Erie Otters 2021-22 Season Thread

[NOA]

"Hoffmann should be a lock coming back, the guy is 6'3-4 and he's an absolute freight train. Despite being an OA there's a ton of untapped potential. If he can have a resurgence of scoring ability and remain as physically strong and fast he is, he can be an absolute head turner come October. Hoffmann is bigger, stronger, arguably faster if not almost as fast as D'amato, and has all the defensive upside you can look for in a two-way power forward."

He scored 40 pts in 2 full years and 24 goals, and less points then his linemates #17 and #44. Only scored 2 more goals then Damato in those 2 years, and I believe Damato got less PP and PK time then Hoffman.

Most OHL teams wouldnt accept him as an OA.

Sorry guys, want Erie to do well but if we are banking on the above, then we may finish last in the league. JMO

He also missed an entire 2020 season. So we don’t know what he would have been or done for production

But we saw Jake Marchment go from 10g 23pts to putting up 25g 45pts as OA playing with second year guys in Makimovich/Raddysh or rookie Lodnia
We saw Betz go from 18pts to 54pts in his 4th year playing a lot with McDavid/Strome. As OA he still managed 46pts with rookie Neumann and Mayenschein.

We saw Fellows go from 17pts to 37pts as an OA in Erie’s first rebuild year. We saw Pettit go from 21pts to 54pts as OA playing mostly with Bily/Neumann or Fellows/Lodnia/Mak

Hoffmann can’t “carry” a line. No, he can’t. But he has just as much upside, if not much more, than the prior OAs I mentioned. Brock Otten also had a few good things to say after seeing Hoff in the PBHH

With the right talent around him, I think he’s a capable 15-20 goal scorer and 50pt player. It’s more on the guys around him to be a step up, be better, and use his size to advantage. He’s easily worthy of an OA spot in the OHL. Idk the OA situation elsewhere and this year is a weird year for it but I would say at least half the teams would have have him as their 2/3 OA. And as it sits now is the 3rd best they have (behind Danny/Swankler). But if Swank has issues as reported then Hoffmann is the clear number 2. No issues with that.

 

[Leo Minem]

If all three of those OAs are on the team, then Erie in a world of hurt.

If Hoffman on the 1st line, another disaster.

Their best offensive players should be Saganiuk, Swankler, D'Amato, Lockhart, Cohen. Home town boys cannot always get full immunity. JMO

If you want my honest opinion, coming from someone who's been in professional and junior hockey for over half my life, I'd think 95% of the dislike of the HSD line comes from your guys' hate of Hartsburg. Also according to InStat, Hoffmann was actually the only forward on the roster, outside of Bressette and Sedore, who didn't log more than 4 minutes of Powerplay time during the 2019-2020 season. Whereas D'amato had well over 10 minutes and played with players, on average, had better scoring skills up until Hoffmann and Sellan were his linemates, same with Sellan. Sellan led the line with over 19 minutes in powerplay time and had multiple stints with the top unit as well as our top scorers.

And I would honestly doubt you're much of an OHL fan given the circumstances since there have definitely been worse OAs on teams around the league. On top of that, if you wanna bring in all this, I'll make an argument against it. Hoffmann finished with 12 goals and 5 assists his first year, the most goals a rookie has scored since Taylor Raddysh. Ok, so he's on track right? Maybe not since he actually logged more powerplay time his first year than his second, as well as the fact that he was point per game in the last 12 games of the year when he played with Poddubnyi and Mack. Poddubnyi being a scorer, Mack being a role player, Hoffmann clearly had good games. But, no player's development is the same. Hoffmann goes from being non-existent on the PK to being arguably our 1-2 combo with him and Sellan being our best unit, we then become a top 3 PK in the league just like that. And of course I'm not saying it's because of one guy, but it isn't like he didn't do anything, stats show he got scored on 3 times whilst on the PK for the entirety of the season. So his defensive game clearly took a jump, whereas he never really was given an offensive role in his second year, evidence because he, D'amato and Sellan, all matched against every other team's top line to shut them down. A role, which is obviously difficult, that is not normally given to three 2nd year players on your roster. However, they got it done and became one of the best defensive lines in the CHL, let alone the OHL.

Despite the paragraph that I just gave you detailing every reason why you don't want Swankler back and will likely not get him back anyway, take this in thought: Swankler was kicked out of 2-3 billet homes in a span of 2 months apparently. If you guys ever wanted a situation or cancer worse than Lodnia, I'm fairly certain if Swankler is back you'd get it. So, if your opinion mandates you'd care more about a player's points than how he gels with his teammates and who he is like as a person, go ahead it's your opinion.




If everything was about points, Ottawa would've won 2 straight championships in the OHL and Rossi would've gone 1st Overall.
Coming from a team that's produced such players as Warren Foegele, Cirelli, Betz, Macdermid, Baptiste, etc, I would expect you guys to care less about points and more about the intangibles.

 

[Leo Minem]

"Hoffmann should be a lock coming back, the guy is 6'3-4 and he's an absolute freight train. Despite being an OA there's a ton of untapped potential. If he can have a resurgence of scoring ability and remain as physically strong and fast he is, he can be an absolute head turner come October. Hoffmann is bigger, stronger, arguably faster if not almost as fast as D'amato, and has all the defensive upside you can look for in a two-way power forward."

He scored 40 pts in 2 full years and 24 goals, and less points then his linemates #17 and #44. Only scored 2 more goals then Damato in those 2 years, and I believe Damato got less PP and PK time then Hoffman.

Most OHL teams wouldnt accept him as an OA.

Sorry guys, want Erie to do well but if we are banking on the above, then we may finish last in the league. JMO

Also, forgot about Lodnia but Lodia actually had 16 his rookie year, so he was the last rookie to score more than 12.
Realistically, you can't take a 3rd year out of a career. Hoffmann hasn't produced points but that doesn't mean he can't anymore.

If you take the third year away from Allen McShane then he's just as bad if not worse than Hoffmann in your eyes right now, as well, many other players have had bad 1st and 2nd years and become great point producers later on.
Same can be the case for the following:
Kyle Pettit 54pts OA
Kevin Hancock 107 Pts OA
Jonathan Yantsis 59 pts 39 goals OA
Anthony Salinitri 88pts OA
Brandan Saigeon 82 pts OA
Aaron Luchuk 116 Pts OA
Cliff Pu 39 in 29 OA
Jonah Gadjovich 48 in 42 OA

Are the ones I could find in the past 2 seasons of the OHL and I looked for about 5 minutes, literally just went off of the point scorers on some teams.

 

[NOA]

If you want my honest opinion, coming from someone who's been in professional and junior hockey for over half my life, I'd think 95% of the dislike of the HSD line comes from your guys' hate of Hartsburg. Also according to InStat, Hoffmann was actually the only forward on the roster, outside of Bressette and Sedore, who didn't log more than 4 minutes of Powerplay time during the 2019-2020 season. Whereas D'amato had well over 10 minutes and played with players, on average, had better scoring skills up until Hoffmann and Sellan were his linemates, same with Sellan. Sellan led the line with over 19 minutes in powerplay time and had multiple stints with the top unit as well as our top scorers.
And I would honestly doubt you're much of an OHL fan given the circumstances since there have definitely been worse OAs on teams around the league. On top of that, if you wanna bring in all this, I'll make an argument against it. Hoffmann finished with 12 goals and 5 assists his first year, the most goals a rookie has scored since Taylor Raddysh. Ok, so he's on track right? Maybe not since he actually logged more powerplay time his first year than his second, as well as the fact that he was point per game in the last 12 games of the year when he played with Poddubnyi and Mack. Poddubnyi being a scorer, Mack being a role player, Hoffmann clearly had good games. But, no player's development is the same. Hoffmann goes from being non-existent on the PK to being arguably our 1-2 combo with him and Sellan being our best unit, we then become a top 3 PK in the league just like that. And of course I'm not saying it's because of one guy, but it isn't like he didn't do anything, stats show he got scored on 3 times whilst on the PK for the entirety of the season. So his defensive game clearly took a jump, whereas he never really was given an offensive role in his second year, evidence because he, D'amato and Sellan, all matched against every other team's top line to shut them down. A role, which is obviously difficult, that is not normally given to three 2nd year players on your roster. However, they got it done and became one of the best defensive lines in the CHL, let alone the OHL.
Despite the paragraph that I just gave you detailing every reason why you don't want Swankler back and will likely not get him back anyway, take this in thought: Swankler was kicked out of 2-3 billet homes in a span of 2 months apparently. If you guys ever wanted a situation or cancer worse than Lodnia, I'm fairly certain if Swankler is back you'd get it. So, if your opinion mandates you'd care more about a player's points than how he gels with his teammates and who he is like as a person, go ahead it's your opinion.
If everything was about points, Ottawa would've won 2 straight championships in the OHL and Rossi would've gone 1st Overall.
Coming from a team that's produced such players as Warren Foegele, Cirelli, Betz, Macdermid, Baptiste, etc, I would expect you guys to care less about points and more about the intangibles.

Hey Leo, don’t rope me in to “you guys.” I want Hoffmann around and agree he is better than most OAs. Joel Wigle? Christian Girhiny? Yeah… Hoffmann much better with more upside.

Erie won a championship with Pettit as an OA. I loved Pettit for his intangibles but he’s not an elite OA and coming off a 21pt season. You don’t have to be elite either. You want a guy that is just as much a leader, good locker presence, and does the other stuff that the team needs help on. For Pettit in 2017, his PK abilities and overall defensive play was what they needed and got. For Hoffmann in 2021, it will be he size and his flexibility.

I do understand the production or wanting points piece. Offense wins and is needed. And you can’t have a 30pt OA playing top 6 minutes and taking away from 16/17 year olds. I don’t think Hoffmann will be that low though. He will produce more if surrounded

I gave you previous OA examples, here are more.

From 4th year to OA year jumps

Fox - 19g to 64g
Curtis - 10g/20pts to 29g/56pts
Varone - 9g to 34g
Szydlowski - 21g/48pts to 41g/78pts
Biggers - 13g/29pts to 25g/62pts

Yes I know some of those more recent ones had elite talent/teams. Biggers the best comp here imo as he was also a second year rookie and had minimal production in his 2/3 year eligibility (less than Hoffmann actually). Plus the team he did that OA season on was a middle pack team.

OA jumps are about as common as second year jumps. Hoffmann has the advantage of being big too. Don’t know what the missed year does for him because I would have expected 30-35ish points in 2020. So how much differently would OHL Fan feel if he was coming off a 17g 20pt season?

 

[NOA]

Also, forgot about Lodnia but Lodia actually had 16 his rookie year, so he was the last rookie to score more than 12.
Realistically, you can't take a 3rd year out of a career. Hoffmann hasn't produced points but that doesn't mean he can't anymore.

If you take the third year away from Allen McShane then he's just as bad if not worse than Hoffmann in your eyes right now, as well, many other players have had bad 1st and 2nd years and become great point producers later on.
Same can be the case for the following:
Kyle Pettit 54pts OA
Kevin Hancock 107 Pts OA
Jonathan Yantsis 59 pts 39 goals OA
Anthony Salinitri 88pts OA
Brandan Saigeon 82 pts OA
Aaron Luchuk 116 Pts OA
Cliff Pu 39 in 29 OA
Jonah Gadjovich 48 in 42 OA

Are the ones I could find in the past 2 seasons of the OHL and I looked for about 5 minutes, literally just went off of the point scorers on some teams.

Yantsis a great example. Also a bigger player and went from 5g 7a 12pts in his 3rd year of eligibility to 50g and 73pts in his 4th year. Hoffmann again missed his 4th year so we will never know but there is always a surprise OA each year.

 

[Mata]

If you want my honest opinion, coming from someone who's been in professional and junior hockey for over half my life, I'd think 95% of the dislike of the HSD line comes from your guys' hate of Hartsburg. Also according to InStat, Hoffmann was actually the only forward on the roster, outside of Bressette and Sedore, who didn't log more than 4 minutes of Powerplay time during the 2019-2020 season. Whereas D'amato had well over 10 minutes and played with players, on average, had better scoring skills up until Hoffmann and Sellan were his linemates, same with Sellan. Sellan led the line with over 19 minutes in powerplay time and had multiple stints with the top unit as well as our top scorers.

And I would honestly doubt you're much of an OHL fan given the circumstances since there have definitely been worse OAs on teams around the league. On top of that, if you wanna bring in all this, I'll make an argument against it. Hoffmann finished with 12 goals and 5 assists his first year, the most goals a rookie has scored since Taylor Raddysh. Ok, so he's on track right? Maybe not since he actually logged more powerplay time his first year than his second, as well as the fact that he was point per game in the last 12 games of the year when he played with Poddubnyi and Mack. Poddubnyi being a scorer, Mack being a role player, Hoffmann clearly had good games. But, no player's development is the same. Hoffmann goes from being non-existent on the PK to being arguably our 1-2 combo with him and Sellan being our best unit, we then become a top 3 PK in the league just like that. And of course I'm not saying it's because of one guy, but it isn't like he didn't do anything, stats show he got scored on 3 times whilst on the PK for the entirety of the season. So his defensive game clearly took a jump, whereas he never really was given an offensive role in his second year, evidence because he, D'amato and Sellan, all matched against every other team's top line to shut them down. A role, which is obviously difficult, that is not normally given to three 2nd year players on your roster. However, they got it done and became one of the best defensive lines in the CHL, let alone the OHL.

Despite the paragraph that I just gave you detailing every reason why you don't want Swankler back and will likely not get him back anyway, take this in thought: Swankler was kicked out of 2-3 billet homes in a span of 2 months apparently. If you guys ever wanted a situation or cancer worse than Lodnia, I'm fairly certain if Swankler is back you'd get it. So, if your opinion mandates you'd care more about a player's points than how he gels with his teammates and who he is like as a person, go ahead it's your opinion.




If everything was about points, Ottawa would've won 2 straight championships in the OHL and Rossi would've gone 1st Overall.
Coming from a team that's produced such players as Warren Foegele, Cirelli, Betz, Macdermid, Baptiste, etc, I would expect you guys to care less about points and more about the intangibles.

I'm not so sure the fans hate the HSD line, the more serious question is can the line carry the team and most will overwhelmingly agree, likely not.

Swankler is a lot like Hayden Fowler...you either love him or hate him. Had our team performed and Fowler not plagued with injury his hot headed demeanor would have been a lot more in check. In comparing the two, Swankler had "more control" of this on the ice.

Herein lies the problem with your prediction...Erie is beyond tired of mediocrity. The McDavid years gave fans something anyone would want to return to. For Erie, most season ticket holders just want a team sitting 4 - 6 in the conference and playoffs.

The last season played proved 2 things...Erie fans LOVE their players and will rally behind pretty much any and all of the...Erie fans are sick of sub-par performances and it reflected it in attendance which continues to drop.

Hartsburg is a completely different animal. Prior to covid we were looking at 2 options, going all in or selling off and another complete rebuild. During this time off however, Dave Brown emerged as sort of a hometown hero in the management office. Let us not forget it was Hartsburg who tore into fans a couple of times I interviews for their displeasure of HIS coaching, not the performance of the kids. So Erie fans have every right to lack confidence in a coach who has done very little to win Erie fans hearts, his teams haven't performed well, and he has basically tried to verbally fight them.

 

[NOA]

Hartsburg is a tool. His demeanor and attitude I don’t appreciate. Getting mad at fans booing after paying $20 a seat and seeing the same mediocre team for 3 years is low level cheapness. Fans are what make any sport. 2020 canceled season helped prove that. You need fans. That’s the bloodline and heart. Hartsburg getting salty with them in postgame interviews is embarrassing. All you have to say is “look it’s hard hearing the fans boo but we get it, we need to be better”.. I don’t think he’s the right motivator to lead the team let alone the best strategist. How many different line combinations has Erie had in 3 years? .. How many games is that? About 200 games. So I’ll guess about 200 different line combinations. The dude gets frustrated when they aren’t producing 4/5 goals a night and swaps lines thinking he will strike magic but doesn’t recognize that are rebuilding/young. All that creates is zero chemistry

it’s not the fans fault they arent winning. It’s the title run for 4 years and the coaching. Good news for Erie fans is Hartsburg is surely on thin ice. And Vince Laise now at least a viable interim option if/when needed

 

[Leo Minem]

Hey Leo, don’t rope me in to “you guys.” I want Hoffmann around and agree he is better than most OAs. Joel Wigle? Christian Girhiny? Yeah… Hoffmann much better with more upside.

Erie won a championship with Pettit as an OA. I loved Pettit for his intangibles but he’s not an elite OA and coming off a 21pt season. You don’t have to be elite either. You want a guy that is just as much a leader, good locker presence, and does the other stuff that the team needs help on. For Pettit in 2017, his PK abilities and overall defensive play was what they needed and got. For Hoffmann in 2021, it will be he size and his flexibility.

I do understand the production or wanting points piece. Offense wins and is needed. And you can’t have a 30pt OA playing top 6 minutes and taking away from 16/17 year olds. I don’t think Hoffmann will be that low though. He will produce more if surrounded

I gave you previous OA examples, here are more.

From 4th year to OA year jumps

Fox - 19g to 64g
Curtis - 10g/20pts to 29g/56pts
Varone - 9g to 34g
Szydlowski - 21g/48pts to 41g/78pts
Biggers - 13g/29pts to 25g/62pts

Yes I know some of those more recent ones had elite talent/teams. Biggers the best comp here imo as he was also a second year rookie and had minimal production in his 2/3 year eligibility (less than Hoffmann actually). Plus the team he did that OA season on was a middle pack team.

OA jumps are about as common as second year jumps. Hoffmann has the advantage of being big too. Don’t know what the missed year does for him because I would have expected 30-35ish points in 2020. So how much differently would OHL Fan feel if he was coming off a 17g 20pt season?

Definitely not trying to rope you into the "you guys" I've just seen more negativity sent the HSD way as of late. Regardless I do understand the distrust in the coaching situation as it pertains to Hartsburg, with a team that's been reeling from a championship run for so long it's no wonder you guys are overdue for a playoff performance, which in 2020 and arguably 2021 you would've seen.

Also, I agree with you that the HSD line as it is right now is nowhere near the elite level that we've seen from other older lines in the past, simply that you're getting more than you think as opposed to three underdogs. D'amato I think will be the leading point scorer of the OAs from what I'd guess.

It also paves a good way for the rookies and younger guys to establish themselves. Saganiuk and Lockhart will drive most of the offence as well as Cohen and Sova, all four have a good dynamic of skill and speed and if anything it will pay off sooner rather than later. Especially with the way Erie is dealing, I'd say the next 2-3 years are bright.

Also, hot take, but I'd wager that there's A) A chance Drysdale comes back as per Anaheim not being able to send him back to the AHL. And B) Erie will probably move a ton of picks for a good defenceman we can use down the road or for a run...

 

[EON]

I'd have no problem with the HSD line if they weren't all OAs this coming season.

Either way I'm 100% on board with D'Amato and Hoffmann coming back. They both have 40+ point potential imo and bring elements of speed/strength and defensive acumen.

I'm just concerned about bringing Sellan back. I don't think he brings enough to take one of the 3 OA spots and as has been discussed, I don't think Erie should keep the HSD line together. The OAs need to be spread around. If what is being heard about Swankler is true then I suppose that final spot comes down to Sellan versus Sproule. My preference goes to Sproule since I think he probably has more offensive potential and is a better skater, making him a better #2 LW option. But whoever performs better in camp should get the job. I'd like to see something like:

D'Amato - Lockhart - Saganiuk
Sproule/Sellan - Hoffmann - Cohen
Ross - Bressette - Sedore
Terrance - Lowe - Artichuk

Traded/Released: Swankler, Sellan/Sproule
Wildcards: Benjamin White (2019 7th), Cole Melady (2019 12th), Ryan Forberg (2019 13th), Frank Tafalski (2019 14th), Kaleb Smith (2020 6th)

Morton - Sova
Kulakov - Kyrou
Murphy - Sauder/Alboim

Traded/Released: Kischnick, Gillard
Wildcards: Drysdale return?, Thomas Lonsdale (2019 9th), Owain Johnston (2019 11th), Patrick Geary (2020 6th)

Kolosov
Lalonde

Traded: Campbell

If Kolosov wants to stay in Belarus, then you could go with Campbell/Lalonde and try to use the second import pick on either an impact top 6 forward or top 4 dman.

 

[NOA]

What I will say is Brown has done an AMAZING job at signing players and building a roster while not even playing in 16 months. We throw out all these projected lines and it includes strictly SIGNED players or at worst likely to be signed (Terrance) players. Since Covid hit, Erie has still managed to sign:

Saganiuk F (2nd, 2019)
Sova D (1st, 2020)
Ross F (2nd, 2020)
Lalonde G (3rd, 2020)
Lowe F (7th, 2020)
Kolosov G (1st, import 2020)
Kulakov D (2nd, import 2020)

That is not a cheap list either. Those are some high asset players. Plus good mix with 3F/2D and 2G. Terrance/Artichuk will be signing soon too. Likely that at least one of Sauder/Alboim is signed as well

At least we have some options, and good options. I’m not saying these are all star players or future NHL draft picks but it’s not like Erie signed a bunch of mid round/late round “filler” picks either to create a roster.

They are not in desperate need to trade for players to create a competent roster. I’m sure there will be a handful a teams that you’ll see struggle to fill their depth spots. Erie will at most need to add a veteran defenseman to help out the young core

 

[Mata]

Definitely not trying to rope you into the "you guys" I've just seen more negativity sent the HSD way as of late. Regardless I do understand the distrust in the coaching situation as it pertains to Hartsburg, with a team that's been reeling from a championship run for so long it's no wonder you guys are overdue for a playoff performance, which in 2020 and arguably 2021 you would've seen.

Also, I agree with you that the HSD line as it is right now is nowhere near the elite level that we've seen from other older lines in the past, simply that you're getting more than you think as opposed to three underdogs. D'amato I think will be the leading point scorer of the OAs from what I'd guess.

It also paves a good way for the rookies and younger guys to establish themselves. Saganiuk and Lockhart will drive most of the offence as well as Cohen and Sova, all four have a good dynamic of skill and speed and if anything it will pay off sooner rather than later. Especially with the way Erie is dealing, I'd say the next 2-3 years are bright.

Also, hot take, but I'd wager that there's A) A chance Drysdale comes back as per Anaheim not being able to send him back to the AHL. And B) Erie will probably move a ton of picks for a good defenceman we can use down the road or for a run...

I would love to see Drysdale back for the 25th anniversary season, but I think that's a pipes dream.

1. He flew through the AHL and got called up (albeit injury reasons for the Ducks)
2. After finding himself in the NHL and some rocky play, he was consistently at the top for minutes out of the defenseman and he was running PP1 both of which are expected.

Unless Anaheim has little confidence in him or will make trades further strengthening their defense, I don't foresee him in an Otters uniform again. It would be risky for Anaheim to place him here and risk injury for a league he has outgrown.

 

[NOA]

I would love to see Drysdale back for the 25th anniversary season, but I think that's a pipes dream.

1. He flew through the AHL and got called up (albeit injury reasons for the Ducks)
2. After finding himself in the NHL and some rocky play, he was consistently at the top for minutes out of the defenseman and he was running PP1 both of which are expected.

Unless Anaheim has little confidence in him or will make trades further strengthening their defense, I don't foresee him in an Otters uniform again. It would be risky for Anaheim to place him here and risk injury for a league he has outgrown.

Even if he returned, I would trade him. Imagine getting 5/6 picks and a 2021 first rounder? If Erie was able to get that, combined with their promising youth, you could be a special team in 2/3 years.

I’m with you though, it’s less than a 5% chance he returns. But you never know. We didn’t think Cernak/Strome would return in 2017.

 

[NOA]

Since I see no clarity from the OHL (shocker..) or the team about this, I will assume it means Erie lost the rights to their 2 imports they drafted last year. Unfortunate really because Kolosov seemed legit and Kulakov had promise

 

[Antiillafire]

Smart move taking a chance on slafkovsky.

 

[NOA]

Smart move taking a chance on slafkovsky.

I mean you gotta love the value. Not really a point in Erie taking a depth player at that spot when he is still there. But it’s basically a 0% chance he shows. Now if you tell me they have a sniff of a chance then it’s an amazing pick. The fact that London didn’t take him, tells me he’s not interested in the OHL. I’m sure they would be all over that value at 12 overall if they knew they had any shot

 

[Antiillafire]

 

[Antiillafire]

I mean you gotta love the value. Not really a point in Erie taking a depth player at that spot when he is still there. But it’s basically a 0% chance he shows. Now if you tell me they have a sniff of a chance then it’s an amazing pick. The fact that London didn’t take him, tells me he’s not interested in the OHL. I’m sure they would be all over that value at 12 overall if they knew they had any shot

Yeah he’s on TPS’s roster for training camp. However, let’s say by December he hasn’t been getting the ice time he thinks he deserves, he could come over. Another thing is that Erie could retain his rights and when he gets drafted next year, his nhl team could let’s say recommend him play in Erie.

 

[NOA]

Yeah he’s on TPS’s roster for training camp. However, let’s say by December he hasn’t been getting the ice time he thinks he deserves, he could come over. Another thing is that Erie could retain his rights and when he gets drafted next year, his nhl team could let’s say recommend him play in Erie.

Certianly possible! He’s a legit prospect so he’s always going to have other options. A lot will depend on what NHL team drafts him and his success in TPS this year. It will certianly help if Erie has a good year and their young offensive players develop.

Appreicate the info on him though, @Antiillafire

 

[Generalsupdates]

I mean you gotta love the value. Not really a point in Erie taking a depth player at that spot when he is still there. But it’s basically a 0% chance he shows. Now if you tell me they have a sniff of a chance then it’s an amazing pick. The fact that London didn’t take him, tells me he’s not interested in the OHL. I’m sure they would be all over that value at 12 overall if they knew they had any shot

There's no shot he comes next year, but you just hope he doesn't get much playing time in Liiga and is pissed off about it and comes the year after. That's not likely because he's a top pick, but like you said, you'd rather take a low % chance at a super high end guy that late than a really good % chance at a guy who's ceiling is 3rd line forward

 

[EON]

Since I see no clarity from the OHL (shocker..) or the team about this, I will assume it means Erie lost the rights to their 2 imports they drafted last year. Unfortunate really because Kolosov seemed legit and Kulakov had promise

I don't think this guarantees that. I think there's a pretty high chance Kolosov just stays over since he's getting good playing time in the KHL, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kulakov comes over still. I'm not an expert on the import rules but it's possible they were able to retain his rights and still draft 2 players today. I don't know all of the exceptions or if perhaps the CHL is allowing some covid exceptions. Maybe they'll try and get both Kulakov and Tichacek over next season to play in their top 4 on D, and cross their fingers Slafkovsky comes for his D+1 season.

 

[NOA]

I don't think this guarantees that. I think there's a pretty high chance Kolosov just stays over since he's getting good playing time in the KHL, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kulakov comes over still. I'm not an expert on the import rules but it's possible they were able to retain his rights and still draft 2 players today. I don't know all of the exceptions or if perhaps the CHL is allowing some covid exceptions. Maybe they'll try and get both Kulakov and Tichacek over next season to play in their top 4 on D, and cross their fingers Slafkovsky comes for his D+1 season.

It would help if the OHL/CHL was transparent about that…

I’m with you that we don’t know for sure but some other teams were passing on picks today so I have no clue what the restrictions are. Maybe Erie was able to retain 1 of the 2 if they wanted both picks. They opted to retain Kulakov I would guess because he’s younger and more likely to still show.

If so, I support it. It sounds like Tichacek has interest and will likely sign in Erie if they pursue him.

If they also get Kulakov they will have a fully loaded roster of options. The backend in particular would be something like:

Sova - Morton
Kulakov - Kyrou
Tichacek- Murphy/2020 or ‘21 pick

It’s not a bad plan to swing for Juraj. Erie has 12 signed forwards (once Terrance/Artichuk sign) and after they move on from the spare OAs. So they don’t “need” a depth forward and picking at 90 overall in the import, that’s all you would get if you won’t for a guarantee report

This is a long term, wait it out and send the prayers type of pick with Juraj. Again, better than drafting Jakob Mayenschein or a minor role depth piece.

 

[NOA]

Pretty much sums it up. Erie is just there in case Juraj changes his mind or TPS doesn’t work out.

 

[NOA]

Quick summary:

Elite level mobility/agility. Or basically according to this video, the best of guys not projected to go round 1 in this NHL draft. Good stick checking and positioning. Needs to work on physical effectiveness (he’s 5’9 so duh) and pass vision.

This guy has him as a top 40 draft eligible and doesn’t think he should go much lower than that.

 

[pgfan66]

Since I see no clarity from the OHL (shocker..) or the team about this, I will assume it means Erie lost the rights to their 2 imports they drafted last year. Unfortunate really because Kolosov seemed legit and Kulakov had promise

I don't think this guarantees that. I think there's a pretty high chance Kolosov just stays over since he's getting good playing time in the KHL, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kulakov comes over still. I'm not an expert on the import rules but it's possible they were able to retain his rights and still draft 2 players today. I don't know all of the exceptions or if perhaps the CHL is allowing some covid exceptions. Maybe they'll try and get both Kulakov and Tichacek over next season to play in their top 4 on D, and cross their fingers Slafkovsky comes for his D+1 season.

It would help if the OHL/CHL was transparent about that…

I’m with you that we don’t know for sure but some other teams were passing on picks today so I have no clue what the restrictions are. Maybe Erie was able to retain 1 of the 2 if they wanted both picks. They opted to retain Kulakov I would guess because he’s younger and more likely to still show.

If so, I support it. It sounds like Tichacek has interest and will likely sign in Erie if they pursue him.

If they also get Kulakov they will have a fully loaded roster of options. The backend in particular would be something like:

Sova - Morton
Kulakov - Kyrou
Tichacek- Murphy/2020 or ‘21 pick

It’s not a bad plan to swing for Juraj. Erie has 12 signed forwards (once Terrance/Artichuk sign) and after they move on from the spare OAs. So they don’t “need” a depth forward and picking at 90 overall in the import, that’s all you would get if you won’t for a guarantee report

This is a long term, wait it out and send the prayers type of pick with Juraj. Again, better than drafting Jakob Mayenschein or a minor role depth piece.

Teams were allowed to place players on a "special import list" if they didn't report in the Covid year, allowing teams to retain their rights. So Erie now has their previous picks on the special import list, plus this year's picks. In the hypothetical scenario that everyone suddenly decides to come, I believe they'd be allowed to bring all 4 to camp and cut 2 of them by the usual deadline. In the more likely scenario that fewer than 4 players report, the CHL just gave them a higher chance of actually adding imports this year.

 

[Mata]

Teams were allowed to place players on a "special import list" if they didn't report in the Covid year, allowing teams to retain their rights. So Erie now has their previous picks on the special import list, plus this year's picks. In the hypothetical scenario that everyone suddenly decides to come, I believe they'd be allowed to bring all 4 to camp and cut 2 of them by the usual deadline. In the more likely scenario that fewer than 4 players report, the CHL just gave them a higher chance of actually adding imports this year.

I guess one thing is for certain, if they can't land at least 1 of 4...well, we can start with that's a bad omen.