Sudbury Wolves likely looking at long winter: OHL Burning Questions

Starting from the top of last season's standings, it is time for OHL Burning Questions. For your consideration, the Sudbury Wolves.

Last season went like — It was one for the fatalists. The Wolves went for it by trading for centre Radek Faksa and defenceman Trevor Carrick. They took their shot and it did not work out; they won only 10 of 33 games after the trade deadline, counting the first-round sweep.

2013-14, by the numbers — 33-24-3-8, .566 point pct., 217 GF/220 GA. Third, Eastern Conference. Lost 4-0 to Barrie in first round.

Drafted — RW Nick Baptiste (Buffalo Sabres, third round), C Pavel Jenys (Minnesota Wild, seventh).

2015 NHL Draft watch — D Kyle Capobianco, the 2013 first-rounder who's stretched into a 6-foot-2 offensive defenceman, will likely play a lot this season. Sophomore goalie Troy Timpano does not turn 17 until mid-November, putting him in the '16 class..

1. Without being too snarky, why are the Wolves the consensus pick to own the basement?

There is no sugarcoating that their two best players are on a donut line — no centre. Forty-five goal scorer Baptiste and overage Nate Pancel, who buried 42, are each wingers; a team in the OHL is only as strong as the men in the middle. The Wolves' best playmaker, Mathew Campagna, was already moved to the Plymouth Whalers.

Only two other returnees (Jacob Harris and Ray Huether) scored more than 15 points for Sudbury last season. To be fair, wing-turned-centre Brody Silk played only 12 games, but that segues into another red flag: two of the OAs, Silk and shutdown defenceman Jeff Corbett, have had trouble staying in the lineup. Corbett is very efficient, but has averaged only 46 games across his three full seasons.

It adds up to a season where a "gutted by graduation" team will likely be in sell mode.

2. What will be the bright spots, though?

Timpano played for Team Ontario at the world under-17 challenge and was one the more vaunted puck-stoppers in the province during his minor midget year. While, a goalie who can hold down a backup job at 16 has a strong chance of succeeding, do keep in mind the 6-foot-1 southpaw has played the equivalent of about 11 full games in the league. Timpano is partnered with  19-year-old Samuel Tanguay, a Quebecer who played Junior A last season.

Elsewhere, 6-foot-2, 217-pound wing Brady Pataki, who will not turn 16 until early October, might prove to be a priority-selection steal. Newcomer Ivan Kashtonov also impressed in the preseason. So, there is all that.

3. When would be the right time to pull the trigger on a Baptiste blockbuster?

For GM Blaine Smith, presumably that would come when he has an offer he cannot refuse. However, a factor here is that the two-way speedster is in consideration for a spot on the national junior team. The cachet of being on Team Canada could increase the asking price for Baptiste, whose offensive numbers spiked last season as he became more assured about coming in off the wing to shot from dangerous areas.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.