OHL 2018 - 2019 season prediction thread

[ohloutsider]

It is time once again to pick the winners and the losers for the 2018 - 2019 season. Camps are close so we are starting to get a feel for who will be the better teams this year - have fun with this.

West
London - just can't see anyone better in the west.
Saginaw - this could also be the Soo but I see them as sellers this year
Owen Sound - I think they have enough talent left for 1 more run
Guelph - They are ready for the next step
Windsor - They will be better and looks like goaltending won't be an issue.
Soo - if they don't sell they will flop with Saginaw
Kitchener - if they can score goals they might even go higher
Sarnia - they will get in the playoffs but may drop out if they sell
Flint - this is a team that may surprise and go much higher but nothing has happened that shows that for me
Erie - they will take that one more step back in the retooling process but this should be the final year in that direction.

East - I'm not in tune with the east but I will give it a shot.

Ice Dogs - looks like they are ready
Ottawa - this could be Oshawa but these 2 teams look close
Oshawa - see above
Barrie - still lots of talent there not to finish high
North Bay - Stan is always full of surprises
Sudbury - yes they will get in convincingly
Hamilton - they look like the best of the worst so I see them scraping in
Missy - sames goes for them as I see the other lower teams just not having a chance
Petes - maybe they get in but they remind me of the Sens - a mess
Kingston - this one hurts but they will sell everything that is not nailed down and will likely have the first overall pick in 2019.

Click to read more...

 

[AttackSound]

Will be an interesting season that's for sure in both conferences

My prediction for 2018/19 looks like this

West

Guelph - Should have one of the top clubs of the conference with a strong core of returning players.

London- never count them out on any season

Windsor - should have a contender unless they sell off DiPietro

Owen Sound- should still be in the mix to make noise this year as the core of the team turns younger

Kitchener - more likely to sell off and get young but hard to say if they will

Flint - should have a decent team this year with a solid core of returning players

Saginaw- could go either way this season they should have a big step up this season

Sarina- is a real wildcard this season on one hand they could be a decent team on the other they could fade in the lower half of the conference

Soo - will definitely be taking the top 3-4 slots in the draft with very little assists in draft picks and the core of there team will age out I expect nothing less then the Hounds to unload talent and recoupe major assists in youth and picks for the next 2 seasons.

Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with the East as I am with the West teams so I'm not going to guess with the East clubs

 

[89bardown]

Western Conference
1. London Knights
2. Saginaw Spirit
3. Guelph Storm
4. Owen Sound Attack
5. SOO Greyhounds
6. Windsor Spitfires
7. Flint Firebirds
8. Kitchener Rangers
9. Sarnia Sting
10. Erie Otters

Eastern Conference
1. Oshawa Generals
2. Niagara Ice Dogs
3. Barrie Colts
4. Sudbury Wolves
5. Ottawa 67's
6. Peterborough Petes
7. North Bay Battalion
8. Mississauga Steelheads
9. Hamilton Bulldogs
10. Kingston Frontenacs

Playoffs
West Quarter Final
1. London def. 8. Kitchener
2. Saginaw def. 7. Flint
3. Guelph def. 6. Windsor
4. Owen Sound def. 5. SOO
East Quarter Final
1. Oshawa def. 8. Mississauga
2. Niagara def. 7. North Bay
3. Barrie def. 6. Peterborough
4. Sudbury def. 5. Ottawa

West Semi Final
1. London def. 4. Owen Sound
3. Guelph def. 2. Saginaw
East Quarter Final
1. Oshawa def. 4. Sudbury
2. Niagara def. 3. Barrie

Conference Finals
1. London def. 3. Guelph
1. Oshawa def. 2. Niagara
Finals
London def. Oshawa

 

[hockeynorth]

Not going to lie, I'm both surprised and excited to see how high people are pencilling in the Wolves.

I'd go:
West:
London
Saginaw
Owen sound
Soo
Kitchener
Guelph
Windsor
Flint
Sarnia
Erie

East:
Niagara
Oshawa
Ottawa
Peterborough
Barrie
Sudbury
Missisauga
Hamilton
North Bay
Kingston

Notes:
- I may be pessimistic regarding the wolves, I just am nervous after the rough season last year
- I'm not too familiar with the west
- I think Hamilton, the bay and missy are duking it out to make it in right to the end.

 

[InSuL1nImP]

West:
London
Guelph
Saginaw
Owen Sound
Windsor
Sarnia
Flint
Kitchener
Soo
Erie

East:
Barrie
Niagara
Oshawa
Ottawa
Sudbury
North Bay
Hamilton
Mississauga
Peterborough
Kingston

 

[Chico Maki]

West:
London
Guelph
Saginaw
Owen Sound
Windsor
Sarnia
Flint
Kitchener
Soo
Erie

East:
Barrie
Niagara
Oshawa
Ottawa
Sudbury
North Bay
Hamilton
Mississauga
Peterborough
Kingston

Are you not expecting Svechnikov to be playing in Carolina this year?

Otherwise a pretty fair prediction.

 

[NA Hockey]

West:

London
Saginaw
Guelph
Owen Sound
SSM
Windsor
Sarnia
Flint
Kitchener
Erie

East:

Niagara
Oshawa
Ottawa
Barrie
Hamilton
North Bay
Sudbury
Peterborough
Mississauga
Kingston

 

[InSuL1nImP]

Are you not expecting Svechnikov to be playing in Carolina this year?

Otherwise a pretty fair prediction.

Carolina are going to be one of the worst team's in the league this year imo. Svechnikov didn't play a full season in the OHL last year. They should let him light the league up, play at the WJC again and then play for the Hurricanes next year. I have a feeling Carolina are going to keep him and that will be a horrible mistake.

 

[View from section 9]

East

Niagara
Ottawa
Oshawa
Barrie
North Bay
Sudbury
Peterborough
Mississauga
Hamilton
Kingston

West

London
Saginaw
Owen Sound
SSM
Guelph
Windsor
Flint
Kitchener
Erie
Sarnia

 

[Generalsupdates]

Carolina are going to be one of the worst team's in the league this year imo. Svechnikov didn't play a full season in the OHL last year. They should let him light the league up, play at the WJC again and then play for the Hurricanes next year. I have a feeling Carolina are going to keep him and that will be a horrible mistake.

Sam Reinhart is the only top 2 pick in the last 13 years who's gone back to Jr after getting drafted that high. It's possible, but unlikely he's back in the OHL

 

[InSuL1nImP]

Sam Reinhart is the only top 2 pick in the last 13 years who's gone back to Jr after getting drafted that high. It's possible, but unlikely he's back in the OHL

Agree. His stats say he is ready but has he played enough junior for it to translate.

 

[TheCoach]

Agree. His stats say he is ready but has he played enough junior for it to translate.

He could go to Europe i believe thats an option

 

[hockeynorth]

He could go to Europe i believe thats an option

I'd imagine he would, I don't see Barrie as his best option for this year.

 

[Savard18]

Sam Reinhart is the only top 2 pick in the last 13 years who's gone back to Jr after getting drafted that high. It's possible, but unlikely he's back in the OHL

Yeah, I highly doubt he's returned. I get that thought process though and I don't think it would hurt his development too much if they did return him to rip up the OHL, play in the WJC and save a year of contract. I'm sure Barrie fans would love that, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'd be equally surprised to see him in Europe.

 

[soo hound girl]

He could go to Europe i believe thats an option

As the saying goes if I was a betting man I would say he is in Carolina this season they need to get fans in the seats loved watching him when he played the hounds last season

 

[NOA]

I’m amazed that this many people have erie dead last. For a team that finished near .500 after trades and barely lost anyone..I don’t see them taking a step back.
it’s actually weird because many of you have called for Erie to finish last the last 4 years now. In 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, and now this year. Heck even some thought in 2014-15 they would be dead last after selling mcdavid. But it hasn’t happened yet and I don’t expect it to this year

West:
London
Saginaw
Guelph
Owen Sound
Flint
Windsor
SSM
Erie
Kitchener
Sarnia

East:
Niagara
Ottawa
Oshawa
North Bay
Hamilton
Barrie
Sudbury
Missy
Petes
Kingston

 

[Square Corners]

I’m amazed that this many people have erie dead last. For a team that finished near .500 after trades and barely lost anyone..I don’t see them taking a step back.
it’s actually weird because many of you have called for Erie to finish last the last 4 years now. In 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, and now this year. Heck even some thought in 2014-15 they would be dead last after selling mcdavid. But it hasn’t happened yet and I don’t expect it to this year

West:
London
Saginaw
Guelph
Owen Sound
Flint
Windsor
SSM
Erie
Kitchener
Sarnia

East:
Niagara
Ottawa
Oshawa
North Bay
Hamilton
Barrie
Sudbury
Missy
Petes
Kingston

Yeah Erie barely lost anyone, other than their best player....


And really, you went on that long rant shaming people for picking Erie to finish last and then you pick them to barely squeak into the playoffs as the last seed? Lol. If you think they're going to be as good as you claim in the begininng of your post, why don't you have them a lot higher up than the worst playoff team in the conference?

 

[NOA]

Yeah Erie barely lost anyone, other than their best player....


And really, you went on that long rant shaming people for picking Erie to finish last and then you pick them to barely squeak into the playoffs as the last seed? Lol. If you think they're going to be as good as you claim in the begininng of your post, why don't you have them a lot higher up than the worst playoff team in the conference?

Maksmovich was their best player last year. Odds are he returns... they then lose Lodnia but replace him with a player who scored more goals than him. So I don’t think it’s a huge loss, I really don’t.

Sorry to offend you. Sorry you didn’t understand my post. I still think Erie is a year away from at least being a middle pack team. But by putting them dead last people see them as regressing. By me putting them as 7/8 seed I see them improving. And when I have them as 8th seed, I also have them better than 3/4 teams in the east. So dead last or bottom 2/3 in league is different than 8th seed and like 14th overall in league

 

[Hammer9001]

Alright West

Owen Sound
SSM
London
Guelph
Windsor
Saginaw
Kitchener
Erie
Flint
Sarnia

East

Niagara
Oshawa
North Bay
Ottawa
Barrie
Sudbury
Peterborough
Hamilton
Kingston
Mississauga

 

[barclayplager]

...Battalion.best player just retired due to back trouble..iffy on D..lost a lot...you are being generous...agree on Niagara

 

[Chico Maki]

London
Saginaw
Owen Sound
Windsor
Guelph
Soo
Flint
Kitchener
Sarnia
Erie


Ottawa
Niagara
Oshawa
North Bay
Sudbury
Barrie
Petes
Missy
Hamilton
Kingston

 

[EON]

I'd be pretty surprised if Erie finished last again. Very young team that played well in the 2nd half. Swapping Headrick/Lodnia for Drysdale/Singer is a temporary downgrade but a huge longterm upgrade. I expect a lot of internal improve and them to probably finish somewhere in the 6th-8th range. I don't know enough about the other teams to make a league prediction though.

 

[StormFan87]

London
Guelph
Saginaw
SSM
Owen sound
Windsor
Flint
Kitchener
Erie
Sarnia


Ottawa
Niagara
Oshawa
Sudbury
Missy
Barrie
Petes
North Bay
Hamilton
Kingston

 

[Chico Maki]

London
Guelph
Saginaw
SSM
Owen sound
Windsor
Flint
Kitchener
Erie
Sarnia


Ottawa
Niagara
Oshawa
Sudbury
Missy
Barrie
Petes
North Bay
Hamilton
Kingston

Can’t have London and Guelph finishing 1-2 because they are in the same division.

 

[Kingpin794]

Can’t have London and Guelph finishing 1-2 because they are in the same division.

They were probably just doing a straight up 1-10 by expected record regardless of division championship placement. Just mentally flip 2 and 3. Side note: Really weird seeing people place Saginaw so high this year. Not something I'm use to but also wouldn't sleep on the Soo depending of how much they sell off. Still a ton of talent there.