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2018-2019 OHL Western Conference preview: The Guelph Storm's back in the hunt

The London Knights are good, but is Guelph better?
20171007 storm vs rangers ts 5
Guelph Storm goaltender Anthony Popovich will be looking to lead his team back into contention this season. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday file photo

The Guelph Storm kicks off its 2018-2019 OHL season Thursday night in Windsor and for the first time since 2013, the team enters a season is a legitimate contender.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that so are London, Owen Sound and Saginaw.

The Storm will be in the thick of the Western Conference race this year after finishing in seventh place a year ago

Home ice in the playoff should be a virtual lock, while a top three finish should be the goal.

Here’s a look at how we see the Western Conference teams stacking up this year:

1. LONDON KNIGHTS

Last season: 39-25-2-2 (5th)

Synopsis: Fingers crossed in London for the return of the league’s best two-way defenceman Evan Bouchard (Edmonton) and speedy forward Alex Formenton (Ottawa) from their NHL clubs. If and when that happens the Knights have a tons of forward depth, arguably the best new import in Chicago Blackhawks first rounder Adam Boqvist and is one of the few teams that doesn’t have a question mark in goal, as Joseph Raymaakers runs the show.

The Knights also have a banner crop of high-end rookies drafted at a discounted rate in the likes of Luke Evangelista and Antonio Stranges, some of who could contribute out of the gate.

Keep an eye on: Mark Hunter: if the Knights GM smells blood in the water, he has a stockpile of high draft picks to add talent as needed.

Disaster strikes if: Bouchard and Formenton stick in the NHL.

Team MVP: Bouchard.

2. GUELPH STORM

Last season: 30-29-5-4 (7th)

Synopsis: It’s a big jump for a team that only finished two points out of eighth place last season, but with so much returning depth, an all-in mentality, several players expected to rebound off disappointing seasons and a focused and committed Ryan Merkley, the Storm will be right in the thick of things.

Isaac Ratcliffe should have some of the goal-scoring burden taken off his shoulders this year.

Team’s middle-of-the-road special teams from last year need to be at the top this year.

Keep an eye on: Tag Bertzuzzi: Sophomore forward’s first season was a disaster, but the carrot of the NHL draft and hopefully good health could see him emerge as key player.

Disaster strikes if: Anthony Popovich can’t find the one key ingredient he missed last season: consistency.

Team MVP: Cam Hillis.

3. OWEN SOUND ATTACK

Last season: 38-22-3-5 (4th)

Synopsis: While the Attack lost a couple of key players off a very good team last year, they bring back much of their high-end skill in potential OHL scoring leader Nick Suzuki, overager Kevin Hancock and the emerging Aidan Dudas. Markus Phillips anchors a very dependable blueline group that could really benefit from Sean Durzi’s return from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Keep an eye on: The Attack’s goaltending crease: four different goalies last year and none of them particularly stood out. Mack Guzda, with 30 career games under his belt, gets the start.

Disaster strikes if: Guzda can’t emerge as a legit number one and the Attack has to join the hunt with several other teams looking for a reliable goalie.

Team MVP: Suzuki.

4. SAGINAW SPIRIT

Last season: 29-30-9-0 (8th)

Synopsis: The Spirit is close. Very close. But might be a year away from being a top two team.

Bode Wilde joins an underrated defence and Arizona Coyotes pick Ivan Prosvetov settles the goaltending concerns. Former Storm forward Albert Michnac lands here.

This team will peak a year from now so won’t be doing any huge buying as the season goes on, but they could be the surprise of the conference if players like Brady Gilmour, Blade Jenkins and Damien Giroux take that next step up in production.

Keep an eye on: Cole Perfetti: former Michigan commit is a rookie of the year candidate.

Disaster strikes if: It just did, as minute-eating overage defenceman Keaton Middleton won’t be returning. He signed in the AHL.

Team MVP: Jenkins.

5. WINDSOR SPITFIRES

Last season: 32-30-4-2 (6th)

Synopsis: As usual, Warren Rychel is building slowly but surely towards a team that should be one of the best in the OHL, but in two years. The club has recovered nicely from the OHL sanctions from a couple of years ago and with Mike DiPietro in net they can beat any team on a given night.

DiPietro will be traded at some point, bringing a monstrous return of young talent to add to blue-chip rookies Will Cuylie and Jean-Luc Foudy.

Luke Kutkevicius was the Western Conference’s top scorer in the prep-season.

Keep an eye on: Will Cuylie: top talent wouldn’t report to Peterborough and landed in Windsor, scoring five goals in the pre-season.

Disaster strikes if: DiPietro has any kind of injury.

Team MVP: DiPietro. Again.

6. SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS

Last season: 55-7-3-3 (1st)

Synopsis: The Greyhounds, sporting a new head coach in John Dean, have some decent pieces left over from last year’s superb team, led by top forwards Morgan Frost and Barrett Hayton. Goaltender Matthew Villalta is a sure bet. But they’ve lost so much that it seems they would benefit in the long run more from trading Frost than keeping him.

Keep an eye on: Frost. Along with Windsor goaltender DiPietro, Frost will be the top target of contending teams come the OHL trade deadline in January.

Disaster strikes if: Villalta can’t reproduce the same consistency behind an average team he did last year with a great one.

Team MVP: Hayton, because he’ll be there all season.

7. FLINT FIREBIRDS

Last season: 20-43-3-2 (10th)

Synopsis: The Firebirds have a handful of high end talent up front and on the blueline, but lack of depth at all positions plagues the Firebirds..

NHL first rounder Ty Dellandrea and Connor Roberts are first-line scorers, but after that? Shut them down, and stay out of the penalty box, and the only OHL team to surrender over 300 goals last season has a tough time putting up points.

Keep an eye on: C.J. Clarke: former second round pick had a great pre-season and could help take some of the scoring weight off Dellandrea.

Disaster strikes if: Goaltender Emmanuel Vella, who has 53 career games with three different teams, can’t make it work with his fourth one.

Team MVP: Dellandrea

8. KITCHENER RANGERS

Last season: 43-21-3-1 (2nd)

Synopsis: The Rangers lost over 150 goals off last year’s team and while the defence is pretty decent, led by overager Connor Hall and super sophomore Michael Vukojevic, there remains a lot of questions about scoring and if Luke Richardson can handle the everyday goaltending duties.

Keep an eye on: Joe Gareffa: 65 point man a year ago playing in the shadows will be expected to be the go-to guy this year.

Disaster strikes if: Hall can’t stay healthy and Richardson can’t find consistency.

Team MVP: Vukojevic

9. SARNIA STING

Last season: 46-17-4-1 (3rd)

Synopsis: The Sting loses eight of its top 10 scorers to graduation, so It’s sell-the-farm time in Sarnia, a team that has some decent remnants from its run at a title a year ago, but not enough to consider keeping them around just so they can make the playoffs this year.

Adam Ruzicka, Ryan McGregor and Sean Josling hold the club together until they’re likely gone.

Keep an eye on: Jamieson Rees: former first rounder is the new face of this team.

Disaster strikes if: Club management doesn’t do the right thing and empty they cupboard.

Aidan Hughes finally steps in as the number one goalie after three years wait.

Team MVP: Rees.

10. ERIE OTTERS

Last season: 23-35-7-3 (9th)

Synopsis: Kyle Maksimovich is one of the league’s more underrated players, but he remains one of the few veteran threats on a team that is in serious rebuild mode after several years of being one of the OHLs best.

Keep an eye on: Jamie Drysdale: fourth overall pick in this year’s draft gets some Ryan Merkley comparisons for his speed and skill.

Disaster strikes if: Maksimovich wants out early and isn’t around to help the youngsters weather the storm.

Team MVP: Maksimovich.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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