31 Teams in 31 Days - Dallas Stars

This is a really strong group of OHL prospects for the Dallas Stars

1. Thomas Harley - Mississauga Steelheads
I really, really liked Harley's progression this season. I think he took a massive step forward as a defensive player. In his draft year, it was rare to see Harley use his size to his advantage in the defensive end. This passiveness was my biggest criticism of him as a player. This year that was nearly one hundred percent rectified; a complete 180. He became ultra aggressive in stepping up on attackers, using his reach and his size to disrupt in the neutral zone. The turnovers he forces here by being aggressive, allow him and Mississauga to play up tempo and on the attack often. Deeper in his own zone, we saw Harley really start to put emphasis on being a physical player. This is especially true behind the net, where he seems most at home finishing his checks and suffocating opposing players. Offensively, he's still a major asset because of his skating ability and penchant for creating in transition. However, I think he showed more restraint at even strength, selecting his spots better to push deep, showing more trust in his teammates to gain entry by making quick outlet passes when his lane or space was taken away. One area of his game that I still think could use more growth is quarterbacking the powerplay. I would still like to see him be a little more fluid on the point, using fakes, and his quickness to open up those lanes. He can get a little trigger happy back there and too often those shots are fired wide. The million dollar question is, is Harley ready for the NHL next season? There certainly looks to be an opening for him, given the uncertainty of Stephen Johns' health, and the UFA status of Roman Polak and Andrej Sekera. I think he will definitely earn that pre ELC, nine game look. Part of me would love to see him back in the OHL again, to see him continue to improve his confidence as a two-way player, and to continue to improve his offensive decision making. However, I do also realize that he may be ready to be tested more, in an environment where his skating ability can't get him out of trouble all the time. A realistic expectation could be the type of NHL season Thomas Chabot had in his first year (around that 25 point mark), if he sticks in Dallas. And if he returns to the OHL, he could be the favourite for the Max Kaminsky as the league's top defender, and a lock for the Canadian WJC team (if there is a WJC).

2. Ty Dellandrea - Flint Firebirds
It was definitely a strong season for Dellandrea. Not only did he increase his offensive production significantly, but he also lead Flint to a much improved record and was a key member of Team Canada's gold medal winning effort at the WJC's. His strong leadership with Flint earned him the OHL's Mickey Renaud Trophy (awarded to the top captain). Basically all the areas that I outlined in last year's report for him to improve on (making quicker decisions with the puck, goal scoring production, consistency, team success) progressed quite well. In particular, I think most promising was Dellandrea's increased confidence in his shot and the consistency with which he was able to escape coverage near the crease in order to get himself those opportunities. He always had a heavy shot, it was hunting down those chances more consistently that seemed to be the hard part. Overall, you've got one heck of a complete hockey player. There really isn't anything that Dellandrea does poorly and I think given his skating ability, IQ, and strength in the faceoff dot, he could probably jump right into the Stars lineup next season. One thing that I might highlight would be a need to get stronger to win those battles more consistently below the hash marks. Dellandrea engages often, but he could stand to do a little better to win those challenges. Additionally, Dallas does have a tendency to develop their players slowly, and there may not be a spot for him to play consistently, especially down the middle. If he's in the AHL, I would expect him to be around the 45-50 point mark like Jack Studnicka was this past season. Ultimately, I've moved Harley ahead of Dellandrea only because I think his upside is higher. While Dellandrea is a terrific player, his skill level with the puck and overall creativity never quite developed the way that I thought it would and as such, I think he likely levels off as Jeff Halpern kind of player who can be a great two-way, middle six center.

3. Riley Damiani - Kitchener Rangers
Full disclosure, I had higher expectations for Damiani this season. I truly thought that he would be among the OHL's leading scorers. Instead, he saw his numbers dip. So what's the deal? I think context is required here. Kitchener got off to a very slow start as a team that saw them change coaches. During the Mike McKenzie period later in the year, the team was rolling and would have likely done some major damage had the postseason actually occurred. Secondly, the Rangers really made a concerted effort to spread the wealth; rolling three lines pretty equally. Damiani still led Kitchener in scoring, something to be applauded. He's still a high energy player who can keep the puck on a string in the offensive end, and controls the half wall as well as any forward in the OHL. While his forward stride and overall explosiveness can still only be classified as average, Damiani moves well laterally and his cuts are sharp, which gives him a real elusive quality in the offensive zone as he darts in and out of traffic. His vision is high end. His shot is better than the numbers would indicate. My real criticism here is that I felt that his engagement level without the puck (that high energy intensity I spoke of) was just not as consistent as it had been in previous years. Getting back to playing all out, all the time will be key for Damiani's development as a pro player. He's not the biggest and he's not the quickest, so he's going to have to consistently outwork the opposition. If he can establish himself as a top 9 player in the AHL next year, that would be huge, posting numbers over that 30+ point mark.

4. Nicholas Porco - Barrie Colts
Definitely a step backward this year for Porco, which included a move from Saginaw to the rebuilding Barrie Colts. Ultimately, his game still lacks polish and substance. Without question, he is one of the better skating forwards in the OHL. His explosiveness earns him scoring chances when he's attacking in transition because he can get behind defenders by catching them flat footed. But when he does not have the puck, he is just not a consistent factor. Porco still has goal scoring potential, but he needs to do a better job of finding those opportunities in the middle by playing through traffic. And he needs to 100% commit to using his speed to attack as a forechecker and to play along the wall. Whether its a will thing, or a lack of strength thing, it's not too late to be corrected. But if Porco can't become more of an East/West player, he probably doesn't earn a contract from the Stars next year. So what can we expect next year? Barrie should improve with some nice young talent and Porco will be a focal point of their second line. The opportunity for him to improve his numbers will be there. We could be looking at a major breakout in the 30+ goal range, or we could not at this point. I think the skating ability is just too good for him not to figure things out at some point, though.