Deadline Deals !!

BIGGSTIMEGENSFAN wrote:do we know what happened to Matt Hore?????

seems to me he did the same thing last season his brother got traded to Sarnia and he left the team, his brother got traded again to the Greyhounds
so I presume he left again   
no great lose if he left.

I'm thinking we had to release him with Lepkowski coming in. Smoskowitz & Lepkowski IN Hore & Hughes OUT

Anyone know whats going on with Pat Hamilton, I don't see him playing hockey any where this season. I know he was cut by the Generals after the Pre Season. I always thought the kid was decent enough to at least play 6-8 minutes a game in an enforcer type role. Plus his versatility playing Forward & D.

Agree with all the comments above. Twohey did what he could do with the resources he had at his disposal. which was not much. After all was said and done, there are teams with two and three 2nds available for the next three years and the Gens have none! In three months, Smoskowitz and Lepkowski will be gone, the Gens will have won a round or two of playoffs and the team will have a good nucleus to build upon but it will be a slow process without the 2nds. I have maintained all along the Gens should have been sellers this year and  the recent changes make me think so, even more. There were good additions made at minimal cost. but you shouldn't go into a gunfight with just a knife in hand. The Gens needed to add more to be serious contenders this year' maybe Gavrus or another '94 but they were unable to do so. Hope I'm wrong but we'll see!

I'm going to throw last nights game out as a freak if nature. Building was pumping in Kingston for once. Big crowd, blue jays in building and world junior winning Finns . Altshuller and gens were on their heels early . Kingston played well last night. Our pickups looked good. They just need to get comfy with the team. Leptowski is big and plays very tough and clears the net. Smoskowitz will be a nice pick up too . Looked good skating beside Laughton. We haven't allowed 9 goals in a few years. Looking for a bounce back tomorrow vs Sudbury.

My opinion on the Generals after the deadline is, exactly what others have been saying, they made good additions at a minimal price. Thowey actually satisfied most fans with his deals. He didn't mortgage the future and he did add two quality pieces. We got our big rugged D-Man, we upgrade our OA position with a guy that can play and contribute 5on5 and on special teams. I mean for giving up a single 2nd round pick, I think he did a great job.

Sure we didn't get the big name of Carrick or Faksa, or MacDermid or Smith. But in all honesty, Smoskowitz plays a similar game to Smith and Faksa an was much cheaper, he doesn't have the long term upside of Faksa or Smith which made them high NHL picks. But strictly at an OHL level he really isn't far off. As for Lepkowski, he's better then both Carrick & MacDermid. And was free ! Next season you'll see both MacDermid and Carrick playing the same role in the AHL as Lepkowski did this year before returning to the OHL. Lepkowski already has pro hockey experience and thats a big deal.

I realize the huge applauds for Twohey on how he acquired the two new additions to our squad but I still call it "box office" trades. Yes, it was an exceptional job by Twohey but the direction of the team went the wrong way imo. My opinion is based on what happens for next year now. Yes we kept our youth but we could of improved our team immensely if we had of traded Laughton. Its pretty certain he will be pro next year and not returning. Now we get nothing for him. Secondly, DaColle will be a high pick next year(top 5) and what IF he makes pro. There is that chance he could stick.
I just feel that the team could of done better and we could of added to the great youth we already have. Yeah we improved the hockey team for 3 months, but we could of really improved the team to a greater degree if we sold.
When hearing the team was going to be buyers the only way they could of competed was to trade for a high profile player along with the two new additions. We all new this would cost us though, so we stay neutral to preserve the future and  becoming a strong team to last in the playoffs....revenue!
Lastly, I will say the two pick ups are great players and they will make this team tough to beat in the playoffs. Hey, you never know though playoffs is a new season and we could sneak through. The west is stronger and they will be bashing it out among themselves. I would like more than anything to see me proven wrong and see the Gens go all the way.

Go Gennies....

I agree with you sportznut. I love the additions and they make the team stronger, strong enough to come out of the East in my opinion. But do they have what it takes to take out Erie or Guelph in a 7 game series, probably not. If we get London is basically they only way we get into the Memorial Cup.
Twohey was really put in a tough position, he was in first place but his team isn't really a contender with the West's top teams.
For me I'm glad he didn't trade off our assets because I feel their is always a chance. I mean London is by no means a bad team they could always come out of the west. An if we get into the tournament, again its a one game final so there is always the chance.
However, I can't help but think of what we would of got for Laughton, given what Windsor got for Rychel and Ebert, what Mississauga got for Carrick and so on. If Dal Colle does indeed make the NHL next season it makes not selling a huge mistake for Twohey in my opinion.

But with all that being said, no matter what one side of fans weren't going to be happy. The fans that wanted us to go for it where pleased, the fans that wanted us to sell likely are not.

No way del colle makes the nhl next , and no way next years team better than the team we have now !

Future ? What future ?

The fire sale should be next year ......bottom out , bottom feeders for a few years , pick up top first round picks consecutive years ......That's how you rebuild !

I mean, Dal Colle making the NHL is not as far fetched as you may think. He's going to be a top 5 pick. If you look at last years draft 4 of the top 5 picks made the NHL (MacKinnon, Barkov, Jones & Lindholm). Monahan made the NHL as the 6th pick, Ristolainen as the 8th pick, & Nichushkin as the 10th pick. Not to mention Drouin (2nd), Nurse (7th), Horvat (10th), Domi (12th) & Lazar (17th) where all last cuts of their respective NHL clubs. Throw in Zadorov who started the season with Buffalo and thats basically half of the 1st round picks in last years draft making the NHL or spending time or being last cuts of the NHL.

But of course you can argue the other way, Monahan had an extra year of Junior. MacKinnon was touted as the next Sidney Crosby an was a sure fire 1st overall pick, where as this year there is no sure fire 1st overall pick. Barkov, Lindholm, Ristolainen & Nichushkin all played pro in Europe. An the rest didn't actually make the NHL.

But to say NO WAY he makes the NHL is far fetched as the NHL is constantly getting younger and Dal Colle has good size, great skating ability both speed wise and structure wise. He's got an NHL caliber shot and great Hockey IQ. If anything is strength will keep him from the NHL next season/the team who drafts him need's.

There likely won't be a fire sale next year. If the Gens are not a top team, likely only Dal Colle will be moved. With the outside shot that Cassels is moved and perhaps Josh Brown if he indeed comes back. The rest of our team is fairly young, undrafted or holds little trade value.

Del colle would have to gain 20 lbs of muscle over the summer to get a legitimate shot , and he is not fast enough for the nhl yet

NHL training camps are a long time away, Dal Colle definitely has a legitimate shot at making it. Yes he needs to improve in some areas as does the entire draft crop. Hes not far off in any of his skill sets.