Player Signings

[thepuckman]

Greetings from Long Island, New York. Here for work, not pleasure.

Edwards said in the paper last week that the Spirit would be announcing signings this week. Anyone got any ideas who we are going to hear signed on the dotted line?

This year's draft picks? Last year's draft picks? Euros? And please don't say Nick Trecappeli, as most know he has already signed, which I hope will be announced this week.

Could this be the "depth" that Edwards referred to in the paper?

[spiritfan8]

I don't consider it a real good sign that I left town 10 days ago, and upon my return read that nothing has changed re player signings.
It could be time to start regretting buying 4 season tickets instead of 2 this season....................

[teamspirit08]

Why is the sky always falling with you guys. In checking the news archives the last two years on the Spirit site, there have only been two signing ever announced in August.

Aug.24, 2007 - Spirit sign Tyler Murovich
Aug.18, 2007 - Spirit sign Nick Crawford

No other mentions of other signings during the month of August the last two years!

Relax people. Very few other OHL teams have announced any signings either.

[spiritfan8]

Aug 10, 2008 19:59:07 GMT -5 teamspirit08 said:

Why is the sky always falling with you guys. In checking the news archives the last two years on the Spirit site, there have only been two signing ever announced in August.

Aug.24, 2007 - Spirit sign Tyler Murovich
Aug.18, 2007 - Spirit sign Nick Crawford

No other mentions of other signings during the month of August the last two years!

Relax people. Very few other OHL teams have announced any signings either.

So shoot me--I'm a pessimist.

The reason there were no August signings last year is that--even during the fiasco of hiring a coach and GM(s)--Pachis and Szwarz were both signed by July 6.............

As for the other...............I may be off by one or two, but this is correct as far as I know (latest signing was Sarnia's) The skeleton of this list is from the NOOF, with a couple of updates by me.

1. McFarland in Sudbury is signed
2. McKegg in Erie is signed
3. Shipley in Owen Sound is signed
6. Gudbranson in Kingston is not signed
5. Spooner in Peterborough is not signed
6. O'Connor in Barrie is not signed
7. Toffoli in Ottawa is not signed
8. Smith-Pelly in St. Mike's is not signed
9. Seguin in Plymouth is signed
10. Saad in Saginaw is not signed
11. Sutch in Sarnia is signed
12. McNaughton in Guelph is not signed
13. Thomas in London is signed
14. Hamilton in Niagara is not signed
15. Carrick in Brampton is not signed
16. Bailie in Oshawa is not signed
17. Fowler in Windsor is not signed
18. Beukeboom in the Soo is signed
19. Silas in Belleville is not signed
20. Skinner in Kitchener is not signed

So 7 of 20 are signed. Not what I'd call very few, but definitely not a majority, either. So we can call this one a draw. I'd even go for 7 of 19, since I don't expect to see Cam Fowler in Windsor, this season or ever.
Obviously this is only first rounders. If anyone wants to check on later picks, have at it.

EDIT:
8/12--McNaughton has signed w/ Guelph.
8/13--O'Connor has signed w/ Barrie.
8/15--Smith-Pelly of St. Mike's and Hamilton of Niagara have signed
8/19--Bailie of Oshawa has signed
8/24--Silas (Belleville) and Skinner (Kitchener) have signed.
Also along the way, I missed Gudbransen (Kingston) signing.
8/26--Toffoli signed w/ Ottawa
8/28--Carrick signed w/ Brampton

[sagspiritsfan]

Ontario Provincial Jr A has yet to have their tryouts ... Im sure Edwards is waiting to see who gets cut from those teams to fill out the 4th and maybe 3rd lines given our depth on forward

[spiritfan8]

Somehow, hearing that we are waiting to see who gets cut from Jr A before we make our signings doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence either.
I know, I know.........sky is falling, premature panic, all that stuff...............

[mccartystillsuxs]

They are probably still trying to figure out the rookie salary cap.

[sagspiritsfan]

sf8 - Dont panic .. I was just making a snide comment about our scouting staff and Edwards ability to find impact players such as Ogilvie and Neilly from the likes of Jr B ..

Something tells me the Spirit are going to be in the experimental stage most of Training Camp because we dont have a backup goalie to Pasquale thats good enough to be one in my opinion .. We have atleast 9 defenceman who are signed and a shortage of forwards and offensive potentcy ..

Thats all I was getting at

[spiritfan8]

Thx, ssf---I actually thought that was what you were saying, but then I thought well, maybe not. In retrospect, the comment about our depth at forward probably should have been the tipoff, eh?!

I'm looking forward to seeing how Joe Lepera progressed over last year--at least I am assuming he will be in camp? He'd be 17 this season, so maybe a back-up possibility there,depending........

The shortage of forwards thing is an understatement, for sure. To my way of thinking--and if McD and Combs don't return--I think we have about a line and a half that have a chance of any significant scoring. You always hope a 30 goal scorer is going to magically appear from last year's young ones, but I don't see it at this point.

[eaglei12]

Which forwards do we have returning and where do they fit in a line up in your opinion?

[igive2]

Wasn't there a thread of a similar theme last summer calling for a "15-win season" in 07-08?

[spiritfan8]

So what's your point?

[spiritfan8]

Aug 11, 2008 21:43:28 GMT -5 eaglei12 said:

Which forwards do we have returning and where do they fit in a line up in your opinion?

eagle, if it's OK w/ you, I'm going to start a new thread with this, since it looks like a good discussion topic.
Player signings still available for discussion here!

[eaglei12]

Sounds good ... I was just curious of the returning players and what everyone's thoughts were.

[sensspiritfan]

I see on the noof that Cody McNaughton of the Guelph Storm has signed. He was the Storm's first round pick.

A couple of picks after the Spirit.

He had 66 goals and 77 assists last year playing for the Jr Canadians in Toronto.

Sure hope Saad signs and plays this year so we can compare first round picks with other team's first round picks.