When I speak NHL prospects, I mean undrafted 03s and 04s. Some OHL teams didnt have Hayes in top 40 for OHL draft. Alot has transpired in last 18 months and there will be alot of surprise names in the OHL.
Erie Otters 2021-22 Season Thread
- Thread starter EON
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I understood you were referring to 2022 NHL draft eligibles. I was a little more than surprised that you may hade actually meant Flint had 3-4 of those better than Hayes. I could agree some OHL teams didn’t think they a had a chance to recruit Hayes; but I have zero doubt the latest Hayes would have been selected is 21 to Hamilton.
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nelli27
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Otters announce six signings. A little odd that Terrance hasn't been signed yet but I would think they'll get that done soon, or they want to give him his own announcement since he's the first round pick.
Also of note is the pre-season roster is updated on their website. The roster is as follows:
F:
| 6 | * | Artichuk, Taeo | C | R | 5.10 | 161 | 2005-02-15 | Ajax, ON | |
| 10 | * | Terrance, Carey | C | R | 6.01 | 170 | 2005-05-10 | Akwesasne, NY | |
| 11 | * | Edwards, Dylan | C | R | 5.07 | 150 | 2005-07-20 | Toronto, ON | |
| 13 | Cohen, Elias | C | R | 5.11 | 152 | 2002-08-31 | Toronto, ON | OHL - ER (2018) Rd: 6 (#120) | |
| 17 | D'Amato, Daniel | RW | L | 6.01 | 162 | 2001-04-08 | Maple, ON | OHL - ER* (2018) Rd: 1 (#4) | |
| 20 | * | Smith, Kaleb | C | R | 6.01 | 174 | 2005-05-14 | Arcade, NY | |
| 23 | * | Ross, Lucas | LW | L | 5.06 | 150 | 2004-03-30 | Kinburn, ON | |
| 44 | Sellan, Brendan | LW | L | 5.09 | 166 | 2001-01-23 | Orangeville, ON | OHL - ER (2017) Rd: 5 (#100) | |
| 71 | Saganiuk, Colby | C | R | 5.08 | 154 | 2003-02-05 | Chicago, IL | ||
| 73 | Lockhart, Connor | C | R | 5.08 | 163 | 2003-01-21 | Kanata, ON | NHL - VAN (2021) Rd: 6 (#178) OHL - ER (2019) Rd: 1 (#3) | |
| 74 | Sedore, Noah | LW | L | 5.08 | 156 | 2002-02-24 | Bobcaygeon, ON | OHL - ER (2018) Rd: 8 (#144) | |
| 86 | Lowe, Cameron | C | L | 6.0 | 157 | 2004-03-04 | Niagara Falls, ON | ||
| 89 | Bressette, Brett | C | L | 5.08 | 155 | 2003-07-04 | Midland, ON | OHL - ER (2019) Rd: 4 (#65) | |
| 91 | Hoffmann, Brendan | RW | R | 6.02 | 205 | 2001-10-09 | Charlotte, NC | OHL - ER (2017) Rd: 7 (#140) | |
| 93 | Sproule, Emmett | LW | L | 5.10 | 167 | 2001-03-19 | Collingwood, ON | OHL - ER (2017) Rd: 1 (#21) |
D:
| 3 | Thompson, Ryan | D | R | 6.02 | 184 | 2002-10-10 | Mississauga, ON | OHL - NB* (2019) Rd: 1 (#8) | |
| 5 | * | Sauder, Nathan | D | R | 6.01 | 190 | 2005-02-01 | Mississauga, ON | OHL - (2021) Rd: 3 (#) |
| 7 | * | Johnston, Owain | D | R | 6.0 | 172 | 2003-10-19 | Toronto, ON | |
| 8 | * | Alboim, George | D | R | 6.02 | 174 | 2005-03-15 | Uxbridge, ON | |
| 15 | Kyrou, Christian | D | R | 5.09 | 165 | 2003-09-16 | Komoka, ON | OHL - ER (2019) Rd: 5 (#84) | |
| 53 | Morton, Cameron | D | L | 6.01 | 192 | 2002-04-17 | Kingston, ON | OHL - ER (2018) Rd: 7 (#124) | |
| 88 | * | Kulakov, Artyom | D | L | 6.02 | 201 | 2003-02-14 | Bolshoy Kamen, Russia | |
| 94 | Sova, Spencer | D | R | 6.01 | 174 | 2004-01-10 | Windsor, ON |
G:
| 31 | Campbell, Aidan | G | L | 6.05 | 188 | 2002-08-22 | Cranberry Twp., PA | OHL - ER (2018) Rd: 12 (#224) | |
| 79 | * | LaLonde, Nolan | G | L | 6.0 | 168 | 2004-02-14 | Kingston, ON |
Kischnick has been cut, as expected. Solid role player but not on the level of the other '01 players remaining on the roster. I am pretty surprised that one of Murphy/Geary didn't get signed. Unless something changes, it looks like they are going to head into the season with Sauder/Alboim as the #7/#8 dmen. I am skeptical that's a good move considering they are both right shots and both likely need a season in major midget or Jr. A/Jr. B for their development. I would have much preferred having those guys signed and down at a lower level (where they could be called up if injuries occurred), with one of Murphy/Geary signed and rotating with Johnston in the #6/#7 spot.
Also curious that they've signed Dylan Edwards (2021 8th) and appear ready to start him on the roster as well. Once the decision is made between Sellan/Sproule for the last OA spot, they have 14 forwards on the roster. Unless they play on sending Edwards down and going with 13 forwards, it looks like he's made it. A bit surprising for an under-sized 16 year old but curious to see what he has.
With that being said, eager to see how they fare in their first preseason game tomorrow (and what Hartsburg does with the lines). With their current roster, I'd go with:
D'Amato - Hoffmann - Cohen
Sellan/Sproule - Lockhart - Saganiuk
Ross - Bressette - Sedore
Lowe - Terrance - Artichuk/Smith
Edwards
Based on talent I prefer to go with Sproule over Sellan but whoever has looked better in camp and looks better in the preseason should get the final OA spot.
Morton - Thompson
Sova - Kyrou
Kulakov - Johnston
Sauder/Alboim
Campbell
Lalonde
D'Amato - Hoffmann - Cohen
Sellan/Sproule - Lockhart - Saganiuk
Ross - Bressette - Sedore
Lowe - Terrance - Artichuk/Smith
Edwards
Based on talent I prefer to go with Sproule over Sellan but whoever has looked better in camp and looks better in the preseason should get the final OA spot.
Morton - Thompson
Sova - Kyrou
Kulakov - Johnston
Sauder/Alboim
Campbell
Lalonde
This is what I have:
I actually think Ross is going to surprise people. I think with his size, it might be challenging to sneak him into the top 6 with Saganiuk. But this is where Hartsburg needs to be creative and split the balance a bit. Based on skill, I want to see Lockhart, Saganiuk, Ross, Cohen in the top 6. And again, I could totally be reaching on what Ross actually can produce to start. But I’m hoping. If not, I would swap him for Sproule/Sellan (hopefully Sproule sticks)
Hoffmann - Lockhart- Saganiuk
Ross - Cohen - DAmato
Sproule/Sellan - Terrance - Bressette
Sedore - Lowe - Smith
Artichuk/Edwards
I feel best about this from a size, experience, and skill perspective. I think they need to be mindful of the size issue
Sova - Thomson
Morton - Kyrou
Kulakov - Johnston
I would be mindful of putting Sova with Thompson/Morton. Someone who is more traditional/bigger and will stay home. I think Sova will make mistakes and is a puck carrier at heart. Putting him with Kyrou might be rough
One thing to note at first glance this defense we are taking, outside of Kyrou, is MUCH bigger physically than previous years. Will that be a better matchup for us against bigger clubs?
At times we were physically just beaten into a pulp in the past. These defensive lines could prove to all be 6 footers.
Fingers crossed tomorrow's free game isn't a mad house and the game will be enjoyable to watch. It has been a long 18 months!
At times we were physically just beaten into a pulp in the past. These defensive lines could prove to all be 6 footers.
Fingers crossed tomorrow's free game isn't a mad house and the game will be enjoyable to watch. It has been a long 18 months!
Regarding EONs point about defensemen, I don’t disagree but I wonder if Erie ultimately went with Johnston > Murphy because of the left/right shot. If they were close enough in skill, that might be the tipping point. And it’s possible Murphy didn’t want to be a 7th guy. It’s also the same case with Geary who probably has some college looks. He’s still an 04 and if Erie couldn’t give him guaranteed top 6 role, that’s a tough sell. Geary also a left side defender and I can’t imagine he’s going to beat out Sova/Morton/Kulakov.
A bit surprised to see it was Owain likely getting the 6th spot but I’ve mentioned him plenty of times before for a reason. He has a good frame and played a bit OJHL in his first year post draft, which is usually a good sign. If it wasn’t going to be Murphy/Geary, he was the most likely. For all we know, Owain was just the best of the three and the others didn’t want to be a 7th man or Erie didn’t feel they were worth to sign.
As for Sauder/Alboim, I’m not too upset by it. They will be the 7/8 options and hopefully can split time in minors and play for injuries. It gets risky if you have injuries at the position but this league is a crap show right now. At least Erie didn’t sign a bunch of non-OHLers just to fill their roster up. They might not have the star power or #1 goalie (cough cough Campbell) to be a legit team but they should have solid depth
Alboim/Sauder might not be ready but they are the 7/8 options and majority of teams outside of London aren’t doing much better at the 7/8 spot. Same with Edwards up front as the current 14th forward. They don’t have any early round prospects from 2020/2021 or even college commit options as alternatives to Edwards. All the other 2019-2020 options are late round picks who probably just are who they are at this point. But my guess is he impressed enough they wanted to just lock him up - same thing with Bressette and Cohen in recent years
I will say I’m excited to see this team grow. A LOT of guys eligible to be back next year outside of the 3 OAs. They essentially could return everyone else - minus 1/2 people - but add an import. Defensively, they could return everyone next year:
Alboim 2005
Sauder 2005
Sova 2004
Kulakov 2003
Johnston 2003
Kyrou 2003
Morton 2002
Thompson 2002
Plenty of options on D for 2022-23. You have flexibility to pick the better OA option and potentially move a 2003 for trade value. So I love locking up Sauder/Alboim and hopefully getting them 10-20 games each for some experience.
A bit surprised to see it was Owain likely getting the 6th spot but I’ve mentioned him plenty of times before for a reason. He has a good frame and played a bit OJHL in his first year post draft, which is usually a good sign. If it wasn’t going to be Murphy/Geary, he was the most likely. For all we know, Owain was just the best of the three and the others didn’t want to be a 7th man or Erie didn’t feel they were worth to sign.
As for Sauder/Alboim, I’m not too upset by it. They will be the 7/8 options and hopefully can split time in minors and play for injuries. It gets risky if you have injuries at the position but this league is a crap show right now. At least Erie didn’t sign a bunch of non-OHLers just to fill their roster up. They might not have the star power or #1 goalie (cough cough Campbell) to be a legit team but they should have solid depth
Alboim/Sauder might not be ready but they are the 7/8 options and majority of teams outside of London aren’t doing much better at the 7/8 spot. Same with Edwards up front as the current 14th forward. They don’t have any early round prospects from 2020/2021 or even college commit options as alternatives to Edwards. All the other 2019-2020 options are late round picks who probably just are who they are at this point. But my guess is he impressed enough they wanted to just lock him up - same thing with Bressette and Cohen in recent years
I will say I’m excited to see this team grow. A LOT of guys eligible to be back next year outside of the 3 OAs. They essentially could return everyone else - minus 1/2 people - but add an import. Defensively, they could return everyone next year:
Alboim 2005
Sauder 2005
Sova 2004
Kulakov 2003
Johnston 2003
Kyrou 2003
Morton 2002
Thompson 2002
Plenty of options on D for 2022-23. You have flexibility to pick the better OA option and potentially move a 2003 for trade value. So I love locking up Sauder/Alboim and hopefully getting them 10-20 games each for some experience.
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Fair points about the defense NOA. It's definitely possible Murphy/Geary would rather get big playing time in a lower league and keep college options open than be the #6/#7 dman here. I am just a little uneasy about having to rely on a 16 year old dman if (but more like when, to be honest) there's an injury.
I also agree with you regarding Ross, I'd love to see him in the top 6 right away. The only issues I take with your projected lineup are three right shot forwards on the first line (I'd rather have a better mix of handedness where possible) and Sedore on the 4th line. He's a 19 year old now and an OA candidate for next season (along with Cohen, Thompson, Morton, and Campbell), if he's not on at least the third line, he shouldn't be on the team imo. Generally you want your 4th line spots to be filled with 16/17 year olds, even if you're a contender (like the Lodnia/Poddubyni 4th line in 2017). I'd like to see Terrance a staple on the 4th line to start, with Lowe/Smith/Artichuk rotating around him. As Terrance gets settled into the league he could be moved up and get more playing time, or perhaps see some time on the PP.
I also agree with you regarding Ross, I'd love to see him in the top 6 right away. The only issues I take with your projected lineup are three right shot forwards on the first line (I'd rather have a better mix of handedness where possible) and Sedore on the 4th line. He's a 19 year old now and an OA candidate for next season (along with Cohen, Thompson, Morton, and Campbell), if he's not on at least the third line, he shouldn't be on the team imo. Generally you want your 4th line spots to be filled with 16/17 year olds, even if you're a contender (like the Lodnia/Poddubyni 4th line in 2017). I'd like to see Terrance a staple on the 4th line to start, with Lowe/Smith/Artichuk rotating around him. As Terrance gets settled into the league he could be moved up and get more playing time, or perhaps see some time on the PP.
Good points here about the ages as well, they're set up nicely. And one thing Mata mentioned is the improvement in size as well. Certainly in today's game size isn't as important as it used to be, but I think there's something to be said for teams having big physical dmen who can break the puck out effectively. A team like Tampa Bay utilizes this very well in the NHL. They have fast, skilled, and aggressive forwards, with big physical dmen behind them that can muscle the puck off the opposing team and get it to Tampa's skilled forwards. Outside of Kyrou this team has good size on the back end and I'm eager to see it in action.
I think the clear path for next season is you hope Morton/Thompson both have great years this year, then perhaps Thompson is traded for picks. The D next year could look like:
Morton (OA) - Kyrou
Sova - Johnston
Kulakov - Sauder/Alboim
This also frees them up to take a swing at Slafkovsky or another high end import forward, as well as use their other OA spots on two of Cohen/Sedore/Campbell. I could see Lalonde taking over and Campbell being moved, letting them keep both Cohen/Sedore (if they have good years this year and are worth keeping as OAs).
If anyone is able to go to today's game I'd be eager to hear how everyone looks!
1st period thoughts...
Sellan looks like a solid leader out there.
The team looks much larger than in years past and takes up a ton of space on the ice.
Kulalov is stone cold in the back.
Cameron Morton looks like he grew another 2 - 3 inches and put on muscle.
Campbell looked comfortable between the pipes.
Overall, a pretty solid 1st period.
Sellan looks like a solid leader out there.
The team looks much larger than in years past and takes up a ton of space on the ice.
Kulalov is stone cold in the back.
Cameron Morton looks like he grew another 2 - 3 inches and put on muscle.
Campbell looked comfortable between the pipes.
Overall, a pretty solid 1st period.
2nd period...
Campbell looked good again.
The forecheck was on point.
Lockhart and Saganiuk could be one hell of a line, they are lightning quick.
If play continues, I would not want to be in the OA group. You can tell the 3 on the ice this afternoon are crushing it and all leading very well.
D'Amato's breakout goal started with Ryan Thompson stick less kicking the puck forward.
Campbell looked good again.
The forecheck was on point.
Lockhart and Saganiuk could be one hell of a line, they are lightning quick.
If play continues, I would not want to be in the OA group. You can tell the 3 on the ice this afternoon are crushing it and all leading very well.
D'Amato's breakout goal started with Ryan Thompson stick less kicking the puck forward.
Ha, like I said - Campbell is not good enough or consistent enough to be the guy. Win or not, blowing leads like that in one period of play is super concerning. I know it’s preseason but seeing the same issues that plagued them over 1.5 years ago is frustrating. And their faceoffs? A big issue in 2019-20, showed zero improvement tonight. So that’s a good start
if this team starts the season let’s say 4-6, I’m firing Hartsburg. Zero patience. I’m one of the most loyal fans and even I can’t go to more than 5/6 games this year if I’m going to see the same inconsistency that we have seen since fall 2017. Yes I know it’s game 1 since March 2020 but I’m just skeptical of Hartsburg (and Campbell) as is, so I have a short leash and it’s not going to ever get longer
if this team starts the season let’s say 4-6, I’m firing Hartsburg. Zero patience. I’m one of the most loyal fans and even I can’t go to more than 5/6 games this year if I’m going to see the same inconsistency that we have seen since fall 2017. Yes I know it’s game 1 since March 2020 but I’m just skeptical of Hartsburg (and Campbell) as is, so I have a short leash and it’s not going to ever get longer
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3rd period...
Wheels came off. I guess somewhat expected for preseason. Somehow we were able to pull it off in the end.
Sellan and D'Amato were the largest presence up front. Defense looked pretty solid overall and Cameron Morton has matured a lot. Not sure if the penalties will be a thing for him or if he just got picked on.
Campbell let in 1 really bad goal.
If I were Sproule, without seeing Hoffman play today, I would be worried.
Wheels came off. I guess somewhat expected for preseason. Somehow we were able to pull it off in the end.
Sellan and D'Amato were the largest presence up front. Defense looked pretty solid overall and Cameron Morton has matured a lot. Not sure if the penalties will be a thing for him or if he just got picked on.
Campbell let in 1 really bad goal.
If I were Sproule, without seeing Hoffman play today, I would be worried.
Saganiuk looked pretty impressive out of the lot. Ross had his moments as well as Artichuk.
Edward's and Smith looked either timid or like they didn't belong at this level yet.
Thompson played well, Sauder was really a non factor. Kulakov is just as cold as ice stout defender, nothing flashy but calm and mistake free. Alboim had what I would consider a really good first outing.
I would have to agree with you on both counts...
Campbell got sloppy, as did the team so it was not ALL on him, but Lennox was the better goalie today. As far as Hartsburg, 100%. If we have more games like this one where the team falls off the rails, he needs to go sooner rather than later.
For sure. He needs to better prepare his team going into the 3rd. Either they fall apart because they don’t listen to him/he isn’t heard, or he isn’t doing enough coaching to prep them for a push back. Either way, it’s mostly on the coaching when it seems to be the theme since 2018
That third period doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in Campbell or the teams inability to hold leads, but at least they had the guts to rally and get the win anyways.
I assume Hoffmann is a lock for an OA spot so Sproule could be in some trouble based upon the performances of Sellan and D'Amato today.
Thanks for the reports Mata. Glad to hear Alboim and Kulakov looked good as well.
I assume Hoffmann is a lock for an OA spot so Sproule could be in some trouble based upon the performances of Sellan and D'Amato today.
Thanks for the reports Mata. Glad to hear Alboim and Kulakov looked good as well.
I do disagree on one thing. Actually liked what Smith brought, especially for first game. Bit of size/jam and looks as if he gets around the ice well for his stature. Albeit not flashy, but seems like kid who can do a lot of little things that add up. Especially as he gets more comfortable. I see he had a stint in the USHL last season, and I think you can see traits there that show he is a player. I’d say this tweet I came across earlier today sums it up pretty well actually…..
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I hope you're right and he improves as the games go on, but here is what I see in the one game:
Sellan, Cohen, Sedore, Lockhart, D'Amato, Sanagiuk, Ross, Hoffman/Sproule, Bressette, Terrance (assuming he signs) are the 10 locks IMO so that would leave 2 roster spots for:
Artichuk
Smith
Lowe
Edwards
Defensively:
Sova, Morton, Kulakov, Thompson, Alboim, and assuming Kyrou but it was only 1 game.
I'm looking forward to the next 2 home games because I'm sure there is more pressure in a sense having 18 months off AND being a rookie compared to "normal". Hopefully those 4 I have listed on the outside looking in get some decent playing time and can contribute.
I’m curious on bressette and what he looks like. Not sure what to make of him quite yet. That being said I think the otters bottom six might be almost somewhat interchangeable TOI wise at even strength. I can definitely see it come to where five of those six are clear cut (Hoffman/Sproule, Ross, Smith, Bressette, Terrance), then the remaining three are platooned kinda thing for that last F spot. Assume Hoffman probably gets that third OA slot, thus he and Terrance will be the two centers out of the group? Then just a matter of how they deploy the four wings.
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