My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft - Part 1: Honorable Mentions

What a crazy year this has been so far. The covid-19 pandemic has caused chaos in the scouting world (and obviously the everyday world) because so many important late season events were canceled (U18's, OHL playoffs, Memorial Cup, Draft Combine, etc). Even as I write this, there is uncertainty surrounding the draft itself because the NHL has not yet determined their plan of action. However, the draft WILL occur, and as such it is time to look at my year end rankings. It will be interesting to look back on this ranking in a few years, more so than usual, to see the effects of the shutdown on our ability to evaluate.

The top 50 will be released in four parts: Part 1 - Honorable Mentions, Part 2 - Prospects 50-31, Part 3 - Prospects 30-11, and Part 4 - Prospects 10-1.

Just for clarification, for my top 50 ranking, I haven't included any players eligible for draft re-entry, such as Nico Daws, Yevgeni Oksentyuk, or Pavel Gogolev. This has been consistent all the way through my lists. Instead, I did a list of the top 10 draft re-entries, which can be found here.

Also for clarification, this list is MY list of the top 50 OHL prospects, as if I were drafting for my own team. In other words, this isn't a list of where I THINK or believe players will go, but a ranking of my own opinion on the top players eligible for this draft based on my viewings this season. If you want a draft projection and information about players outside the OHL, be sure to check out McKeens Hockey (who I contribute to), order a product like the Future Considerations Draft Guide, or scour twitter for great draft follows who produce their own work such as Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) & Grant McCagg (@recruteshockey).
 
This first part includes the Honorable Mentions of my list. These are the players who received consideration for my top 50, but who fell just short. There are 22 in total. Last year, one player was taken from my HM's (Mathew Hill). This year, I could see a couple being drafted. While all of these guys most definitely have potential, they remain long shots who need to put in a lot of work to be serious NHL prospects.

Here are my HM's (in alphabetical order)...

Tye Austin - Goaltender - Peterborough Petes
Absolutely huge kid at 6'5, 200lbs who was a high selection in the 2018 Priority Selection. Has played the back-up role to Minnesota Wild selection Hunter Jones the last two years, which means he has played sparingly. With that size, he's going to be alluring to NHL scouts, even if the performance on the ice hasn't been great yet. Right now, he's purely a stopper. Consistency has been a big issue the last two years. He's a traditional butterfly style goaltender, but his overall quickness in the crease isn't at the level it needs to be to be successful in the OHL. He can be slow covering his posts and he can be slow to come out and cut down angles. When he tracks the play well, he can take away a lot of the net, especially with his pads. But his overall athleticism will need to improve. He's going to be pushed hard the next year or two by other goalies in Peterborough's system (Michael Simpson, Liam Sztuska, Mikael Kingo). 

Owen Bennett - Goaltender - Guelph Storm
Another big goaltender (see the trend) who comes in at 6'3, 200lbs. Bennett actually did a great job in net for the Storm when Nico Daws was away at the WJC's. But consistency was a major issue this year, especially when Daws returned and Bennett was relegated back to the bench in the second half. I think Bennett does a good job tracking the play and squares well to shooters. His positioning is usually pretty sound. But improving his rebound control and his quickness will be imperative for him if he wants to be a competent OHL starter. Next year, he'll likely get his shot as I am expecting Daws to be drafted, signed, and playing pro in 2020/21.  

Aidan Campbell - Goaltender - Erie Otters
Three consecutive massive goaltenders on the HM list. Campbell comes in at 6'5, 188lbs. As a pure stopper, Campbell has the skill set. He's athletic for a big kid and moves reasonably well side to side and front/back. This allows him to be aggressive and still possess the ability to recover. However, consistency is a big issue for him right now because his rebound control is not refined, and because he has a tendency to go down too early and it causes him to give up his positioning in the crease. As he moves, holes tend to open up and he can have a tough time tracking pucks through traffic. But I would bet money on Campbell still being drafted this year and he was one of the last cuts to my Top 50 because the potential for him to be a quality netminder is quite high.

Igor Chibrikov - Defense - Owen Sound Attack
Chibrikov is a massive, but lanky, stay at home defender (6'7, 190lbs) who does have some projectable pro qualities. He's not a poor skater for such a big defender and that generally helps him to be a solid player in his own end. That reach and improving feet help him to cover a lot of ground. But I don't see high end upside. I think his puck skill and decision making with the puck are limited. He can have some difficulty with the forecheck. To boot, he's a late 2001 who received a little more ice time this year, but who didn't really improve a ton in his third OHL season. Given that he's not really a physical beast, nor a strong offensive presence, I think he's on the outside looking in at the draft, despite a raw projectable frame.

Ty Collins - Right Wing - Mississauga Steelheads 
Started the year in Guelph but was then dealt to Mississauga. His ice time didn't really improve a ton with the deal, so it was largely a lateral move, save giving Collins a fresh start closer to home. A former linemate of Quinton Byfield's in minor midget, Collins plays a pretty no nonsense game. He's at home near the crease where he does have decent hands to finish in tight. And he is a hard worker without the puck too. But the upside is limited for the pro level. Not a high end offensive player, although he is likely to become a top 6 winger in the OHL by the time he is an overager. Basically Collins is a solid high energy complimentary winger, but not necessarily a true pro prospect at this point.

Anthony Costantini - Defense - Ottawa 67's
While twin brother Marco (goaltender on Hamilton) fails to crack the HM list, Anthony does because he showed flashes of being capable of much more in a limited role with Ottawa this year. He's one of the younger players eligible this year (August birthday), but is already 6'1 and fairly mobile. Even though he was asked to play pretty conservatively on Ottawa's third pairing, his puck skill and vision showed well at times. He looks the part in all three zones. However, it can be tough to stand out on such a deep team. What is the high end potential? He could be a top 3 defender next year for the 67's, which would give him a true opportunity to showcase his skill set.

Theo Hill - Center - Sarnia Sting 
Hill is a speedy antagonist who brings a lot of energy to the ice, especially in the offensive end. He loves to get his nose dirty and he can use his skating ability to both apply pressure on defenders, and push the pace with the puck. That said, it was tough to get a true read on his high end offensive potential in Sarnia this year. He played more of a depth role for the Sting and just wasn't able to stand out consistently. Like mentioned with a guy like Ty Collins above, it's hard to say what Hill's potential would be at the pro level.

David Jesus - Defense - Oshawa Generals 
While most OHL fans know him best because his name is Jesus and he wears the #25, the Generals defender is actually a very solid prospect who I heavily considered for my top 50. The offensive production doesn't jump out at you. He plays a pretty simple game and his ice time fluctuated pretty heavily this year. But every time I saw Oshawa play, I came away impressed with Jesus. He's got good size at 6'3. His mobility is above average for a bigger defender. I think he does a good job defending off the rush and holding the blueline as an offensive player. I think there's upside for him to be much better at both ends as he gets more ice time in the coming years.

Alex Johnston - Center - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
I had Johnston in my top 50 for the majority of the year, but I just can't justify it for my year end list. I do really like him as a player and I think he will eventually develop into a quality top 6 forward at the OHL level. But he's also a late 2001 who didn't really take much of a step forward this year. His best asset remains his hockey sense and vision with the puck. But he doesn't possess a elite separation, size, or strength and it hinders his effectiveness as a consistent play creator. It also doesn't help that he was passed by several players on SSM's depth chart this year. 

Colton Kammerer - Defense - Sarnia Sting 
Another late 2001 born, Kammerer is 6'1 defender who plays a fair amount for the Sting. I had pretty high hopes for him to take a step forward this year, but it was a pretty lateral year for him in terms of development. Of course, it doesn't help when you play on one of the weaker defending teams in the league. I like the intensity he plays with in the defensive end, but I'm not sure the offensive skill set has developed to the point where he is an NHL prospect. Improving his heads up vision with the puck in the defensive end would really help. I hope that the Sting move forward with a Nolet-Kammerer pairing (that they used at times this year) in the future as I think the two play well off of each other.

Gerard Keane - Defense - London Knights
Keane did not have the best year in London, yet I was so close to finding a spot for him in my top 50 for a few reasons. While he had some really bad games for the Knights this year, he also showed flashes of being an elite defender and that is what makes him enticing. The first reason I think he may still be on the draft radar is his mobility. Like his brother Joey, Gerard is an above average mover and he can show well leading the rush or pushing deep into the offensive zone. The second reason is that Keane plays bigger than his 5'10 height would suggest. He searches out opportunities to play the body. Lastly, I look at how Joey was a late bloomer and I wonder if Gerard follows that same trajectory. That said, his decision making in both ends will need to improve. Bad pinches, poor coverage, turnovers are all a part of his game currently. I guess it depends on how much you trust the Hunters to bring out the best in him moving forward.

Isaac Langdon - Center - Kitchener Rangers
Kind of a tough year for Langdon in Kitchener as he found himself buried on the 3rd/4th lines as guys like Francesco Pinelli, Declan McDonell, and Mike Petizian passed him on the depth chart. Next year, he'll get his chance to work his way up, but did he do enough to put himself on any NHL team draft lists this year? There is certainly great versatility to his game. He can play center or the wing. He has good speed. He can kill penalties. He forces turnovers with a quick stick in all three zones. But his creativity with the puck, shot creation ability, and overall offensive effectiveness was largely limited this year. There definitely could be more in there though.

Xavier Medina - Goaltender - Windsor Spitfires
Very athletic netminder who will be given every opportunity to be the starter next year with Piiroinen heading back to Finland. Worst case scenario, he splits time with recent draft selection Kyle Downey. Medina is an ultra athletic netminder who relies on his agility and quickness in the net to make saves, more than anything. As such, consistency was an issue for him in his first OHL season. But as he makes adjustments to his reads, settles down a bit, and improves his positioning, Medina possesses the potential to be one of the better goaltenders in the OHL. Given his lack of elite size (6'0), it's unlikely NHL teams come calling until he refines his approach (so critical for smaller goalies to be technically sound), but he's one to track moving forward.

Kyle McDonald - Right Wing - Windsor Spitfires 
Another Spitfire, McDonald was disappointing in his NHL draft year. Coming into the year, I know some expected the 6'5, 200lbs winger to establish himself as a top 100 selection, but that was far from the case. As a whole, Windsor was incredibly inconsistent this year, and some of that falls on their talented young core (such as McDonald). He's got great size (as mentioned), but also good hands and has the potential to be a goal scorer in this league (think Jonathan Yantsis) because of a good wrist shot. However, he needs to be much harder on pucks given his size advantage. And everything about his skating will need to improve. Not overnight, but if he could focus on improving either his pivots/lateral agility or his first step explosiveness, it would go a long way. 

Zachary Paputsakis - Goaltender - Oshawa Generals 
Another player that I wanted to fit inside my Top 50, but ultimately just couldn't justify it. Part of the issue for me might be that I seemed to catch Paputsakis at his worst this year. Seemed like every time I saw the Generals and he was starting, he gave up a soft goal from a bad angle. That said, I know there are some that really like him and what he did this year as a rookie (even if he is a late 2001) was impressive. I think he takes away the bottom of the net really effectively and generates good power in his pushes. We saw him in the OHL highlight reels a lot this year making those post to post saves. However, his hybrid style seems to be erratic at times, leaving him out of position, or in the wrong position. Wouldn't shock me at all if he was drafted and I could see why. Size and athleticism are sound. The building blocks are there. It's just as a late 2001, you've got a little less time to work with than say a kid like Aidan Campbell (who is also an HM). 

Aidan Prueter - Center - Mississauga Steelheads 
Never a great sign when you're a late 2001, playing in your third OHL season and your production decreases or plateaus, like it did with Prueter this year in Mississauga. I do think that Prueter will be a point per game player at some point during his OHL career (in the next two years). He's a smart player. And there is some jam to his game away from the puck. But his physical skill set is still lacking in the sense that he's average sized, an average skater, and isn't incredibly strong on the puck. At this point, Prueter looks like a longer shot to be an NHL prospect based on the plateau in his development. 

Dylan Robinson - Defense - Windsor Spitfires
At the beginning of the year, I thought Robinson was definitely tracking towards being an NHL draft selection. He's a huge kid with great reach (6'5) and early on we saw him looking to activate offensively, and he was playing a bit on the powerplay. But as the season progressed, he seemed to lose a lot of confidence in his offensive abilities, falling back into more of a shell. And as such, some limitations in his skating ability became more apparent (especially his four way mobility). But he's a really raw kid. He's like a stick out there and as he gains strength, where his game ends up is a complete mystery. As such, there could still be an NHL team who uses a late round pick on him because of his projectable frame and skill set. 

Cam Supryka - Defense - Hamilton Bulldogs
A late 2001 born defender with good size and mobility, this was really Supryka's first year playing a larger role in the OHL and I think he handled it well. At 6'2, his size and high end skating combination is alluring. He is quite adept at walking the line inside the offensive zone, although isn't a naturally assertive offensive player. Defensively, I think he improved a lot over the course of the season and projects as a quality two-way defender. I know it's not saying a ton given Hamilton's struggles on the defensive end this year, but there were some nights where Supryka was the team's best defender. As he gains confidence in his ability to use his mobility offensively, I do wonder if we'll see some really nice progression from him as the Bulldogs improve moving forward.

Shawn Spearing - Defense - Peterborough Petes
Spearing is an older school stay at home defender type who saw himself moved around the Petes lineup this year. At 6'2, 190lbs, he combines decent overall mobility with a physical mindset and a good stick. It is very likely that we see Spearing in a top three role next year for Peterborough, perhaps even as part of a top pairing with Jack York. The offensive game is pretty non existent at this point as he falls back to protect his own end. But given his physical tools and defensive abilities, he's worth a mention on this list. 

Anthony Tabak - Left Wing - Barrie Colts
At 6'5, 200lbs, Tabak is one of the larger forwards available for the draft this year. Tabak had an up and down third year in the OHL that saw him move to his third team in that time frame. Even though he's a big body, Tabak's skating actually isn't bad. He moves well and is able to drive the net and cut in to get behind defenders with the puck. However, I thought he struggled in his time with Barrie and wasn't as noticeable as he was earlier in the year with Sarnia. I question just how good his hands are as I've found him to have a difficult time operating in transition and receiving passes while moving. And I also don't know if he has the finishing ability to be a top end goal scorer. When he's driving the middle and using his size to open up space for more skilled linemates, he's at his best. But as an NHL prospect, I think there are limitations. 

Avery Winslow - Defense - North Bay Battalion
If there is one player who was hurt most by the abrupt ending to the OHL season, it may have been Winslow. The Battalion were playing some great hockey and Winslow was looking extremely comfortable following a deal from London at the deadline. He had 9 points in 12 games with North Bay and was seeing considerable ice time in all situations. While it doesn't seem like a lot, those final few games could have given scouts another chance to see him one or two more times. As such, the sample size is just so small and that's why I've got him outside my top 50. But the defender we saw in those games with North Bay was a top 30 ranked OHL'er and not an HM. Another curious thing about Winslow is that he's one of the youngest players eligible this year with a late August birth date. He still has some physical maturation to undergo. At the heart of Winslow's effectiveness is his skating ability. He has a very smooth and effortless stride that allows him to be an aggressive puck mover. But he also showed well in his own zone in North Bay, even if he needs to get stronger to be more effective along the wall and near the crease. This is a kid to REALLY keep an eye on next year when North Bay will be an improved team and he increases his confidence.

Nick Wong - Right Wing - Kingston Frontenacs
Much like Aidan Prueter, Wong is a late born 2001 who has yet to really live up to the hype that he had early on in his OHL career. Wong had 17 goals in his 16 year old season, but has failed to match that output in the two seasons since. A lot of that has to do with his lack of power as a skater, in combination with his lack of size at 5'8. No question, he has the hands and shot to be a quality goal scorer in the OHL. And I would harbor a guess that he's a 30 goal scorer in the league either next year or the year after. But a lack of physical attributes, combined with a lack of elite offensive production at a smaller size means that Wong isn't a serious NHL draft prospect right now, even if he still possesses the potential to be a quality OHL player over the next two seasons (and a big part of Kingston's resurgence under Shane Wright).