OHL: Woeful Otters Look to Improve

Marred by futility, this season has to be viewed as a huge disappointment for the Erie Otters, as they were only able to build on last season's point totals by six. Robbie Ftorek was named the new head coach halfway into the season but was unable to rally the Otters, as they finished a league worst 2-32 on the road. The Otters are certainly the youngest team in the league, as they featured as many as six, 16-year-olds in the lineup and no overage players. The Otters may have shot themselves in the foot when they managed a win in their last regular season game to finish second last in the standings. McKeen's looks at several young up and coming Otters including Ryan O'Reilly (pictured).

Jaroslav Janus (2008), G, Erie

Has seen the majority of the starts this season and has struggled with the rookie defense in front of him .. has the worst statistical figures amongst starting goalies in the OHL .. his biggest problem is his rebound control .. his pads do not absorb shots very well and as a result, he spits out many second chance shots in the slot .. butterfly goalie that comes out too far to challenge .. he can be found flopping around too much, as he loses his position rather easily .. he has a weak glove hand, as he was unable to catch many shots .. very shaky when coming across, as his lateral movement needs work too .. goes down way too early, as he was beaten for three shorthanded goals this game - all upstairs .. not a very glowing season for the Otters only Import pick this season.

David Shields (2009), D, Erie

Has played the entire year with the Otters and has learned on the job .. shows offensive fortitude even though his point totals have been miniscule .. makes healthy reads in the offensive zone, as he willingly jumps into the play .. at times, he is guilty of not moving his feet on the PP and being too careless .. he needs to skate to the puck, but do not expect that it will come to him automatically, however this can be chalked up to inexperience .. defensively, he makes efforts to adjust but his feet are still heavy .. he weighs over 215 pounds but needs to shed his baby fat and add more functional strength .. with added experience, strength, and conditioning, Shields should be the Otters No. 1 defender as early as next season.

Tyler Hostetter (2009), D, Erie

Has been forced to play in many situations this year due to the injury of Mitch Gaulton .. a healthy skater in all directions especially backwards .. he can keep up with most forwards in the league .. he does struggle when in tight spaces, such as along the boards where he often loses battles .. he is afraid to take a hit and often throws the puck away when he sees one coming .. maturing puck skills .. still struggling with the pace of the OHL game, this often results in him making mistakes.

Brett Cook (2009), D, Erie

Cook played a small part in Team Ontario's Under 17 win but finally joined his peers in the OHL after their affiliate, Huntsville, was eliminated in the second round of the OPJHL playoffs .. as is the case with most OHL defenders, the pace can be overwhelming and Cook is trying to keep his game simple but was still exposed .. he was caught out of position regularly .. his reads were not well timed, as he pushed up too quickly on guys and being burned in the process .. he is more of a straight-ahead skater, as his backwards skating needs major work .. he tries to disguise it but OHL players have been quick to notice it and dump the puck in on his side often .. Cook will see his icetime increase but still has to notice many of the smaller aspects to be a productive member on the backend.

Justin Hodgman (2008), C, Erie

Has been the Otters best all-around player and has recently signed a contract to play in the IHL with the Fort Wayne Comets .. lone representative at the OHL All-Star game for the Otters .. has managed to post career-best-offensive totals while still focusing on the defensive side of things .. his stick in traffic is very active, as he is a highly involved player who breaks up plays and has a quick transition game to create offence off the fly .. has a slightly awkward skating style, as he is hunched over but nonetheless, he is effective .. he always finds the right seams in the offensive zone to capitalize on his chances .. choppy stickhandler and still needs to shoot more .. supportive team player, as his body language was always positive toward the young guys, as he encouraged them on every shift .. character and good support player should find success at higher levels of competition due to his work ethic and modest skill set.

Shawn Szydlowski (2008), RW, Erie

Consistency is the biggest drawback to Szydlowski's game .. he is a skilled forward but loses focus easily and often finds himself out of position too much in his attempts to peruse the puck .. he is lazy on the backcheck .. his interest wanes when the puck is not in his immediate possession .. he also needs to play with some grit and sandpaper .. his puck skills shine in Erie's system, as they lack scoring and he is a breath of fresh air, as he is more of a PP forward .. he can draw guys to him and make decent passes, however, he tends to be selfish in his puck distribution .. at times, he will force plays and needs to think the game better .. for all his shortcomings, he does bring skill to the table and should see his point totals jump substantially next season.

Nick Palmieri (NJ), RW, Erie

Plagued by nagging injuries and being in a losing environment has taken its toll on Palmieri, who will look to salvage his season with a trip to Lowell, New Jerseys AHL affiliate now that his season is finished .. a big strapping player with a great shot down the wing .. employs his shot often and plays with blinders on, as he is not capable of making a pass .. good speed generated down the wing and is impossible to stop once he gets moving .. appears sluggish and uninvolved, as he lost much of his enthusiasm this season and it showed in his overall play .. very poor body language and allowed his aggression to get the best of him in many contests resulting in numerous penalties .. appeared to only be playing for himself and did not think of the team's best interest with his lack of leadership.

Matthew Paton (2009), LW, Erie

The second 1991-born player to join the Otters for their remaining games following Huntsville's playoff loss .. played in eight contests to start the season before being demoted to the OPJHL affiliate .. a fast, economical skater who crashes and bangs the opposition .. displays good energy and tried to assert himself physically to make up for his rookie mistakes .. tried to do things that may have worked at the OPJHL level but quickly found out they did not work in the OHL .. tried to beat guys one-on-one only to be burned and caught the other way instead of making the simple dump in play .. showed some offensive imagination with his soft passes and plays in traffic .. needs to add some more strength to improve his shot, as it lacks power behind it .. struggled with overall position but should be able to play at this level next season and provide the Otters with a good third-line-checking winger.

Michael Cazzola (2009), C, Erie

A 13th round selection that was an offensive dynamo playing for the Guelph Jr. Strom in his draft season .. the knock was always his size, as he tips the scales at just over 5-foot-7 and weighs less than 150 pounds .. nonetheless, he silenced the critics by leading the Guelph Jr.B Dominators in points as a rookie this year .. after some heavy speculation that he would opt for school, the Otters signed him .. gives the Otters a highly skilled and creative player who can generate offence .. played the PP, as he will more than likely earn his points on special teams .. added ice allows him to show off his puck handling skills, which is one of his better assets .. a healthy and efficient skater, he explodes out of the blocks but has a bad habit of not always moving his feet when the puck is not in his possession .. despite his slight frame, he did hurl himself at opponents bigger than him and does not show trepidation when battling down low .. added strength will be necessary, as it does not look like he will grow much more .. factors to be a top-six forward for the Otters as early as next season.

Ryan O'Reilly (2009), C, Erie

Has been one of the best 1991-born rookies all season and considering his lack of linemates, it is impressive what he has managed to accomplish .. he plays in all situations on the top unit .. his skating is still a concern but much like Joshua Bailey, he has great anticipation and his neutral zone reads are uncanny .. is caught flatfooted at times but adjusts nicely due to his strong work ethic and commitment to the play .. sharp passer, he can make tape-to-tape saucer passes in traffic on both his backhand and forehand side .. exhibits tremendous patience in traffic and never throws the puck away .. he has the presence of mind to wait until the last possible second to make a play .. could still benefit from shooting more, as his wristshot is very accurate .. his slapshot will need to be worked on and using it more should instill confidence .. O'Reilly has the innate ability to always be around the puck, a trait that has resulted in him registering the points he has .. it may not be inconceivable to see him wear the 'C' as early as next season, as he will be expected to lead this Otters team back into the playoffs, a feat that has eluded them for the past three seasons.