Ottawa 67's hopeful for happy homecoming: OHL Burning Questions

Starting from the top of last season's standings, it is time for OHL Burning Questions. For your consideration, the Ottawa 67's.

Last season went like — The standard preseason optimism was laced with dread that the timing, the tide and the talent just was not there during Season 2 of the 'lost years' phase of playing at distant Canadian Tire Centre. Ottawa fell below .500 to stay after a 0-3 swing in mid-October. It was still in playoff position entering the final week before No. 1 centre Erik Bradford broke his femur in the antepenultimate game of the season. A second straight season out of the playoffs hastened a housecleaning in the front office.

2013-14, by the numbers — 23-39-3-3, .382 point pct., 217 GF/305 GA. Tenth, Eastern Conference.

Drafted — D Alex Lintuniemi (Los Angeles Kings, second round), D Jacob Middleton (Los Angeles, seventh).

2015 NHL Draft watch — C Travis Konecny, the OHL rookie of the year, is a Top 10 hopeful; C Dante Salituro, RW Artur Tyanulin and RW Jeremiah Addison are all first-time draft eligibles; D Troy Henley also rated inclusion on the NHL Central Scouting preliminary list.

1. How much can the new Jeff Brown-led coaching staff tighten up the defence?

The new coach has picked his words carefully about what he's inherited along the blue line, pointing out after the preseason opener that he was "disappointed in the raw ability but the good news is it's all stuff you can teach as a coach." That said a lot without saying anything about the previous staff, which was stretched thin over two seasons of practising and playing in different arenas in different parts of the nation's capital.

Lintuniemi, after being drafted on spec by a Stanley Cup-winning organization, will need to make a big step forward, along with fellow Kings selection Middleton. Ottawa is also essentially getting two 19-year-old additions with former Canisius College recruit Zack Pittman and returning vet Mike Vlajkov, who played only two games in 2013-14 before tearing a labrum. It's an older group, but largely the same one that had ownership in Ottawa being outshot in 61 of 68 games.

2. Will the young talent up front seize the day?

Between Addison, Konecny, Salituro, Tyanulin and No. 3 overall choice Travis Barron, Ottawa has the equivalent of five first-round selections up front. Many franchises would love to have that much skill at their disposal. How that group meshes could be a major driver for whether Ottawa can get back into contention.

Bradford and captain Brendan Bell should be a stable overage forward tandem. Ottawa will also need a late-blooming breakout in order to strengthen its complementary scoring; keep an eye on former Junior A 38-goal scorer Nathan Todd or hulking 6-foot-6, 236-pound wing Tyler Hill.

3. How will they draw at TD Place (formerly the Ottawa Civic Centre)?

Arena-adjacent outdoor parking was also sacrificed during the redevelopment of TD Place, now home to three Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group properties — Redblacks football, Fury FC soccer and the 67's. The hockey team is hopeful that offering some indoor parking and free public transit to games can encourage fans to come out on forbiddlingly frigid winter days. (Ottawa is known to have those.)

All told, TD Place's hockey configuration has been reduced to 6,201, which is in line with the 67's average attendance before the renovations. Ultimately, winning will help build the fan base up again. 

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