Guest wrote: ↑Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:35 am
Guest wrote: ↑Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:12 am
Guest wrote: ↑Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:27 am
Guest wrote: ↑Wed Jun 25, 2025 1:31 am
Guest wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:24 pm
The only thing TRW will be top three in next year will be cost! All of their players have looked terrible this spring
TYN
VK
JRC
TM
TT
TRW
Book it!
TRW will be a solid 8th place. They looked rough at Carnevale against a mixed team of lower end AAA kids. Book it!
TRW does not look great but teams like the Reps and DMF have looked even worse. After the power 5 of TYN, VK, JRC, TM, TT the talent level falls off a cliff. It’s just the same B level players recycled to new teams. None of these teams have game changing players or exceptional coaching especially since LD left the Rebels. There will be very little difference between the fifth and ninth place teams next year and none of them will have a chance against the power 5
Maybe other than TYN the top 5 teams have some brutal players. But every team needs a third line to shut their mouth right? Usually scoring comes from three or four players. TYN is the deepest team, but players they have like MC and KR have never will or will never be "game changers" and I can thnk of alot of players on mid pack teams that are upgrades to those type of players that refuse to play 10 minutes a night for a jersey.
No they are not game changers but I also don’t think any player on any mid pack team is better than MC or KR. There are players on top 4 teams that are better yes, but MC and KR are first line players on any team below the top 4. I don’t even know these kids I’m saying that’s just the reality of it.
I agree but you did a poor job of explaining why. You actually didn’t explain it at all. MC and KR play a well rounded game. They are decent offensively but they back check and will grind corners as best they can and work hard. They aren’t stars but they play a full game and it makes a difference. When you look at the top players on mid pack teams, none of them do that at the same level. None. NP scored 15 goals last season and played no defence, hangs at the blue line waiting for a breakout or stretch pass so he can try to beat a defender one on one. That’s not playing hockey and that’s why kids like NP, JC from DMF, AC never get taken by top 4 teams even though their parents beg those teams for spots every year. You are right the top teams have much more depth and you create depth with well rounded hockey players. Nobody wants a floater or one dimensional on the third line. Don’t get it twisted either. If your kid does have a pretty well rounded game but does not score a lot of goals then he isn’t going anywhere either.
That does not mean all forwards on top teams are well rounded, if you watch JB or EA from TM they play zero defence and float as bad as NP or AC does, they are just more skilled offensively. I am not blaming NP either I know for a fact he is coached to do that but that is why it’s important to put your child with a coach who actually knows what he’s doing. SC has no concept of what OHL or D1 scouts are looking for because he played Jr C at the height of his career (I’m not mocking I only played JR B). I only had exposure through my older boys career which was a massive learning curve. SC is just one example, the majority of coaches have no clue how to round out development and allowing players to float like NP, AC, JB does not do the kid any favours in the long run.
In the OHL draft every year there are about 25 kids from the GTHL who get drafted, give or take 2-3 picks any given year. So try and picture the top 12-14 fwds, 8-10 def, 3-4 goalies in the loop right now and assume they would be the ones picked if U16 draft was today. You will find 95% of them at least are on top teams. That’s just the way it is that’s my point. The third line on top teams is not interchangeable with mid pack at all.
Like I said I’m no expert but went through it two years ago with my eldest and had some eye opening convos. There is still plenty of time at this age to work on development.