Michael Pezzetta will continue to hit his opponents this season, but the Sudbury Wolves forward hopes to hit the net a bit more, too.

"Looking at my game last year, there was a few things I wanted to improve on," said the 18-year-old, reached at home in Toronto last week. "Obviously, I’m always working on my strength and speed in the gym and on the ice, but this year, I really wanted to focus on my puck work, as well, so I have been working two or three times a week with a skills coach, just working on my skills to get them better for this season, because I think going to the next level, that’s what I have to work on to get there."

Pezzetta was the Montreal Canadiens’ sixth-round pick, 160th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and will no doubt improve his chances of signing a pro contract if he can improve on his 10-goal, 18-assist sophomore season. Better offensive output from the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder would also go a long way toward helping the Wolves secure a berth in the OHL post-season, which they missed by a wide margin the last two years.

One of several young players who emerged as part of the team’s core in 2015-16, Pezzetta is optimistic about what that still youthful, but talented group can achieve in the coming campaign.

"We’ve got a team that is willing to work," Pezzetta said. "You can see in our young guys, they have the fire in their bellies and you can see they want to win and they want to play. Guys my age who have been here for two years now, and even a year older, they haven’t made the playoffs yet, so the guys just want to win. I can tell from talking to the guys through the summer, and even from the way they finished last year, everybody is fed up with losing.

"I think with our young group and our older veterans, we have a strong group and we’re really going to turn heads this year."

Pezzetta, who served as an alternate captain as a 17-year-old, plans to take on an even greater leadership role.

"I think I’m someone that all the guys respect, the way that I play and the way that I work," Pezzetta said. "Moving forward, I want to continue to be a leader, especially with the young guys, to help them transition into the league. I want to be that guy that those guys can turn to."

He’ll gladly serve as captain, if that’s what his coaches want. If so, he would be the first 18-year-old to be named captain for Sudbury since Marc Staal in 2005-06.

"I’ll leave that for the coaches and players to decide, but I’d definitely love to wear the C this year," Pezzetta said. "I think I’m ready for that opportunity and I’m strong enough mentally and have the respect from the guys in order to wear that letter, but again, that’s up to the coaching staff and the guys, so we’ll see what happens this year."

With training camp due to start next Thursday, Wolves head coach Dave Matsos is a long way from naming his captains, though he agreed Pezzetta is in the mix.

"I think he’s capable of even expanding his leadership role to a higher level," Matsos said. "I think he’s capable of taking the penalty kill over, taking the faceoff circle over when it’s most importantly needed. When we’re down a goal and we have a faceoff in the last minute of the game, or we’re up a goal and we’re protecting the lead, he’s got to be that guy, with his size and his competitive nature, he’s got to take over that faceoff circle. That’s something we need to address and work on with him, but we think he’s capable of being that guy."

Pezzetta may also be called upon to play against other teams’ top lines, a role he plans to embrace.

"I trust Matty, wherever he puts me," Pezzetta said. "He has the utmost respect for me and I trust all his decisions. That being said, 100 per cent, I like being the guy who can go out there and shut down the other team’s top lines. I like being the guy who’s going to go out and sacrifice his body to help the team win. Anything I can do to be out there and help us win is what I want to be doing, but helping shut down teams’ top lines is what I’m going to be doing at the next level, and it only makes sense to get better and work at that at this level."

bleeson@postmedia.com