21 Thoughts With Elliotte Friedman
More than half way through our third month of the season, plenty of exciting events have occurred, plenty of big plays and lots of story lines to follow.
1. Quinton Byfield officially cracked the top 30 in scoring for the season. That might not seem like too steep an accomplishment, but he's the only rookie name among the mostly 18-19 year old and overager group.What might be more newsworthy is that scoring 21 points in 13 games is only good enough for 29th in the FOHL for scoring. It's been an offensive blitz to start the season.
2. They did the math! Is the FOHL a higher scoring league than a comparable league? And the answer is no. Even with a ridiculous 7.27 goals being scored per game, that doesn't trump the 7.75 being scored in "comparable" leagues. So if you're feeling sorry for the goalies out there, they have it pretty good compared to elsewhere.
3. Two of the players most responsible for that 7.27 goals per game figure are Ottawa's Justin Brazeau, and Tye Felhaber. The overagers have combined for 24 goals in 18 games, while Brazeau leads the league in points and Felhaber leads the league in goals scored.
4. Speaking of Ottawa, they've been cruising to a cool 10-0-0 record through late October and November. Some analysts would point to the big blockbuster acquisition of Arthur Kaliyev as sparking that run, but the oft-discussed American forward currently sits 8th in scoring for the 67's.
5. That Arthur Kaliyev trade could be seen as a mini big bang in the league, that accelerated two teams up the standings, kept one team stuck in place and sent one bombing down the standings. Ottawa and Erie have trended up, Guelph has remained pat and Peterborough has struggled to accomplish anything on the ice since the infamous trade.
6. Let's break that trade down a bit more. It involved four keys players who are expected to be drafted in this June's NHL draft, unprecedented for a developmental league like the OHL. Scouts that were following Kaliyev south of the border suddenly had to get seats in the Nation's capital. Mason Primeau, who heads to Erie had lots of scouts eyes during his time in Guelph. Graeme Clarke is considered a 2nd/3rd rounder, and Matthew Hill who joins the Petes is expected to hear his name called in the 5th/6th/7th round. It will be interesting to track the future implications of this trade.
7. "Pistol" Pete as he's become known around the league took a lot of flack for how the Kaliyev trade was handled, as the American forward became frustrated and was held off the ice during the two or three weeks his trade was being negotiated. But ultimately, Pete found the deal he wanted, and the results have been impressive to say the least. He managed to rebuild the Otters pick base, acquire young talent, and shoot up the standings in the wide open West of the FOHL. Currently, Erie sits one point out of first place and look like they may be the biggest story of the year.
8. Here's a quick look at how the Import Draft has played out through nearly three months.
1. Vladislav Kolyachonok - 1g/11a/17gp
2. Marco Rossi - 4g/4a/8gp
3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - 10w/2.18gaa/.922sp/16gp
4. Liam Kirk - 4g/8a/18gp
5. Ivan Prosvetov - 10w/2.63gaa/.911sp/18gp
6. Jan Jenik - 3g/10a/18gp
7. Matvei Guskov - 0g/0a/0gp
8. Jaromir Pytlik - 2g/1a/16gp
9. Matej Pekar - 5g/12a/18gp
10. Kari Piiroinen - 0w/1.28gaa/.964sp/2gp
11. Paul Cotter - 1g/2a/17gp
12. Petr Cajka - 1g/0a/6gp
13. Griffin Wilson - 2g/4a/17gp
14. Nando Eggenberger - 7g/12a/18gp
15. Kyen Sopa - 7g/6a/15gp
16. David Maier - 0g/5a/17gp
17. Erik Cermak - 4g/6a/17gp
18. Roman Pucek - 0g/2a/15gp
19. Manuel Alberg - 3g/4a/17gp
20. Daniel Bukac - 2g/3a/18gp
9. What hops off the page immediately? I'd say Oshawa drafting and scratching Matvei Guskov in his draft year. Nothing has leaked yet but you've got to expect his agent to request a change of scenery so scouts can see him in action.
10. UPL and Prosvetov, both 2018 NHL draft picks look head and shoulders above their competition in the FOHL this season. UPL is putting up stellar numbers in North Bay, while Prosvetov is literally carrying the Erie Otters on his back. These two teams could conceivably meet in the finals and prove that having an elite goalie is the formula for success.
11. Who would have predicted that 14th overall pick Nando Eggenberger would be the leading Import scorer? A lot of people actually. His fall down the draft was well documented, and a lot of GMs were wondering what their contemporaries were thinking after passing on him. I had him mocked at 6th in my Import draft. Now Nando is proving everyone wrong with a cool 19 points in 18 games. Should be a big time asset at the deadline for the Attack.
12. Looking ahead at the deadline coming up in a little over a month, there are definitely some big names that could move. One player I expect to see dealt is Kade Landry from the Hamilton Bulldogs. They've got their sights laser focused on Shane Wright, and on defense, Landry is scoring 24 points in 18 games. He's likely got November Defenseman of the Month locked down, and his value might be so high that the Bulldogs can't help but capitalize on that value.
13. Disney+ debuted this week, and their show the Mandalorian was a new release from the Star Wars universe, and not the documentary we were all expecting about Kingston Frontenacs forward Jason Robertson. GMs around the league say that Kingston still isn't budging on moving the forward as of yet, but I've got a good feeling he's definitely going to be in play come deadline time and should help the Fronts recoup some much needed draft capital.
14. One team that was expected to bottom out this season was the Mississauga Steelheads. They followed a familiar script, went on a huge run last year, made the finals, sold off veteran players to rebuild this season, but have defied analysts predictions of finishing near last. Instead, the Steelheads are sitting pretty with a post-season berth, and have some of their good young players stepping up. GM Ryan Deresti has built a good culture for that franchise.
15. There has only been two coach firings this season. Stan Butler being released from the Battalion and hired in Sarnia, and Derian Hatcher being released from those Sting to make way for Butler. Dylan Hunter became the new coach in North Bay. One hot seat we really focused on was Billy Burke in Niagara. His team has Memorial Cup aspirations, but started slow and clunky. That seat has cooled after the Ice Dogs have gone on a 6 game winning streak.
16. What coaches are currently in the hot seat now that Burke is safe in Niagara? I'd say Rob Wilson in Peterborough, after two consecutive losing seasons, and the same could be said for Eric Wellwood in Flint. They might only get two seasons out of Quinton Byfield and fans were expecting a bigger push to add talent around him. The Petes sit 8th in the East and the Firebirds 7th in the West.
17. There are four teams that currently don't have captains, and in my last article I speculated who Erie and Peterborough were considering. Joining the list has been the Steelheads and Battalion. Right now I expect all four teams to finish out the season without a single captain, but a committee approach with alternates.
18. Draft capital comes up a lot when the draft gets focused on, or big trades are being discussed. There seems to be nothing as valuable as 2nd round pick in the coming draft. So where does most of that draft capital lie?
Flint/Hamilton (3)
Guelph/Soo/Sudbury/ (2)
Erie/Kitchener/Mississauga/NorthBay/Ottawa/OwenSound/Peterborough/Sarnia (1)
Kingston/London/Niagara/Oshawa/Saginaw/Windsor (0)
19. If you're looking to make a splash in the 2019 Priority Selection, you should probably be on the phone with Flint or Hamilton right now trying to acquire one of those 2nd round picks. The likelihood that their roster can support those three rookies, plus their first round pick, plus their import selection isn't strong, so those picks could definitely be in play.
20. I'm hearing that highly touted prospect, and consensus #1 pick in the 2019 Import Draft, Martin Chromiak has informed teams that he will be staying in Slovakia for his draft year. That doesn't mean he won't eventually come to the OHL, but can a team drafting first overall afford to wait an extra year for the dynamic winger to save the day?
21. As always, show some love for the media in the league with a like or thumbs up. It's always appreciated, drop a comment, reply to any thing in particular you agree with or disagree with. It's all about generating activity and discussion.
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