Ottawa 67's 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[Larionov]

So a mea culpa from me on Stonehouse - I read yesterday that he is slated for shoulder surgery now that the season is over. Obviously we don't know any of the details, but if he was playing with a bad shoulder all season it certainly explains his drop in production.

In this sea of post sweep negativity, here is a positive - Jaeden Nelson. He just keeps winning for the Navan Grads, and apparently was absolutely brilliant in their game one win over Smiths Falls last night. Goalies can be tricky, sure, but he certainly looks like the real deal. He comes into camp next year in year one of what will likely be a three year run with the 67's, and may quickly take over as the starter. It's been a while since this team had a goalie who was "the guy". Great goaltending covers for an awful lot of sins and deficiencies in this game...

 

[OMG67]

So a mea culpa from me on Stonehouse - I read yesterday that he is slated for shoulder surgery now that the season is over. Obviously we don't know any of the details, but if he was playing with a bad shoulder all season it certainly explains his drop in production.

In this sea of post sweep negativity, here is a positive - Jaeden Nelson. He just keeps winning for the Navan Grads, and apparently was absolutely brilliant in their game one win over Smiths Falls last night. Goalies can be tricky, sure, but he certainly looks like the real deal. He comes into camp next year in year one of what will likely be a three year run with the 67's, and may quickly take over as the starter. It's been a while since this team had a goalie who was "the guy". Great goaltending covers for an awful lot of sins and deficiencies in this game...

100% agree. Nelson is the real deal. He’s performed very well. If he Carrie’s that confidence into next season, the sky is the limit!

I don’t think it changes much for next year though. Lack of quality centre depth and two seasons of buying players with draft pick means we need a bit of a rest year to reconfigure the rosters and restock draft picks.

 

[44 95 plus tax]

Does anyone know if there is a prospects camp anytime soon? They usually have one shortly after the draft.

 

[sirius67fan]

So a mea culpa from me on Stonehouse - I read yesterday that he is slated for shoulder surgery now that the season is over. Obviously we don't know any of the details, but if he was playing with a bad shoulder all season it certainly explains his drop in production.

In this sea of post sweep negativity, here is a positive - Jaeden Nelson. He just keeps winning for the Navan Grads, and apparently was absolutely brilliant in their game one win over Smiths Falls last night. Goalies can be tricky, sure, but he certainly looks like the real deal. He comes into camp next year in year one of what will likely be a three year run with the 67's, and may quickly take over as the starter. It's been a while since this team had a goalie who was "the guy". Great goaltending covers for an awful lot of sins and deficiencies in this game...

Well that does explain a lot for Stoney, he simply did not look like himself.. So two of our top 7 forwards were playing injured. Would it have made a difference? So there is a chance both Stoney and Gardiner will not be ready for the start of the season.

 

[Hinterland]

So a mea culpa from me on Stonehouse - I read yesterday that he is slated for shoulder surgery now that the season is over. Obviously we don't know any of the details, but if he was playing with a bad shoulder all season it certainly explains his drop in production.

In this sea of post sweep negativity, here is a positive - Jaeden Nelson. He just keeps winning for the Navan Grads, and apparently was absolutely brilliant in their game one win over Smiths Falls last night. Goalies can be tricky, sure, but he certainly looks like the real deal. He comes into camp next year in year one of what will likely be a three year run with the 67's, and may quickly take over as the starter. It's been a while since this team had a goalie who was "the guy". Great goaltending covers for an awful lot of sins and deficiencies in this game...

Can't say I'm surprised. He wasn't exactly bad but not really a factor either. Even when the 3rd line was buzzing I felt like it was more thanks to Dever and Horner. It's also not just the lack of production...I felt like Stonehouse wasn't a factor physically...which is strange. Usually he's looking to set the tone physically...certainly during playoffs.

I'm still pretty sure Kelly was playing hurt as well.

 

[Larionov]

Just had a discussion with another fan about the seeming rash of shoulder injuries in hockey today. My theory is that the players are just so much faster and stronger than they were in the past. We all know in physics that force equals mass times acceleration. In other words, speed has a multiplier effect on how much force is generated. While today's players at an elite level are all much faster than a generation ago, God has not redesigned joints, tendons and ligaments since that time. Therefore, the injuries are piling up...

 

[HockeyPops]

Game called tighter, no more clutch and grab on opposing forecheckers allowed. All that speed coming into the end boards, if you miss your check it's gonna hurt when you hit the boards.

 

[Mild Italian]

Does anyone know if there is a prospects camp anytime soon? They usually have one shortly after the draft.

It starts next Thursday or Friday

 

[OMG67]

IF Stonehouse is going for surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, his recovery time depends on the severity of the tear. I assume the severity isn’t a full tear. If it were, he likely wouldn’t have played. So, he’d be looking at a 4-6 month recovery for a partial tear. If it is a full tear where the tendon is completely torn from the bone, it is a 6-12 month recovery. So, on the good side, he’d be ready just before training camp. On the bad side he’d be looking at mid-fall for a return.

In light of this, assuming he does actually need surgery, I doubt he’d turn pro this year. He’d be off skates likley for at least 8 weeks. He’d have to concentrate of the shoulder healing through the entire summer. He’ll have a tough time building back strength. In light of his weak season of development, I think it is highly likely he returns for another OA year. That may or may not be with Ottawa. Who knows? But, I my $$$ would be on him being back in the OHL. I don’t think it would serve him well to play prematurely in the ECHL.

 

[beastintheeast]

A few issues trading Pinelli to start the season:
1> You miss out on the 20 goals he gets in the first half that help you make the playoffs.
2> You cannot trade for an ‘08 until January 1
3> Contending teams typically don’t trade high end 17 year olds that make a difference because they rely on those players to help compete. So, unlikely we get a ‘07 1st in that deal unless the player is a bust. Imagine Ottawa trading Mews or Marrelli this year in a deal with more draft picks for Pinelli? Makes no sense.
4> All this results in a picks based trade which would be a complete wasted opportunity.
**Wait until the deadline and snag an ‘08. We’d have three 1st round ‘08s. That would be ideal.

DC doesn’t need a hard hitting team. HE needs hustle and drive with defensive responsibility. He isn’t a hammerhead coach. Size isn’t necessary up and down the lineup. Some size ont he back end with guys that can work the boards on the wings.

I have an opinion on Korbler that I feel is accurate. He was inconsequential in the playoffs and most of the regular season with the exception of games agaisnt the basement dwellers. I think passing on an Import pick in the early 30’s is a wasted opportunity. We’d also be able to draft a player to fill more of a positional need (Centre or Defence). I’d keep Uronen since he is bigger, more skilled, and older. If we do sell at the deadline, he is a more moveable asset at a higher return.

I am not worried about 20 goals or making the playoffs I think there is enough here that they can do that anyway. HOWEVER, I will grant you that we may be able to get that 08 and tht could be a good reason to keep him and hope he has a great season on this team.

A hitting team that can play physical and play 2 way hockey ensuring that other tems do not score is paramount. As to size look at the teams that DC and Boyd put together and that won and they have 6'0 players with size.


How many years have we gone into the playoffs with the speed players that we have and got hammered because they were too small?

My hope is that Hilton Houben and Horner develop and can play next year. Having them play will definitely change the team's dynamic.

I agree this is the year that they will be DC's players, and he and Boyd are going to have to be responsible. If there are players that do not like his style then trade them. In actuality the price in return is not that important this year compared to getting the team playing asw a team willingly in the style the coach wants.

Next year, our offence is going to still be only 1 player, Pinelli, no matter what we do in drafting.

 

[beastintheeast]

IF Stonehouse is going for surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, his recovery time depends on the severity of the tear. I assume the severity isn’t a full tear. If it were, he likely wouldn’t have played. So, he’d be looking at a 4-6 month recovery for a partial tear. If it is a full tear where the tendon is completely torn from the bone, it is a 6-12 month recovery. So, on the good side, he’d be ready just before training camp. On the bad side he’d be looking at mid-fall for a return.

In light of this, assuming he does actually need surgery, I doubt he’d turn pro this year. He’d be off skates likley for at least 8 weeks. He’d have to concentrate of the shoulder healing through the entire summer. He’ll have a tough time building back strength. In light of his weak season of development, I think it is highly likely he returns for another OA year. That may or may not be with Ottawa. Who knows? But, I my $$$ would be on him being back in the OHL. I don’t think it would serve him well to play prematurely in the ECHL.

Yes but you also may see Edmonton take care of his surgery since he is signed with them. That means that he will be treated by their doctors and monitored by their staff and could, in theory, once he is healthy, play in the AHL the same as Boucher, where they can regulate his minutes and treat him as necessary. At this point, I think Stonehouse is playing anywhere else, but here is the best thing for this team. We need a qualified, experienced center more than we do a winger.

 

[OMG67]

Yes but you also may see Edmonton take care of his surgery since he is signed with them. That means that he will be treated by their doctors and monitored by their staff and could, in theory, once he is healthy, play in the AHL the same as Boucher, where they can regulate his minutes and treat him as necessary. At this point, I think Stonehouse is playing anywhere else, but here is the best thing for this team. We need a qualified, experienced center more than we do a winger.

There’s a big difference between a high first round pick and a free agent entry level guy when it comes to urgency and focus on development. Next year is a freebie year for the Oilers and Stonehouse. It is evident from this past season he isn’t ready for pro hockey. It’s not like he is 6’1 200lb. He is 5’10” and 190. He isn’t physically mature enough to play his game at the next level as a depth player. He needs more time to mature his game and body to be better prepared for the pro game.

Boucher is much bigger and with him being a high first pick, there is a vastly different level of expectation on him.

 

[beastintheeast]

There’s a big difference between a high first round pick and a free agent entry level guy when it comes to urgency and focus on development. Next year is a freebie year for the Oilers and Stonehouse. It is evident from this past season he isn’t ready for pro hockey. It’s not like he is 6’1 200lb. He is 5’10” and 190. He isn’t physically mature enough to play his game at the next level as a depth player. He needs more time to mature his game and body to be better prepared for the pro game.

Boucher is much bigger and with him being a high first pick, there is a vastly different level of expectation on him.

My other question though is what do you do with him if he is sent back? Do you trade Gardiner considering he is the ony experinced center or do you trade Sirman AND Mayich.

I see stonehouse traded like Cranley was a contional low pick that can chenge if he reports and plays x number of games.

 

[OMG67]

My other question though is what do you do with him if he is sent back? Do you trade Gardiner considering he is the ony experinced center or do you trade Sirman AND Mayich.

I see stonehouse traded like Cranley was a contional low pick that can chenge if he reports and plays x number of games.

Gardiner is 19.

They can roster four OAs but play 3, at least temporarily.

I anticipate Mayich and Smyth traded pre-season. Leaves them with Stonehouse, Gerrior, Sirman and MacK. I’m sure they can figure it out.

 

[beastintheeast]

Gardiner is 19.

They can roster four OAs but play 3, at least temporarily.

I anticipate Mayich and Smyth traded pre-season. Leaves them with Stonehouse, Gerrior, Sirman and MacK. I’m sure they can figure it out.

my apologies I thought it was Gardiner but I think that Gerrior still could be a better player to keep.

 

[OMG67]

my apologies I thought it was Gardiner but I think that Gerrior still could be a better player to keep.

As I said, they can keep four and play three. If one is MacK and they want o get Nelson some starts, he would sit the games he doesn’t start. They have some runway to make the right deal. It is not uncommon for teams to keep four OA’s during the early stages of the season.

I’m sure they can juggle for 4-6 weeks without issue. IF they can keep two starting goalies through the deadline this year, they can juggle four OA’s for 6 weeks.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

A few issues trading Pinelli to start the season:
1> You miss out on the 20 goals he gets in the first half that help you make the playoffs.
2> You cannot trade for an ‘08 until January 1
3> Contending teams typically don’t trade high end 17 year olds that make a difference because they rely on those players to help compete. So, unlikely we get a ‘07 1st in that deal unless the player is a bust. Imagine Ottawa trading Mews or Marrelli this year in a deal with more draft picks for Pinelli? Makes no sense.
4> All this results in a picks based trade which would be a complete wasted opportunity.
**Wait until the deadline and snag an ‘08. We’d have three 1st round ‘08s. That would be ideal.

DC doesn’t need a hard hitting team. HE needs hustle and drive with defensive responsibility. He isn’t a hammerhead coach. Size isn’t necessary up and down the lineup. Some size ont he back end with guys that can work the boards on the wings.

I have an opinion on Korbler that I feel is accurate. He was inconsequential in the playoffs and most of the regular season with the exception of games agaisnt the basement dwellers. I think passing on an Import pick in the early 30’s is a wasted opportunity. We’d also be able to draft a player to fill more of a positional need (Centre or Defence). I’d keep Uronen since he is bigger, more skilled, and older. If we do sell at the deadline, he is a more moveable asset at a higher return.

You're exactly right on Pinelli and Uronen. Even if Uronen doesn't fit into Ottawa's longer-term plans, it would be wise for us to bring him back as he would be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

Reading the tea leaves on Korbler, it seems that Cameron views him as one of "his" players and a significant part of the plan going forward. After he returned from the injury he suffered in the last week or so of the regular season, he almost immediately returned to the 1st line with Kressler. The interesting thing about Korbler is that he is a LHS that plays almost exclusively at RW...anyone know why that is? Its not like he's a big shooter who can come down off the off-wing with a better shooting angle at the net...more like a straight-forward up and down winger with some speed. Those guys typically play on their "correct" side. Nevertheless, I would assume there is some positional flexibility there.

I wonder if the 67s decide to keep Mayich as an OA in lieu of Sirman on D into the season, and wait until the deadline to deal Mayich. I think he gets us a reasonable haul either way. He's a good defensive d-man and would have value in mentoring the younger players and helping the team win games. Sirman's play and ice time declined over the playoffs and he would remain a #3-5 d-man into next season, so Boyd may decide to clean the logjam before the season even starts. This is assuming that Mayich is OK with starting the season in Ottawa....

Stonehouse is obviously interesting...

When I put together a depth chart, I still see a logjam in the bottom 6. I suspect you'll see one of Kelly or Barlas moved as well, in order to provide them with a better opportunity to play.
- Barlas isn't playing above Pinelli or Foster at LW (or Gerrior, or Stonehouse, depending on which one returns and if they do return, whether they play LW). He isn't playing above Gardiner or Dever at C (Cameron already made that choice). He probably shouldn't play above Whitehead either from a development perspective. If he's destined to be Ottawa's #4LW or #4C again this year, time for the team to do right by him and move him.
- Same kind of goes for Kelly. Uronen, Korbler, Horner, Gerrior (maybe)...Kelly isn't playing above any of those guys unless he demonstrates improvement over the summer and into camp. Same concept applies...move the kid for a better opportunity.

I'd much rather the 16-year old rookies and kids like Houben and Hilton get reps on our 4th line than Barlas and Kelly. It just makes more sense.

 

[OMG67]

You're exactly right on Pinelli and Uronen. Even if Uronen doesn't fit into Ottawa's longer-term plans, it would be wise for us to bring him back as he would be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

Reading the tea leaves on Korbler, it seems that Cameron views him as one of "his" players and a significant part of the plan going forward. After he returned from the injury he suffered in the last week or so of the regular season, he almost immediately returned to the 1st line with Kressler. The interesting thing about Korbler is that he is a LHS that plays almost exclusively at RW...anyone know why that is? Its not like he's a big shooter who can come down off the off-wing with a better shooting angle at the net...more like a straight-forward up and down winger with some speed. Those guys typically play on their "correct" side. Nevertheless, I would assume there is some positional flexibility there.

I wonder if the 67s decide to keep Mayich as an OA in lieu of Sirman on D into the season, and wait until the deadline to deal Mayich. I think he gets us a reasonable haul either way. He's a good defensive d-man and would have value in mentoring the younger players and helping the team win games. Sirman's play and ice time declined over the playoffs and he would remain a #3-5 d-man into next season, so Boyd may decide to clean the logjam before the season even starts. This is assuming that Mayich is OK with starting the season in Ottawa....

Stonehouse is obviously interesting...

When I put together a depth chart, I still see a logjam in the bottom 6. I suspect you'll see one of Kelly or Barlas moved as well, in order to provide them with a better opportunity to play.
- Barlas isn't playing above Pinelli or Foster at LW (or Gerrior, or Stonehouse, depending on which one returns and if they do return, whether they play LW). He isn't playing above Gardiner or Dever at C (Cameron already made that choice). He probably shouldn't play above Whitehead either from a development perspective. If he's destined to be Ottawa's #4LW or #4C again this year, time for the team to do right by him and move him.
- Same kind of goes for Kelly. Uronen, Korbler, Horner, Gerrior (maybe)...Kelly isn't playing above any of those guys unless he demonstrates improvement over the summer and into camp. Same concept applies...move the kid for a better opportunity.

I'd much rather the 16-year old rookies and kids like Houben and Hilton get reps on our 4th line than Barlas and Kelly. It just makes more sense.

It’s tough because even though a kid like Kelly wouldn’t play above those guys on the right side or Barclays on the left side, that’s because we don’t get to the deadline and move guys like Pinelli and Uronen. There is some sense in keeping a bit of a logjam in place the first half until we can reasonably relive it. But, that assumes they have a plan in place. We cannot just end up with a bunch of rookies because we traded Kelly and Barlas. So there will be some levity required in decision making early on. Make a plan and execute it. By the second half, guys like Barlas and Kelly wouldn’t be on the fourth line.

 

[Hinterland]

You're exactly right on Pinelli and Uronen. Even if Uronen doesn't fit into Ottawa's longer-term plans, it would be wise for us to bring him back as he would be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

Reading the tea leaves on Korbler, it seems that Cameron views him as one of "his" players and a significant part of the plan going forward. After he returned from the injury he suffered in the last week or so of the regular season, he almost immediately returned to the 1st line with Kressler. The interesting thing about Korbler is that he is a LHS that plays almost exclusively at RW...anyone know why that is? Its not like he's a big shooter who can come down off the off-wing with a better shooting angle at the net...more like a straight-forward up and down winger with some speed. Those guys typically play on their "correct" side. Nevertheless, I would assume there is some positional flexibility there.

I wonder if the 67s decide to keep Mayich as an OA in lieu of Sirman on D into the season, and wait until the deadline to deal Mayich. I think he gets us a reasonable haul either way. He's a good defensive d-man and would have value in mentoring the younger players and helping the team win games. Sirman's play and ice time declined over the playoffs and he would remain a #3-5 d-man into next season, so Boyd may decide to clean the logjam before the season even starts. This is assuming that Mayich is OK with starting the season in Ottawa....

Stonehouse is obviously interesting...

When I put together a depth chart, I still see a logjam in the bottom 6. I suspect you'll see one of Kelly or Barlas moved as well, in order to provide them with a better opportunity to play.
- Barlas isn't playing above Pinelli or Foster at LW (or Gerrior, or Stonehouse, depending on which one returns and if they do return, whether they play LW). He isn't playing above Gardiner or Dever at C (Cameron already made that choice). He probably shouldn't play above Whitehead either from a development perspective. If he's destined to be Ottawa's #4LW or #4C again this year, time for the team to do right by him and move him.
- Same kind of goes for Kelly. Uronen, Korbler, Horner, Gerrior (maybe)...Kelly isn't playing above any of those guys unless he demonstrates improvement over the summer and into camp. Same concept applies...move the kid for a better opportunity.

I'd much rather the 16-year old rookies and kids like Houben and Hilton get reps on our 4th line than Barlas and Kelly. It just makes more sense.

Körbler isn't necessarily a shooter but he's definitely a goal scorer. Was the top goal scorer of his team in Switzerland and had more goals than assists for the 67's as well. I believe he played RW only in Switzerland but I agree he may be better suited on his natural left side. He sees himself as a defensive minded shutdown two way forward and PK specialist/shot blocker so playing on his off wing doesn't really make sense until his shot becomes more of a threat. He may be more of a goalscorer than passer but since he's not a sniper he'd probably score those goals either way.

 

[OMG67]

Körbler isn't necessarily a shooter but he's definitely a goal scorer. Was the top goal scorer of his team in Switzerland and had more goals than assists for the 67's as well. I believe he played RW only in Switzerland but I agree he may be better suited on his natural left side. He sees himself as a defensive minded shutdown two way forward and PK specialist/shot blocker so playing on his off wing doesn't really make sense until his shot becomes more of a threat. He may be more of a goalscorer than passer but since he's not a sniper he'd probably score those goals either way.

There is no apparent issue with Korbler. The only question that I raise is whether Korbler as a player is more valuable than the 28-30th pick in the Import draft. The question becomes whether it is better to keep Korbler and abandon that relatively early Import pick or use it and release Korbler.

Annually, that market changes and a lot of it has to do with relationships and access to players BUT, I imagine the 67’s would still have some oars in the water over there and one could reasonably assume they’d be able to get a better player than Korbler with that pick. Or, get a player reasonably similar but at a premium position like Centre or Defence.

That is the big difference between Imports and North Americans. You cannot trade Import Picks so you need to make the assessment as to whether the pick is more valuable being used or whether the player is more valuable.

This whole obsession people have towards Korbler is unreasonable. We picked Korbler with the 117th pick (20th pick of the 2nd round - 73rd overall). We’d be picking over 40 picks sooner than that pick this year.

If the 67’s have access to a player that makes more sense for them to draft, they really need to look seriously at it.

Imagine if we were looking at Kelly and decided it was better to keep him and walk away from a 2nd round Priority selection pick? That is the same sort of deal here.

 

[NoQuit67s]

Food for thought.
See below some examples of the progression of recent 67s players from their 18yo season to their 19yo season. Most were smallish players.

Lucas Chiodo
2016-17 Barrie Colts OHL 68 22 31 53
2017-18 Barrie Colts OHL 68 30 49 79

Joe Garrefa
2017-18 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 12 53 65
2018-19 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 32 55 87

Mitchell Hoelsher
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 10 30 40
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 62 34 42 76

Noel Hofenmayer
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 65 7 26 33
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 16 46 62

Cam Tolnai
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 52 8 14 22
2021-22 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 10 34 44

Austen Keating
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 24 28 52
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 22 67 89

Next year we have the following returning players moving into their 19yo seasons. We haven't had that many 19 yo's on a team in a long time. The point here is that age matters. The 67s can roster a pretty mature team next year if they want to.

Chris Barlas
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 54 10 12 22

Brad Horner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 6 9 15

Tuomas Uronen
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 11 2 4 6

Jack Dever
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 55 9 12 21

Luca Pinnelli
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 68 48 34 82

Brad Gardiner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 67 16 33 49

Cooper Foster
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 21 31 52

We can surely project that many of them should progress in their offensive production as 19yo's. Especially in the case of Uronen, which we essentially got nothing from him last season because of injury. He also adds a little bit of size being listed at 6ft 194 pounds.
Horner spent a large part of last season being an ineffective defenseman, but then starting developing into a good role as a forward and adding toughness to that group.

Another interesting fact is that Horner led the team in + / - during the playoffs and was actually 4th during the regular season.

And speaking of + / - during the regular season Marrelli led the team and Mews was 3rd.
They are also players that project to develop even more next year as 18yo's

 

[OMG67]

Food for thought.
See below some examples of the progression of recent 67s players from their 18yo season to their 19yo season. Most were smallish players.

Lucas Chiodo
2016-17 Barrie Colts OHL 68 22 31 53
2017-18 Barrie Colts OHL 68 30 49 79

Joe Garrefa
2017-18 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 12 53 65
2018-19 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 32 55 87

Mitchell Hoelsher
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 10 30 40
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 62 34 42 76

Noel Hofenmayer
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 65 7 26 33
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 16 46 62

Cam Tolnai
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 52 8 14 22
2021-22 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 10 34 44

Austen Keating
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 24 28 52
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 22 67 89

Next year we have the following returning players moving into their 19yo seasons. We haven't had that many 19 yo's on a team in a long time. The point here is that age matters. The 67s can roster a pretty mature team next year if they want to.

Chris Barlas
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 54 10 12 22

Brad Horner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 6 9 15

Tuomas Uronen
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 11 2 4 6

Jack Dever
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 55 9 12 21

Luca Pinnelli
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 68 48 34 82

Brad Gardiner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 67 16 33 49

Cooper Foster
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 21 31 52

We can surely project that many of them should progress in their offensive production as 19yo's. Especially in the case of Uronen, which we essentially got nothing from him last season because of injury. He also adds a little bit of size being listed at 6ft 194 pounds.
Horner spent a large part of last season being an ineffective defenseman, but then starting developing into a good role as a forward and adding toughness to that group.

Another interesting fact is that Horner led the team in + / - during the playoffs and was actually 4th during the regular season.

And speaking of + / - during the regular season Marrelli led the team and Mews was 3rd.
They are also players that project to develop even more next year as 18yo's

Is agree with the above. The challenge isn’t what you have highlighted. The challenge is the positions they play. A lot needs to go right for the 67’s to even be competitive with the Conference leaders. We need centres. As of now, even with the Priority Selection draft, we have maybe 4 centres (Gardiner, Dever, Whitehead, and Amidovski). Other than Gardiner, I think most on the outside with no bias would question the validity of the centres I listed as being actual centres capable of the responsibility. We also enter the seaosn with three rookie d-Men out of the six starters.

Additionally, if you were to do this exact same exercise for the other conference contenders, you would notice some starting stats for their 18 year olds that are superior to Ottawa’s. Mississauga has 17 year olds with similar stats to our 18 year olds! Same with Oshawa and Brantford.

If Ottawa were to remain status quo next season, they’d be relatively ok. They’d likely finish around 6th if they get strong goaltending like they did this year. However, we are short a bunch of draft picks in 2026 and 2027 that need to be recouped. We may be able to get some of those through the trading of OA’s but with the double cohort because of Covid, there seems to be an abundance of OA’s next year across the league. I am not 100% certain our OA’s will garner the same sort of return for OA’s we saw this year.

This isn’t about simply looking only at Ottawa and suggesting they will be better because as players age, they get better. All teams have the same growth curve for their players.

 

[Hinterland]

There is no apparent issue with Korbler. The only question that I raise is whether Korbler as a player is more valuable than the 28-30th pick in the Import draft. The question becomes whether it is better to keep Korbler and abandon that relatively early Import pick or use it and release Korbler.

Annually, that market changes and a lot of it has to do with relationships and access to players BUT, I imagine the 67’s would still have some oars in the water over there and one could reasonably assume they’d be able to get a better player than Korbler with that pick. Or, get a player reasonably similar but at a premium position like Centre or Defence.

That is the big difference between Imports and North Americans. You cannot trade Import Picks so you need to make the assessment as to whether the pick is more valuable being used or whether the player is more valuable.

This whole obsession people have towards Korbler is unreasonable. We picked Korbler with the 117th pick (20th pick of the 2nd round - 73rd overall). We’d be picking over 40 picks sooner than that pick this year.

If the 67’s have access to a player that makes more sense for them to draft, they really need to look seriously at it.

Imagine if we were looking at Kelly and decided it was better to keep him and walk away from a 2nd round Priority selection pick? That is the same sort of deal here.

That's true but Körbler isn't going anywhere anytime soon...at least not for as long as Cameron is coaching. He likes Körbler because he's efficient against the puck and doesn't make mistakes. He's very reliable for an 06 late birthday. There's also massive potential for improvement with Körbler, maybe even a significant uptick in production if he fills out and/or improves his shot. He's exactly the type of player Cameron wants. I'm not sure if we can say the same about all 67's players.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Food for thought.
See below some examples of the progression of recent 67s players from their 18yo season to their 19yo season. Most were smallish players.

Lucas Chiodo
2016-17 Barrie Colts OHL 68 22 31 53
2017-18 Barrie Colts OHL 68 30 49 79

Joe Garrefa
2017-18 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 12 53 65
2018-19 Kitchener Rangers OHL 68 32 55 87

Mitchell Hoelsher
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 10 30 40
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 62 34 42 76

Noel Hofenmayer
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 65 7 26 33
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 16 46 62

Cam Tolnai
2019-20 Ottawa 67's OHL 52 8 14 22
2021-22 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 10 34 44

Austen Keating
2017-18 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 24 28 52
2018-19 Ottawa 67's OHL 68 22 67 89

Next year we have the following returning players moving into their 19yo seasons. We haven't had that many 19 yo's on a team in a long time. The point here is that age matters. The 67s can roster a pretty mature team next year if they want to.

Chris Barlas
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 54 10 12 22

Brad Horner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 6 9 15

Tuomas Uronen
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 11 2 4 6

Jack Dever
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 55 9 12 21

Luca Pinnelli
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 68 48 34 82

Brad Gardiner
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 67 16 33 49

Cooper Foster
23-24 Reg. Season OTT 59 21 31 52

We can surely project that many of them should progress in their offensive production as 19yo's. Especially in the case of Uronen, which we essentially got nothing from him last season because of injury. He also adds a little bit of size being listed at 6ft 194 pounds.
Horner spent a large part of last season being an ineffective defenseman, but then starting developing into a good role as a forward and adding toughness to that group.

Another interesting fact is that Horner led the team in + / - during the playoffs and was actually 4th during the regular season.

And speaking of + / - during the regular season Marrelli led the team and Mews was 3rd.
They are also players that project to develop even more next year as 18yo's

I agree with your points on Horner, I can't see him moved back to defense next season as he seems to have found a good home as a middle-6 winger. That's his highest and best use I think. I particularly like how he consistently finishes his checks and stays disciplined while doing so. Seems like a great teammate. If he stays at wing full-time, 40 points isn't out of the question for him.

With the pressure of his draft placement lifted this summer, I could see Mews having a really tremendous year next year. You could see him gain confidence in the playoffs with his offensive game and at times I thought he really took charge with his rushing and transition skills, and I really liked his patience and shooting ability in the o-zone. The third Oshawa game may have been his best game all season. Defensively he has some work to do with respect to absorbing a forecheck and 1-on-1 play, but if he can cut back on the dumb turnovers and mistakes (largely mental) and continue to develop physically, I could potentially see him be our 2nd-best player next year (after Pinelli).

I've always like Marrelli's game and effort, but imho he has a lower ceiling than Mews. Notwithstanding what happens with Mayich, if Cameron reunites the "hank & frank" d-pairing they have the potential to be one of the league's best.

The two players we really need to see progression from are Gardiner and Foster. With Foster, the signs were there late in the next season when he found himself on Kressler's wing. I thought he did a good job there. He's somewhat inconsistent, but overall a good puck-handler and shooter. I think he's a player that we need to see go from 50P to 75P.

With respect to Gardiner, I thought he started off really strong with Pinelli on his wing, but it seemed like word quickly got around the league on how to shut them down and that was that. Then Boyd went out and got 2 new OA centres, and Gardiner was never really able to find traction or a solid role for himself after that. There's nothing really wrong with his game, but nothing that makes you jump out of your seat either. No wow factor...just steady, consistent ~50P play. I'd like to see him go out and grab that #1C role next season and progress to an 80+P player. Maybe I'm asking too much.

 

[OMG67]

I agree with your points on Horner, I can't see him moved back to defense next season as he seems to have found a good home as a middle-6 winger. That's his highest and best use I think. I particularly like how he consistently finishes his checks and stays disciplined while doing so. Seems like a great teammate. If he stays at wing full-time, 40 points isn't out of the question for him.

With the pressure of his draft placement lifted this summer, I could see Mews having a really tremendous year next year. You could see him gain confidence in the playoffs with his offensive game and at times I thought he really took charge with his rushing and transition skills, and I really liked his patience and shooting ability in the o-zone. The third Oshawa game may have been his best game all season. Defensively he has some work to do with respect to absorbing a forecheck and 1-on-1 play, but if he can cut back on the dumb turnovers and mistakes (largely mental) and continue to develop physically, I could potentially see him be our 2nd-best player next year (after Pinelli).

I've always like Marrelli's game and effort, but imho he has a lower ceiling than Mews. Notwithstanding what happens with Mayich, if Cameron reunites the "hank & frank" d-pairing they have the potential to be one of the league's best.

The two players we really need to see progression from are Gardiner and Foster. With Foster, the signs were there late in the next season when he found himself on Kressler's wing. I thought he did a good job there. He's somewhat inconsistent, but overall a good puck-handler and shooter. I think he's a player that we need to see go from 50P to 75P.

With respect to Gardiner, I thought he started off really strong with Pinelli on his wing, but it seemed like word quickly got around the league on how to shut them down and that was that. Then Boyd went out and got 2 new OA centres, and Gardiner was never really able to find traction or a solid role for himself after that. There's nothing really wrong with his game, but nothing that makes you jump out of your seat either. No wow factor...just steady, consistent ~50P play. I'd like to see him go out and grab that #1C role next season and progress to an 80+P player. Maybe I'm asking too much.

The challenge with Mews is always going to be the better he gets offensively, the more he is going to want to push the pedal to the floor and DC will harness ti and hold him back. This is what happened with Mintukov as well. DC had no idea how to unleash him effectively. I think we will run into the same issues again as soon as next year with Mews vs DC. Mews is the type o f player you need to let loose. He will never get that opportunity here in Ottawa.