OHL – McKeen's Hockey

2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – CHASE REID, D, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Brock Otten — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:14:34 +0000

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 27: Switzerland's Kimi Koerbler #89 and USA's Chase Reid #25 battle for the puck during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on December 27, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

Chase Reid

2026 NHL Draft Eligible

Position: D, Shoots: R

H/W: 6-Foot-2, 188 Pounds

Date of Birth: 2007-12-30

What an interesting career arc it’s been for Reid so far in such a short amount of time. Last year, Reid was hit with a couple of wake-up calls; slaps in the face if you will, as he was cut from both the U.S. Hlinka/Gretzky Cup team and Waterloo of the USHL and pushed to the NAHL. Things were looking somewhat bleak for his NHL prospects, but then the light bulb just seemed to go on. He took the demotion in stride and performed well in the NAHL with Bismarck, then made the difficult decision to sign with the Soo Greyhounds, heading North of the border in December. Reid’s impact was felt immediately with 26 points in his first 21 games.

Fast forward to this year and things have exploded even further for Reid. He finds himself near the top of the league’s defenseman scoring race and on a strong Soo Greyhounds team. He also made the U.S. roster for the World Juniors and played a top four role. Needless to say, Reid has emerged as a serious contender for the top five of this year’s NHL draft because of his immense upside as a puck mover.

Reid is the prototype of the modern-day NHL puck moving defender. He’s got size at 6-foot-2, but is also explosive, skilled, and aggressive. He consistently attacks downhill and loves to play the game at a quick pace, utilizing his ability to blend power and skill to be an impactful transition player. Reid is also an excellent powerplay quarterback thanks to his heavy shot and critical thinking skills with the puck. A true dual threat at the top of the powerplay; Reid can hammer it or dish it. While there are some concerns over his defensive game and wavering physical engagement deep in the defensive zone, he has the frame and mobility to eventually become a quality two-way defender at the pro level, although some patience may need to be exhibited.

Thanks to the new NCAA eligibility rules, patience can truly be exhibited here, allowing Reid to polish his game. He’ll attend Michigan State as early as next season, and the NCAA will prove a great test for him defensively. Then, depending on how his development goes, he can turn pro and his NHL organization can take things from there. In a few years, Reid could easily develop into a Zach Werenski kind of player (or an Eric Desjardins for the older crowd) for his NHL team; a fixture in the top three and on the top powerplay unit.

Skating

From a technical standpoint, Reid is an excellent and proficient skater. He generates significant power in straight lines thanks to long, explosive strides, accelerating to top speed with only a few pushes. His speed is effortless and this allows him to glide, minimizing effort. He’ll then utilize linear crossovers to help him build speed while protecting the puck through coverage in the NZ and OZ. This allows him to be such an impactful transitional attacker. He is very aggressive as a rusher, consistently looking to gain the offensive zone with his rushes, often pushing deep in the OZ. He leads the OHL in entries via stickhandling among OHL defenders with an average of 3.5 per game. Reid is also hyper aggressive without the puck, looking to use his speed to create odd man rushes. He routinely beats opposing backcheckers up ice and earns scoring chances as the third- or fourth-man in.

Reid’s transitional agility is also a strong suit of his skating profile. He switches from forward to backwards stride effortlessly and because he picks up speed quickly, he is often first to dump ins and rarely gets hemmed inside his own end. He also takes great routes to these retrievals, allowing him to clear the zone with his feet, building speed out of turns well. Much like his offensive zone entries stat, Reid leads the OHL in successful breakouts and loose puck recoveries.

If there is a weakness in Reid’s skating ability, it’s his lateral quickness and explosiveness on his edges. Of course, the term weakness is relative because Reid is not poor in this area. However, he’s not as fluid or quick when changing direction as many other high end offensive defenders and powerplay quarterbacks. This does create some limitations for him as he looks to evade pressure at the point. He has to rely on his hands to create space or use his frame to help him protect the puck. To his credit, Reid recognizes this and makes extremely quick decisions with the puck. Occasionally, we’ll see him switch to the mohawk stride to help him work off the point and evade pressure, but it’s something he could utilize more. While creative and confident in transition, Reid is often a little more cautious once inside the zone. He’ll look to get the puck off his stick quickly or use the threat of his shot to help create exploitable lanes. Improving his explosiveness out of cuts and improving his lateral quickness will be key for Reid if he wants to be a topflight NHL powerplay quarterback.

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A good example of Reid’s explosive forward stride. He builds speed quickly and generates power through linear crossovers, which allows him to protect the puck and blow past a Flint defender.

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Another example of Reid’s linear power and quickness as he carves up the neutral zone and breaks in for a chance.

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Reid’s impact on the transition game can be profound. He secures the puck in his own end and then finishes the play off the other way, utilizing the mohawk stride to open up a shooting lane while getting to the net.

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As discussed, if there is a criticism of Reid’s skating it’s that he’s not incredibly dynamic on his edges or explosive laterally. A lot of his offense is generated in transition or from his ability to find open space to shoot. This will need to be a developmental focal point for him if he wants to be a top flight NHL powerplay quarterback.

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While Reid’s explosiveness on his edges could use work, his transitional mobility is quite good. This allows him to recover quickly from offense to defense and it makes him difficult to beat to retrievals. This is a great example.

GRADE: 55

Shot

This is one of the hallmarks of Reid’s game. He is a multi-faceted goal scorer from the back end and his high goal totals the last few seasons are no fluke. Reid has an excellent wrist shot and a lightning quick release. He can beat goaltenders clean because of the velocity/accuracy of it. Due to his wrist shot being such a weapon, he consistently uses the threat of it as a way to open up lanes through fakes and delays. He’ll fake his wrister to get shot blockers to commit or freeze, then work deeper in the offensive zone, or use toe drags to create a better shooting lane. Reid also one times pucks cleanly and is a major weapon from the left flank or the point of the powerplay because of this. Lastly, Reid has terrific hands for shooting in tight; he’s comfortable driving the net and finishing on either his backhand or forehand. This is a player who has a chance to be one of the higher goal scoring defenders in the NHL.

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Reid is so good at using shot fakes to help him freeze defenders, then he can exploit that by shooting, passing, or driving to help open up lanes further. He’s also excellent at getting his shot through traffic. Here we see both.

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The Reid one timer, an effective weapon for him to utilize…especially on the powerplay.

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Reid cuts this play off with a solid pinch and then makes no mistake with the wrister, an equally effective weapon for him.

GRADE: 57.5

Skills

There is absolutely no denying that Reid is one of the draft’s most skilled players, defender or forward. He routinely escapes pressure thanks to the fact that his feet and hands work completely in sync. Even operating at full speed; Reid’s typical breakneck pace, he rarely loses control of the puck and is able to not only gain the offensive zone but create chances by pushing deep into the zone with possession. He routinely turns defenders into pylons. Reid also uses this terrific puck control to help him escape pressure in the defensive zone, keeping the puck on a string to help him create the space necessary to start successful breakouts; he truly is a breakout machine. Although, he does need to trust his ability to escape pressure by making consistently better decisions (more on that in the “smarts” category).

Reid is also a terrific passer. He can thread the needle with stretch passes and rarely has to alter his pace to find seams or open teammates. Part of that has to do with his vision with the puck, but the other part is purely skill related. Reid is also so confident with the puck, comfortable drawing in pressure before passing off, again trusting that his hands and protection habits can help him maintain possession. It’s such an advantage for him to be over 6’2 with his skill level, because he can ward off attackers by keeping the puck out of reach or by shielding it in his hip pocket.

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This sequence on the powerplay gives you some insight into how Reid likes to play and is most effective; at a breakneck pace. He carves up the neutral zone and chips/chases when he identifies that he’s about to be boxed in. The pass into the slot is calculated as he briefly shoulder checks to see if his teammate is crashing the slot. Then he opens himself up as a passing option and is quickly in attack mode again, drawing in pressure before looking back door. You’d never be able to argue complacency in regards to Reid’s play with the puck.

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Reid is so aggressive offensively, always looking for opportunities to create odd man opportunities. This is a great example.

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Exhibit B from the World Juniors.

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Reid makes a smart pinch here to keep the puck and shows off his puck skill, basically playing “keep away” from four Flint defenders before dumping the puck in deep.

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As mentioned, Reid isn’t the most dynamic East/West skater, so he relies a lot on his hands and ability to blend cuts with strong puck protection skill to make plays deep in the offensive zone.

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As stated, so often we talk about a player’s hands not operating at the speed of their feet. Reid’s do and it allows him to play at such a quick pace. He plays through a defender while barely breaking stride.

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Reid is so good at using the threat of his shot to open up lanes to attack. Here he freezes the Kitchener defender and circles the net before finding Jordan Charron for a glorious scoring chance.

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Look at the precision and speed of this stretch pass that leads to a goal. Not a lot of defenders in junior hockey can make that play and thread that needle.

GRADE: 62.5

Smarts

To best break down Reid’s IQ, it is important to separate offensive and defensive responsibilities.

Offensively, Reid is a highly intelligent player. Last year, he struggled at times with turnovers from trying to force plays in the offensive zone or neutral zone. This year, he has really worked to limit those turnovers. Of course, a player like Reid is going to take liberties in the name of creating offense; you’ll need to live with the odd turnover if you want him to be creative. However, he has shown necessary growth in his decision making and is picking his spots better on when to be aggressive offensively. Where further growth is needed is in the defensive zone where he has a tendency to fire pucks into traffic under pressure to try to clear the zone, rather than use his feet, skill, and brain to find a better solution. While Reid’s breakout numbers are outstanding, he also leads the OHL in defensive zone turnovers this year.

Two things truly stand out that are representative of Reid’s excellent critical thinking skill as an offensive player. The first is that despite playing at such a ferocious pace, Reid rarely turns the puck over on the attack. He doesn’t need to alter pace to find passing lanes and has the vision with the puck to make plays at full speed. The second is that Reid is a very dangerous offensive weapon without the puck, consistently finding open space by timing cuts well or by picking spots to activate in transition.

Defensively, Reid’s more of a work in progress. He has an active stick in the defensive zone and can be disruptive to passing lanes. He’s at his best when he’s aggressive defending the neutral zone and able to flip the script quickly, turning defense into offense. Again, he has a penchant for jumping passing lanes in these situations and this has a profoundly positive impact on his team’s transition game. However, in zone coverage he can get a little lost. He can chase the puck and lose positioning, often not from a desire to cheat in the name of offensive creation, but from simply trying to do too much. As a transitional defender, his gap control is inconsistent, and he can be too passive; he needs to be more decisive at times. He has the length and mobility to be an excellent downhill defender, but he needs to fine tune his decision making and make a concerted effort to be aggressive all the time, because that’s when he’s at his best. Can these shortcomings be improved upon? I believe so as Reid gains more experience and is coached further.

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When we talk about good routes and scanning habits for retrievals, this is what we’re talking about. It’s such a subtle play, but these make a huge difference. Reid shoulder checks to ensure that he’s got the forechecker behind him, then he approaches the puck in a position to attack, rather than pinning it along the wall and this allows the Soo to break out cleanly. Reid is often tactical with his breakouts when he has time/space because of this.

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Exhibit B. Reid shoulder checks and knows that he has the far side to escape pressure, so he retrieves the puck and uses this momentum to start the breakout, pushing deep into the offensive zone.

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This is such a great example of Reid’s poise with the puck and quick thinking skill. A great rush, but it’s the end of the play that is impressive as Reid passes back to the point at the perfect time before skating himself into trouble. A lot of young offensive defenders don’t see that play and either have to pivot and dump the puck back in or they turn the puck over.

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A tremendous play from the WJC round robin against Slovakia. Reid secures the dump in and then finds the streaking Teddy Stiga in the slot who helps facilitate the goal. This really shows his vision and scanning habits.

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While Reid’s defensive zone coverage is inconsistent, he does have a solid stick and good anticipation in the defensive end. Here’s an example of that with him bailing out D-partner Callum Croskery.

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Reid can be very aggressive defending the neutral zone and he’s most effective when he makes plays like this. A terrific read to blow this play up and then his shot attempt helps to generate the goal.

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This was a much-discussed play at one of the CHL/NTDP Prospect Challenge games. Was this Daxon Rudolph’s fault? Was it Chase Reid’s? Was it both? The bottom line is that you’ll need to live with the odd turnover and resulting goal from offensively oriented defenders like Reid. Rudolph put him in a terrible position under pressure with his flub, but Reid’s resulting flub is equally to blame.

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When talking about Reid’s head for the game defensively, doubters point to plays like this. Reid just follows the puck and gets himself completely out of position, allowing the Rangers free passage to the net front for the goal. From a defensive perspective, he definitely needs to chase the play less. That, ultimately, comes from a desire to want to earn touches and counter offensively, but there needs to be trust in system structure and in teammates.

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Like many junior defenders, Reid does have a tendency to try to force plays occasionally, or not make quick enough decisions with the puck in his own end when pressured. He’s really learned to trust his feet more and rarely gets hemmed in his own end in the OHL, but at least a few times a game, a play like this occurs where he just doesn’t do enough and a neutral zone turnover occurs. Sam Dickinson had some similar issues and it’s just something defenders need to work out before they hit the pro level. On the flip side, you could argue a neutral zone turnover is better than a defensive zone one, which Reid rarely is guilty of.

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Another example. Too often Reid just opts to try to wildly get pucks out and it ends up as a turnover from his own end. He’s too skilled and too smart for this. He needs to find a way to make more composed plays when he doesn’t see a passing or skating lane.

GRADE: 55

Physicality/Compete

This is the area of Reid’s game that is often pointed to as his largest weakness and with good reason; it’s by far the most inconsistent component of his game.

Mentioned in the previous section, Reid is at his best when he’s aggressive and assertive physically. When he’s defending high and denying clean entries, forcing dump ins by cutting off attackers, he’s extremely effective as a defender. This is because when Reid is on the ice, teams rarely are able to establish possession through the dump and chase. However, because of how active Reid is offensively, he’s often tasked with having to defend as a backchecker, having to pick up checks in coverage quickly while trying to recover positioning. It is then that he starts chasing. What makes this somewhat problematic is that he doesn’t win enough 50/50 battles for the puck, especially below the hash marks. He will often make an initial hit to try to dislodge possession, but he has difficulty pinning to prevent movement through the cycle. If he’s not the first player to the puck, he gets in trouble.

But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Reid does show some bite to his game. He can bring a physical edge. It’s not consistent, but it’s present. The key for him is to simply get stronger so that he’s not overwhelmed when defending below or near the goal line. That’s where Michigan State will come in handy; less game time and more time in the gym to advance physically. Reid will never be a high-end physical defender, but there’s reason to believe that as he matures physically, he could at least be average in this department.

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As mentioned, Reid is at his best when he defends aggressively, attacking early to deny attackers. This is a great example as he steps up outside the blueline to disrupt a clean entry, even using his body effectively.

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I absolutely love this play by Reid. He’s a competitive player by nature and this is a great example of that. Attack the middle, then completely outwork the Windsor defender to get to the puck to set up the goal.

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When it comes to Reid’s defensive intensity level, these are the kinds of plays people point to as concerning. Here is Reid defending fellow 2026 top prospect Ethan Belchetz one on one and he’s just way too soft on him, allowing him to corral the rebound for the wrap around goal.

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Here’s another play below the hash marks that sees Reid fail to tie up his man, resulting in a goal. He just needs to get stronger along the wall to be more effective at winning those 50/50 battles; to be more effective at pinning and taking away space.

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Conversely, here’s the opposite. A great play physically to separate his man from the puck, then he successfully initiates the breakout that leads to a Greyhounds’ goal.

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A couple of poor defensive plays by Reid from the WJC’s. First from the Slovakia game. In the first clip he’s not aggressive enough defending this attack. He could have negated that chance with an aggressive stick check or stepped up physically, but his passiveness allows the Slovak player way too much time and space. The second clip is more indecisiveness defending a two on one. He bites on the pass way too early and gives up a clear shooting lane. The third clip is against Sweden with the U.S. on the powerplay. Reid initially defends this odd man advantage well, communicating with the backchecker, as he picks up the puck carrier. But he fails to close the gap, again, and a goal is scored.

GRADE: 50

OFP: 55.75

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

State of Hockey During the Global Pandemic

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 20:58:40 +0000

With the NHL finally underway, now is as good a time as any to run through the leagues the McKeen's Scouting team covers. We reached out to all members of our team to get quick run-downs of what is happening in rinks in their territories. In no particular order, here is what they sent.

Ontario – from Brock Otten

In Ontario, the concept and outlook of competitive hockey is looking quite bleak. Even with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators given the green light by the provincial government to play, junior and minor hockey has taken a backseat due to the climbing positive COVID case rate and the current province-wide lockdown. Due to this, many Ontario players have gone overseas to play, such as Brandt Clarke in Slovakia, and Brennan Othmann in Switzerland. The latest trend out West had top WHL players heading to the USHL to play and one has to wonder how long before we see some OHL players follow that same path.

Tier 2 hockey did manage to start their season in some capacity. The CCHL, OJHL, and GOJHL managed to start training camps and play in some exhibition games (depending on region and level of lockdown). However, the OHL has not yet begun, with the league having already pushed back their start date twice; it is currently on permanent hiatus with no known start date. The WHL has recently stated an intent and commitment to playing a shortened season and one has to wonder if the OHL will be far behind. What that season would look like remains to be seen. My best guess suggests it would involve some type of regional bubble, or mini tournament format like the QMJHL plans to adapt. Finances are currently the biggest hurdle as ownership groups are certainly likely to feel the crunch without fans in the seats. One thing is certain though, the province's top players will find a way to play hockey elsewhere if no plan comes to fruition. Losing players to the USHL is a future recruiting nightmare for the league in a battle that they are losing more than ever before.

Russia – from Viktor Fomich

At this point I think it can be said that hockey in Russia has learned how to live in the World of Pandemics (even though it obviously isn't easy), as hockey is up and running in the Russian leagues and you can already feel it's not too long until the start of the playoffs in March. Most of the prospects have already established themselves in their respective roles for this season with the only question remaining for the U20 WJC team's players: will they be able to bounce back after a rather disappointing result there? They are certainly expected to, so it will be interesting to follow them in their KHL and VHL teams.

As for the first-year draft-eligible players, most of the action is ongoing in the MHL, where majority of the prospects of that age play. Things are heading to the playoffs there too, but it should be kept in mind that if the U18 WJC will eventually happen, a lot of the top prospects will be released to the U18 National Team camp at that time. Speaking of top prospects, don't forget to at least occasionally check on the 2023 draft prospect Matvei Michkov — it might be early, but he looks pretty special so far.

Sweden – from Jimmy Hamrin

It was a tough decision for Swedish draft prospects last week. The Swedish hockey federation acknowledged that there will be no more junior hockey this season. That means the 12 to 20 games the teams have played until mid-November in the J20 Nationell (formerly named SuperElit) is all we will get to see from a large portion of the draft eligible prospects this season. The top three men’s leagues and the top women’s league will all continue to play without spectators and with cancelling of games if teams have an outbreak, which has made the standings and the scheduling a mess but there is no serious talk of cancelling the season like they did last spring.

Top ranked draft eligibles like Jesper Wallstedt, Simon Edvinsson, William Eklund, Fabian Lysell, Isak Rosén, Simon Robertsson, Oskar Olausson and so on play in the SHL right now, but only Wallstedt and Eklund have earned big roles on their respective team. The other named players here will be tougher to fully evaluate as they are only playing in limited roles. The depth prospects for the draft will look to get loaned out to lower leagues, but I suspect many of them will not play at all this spring. As for Sweden’s neighbors in Norway and Denmark, it is also only their top leagues that are still playing. The top league in Norway is on a temporary pause as of January 9^th due to the pandemic but there are still plans to finish the season.

Finland – from Marco Bombino

The leagues that operate under the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation were on hiatus during December 2020. However, the play has since resumed in many leagues in January, including the U20 SM-sarja, U18 SM-sarja and U16 SM-sarja. However, the COVID-19 situation varies in different regions in the country. In Southern Finland, many junior teams are not allowed to play at the moment due to the restrictions. Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, is currently running, however many Liiga games have been postponed recently, so the situation seems quite uncertain and unstable.

US, East – from Jashvina Shah

Hockey in the eastern U.S. has been shaky, at best, this year. The ECAC is down to just four active teams — Colgate, Clarkson, St. Lawrence and Quinnipiac, after the Ivy League schools decided to cancel all winter sports. RPI and Union also opted not to play this season. In the Hockey East conference, no teams opted out of the season. But even for the teams playing, the season has been filled with schedule changes, postponements, cancellations and delays as schools are dealing with positive cases on their teams. Boston University, for example, didn’t play a hockey game until January. Ivy League players have either transferred, opted back for juniors or headed down to a bubble in Tampa Bay for a chance to practice against each other.

New England Prep Schools have also been silent thus far this season, although at least a few are expected to begin their hockey campaigns in the upcoming month.

Czech Republic – from Derek O’Brien

As has been the case in most places in the world, the 2020-21 hockey season in the Czech Republic has been quite different. While it started in September in a relatively normal fashion, rising COVID cases forced a nationwide shutdown of all organized sports in mid-October. Following the implementation of strict hygienic measures, the Extraliga and second-tier Chance Liga restarted a few weeks later, but everything else – youth, junior and senior – remains paused.

Of course, all pro games since the restart have been played with no fans in attendance, and that is a shame because several players who played in North America last season – including recent World Juniors Lukas Parik (LA), Nick Malik, Jaromir Pytlik (NJ), Jan Mysak (MTL), Michal Teply (CHI), Simon Kubicek and Pavel Novak (MIN) – returned home. Due to lockdowns and quarantines, Mysak and Teply only played a handful of games and are now at NHL camps. Some drafted prospects who played a good portion of the season but have now returned to their NHL organizations include defenseman Filip Hronek and winger Filip Zadina (both DET) and winger David Kase (PHI) – who all performed exceptionally for their respective Extraliga clubs – as well as Radim Zohorna (PIT) and Lukas Jasek (VAN). Others who are remaining to finish the season include Jakub Lauko (BOS) and Lukas Rousek (BUF), the latter of whom has 23 points in 31 games for Sparta Prague.

Underage defensemen Stanislav Svozil (2021) and David Jiricek (2022) continue to play beyond their years, showing the poise they displayed against older opponents at the World Junior Championship.

Despite a tough winter COVID-wise for the country, the top two Czech hockey leagues continue on and seem to have a routine down that will see them finish on schedule. As for other levels, current government measures last until January 22, but expensive testing protocols means it’s unlikely we’ll see a restart before spring.

Germany – from Chapin Landvogt

As we rapidly approach mid-January, all of Germany’s most important pro and junior circuits are up and running. This is a very good thing for prospect watchers in these parts. Nonetheless, we would like to focus some attention on several undrafted Germans who just presented their wares to the international community at the WJC. The most notable was very young overage center Florian Elias, who we here at McKeen’s had ranked 145th in last fall’s draft rankings. We might add that you’ll have found nary a publication out there with Elias among the top 200 prospects, much less the top 150.

At the WJC, the undersized terrier, who admittedly lacks an extra skating gear, proved to be the perfect complement to drafted wingers Tim Stutzle and JJ Peterka, assuming plenty of the defensive duties, creating space, and finding ways to get some pucks to his highly touted linemates. His toolkit included an underappreciated wrist shot, accurate passes, deceptive weaving abilities, and strong core strength allowing him to not only resist heavy checks, but impressively push back in the process.

Nonetheless, his intangibles seem to be what made him one of the tournament’s most effective overall players. Elias presented a highly effective presence in both the slot and the net front. He hounded the opposition on the forecheck, often forcing deadly turnovers. He stepped up to the plate to create timely offense when his team needed it most. Overall, he was highly effective on second and third efforts. His entire package seemed built around getting things done - and doing so at the highest possible level of junior hockey, of which he had no prior experience.

Questions will abound about his pro prospects due to his size and lack of speed, if nothing else, but he has since returned to the Mannheim Adler of the DEL with nine WJC points in tow (plus a team high -2 among players who suited up for all five games) and has already worked his way into action as the Adler’s second line center with former Coyote property Matthias Plachta and former Calgary Flame David Wolf. No points yet, but Elias has been in the middle of several outstanding offensive opportunities, continuing to build upon that “little engine that could” vibe he just keeps emitting.

WJC teammate Lucas Münzenberger also used the tournament to soundly make his way into the scouts’ notebooks. The 6-2”, 198-pound defenseman took part in his team’s opening face-off and basically never looked back. Having only just turned 18 in November, Lucas showed immense readiness to play a heady, physical game, and logged an enormous amount of ice time with just under 22 minutes per game. For those in the know, the package of size, skating, and reading the game, as well as some very capable first passes out of the zone, is exactly the type of thing any organization wants to see out of such a young and raw prospect with the potential to be a late round pick, especially one few have seen before this event.

Like Elias, Münzenberger has never come close to playing at this level of junior hockey, having missed out on a U18 opportunity last spring when the worlds were cancelled. In fact, due to his college commitment (University of Vermont, 22-23), he’s only seen action in Germany’s DNL junior league, meaning he hasn’t gotten a sniff of pro play there unlike fellow German blueline minute munchers (all overagers) Max Glötzl, Simon Gnyp, and Mario Zimmermann. More on each of them in upcoming reports (as well as the gobs of U19 players who have been showing up in line-ups across the DEL, DEL2, and Oberliga), but for now, you can rest assured that Münzenberger is going to be watched closely by NHL scouts from here on out in this, his initial draft year.

Switzerland – from Chapin Landvogt

While league hockey in Switzerland is roughly fully operational, this past WJC was not one to write home about for Team Switzerland. Had it not been for a furious final 10 minutes against Team Germany, the Swiss may have only scored one goal altogether. In total, it had five in four games and not a single point as a team, getting shut out on two occasions. This did not bode particularly well for a few Swiss prospects, many of whom came into the tournament needing to show just what the scouting community can expect of them. The only players on the team to register multiple points were the draft eligible forward Dario Allenspach and defenseman Noah Meier, both of whom will still be 18 by next summer’s draft and are playing pro hockey back home. The former also displayed some nice hockey sense and gumption throughout the four games and may garner further attention depending on what he continues to do for Zug Academy in the 2nd tier SL pro league, where he currently has six points in 17 games. He has also played several games for Zug in the top tier NL. His name bears watching.

Speaking of pro play, mid-sized defenseman Janis Moser is up for an NHL draft for the final time, turning 21 shortly before next July. A bit like was the case with the New York Islanders’ Sebastian Aho several years back, there are some in the scouting community who have been surprised that Moser hasn’t at least been taken on a flyer. He is in his third full season of NL play and has appeared for Switzerland at several WJCs and a U18 Worlds. The mobile defender is looking to give NHL teams plenty to think about this season, currently sporting 5-14- 19 and +6 in 23 games.

In the junior circuit, one of the clearly most interesting players has been half-Thai, half-Swiss Liekit Reichle, a 6-1”, 183-pound forward who will be turning 18 in just a little over a week. Despite his youth, he has already dressed for five SL games this season (GC Küsnacht) and is second overall in scoring in Switzerland’s top U20 circuit. There, he has accumulated 10 goals and 41 points in just 26, good for second overall in a league that features plenty of players several years older. We would also like to point out that in addition to Swiss overager Simon Knak (captain of the U20 squad), each of Dman Brian Zanetti, forward Attilio Biasca, and forward Lorenzo Canonica are scheduled to play for CHL junior clubs at some point this season.

Slovakia – from Matej Deraj

Despite the country being in a lockdown, both Slovak professional leagues are still running. The youth competitions and amateur leagues are currently stopped and are not expected to return. On the other hand, Tipos Extraliga (top tier league) is currently in the middle of the regular season. Having been postponed at the beginning, the games are being played on newly set dates. The league has dealt with COVID outbreaks in all teams and quarantine quite well.

There have been very few, close to zero in fact, positive cases in recent months. The second-tier league (I. liga, also called SHL – Slovak Hockey League) is being played as well. Because of youth competitions in the other countries are being cancelled or postponed, I. liga has welcomed a solid number of new additions. An OHL trio consisting of Donovan Sebrango (Red Wings), Keean Washkurak (Blues) and Tag Bertuzzi (undrafted) has most recently joined HK Levice. Tag´s father, very well-known former NHLer Todd Bertuzzi, is in Slovakia as well.

One of the main candidates for the #1 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, right-shot defenseman Brandt Clarke, also unexpectedly went to the Slovak Extraliga. Alongside his brother Graeme (a Devils prospect), they have both joined HC Nove Zamky. However, they are still getting used to the speed and size of the older players. Brandt is scoreless after six games, while Graeme has recorded one assist in five matches. Five Canadians are doing better in Liptovsky Mikulas: Tyler Tullio (Oilers), Allan McShane and William Portokalis are close to being point-per-game. Out of the local prospects, 2022 eligible defenseman Simon Nemec continues to impress the most. He played his best game a few days ago, scored a pretty one-timer goal and added two assists in a 5-2 win for HK Nitra against DVTK. Martin Chromiak (Kings), Filip Mesar (2022) and some other guys have returned from the World Juniors and they are back in the lineup as well.

WHL/AJHL – from Vince Gibbons

After months of negative news this past weekend was a ray of sunshine for Junior hockey in Western Canada. The WHL announced its intention to play a minimum 24 game season to start as appropriate with various local Health and Government guidelines and support. Since the cancelation of the Memorial Cup last year Junior hockey has fallen on hard times. Covid-19 has affected the WHL’s four provinces, and the US division dramatically, and at different times making it very difficult to maintain a positive outlook for a season and yet now there is some light. There is a still a long journey to get to a potential late February start date but having something positive on the hockey horizon feels good. Byron Hackett, a local reporter, recently talked with Red Deer Rebels Owner and GM Brent Sutter, which provided some fascinating insight into what is going on behind the scenes, especially the acknowledgement that they knew they were not going to be able to start up with fans from the beginning.

Alberta (Red Deer where I am based) has been one of the more impacted provinces in Canada when it comes to Covid-19. Initially, the Health and Government Authorities were on board for provincial games allowing the WHL (modified to in-province games only) and the AJHL to begin but in the weeks leading up into Christmas a severe spike in cases forced further Government restrictions and the AJHL season was put on pause after just getting started. That small start mattered, particularly for the players. A number of WHL players with higher level aspirations were released short term from their WHL clubs to join various AJHL, SJHL and MJHL teams. This enabled a number of prospects to find ice time, competitive practices, and even a chance to play some preseason game and regular season games. A quick look at the AJHL scoring lead shows a lot of familiar WHL names, with Matt Savoie, Spencer Moe, and Dylan Guenther all in the top ten of the frozen leader board right now. The increased competition for spots didn’t hurt two intriguing AJHL regulars either as both Breck McKinley and Corson Ceulemans torched the league in a very small sample size (four & two games respectively).

Despite the limited game action in Alberta so far this season there is plenty of video (Thanks to Instat Hockey) and lot of notes from previous seasons it would be misleading to send out a ranked list at this point. Instead, here is an alphabetical list of guys that I can’t wait to see again, hopefully by early March. Not everyone on this list is a first-round talent, but each of these guys does something that is intriguing and I am curious about how much improvement and development there has been in the near 10 months since they played a competitive game. I am also fascinated to see if someone comes out of left field who has taken full advantage of the extended break and committed to improving enough to give them a chance at being drafted.

Below stats from shortened 2019-2020 season

Carson Lambos, Winnipeg ICE (57GP-8G-24-32PTs-32PIMs)

Cole Sillinger, Medicine Hat Tigers (48GP-22G-31A-53Pts-22PIMs) – since moved to Sioux Falls, of the USHL

Colton Dach, Saskatoon Blades (62GP-11G-18A-29Pts-45PIMs)

Connor Roulette, Seattle Thunderbirds (54GP-19G-20A-39Pts-21PIMs) *played 3 MJHL games in 2020

Corson Ceulemans, AJHL Brooks Bandits (44GP-5G-30A-55Pts-80PIMs) *played 5 AJHL games in 2020

Dru Krebs, Medicine Hat Tigers (55GP-3G-10A-13Pts-30PIMs) *played 1 AJHL game in 2020

Dylan Guenther, Edmonton Oil Kings (58GP-26G-33A-59Pts-22PIMs) *played 4 AJHL games in 2020

Eric Alarie, Moose Jaw Warriors (61GP-7G-14A-21Pts-4PIMs) *played 1 MJHL game in 2020

Jayden Grubbe, Red Deer Rebels (57GP-6G-23A-29Pts-46PIMs)

Logan Stankoven, Kamloops Blazers (59GP-29G-19A-48Pts-10PIMs)

Nolan Allen, Prince Albert Raiders (58GP-2G-6A-8Pts-25PIMs) *played 5 games in SJHL in 2020

Ryder Korczak, Moose Jaw Warriors (62GP-18G-49A-67Pts-16PIMs)

Sebastian Cossa, Edmonton Oil Kings (33GP-21W-6L-3T-2.23GAA-.921Sv%)

Zack Stringer, Lethbridge Hurricanes (48GP-11G-23A-34Pts-22PIMs) *played 4 games in the AJHL in 2020

BCHL – from Arlo Schulz

It has been a frustrating state of events for the BCHL, with the league intending to play a full season without fans in the building. However, the health authorities in the province of British Columbia scotched that scenario when case levels rose sharply in the fall. The province had been one of the most relaxed in the country in terms of restrictions during the first wave of the pandemic but reacted to the rising numbers by putting a moratorium on contact sports in the province. As a result, the BCHL has been forced to continue pushing back the start of the campaign.

The latest target date for return to play is February 8th, should the current sports ban be lifted. The BCHL commissioner has insisted that the league is determined to play this season. Current restrictions do thankfully allow for individual on-ice skills and drills and teams have been busy preparing and keeping players in shape. Some teams played pre-season games before the restrictions hit; the Penticton Vees were supposed to host this year's Centennial Cup and won a mini-tournament against other Okanagan-based BCHL teams.

Several players (notably including Ayrton Martino and Jack Bar) left their BCHL team to go play in the USHL this season; the deadline for this transfer just passed so there shouldn't be any more defections. The expectation is for a very short regular season to still be completed in some fashion, followed by playoffs if possible, giving scouts some limited viewings of 2021-eligible players. Whether those viewings will be conducted via video (likely) or live attendance at the rink (hopefully) remains to be seen.

NCHC – from Tom Dorsa

In October, the National Collegiate Hockey Association unveiled its plans for the 2020-21 season, beginning the pursuit of the Penrose Cup with the implementation of “The Pod,” the secure zone in Omaha, Nebraska in which its eight member schools played from December 1-20 while schools were finishing fall semesters.

Playing 38 games in 21 days at Baxter Arena, the NCHC provided its programs, players, and fans with a leg to stand on, a start to a season with an end hopefully better than the last campaign. But with “The Pod” wrapped up and programs situating themselves back to their respective campuses around the American North and Northwest, the NCHC enters the unknown -- and they will have just as many fires to put out as the rest of the leagues around the game.

While the geographics of conference play has been made easier with the introduction of the West and East divisions, new to the 2020-21 season, the conference has already had to shift around scheduling of games, including a large slate of heavyweight matchups such as North Dakota vs Denver and Minnesota-Duluth vs St. Cloud State being delayed.

While COVID case numbers skyrocket in the United States, the NCHC has enacted a strict contract tracing and quarantine regimen for any type of situation. Hockey in early 2021 without the implications of the pandemic is impossible, but the conference has done well in terms of keeping players and team staff safe while ensuring competitive integrity.

And from a perspective of competition, the NCHC is red hot. Prior to the abrupt cancellations of conference tournaments and the NCAA Frozen Four, teams in the conference were preparing for potential lengthy runs through the postseason. North Dakota (3), Minnesota-Duluth (5), Denver (6), and Western Michigan (16) were all nationally recognized in the final USCHO rankings. The NCHC has taken home each of the last four NCAA national championships.

These schools are truly incredible and have a long history of running the table in college hockey. These young players deserve this. Safely and responsibly, let’s rejoice.

QMJHL – from Benoit Belanger

The QMJHL is fortunate to be the only one of the three Canadian junior leagues (CHL) to have played games this season. In principle, the QMJHL will be back next week from January 22. The league has decided to operate with mini bubbles which it calls "protected environments". During the first weekend (January 22 to 24), four cities (Drummondville, Rimouski, Chicoutimi and Shawinigan) were chosen and will host two other teams who will each play two games in three days. So, in total, we are talking about seven bubbles in four different cities, which will allow the 12 teams in Quebec territory to play games, eight games for each team.
For the Maritimes, we are still awaiting a decision to be made. The league hopes to resume a regular schedule from January 22 for those teams.

In addition, the league announced a new playoff format for this season, that will allow all 18 teams to take part. Regarding the playoff format, the QMJHL also indicated that the regular season standings will be determined by percentage of points collected, as it is already ensured that all teams will not play the same number of games. However, it is the format of the playoffs that will be particularly new, as the number of teams (18) is not a multiple of (nor divisible by) four (2, 4, 8 or 16).

Remember that the teams are divided into three divisions of six teams each (West, East, Maritimes).

In the first round, the teams that finished the season ranked three through six in each of the three divisions will compete for the right to then face in the second round the teams ranked first and second who have each benefited from a bye. For the next round, in the Province of Quebec, the weaker team remaining in the East Division will face the best in the West Division, and vice versa for the other series. In the Maritimes, it will be a traditional division final.

After that, an unusual procedure will be introduced, namely a round robin between the three remaining teams. They will compete twice, and a ranking will be established. The top two teams in this one will face off in a best of seven, or best of five final if needed.

The duration of the previous rounds will be established no later than April 1.

The trades period currently in progress in the QMJHL is extended in an exceptional allowance, until January 25. The most active for the moment have definitely been the Val-d'Or Foreurs. They added forward Nathan Légaré (2019 Pittsburg Penguins 3^rd round pick) and defender Jordan Spence (2019 Los Angeles King 4^th round pick), who will join Jacob Pelletier and Justin Ducharme, both acquired in the draft. Otherwise, among the other big names that have changed address, note Shawn Element who is now a Tigres de Victoriavilles, Isaac Belliveau acquired by the Gatineau Olympiques and Justin Bergeron who will wear the colors of the Shawinigan Cataractes.

AHL – from Shaiyena Cote

In a season unlike any other, where sports have had to take a back seat to the bigger issue of Covid-19, many sports leagues and seasons have already been put on hold. The American Hockey League is no exception and had been placed on hold with simply a hopeful start date. That hopeful start date has now turned into a very real and fast approaching February 5th start date that has been approved and ready to go by league commissioners. That being said, there are a few notable changes that will be made for the 2021 AHL season.

Firstly, the season will be shortened due to the late start date to only 26 games and a new division will be formed amongst the Canadian teams in agreement with border rules. Therefore, in the AHL Eastern Conference there will now be three divisions; the Atlantic, Canadian and the North division. More structural changes also include the relocation of certain AHL teams for the season, such as the Ontario Reign (LA), San Diego Gulls (Anaheim), Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) and the Providence Bruins (Boston) to their new homes in El Segundo, CA, Irvine, CA, Newark, NJ, and Marlborough, MA, respectively. There are also three teams that have pulled out of the season all together; the Charlotte Checkers (FLA), Milwaukee Admirals (NASH) and Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) have agreed to not play the season and so far, the Predators have elected to send their players to the AHL Chicago Wolves to join the Carolina Hurricanes’ prospects for the season, combining to form a mixed Chicago Wolves roster. The Panthers have chosen to affiliate the Springfield Thunderbirds with Tampa Bay and send their players to join the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch for the season. St. Louis will be sending its prospects to play with the Vancouver AHL affiliate in Utica, New York.

Along with league and structural changes at the AHL level, the NHL has also seen its fair share of what do we do moments. For health and safety and contingency reasons the NHL has adopted a Taxi Squad system for the 2021 season, essentially going from a 23-man roster to a 29-man roster with six extra players travelling and practicing with the team who are available to play in any situation. With potentially six more players moved up to their NHL squads, that leaves some very important and heavily weighted room for some of the AHL rosters that have CHL eligible prospects. So far, the QMJHL is set to get back to their bubble running format a week from now once the players have finished Christmas break quarantine but where do the NHL prospects that were set to return to their OHL and WHL teams go when there are no start dates for either league in place yet? The answer is that they will most likely be seeing some development time up with their NHL farm teams for now until further notice. Look for some young faces to potentially make their professional debuts this AHL season and for the benefitting major junior clubs to be able to up their competition level when the entire CHL gets rolling again.

Despite the fact that there are many new changes to come about, hockey fans and hockey people alike can rejoice at the fact that, yes indeed, hockey is back.

Big Ten – from Ryan Wagman

Aside from some changes to the usual non-conference slate of games, the seven schools of the Big Ten conference (Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) are playing a relatively normal schedule for the 2020-21 season.

To replace the lost competition against various out-of-conference schools, the conference has welcomed Arizona State to play four games against each team – with all of those games occurring at the home rink of the regular Big Ten school. It is unknown if this arrangement might lead to a permanent spot in the Big Ten for ASU going forward, even if such an arrangement has been speculated before.

The teams are all now slightly past their respective halfway points, having played 13 or 14 games each. After a few dark years, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have been heads and shoulders better than all the other schools. At the other end, Michigan State has still not been able to escape the basement, while Ohio State and Penn State have similarly struggled to overcome some critical graduations. Arizona State has played respectably, but the still fresh NCAA Division I entrant has a ways to go to truly compete with Big Ten programs.

The regular season is scheduled to run through early March and the conference tournament is scheduled for March 18-20.

In other words, there is still plenty of time to catch the three huge 2021 draft prospects from Michigan – Owen Power, Matty Beniers, and Kent Johnson – before the strange season draws to a close.

USHL – from Ryan Wagman

It only took a pandemic, but in the 2020-21 season, the USHL has the top collection of draft eligible talent in North America. It wasn’t without bumps, of course. Before the season even started, both the Madison Capitols and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders were forced to shut up shop for the season. The Capitols were not allowed to play due to local county restrictions against such gatherings. The RoughRiders had to skip this season due to a wholly unrelated event, that being the derecho which tore through Central Iowa last August, which practically destroyed their home arena, along with many other local buildings. Outside of those two AWOL franchises, the biggest changes to this year have been the lack of a season-opening tournament in Pittsburgh or a mid-season All Star game. No matter, the games go on.

The remaining 14 teams have been playing since early November, split into a six team Eastern Conference and an eight team Western Conference. As per usual in recent seasons, the Chicago Steel have been running away with the league, with only three regulation losses in their first 19 games.

Attendance rules vary per team, depending on local and/or state regulations. I am based in the Chicago area and the Steel are limited to scouts and media at their games. In the bulk of games I have attended so far, I have estimated between 15-40 people in the stands.

As alluded to in some of the other sections above, the USHL this year has been augmented by top talents from various CHL or Canadian Jr. A leagues, with a new influx of talent joining the league since the end of the WJC. The lack of hockey in the Ivy League schools, for instance, has allowed drafted players including John Farincci (Muskegon), Henry Thrun (Dubuque), and Jack Malone (Youngstown) to spend some time in the USHL, the first two of those three as a means of preparation for their time with the American WJC roster. Uncertainty in the WHL and BCHL has brought in more talent, including drafted players Bear Hughes (Fargo), Cross Hanas (Lincoln), and Keinan Draper (Omaha). Intriguing 2021 eligibles who have lately joined the league from the BCHL include Ayrton Marino (Omaha) and Jack Bar (Chicago), with WHL transplants including potential first rounder Cole Sillinger (Sioux Falls), Jack O’Brien (Lincoln) and James Stefan (Lincoln).

The USHL regular season is scheduled to run through April 24, barring any addition schedule re-arrangements, whether due to the pandemic, or other, more prosaic reasons.

OHL: Ryan O’Rourke, D, Sault Ste Marie (2020)

Brock Otten — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 14:45:00 +0000

Defenders like Ryan O’Rourke are more rare than they used to be with the changes being made to the game. That said, there will always be a place for a blueliner who can hit hard, defend well, skate well, and use his heavy shot as a weapon. Throw in his leadership capabilities (he was recently named the captain of the Greyhounds as a 17 year old) and you have a quality defensive prospect. While his high-end potential may not be as high as someone like Drysdale, there is value in drafting a potential second pairing shutdown type who can anchor your penalty kill and still hold his own offensively.

Ryan O'Rourke	2020 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: L	H/W: 6-2", 181lbs
Stats to Date: (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, (17-5-8-13-29)

Ryan O'Rourke of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Characteristics

Skating: O’Rourke has improved his skating over the course of his two years in the OHL and it is safe to assume that it will continue to improve as he matures physically and improves his conditioning further. The biggest improvement has come in the form of better overall agility and fluidity in his movements. His lateral and backward quickness, as well as his pivots, are now much stronger and it has helped him become a better player in all facets of the game. It has especially helped him be quicker transitioning in the defensive end, be it pivoting to recover dump ins, or starting the breakout. His first few steps and overall forward stride would still have to be considered slightly above average, but given his work ethic and improvements already, it is fair to assume that he can continue to become more explosive. Grade: 55

Shot: As an offensive player, O’Rourke’s greatest weapon is his point shot. He has a very powerful slapshot, which he shows an ability to one time and get off quickly. He also has a quick wrist/snap shot which he uses a little more often, especially when jumping into the high slot; a common occurrence. He can beat goaltenders clean with both, but also uses them to generate rebounds for forwards out front. While it is likely that, as a pro, he will become more of a defensively oriented presence, he should still score his share of goals because of his shot and scoring instincts. Grade: 55

Skills: O’Rourke is definitely the type of defender who opts to keep things simple with the puck. He is aggressive in jumping up in the play to sniff out scoring chances, but his confidence in leading the rush deep across the opposing blueline is a work in progress. He looks more confident in starting the breakout this year and does have a very solid exit pass, but his rushes do not often extend further than center ice. His skill with the puck and creativity are only average. He looks comfortable running the point of the powerplay and can hold the line well, but he can lose possession when heavily pressured. At times, he can have difficulty maintaining possession through his pivots, or when trying to create separation from the forecheck in his own end. Like his skating, his confidence as an offensive player continues to grow. However, expecting him to be better than league average as a pro in this regard is likely asking too much. Grade: 50

Smarts: O’Rourke is generally an intelligent two-way defender who plays in all situations for the Soo Greyhounds. He has a great stick in the defensive zone, disrupting passing lanes or shooters. He also exhibits great gap control when defending the rush, using his strength to angle off attackers to the corner where he can separate them from the puck. At times he can be overly aggressive physically and it can get him in penalty trouble or out of position in coverage. Picking his spots better and playing with a little more patience should come with more experience. As an offensive player, he is very adept at getting pucks through to the net, identifying shooting lanes well. His breakout pass is also good as he exhibits good vision up ice. Grade: 55

Physicality: Very much a throwback defender, O’Rourke revels in the opportunity to assert himself physically. He is ultra-aggressive along the wall, where he hits hard and pins forwards to separate them from the puck. He is also engaged in net battles where he looks to drive back opposing forwards and tie them up. O’Rourke can be prone to some undisciplined penalties, but that is the trade-off that you have to live with when playing such a hard-nosed and intense competitor like O’Rourke. Moving forward, he just needs to pick his spots a little better. Grade: 60

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 55

OHL: Ten 2020 NHL Draft prospects generating buzz

Brock Otten — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:19:51 +0000

The NHL Draft season can be a long one for most players. It starts in the summer with the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup (for some) and ends with the U18’s in April; at least on the ice. Off the ice, workouts, combines, and interviews extend much closer to the draft in June. In between, draft rankings fluctuate as we learn more about these players. Not all draft eligible players are consistent entities, with many still growing into their games. As such, we see some players fall as they fail to meet expectations, or their level of play is not sustained over the course of an entire season. We also see some players rise as their confidence grows and their games improve. Last year, from the OHL, three such players were Niagara forward Phil Tomasino, Sarnia forward Jamieson Rees, and Flint defender Vladislav Kolyachonok.

This year, the draft crop from the Ontario Hockey League is significantly stronger than last year; much more in line with what is typically expected. Even though it is early (not even a third of the way into the season), there are some players who are really starting to generate buzz in the scouting community with their on ice performance. This article intends to highlight ten of those players and give a brief explanation as to why they could find themselves moving up draft charts in the near future.

Tanner Dickinson of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Tanner Dickinson - C - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (5-11”, 150lbs)

A free agent signing by the Greyhounds out of the Belle Tire program, Dickinson has been a great find for Sault Ste. Marie this year. In his rookie year, he currently finds himself near the team lead in assists with 12.

Dickinson plays the game at an extremely quick tempo, using his speed to push the pace and involve himself in all three zones. With a smooth, yet explosive stride, he requires little time to reach top speed and is adept at creating holes in the neutral zone to lead a zone entry coming through the middle. He will also attack the offensive zone on the forecheck as one of the first to recover dump ins and to put pressure on opposing defenses.

The rest of his game is still a work in progress as he will need to add strength to gain a true appreciation of what he is capable of. He can be too easily separated from the puck when he is not able to create space with his speed. But with the pace at which today’s game is played and the premium put on speed and skating ability, Dickinson is going to draw a lot of interest from NHL scouts.

Luke Evangelista of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

Luke Evangelista - RW - London Knights (5’11, 165lbs)

Stop me if you have heard this one before; A young London Knights forward struggles in their rookie year thanks to the depth of the team, only to explode in their sophomore year. Christian Dvorak, Robert Thomas, Connor McMichael. The list goes on. Now you can add Evangelista to that list. The team’s first round pick in 2018, Evangelista did not score a goal in his rookie year with the Knights. Now, one year later, he finds himself operating at above the point per game mark nearly a third of the way into the OHL season.

Evangelista has among the highest skill level with the puck of any draft eligible player in the OHL this year. Simply put, he is a magician with the puck on his stick. He creates time and space with his hands and excels as a playmaker along the half wall as he draws defenders in, only to dish off. His confidence level, strength on the puck, and skating all continue to improve as he garners more responsibility from Dale Hunter and the coaching staff. The offensive upside here is quite high and look for Evangelista to climb the draft rankings over the second half of the year.

Tyson Foerster of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Tyson Foerster - RW/C - Barrie Colts (6-1”, 190lbs)

Only three first time draft eligible players are averaging over 1.5 points per game in the OHL this year: Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, and Tyson Foerster. Two of those names are being considered for the top 5 of the NHL Draft. Foerster, on the other hand, is starting to rocket up lists, and is expected to make an appearance in the next Mckeens Hockey list, expected to be released before the World Juniors. Playing alongside Sabres draft pick Matej Pekar, and Hurricanes draft pick Ryan Suzuki (until Suzuki’s recent eye injury), the trio has ransacked opposing defenses this year.

That said, Foerster is more than just a passenger on that top Colts’ line. Even when separated from Pekar, Suzuki, or both, he is proving that he can drive play with his high hockey IQ, strength on the puck, and underrated skill level. Armed with a lethal release on his wrist shot, Foerster is equal parts goal scorer and playmaker. He keeps his feet moving down low and along the wall and is very difficult to pin down. He really identifies passing and shooting lanes well too, rarely making a poor decision with the puck. There are some question marks surrounding his skating ability, especially a lack of power in his stride, but at this point, you cannot argue about how productive he has been.

Rory Kerins - C - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (5-10”, 173lbs)

Kerins is tied for the team lead in points with Jaromir Pytlik, a forward who is receiving consideration for the first round. Yet, we are not hearing much about the second-year center. A 4th round pick by the Hounds in 2018, Kerins was already a standout as a rookie last year, although he has matched his point total from a year ago in 35 fewer games.

Even though he is slightly undersized at 5-10”, Kerins is an aggressive player who is at his best within five feet of the crease. Even as a center, he excels as someone who can do the dirty work on his line. He attacks the net, with and without the puck, and converts his scoring chances in tight because of a quick release and good scoring instincts. He has formed great chemistry with overager Jaden Peca and the two seem to feed off of each other’s non-stop motors. Kerins’ 11 goals so far this year are third behind Byfield and Foerster among first time draft eligible players in the OHL, an impressive feat.

Ryan O'Rourke of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Ryan O’Rourke - D - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (6-1”, 170lbs)

It is pretty rare to see a 17-year old draft eligible player named captain of his junior team, like O’Rourke was recently named, but he is the type of defensive prospect that does not grow on trees anymore. He oozes leadership qualities and impacts the game at both ends of the ice. His tenacity and willingness to take away space in the defensive zone are rare from defenders that are draft eligible, as he makes the opposition work for every inch gained.

As an OHL rookie last year, O’Rourke was already a standout as a defensive player because of his physical aggressiveness and defensive IQ. As a sophomore, his offensive game has grown by leaps and bounds. The improvements made to his stride and his ability to carry the puck are at the center of his progression. He also possesses a booming point shot and is quite aggressive at seeking out shooting opportunities, be it by jumping up in the rush or by sneaking in the back door. While O’Rourke is far from the flashiest player on the ice, he has proven to be a very effective player at both ends this year and when you combine that with his character, you have a defender who is starting to garner hype as a potential first round talent.

Jack Quinn of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Jack Quinn - RW - Ottawa 67’s (6’1, 180lbs)

Quinn missed the 2019 NHL Draft by only four days last year, with a September 19 birthday, but that extra year has given Quinn a chance to really improve his game from his rookie year. Thanks to some graduations and injuries, Quinn has seen his role with the 67’s grow exponentially this year and he has excelled as an all situations forward for the team; whether his team is searching for a lead or protecting one.

His progression as a player has been very impressive and it serves to support why these later birthdays are drafted a year later than their earlier born counterparts. Not only is he bigger and stronger this year, which is allowing him to make more of a consistent impact, but he also looks noticeably quicker, which is helping him to exploit gaps and be more effective without the puck. A high level stickhandler, Quinn creates lanes with his stick work, by drawing in extra defenders and keeping plays alive along the half wall. He is also a very noticeable two-way player who excels on the backcheck, applying pressure to puck carriers and support to his defenders deep into his own end. Over the point per game mark now, Quinn is starting to look the part of a potential first round pick.

Oliver Suni of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Oliver Suni - RW - Oshawa Generals (6-2”, 195lbs)

Suni is a Finnish Import who has found a lot of success early on this year with the Generals, currently sitting second on the team in assists. Coming over from the Karpat program in Finland, he had been a standout internationally for Finland (helping them win a silver medal at last year’s U17’s), so he came to Oshawa with a fair amount of hype and has lived up to it thus far.

Suni is the type of player who can succeed even when tightly checked. He understands how to use his size and strength to get leverage in the offensive end, be it by driving the net, working the cycle, or retrieving dump ins. Like a defensive lineman in football, he is able to gain inside positioning on defenders and is difficult to separate from the puck or tie up. Suni is also a capable two-way player who uses his size to effectively apply back pressure. While his high end offensive potential at the NHL level does remain a bit of a question mark, he plays a very pro ready game and that will really draw interest from NHL scouts.

Jack Thompson of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Jack Thompson - D - Sudbury Wolves (6-0”, 180lbs)

Currently top 10 in defensive scoring in the OHL, Thompson has started the 2019-20 season exceptionally well for the Wolves, helping to lead their powerplay and start their breakout. On pace for well over 20 goals on the year, Thompson would join some pretty nice recent company should that come to fruition; Ryan Ellis, Drew Doughty, Aaron Ekblad, and Ryan Murphy. In fact, his pace of 24 goals would put him 4th all time (post OHA) for U18 defenders in the OHL. Needless to say, Thompson is an impressive offensive player.

While his defensive game currently has some shortcomings, his innate offensive abilities currently have the good outweighing the bad. For every bad read he may make, or assignment he may miss, he makes up for it tenfold. A terrific skater, Thompson is not only confident in leading the breakout, but he is also aggressive in jumping up in the play as the 3rd or 4th man in. He possesses terrific scoring instincts and is consistently able to elude defenders to find scoring lanes from the backend. His point shot, as you may have guessed, is also a major weapon for him. While his powerplay performance has been strong, his 5-on-5 production has been even better. He is currently tied with Thomas Harley for the OHL lead in even strength goals for by defenders. He is tied for third in even strength primary points among defenders (again with Thomas Harley as well as Declan Chisholm).

Ty Tullio of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Tyler Tullio - C/RW - Oshawa Generals (5-10”, 165lbs)

A former teammate of Cole Perfetti as well as article mate Ryan O’Rourke on a strong Vaughan Kings minor midget team (that was runner up at the OHL Cup), Tullio has certainly carved out his own path in the OHL. Interestingly enough, he has been involved in the OHL since he was a toddler, with his father Rocco being the owner of the Oshawa Generals. There are photos of a younger Tullio with the 2015 Memorial Cup Champions. He is a very easy player to like because of his compete level and non-stop motor.

Tullio is one of those players that the puck just seems to follow because of his hockey IQ and awareness on the ice. He is great at finding those soft spots in the defense, especially in the slot, and has a very quick release too that has helped him hit the 10 goal mark already this year (good for second on Oshawa). Away from the puck, he is always competing, excelling down low and in puck retrieval. He has a real knack at forcing turnovers in the opposition’s end and in the neutral zone and has the skating ability to be able to quickly strike and attack the other way. While he does not possess elite size, and may not be a center long term, he most definitely possesses NHL potential due to his well-rounded game and ability to process on the ice.

Tucker Tynan of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Tucker Tynan - G - Niagara IceDogs (6-1”, 160lbs)

It is somewhat baffling the lack of attention that Tynan is receiving thus far from the scouting community, given his performance as an OHL rookie. He has seen the most rubber of any goaltender in the league by a significant margin (137 more shots than the runner up) and yet his .911 save percentage is among the league leaders. He has the rebuilding Niagara IceDogs in a playoff spot right now and is stealing victories or keeping them in close games that they have no business being in. Additionally, Tynan is not exactly undersized at 6-1”.

Blessed with terrific athleticism, Tynan is extremely quick and mobile in his crease, covering his posts quite well. He makes difficult saves look easy moving side to side and has already developed a penchant for making highlight reel, acrobatic saves. For an OHL rookie who is being asked to turn away a lot of high danger scoring chances, he has looked extremely comfortable and poised in the crease. Even after giving up a weaker goal, he exhibits confidence and is able to bounce back to right the ship for the IceDogs. There is no question that he is going to need to add bulk to be able to hold his post better, fight through traffic more efficiently, and cover his angles more consistently. His performance thus far definitely warrants draft consideration.

OHL Playoff Preview: Western Conference – Trade deadline talent arms race makes for a wide open battle

Brock Otten — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 16:21:53 +0000

This week the 2019 OHL playoffs will kick off with first round action getting under way on Thursday. More so than any year that I can remember, the field is wide open. There are favorites to take home the J.Ross Robertson Cup, sure, but the sheer number of candidates to make it to the end is greater than previous years because of how many teams loaded up with talent at this year’s trade deadline. As difficult as it is, I will make my predictions. Just do not place any large bets or wagers based upon it.

First Round

Jean-Luc Foudy of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

#1. London Knights vs. #8. Windsor Spitfires

Season Series: 5-1 for London

Analysis: The Spitfires limped into the playoffs with only one regulation win in their final ten games. Their punishment? A date with London, who narrowly held off Saginaw to take the #1 seed in the West. Even if I don’t expect this to be a close series, it will be a terrific experience for the Spitfires and their talented, young roster. Young players like Jean Luc Foudy and Will Cuylle will get a taste of the playoffs to know what is required of them when Windsor becomes a powerhouse again in a few years’ time. The Knights hold the clear advantage in nearly every area here. The team’s #5 defender, Joey Keane, would be Windsor’s #1. They outscore them by over a goal per game. And even if discipline issues creep up (London is the most penalized team in the Western Conference), their top-rated penalty kill is efficient enough to limit Windsor’s chances of getting back in games. Look for Evan Bouchard to have a big performance after last year’s poor showing in the first round that saw London get swept by Owen Sound.

Prediction: London in 4.

NHL Prospects to Watch:

Evan Bouchard (EDM): As mentioned, Bouchard did not have a good first round performance in last year’s playoffs, something that may have led to his slide to the 10th spot last June. To be honest, I wasn’t enamored with his performance this year either with his offensive production taking a step back and his defensive engagement continuing to be a concern. That said, the best players elevate their game when it matters most and I’ll be looking for Bouchard to do that this playoffs. As deep as London is on the blueline, they need him to be a dominant force at both ends if they want to go for the championship.

Liam Foudy (CBJ): Foudy was another player who looked overmatched in last year’s playoffs against Owen Sound. After a slow start to this year, Foudy finished the season well and ended up second in goals for the Knights. The Knights know that they will be getting production from Formenton and Hancock up front, but again, if they want to go far, they will need the speedy Foudy to be an impact player; someone who can use his speed and puck skills to create consistent scoring chances for himself and his linemates.

Jean-Luc Foudy (2020): It is a Foudy vs. Foudy match-up with Liam going against his younger brother Jean-Luc. Like Liam, Jean-Luc is an absolute lightning bolt on skates. He has shown a penchant for using his speed to be one of the OHL’s elite young playmakers, leading all OHL rookies in assists this year. He is a prime time prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft and it will be interesting to see if he is able to better his brother’s initial playoff performance.

Ryan McLeod of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

#2. Saginaw Spirit vs. #7. Sarnia Sting

Season Series: 3-3 TIE

Analysis: The Sting have played the West Division champion Spirit extremely tight this year, including a recent 7-6 shootout victory in late February. Sarnia has a team of workhorses that just never give up on a play and that tenacity always plays well in the postseason. They have seven different players who had over 15 goals on the year, and that’s not including Jamieson Rees who would have hit that mark easily had he played all year. But Saginaw is a CHL ranked team for a reason. Lately one of the main reasons for their success has been goaltender Ivan Prosvetov, who has only two regulation losses in his last 16 and who finished in the top 5 of nearly every statistical category this year. Rookie winger Cole Perfetti has also been a remarkable story as the first U17 player since Taylor Hall, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares to score more than 35 goals in a season. He is aided by the likes of Owen Tippett, Bode Wilde, Ryan McLeod, and Cole Coskey on a deep and balanced roster. I expect the Sting to give the Spirit a bit of a scare and be in most games. But the Spirit are rolling on too much of a high and have too much firepower to fall victim to an upset.

Prediction: Saginaw in 6

NHL Prospects to Watch:

Ryan McLeod (EDM): While his production for Saginaw since the trade from Mississauga has been a little underwhelming, McLeod has been a proven playoff performer so far in his OHL career. He was a huge part of Mississauga’s deep run in 2017 and I would expect him to bring himself back to that point per game production. His playmaking ability will be much needed if the Spirit want to eventually come out on top in the Western Conference.

Bode Wilde (NYI): Wilde has been sensational in his first OHL season after coming over from the USHL. No question he is in the conversation for the Max Kaminsky as the league’s top defender. His size and skating combination make him a lethal operator off the rush and very difficult to stop as he cuts through the neutral zone like butter. Defensively, there have been some ups and downs and now he will be getting into his first playoff action. I am very intrigued to see how he responds and looks to take over and control the play at both ends.

Ryan McGregor (TOR): A 2017 draft pick by the Leafs, McGregor is still without an NHL contract. He has had a very good season, establishing himself as one of the OHL’s elite two-way forwards. But a strong playoff series performance for Sarnia here, even if it is in a losing cause, would go a long way to proving to Toronto’s management that he deserves a place in their future plans.

Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Grehounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

#3. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. #6. Owen Sound Attack

Season Series: 2-0 for Sault Ste. Marie

Analysis: Two things are bad news for the Attack. The first, Morgan Frost avoided a longer suspension for cross checking and will be available for the entire first round. The second, Barrett Hayton is back and healthy, showing no rust whatsoever with four goals in two games to close out the year. That means that the ‘Hounds will be operating at full speed offensively and that does not bode well for the Attack, a team that has struggled to keep the puck out of their net this year thanks to inconsistent goaltending. Owen Sound also only has two 20 goal scorers in their lineup and no one operating at over the point per game mark. With a healthy lineup, the Greyhounds have the advantage here in nearly every facet. While I do worry about their depth and supporting cast as the rounds progress, I am confident that they should be able to get past a rebuilding Attack team pretty easily.

Prediction: Sault Ste. Marie in 4

NHL Prospects to Watch:

Barrett Hayton (ARI): Had to be a difficult year for Hayton to settle in and find a groove. Start the year in the NHL. Back to the OHL. Then off to the World Juniors. Then get injured. Through it all, his production has been fantastic with one of the highest point-pergame averages in the league. His game is tailored perfectly for the playoffs because of his high intensity level and how well he plays through traffic in the offensive end. He had a very successful playoffs last year for the Soo as a support player, now let us see how he does as a focal point.

Mac Hollowell (TOR): The front runner for OHL defender of the year was recently rewarded with a much deserved NHL contract from Toronto. Hollowell is an elite offensive defender who is great at using his above average mobility to jump up in the attack. He is also a major weapon on the powerplay, something that any team needs operating at a high level to make a deep run in the playoffs. This guy competes so hard and is easily one of the most underrated players to have played in the OHL in recent years.

Mack Guzda (2019): If Owen Sound hopes to stay in this series, they will need top shelf goaltending and that will have to come from Guzda. He came into the year very highly touted but consistency issues have continued to plague him as they did in his rookie year. He has the size and athleticism that NHL scouts are looking for, but he needs to show that he possess the mental makeup too. Not only will NHL scouts be looking closely at him here, but so will Hockey Canada for the 2019 U18 roster. He can’t afford to be a sieve and look overmatched.

Nick Suzuki of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

#4. Guelph Storm vs. #5. Kitchener Rangers

Season Series: 4-4 TIE

Analysis: With the way the Guelph Storm loaded up at this year’s trade deadline, bringing in Nick Suzuki, Markus Phillips, Sean Durzi, and Mackenzie Entwistle, one would have to consider them the heavy favorite here. And they have been playing some great hockey lately. But so have the Kitchener Rangers; a team that I do not believe can be completely written off. They have five 30 goal scorers, something that matches Guelph and their firepower. Guelph’s Anthony Popovich has struggled down the stretch and is being threatened by Nico Daws for the starting role, so I am slightly concerned about Guelph’s netminding. However, I believe the thing that sways this in Guelph’s favor is their veteran defense. Dmitri Samorukov has been playing out of his mind lately and along with Durzi, Gordeev, Phillips, Hanley, and Lalonde, make up one of the strongest and veteran-heavy defensive units in the OHL. Contrast that with Kitchener, which relies on youngsters like Mike Vukojevic and Donovan Sebrango to play key roles. The Rangers will push the Storm, but ultimately come up short.

Prediction: Guelph in 6

NHL Prospects to Watch:

Nick Suzuki (MTL): Took him a bit of time to really acclimate himself with his new surroundings in Guelph, but he has been on a tear lately and really seems to have settled in. In his last 11 games, he has 5 games with 3 points or more. Suzuki is such a good distributor, but he is at his best when he is active without the puck, forcing turnovers and putting pressure on the opposition in all three zones. He has traditionally performed very well in the playoffs in his career and I would expect nothing less from him here as Guelph gears up for a long run.

Dmitri Samorukov (EDM): Speaking of a tear, few defenders in the OHL have been as hot as Samorukov in the second half. Whether it was the confidence he gained from the World Juniors, or the increased role he received from the trade of Ryan Merkley, Samorukov has blossomed at the right time. He has become extremely aggressive offensively, using his skating ability to create off the rush. He still remains a physically aggressive stalwart in his own end; a true two-way force.

Riley Damiani (DAL): Earlier I spoke of underrated OHL players and few fit that category more than Damiani. Among 2000 born players in the OHL, only Akil Thomas and Barrett Hayton had greater point per game averages as he jumped from 37 points last year to 85 in 2018/19. He has an infectious energy about him on the ice and his dynamic playmaking ability and vision are one of the main reasons why Kitchener’s powerplay has been one of the league’s best this year.

Continued Western Conference Predictions

Conference Semi Finals

#1. London vs. #4. Guelph

#2. Saginaw vs. #3. Sault Ste. Marie

I am taking Guelph and Sault Ste. Marie here. I just was not crazy about what I saw from London in the last month of the year. They are relying on too many younger forwards to create offense and I think they lack a premier playmaker. And on defense, I think they lack the jam necessary to slow down an offensive juggernaut like Guelph. As for the Soo, I like them over Saginaw because I feel that their veteran leadership group consisting of Morgan Frost, Barrett Hayton, Mac Hollowell, Jordan Sambrook, and Keeghan Howdeshell can help to elevate the play of some of their younger support players. I think their abrasive style of play bodes better for playoff success, even though I see potential for Prosvetov to stand on his head. That is a true coin flip, but I am sticking with the Greyhounds.

Western Conference Final

#3. Sault Ste. Marie vs. #4. Guelph

I am all in on Guelph this year to take home the Western Conference title. I feel like they have been constructed the right way and have really found chemistry and hit their stride at the right time. Goaltending is a mild concern for sure, but in the West, I think everyone has similar concerns to a certain degree.

SEE OHL PREVIEW: EASTERN CONFERENCE- LINK HERE

OHL Championship Series

Niagara IceDogs vs. Guelph Storm

Another toss up for me. Ask me tomorrow and I may just choose someone different. Both of their regular season matchups were decided by a single goal. Honestly, this comes down to goaltending. I give Niagara the advantage at forward. I give Guelph the advantage on defense. But in net, I think you have to tip your hat in Stephen Dhillon’s direction. Especially considering that there is no guarantee that Anthony Popovich finishes the postseason as Guelph’s starter. So...I am selecting the Niagara IceDogs as this year’s OHL Champions!

OHL: Nathan Dunkley (2018 NHL Draft Eligible)

Scott Crawford — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:08:10 +0000

Scott Crawford provides a detailed scouting report on Nathan Dunkley, a prospect he describes as "One of the more intriguing players entering the NHL draft this year." Dunkley is currently projected to land somewhere in the middle rounds of the draft (3rd or 4th round). Find out why Crawford finds his game so interesting below.

Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs, recently traded to the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Nathan Dunkley	2018 Draft Eligible
Position: C, Shoots L	H/W: 5'11", 195 lbs.
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Kingston Frontenacs/London Knights, OHL (46-17-27-44-30)

Skating: An above average skater, but barely. Dunkley is one of the slower forwards on the ice when it is known in the scouting community that he can take off. His first two strides were excellent in minor midget, but he has not taken that talent to the OHL. In the defensive zone, he is a completely different player skating around his own end looking to challenge for the loose puck. He is the first forward back on defense but is caught floating once his team retrieves the puck. He has decent turns around the net, but he lacks speed when he has the puck and he is skating one on one into the offensive zone. Grade: 50

Shot: His shot is most dangerous shot when he is standing in front of the net either putting a wrist shot past the opposing goaltender or collecting the secondary chances. When he was playing with the Kingston Frontenacs he was very reliant on Jason Robertson setting up plays for him to shoot. He is good with the slap shot if it is set up for him, but he cannot launch a good slap shot by himself. Right now, for the London Knights he is becoming a steady player in front of the net for and helping the Knights who were lacking a presence in front of the net. Grade: 50

Skills: Comparable skills with Ty Dellandrea, but Dunkley is not as quick with the puck as Dellandrea. Instead he plays a slower style of play that draws defenders to him and he relies on his stick work more than his skating to get around players and create his own space. His lack of speed hurts his puck handling when he is entering the zone. He will choose to do a dump and chase sequence to help him move the puck into the offensive zone. His puck handling skills are safer than Dellandrea’s in the defensive zone. He shows more patience and works the puck around his net to regroup and start a new play. He still lacks the offensive stick handling chops to be creative and contribute more in the offensive zone when he has the puck. Grade: 50

Smarts: Another smart player that Dale Hunter needed in his lineup. Dunkley demonstrates the right understanding of how to play away from the puck. He may be a slow skater with the puck, but he understands the importance of playing defense in his own end and in the neutral zone. He is a reliable back checker and is usually the first forward back to support his defensemen. Away from the puck on the offensive end he puts so much trust in his teammates to drive the offense because he knows he can get open better than he can driving to the net with the puck. The strategy is working as he now is contributing offense for the London Knights on a consistent basis. He can play both as a presence in front of the net and screen the goaltender or he can move into the high slot area and be open for a shot on net. His maturity as a role player is evident and he seems to be a coachable player and his teammates like him. The drawback to his away game on offense is if his teammates struggle to get him the puck he will float around in the offensive zone in confusing fashion. Grade: 55

Physicality: Not a big player in height, but acts likes one in front of the net. He is an excellent body in front of the net and knows how to push his body weight around near the crease. He is tough in the offensive zone and he uses that toughness to battle for loose pucks in dirty areas behind his opponent’s net. Lacks the intensity in open ice 50/50 battles and lets smaller players push him around in the neutral zone. Grade: 55

Summary: One of the more intriguing players entering the NHL draft this year, Nathan Dunkley is strong in some areas, but lacking in others. He is a decent skater, but either lacks the speed in his skating or chooses to play a slower style that is questionable once he graduates to the pros. A consistent scorer this year thanks in large part to his smart play in front of the net and his ability to get open in front of the net. An extremely smart player at both ends, especially in the defensive zone, but he needs to improve his stick handling work. When he is moving at a slow pace he can protect the puck, but once the speed of the game changes he struggles and depends on his teammates to bail him out. Physically he needs to be consistent because he can be intense in some moments in the offensive zone and when he backchecks, but completely disappears when he is challenging in the defensive zone and the neutral zone.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 51.75

OHL: Nicolas Hague (Mississauga – Vegas)

Scott Crawford — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 16:51:46 +0000

Nicolas Hague paces a point a game in his third season with the Mississauga Steelheads. At 6'6 he is an intriguing Vegas prospect drafted in the early second round. Scott Crawford notes improvements in his game, including an already booming point shot that is finding the net more often. A detailed profile follows.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Nicolas Hague	2017 Draft (34th - Vegas Golden Knights)
Position: D, Shoots: L	H/W: 6-6", 215 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Mississauga Steelheads, OHL (22-10-12-22-34)

Nicolas Hague of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Skating: After being drafted last season by the Vegas Golden Knights, Hague made big strides to improve his skating, one of his biggest issues as a big man. This season his backwards skating is noticeably better. Skating up the ice with his teammates is no issue as he is quick enough to be a part of the offensive rush. Noticed this year he is skating backwards faster, keeping up with faster players and closing gaps much better rather than last season when faster skaters with the puck would regularly skate around him. He is still struggling to improve his first two strides in small ice. In the defensive zone he struggles to contain opposing forwards skating in from the half wall or corners if he is standing in front of his own net. Grade: 50

Shot: Hague continues to dominate the offensive stat sheet this year. He has 10 goals through 22 games and it will only climb thanks in large part to his improved slap shot from the blue line. Last year he became notorious for his booming slap shot, but he did not always hit the net. This year he put a lot of effort into his shot accuracy. His slap shots have been right on point when he aims at the net. His vision is more directly at the net more than looking down at the puck. He is using more snap shots when he is trying to be quick with his shot. He is quick with the snap shot wind up and the puck usually sails through traffic without hitting anyone except the goaltender. Grade: 60

Skills: Hague has become essential for controlled breakouts from his own end. His puck moving skills, although not flashy, give him the offensive advantage over other defenseman in the OHL. His big body is used as a shield to block players from stick checking around him to reach the puck. His stick handling is good enough to move around players, but there are times he can get into trouble if he slows down or gets pressured to the side boards. He has a tendency when he enters the offensive zone to skate into traffic without waiting for support from his teammates. Grade: 55

Smarts: A bright player with a commitment to not just his hockey development, but also to his studies. He earned the OHL’s scholastic player of year award two seasons ago and is displaying his key smarts on the ice. He is smart in the way he chooses to play the game in the sense of being responsible with the puck and being more patient this season with what he does with the puck. He has added 12 assists this season so far and continues to be more of a play making defenseman, especially on the power play. Has an underrated pass that is accurate enough to reach his teammate from a far distance. He may be the captain of the Steelheads, but he is still making too many emotional mistakes on the ice. He is taking unnecessary penalties and it is costing his team chances, an issue that carries over from last season where he had over 100 penalty minutes. Grade: 55

Physicality: Normally a hard-hitting defenseman, Hague is toning down his physical style this season, as he is focusing more on puck possession and controlling the offensive plays instead of head hunting. He is still hitting and playing an aggressive style along the boards when he is stopping offensive rushes or battling in the corners, but is relying on his teammates to help him out so that he can focus more on grabbing the loose puck. Grade: 60

Summary: All in all, Nicolas Hague has been impressive this season in terms of being a second round NHL prospect. He is scoring up front and assisting on plays that is textbook hockey all while continuing to hone his responsibilities as a two-way defenseman. He is taking more advantage of his big body on the offensive side and using his body in the defensive zone. He is a faster skater than he was last season on his long strides and backwards skating, but still struggles to play small ice and opposing forward will take advantage leaving him as a liability in the defensive zone. His shot accuracy is improving and he is making a better effort to use his snap shot to better his shot variety. He will be an important prospect for the Golden Knights when they are building their defensive core and he will be a major part of that, but needs to mature more to really reach his potential. Has the hockey IQ to do it, but his attitude needs to be in check.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 55.25

OHL: Ryan Merkley (Guelph – 2018 Draft Eligible)

Scott Crawford — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:55:55 +0000

Ryan Merkley ranked 12th on McKeen's initial draft rankings. Off to a strong start after an impressive Ivan Hlinka tournament (5-0-6-6) as described by Dennis Schellenberg:

"Canada had a very stacked defense, one of the best in years with several first round projected defenders. The one that stood out most was Ryan Merkley, who showed his offensive talent, especially on the powerplay. So gifted when carrying the puck up ice with mobility, quick hands and speed, Merkley can jump rushes and play the long outlet pass. He sees the ice extremely well and can maneuver the puck in tight, always seem to know what to do with it."

He has followed that up with 31 points in his first 25 games (25-7-24-31) in his sophomore season in the OHL, second among all skaters in assists. Scott Crawford provides a detailed analysis below.

Ryan Merkley	2018 Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: R	H/W: 5-11", 170 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Guelph Storm, OHL (25-7-24-31-28)

Skating: Merkley is a phenomenal skater for a defenseman of his type. A part of his offensive production is owed to his quick strides and amazing C-cuts whenever he gets the opportunity. A part of what makes him a dangerous skater is his ability to take off from the defensive zone through the neutral zone. Opposing players guarding the neutral zone get caught off guard when he skates by them with his burst of speed. The next amazing thing is his ability to adjust his speed as he enters the zone to control his possession better. Last year he had issues adjusting his speed when he skated too fast and would get caught in traffic without support. This year he is taking a different approach to how he works his speed on the rink. Grade: 60

Shot: Merkley showed in his first year that he was no slouch offensively. This year he is consistently putting up the offensive numbers again thanks in large part to not only his playmaking abilities, but moreso his shooting. His shooting is more accurate than it was last year, and he is taking more shots on net in games. He is more aggressive with putting the puck on net, one of his favorite moves is to drive to the net when he is not shooting from the blue line. His shots are not incredibly strong, but he knows how to put a puck on net that leads to secondary opportunities. Grade: 55

Skills: In the top tier of puck handling defenseman in the 2018 draft class. Since watching him play minor midget AAA with the Toronto Junior Canadians, Merkley has been consistently leading the offensive drives for his team on powerplays and even strength. He has great awareness to where he can move the puck in open space and he lets his teammates be a part of the play. He can push the puck up ice and spot open teammates for outlet saucer passes that make the mark. When his linemates are regrouping it is Merkley that is the first player up the ice with the puck. When he gets going in the neutral zone he is hard to stop. Grade: 60

Smarts: Incredible vision across all regions of the ice, it is sometimes like he has eyes in the back of his head. He just knows where to find players in the offensive zone. Even in breakout plays from the defensive zone, he can quickly spot someone up the ice for the long outlet pass. Defensively he is sounder this year than he was last year. He would struggle with containing faster players particularly when he would be forced to recover. Coaches put in the work to help him improve and it is paying off. His big issue this year is his high turnover rate. He is turning the puck over way too much and it is due to his more aggressive offensive play up the ice. When watching the Storm’s offense breakout, it feels like it is only Merkley driving the puck up ice. A lack of trust in his teammates and a tendency to hog the puck is making scouts pause in regards to his draft projection. Grade: 55

Physicality: Physicality is still an issue for Merkley as he does not have the body frame to help him push players around, but he is also lacking the extra aggression to his game to really solidify himself as a proper two-way defenseman. He seems more interested in being just an offensive defenseman who would rather move the puck instead of fighting to get it back. He is fighting more in the corners, but it is with his stick and he is not throwing his body weight around when it comes to challenging players with the puck. Grade: 45

Summary: Ryan Merkley is another intriguing NHL prospect that will being going into this year’s draft with no idea of where he will be in the draft list. Some NHL scouts say he will be top ten, others say he is top thirty. I say he is in the 12-15 range because although his offensive game is strong his defensive game still needs work. Even if he has made improvements to his defensive game he needs to work even harder if he is to enter the NHL. His on-ice awareness, skating and puck moving abilities will help him reach the next level and his shot is getting better. However, he needs to trust the process more and rely more on his teammates for his overall success and realize it is not just him trying to win the game especially in late game situations. He is doing a better job of controlling his foot speed this year, but the mental state of wanting to do all the work is causing him to turn the puck over more and killing his confidence as well as the confidence scouts have in him.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 55.5

OHL: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound – Vegas)

Scott Crawford — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 14:40:55 +0000

Currently tied for third in OHL scoring after 23 games, Nick Suzuki was Vegas Golden Knights second pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and 13th overall. Distinguished by his effortless skating he brings versatile package of abilities and plays on both special teams, on the point on powerplay. Scott Crawford provides a detailed breakdown of Suzuki's game illustrating why he is such an exciting prospect.

Nick Suzuki	2017 Draft (13th - Vegas Golden Knights)
Position: C, Shoots: R	H/W: 5-11", 185 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Owen Sound Attack, OHL (23-16-25-41-8)

Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Skating: Suzuki is one of the best NHL prospects taken in last year’s draft, especially at 13^th overall by the Golden Knights. One of the reasons why he is top three in scoring in the OHL is because of his skating. His skating is among the best in the OHL because of the effortless way he moves around the ice. He can move North-South and West-East no problem and he barely breaks a sweat. When he transitions, he transitions quickly. If his team causes a turnover, he is the first one there to challenge the opposing player or if his team takes away the puck he is the first one up the ice for the open outlet pass. Overall, he is quicker than most players in the OHL and he is hard to stop once he gets going with the puck. Grade: 65

Shot: Suzuki’s shots are quick and hard to notice through traffic. His wrist shot can be used in any scenario, whether he is skating up the ice to shoot on goal or if he is picking up a loose puck and firing it on net. He is dangerous around the net as he likes to skate around the net, move along the half boards then move out in front of the net without the goaltender knowing where he is aiming to shoot. He likes to move and shoot when he is creating scoring chances for himself, and there will be rare times where he will sit and wait for the puck. Grade: 60

Skills: It is not everyday where you can get a forward like Suzuki who can move the puck like a forward at even strength, but then move the puck like a defenseman on the power play. Suzuki is counted on to bring the puck up ice or help control the puck into the offensive zone when he is playing forward. However, on the powerplay he is relegated to the defense position to help control the puck at the blue line more efficiently. His coaches also rely on his skill to carry the puck into to the offensive zone on the powerplay. He has an excellent cross over and can use his backhand to steer the puck from opposing players who try to stick check him and when he has created enough space for himself he will use his crossover from his backhand and go to his forehand. Has annoying habit of flipping the puck past his opponent and skating around him, but the trick usually does not work half the time he is pulling it off. Grade: 60

Smarts: One of the smartest players in the OHL, Suzuki’s intelligence is counted on at 5v5, on the powerplay and the penalty kill. Away from the puck he understands where he needs to be if he needs to challenge players, come back and support a defenseman who is distributing the first puck from his own zone or act as a support player for a teammate who is cornered and forced to throw the loose puck away. He is one of the best penalty killers in the OHL, he squares up opposing players shoulder to shoulder with his stick out in front ready to take the passing lane away. He will sacrifice his body to block the puck from hitting his net and he has a keen eye for sensing when his teammates will take the puck away from the opposing forwards. Grade: 60

Physicality: Suzuki is surprisingly showing some grit in his game. He scans his opponents with the puck and pins them to the boards with the proper positioning. He still has issues skating into traffic with bigger players. If he is taking on a defenseman who is 6-2” or bigger he will skate to the side instead of going right at him like he normally does. Not one to take part in the corner battles, Suzuki still acts as the teammate who will clean up the loose puck once it is free from the scrums. Grade: 50

Summary: Nick Suzuki is a highly skilled forward playing in the OHL and he will be a highly skilled forward when he enters the NHL. There is a bright future for him as he will continue to skate fast and move the puck around to create scoring chances or make plays for his teammates. He is smart enough to develop his skillset for the next level of his career and he is creative enough that his offensive output will continue to be consistent. To be the ultimate player he needs to continue working on his physical play as he displays signs of playing physical along the boards, but needs to be more active when his teammates need help. The Vegas Golden Knights have a good prospect and he should have been taken in the top ten in the 2017 NHL draft.

OHL Prospect Watch: Konecny stings, Chychrun perplexes

David Burstyn — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 14:45:52 +0000

A change of scenery is sometimes all a player needs to renew their passion and feel re-energized - as Travis Konecny has undeniably proven this season.

Disgruntled and underachieving, at least by his standards, Konecny was traded to the Sarnia Sting in a blockbuster mid-season trade that netted the Ottawa 67's ten draft picks and a pair of prospects.

The Sting caught fire with Konecny aboard, posting a 23-6-3-1 record to vault ahead of the Windsor Spitfires and capture the West Division title (Sarnia were at 19-13-2-1 prior to the trade). His arrival gave Sarnia a solid top six up front to help compete against the likes of London, Kitchener, and Erie - all of whom ranked among the top ten in the CHL.

Konecny thrived under the new systems of coach and former NHLer Derian Hatcher who employed more of a puck-possession driven game. He has linemates now that can get the puck back to him which in turn has boosted his passing and playmaking effectiveness. Not as one-dimensional as he was last season when he operated as strictly a shooter, Konecny has added layers to his game and been a model of consistency. He recorded at least a point in 27 of his 31 games with Sarnia while firing an impressive 23 goals (31-23-33-56); finishing tied for seventh overall in league scoring.

Highly competitive and driven to succeed; Konecny exploits his low centre of gravity and powerful lower body to motor up the ice and zig-zag through scoring lanes with ease. He is fearless in pursuit of the puck and able to win many one-on-one battles despite his smaller stature.

Never before has Konecny been surrounded by such a deep cast of proven players and not expected to assume the bulk of the scoring load as he was in Ottawa.

The results have been rewarding so far and Sarnia are hoping he can lead the club past the opening round of the playoffs which they haven't been able to accomplish since 1997.

Here are notes on several other prospects on the McKeen's Watch List.

Nathan Bastien (2016), RW, Mississauga

Bastien tends to float in and out of games and is the perfect example of a streaky scorer who doesn't always get involved and needs to score early to get 'into a game'. The Kitchener, Ontario native possesses the tools that NHL teams covet in a prospect - namely soft hands and great size. He also has a good shot and can pass the puck. However his play often has a lethargic quality as he does not always take charge and seems content to be a passenger. He goes through the motions and plays up and down his wing barely showing any creativity, while flashing enticing bouts of skill in other games. His lack of game-to-game consistency is concerning, as is the skating which continues to be a work in progress. As for future development, Bastien will need a considerable amount of time to groom in the minors, however one has to question his true desire to get better and be the 'go-to' guy moving forward.

Jakob Chychrun (2016), D, Sarnia

Although he was exposed at the Top Prospects Game for some suspect decision making under pressure, Chychrun has thrived in league play during his second season with Sarnia. A physical specimen; Chychrun is extremely athletic and possesses tremendous strength for his age. Backed by a good one-timer, he displays a healthy amount of poise and skill at the line. He generally makes solid decisions and can execute a healthy first pass, though is prone to overhandling the puck at times. Errors and poor reads tend to creep into his game, particularly when his time and space are pressured. Skating continues to become more polished, his backwards mobility being especially accomplished. His reverse movement bolsters his overall defensive play as he is highly competitive and usually doesn't allow a player to get by him without taking a piece of his opponent in the process. Chychrun is always looking to push the pace, however is at his best when he keeps the game simple. In certain ways, his style of play and game compares favourably to that of Dion Phaneuf at this point.

Cam Dineen (2016), D North Bay

The native of Toms River, New Jersey was among the league's bigger revelations this season as he recorded 59 points including 13 goals to finish second among all blueliners in the OHL. Not blessed with an overabundance of size or skill, Dineen very quietly gets the job done. Ever alert, he constantly plays with his head up and is the type of player that you won't notice yet has made contributions to the scoresheet. Dineen is always in the right position to make a play and excels with the puck on his blade. Equally effective as a passer and puckrusher, he does a solid job of supporting the power play by finding outlets and always looking to set up partner Kyle Wood and take advantage of his wicked slap shot/one timer. His skating is very deceiving as it contains subtle quickness to which aids him in all areas of the ice. His defence and physical play are areas that are lacking however. Dineen is purely methodical in his approach while defending and not one to muscle a man off the puck or engage in board battles. Adding a layer of sandpaper would greatly boost his overall value as a draft prospect.

Riley Stillman (2016), D, Oshawa

The son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, Riley played a handful of games last year before joining the reigning Memorial Cup Champions on a full-time basis this season. He has been a healthy shot in the arm for the rebuilding Oshawa Generals and gained the trust of the coaching staff to be used in all situations. Plays in the top-four defensive rotation and excels more so with the puck than without it. Stillman is able to make quick heads-up plays up ice and is backed by a strong one-timer which garners time on the second power play unit. He snaps passes and displays confidence logging the puck up ice. An adequate skater whose mechanics are sound, yet his feet still need work. He is not explosive and must upgrade his fluidity and overall mobility. Stillman’s primary flaw at this point are his defensive reads. He plays with a longer stick to help break up plays, but too often gets caught on the wrong side of the puckcarrier. Also prone to losing his man even if he competes well enough in the defensive zone.