Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2026 NHL Draft season is well under way, and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult, perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable, and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.
This is ONTARIO PART TWO
Liam Staples - Ontario Regional Scout
Jean-Christoph Lemieux
Center - Windsor Spitfires
5-foot-11, 176 pounds
The Spitfires were flying high to start the season, going nearly a month before suffering their first loss in regulation, posting an impressive 11-0-1 record during that stretch. Their hot start can be credited to several key contributors - fourth year players Carson Woodall and Cole Davis helped steer the ship while the team awaited for NHL prospects to return back from NHL training camps. 2024 first-overall pick Ethan Belchetz is making headlines this season; he is off to a terrific start and is climbing up a lot of scouting boards. Be sure to check out the piece written by our very own, Felix Sicard, on Ethan Belchetz. Another early-season standout for the Spitfires has been Jean-Christoph (JC) Lemieux, the team’s second-round selection (22nd overall) in the 2024 OHL Draft and their second pick following Ethan Belchetz.
A product of the Quinte Red Devils U16 program in Belleville, Ontario, Lemieux excelled on a line with fellow NHL Draft–eligible forward Maddox Dagenais, under the guidance of current Spitfires assistant coach Kris Newbury, who served as Quinte’s head coach for part of that season. Fast forward to the present, and Lemieux has carried some of that knowledge into the OHL, getting off to a strong start with four goals and seven points through his first six games of the season.
Lemieux’s competitive drive is like a dog on a bone — he’s tenacious in puck battles and refuses to give up on plays, embodying a relentless work ethic every shift.
Lemieux’s production has cooled off since his hot start through the first six games of the season, but he continues to generate quality scoring chances through his skill with his hands and feet working in sync with the puck. The style of game he plays suggests he is still far from a finished NHL product, but the foundation is there — his offensive numbers should bump up with time. He does the right things: staying hard on pucks, creating chaos below the goal line, and driving play toward the front of the net. Building consistency is the next step.
The style of offence Lemieux can contribute - attack the puck instead of waiting for the play to develop in front of him. Attacking the puck carrier down low adds pressure and increases the risk of potential mistakes for your opponent.
Kaeden Ireland - Ontario Regional Scout
Caleb Malhotra
Center - Brantford Bulldogs
6-foot-0, 170 pounds
Caleb Malhotra has bolstered Brantford’s forward depth for a push towards earning a bid to the Memorial Cup, and he has impressed. Caleb, the son of Manny Maholtra, decided to leave the BCHL and join the Bulldogs this past summer, before playing next year with the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA.
After scoring around half a point per game with Chilliwack last year, Malhotra upped his production to 1.38 points per game through the first 13 games, centering the largely successful Dennis-Malhotra-O’Donnell line. Malhotra has found success in many aspects of his game early on in the season, including his compete level, two-way consistency, and playmaking. Caleb seems destined to be a middle-6 center in the NHL, seemingly everywhere at times, causing chaos on defense. With the puck, Caleb regularly finds creative plays from within his arsenal to open lanes and drive to the center of the ice. But perhaps the most impressive part of Caleb’s play in the OHL has been his unwillingness to lose. He never backs down and will fight toe-to-toe with anyone to win every encounter. Even after losing the puck, Malhotra ensures he gives his all to make the opponent’s life miserable; he simply refuses to lose any interaction on the ice cleanly.
After watching Caleb, it’s evident there’s an absence of a true weakness in his game. His hockey smarts, while still developing, are stronger than most other OHL centers in his class and have allowed him to create chances using his stickhandling, footspeed, and passing. The area in need of improvement is his strength, and while he doesn’t have the strongest legs yet, Caleb’s core strength and athleticism make him tricky to knock off the puck. Given Caleb has a summer 2028 birthday and isn’t fully physically mature, there’s lots of runway left in his development. Expect to see Malhotra climb boards as the year progresses.
Here’s some great defensive work to fluster the puck carrier by blocking his lanes by Malhotra, then a very nice pass on the counterattack to set his teammate up for a chance.
Malhotra finishes a goal with an acrobatic dive, batting the puck home. He’s often willing to sacrifice his body to make plays.
While Malhotra will need to add some weight before these hits do much, he loves leaving his feet for a big hit.
Brooks Rogowski
Center - Oshawa Generals
6-foot-6, 227 pounds
Brooks Rogowski has contributed 13 points through 15 games of his sophomore OHL campaign and has taken a large step forward in all aspects of his game. Last year, Brooks was mostly limited to 4th-line minutes but has taken on a much larger role with the Gens in 25-26, averaging around 20 minutes per night. Rogowski’s hulking frame and two-way value make him a candidate to go top 32 in a weak 2026 center class and maybe higher should he continue refining his on-puck play.
Rogowski has been at his best this season when keeping things simple on offense and relying on his positional understanding to get him into the right places at the right times. Much of his offensive production has come from filling his lane on the rush and making simple, quick lateral passes to open teammates, or from his positioning in front of the net.
Being 6-foot-6, skating will never be a strength for Rogowski, but for his size, he moves very well and has shown flashes of being impossible to separate from the puck. Another disadvantage for Rogowski has been the consistency of his compete on the ice. Not to say he is poorly conditioned, but being as big a frame as he is, it’s hard to keep up with more nimble players as they dart around. What has impressed me in this aspect of play is his ability to use his extended reach to threaten lanes. Brooks’ stick defense succeeds in trimming down the amount of room opponents have to operate and restricts the center of the ice.
Through the coming months, I project Rogowski to look more and more comfortable in his size and continue improving his netfront play as well as his passing in tight, both of which have made tremendous progress from last year. I have a strong hunch that Rogowski will be a pick in the 20s of the 2026 draft, in line with picks like Jack Nesbitt and Mason West last year.
Rogowski thrives in open ice, using his length to beat defenders. Here, he finished off his opportunity with a well-placed shot.
Perfect timing on this rush opportunity for the Generals. Rogowski is in his element when making these short, well-timed passes.
A great two-touch effort from Rogowski in front of the net to finish off a chance. With his large frame, this quick thinking will translate well to the NHL, even with less space.
Jaxon Cover
Left Wing - London Knights
6-foot-2, 174 pounds
While the 2025 champs have entered a rebuild this year, Cover has been a significant reason why London remains as competitive as they are. Jaxon regularly gets top-six minutes after appearing in just three OHL contests last year. Through 10 contests this year, he’s tallied 8 points and is regularly creating high danger scoring chances for himself and his teammates.
Cover’s stickhandling has been incredibly impressive so far, accomplishing a variety of advanced dekes to get through defenders. His hand speed is lightning quick, allowing him to execute plays faster than many NHLers, a trait that sometimes makes it look like he’s too far ahead of the play compared to his teammates. Like Malhotra, Cover needs to add weight to become a more substantial physical presence, but he is already very athletic and agile, which helps him slip past OHL defenders and utilize body fakes effectively. The final trait that allows Cover to find success with the puck is his hockey smarts. While Cover is sometimes over creative, leading to turnovers, he finds lanes that many prospects do not see, let alone dare to attempt.
Also impressive has been Cover’s off-puck offensive play. He keeps himself moving on the power play, darting in between defenders, looking to find windows to receive the puck before making a pass as swiftly as he received it. Cover is nearly always engaged in play on offense and rarely finds himself standing still, always looking to make an impact. On defense, he closes the gap between himself and the point man quickly and is not afraid to hit the ice for blocks.
Players as talented and smart as Cover are too good to pass up on in the 25-45 range of the draft, and depending on how his season progresses, I could see a team taking a swing on Jaxon in the first round. He possesses some similarities to last year’s Ryker Lee, although Cover’s off-puck game is far superior. Don’t be surprised if his production heavily increases through the holiday break, as his current scoring levels are understated compared to how many chances he creates.
Cover hasn’t had much success with his pure wrist shot but can get pucks off quickly in tight.
Elusive stickwork by Cover here. Even after he bobbles the puck, Jaxon still makes beating defenders look effortless and smooth.
Great work here to sell crashing the net and then quickly execute a pass. Everything Cover does with the puck, he does so with intention and swiftness.
Felix Sicard - North American Video Scout
Ethan Belchetz
Wing - Windsor Spitfires
6-foot-5, 228 pounds
Few prospects in North America have taken as big of a leap so far as Ethan Belchetz, and no, that’s not a play on his gigantic 6-foot- 5” frame. The former first overall pick in the OHL draft, Belchetz was productive as a rookie, but consistency was a common reproach to his game. Even at the Hlinka, he’d flash high-end offense, then float about for shifts on end. That has all changed so far this season.
Belchetz is constantly involved in the play, and that all starts with his skating. He moved around fine last season, but with the caveat of “for a big man”. No such caveats are needed now. He’s added explosiveness to his stride, as well as some additional agility. There are sequences now where he uses both his inside and outside edges to open up time and space for himself. Mohawks strides and quick changes of direction now show up with regularity, leaving one to wonder just how much more he can improve.
With the puck, he can dazzle with high-end passing sequences to spring scoring chances for his teammates. However, he’s added the less exciting, but pro-like stuff, such as give-and-go’s and quick chip plays. The hands, though not elite, are more than good enough to handle through tricky small-area situations, as well as in open ice. His shot has some power to it, especially as a one timer, but it’s still an area of opportunity for him.
Of course, there’s the toughness and physicality that everyone loves to see in a bigger player. While that is certainly a calling card in his game that will be the headline, there’s much more to his game than the “power forward” label would suggest. If this continues, he should absolutely be in the discussion to be the first name off the board after Gavin McKenna.
Here, Belchetz completes a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone, initiating a give-and-go where he drives to the net. He then receives the puck on his backhand and quickly gathers it to get a scoring chance on net. This ability to use his teammates to create chances for himself is very transferable to the pro game.
Here, Belchetz gathers the puck at the point, keeps his head up to survey his options, and finds his teammate on the backdoor thanks to a perfect tape to tape pass. The extra stickhandles right before the pass bought him just enough time and space to get it off.
Here, Belchetz wins a puck battle along the boards, then immediately takes the puck into the slot, where he fires home a short side goal. You get to see both his competitive streak in a tight area, as well as some nimble small-area stickhandling to get by a defender. Even more impressive when considering he is a 6-foot- 5” player.
Marek Novotny - Central Europe Regional Scout
Vladimír Dravecký Jr.
Defense – Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
6-foot-0, 187 pounds
Few European defensemen have taken as fascinating a path into their draft year as Vladimír Dravecký Jr. The 17-year-old blueliner has already played in four different leagues over the last four seasons, most recently making the jump to the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, where he’ll skate alongside fellow Czech talents Adam Benák and Adam Jiříček.
Born in the U.S. but raised in Czechia since age six, Dravecký’s international allegiance briefly became a hot topic in summer 2024 when he switched from the Slovak to the Czech national team. The decision sparked debate across both countries, but it quickly paid off as Dravecký helped Czechia capture silver at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, showcasing the same poise and dynamic skill that have made him a legitimate candidate for early rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.
A mobile, modern defenseman, Dravecký stands out for his skating and offensive instincts. He’s a fluid mover who generates speed through quick edge work and efficient transitions. He’s confident carrying pucks through the neutral zone, often leading controlled exits and joining the rush as a fourth forward. At Rögle BK U20 last season, he regularly dictated play from the back end and let me say that his ability to read pressure and create space under forecheck is well above his age group.
In addition to his skating, Dravecký shows a rare sense of deception for a young defenseman. He opens passing lanes that most players his age wouldn't even notice by using shoulder fakes and subtle weight shifts to manipulate forecheckers. He can change gears mid-stride, pull opponents in, and slip passes through narrow seams with his precise and strategic puckhandling. Under pressure, he doesn't hesitate to cross the blue line in the offensive zone, creating shooting lanes with his quick hands and lateral agility. You get a blueliner who can actually drive offense rather than just support it when you combine that with a heavy, accurate shot that regularly finds sticks for tips.
Videos:
Clip 1 – Blue Line Control and Quick Pass
Holds the puck at the blue line and executes an immediate, precise pass into the crease area, directly leading to a goal.
Clip 2 - Power Play Setup & Quick Wrist Shot
Calm at the top of the umbrella, looking for a shooting lane, he releases a quick wrist shot that creates chaos in front of the net and ultimately results in a goal for his team.
Clip 3 – Defensive Gap / One-on-One
Good stick positioning and mobility helped him to close the gap quickly without overcommitting.