It's that time of the year for my annual (2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009) list of the top second and third year eligible OHL players for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. NHL teams continue to draft re-entry players in increasing number. This is mostly because drafting a second or third year eligible player gives NHL teams a lot of flexibility in their development under the CBA. Plus, a lot of these guys have been having success in the last decade (Andrew Mangiapane, Tanner Pearson, Sean Durzi, and Colin Miller as legitimate NHL players are great examples from the OHL), which basic psychology tells us that other NHL teams will try to mimic.
Just to clarify, yet again, for those with limited understanding of the NHL draft system; North American players have either two or three years to get drafted, depending on their birth date. For those born from January 1 to September 15, they will go through three NHL drafts. For those born from September 16 to December 31, they will go through two NHL drafts. The players on this list are a mix of those having been passed over once or twice already.
Also, do not confuse this list with players drafted in 2023 who will re-enter the draft should they fail to come to a contractual agreement with their NHL team by June 1 (and whose birth date still allows them to be eligible). Quite often those too are referred to as draft re-entries. But this list does not contain them because it is not yet known who those players will be.
This year's crop is pretty strong by re-entry standards. Epperson should be a top 75 selection and one of the first re-entries off the draft board. Four or five others have a legitimate shot of being drafted. With the changing development landscape, due to the NCAA eligibility rules, I wonder if more NHL teams take re-entry CHL players and then encourage them to head south to increase their signing window, in addition to aiding in their development.
Without further rambling, here's my list:
1. Kristian Epperson - Wing - Saginaw Spirit
One trend that we're starting to see is the post draft year production and development bump for "depth" players coming out of the NTDP. Players fall through the cracks at the program from a ice time/responsibility perspective, but have developed well thanks to the off ice training afforded to them. Epperson is a great example of this. He was demoted to the U17 team and not taken to the U18's last year, but his game has taken off as part of the Saginaw organization in the OHL. He formed almost instant chemistry with Michael Misa, with the two tormenting the league right from preseason on. Epperson is best described as a high energy, change of pace winger. Good, but not great skater, but he's intelligent in how he attacks with and without the puck. He changes gears and direction well and that allows him to keep defenders on their toes. He's also strong in puck protection, can drive the net, win battles along the wall, recover pucks or force turnovers. He's basically the perfect complement to a skilled play driving pivot like Misa. Epperson has skill though too. He can create for himself thanks to good hands, a quick release, and strong playmaking instincts/vision. He's just a really well rounded player. As a pro, he projects as a middle six, complementary piece thanks to his versatility. He's headed to Denver (NCAA) next season and that's going to be even better for his development. That program has developed players like Epperson incredibly well under David Carle.
2. Charlie Paquette - Wing - Guelph Storm
Second half of the season Charlie Paquette was an absolute force in the OHL. Through the last 40 games of the year, he had 30+ goals and was well over a point per game, taking the reigns of the rebuilding Storm. He's long been a player that I have liked and had hoped would eventually breakout. He always had those "physical" tools. He was big, had power in his stride, and could shoot the puck, but the consistency just wasn't there. For whatever reason, the light bulb went off in the second half of this OHL season and he became a legitimate NHL prospect. A big body presence with long powerful strides, OHL defenders had a heck of a time stopping Paquette from driving the net and getting to the middle of the ice. Paquette also has a great shot and scoring instincts. He excelled on the powerplay as both a net front presence and a shooting option from the flank where he can utilize his heavy one timer. Given his size and improving skating and skill, it would not shock me at all if an NHL team jumped on Paquette this year at the draft. At least if they were smart...they would.
3. Ben Hrebik - Goaltender - Barrie Colts
This year was supposed to be the Sam Hillebrandt show in Barrie; the U.S. WJC netminder was considered a preseason favourite for OHL goaltender of the year. While Hillebrandt wasn't nescarrily bad, he wasn't as good as OHL rookie Ben Hrebik, who came out of nowhere to be one of the OHL’s best netminders this year. His strong play created a platoon between the two of them. NHL Scouting staffs are bound to be intrigued by Hrebik’s upside given his size (at 6’3) and athleticism combination. He’s very active and quick in the crease. He covers the net really well and never seems to quit on a play. A traditional butterfly netminder, he has lightning quick pads and scrambles to make saves in a way that makes one believe Hrebik is/was a Jonathan Quick fan growing up. The technical components are a work in progress. He can struggle with rebounds and often has to make an extra save or two than he needs to. He can overcommit on his pushes and not cover his angles properly. He can be susceptible five hole when teams get him moving. Teams seemed to get the book on him later in the year and into the playoffs and he struggled a bit down the stretch. That said, these are correctable issues, especially given how athletic Hrebik is.
4. Jack Brauti - Defense - Niagara IceDogs
A three way deal in the offseason brought Brauti to Niagara, where he has blossomed into a quality two-way defender for the upstart IceDogs. We had Brauti ranked just outside our top 250 last year at McKeen's Hockey, but he has improved his projection this year with improved on puck play and playmaking ability. He’s not a natural fit to run a powerplay, but he has been effective doing so for Niagara and had them operating as a top ten unit in the OHL. He can lug the puck up with confident, smooth strides, and he gets shots through with efficiency. Brauti’s best asset is his energetic and assertive approach to defending. He’s a tough and physical competitor who blocks shots and who likes to take away space from opposing forwards. He can struggle, at times, defending pace; his lateral and backwards stride aren’t always the cleanest. However, he’s largely effective and efficient. Does he have enough upside to entice NHL teams? There’s a profile here similar to a guy like Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh, who has taken some time to develop into a quality depth defender.
5. Anthony Cristoforo - Defense - Windsor Spitfires
Heading into last year, Cristoforo was seen as a potential top two round selection following a standout rookie year in the OHL. However, defensive and physical engagement issues, combined with offensive regression, led him to slide down lists and out of the draft altogether by June. This year, he unquestionably returned a better and more confident overall player. The Spitfires returned to the top of the standings and he was a huge part of that as one of the OHL’s time on ice leaders. Look, he’s still not a defensive stalwart and he’s not going to project that way at the NHL level either. There’s still a need to improve his ability to clear the net front and win consistent battles along the wall. He still plays a fairly high risk game at both ends. However, it can also be said that he’s been way more engaged and involved at both ends, blocking shots, killing penalties, completing breakouts under pressure, making better and quicker decisions as a powerplay quarterback. Believe it or not, he was one of the league's leaders in blocked shots this year. There’s progression here in his draft +1 that leads you to believe that he can continue to evolve.
6. Lauri Sinivuori - Center - Oshawa Generals
When the Generals were hit with the surprise that Minnesota Wild draft pick Rasmus Kumpulainen was returning to Finland, they turned to selecting Sinivuori in the import draft and he filled a similar role for the team in the top nine. Sinivuori is best described as a rugged, power center. His game is not complicated. He gets pucks to the net. He gets to the net. He looks to engage physically to gain leverage. His skating isn’t the most elegant, but he can build speed with some big strides. It’s just sustaining said speed, or making sharp changes (due to a stride that tends to get very wide) that prevent him from being more dynamic with the puck. I also wish that he were a little more consistently engaged in the defensive end, given his physicality. He’s very clearly on the NHL draft radar and I fully expect him to be drafted, perhaps even as the second highest re-entry from the OHL, but he’s likely a player with pretty limited upside in my eyes too. If you're drafting Sinivuori, you're hoping that the offensive game and skating can continue to improve so that he can be a quality role player down the line for your organization.
7. Mitch Young - Defense - Sarnia Sting
We, at McKeen's Hockey, had Young on the draft radar last year as a re-entry candidate, but he ultimately went unselected. In his final year of draft eligibility, he remains on the scouting radar thanks to another strong season for the Sarnia Sting. It’s obvious that NHL scouts are looking at him closely too, since he was one of the few re-entry candidates named to the OHL Top Prospect’s Game in Brantford. Young, despite being older and gaining experience, remains a raw defender. He’s a high risk, high reward type of player and that likely won’t change. However, there’s no denying that he is one of the OHL’s most skilled individual defenders. He routinely escapes pressure thanks to quick hands and quick feet. He is aggressive offensively. He’s a high impact guy. Young is also a physical defender. He loves to play aggressively defensively too. Sometimes that means he gets burned at both ends, but you live with it. I remain steadfast that if he were playing for a top offensive team last year (not a bottom five one in Sarnia), we’d be seeing Young in the top five of defenseman scoring in the OHL. Young has the athletic talent to be an NHL defender. Can his sense and decision making catch up? He might just be one of those guys who has plateaued a bit in his current league/environment. It will be interesting to see if he could end up committing to an NCAA program down the line, which would be a great opportunity to extend his development window, allowing his game to mature further. I think the NCAA style of play would do wonders to help him become a little less erratic on the ice. In the meantime, expect him to be one of my breakout candidates next year with Sarnia.
8. Trenten Bennett - Goaltender - Owen Sound Attack
With Carter George away at the World Juniors, the Attack brought in Bennett out of the CCHL and he was impressive in those limited appearances. So much so that NHL Central Scouting has ranked him inside the top ten of North American netminders at midseason (although they did drop him significantly in their final rankings). He returned to Owen Sound for one game in February too. The St. Lawrence commit definitely has size going for him (at 6’8), so that’s where NHL CS’s rooting interest is coming from. As you might expect, he plays pretty deep in his crease in an attempt to utilize his size and minimize wasted movement. He’s got quick pads and moves well with his initial push, allowing him to take away the bottom of the net. However, in scramble situations, he can struggle to maneuver from the butterfly and often can’t make those second or third chance saves. Additionally, because he plays so deep in his crease and is a more traditional butterfly netminder, he can struggle with longer shots through traffic. If an NHL team drafts Bennett, it’s a major swing for the fences based on size alone. Where he plays next year remains a bit of a mystery. St. Lawrence's crease is pretty crowded, but they could still bring him in next season. Or he could play again in Owen Sound as a third goalie behind George and Koporowski. Or a trade could open up ice time with the Attack or another organization (depending on who gets moved).
9. Evan Van Gorp - Wing/Center - London Knights
An undrafted free agent signing by the Knights a few years ago, Gorp has risen to be a quality depth piece for the Knights. His game is built around great work ethic, tenacity, and speed. He's the kind of like the old school wind up toys. You wind him up and release him to the ice to let him wreck havoc. He's not huge and he's not an overly physical player, but he's relentless in his pursuit of the puck and he can play the game at a breakneck pace. He flashes some nice skill too and is far from a perimeter player, admirable qualities for a smaller forward. From my conversations, there is hope that he can be the next guy to explode with London as players graduate and he gets more ice time. I'm not sure I see a ton of upside for the pro level, but maybe he can get to a place where he's a similar depth player to a guy like former Knight Jonathan Gruden.
10. Vann Williamson - Defense - Kingston Frontenacs
Williamson is a two-way, right shot defender with good mobility. He's become heavily relied upon by Kingston in his draft year plus one. Williamson is an excellent transitional defender because of his mobility and aggressive physical approach. He’s not extremely aggressive offensively, but he moves the puck quickly in the offensive zone and does a good job getting point shots through traffic to generate second chance opportunities. Sometimes his decision making in the defensive zone can be questioned, be it in terms of puck movement or when to play aggressively, but he’s progressed well this year and has some pro level attributes.
Honorable Mentions (by position):
Goaltenders:
Michael McIvor - North Bay Battalion
Emerged as the starter for North Bay this year and had a really solid season. He was one of the better and more consistent netminders in the OHL this season; a truly underrated player. He's very athletic and quick in the crease and he needs to be given that he's not huge. He clearly worked hard to refine his technical approach this year and was less prone to overcommitting or bad goals. I thought about him at #9 or 10, but I went with maybe safer potential NHL prospects. No question McIvor gets NHL camp invites if he doesn't get drafted.
Defense:
Carson Campbell - Kitchener Rangers
A player cut from a similar cloth to Williamson in Kingston, but Campbell is maybe a little more aggressive offensively, but not as aggressive physically. He was one of the most improved defenders in the OHL this year and I could easily see a team looking at him in the later rounds.
James Petrovski - Owen Sound Attack
Big defender who took some time to grow into his frame and gain confidence in his ability to play both ends. His physical game took a really nice step forward this year as he embraced being more of a defensive leader for the Attack. NHL teams could wait to see if he takes another step forward offensively as an OA next season.
James Guo - Saginaw Spirit
Another right shot defender who improved a ton this year, much like Williamson and Campbell. Guo is versatile and has some offensive upside thanks to a solid point shot and decent four way mobility. He has a mean streak too, although that could stand to be more consistent.
Forwards:
Callum Hughes - Erie Otters
Hughes was a decent complementary piece for the Otters after signing out of the BCHL. The Boston University commit loves to play the game at a breakneck pace. He was on the draft radar last year with West Kelowna (BCHL), but NHL teams were likely concerned about a lack of upside so he went unselected. Those same upside concerns are likely still present, however, he’s been an effective high energy guy in the OHL. He looks to use his speed to get to the net, force turnovers, and get after it on the forecheck. He flashes goal scoring upside and that’s likely his ticket to a pro career along with finding some consistency as a two-way player.
Carter Lowe - Barrie Colts
The big winger started the year really well and looked like a lock for this list, but he hit a big wall in the second half and his production plummeted. His straight line skating has improved a lot, to the point where he’s now able to win races to space and to the puck. He’ll look to take on defenders one on one with the puck, but has impressive vision and playmaking sense for a bigger winger. The physical element to his game has improved considerably too. He’s now leveraging his size to win battles, getting to the net, and is making plays in all three zones. The Colts did use him as a primary penalty killer this year and to help them close out games, a testament to his upside as a two-way forward. The skating profile will need to continue to improve though, in addition to his offensive consistency.
Marco Mignosa - Soo Greyhounds
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Mignosa's development has been the improvement in his skating ability since he entered the league. He's become quite quick and this has really taken his game to another level, especially as a penalty killer. He's not really a physical guy, nor does he necessarily project as a two-way winger at the NHL level. But, he's very smart and has a long future as a pro in some capacity. It's just a matter of whether scouts think he can find a role moving forward.
Cole Davis - Wing - Windsor Spitfires
Truthfully, Davis is pretty much the same player he was last year when he went unselected. But, I appreciate his work rate, tenacity, and ability to get to the net given his lack of size. He's definitely a draft long shot, but he could end up on the NHL radar down the line if components of his game take a leap.
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