Nothing imminent for Greyhounds
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
While he spoke of adding players in hopes of making a championship run, the general manager of the Soo Greyhounds also talked about the need for patience.
“Some of this might go down to just before the deadline,” Kyle Raftis said in an interview with Independent Media earlier this week. “That’s because there are some teams still on the fence as to what direction they’ll take.”
The OHL trade deadline is Jan. 9 at 12 noon for overage players and the following day, also at noon, for all others.
A lot of clubs who are unsure as to whether they’ll buy, sell or stand pat at the deadline, reside in the Eastern Conference, where standings are tight.
On the flip side, there are five teams in the Western Conference, including the Greyhounds, who appear to have what it takes to potentially make a long playoff run. That group also features Kitchener, London, Saginaw, the host team for the 2024 Memorial Cup, and Guelph.
Teams are typically reluctant to trade within their own conference. That makes it even more likely the Soo’s possible trade partners reside in the Eastern Conference.
“The next little while, maybe for the next couple of weeks, will be wait and see,” Raftis added. “On that Eastern side there doesn’t appear to be that separation. Everyone is so close.”
However, the GM also left no doubt as to what direction he’ll go in.
“We’re definitely looking to improve the team, for sure. And how active we’ll be will depend on who’s available and who’s the right fit,” he said. “You want to reward our guys. They’ve worked extremely hard to put themselves in this spot.”
Asked if what the Rangers, Spirit, Storm and/or Knights do will affect his approach, Raftis said no.
“I think whenever there’s a Memorial Cup in the league, you kind of know what direction teams are going in,” he added. “But at the same time, this isn’t going to be an arms-race situation for us with anybody. We won’t try to keep up with what anyone else is doing. We’re going to try to improve our club and worry about ourselves.”
The Greyhounds are preparing for a Saturday (7:07 p.m.) clash with Sudbury at GFL Memorial Gardens. Saginaw is here Sunday (2:07 p.m.) The Hounds stopped the Spirit 5-2 on Thursday at Dow Event Centre and are 7-0-0-1 over their last eight games.
That victory improved the Soo to 23-8-2-1 overall, eight points up on the Spirit 20-10-0-1 in the battle for top spot in the West Division. Saginaw also has three games in hand.
During a Wednesday story, Raftis outlined what he’s looking for, as time winds toward the trade deadlines. He spoke of the need to find players who combine strong work ethic with high character and the ability to play the Hounds up-tempo style.
He refused to identify specific positions he’ll look to upgrade.
“We won’t grab names just to grab names. They have to be fits for us,” the GM said.
When it comes to draft capital in preparation for completing a deal or two, the Hounds own an extra second-rounder and two extra fourth-rounders in the 2024 draft. The Soo has no third-round selection.
The Greyhounds don’t own a second-rounder in 2025, but have an extra fourth.
Over the next four seasons, from ’24 to ’27, the Soo has a total of three, second-round choices and just two, third-round selections. However, the Hounds do have seven choices in Round 4 over the next four drafts.
When questioned as to whether that’s enough to get the players he’d be interested in, Raftis answered quickly.
“We don’t have a ton of extra picks,” he said. “But what we have is very similar to a lot of teams.”
Raftis also confirmed he’s been talking to teams “especially on that Eastern side” for the last few weeks. “But right now it’s tough to get an idea as to who’s available.”
If potential deals don’t pan out, would he feel comfortable moving forward with the present roster?
“It’s a great group,” the GM began. “I would feel comfortable moving forward with it. But with the situation we’re in, we want to look to improve the team.”