Hayden Fowler – McKeen's Hockey

2019-20 OHL Preview

Brock Otten — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 01:03:50 +0000

The 2019/20 OHL season is already underway, but it is not too late to preview some of the top teams and top players in the league this year. Who are the Championship contenders? Who are the top NHL prospects playing in the league this year? Who are the top NHL draft prospects for 2020? Keep reading to find out.

Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67''s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Eastern Conference

Championship Contenders

Ottawa 67’s

While there have been some losses up front for the 67’s (Sasha Chmelevski, Tye Felhaber, Kody Clark, Kyle Maksimovich, Lucas Chiodo all graduated), the defending Eastern Conference Champions do return their entire blueline and one of their starting goaltenders. Kevin Bahl (Arizona), Noel Hoefenmayer (UFA), Merrick Rippon (2020), Nikita Okhotyuk (New Jersey), Hudson Wilson (UFA), and Alec Belanger (2020) all return and should give the 67’s a chance to repeat as the top defensive team in the Ontario Hockey League (the 67’s led the league in goals against in 2018/19). Additionally, Cedrick Andree (2020) mans the crease again, a year after finishing fourth in the OHL in wins, despite splitting time late in the year with Michael Dipietro after the latter’s acquisition from Windsor. While the club’s secondary scoring remains a bit of a mystery, the top line of Austen Keating (UFA), Marco Rossi (2020), and Graeme Clarke (New Jersey) should score a ton. Management also has a boatload of draft picks (five 2nd rounders and five 3rd rounders over the next three seasons) to make moves should they require upgrades.

Sudbury Wolves

This is the Quinton Byfield (2020) show. Last year, the Wolves were led by one of the best goaltending performances that the league has ever seen from Buffalo prospect Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen. But this year, top 2020 NHL draft prospect Byfield is ready to be the catalyst and one of the best players in the OHL. Sudbury has surrounded him with enough veteran talent too, that includes Carolina draft pick Blake Murray (Carolina). But preventing goals may be the Achilles Heel of this team heading into the year. The defense is on the younger side, and neither Christian Purboo (2020) nor Mitchell Weeks (2020) have proven to be strong starting netminders. Keep an eye on two 2020 draft prospects in Jack Thompson (2020) and Isaak Phillips (2020) here, as they will be seeing a ton of minutes and could rocket up draft boards with strong performances. In a slightly weaker division, look for Sudbury to overcome some holes and earn home ice in the first round.

Peterborough Petes

Unfortunately for Peterborough, they play in the same division as the 67’s, which means one of these teams will finish third in the Conference. But Peterborough should be considered the second-best team in the East right now, even with the Ryan Merkley (San Jose) conundrum surrounding the team. The Sharks first rounder awaits a trade from the Petes after the club decided to go in a different direction. This could no doubt be a distraction, but Peterborough is a very talented team. Nick Robertson (Toronto) leads the way and is a serious candidate to lead the league in scoring and win the Red Tilson as the league’s most outstanding player. Hunter Jones (Minnesota) is a candidate to win the newly named Jim Rutherford award as the league’s top goaltender. Declan Chisholm (Winnipeg) is a top candidate to win the Max Kaminski as the league’s top defender. There is star power at every position, in addition to depth. This team is going to score a lot, and like Ottawa, they have a bevy of draft picks in the cupboard that they could use to improve further.

Oshawa Generals

While there are some serious questions surrounding the quality of goaltending Oshawa could receive this year, there are no questions about the talent level playing in front of said goaltender(s). The Generals return nearly their entire defense from a year ago, led by two NHL draft picks, Gio Vallati (Winnipeg), Nico Gross (NY Rangers), in addition to top 2020 draft prospect Lleyton Moore (2020). At forward, Serron Noel (Florida), and Allan McShane (Montreal) are the stars, but a strong supporting cast surrounds them. Look for Noel to have an absolutely monster year from an offensive perspective. His size and skill combination is so difficult for some of the league’s smaller defenders to handle. If the Generals do falter and find themselves in the middle of the pack, look for them to trade away some of their graduating players like Noel, McShane, and Vallati, in order retool for next year when the team’s goaltending could be addressed more definitively.

Barrie Colts

The Colts are a real wild card heading into the year. They underachieved last year, but a lot of that had to do with some injuries. Additionally, coach Dale Hawerchuk had to step away during training camp due to health concerns, so management brought in veteran Warren Rychel to steer the ship. Despite the turmoil, this is a very talented team. Ryan Suzuki (Carolina) should be better equipped to handle the pressure of being a top offensive option, and Matej Pekar (Buffalo) is healthy and off to a great start. On defense, Tyler Tucker (St. Louis) should be one of the better defenders in the league. Look out for rookie Brandt Clarke (2021), who is an immediate impact player and is the favorite to take home the league’s Emms Family Trophy as the top rookie after leading the OHL in preseason scoring...as a blueliner. Barrie may also have the best goaltending tandem in the OHL with Jet Greaves (2020) and Arturs Silovs (Vancouver) manning the crease. Don’t be surprised if Barrie pushes Sudbury for the Central Division.

Standings Prediction:

Ottawa
Sudbury
Peterborough
Oshawa
Barrie
Mississauga
Hamilton
North Bay
Niagara
Kingston

Western Conference

Championship Contenders

Saginaw Spirit

Cole Coskey of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Make no bones about it, this year’s Saginaw Spirit are one strong team. At the heart of the Spirit is Red Tilson contender and top 2020 draft prospect Cole Perfetti (2020). He could be a candidate to lead the league in scoring and is such an electric player in the offensive end. There is also a strong supporting cast of characters including NHL draft picks Damien Giroux (Minnesota), Blade Jenkins (NY Islanders), Nicholas Porco (Dallas), Cole Coskey (NY Islanders), and Mason Millman (Philadelphia). The real wild card here is whether the New York Islanders send star defender Bode Wilde back to the OHL for another year, even though he is eligible to play in the AHL. Another name to watch is goaltender Tristan Lennox (2021), who was a standout at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup this summer, but is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2021 because of an October birth date. This year’s Spirit team has to be considered the favorite in the West because of their depth and star power.

Kitchener Rangers

It has become abundantly clear that the Kitchener Rangers intend to compete for an OHL Championship this year because of how aggressive they have been already in making key additions to the club. This summer they brought in Axel Bergkvist (Arizona) and Ville Ottavainen (2020) through the Import Draft, and goaltender Jacob Ingham (Los Angeles) through trade. All three figure to be key components. In particular, those imports will help the Rangers defense move the puck more efficiently, an area that they struggled with last year. Recently, Kitchener also traded for OA Liam Hawel (UFA), who is a big upgrade to their top six forward group. Up front, Riley Damiani (Dallas), Greg Meireles (Florida), and Jonathan Yantsis (UFA) will be star players and all three have a chance to be near the top of the OHL scoring race. This is a very well constructed group with no glaring weakness.

London Knights

There was a lot of discussion in OHL circles last week when the London Knights were named the top team in the CHL in the preseason rankings heading into the year. Many, myself included, felt that this was not warranted. This is a London team with a completely rebuilt defense that outside of Alec Regula (Detroit), has almost no OHL experience (save Gerard Keane (2020) and his limited playing time last year). Additionally, Regula is out with a concussion and star forward Liam Foudy (Columbus) is set to miss 4-6 weeks with an upper body injury. That is not a recipe for early season success. That said, this is a talented group. Connor McMichael (Washington) should be in for a big year and will look to carry the load and help this team through some opening season challenges.

Flint Firebirds

They could not be in the OHL basement forever, right? As Flint’s high end draft selections gain more experience, this could be a very dangerous team that should break out in a big way. The team brought in veteran Anthony Popovich (UFA) to man the crease, fresh off winning an OHL Championship with Guelph last year and his veteran presence should help. Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), assuming he is returned from the Stars, will be one of the OHL’s top players and a leader at both ends of the ice. Look for Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida) and Dennis Busby (Arizona) to really break out on the back-end, too, and have terrific seasons. Another unheralded player is Jake Durham (UFA), who returns as an OA after a breakout season last year. He has already started strong and could be among the league leaders in goal scoring. This is another well rounded team.

Erie Otters

Much like Barrie in the Eastern Conference, the Otters are being underrated in many preseason polls up to this point. This is a team that is near the top in goals returning from the previous year, and while they may not have the star power up front of other teams in the Conference, they are a very efficient unit. On the back-end though, they most definitely have a star in Jamie Drysdale (2020), who is a potential top 10 selection for this year’s NHL draft. He is an electric skater and is my preseason selection for the Max Kaminski, given to the league’s top defender. At forward, look for Hayden Fowler (2020) and Maxim Golod (2020) to breakout in a big way, too. Do not sleep on this team.

Standings Prediction

Saginaw
Kitchener
London
Flint
Erie
Windsor
Sault Ste. Marie
Owen Sound
Sarnia
Guelph

Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Top NHL Prospects to Watch

Ty Dellandrea, Flint (Dallas)

Seems likely to stick around for a few games in Dallas, but has the captaincy in Flint waiting for him upon his return. Strong two-way center who will be able to better showcase his offensive abilities this year.

Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton (Los Angeles)

Fell at the draft to the second round, but is one of the best goal scorers in the OHL. Will look to show scouts that he can play with more pace this year and improve his engagement level without the puck.

Philip Tomasino, Niagara (Nashville)

With a rebuild in Niagara likely, one has to wonder if he finishes the year with the IceDogs. Tomasino should see a nice increase in production this year with more powerplay time and another year of added strength.

Thomas Harley, Mississauga (Dallas)

Has had a very strong training camp with Dallas, but will return to Mississauga where he will look to improve his play in the defensive zone to match his dynamic offensive ability and skating stride.

Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (Carolina)

While his brother Nick starts his pro career, possibly even in the NHL, Ryan will look to lead the Barrie Colts to a division title. Ryan is an exceptional playmaker, but he will look to play more between the dots this year and increase his intensity level.

Serron Noel, Oshawa (Florida)

Noel is a physical specimen who can dominate because of his size and skill combination. The power winger drives play through the middle of the ice.

Liam Foudy, London (Columbus)

Speed is the name of Foudy’s game. He will miss the start of the year with an injury, but will look to become a more consistent offensive player upon his return.

Akil Thomas, Niagara (Los Angeles)

Like Tomasino, it seems unlikely that Thomas finishes the year in Niagara. He will be a highly coveted player because of his playmaking ability.

Nick Robertson, Peterborough (Toronto)

Because of his skill level with the puck and his tenacity without it, Robertson is one of the most exciting players to watch in the OHL. If he can stay healthy, he should have a monster season.

Connor McMichael, London (Washington)

McMichael is a versatile forward who profiles best as a goal scorer. The Washington Capitals first rounder will likely need to do a lot of heavy lifting early in the year for London.

Wild Card #1 - Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie (Arizona)

It seems very likely that Hayton spends the year in Arizona as a checking line player. Should he return to Sault Ste. Marie on the other hand, he will be one of the top players in the OHL and the top NHL prospect.

Wild Card #2 - Bode Wilde, Saginaw (NY Islanders)

With the option to keep Wilde in the AHL for the season because he was drafted out of the USDP, it seems likely that that occurs. However, should he return to the OHL, Wilde will be able to play with an incredibly talented offensive group in Saginaw and would be a favorite to lead the league in defensive scoring.

Wild Card #3 - Ryan Merkley, Peterborough (San Jose)

The Merkley trade watch is still on. Still in San Jose’s camp as he awaits a new OHL team, Merkley’s talent level is undeniable. But his attitude has him about to play for his third OHL team in as many years.

Quinton Byfield on the Sudbury Wolves. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Top 2020 NHL Draft Prospects to Watch

Quinton Byfield, Sudbury

The name Eric Lindros has been thrown around recently because of how dominant Byfield can be below the hashmarks. His skating ability is tremendous for such a big player.

Jamie Drysdale, Erie

Drysdale is a beautiful skater himself and he uses this to impact the game both offensively and defensively. So hard to pin down in his own end, he is a breakout machine.

Cole Perfetti, Saginaw

“Goal” Perfetti, as TSN’s Craig Button calls him, is an offensive dynamo because of how well he processes the game with and without the puck.

Marco Rossi, Ottawa

Rossi is as slippery as an eel in the offensive end. He is undersized, but he plays with a lot of jam and has the skill set to match.

Jacob Perreault, Sarnia

A surprise cut from the Canadian Hlinka/Gretzky team, Perreault, the son of former NHL’er Yanic, is a terrific goal scorer who understands how to play without the puck in the offensive zone.

Antonio Stranges, London

Armed with an elusive 10 to 2 skating stride, dynamic puck skill, and a wicked backhand, Stranges is a human highlight reel. What kind of progress can other parts of his game make this year?

Jean Luc Foudy, Windsor

Brother to London’s Liam, Jean Luc is an equally gifted skater. As dangerous as he is as a playmaker in transition, Foudy will need to show that he can play through traffic more effectively.

Will Cuylle, Windsor

Power winger with a nice goal scorer’s touch. Cuylle has drawn comparisons to NHL’er James Van Riemsdyk for that reason. Needs to find a way to impact the game when he is not scoring.

Jaromir Pytlik, Sault Ste. Marie

With Hayton in Arizona, at least to start the year, the pressure will be on Pytlik to carry the offensive load in the Soo. After only playing half of last year, scouts will get a better look at him this year.

Ryan O’Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie

Hard-nosed defensive stalwart who will be looking to prove that he can be a two-way defender and possesses the offensive upside to be a high NHL draft pick.

OHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Brock Otten — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 18:24:24 +0000

The 2018/19 OHL season is underway but it is still early enough to preview the league and converse about some potential season highlights. Who are the contenders? Who are the pretenders? Who are some of the top NHL prospects to keep an eye on? And who are the top NHL draft prospects for 2019?

The Contenders

London Knights

Liam Foudy

Currently the top ranked team in the OHL in the weekly CHL rankings, the Knights also happen to be the top preseason favorite of most in the media. This team has it all; top end scoring talent; a strong defense; quality goaltending. After getting Adam Boqvist (Chicago) from Blackhawks camp, London is still waiting on a few other stars to be assigned; Evan Bouchard (Edmonton), Alex Formenton (Ottawa), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa). All three seem likely to start the year in the NHL and late October is probably a more likely arrival date, if it happens at all. A safe assumption would be that London gets at least one of the above. Until then, stars like Liam Foudy (Columbus), Alec Regula (Detroit), and Boqvist will need to pace the offense. In net, overager veteran Joseph Raaymakers and Jordan Kooy (Vegas) should combine to provide quality goaltending. As with any London team, depth is a serious strength. Once the situation surrounding their top players has been given closure, look for the Knights to use their depth to acquire a few big fish to put them over the top.

Oshawa Generals

This is a veteran squad that should be considered among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Team defense and goaltending are major strengths. At 6-1”, Nico Gross (NY Rangers) is the smallest defender who sees regular playing time, and Kyle Keyser (Boston) is a top contender for goaltender of the year. Up front, Jack Studnicka (Boston) is a serious candidate for the Red Tilson and the scoring title now that he has returned from a long stay at Bruins camp. Swiss import Nando Eggenberger (2019) is another player everyone has their eye on. Overager Matt Brassard (Vancouver) returned this past weekend too, and he should be one of the top defenseman in the OHL this season. The Generals are just a well balanced squad.

Niagara IceDogs

Along with Oshawa, the IceDogs are a preseason favorite to take home the Eastern title. Niagara has a very strong nucleus at forward with Akil Thomas (Los Angeles), Kirill Maksimov (Edmonton), Ben Jones (Vegas), and Ivan Lodnia (Minnesota), which should help them score a ton of goals. They also have a very mobile blueline, which may lack size, but makes up for it with speed, puck skill, and heart. Billy Constantinou (2019) is a player to watch here as one of the most dynamic young defenders in the OHL.

Saginaw Spirit

The Spirit received a bevy of media attention this off-season due to their recruiting efforts. The team brought in Bode Wilde (NY Islanders), Ivan Prosvetov (Arizona), and Cole Perfetti (2020). This was after they were able to bring Blade Jenkins (NY Islanders) into the fold last year. This team has a lot of depth and fans should be excited about the fact that this team is the favorite to take home the West Division. Cole Coskey (2019) is a player to watch as one of the most underrated players in the OHL. Perfetti is an electrifying offensive player and one of the top players in his age group in Ontario, as well as a potential lottery pick in 2020.

Ottawa 67’s

Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Maybe a year early to talk about the 67’s as a potential Memorial Cup contender, but make no mistake, this team is insanely talented. Not only do they have five NHL draft picks already, but they have several top prospects for the 2019 and 2020 drafts as well. Sasha Chmelevski (San Jose) is a top contender for the Red Tilson this year after a breakout last season. The progression he has shown as a prospect has been extremely encouraging. Austrian Import Marco Rossi (2020) is another name to watch. The recent import selection is currently touted as a potential top 5 pick in 2020 and he could have a Nico Hischier type impact for the 67’s. The only thing that this team is missing is a top flight goaltender. Look for them to go out and find one at some point. Worth noting that the 67’s currently have 12 second round picks over the next four OHL priority selections. That is some serious trade ammunition.

The Pretenders

Kingston Frontenacs

The Frontenacs loaded up last year to make a run at an OHL title that ultimately fell short. The cyclical nature of the CHL means that this team could struggle this year due to numerous high end graduations. Star Jason Robertson (Dallas) is still around, but he will be a top trade target at some point. The future of injured playmaker Gabe Vilardi (Los Angeles) also hangs in the balance as Kingston waits to see if they will get him back once he is healthy. But depth is an issue, as is goaltending. Kingston has to capitalize on a few solid trade assets to recoup what was lost previously.

Erie Otters

After an impressive four year run that saw the Otters compete for and win an OHL Championship, the time has come for this team to rebuild. There are still some solid veteran pieces in place that could keep the team afloat, like star overager Kyle Maksimovich. But this team does not have a single NHL affiliated player and that hurts. Hayden Fowler (2020), and Petr Cajka (2019) do give this team hope for the future.

Mississauga Steelheads

Another team that now lacks serious depth after some serious runs the previous years. Graduations and failed draft picks (like Jack Hughes) have left this team pretty sparse in a lot of areas heading into the year. They do have Owen Tippett (Florida) and Ryan McLeod (Edmonton) back in the fold and they should both be among the best players in the league this year. However, just how long they remain Steelheads remains to be seen.

North Bay Battalion

Like Erie, North Bay does not have a single NHL affiliated player. There is some solid firepower up front with overager Justin Brazeau, Brandon Coe (2020), and Matthew Struthers (2019), but depth is an issue. This is especially true on the back-end. The lack of experience on the blueline could mean that this North Bay team gives up a ton of goals. No Stan Butler coached Battalion team has ever given up 280+ goals against, but this year’s edition may be the first. And speaking of Butler, he is currently taking a leave of absence from behind the bench and that may be bad news for Battalion fans.

Flint Firebirds

Disastrous start to the year for the Firebirds. As of the creation of this article, Flint has yet to win and has given up an ugly 24 goals in 4 games. This team has talent, like Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), Fedor Gordeev (Toronto), and Dennis Busby (Arizona). But missing on the 6th overall Import selection this year (Jan Jenik) is a big black mark and the team just cannot seem to separate itself from the drama of their ownership under Rolf Nilsen.

Five Candidates for the Red Tilson

Nick Suzuki

Fresh off being the centerpiece of the Max Pacioretty deal, the new Montreal Canadiens prospect returns to the OHL and will look to the hit the 100 point plateau for the second year in a row. He is bound to miss some time for the WJC, but Suzuki only needs 92 points to pass Bobby Ryan as the Attack franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

Morgan Frost

Highest returning scorer from last year, the Flyers’ prospect should be a shoe-in for a spot in the top 5 in scoring. There were some who felt that Frost should have been the Red Tilson winner last year so maybe this is the year he takes it home. The Hounds offense has lost some talent to graduation, but there is enough remaining to give Frost the supporting pieces he needs.

Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Michael DiPietro

Reigning OHL Goaltender of the year, the Canucks prospect returns to Windsor to help a young team improve. DiPietro will likely be Canada’s starter at this year’s WJC. He is also a likely trade candidate, unless Windsor is pushing for the division. The talented netminder is one of the few gamebreakers at the position in the league.

Jack Studnicka

Nearly earned the 3rd line center spot in Boston with a strong training camp performance, but the Generals captain returns for a final OHL season and should be one of the league’s elite offensive catalysts. If the Generals are as good as many think they will be, he will be a top candidate for player of the year. His strong two-way play allows him to impact the game on so many different levels.

Sasha Chmelevski

It seems like so long ago that Chmelevski fell at the draft after a very poor draft year showing. He bounced back in a big way last year, re-inventing his game under new head coach Andre Tourigny. Now a committed player away from the puck, Chmelevski will look to lead a young Ottawa team to a championship, perhaps a year ahead of schedule.

Five Draft Eligibles to Monitor

Ryan Suzuki of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts)

After a strong Hlinka performance, Suzuki is off to a blazing hot start as one of the early leaders in OHL scoring. Suzuki, brother of Nick, is an exceptionally talented playmaker whose vision and puck skill are game breaking qualities. As of right now, Ryan looks like the lone potential candidate for the top 10 from the OHL.

Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Another of the early scoring leaders is also a draft eligible forward. Kaliyev had one of the best 16 year old seasons in recent memory after scoring 30+ goals last year. He looks to round out the rest of his game in Hamilton, improving his playmaking ability and play away from the puck to match his strength on the puck and NHL quality shot.

Matvey Guskov (London Knights)

An import selection by the Knights this year, Guskov has matched the high expectations thus far, averaging over a point per game. Guskov was one of only three OHL players mentioned on Bob McKenzie’s preseason draft ranking and the playmaking Russian forward looks like a serious first round candidate come June.

Blake Murray (Sudbury Wolves)

A big, power center who is being overshadowed a bit due to the arrival of top 2020 prospect Quinton Byfield. Murray possesses all the qualities that NHL teams look for in centers these days, with size, skating, and finishing ability. Murray has the potential to be that complete package.

Michael Vukojevic (Kitchener Rangers)

Vukojevic may not be the sexiest of defenders at this point. He is not yet a truly dynamic player, but he is as steady as they come and plays the game with the composure of a five year OHL veteran. His defensive acumen projects him to be, at the very least, a terrific stay at home top four defender at the NHL level. The question is, just how much offensive ability does he possess?