about Golod going into to last year and finally things clicked for him

Is it fair to say we don’t know who will improve and who won’t? Yes thats the reality

At the same time, Fowler has the raw skills to be elite at this level. Swankler has the skills to be pretty good. So if those two don’t develop and have already reached their highest potential, then Erie isn’t going anywhere next year. Which also opens the door to play young guys more (not a bunch of older 2001 players..)

I will hitch my wagons on Fowler and Swankler taking a leap over that 2001 line. Considering they are already better than those 2001 players, have more offensive skills, and should be surrounded by better top talent (Khusnutdinov/Lockhart/ Saganiuk).

I'm merely pointing out the fact that Fowler, who is a top 100 NHL talent, playing on PP1, AND line 1 last year and based on 3 years has amounted to an average player (injuries included in the equation) whereas 3 average players have actually exceeded, in most peoples minds, expectations from last years roster. It is a fair argument and something that needs to be considered heading into camp and based on Hartsburgs view of them. That isn't to say they (Hoff and co) jump into the top 100 NHL rankings, but for whatever reason, their production jump can't be argued at this point because it is on paper and they are performing consistently in the OHL. They may never make that next jump, but they have, and have proven this past season they can be a formidable line pairing and will likely get the benefit of the doubt heading into camp. What they do with the chance is just as up in the air as what happens with any player/line from last season.

I sincerely hope the scouts are right and Fowler makes a huge jump into the 80+ points, but all indications right now are, he "can" but hasn't. Swankler is a first year returning player from last year. Should he return and log comparable minutes I would expect at least 45 -50 points. I also believe Swankler > Fowler last year when the dust settled. Again, not saying Swankler is better than Fowler, but with the season behind us, Swankler could have made the argument for a top 3 consideration with Yeti/Golod.

I don't hold my breath on the "upside", I guess you could say and at some point players with tremendous upside you either live with the choice and they "make it" or you sink with the decision to keep going with them. For the organizations sake, I hope we make the right choice on all of our players.

I hope Fowler hits his stride and gets whatever it is he needs to "connect". But if last year taught the fans anything, it is expectations can be sky high and Hartsburg will likely throw monkey wrenches in the obvious, has the ability to make a decent team less than spectacular, and what we "think" are the best moves for the team, in theory could be, and for whatever reason the opposite happens.

 

[Mata]

And I'm not arguing that Swankler or Fowler are somehow individually lesser players than Hoff/Sellan/D'Amato. The line however, seemed to hit some sort of unspoken stride in last season and should at the very least be given that consideration heading into camp. What those 3 do with their progression/chemistry is on them, but they basically proved last season they deserve a shot, regardless of their ceilings as individuals.

 

[OttersFan]

My hope is that Hartsburg isn't shuffling lines until January again. Obviously injuries and suspensions you have to shuffle lines in that circumstance, however, I hope we are able to find our groove early in the year and build chemistry. We absolutely cannot be in the "me first" mindset and Hartsburg needs to address that day one of training camp. That's where Erie was out of sync last year.

With all the guys we have on NHL draft radar, I would suspect we have a few attending NHL camps during preseason which of course, would mean shuffling lines. By late November early December, I would expect us to have a pretty good idea of our lines which was almost nonexistent this past season at that point. We would have our OA situation figured out by then if not sooner as well.

 

[Mata]

A fair argument could be made that we as fans HOPE Campbell lives up to his expectations, makes a reasonable jump in the off season, and Murphy is behind us. However, we don't know how that unfolds either. Campbell too could end up not living up to the hype. Does that mean that Murhpy is a better player than Campbell, absolutely not. All it means is Murphy was better at that time and it is up to Campbell to prove he is who everyone says he is.

 

[NOA]

Again, I think you are missing my point with Fowler

He had 20g and 42pts in 52 games

as for PP1 time.. their entire PP sucked so it didn’t amount to much points for anybody.

Removing the PP stats:

Yetman 0.91ppg
Golod 0.82ppg
Swankler 0.62ppg
Fowler 0.61ppg
DAmato 0.49ppg
Sellan 0.41ppg
Hoffmann 0.37ppg

You can’t really hold the PP time against him because he still out produced the others. Yes, he technically was playing more minutes but that’s because his pure talent warrants it. You say that the other 3 have exceeded expectations which is fully true but it’s also reason to believe that they will come back down to earth a bit rather than double their production yet again. Yes Fowler has not shown it yet but he simply hasn’t shown it consistently.

That’s his issue - doing it consistently. I’m sure being able to play with someone like Khusnutdinov will help.

 

[NOA]

Towards the end of the year Fowler was consistently playing with these following pairings:
Lockhart / Sopa
Sopa / Sproule
Cohen / Golod
MacDougall / Sopa

Lockhart, a talented but 16 year old rookie. Cohen, an undersized rookie. And Sproule, an unwhelming 2001 player.

Not like Fowler was playing with Golod and Yetman all year. If he had been, I would tell you to have more pause with his production. Yetman and Golod had each other as linemates most of the year. Everyone else on the team had crap numbers so it’s foolish to look at stats when projecting them next years. Half the guys Fowler played with were 3rd/4th liners.. yet Fowler often carried them.

 

[NOA]

Let me be clear though that Fowler has to work hard and improve on his consistency this offseason

He just has a greater chance to succeed with that because of his raw skills you can’t teach - elite skating, slick hands, and good vision

Put him with Golod and Khusnutdinov next year, and assuming health I will bank on him putting up 70+ points. And would not be shocked to see him in the 80 point range. He’s shown glimpses. Give him better talent, give us a better PP, and he will start producing

Brock Otten worded it perfectly in a scouting report as “he’s still trying to find himself more than the average 3rd year player” noting the injury issues. Fowler is still learning how to best use his skills and be more confident with them. That’s why I compared him to Golod. Finally Golod became assertive and confident. If Fowler does the same, look out

 

[Mata]

Let me be clear though that Fowler has to work hard and improve on his consistency this offseason

He just has a greater chance to succeed with that because of his raw skills you can’t teach - elite skating, slick hands, and good vision

Put him with Golod and Khusnutdinov next year, and assuming health I will bank on him putting up 70+ points. And would not be shocked to see him in the 80 point range. He’s shown glimpses. Give him better talent, give us a better PP, and he will start producing

Brock Otten worded it perfectly in a scouting report as “he’s still trying to find himself more than the average 3rd year player” noting the injury issues. Fowler is still learning how to best use his skills and be more confident with them. That’s why I compared him to Golod. Finally Golod became assertive and confident. If Fowler does the same, look out

You really think they break up Yeti/Golod, should Marat report? They were the epitome of consistency last season. I could see Marat possibly joining the 1st line and Fowler being demoted to line 2, unless something spectacular happens this off season and Fowler becomes the player we want him to, then it gets crowded and difficult.

 

[NOA]

You really think they break up Yeti/Golod, should Marat report? They were the epitome of consistency last season. I could see Marat possibly joining the 1st line and Fowler being demoted to line 2, unless something spectacular happens this off season and Fowler becomes the player we want him too, then it gets crowded and difficult.

Well again what are the expectations? If they want to win they will need to create balance. Their strength will still be their depth so take advantage of that.

I think Golod and Yetman can both adapt to other top talent. They don’t need to rely on each other anymore.

You could make an argument for:

Golod - Lockhart- Yetman
Swankler - Khusnutdinov- Fowler

This would also create good balance. I see your point with Golod and Yetman though and that is chemistry worth trying to keep and grow on. I personally think Khusnutdinov’s style would mesh great with Fowler and Golod, that’s all

 

[EON]

I'm not going to immediately dismiss the Sellan-Hoffmann-D'Amato line. They were very good together last season, putting up improved offensive numbers while arguably being the team's top defensive line. If they all stay consistent or even progress, it would be an excellent 3rd line next season. It just shouldn't come at the cost of Saganiuk's ice time, if he's signing here. If Khushnutdinov signs as well, it gets even harder. But they all deserve a chance to earn their spots. Fowler, Swankler, and Sproule, as the other '01s, also should have to earn their spots. The team needs to foster a sense of competition but be able to all pull in the same direction when the season gets going. Definitely seemed like a bit too much individualism this past season, which again is part of the problem of bringing Hartsburg back.

I don't think it's totally crazy that Saganiuk comes into camp flying and earns a top 6 spot, while maybe one of Fowler/Swankler regresses and the 3rd line excels. Then you could see Golod/Yetman/Khusnutdinov/Fowler or Swankler/Lockhart/Saganiuk in the top 6, with the Sellan-Hoffmann-D'Amato 3rd line, Sproule/MacDougall traded, and Ross/Sedore/Bressette/Cohen on the 4th (wouldn't rule out Sedore being moved either to give the majority of the ice time to Ross-Bressette-Cohen and sign a 2019 forward for the 13th forward spot).

Assuming Khushnutdinov signs, I also think they should definitely target a dman in the import draft. If they could bring in a solid 2nd pairing guy, it would be a big boost and take some pressure off of Duff and Drsydale. There are a lot of questions on defense right now outside of those 2. I think it would be easier to pick up a decent '01 goalie to backup Campbell, than it would be to find a good 2nd pairing dman to soak up some minutes behind Duff-Drysdale. Morton/Kyrou/Sova + possibly Murphy is a good young D group but shouldn't be relied upon too heavily next season if they want to be top half of the league team.

 

[Mata]

Well again what are the expectations? If they want to win they will need to create balance. Their strength will still be their depth so take advantage of that.

I think Golod and Yetman can both adapt to other top talent. They don’t need to rely on each other anymore.

You could make an argument for:

Golod - Lockhart- Yetman
Swankler - Khusnutdinov- Fowler

This would also create good balance. I see your point with Golod and Yetman though and that is chemistry worth trying to keep and grow on. I personally think Khusnutdinov’s style would mesh great with Fowler and Golod, that’s all

I think at this point, given what we "know":

This team, in current form, should be another projected top 5/6 caliber team on paper even without the Saganiuk and Marat situation, however we know that was what many projected last year and Hartsburg remains a sour note for just about every hardcore fan.

The OA situation is still up in the air, but I think MOST agree we have unlimited possibility, but no hint on what is being done.

Yeti, Duff, and Golod are safe IMO...possibly keeping Murphy for a portion of the season could also come into play depending, but is largely dependent on Campbell's growth.

I don't see an immediate sell off (at this point) that we had kinda speculated as an option until the mid-season evaluation is complete, it appears they once again are going "all in" whatever that means with the current administration.

Outside of Duff/Drysdale, our defense on paper is pretty suspect. Morton started slow, finished strong, BUT had a veteran with him at all times (Golden/Hunter). His maturation, or lack there of, will be on full display early and he will be likely trying to fill the role of Henry.

Sova should be an easy lock for 3rd line, and possibly even make it into the 2nd pairing barring a big import name and/or the growth of Kyrou.

This brings us to the unknown in the back. Kyrou logged a few minutes, but even when called up was shielded a lot of the time as his TOI was very limited. I also haven't seen him enough on the OHL level to say for certain he can play a Hunter/Golden role, at least yet.

Gillard spent much of his career injured, including all of last year but would be the 3rd "big guy" on defense.

Kish was definitely an emotional boost, but had his play limited due to injury, maybe coaches decision, and possibly other reasons. Outside of his never quit mentality, he is more of a utility player than a blue liner like Drysdale, Hunter, or Golden, thus I think he could be out. The other players to fill the back will be untested at this level and their growth is pivotal to our long term season goal, including playoffs.

The goalie situation is at or near this level with Campbell, again IMO.

Our offense...2 lines that stick out to me:

Golod, Yeti, Fowler (should be undisputed number 1 pairing heading INTO camp).
Hoff, Sellan, D'Amato (Have earned the right to at least show what they got going INTO camp).

Swankler, Lockhart, and Saganiuk (Assuming he is a yes), are the 3 must keep for offense. I left out Marat only because there has been 0 news and 0 rumors to this point of him coming.

That leaves us a 4th line open to competition going into camp.

Could there be a shakeup of lines coming out on offense, I fully expect it based on off season growth/regression.

IF Marat signs/commits...

This is where it becomes even more speculative, less clear, and more theoretical. To me that ensures a place for him on line 2, maybe even 1 depending on how he blends with the team which would then create a domino effect moving down the lines.

Again, this is all how I envision it with the current roster/commit heading into camp. We haven't even made it to the import draft which could have an impact on any scenario depending on who they'll draft and if they show.