This week, I’ll break down all 20 OHL clubs division by division and unveil my predictions for the 2012-13 season. Today, let’s look at the Western Conference’s West Division (listed in alphabetical order):

Plymouth Whalers
Coach/GM: Michael Vellucci
2011-12 finish: 47-18-2-1, 1st division, 2nd conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Kitchener 4-3 in conference semifinals
Key players: LW Stefan Noesen (38 goals, 44 assists, 82 points; signed with Ottawa), C Mitchell Heard (29-28-57; signed with Colorado), RW Alex Aleardi (36-29-65), LW J.T. Miller (25-37-62; signed with N.Y. Rangers; G Matt Mahalak (19-8-0-0 record, 2.66 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, 3 shutouts; Carolina prospect)
Key losses: G Scott Wedgewood (28-10-2-1, 3.02, .911, 3 SO; signed with New Jersey), D Beau Schmitz (14-40-54, +37; signed with Carolina), C Andy Bathgate (19-44-63)
Outlook: The Whalers had a chance to reach the Western finals last season, but they lost Game 7 at home to Kitchener. They lost some key players off that team, but the Whalers still have are strong enough to make a deeper run this season.

Saginaw Spirit
Coach/GM: Greg Gilbert/Jim Paliafito
2011-12 finish: 40-22-4-2, 3rd division, 5th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-2 in conference semifinals
Key players: C Vincent Trocheck (29-56-85; signed with Florida), LW Brandon Saad (34-42-76; signed with Chicago), LW Garret Ross (25-29-54), C Eric Locke (20-20-40), D Dalton Young (5-15-20)
Key losses: LW Josh Shalla (40-36-76; signed with Nashville), RW Michael Fine (22-45-67), C John McFarland (20-21-41; signed with Florida), D Brad Walch (5-18-23, +21)
Outlook: Trocheck and Saad headline an offense that ranked fifth in the league a season ago with 259 goals. Now they have to solidify a defense that allowed 259 goals, the fourth most in the league. Clint Windsor and Jake Paterson are the keys in net.

Sarnia Sting
Coach/GM: Jacques Beaulieu
2011-12 finish: 34-27-2-5, 2nd division, 4th conference
Playoff finish: Lost 4-2 to Saginaw in conference quarterfinals
Key players: C Alex Galchenyuk (0-0-0 in 2 games; signed with Montreal), G J.P. Anderson (27-23-2-4, 3.03, .908, 3 SO), LW Reid Boucher (28-22-50), D Connor Murphy (8-18-26; signed with Phoenix), D Alex Basso (9-27-36, +5)
Key losses: RW Nail Yakupov (31-38-69 in 42 games; signed with Edmonton), C Brett Thompson (32-38-70; former Otter), C Ryan Spooner (29-37-66; signed with Boston), LW Tyler J. Brown (21-27-48), D Adrian Robertson (10-28-38, +13)
Outlook: Yakupov, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, isn’t expected to rejoin the Sting. But Galchenyuk, the No. 3 pick in the draft, returns after missing nearly all of last season with a knee injury. But can the Sting overcome other key losses?

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Coach/GM: Mike Stapleton/Kyle Dubas
2011-12 finish: 29-33-2-4, 5th division, 9th conference
Playoff finish: Did not qualify
Key players: C Nick Cousins (35-53-88; signed with Philadelphia), G Matt Murray (13-19-0-1, 4.08, .876; Pittsburgh prospect), D Ryan Sproul (23-31-54, +16), RW Andrew Fritsch (13-19-32 in 35 games; Phoenix prospect), LW Michael Schumacher (26-24-50)
Key losses: C Brett Findlay (20-36-56; traded to Peterborough), C Carson Dubchak (16-16-32)
Outlook: The Greyhounds are trying to avoid a third straight season out of the playoff picture. But does Stapleton, the Otters’ former associate and assistant coach, have enough talented depth to make that happen in a challenging conference?

Windsor Spitfires
Coach/GM: Bob Boughner/Warren Rychel
2011-12 finish: 29-32-5-2, 4th division, 8th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-0 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: LW Kerby Rychel (41-33-74); C Brady Vail (22-30-52), LW Chris Marchese (18-25-43; former Otter), D Nick Ebert (6-33-39), RW Joshua Ho-Sang (No. 5 pick in OHL Priority Selection), LW Ben Johnson (18-20-38)
Key losses: C Alexander Khokhlachev (25-44-69; playing in Russia), C Zack MacQueen (18-20-38; son of former Otters coach Dave MacQueen)
Outlook: The unexpected departure of Khokhlachev will hurt thre Spitfires, unless forwards like Rychel, Vail, former Otter Marchese and first-round pick Ho-Sang pick up the slack. But will they have enough on defense and in net to win consistently?

- Victor Fernandes

Ramis Sadikov’s season debut should take place tonight. It can’t arrive soon enough.

The struggles for the Erie Otters’ young, injury-plagued defense continued from the start Friday night in a 5-1 loss to the Plymouth Whalers in front of 2,158 at Tullio Arena on Friday night.

The Whalers scored on the power play 3:45 into the games to spark a three-goal barrage in the opening period. The Otters (1-9-0-0), which have lost five straight, has allowed at least four goals in all 10 games. They rank last in the OHL with 58 goals against (5.8 per game).

Tom Wilson scored his first goal of the season on Rickard Rakell and Garrett Meurs. Then at the 12:30 mark of the period, Wilson assisted on Mitchell Heard’s team-leading seventh goal. Heard scored off a rebound, with highly touted rookie J.T. Miller also earning an assist on the play.

Plymouth capped the decisive scoring barrage with a goal at the 17:47 mark, as Meurs redirected Dario Trutmann’s centering pass into his third goal and a 3-0 Whalers’ lead. The Otters gained a bit of momentum after killing off the Whalers’ nearly two-minute, two-man advantage to start the second.

The Whalers (5-4-2-0) stole momentum midway through the period. Jamie Devane turned Michael Whaley’s into a 4-0 lead 8:01 into the middle period. Three minutes later, Wilson scored his second goal on assists from Rakell and Danny Vanderwiel for a 5-0 lead. The Otters finally got on the scoreboard, as Brett Thompson scored on assists from Brett Cook and Greg McKegg with 6:08 left in the period.

Wilson (two goals, assist) and Rakell (three assists) led the Whalers with three points apiece. Meurs had two points while goaltender Matt Mahalak made 22 saves to improve to 3-2-0-0 on the season. Tyson Teichmann made 33 saves for the Otters.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov appears to be 100 percent healthy.

He stopped 22-of-23 shots in his return to the lineup to lead the Otters to a key 5-1 win against Plymouth in front of 3,212 at Tullio Arena on Friday night.

With the win, the Otters (37-26-1-1) moved past the Whalers (35-24-1-4) into fifth place in the Western Conference – two points behind fourth-place Windsor.

Sadikov, who hadn’t played since injuring his leg Feb. 19 against Guelph, was 7½ minutes away from his third shutout of the season and of his OHL career. Stefan Noesen’s 33^rd goal of the season, scored with 7:33 left in the third period, to spoil Sadikov’s shutout bid.

The Otters made Sadikov’s return easy in the first period. Sadikov faced only five shots on the goal in the period. Meanwhile, the offense scored twice on the Otters’ first four shots against Whalers rookie goaltender Matt Mahalak before he was replaced by Scott Wedgewood.

Greg McKegg scored on the power play – his 47^th goal of the season – at the 7:25 mark to open the scoring. He moved into second on the franchise’s single-season goals list. He needs three goals to become the second Otter to reach 50 and six to equal Cory Pecker’s record of 53 set in 2001-02.

Less than two minutes, Phil Varone turned his steal at the Whalers’ blue line into his 31^st goal of the season and a 2-0 Otters’ lead. The Otters finished the period with a 13-5 advantage in shots.

Nothing changed in the second period, as the Otters scored twice more to take a 4-0 lead into the third.

Anthony Luciani scored his 29^th goal of the season on a wild play 11:25 into the period. Luciani beat Wedgewood to a loose puck in front of the Whalers’ net and poked it into the net as he flew backwards through the air. Then with 29 seconds left in the period, Brett Thompson popped a rebound over Wedgewood for his 43^rd goal of the season. Varone and Luciani assisted on the play.

Thompson scored his second goal of the night early in the third. He finished with three points, as did Varone (goal, two assists). Luciani had a goal and assist. The Otters finished with a 43-23 edge in shots.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Otters 5, Whalers 1

Plymouth  0  0  1  —  1

Erie  2  2  1  —  5

1^st Period — 1. Erie, Greg McKegg 47 (Cook), 7:25 (pp). 2. Erie, Phil Varone 31 (Thompson), 8:51. Penalties — Noesen (P) slashing, 7:13.

2^nd Period — 3. Erie, Anthony Luciani 29 (Varone), 11:25. 4. Erie, Brett Thompson 43 (Varone, Luciani), 19:31. Penalties — None.

3^rd Period — 5. Erie, Thompson 44 (unassisted), 1:34. 6. Plymouth, Stefan Noesen 33 (Meurs, Devane), 12:27. Penalties — Devane (P) roughing, 2:57; Yogan (E) unsportsmanlike conduct, 4:54; Czarnik (P) interference, 5:18; R. Mahalak (P) goaltender interference; 15:33; Cook (E) roughing, 15:33.

Shots on goal — Plymouth, 5-11-7—23; Erie, 13-15-15—43.

Goaltenders — Plymouth, Matt Mahalak 7-8-1-3 (4 shots, 2 saves), Scott Wedgewood (39 shots, 36 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 33-17-1-1 (23 shots, 22 saves).

Power plays — Plymouth (0-1), Erie (1-3).

Referees — Bob Langdon, Ben Wilson. Linesmen — Adam Harris, Darryl Wolfe.

Attendance — 3,212.

Three stars

* Phil Varone, Otters (goal, 2 assists) ** Brett Thompson, Otters (2 goals, assist) *** Anthony Luciani, Otters (goal, assist)