Yahoo Sports OHL preseason roster breakdown: Oshawa Generals
Continuing our series on preseason/camp rosters, we turn to the Oshawa Generals.
The team finished first in the Eastern Conference with 89 points and 40 regular season wins. The Generals then made an appearance in the OHL finals, where they were ultimately swept by the London Knights.
However, Oshawa's roster is still young, and they will likely look to take another run at the championship in the 2024-25 season. As such, incoming players will find winning places in the Oshawa lineup difficult.
While we normally look at overage players, import players, goaltenders and the incoming draft class, it should be noted that Oshawa's strength comes from returning players like Beckett Sennecke, Calum Ritchie and Ben Danford. They will be a very strong team if second-year players Tristan Delisle and Owen Griffen take steps forward
Overage players
Luke Torrance, Dylan Roobroeck, Luca D'Amato and goaltender Jacob Oster are the four overage players in Oshawa's preseason roster. Each has extensive playoff experience after being part of the team last season.
Left-winger Luke Torrance set personal records in goals (21), assists (20) and points (41) last season. Before this, he had never scored more than 24 points in a single campaign. While Torrance is a strong player he may be in a difficult spot due to the prominence of the three other overage players on the roster.
Luca D'Amato enters his fourth OHL season. The offensive defenseman scored 46 points in 67 games last season setting personal records in goals (13), assists (33) and points. Oshawa figures to have a strong D-corps next year which would benefit from D'Amato's experience.
New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers in May. At 6-foot-7 Roobroeck is a big power forward who has recorded more than 50 points in each of the past two seasons. It seems like Roobroeck will have a spot with Oshawa if he isn't playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.
Veteran goaltender Jacob Oster is eligible to return for his fourth OHL season. Oster shouldered a heavy load as the starter in Oshawa last year. He played in 60 games recording 35 wins, a .905 save percentage and a 2.82 goals against average. He will likely reprise his role as the team's starting netminder.
Goaltenders
The Generals could bring back last year's goalie tandem of Oster and 2006-born Noah Bender. However, 2005-born Hayden Sabourin and 2007-born Isaac Gravelle are also on the team's preseason roster.
If we take it as a given that Oster will return as the starter, the other three goaltenders may well be battling for the backup spot.
Bender only played in 12 games during his rookie campaign last year. While his stats aren't marvelous, they are also not terrible. He recorded a 3.26 goals against average and a .894 save percentage. At 6-foot-4, he is a large goalie with OHL experience, which will give him the upper hand on his two competitors.
Sabourin has spent the last two seasons playing in the GOJHL. During the 2022-23 season, he played for the Elmira Sugar Kings before playing for the London Nationals last year. His numbers in that league are very impressive. In 52 games he has a 2.13 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. However, at six feet, Sabourin is slightly undersized for a modern goaltender.
Gravelle played for the Port Colborne Sailors in the GOJHL last season. In 28 games, he recorded a 3.96 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. When a goaltender has both a high save percentage and GAA it suggests their team is allowing a high number of shots and potentially scoring chances. Gravelle's five wins suggest that Port Colborne struggled during the year.
Import Players
Oshawa signed Finnish forward Lauri Sinivuori and Czech defender David Svozil this offseason.
The Generals selected Sinivuori with the 51st-overall pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft. The 6-foot-1 forward scored 25 points in 31 games with HIFK U20 last year. So far this season, he has seven points in six games while playing for Finland's U-20 team on the international stage. Sinivuori will add to the already formidable firepower present in the Generals roster.
Related: Oshawa Signs Import David Svozil; Generals Defense Core Starting to Take Shape for 2024-25
Oshawa selected David Svozil with the 73rd-overall pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. The 2006-born defender is a good addition to the already strong Oshawa D-corps. He will be able to adjust to the OHL style of play in a sheltered position before demonstrating how defensively capable he is.
2024 Draft Class
Brady Smith, Brooks Rogowski and Brady Blaseg are the only 2008-born players on Oshawa's preseason roster.
The Generals selected Smith with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Smith scored 68 goals and added 64 assists for 132 total points in 76 games while playing for the North York Rangers last season. At the OHL Cup he added 10 goals and two assists in only six games. The dynamic forward signed with the Generals in April.
At 6-foot-6, Rogowski is an American forward from Michigan. Oshawa took Rogowski in the second round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. While playing for MDHL Black, Rogowski scored 23 points in 11 games. He added five more points in four games while playing for MDHL U-16 AAA. The big forward signed with Oshawa in May.
Oshawa selected Blaseg with the 47th overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Blaseg captained Myers Automotive in Ottawa last year and scored 27 points in 29 games. At 6-foot-3, Blaseg is a big defender who has scoring upside. At the OHL Cup, he scored one goal and added three assists in four games.
Oshawa will be a very strong team next season. Their forward group is one of the strongest in the league. They also have a very solid D-corps and a proven starting goaltender. With strengths in all three positional groups, they will certainly be a favorite to make another run for an OHL Championship.
Related: Calum Ritchie signs entry-level contract with Colorado Avalanche
