The Experts Weigh In on the 2011-2012 Season

I sent off a survey to the league's foremost experts in advance of the beginning of the regular season. Here's what the experts have to say about the 2011-2012 OHL season!

Dominic Tiano (2012 OHL Draft Eligible Players)

1. Right now, who's the best team in the East?

If Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton are back in Niagara they are the team to beat in my opinion. Oshawa should be up there and Daniel Altshuller looks like the real deal and can carry Oshawa a long way especially after last years playoff failure. Ottawa will be a tough opponent as well.

2. Right now, who's the best team in the West?

I Like Sarnia in the West. Just the thought of what Yakupov and Galchenyuk will do this season makes them an intriguing team. Can't overlook Saginaw and Owen Sound though.

3. Which team is everyone overlooking right now (most underrated headed into the season)?

Has to be the London Knights. Great move drafting Maatta and bringing in Domi. Jared Knight should be back along with Namestnikov. In my opinion, seriously underrated in some circles.

4. Which eligible OHL player (outside of Landeskog) is going to stick in the NHL?

Ryan Strome. One of the biggest surprises in 2010-11.

5. Who's the best 2012 Draft Prospect from the OHL?

Nail Yakupov. His rookie season was off the charts. Some believe Galchenyuk is the more complete player and will challenge Yakupov, and that may be. But I expect Yakupov to dominate the OHL this year. I am currently surveying OHL GM's as to their top 3 by position and surprisingly, 2 don't have Yakupov on their list. There are names like Laughton, Kea and Athanasiou on some lists, and while they could be in the top 3, I don't think you can include them over Yakupov

6. Who's your pick for the Eddie Powers Trophy (leading scorer)?

Nail Yakupov. Was up there last year as a rookie and will easily out do what Hall, Seguin, Akeson and Strome did before him.

7. What's the one storyline you're looking forward to following the most?

Interestingly enough, the Kingston Frontenacs. Curious to see what Doug Gilmour does there this season. If the likes of Spooner and Gudbranson return from NHL camps, and I expect they will, Gilmour will probably be trading them to a contender for assets. And with more than a couple of teams in serious contention, we could see Gilmour hauling in some serious assets for the Fronts. Surprisingly, I have the over/under on Kingston wins as 15.5. I don't expect it will be long before Gilmour starts to deal.

Neate Sager (Yahoo Sports, Buzzing the Net)

1. Right now, who's the best team in the East?

"It's probably not going out on a limb to say the Niagara IceDogs appear to be the class of the East so long as they have Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Strome back. Beyond the big names with those two NHL first-rounders and third in goaler Mark Visentin, they're deep in 19-year-old and overage talent with the likes of Brock Beukeboom, Freddie Hamilton and Andrew Agozzino. Marty Williamson also has the trade chips to add a veteran scorer to replace Darren Archibald."

2. Right now, who's the best team in the West?

"That's like asking to predict the worst movie ever made by Happy Madison productions; there's a lot of parity. Process of elimination, looking at the four teams who won a playoff round a year ago and did not lose too much, would say the Plymouth Whalers merit being the top-ranked team in the west. Well-coached, no problems in goal with the Wedgewood/Mahalak tandem and I'm eager to see what Stefan Noesen does in his post-draft season."

3. Which team is everyone overlooking right now (most underrated headed into the season)?

"You mean who is this season's Owen Sound? Tough call, since in the West, Plymouth, London and Sarnia have each generated plenty of preseason buzz with their off-season additions, so none could count as underrated.

4. Which eligible OHL player (outside of Landeskog) is going to stick in the NHL?

"Erik Gudbranson would have stuck last season were it not for a contract issue with the Florida Panthers. Don't see any of the first-round picks from June -- Hamilton in Boston, Strome with the New York Islanders and Ryan Murphy with Carolina -- doing it this season.

5. Who's the best 2012 Draft Prospect from the OHL?

"Nail Yakupov over Alex Galchenyuk, taking the goal scorer over the distributor."

6. Who's your pick for the Eddie Powers Trophy (leading scorer)?

"Nail Yakupov. He might lose time to the Russian world junior team, but 101 points in his first go around and now the Sting have more talent around him and the Western Conference might not be as deep. It was tempting to joke Reid Boucher might lead the league just cleaning up while playing with Galchenyuk and Yakupov.

"Ryan Strome, even if he only plays 58 or 59 games, has a good shot, too. Ottawa possibly keeping the RST line intact -- Ryan Martindale, Shane Prince and Tyler Toffoli -- is another factor in the scoring race."

7. What's the one storyline you're looking forward to following the most?

"Just to see if Jacques Beaulieu can turn Sarnia from an intriguing on-paper team to bona fide contender. So many elements there -- a coach going against his former bosses in the Hunters at London who's also trying to build a winner after only getting to start the job in Saint John, and doing it with a franchise which has historically sputtered.

There's some good off-ice stuff with the Central Division teams in southern Ontario. Namely, seeing what, if any, Memorial Cup bump there is for Mississauga and Brampton, along with the glacial progress toward replacing the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines."

Patrick King (Sportsnet)

1. Right now, who's the best team in the East?
Niagara IceDogs. Quite simply the best team on paper heading into the season. Factor in that they acquired a boatload of picks from Windsor in the Bateman trade and they're ready to go shopping. This team should be the first Eastern Conference team to win the league in six years.

2. Right now, who's the best team in the West?
Plymouth Whalers. One thing I've learned in my years covering the OHL is to never look past the Whalers. This year's team is loaded. Head coach Mike Vellucci is one of the best and knows how to get the most from his players. Sounds like a recipe for success.

3. Which team is everyone overlooking right now (most underrated headed into the season)?
Sudbury Wolves. Remember that sweep over Ottawa? This team now knows how to win. Head coach Trent Cull is one of the bright, young, up-and-comers in this league and will have this team ready to play. Michael Sgarbossa should have a huge year.

4. Which eligible OHL player (outside of Landeskog) is going to stick in the NHL?
Erik Gudbranson. Had it not been for a contract dispute last season, he would have already been in the NHL. Florida could ease him into the lineup, which may be better for his development at this point than rejoining a rebuilding Frontenacs squad.

5. Who's the best 2012 Draft Prospect from the OHL?
Nail Yakupov. Hands down. The WHL borrowed the first-overall pick with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last season, Yakupov will take it back this season.

6. Who's your pick for the Eddie Powers Trophy (leading scorer)?
See above (Nail Yakupov). We all know how dynamically skilled he is. The first-overall spot is his to lose at this point, which should provide all the motivation he needs to have a great season.

7. What's the one storyline you're looking forward to following the most?
In some ways, it's a make or break for both Saginaw and Sarnia. Neither team has a rich history in winning. With these two teams, I need to see it to believe it. Sarnia has some holes on defence while the Spirit have much to prove. None of the big three (Windsor, Kitchener and London) are in a position to take the West, so the door is wide open this season. There's no better chance for these two teams than now.

Dan Stewart (Future Considerations)

1. Right now, who's the best team in the East?

Niagara, Ottawa and Oshawa all lead the pack from the East right now. Niagara could have a great squad if they get all NHL-drafted bodies returned, Ottawa has well rounded talent as well as likely the OHL’s top goaltender and Oshawa has some great weapons up front, some solid veterans returning on the back-end and an elite goaltending prospect in the crease. My pick for top team in the East, and likely a surprise pick for some, has to go to Oshawa at this point.

2. Right now, who's the best team in the West?

Plymouth, London and Sarnia all lead the pack from the West. Plymouth has a healthy amount of returning talent and some top level goaltending, London has emerged full of talent after a one-year semi-rebuild and Sarnia, well what can be said of Sarnia that hasn’t been already this off-season. Although Sarnia will be the scouting paradise for 2011-2012, my pick for top team has to be London for the West.

3. Which team is everyone overlooking right now (most underrated headed into the season)?

The London Knights are a talented bunch that could surprise with scoring not being an issue as forwards Vlad Namestnikov, Seth Griffith and Jared Knight lead the way. Also 2012 eligible Andreas Athanasiou is poised to have a breakout year. Chris Tierney, the Rupert twins and rookies Max Domi and Bo Horvat all look to make a positive impact. On defense they have some skill in import and fellow 2012 eligible Olli Maatta as well as Montreal draft pick Jarred Tinordi and Pittsburgh selection Scott Harrington as well as overage stopper Michael Houser. With all the talk about the potential powerhouse in Sarnia, Niagara, Saginaw, etc I would say London could really challenge for top team in the O this season.

4. Which eligible OHL player (outside of Landeskog) is going to stick in the NHL?

Not sure any of them will; maybe Ryan Strome or Mark Scheifele as it is easier to impress as a forward prospect than it is as a defender in say Dougie Hamilton or Ryan Murphy’s case. Although Murphy, Strome and Scheifele offer something that their NHL organizations are currently lacking, all three in my opinion would be better served to develop one more season in the OHL. If I had to pick on I guess Ryan Strome would be my pick.

5. Who's the best 2012 Draft Prospect from the OHL?

Nail Yakupov is the best of the bunch but the OHL again has a healthy amount of talent to scout. Nail’s elite hockey sense, his quickness with not only his hands but also his feet as well as his natural finishing ability make him extremely dangerous every time on the ice.

With high end two-way defensemen, elite scoring forwards and a couple goaltenders to watch, the O will again be a hot spot for NHL scouts as they help compile their teams draft lists heading into June 2012.

6. Who's your pick for the Eddie Powers Trophy (leading scorer)?

It is between Nail Yakupov, Ryan Strome (if he makes it back to Niagara from the Islanders camp) and Christian Thomas (same thing but Rangers) in my opinion. Again, Sarnia Sting sniper Nail Yakupov would be my pick. I would project Nail producing 140+ points with 60+ of them goals. This is not only possible but more than likely probable not only because of Nail’s own elite offensive skills but also because the impressive firepower assembled around Yakupov in Sarnia for the 2011-2012 season.

7. What's the one storyline you're looking forward to following the most?

As always, for me anyways, the most intriguing storyline in any league is always based on draft eligible prospects and how they perform night after night in front of the scouts. I want to see the ongoing competition between the Yakupov’s and Marcantuoni’s; Gaunce’s and. Maidens’; Ebert’s and. Maatta’s; Subban’s and Altshuller’s, and how they all perform for the next seven months.

Thanks so much to Dominic, Neate, Patrick and Dan for helping out. You can visit their respective websites at the links beside their name.

Also, just to the guys over at Future Considerations, make sure you check out their new and improved website which is set to launch at the end of September.