On this week’s version of “Contained in the Locker Room”, Otters head coach Chris Hartsburg stops by to present us his ideas on their cut up final weekend, damage updates and a peek forward to the video games in opposition to Hamilton and Guelph. As well as, Noah Sedore talks about his restoration from an ankle damage and being again to 100%. Lastly, Brendan Hoffmann mentioned how good it was to be acknowledged on the Central Scouting Gamers to Watch checklist. Right here was final week’s in case you missed it.
The Week That Was
The Week Forward
vs. Hamilton Friday Oct 11 at 7:00 P.M.vs. Guelph Saturday Oct 12 at 7:00 P.M.Harm Updates
Brendan Kischnick: Week-to-week, lower-body damage.Matthew MacDougall: Day-to-day, lower-body damage. Anticipated to start out skating quickly.Maxim Golod: Was unwell Tuesday and missed follow. Needs to be good for the weekend.Marcus Gillard: No change. Surgical procedure is predicted. Golod is the brand new addition on right here, but it surely’s nothing to fret about not less than proper now. He missed follow Tuesday resulting from an sickness. Hartsburg expects that he’ll play this weekend. The opposite three are established order from final week.
Chris Hartsburg is looking for extra consistency from his staff because the homestand continues. (Photograph by Terry Wilson / OHL Photographs.)
Coach Communicate
The theme from Hartsburg this week was consistency. The staff skilled some lows (their loss to Saginaw) after which some highs (a great effort and win in opposition to Kinsgton.) Hartsburg needs to see extra of what occurred in opposition to Kingston transferring ahead.
The Saginaw sport become an excessive amount of of a monitor meet for the coach’s liking.
“I believe we made it straightforward on them,” Hartsburg mentioned. “The monitor meet facet of it was definitely one thing we didn’t need. We didn’t have good gaps and our forwards didn’t do a adequate job of getting again to pucks. Anticipated objectives was greater than what we completed with, which factors to an absence of end, and their goalie performed nicely. That wasn’t our sport both. We had an honest first. However then they upped the tempo and tempo. We wished to remain on the similar tempo. Sadly it got here again to chunk us there.”
However then Saturday was significantly better for the Otters.
“We didn’t give them a lot straightforward ice. That was our problem to them. We’ve got to play a tougher sport. We’d like to verify we’re skating and getting engaged in stuff. The physicality was significantly better on Saturday night time.”
If it appeared just like the strains had been shuffled, that’s as a result of they had been. Hartsburg explains what he was making an attempt to perform.
“We had (Elias) Cohen at heart on Friday. It was a great alternative for us to place Dan D’Amato again within the center and let Elias ease his approach into that heart place the place he’s going to play right here. He must spend a while at follow as he hasn’t had that a lot time within the center. I like our depth. Once we get Matthew (MacDougall) again, it can enhance that rather more. Sedore performed his first two video games of the season. Friday he was wide-eyed however Saturday he performed a significantly better sport. With Connor (Lockhart), his video games have been up and down the place it’s only a matter of him discovering consistency.”
This week, the Otters have two very winnable video games in Hamilton and Guelph coming to Erie Insurance coverage Enviornment. Are these potential lure video games? Hartsburg says so long as they concentrate on themselves and the way in which they wish to play, it shouldn’t be a priority.
“We haven’t established who we’re but. It’s specializing in ourselves and never altering the way in which that we play no matter who we’re taking part in. You take a look at staff like Hamilton and has simply two wins and a staff like Guelph who’s younger and have loved some success early. They’re every going to play with construction.”
Hartsburg admitted it’s been straightforward to pinpoint their issues early on.”Within the 4 wins, we’ve performed a sure approach. Within the three losses, we’ve performed a sure approach. I believe it’s straightforward to right errors when you might have precious assets that present you why we win and the way we’re profitable versus making an attempt to determine okay we should always have gained this sport however we had unhealthy goaltending or we bought fortunate this sport as a result of we had good goaltending.”
Talking of goaltending, Aidan Campbell has been glorious in his begins. Has he earned extra taking part in time transferring ahead?
“He’s (Aidan’s) going to play. That’s the great factor about this month is that we are able to stability the begins a bit bit and provides Aidan a bit extra taking part in time than we initially thought. He’s gone out and carried out and definitely has earned alternatives to play. Dan’s been actually good too. For me, it’s sitting able the place goaltending is turn out to be now a power of our staff. It’s one thing that’s been overseas for a few years. Proper now, it’s going to be a format the place I’ve an concept of the way it’s going to go and it’ll work itself out right here as we go on.”
Hartsburg admits goaltending is a power of their’s. (Photograph by Terry Wilson / OHL Photographs)
Noah Sedore’s Highway to Restoration
Ahead Noah Sedore returned from an ankle damage final weekend. He had a fantastic preseason however then suffered that damage that put him out for a number of weeks. He’s 100% now and able to make an influence.
“I’m feeling good,” Sedore mentioned. “The ankle is feeling fairly sturdy. I put a number of rehab in. I wished to take my time. I’m feeling good and powerful.”
So how can he regain his preseason kind the place he was probably the most noticeable skaters on the ice?
“Simply getting again into it, getting much more snug. Confidence is an enormous factor. If I can play my sport, at all times competing and dealing exhausting, that’s when issues fall into place for me. If I can do this, issues will go nicely.”
The Otters are very impressed with what Sedore brings to the desk. The primary weekend again was him getting again to sport pace. Anticipate to see extra of him making an influence in video games sooner relatively than later.
Brendan Sellan is now 100% after a preseason ankle damage. (Photograph courtesy of the OHL)
Brendan Hoffmann: A Participant to Watch
Anybody watching the Otters is aware of of the massive names for the NHL Draft. Jamie Drysdale, Aidan Campbell, Hayden Fowler are all names that might hear their title in Montreal.
However there’s one other Otter who made the Gamers to Watch checklist. Winger Brendan Hoffmann already has the NHL body at 6-foot-2 and 205 kilos. He has some instruments that might be of curiosity to groups on the subsequent stage. Hoffmann advised us why he thought he bought acknowledged and what it meant to him.
“Enjoying a easy, exhausting, quick up and down the ice sport,” Hoffmann mentioned. “I wish to get in corners. I play a two-way sport. I can play on the penalty kill. I believe that attributed some to how they seen me. It feels good. It offers you a bit little bit of confidence figuring out that somebody is watching you. You may’t let it get to your head an excessive amount of. We’ve got to proceed to get higher.”
The place is Hoffmann striving to get higher at?
“Positively extra engagement bodily and utilizing my measurement to my benefit. Additionally being extra of an energetic presence always, with the ability to open house for my teammates and trigger disruption particularly across the internet.”
Hartsburg needs to see that consistency get higher for Hoffmann.
“Consistency for him is an enormous a part of it. He reveals up at sure moments within the sport and different moments not a lot. It’s placing worth within the little issues I believe that’s what’s necessary for him proper now. He must be across the puck extra. He must shoot the puck extra. He must be across the internet extra.”
Consistency apart, it’s nonetheless good to see a tough working participant be acknowledged like this. We’ll see if he can proceed his growth to some extent the place an NHL staff calls his title on draft day.
Brendan Hoffman made it on the preliminary Central Scouting Gamers to Watch checklist. (Photograph courtesy of the OHL)
The Way forward for Alex Gritz
Fan favourite Alex Gritz has discovered his approach on the bench of late because of the staff being principally wholesome. This has induced some stir as to his potential future with the Otters. Coach Hartsburg mentioned Gritz with us and what may occur.
“He’s nonetheless right here, he’s training with us. He’s right here till he’s gone I assume. It’s simply a type of issues. We’ve got 13 forwards and somebody has to sit down. Our younger guys have to play. That’s what we’re going with proper now.”
There have been rumors Gritz was on the roster bubble earlier than the season started. However there have been a slew of accidents which opened up a spot for him to make the roster. Now that everybody is generally again, Hartsburg made it clear they wish to play the children. That doesn’t go away room for a 19-year outdated bottom-six ahead.
So except there’s extra accidents, this might be the norm. It’s very a lot attainable that Gritz both A) will get traded or B) is launched. It’s too early to say what is going to occur for certain. However it’s one thing positively value watching. At this level, it doesn’t seem like he’ll play in opposition to Hamilton or Guelph. Keep tuned on this one.
GM Dave Brown might be confronted with a call on Alex Gritz quickly. (Photograph courtesy of the OHL)
Remaining Ideas
The Otters will enter this week’s video games in first place by variety of factors of their division. They’ve a chance to financial institution factors in opposition to groups they need to beat. Will they deal with their enterprise or will they fall within the lure? They nonetheless have seven of their subsequent 10 video games at dwelling the place they really feel most snug. Alternative awaits ought to they take it.
