31 Teams in 31 Days - Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are the next Canadian team up and they have a very strong group of OHL prospects.

1. Evan Bouchard - London Knights
The OHL's Max Kaminsky winner this year as OHL defender of the year. Bouchard had another dominant offensive season, which obviously got a late start due to the fact that he started the year in the NHL with Edmonton. By now, we know the skill set that Bouchard brings to the ice offensively. He has that booming shot. And he sees the ice so well, rarely committing turnovers with the puck on his stick. He will never be the league's quickest defender, but his skating continues to get better and is not something that will hold him back from being an NHL defender. There were two big takeaways for me this year. The first was Bouchard's improved playoff performance after a very poor showing in 2018. This showed just how well he could elevate his game when needed. The second was Bouchard's increased intensity level in traffic areas. Again, he's not Scott Stevens. But his compete level in the corners and in front of the net was definitely a little higher this year. So what's next for Bouchard? He'll obviously turn pro next year. Whether that's in the NHL or the AHL remains to be seen. This may sound obvious, but it will come down to how he handles play in his own end, especially his intensity level and effectiveness in those loose puck battles. If he's getting hemmed in his own end, he's not able to take advantage of his offensive gifts. I do think that he'll need some time in the AHL (even though he did see some limited action in the AHL playoffs last year). The Oilers aren't a strong enough defensive team at this current moment to insulate him through his learning curve. If he's in the AHL, I would expect him to be in that 0.66 ppg range. 

2. Dmitri Samorukov - Guelph Storm
No prospect in the OHL...or maybe even in hockey increased their stock as much as Samorukov did this year. This is especially true considering that most of this rise occurred thanks to a dominating second half performance that saw him be a standout at the WJC's and perhaps the OHL's best defender after Christmas. This extended through the playoffs as he won an OHL Championship with the Guelph Storm. It's like the light bulb just went off for him, finally utilizing all his physical gifts to dominate play at both ends of the ice. The Samorukov that we saw in the second half really didn't have much in terms of a weakness. He had cleaned up his play with the puck, establishing himself as a premier puck rusher and play creator. He was aggressive in jumping up looking to get himself shooting chances, but he did so intelligently. He continued to be a physical force in his own end, but exhibited way more patience defensively. It all came together and it was damn exciting to watch. So I guess the million dollar question is, is Samorukov's progression for real? If he plays in the AHL to start next year, the way that he finished this year, he won't be spending much time in the AHL. But I do know that there are some who still wonder if he thinks the game well enough to be an impact NHL defender. I suppose that remains to be seen. But if I was a betting man, I think this is just a player who finally turned the corner and won't be looking back.

3. Kiril Maksimov - Niagara IceDogs
First the positives. Maksimov was able to hit the 40 goal mark this year and speaks to the quality of his shot and release. He can really fire it. He is an ideal triggerman on the powerplay, where he looks to set up shop in the slot or near the faceoff dots. Maksimov is also a determined competitor who is extremely aggressive in pursuit of the puck, be it on the forecheck or driving to the net. He can hit, and he hits hard. The rest of his game does remain a bit of a work in progress. Decision making with the puck remains questionable. Turnovers can be a problem for him, especially in the neutral zone as he has a tendency to try to drive through traffic with his head down. This could point to his hockey sense being not quite as high as you would like for a potential top 6 winger, especially if Oilers' fans have hope that Maksimov can develop into a winger for Connor McDavid. This year, discipline was also a major issue for Maksimov, especially in the second half. Way too many retaliation or lazy penalties, especially in the offensive zone. This got him in the doghouse in several occasions. And unfortunately, a PCL injury prevented Maksimov from being a part of Niagara's playoff run, where I would have hoped he would have shined due to his aggressive style of play. He was certainly missed in the lineup. Maksimov will turn pro next year and I do think that he'll find some goal scoring success relatively quickly. I could easily see him scoring 20 goals in the AHL next year. But other areas of his game will need to improve before he's able to show whether that will translate to the NHL level.

4. Ryan McLeod - Saginaw Spirit
Not the best year for McLeod from a production standpoint, especially post deadline with the Saginaw Spirit. In Saginaw, McLeod's role did decrease compared the one that he played with Mississauga, but as a veteran leader, I think more was, and should have been expected from him. This was especially true in the playoffs, where he was a relative no show against the Guelph Storm in the Western Championship. In 7 games, he had 1 goal, 1 assist, was -5, and had only 4 shots on net. McLeod skates so well, but I just don't see enough urgency to his game. My criticism has been the same nearly every year and that is that McLeod needs to use his size and speed to attack the middle of the ice with more consistency. But he can still be kept to the perimeter, as he looks to use his hands and puck skill to create time and space for himself. On the powerplay at the next level, this could be an asset. But 5 on 5, I'm just not sure his offensive game will translate. He'll turn pro this year and I do expect some difficulty with the transition. I think he'll probably be around the 15/15 mark in the AHL this year and remains a longer term project.