Five Questions: Mississauga Steelheads

 

The Mississauga Steelheads took things in a new direction last season, and enter 2023-24 with a considerably different look than perhaps some were expecting. Key names like James Hardie and Charlie Callaghan have moved on, but the Trout have a beefed-up core of 2005 and 2006-born players along with two of the top young goaltending prospects in the OHL.

Five Questions examines the state of the Steelheads, a program that continues to churn out NHL Draft picks, with a player selected at the NHL Draft in each of the past eight seasons.

1. Is there a more exciting young core of players in the league?

The 2022-23 season wasn’t what many expected from the Mississauga Steelheads. The Trout were considered early favourites out of the gate, boasting drafted and developed talent in Ethan Del Mastro, Owen Beck, Luca Del Bel Belluz and James Hardie, but consistency proved evasive and come January, coach and general manager James Richmond opted to move some pieces around. Some big names went in different directions, and Mississauga recouped some promising young talent in Porter Martone, Jack Van Volsen and Angus MacDonell. Beck would go on to hoist the Robertson Cup as a member of the Peterborough Petes, but the Steelheads came away looking really strong for seasons to come as Richmond would also add Justin DeZoete, Stevie Leskovar, Adam Zidlicky and Brice Cooke along the way. There are a few teams in the OHL with particularly bright futures, and the Steelheads are on that list.

Martone ➡️ Van Volsen 🚨

The kids are alright eh, @OHLSteelheads? 😏 pic.twitter.com/S2XrLTbajd

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 20, 2023

2. How impactful will the 2006-born class be this season?

With that said, how impactful can we expect 17-year-old players to be in the Ontario Hockey League? Martone and Van Volsen look like they’ll be top-line talents in the very near future. First round 2022 OHL Priority Selection choice Lucas Karmiris comes off an 18-point rookie campaign after being a U16 AAA star in Brantford and third round choice Parker Von Richter made a strong impression, looking like he’ll be a dependable two-way presence on the blueline this coming season. He technically isn’t a 2006-born player, but former ninth overall OHL Draft pick Luke Misa is a 2024 NHL Draft prospect as a result of his late birthday, and will no doubt factor prominently into the Mississauga attack in his third OHL season. He piled up 30 assists as a sophomore in 2022-23.

What a pass by Lucas Karmiris! 🎯🐟

The 2022 First Round #OHLDraft pick finds Zander Veccia in front to open the scoring for the @OHLSteelheads on the road! 🎥 pic.twitter.com/KG2uQhS7Mo

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 5, 2023

3. What’s the plan in the crease?

It’s a question being asked frequently enough. The first goaltender off the board in two consecutive drafts went to the Mississauga Steelheads. Ryerson Leenders, who will represent Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup later this month, appeared in 35 games this past season, the most by a 16-year-old OHL goaltender since 1997-98. Leenders was Mississauga’s second round (32nd overall) pick in 2022, and by all accounts showed well in his first season, even getting into six playoff games for the Trout in their first round matchup with North Bay. The Steelheads proceeded to take the most coveted goaltending target available in this past spring’s Priority Selection, nabbing Jack Ivankovic of the Mississauga Senators with the seventh overall pick. A second generation talent, Ivankovic turned in a big performance for Ontario at the Canada Winter Games, winning gold on Prince Edward Island back in February. The goaltending scenario in Mississauga is one to keep an eye on as the Steelheads have two promising young names to work with – their challenge will just be finding the minutes to develop them both.

Porter Martone and Ryerson Leenders will be representing Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup! 🇨🇦 Congratulations! #SteelStrong pic.twitter.com/SlVpwwoxrj

— Mississauga Steelheads (@OHLSteelheads) July 12, 2023

4. Who steps up to replace the leadership of Hardie and Callaghan?

There are guys who shape the culture of your franchise, both on the ice and in the dressing room. For the Mississauga Steelheads, that was co-captains James Hardie and Charlie Callaghan the past few seasons. Hardie graduates having essentially re-written the Steelheads’ record book from an individual standpoint, scoring 128 goals and 244 points over 255 career regular season games from 2018-23. Callaghan is off to St. Francis Xavier University following 27 points (7-20–27) in his overage season. The former eighth round pick never allowed the 5-foot-8 height listing to stand in his way, often out-battling opponents much bigger than him. The Steelheads have a few vets coming back in 2023-24 including alternate captain Chas Sharpe who joins Florida Panthers prospect Kai Schwindt as an overage candidate. Zander Veccia embarks on his 19-year-old campaign having scored 10 goals as a rookie and 20 as a sophomore, trending toward the 30-goal mark this coming season. Newly-drafted Dallas Stars prospect Angus MacDonell captained the Toronto Marlboros in his U16 season, and has developed a reputation as one of the league’s hardest workers, a trait that will no-doubt inspire the group in Mississauga.

#OHLAlumni Class of 2023 🎓:

The @OHLSteelheads say goodbye to an OA class that includes blueliners Charlie Callaghan and Kasper Larsen along with forward James Hardie, who graduates as the franchise's all-time leader in goals and points. pic.twitter.com/Z7pisSgQRc

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 10, 2023

5. Can the special teams improve?

The Trout were uninspiring on both the power play (16th) and penalty kill (20th) in 2022-23, something that will have to change if the Steelheads want to have success this coming season. The job doesn’t get easier on the man advantage without Hardie’s big shot as an option. The new-look Fish will have to adapt and find new ways to generate offence.

MACDONELL FROM THE DOT 🎯

The #NHLDraft-eligible forward scores his 7️⃣th goal in 14 games with the @OHLSteelheads🔥 pic.twitter.com/zJOrA9Sd5v

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 11, 2023

Five Questions is put together by Josh Sweetland (@joshsweetland). Follow along throughout the summer for an offseason look at all 20 OHL clubs.