2010-11 Storm Off-Season Plan?

[PeterJMoss]

So at this point, next year's Storm team is looking something like this (just taking the positions off the Storm website):

Centre
1. Peter Holland
2. Matt Sisca (OA)
3. Connor Tresham

Right Wing
1. Taylor Beck
2. Michael Latta
3. Cody McNaughton
4. Zack Mitchell
(Scott Kosmachuk)

Left Wing
1. Carter Sandlack
2. Francis Menard
(Tyler Carroll - OA)
(Brock McGinn)

Defense
1. Sam Lofquist (OA)
2. Tim Campbell
3. David Searle
(Matthew Finn - Rookie)
(Adam Comrie - likely pro)
(Chris Van Laren - OA)
(Matthew Maione - OA)

Goalie
1. Brandon Foote
(Garrett Sparks)
(James Prigione)

So the obvious glaring home is on defense, there is the potential that Lofquist could sign somewhere and move on which would be a big issue with only Campbell back there with any experience. You may have to bring back Van Laren, which would mean the end of Carroll in Guelph. Obviously Comrie's return would help but probably doubtful at this point. They've got two import spots open which may need to both be defense or else you're going to have to make a move to fill in a few spots.

So... what would you do if you were running the show?

[Storm Trooper]

In my opinion, this team can be a true contender this year. If I was running the show, this is what would be done and we would most likely be in Mississauga next May. The Storm might as well go for it this season because after next year, this team will be absolutly brutal the year after.

1. Give back the picks from the Kennedy trade to Barrie and grab Kyle Clifford who will be on of the best Left Wingers in the league next year.

2. Move up into the top 15 in the Euro draft and draft a player that has been drafted in the NHL Draft.

3. Trade for a big name D-Man so that it gives a huge boost to your back end.

4. Do everything possible so that Palmieri comes to Guelph because he's wrecking his hockey future in Notre Dame by getting into all of this trouble.

5. Finalize your OA spots so that the are Sisca, Lofquist, Van Laren.

6. In October, trade for another D-Man so that it gives the back end depth and 4 solid defence men.

7. At the trade deadline, make the final move needed so that you have the best team in the west.

Projected Team:

Palmieri - Holland - Sisca
Clifford - Latta - Beck
Sandlak - Euro - McNaughton
Menard - Mitchell - Kosmachuck

Lofquist - Trade
Trade - Van Laren
Campbell - Euro
Finn

Foote
Sparks

[Molson Muscle]

I don't think that you will see very many if any moves done until October as I think that most of the players Guelph will be looking to acquire will be at pro camps and The Storm will be waiting to see who is returned to junior.

If you were looking at a potential shopping list:

1. The rumour of Clifford coming to Guelph is still strong. I would like to see that expanded to include Burmistov, maybe Dalton Prout.

2. Other potential defensmen that could be brought in Daniel Maggio (Sud.) Calvin de Haan (Osh.) possibly Ryan Ellis (Win.)

3. I believe that The Storm are still working hard to bring Kyle Palmeiri in as well.

4. I would think that they would look at adding a role player or two as well. A guy that I like watching and could be a possible fit would be Conor Stokes.

5. Depending on which moves are made this will effect the current team. I see at least two of McNaughton, Sandlak, Mitchell & Menard being traded to acquire players for this year. Also the OA spots could change depending on who is brought in. If you manage to acquire a guy like Burmistrov this may bump a guy like Sisca and open up another OA spot for a defenseman.

This will be an interesting year with all kinds of possibilities. A lot of what is mentioned above is wishful thinking, but if this is the year Storm fans have been patiently waiting for, don't hold back and try to improve the team anyway possible.

My projected roster (Fantasy)

Latta / Holland / Palmieri
Beck / Burmistrov / Clifford
Menard / Sandlak / Carroll
Horvat / Tresham / Stokes
Kosmachuk / Euro Pick

Lofquist / Prout
de Haan / Maggio
Campbell / Finn
Nichol

One can only hope!!

[Kaz Kazman]

Nice line-up Molson Muscle except I would twig that 4th line by deleting Tresham ( no way a 19 year old gets 4th line minutes ) Have the euro pick at center and Kosmachuk moves up to the wing. That opens 1 or 2 roster spots for players off this years draft like Auger or McGinn or Turcotte. Also add Leslie on defense. This team is going to lose 8 to 10 players following this season so you need to find a way to include more youth at the bottom end .

Missed Stokes on the 4th line. On reflection, I probably wouldn't miss him, I think Kosmachuk has way more upside and should be on the 4th line. Stokes, like Tresham is too old for 4th line minutes. ( Stokes is possibly a 2nd or 3rd in Oshawa )

[Winterstorm]

"too old for 4th line minutes."

players should play according to ability and merit not age. if you are picking lines based on age your in for trouble. let the players show what they can do on the ice during camp and preseason then set the lines. thats how its done.

one other thing, just because a player has say 2 years of service with the storm and another player has 1 year of service, if the player with 1 year service plays with more impact then that player should get greater icetime. lets get rid of compacency and entitlement. because if you don't get rid of the entitlement then next season will make last season look like a grand year. personally, this team is going nowhere next season. mediocre coaching,gming,scouting etc.

[Kaz Kazman]

If raw ability is the only criteria as to how teams select lines in the OHL then what is the purpose of the OHL entry draft. The majority of these players are not good enough to warrent ice time other than 4th line minutes but if you don,t sign them the NCAA will. Hence, age does matter wether you like it or not when it comes to determining available icetime (see comment on 19 year old Molitilov) Ability determines your top 2 or even 3 lines, potential ability often determines the 4th.

Incidentally the Storm are going to do better this year on account of older more experienced line-up, better goaltending, and hopefully from a coaching staff that has learned from last year. LETS GO STORM

[Storm Watching]

"too old for 4th line minutes."

players should play according to ability and merit not age. if you are picking lines based on age your in for trouble. let the players show what they can do on the ice during camp and preseason then set the lines. thats how its done.

one other thing, just because a player has say 2 years of service with the storm and another player has 1 year of service, if the player with 1 year service plays with more impact then that player should get greater icetime. lets get rid of compacency and entitlement. because if you don't get rid of the entitlement then next season will make last season look like a grand year. personally, this team is going nowhere next season. mediocre coaching,gming,scouting etc.

I find it interesting that you're predicting doom and gloom in June this year instead of waiting for September, like you did last season. Every season in junior hockey is filled with question marks, it's the nature of the game at this level but if everyone that's supposed to return does return it looks to have the potential to be a good year. Are there question marks? Yes, but every team has question marks.

While it could be argued that Brooks may not be the greatest coach or GM how do you manage to include the scouting staff as well? The Storm have been one of the model franchises in the league and are well respected yet all you see is doom and gloom. If you're that fed up with the organisation then do yourself a favour and stop supporting them, or perhaps wait to see how the season unfolds. This was the season most pundits thought we were building toward, so lets see if it works out. Should it not and they fail miserably then by all means changes should be made.

It's a good thing you don't live in Kingston!

[Molson Muscle]

I think as Storm fans we had it pretty good for several years as the team always seemed competitive. It is the last few that have been frustrating because the team has not maintained that same level of competitiveness and we watch our rivals (Kitchener, London and Windsor) enjoy great seasons during this time only aggravating the situation.

This year has the potential to be very good. There are quite a few things that need to happen in terms of players reporting, player movement, import draft etc. Let's see how Jason Brooks performs as the G.M. over the next few months, then judge.

[PeterJMoss]

Sisca's potential departure to Europe leaves a hole up front and I assume will open up a spot for Carroll as an OA.

[marcusd777]

I doubt this will be September's lineup, but as of now, here's how I see the '10-'11 Storm team:

Latta Holland Beck
Menard Sandlak Mitchell
Carroll(OA) Tresham McNaughton
Horvat DiNallo? Kosmachuk
Sonnenburg?

Lofquist(OA) Van Laren(OA)
Finn Campbell
Searle Pedan(I)
Nichol

Foote
Sparks

[Winterstorm]

Your not going to go far with one really good line(the holland line) and a 2nd decent line but a big drop off after that. On defence you have two decent OAgers and not much after that-its looking pretty thin on d. Foote should do well but if he goes through a period of weakness the backup is a ? foote will have a lot of pucks to stop this year with the d that the storm have so far. Brooksie has no choice but to add more people.

[Storm Trooper]

How is Searle still on this team. He is entering this year as a 3rd year rookie and is just a total bandaid that is always hurt. Need atleast 2 more top 4 d-men and 2 more solid forwards to move into being considered "contenders"

[marcusd777]

How is Searle still on this team.

Nobody to replace him right now! Even with two OA spots used for D, Searle would be 4th in terms of experience!

[guelphguy101]

This exact reason of there is no one to replace him is what scares me about the Brooks System. You mean to tell me that a team "on the verge of competing for a championship" has no more depth then an average replaceable on any other top team D man. That is about as funny as saying Cody McNaughton will be more then a point a game player this year! (with no disrespect to Cody at all great kid) but he is just not a top line skill guy.

I wont beat this to death anymore then I already have as we all know my position on the future of Jason Brooks but I think it needs to be brought up again!

Just look on the OHL website and team websites and you will be reminded daily of top prospects from around the league commiting to their respective clubs in Guelph?????? Photo of the Year! and Alumni Reports on Lazy out of shape and over rated throughout his entire washup NHL career Jeff O'Neil! Seriously folks give me a break lets stop buying into this idocracy.

The Storm report a few months ago that Brooks makes a "big trip to Europe" to watch talented young players and announces he will make a big splash in the import draft and then he drafts a D man who he never saw play!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????? Not saying that Pedan isnt going to be great very well could be.... What I am questioning though is the intellegance of Brooks as a matter of fact he didnt draft anyone he had seen on his wasted excuse for a euro vacation at the teams expense!

I thinks is time Guelph Storm fans deserve an ownership group like that of the Windsor or London, or Kitchener these guys are always building and are not afraid to spend some cash to get things done right!

Sell the team to someone who gives a dam about the game and turning a team into a power house instead of yourselves (corporate Lawyers and Soccer Dads) looking for a back up plan for their "talented sons" and their joke of a puppet Brooks.

[hitek]

Hi Guelphguy101..

wow.. your on quite a roll...

First off... I couldn't resist.. sorry.. You said "I thinks is time Guelph Storm fans deserve an ownership group like that of the Windsor or London, or Kitchener these guys are always building and are not afraid to spend some cash to get things done right!"

Well.. In order.. in Kitchener the city owns the team, has a much bigger arena, the ultimate arena deal because they are shuffling money from one pocket to another.. so I don't think you can really compare Kitchener to Guelph. Besides, would
I really want to see the city of guelph own this team. My answer, not a hope in you know where.

Next up London... well anyone remember what London use to be like in their old arena ? Or even when they first moved to the nearly 10,000 seat complex. My son (now 16) used to ask what was up there behind the black curtains.. A reference to the entire upper bowl was closed. Go see Hamilton for what London used to be like. But with a winning team, London had capacity and with nearly 10,000 seats, more corporate boxes etc etc, all of a sudden there came the cash. No question
in my mind Mark Hunter is as good a GM as there is in the business. Dale, the coach.. thanks, no thanks.. didn't like him in
junior, still dont... But from a pure ownership standpoint Mark calls the shots and it is the capacity along with his GM skills that makes that tick. Verses Guelph, our 1st error was the city building this sized arena and downtown. They should have built 10,000 seats in the east or west end. That would have provided a better business case/revenue stream for other than hockey, and say in 2004, we would have been jammed. Next up, after that, we got out of the cycle of junior hockey.. and
that is a big problem. Rightly or wrongly I blame the putting the gm/coaches role together. True or not, you can't despute
we have not been close since the last time we won the OHL.

And last Windsor.. likely the best comparison... They built up a good team, got a new state of the art arena, and won a championship... they then did it again this year, which after watching 28 memorial cups, I still say was lucky.... the last two memorial cups had the weakest overall fields of any I have ever seen. Still, they won two memorial cups. Nothing to sneeze at.. To do so, GM got lucky to get Hall (or skilled) and a couple of big time pieces.. You could say we got Drew to but lost him.. but hey, we also got that Dustin Brown kid, lost him and still managed to win an OHL title. Clearly Windsor
peaked.. To me, still very comparible to us getting a new arena,hosting a mem cup, then winning a championship.


We hit the cycle and won in 2003-04.. Windsor did last year and this. You can say a better job, ok.. but if you win an
OHL title you have something going right.

To now compare Windsor to Guelph, I think we need to see how Windsor does in the next cycle. Won't take much to be
better than Guelph but lets see..

Are the owners in Windsor better than the past and current owners in Guelph... I am not sure.. maybe your right,
but I am not able to get to the same conclusion you did... at least not yet. Still not convinced that it is more
of which had the better coach, and with Boughner gone, lets just see how they do..

There is my two cents.. that hey is likely worth a cent and a quarter !! lol

Tim