The conclusion to my three part season preview sees me look at potential award candidates for 2019/20.
Red Tilson Trophy - Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
The last draft eligible player to win the Red Tilson was Connor McDavid in 2015, but Shane Wright enters this season as the hands on favourite to win this award. Not only is Wright the best player in the OHL, but Kingston should be among the best teams in the OHL. That combination should be good enough for a Red Tilson victory. In all honesty...I'd be shocked if Wright isn't the winner of this award. But we have to talk about some other candidates. I think Barrie ends up being one of the better teams in the East too and they should have a couple candidates in Brandt Clarke and Ethan Cardwell. Cardwell could be a sneaky pick to end up winning the scoring title, as I'm not sure he ends up making Team Canada at the WJC's (like Wright) and should end up with a handful of more games on a high scoring team. Brett Brochu in London is another long shot for this award, but still someone who could get some votes if he plays London to the top of the Western Conference. Ditto for teammate Luke Evangelista if he is as good as I expect him to be. Francesco Pinelli should have a great year for the Kitchener Rangers, but I think their depth and ability to roll three great lines will limit some of his production. Lastly, I do expect Mason McTavish to be one of the best players in the OHL this year. That puts him in the conversation for this award. However, I think he gets an extended look in Anaheim and then misses time for the WJC's. That likely means he misses over a dozen games this year. Additionally, I think he ends up getting moved by Peterborough at some point this year and mid season trade participants rarely get serious Red Tilson consideration.
Jim Rutherford Goaltender of the Year - Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
There are so few experienced goaltenders in the league this year due to the year lay-off, so this is a tough award to truly predict. But I really like the odds of Finnish import Leevi Merilainen. He comes to Kingston with a ton of hype and was fantastic at the World Junior Summer Showcase for Finland. He has a great team ahead of him and he should be an immediate impact player. As part of the Red Tilson discussion, I also mentioned Brett Brochu and he is a logical candidate here. The Knights will be good and part of why is Brochu. After those two top contenders, I think the next three candidates are Ben Gaudreau, Pavel Cajan, and Zach Paputsakis. Gaudreau will be a top contender if he can play well enough to get the Sting into the top 5 of the Western Conference. Cajan will be one if he can claim the starting spot on a very strong, veteran Kitchener Rangers team. And Paputsakis should be one of the top OA's in the league, backstopping a strong Oshawa team.
Max Kaminski Trophy - Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Bold prediction right? Obvious sarcasm as Clarke enters the season as the heavy favourite to be the league's top defender. Not only is he extremely talented, but the Colts will be a good team and his production should be absolutely top notch. Much like Wright above, I would be shocked if Clarke is not the winner of this award. Two other highly drafted players who could be heavy contenders are Sudbury's Jack Thompson (who will likely be among the league's top point producing defenders) and Guelph's Daniil Chayka, who returns to the league after stint in the KHL. OA Soo defender Robert Calisti is the highest scoring returning defenseman and I expect him to have a monster season. Four more unheralded choices could be Windsor's Louka Henault, Erie's Spencer Sova, North Bay's Ty Nelson, and Oshawa's Lleyton Moore. All four will be critical players for their teams and should be big point producers from the back-end. Of course, Ryan O'Rourke could be a candidate here too, but I'm just not sure he puts up enough points to be a serious Max Kaminsky option.
Emms Family Award - Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Without question, this will be the deepest group of players ever eligible. Because the league didn't play last year, every 2004 and 2005 born player (except Shane Wright) is eligible for this award. So who the hell wins when we should have multiple point per game players who don't even finish top 3 in voting? I'm going with a bold prediction here that a 2005 actually outshines them all! As we have seen this preseason already, Ritchie has been put in a position to have an absolutely monster year. And I think that if we have an '05 who performs as well statistically as an '04, I think that the voters will be swayed in that direction. If I had to pick a second choice, I would go with Paul Ludwinski in Kingston. Ludwinski could end up playing with Wright and Chromiak this year and the production that would come with that would be insane. Third would be either Spencer Sova or Ty Nelson, two defenders that I expect to be among the leading point producers on the blueline. Others to consider are 05's Ethan Miedema, Quintin Musty and 04's Hunter Haight, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Pano Fimis.
Leo Lalande Trophy - Zach Paputsakis
I mentioned Paputsakis as a sneaky candidate for goaltender of the year and as such he is my preseason pick for OA of the year. Again, I think the Generals will be a good team...especially defensively. And I think his stats will be excellent. Robert Calisti and Louka Henault are two guys that I mentioned for the Max Kaminsky and I think both will be in contention here too. A sneaky forward candidate is Kingston's Lucas Edmonds. Technically an OHL rookie in his OA year, he comes to the Fronts from Sweden and has been absolutely fantastic in the preseason. Other forwards I think have big OA years are Brandon Coe, Joe Carroll, Tag Bertuzzi, Brendan Hoffman, and Mike Petizian. A final player worth mentioning is Cody Morgan. One of the highest scoring returning players to the OHL, Morgan could have a real big offensive season with London.
Matt Leyden Trophy - Mike McKenzie (Kitchener Rangers)
I mentioned previously that I felt that the Kitchener Rangers entered the season as the early favourite to capture the OHL title this year. It seems logical, given that opinion, that I predict Mike McKenzie as the coach of the year. Pretty much every coach in this league has their work cut out for them this year since they have to integrate nearly 10+ rookies into their lineups. I expect Kingston to be among the best team's in the league too and that means Luca Caputi should be heavily considered. Outside of those two, look for Marty Williamson, Jay McKee, Marc Savard, Dale Hunter, and John Dean to be favourites.
Eddie Powers Trophy - Ethan Cardwell (Barrie Colts)
I kind of alluded to this prediction earlier, but I do feel like it has a great chance of happening. I think the Barrie Colts score a ton of goals this year. Their powerplay should be absolutely lights out. Cardwell is going to be among the league's leading scorers. Can he be THE leading scorer though? I think so. Shane Wright is going to miss time for the WJC's. However, he may light the league on fire so much that it doesn't matter. Luke Evangelista and Antonio Stranges should put up some serious points in London. Francesco Pinelli should be among the leading scorers in Kitchener. A real shot in the dark could be Daniil Gushchin in Niagara, as it was announced that he would be loaned to the league by San Jose. Can he replicate the offensive success he had in the USHL? Can he score enough on a somewhat young and retooling Niagara team?
Goal Scoring Leader - Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
I know, I know...a bit of a contradiction considering that I said Wright could lose his grip on the scoring title due to the WJC's. However, I do think that he ends up leading the league in goal scoring. He's that good. He's also, surprisingly, the league's highest returning goal scorer from two seasons ago. I think Cardwell challenges him. I think James Hardie challenges him (especially if he gets moved to a contender). Mason McTavish, Rory Kerins, Will Cuylle, Brett Harrison, Brennan Othmann, and Martin Chromiak are all serious contenders too. You could also list some of those OA wingers I mentioned earlier in the Leo Lalonde conversation. A darkhorse could be Philadelphia Flyers draft pick and Sudbury Wolves winger Samu Tuomaala if he gets assigned to the league. He can REALLY fire it and he'll be put in a position to score a lot of goals.
1st Team All Stars
LW: Martin Chromiak
C: Shane Wright
RW: Luke Evangelista
D: Brandt Clarke
D: Daniil Chayka
G: Leevi Merilainen
Coach: Mike McKenzie
2nd Team All Stars
LW: James Hardie
C: Ethan Cardwell
RW: Ty Tullio (if he plays RW, which I anticipate he does)
D: Robert Calisti
D: Louka Henault
G: Brett Brochu
Coach: Luca Caputi
3rd Team All Stars
LW: Mike Petizian
C: Mason McTavish
RW: Daniil Gushchin
D: Jack Thompson
D: Ryan O'Rourke
G: Zach Paputsakis
Coach: Marc Savard
All Rookie Team
LW: Quentin Musty
C: Calum Ritchie
RW: Gavin Hayes
D: Ty Nelson
D: Spencer Sova
G: Kyle Downey
The last draft eligible player to win the Red Tilson was Connor McDavid in 2015, but Shane Wright enters this season as the hands on favourite to win this award. Not only is Wright the best player in the OHL, but Kingston should be among the best teams in the OHL. That combination should be good enough for a Red Tilson victory. In all honesty...I'd be shocked if Wright isn't the winner of this award. But we have to talk about some other candidates. I think Barrie ends up being one of the better teams in the East too and they should have a couple candidates in Brandt Clarke and Ethan Cardwell. Cardwell could be a sneaky pick to end up winning the scoring title, as I'm not sure he ends up making Team Canada at the WJC's (like Wright) and should end up with a handful of more games on a high scoring team. Brett Brochu in London is another long shot for this award, but still someone who could get some votes if he plays London to the top of the Western Conference. Ditto for teammate Luke Evangelista if he is as good as I expect him to be. Francesco Pinelli should have a great year for the Kitchener Rangers, but I think their depth and ability to roll three great lines will limit some of his production. Lastly, I do expect Mason McTavish to be one of the best players in the OHL this year. That puts him in the conversation for this award. However, I think he gets an extended look in Anaheim and then misses time for the WJC's. That likely means he misses over a dozen games this year. Additionally, I think he ends up getting moved by Peterborough at some point this year and mid season trade participants rarely get serious Red Tilson consideration.
Jim Rutherford Goaltender of the Year - Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
There are so few experienced goaltenders in the league this year due to the year lay-off, so this is a tough award to truly predict. But I really like the odds of Finnish import Leevi Merilainen. He comes to Kingston with a ton of hype and was fantastic at the World Junior Summer Showcase for Finland. He has a great team ahead of him and he should be an immediate impact player. As part of the Red Tilson discussion, I also mentioned Brett Brochu and he is a logical candidate here. The Knights will be good and part of why is Brochu. After those two top contenders, I think the next three candidates are Ben Gaudreau, Pavel Cajan, and Zach Paputsakis. Gaudreau will be a top contender if he can play well enough to get the Sting into the top 5 of the Western Conference. Cajan will be one if he can claim the starting spot on a very strong, veteran Kitchener Rangers team. And Paputsakis should be one of the top OA's in the league, backstopping a strong Oshawa team.
Max Kaminski Trophy - Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Bold prediction right? Obvious sarcasm as Clarke enters the season as the heavy favourite to be the league's top defender. Not only is he extremely talented, but the Colts will be a good team and his production should be absolutely top notch. Much like Wright above, I would be shocked if Clarke is not the winner of this award. Two other highly drafted players who could be heavy contenders are Sudbury's Jack Thompson (who will likely be among the league's top point producing defenders) and Guelph's Daniil Chayka, who returns to the league after stint in the KHL. OA Soo defender Robert Calisti is the highest scoring returning defenseman and I expect him to have a monster season. Four more unheralded choices could be Windsor's Louka Henault, Erie's Spencer Sova, North Bay's Ty Nelson, and Oshawa's Lleyton Moore. All four will be critical players for their teams and should be big point producers from the back-end. Of course, Ryan O'Rourke could be a candidate here too, but I'm just not sure he puts up enough points to be a serious Max Kaminsky option.
Emms Family Award - Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Without question, this will be the deepest group of players ever eligible. Because the league didn't play last year, every 2004 and 2005 born player (except Shane Wright) is eligible for this award. So who the hell wins when we should have multiple point per game players who don't even finish top 3 in voting? I'm going with a bold prediction here that a 2005 actually outshines them all! As we have seen this preseason already, Ritchie has been put in a position to have an absolutely monster year. And I think that if we have an '05 who performs as well statistically as an '04, I think that the voters will be swayed in that direction. If I had to pick a second choice, I would go with Paul Ludwinski in Kingston. Ludwinski could end up playing with Wright and Chromiak this year and the production that would come with that would be insane. Third would be either Spencer Sova or Ty Nelson, two defenders that I expect to be among the leading point producers on the blueline. Others to consider are 05's Ethan Miedema, Quintin Musty and 04's Hunter Haight, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Pano Fimis.
Leo Lalande Trophy - Zach Paputsakis
I mentioned Paputsakis as a sneaky candidate for goaltender of the year and as such he is my preseason pick for OA of the year. Again, I think the Generals will be a good team...especially defensively. And I think his stats will be excellent. Robert Calisti and Louka Henault are two guys that I mentioned for the Max Kaminsky and I think both will be in contention here too. A sneaky forward candidate is Kingston's Lucas Edmonds. Technically an OHL rookie in his OA year, he comes to the Fronts from Sweden and has been absolutely fantastic in the preseason. Other forwards I think have big OA years are Brandon Coe, Joe Carroll, Tag Bertuzzi, Brendan Hoffman, and Mike Petizian. A final player worth mentioning is Cody Morgan. One of the highest scoring returning players to the OHL, Morgan could have a real big offensive season with London.
Matt Leyden Trophy - Mike McKenzie (Kitchener Rangers)
I mentioned previously that I felt that the Kitchener Rangers entered the season as the early favourite to capture the OHL title this year. It seems logical, given that opinion, that I predict Mike McKenzie as the coach of the year. Pretty much every coach in this league has their work cut out for them this year since they have to integrate nearly 10+ rookies into their lineups. I expect Kingston to be among the best team's in the league too and that means Luca Caputi should be heavily considered. Outside of those two, look for Marty Williamson, Jay McKee, Marc Savard, Dale Hunter, and John Dean to be favourites.
Eddie Powers Trophy - Ethan Cardwell (Barrie Colts)
I kind of alluded to this prediction earlier, but I do feel like it has a great chance of happening. I think the Barrie Colts score a ton of goals this year. Their powerplay should be absolutely lights out. Cardwell is going to be among the league's leading scorers. Can he be THE leading scorer though? I think so. Shane Wright is going to miss time for the WJC's. However, he may light the league on fire so much that it doesn't matter. Luke Evangelista and Antonio Stranges should put up some serious points in London. Francesco Pinelli should be among the leading scorers in Kitchener. A real shot in the dark could be Daniil Gushchin in Niagara, as it was announced that he would be loaned to the league by San Jose. Can he replicate the offensive success he had in the USHL? Can he score enough on a somewhat young and retooling Niagara team?
Goal Scoring Leader - Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
I know, I know...a bit of a contradiction considering that I said Wright could lose his grip on the scoring title due to the WJC's. However, I do think that he ends up leading the league in goal scoring. He's that good. He's also, surprisingly, the league's highest returning goal scorer from two seasons ago. I think Cardwell challenges him. I think James Hardie challenges him (especially if he gets moved to a contender). Mason McTavish, Rory Kerins, Will Cuylle, Brett Harrison, Brennan Othmann, and Martin Chromiak are all serious contenders too. You could also list some of those OA wingers I mentioned earlier in the Leo Lalonde conversation. A darkhorse could be Philadelphia Flyers draft pick and Sudbury Wolves winger Samu Tuomaala if he gets assigned to the league. He can REALLY fire it and he'll be put in a position to score a lot of goals.
1st Team All Stars
LW: Martin Chromiak
C: Shane Wright
RW: Luke Evangelista
D: Brandt Clarke
D: Daniil Chayka
G: Leevi Merilainen
Coach: Mike McKenzie
2nd Team All Stars
LW: James Hardie
C: Ethan Cardwell
RW: Ty Tullio (if he plays RW, which I anticipate he does)
D: Robert Calisti
D: Louka Henault
G: Brett Brochu
Coach: Luca Caputi
3rd Team All Stars
LW: Mike Petizian
C: Mason McTavish
RW: Daniil Gushchin
D: Jack Thompson
D: Ryan O'Rourke
G: Zach Paputsakis
Coach: Marc Savard
All Rookie Team
LW: Quentin Musty
C: Calum Ritchie
RW: Gavin Hayes
D: Ty Nelson
D: Spencer Sova
G: Kyle Downey
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