Sunday Top 10 - Most Impressive 1996 Born Players

 One of the many annual traditions I have on this blog is to rank the new batch of OHL rookies in order of the impression they left on me. Only the "true" OHL rookies have been included, thus why it's labeled the "Most Impressive 1996 born players." However, with the whole exceptional status thing, this means that Aaron Ekblad is going to be included in this group (because he was born in 1996). It also means that Connor McDavid is not going to be included in this list. I will describe the impression he left on me though.

I always like to note is that this isn't an early ranking for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. This ranking isn't the order in which I believe these players should be ranked for the draft, but an order of which players impressed me most. It's not a draft prognostication, it's an acknowledgment of the significant impact these players have had on their teams this season.

As mentioned, this is a tradition, so here are the previous year's lists. 1995's. 1994's. 1993's. 1992's.

10. Josh Ho-Sang - Windsor Spitfires
Ho-Sang certainly flashed moments of brilliance this year. He has an incredibly high skill level, which was apparent to anyone who watched him play in junior. Skating and ability to handle the puck are above average. At times this year, he was the best player on the ice, but he just wasn't able to keep up that consistency. There are definitely some things he needs to work on moving forward. I felt like he had trouble fighting through checks to get himself into good scoring position. I also felt like he overhandled the puck at times and was turnover prone. But he certainly showed enough offensive potential this season to make this list. It will be interesting to see what an offseason dedicated to strength training will do to make him a better player in his sophomore campaign.

9. Dante Salituro - Ottawa 67's
Salituro is like the little engine who could. He's little but he works his butt off. It was certainly hard to stick out in a positive way in Ottawa this year, but Salituro often did that. Regardless of the score, he was in there on the forecheck or trying to fight through checks with the puck. I was particularly impressed with his vision and ability to create scoring chances for his linemates. He looks like he's going to be a very good OHL player and a great running mate for Travis Konecny next season. Even though he's little, Salituro is already pretty solidly built, kind of similar to Max Domi, so I'm not really worried about stature preventing him from making a larger impact.

8. Roland McKeown - Kingston Frontenacs
I think most people will be surprised to see McKeown as low as he is on this list. First the positive. McKeown played massive minutes for a 16 year old this year and was a massive part of Kingston's half decent season. I really liked his decision making ability with the puck and he's clearly a very intelligent player. Now the negative. Every time I saw Kingston play this year, he made a few critical defensive mistakes. In particular, I noticed he was quite susceptible to getting beat off the rush, with players being able to take him to the outside. He had some trouble winning battles in the corners and tying up men in front of the net too. But, I think it's important to remember that McKeown was a rookie playing a lot of minutes, so he was bound to get overmatched at times. He's definitely got a ton of potential and is looking like a potential lottery selection next year. It's just that I had several other 16 year olds make a more profound impact on me this year.

7. Alex Nedeljkovic - Plymouth Whalers
The first goalie to crack this list since JP Anderson. It's pretty damn rare to have a 16 year old goalie have the type of impact Nedeljkovic has had. He stole the starter's job away from NHL draft pick, and 19 year old Matt Mahalak and never looked back. Sure, the Whalers are a great team. But it wasn't really until Nedeljkovic took over that the team really started to play well. His consistency in the crease gave Plymouth a new found confidence. He's not perfect, but he does a great job of squaring to shooters and reacting to the play. I can't seem to recall the last rookie goaltender to lead his team to a Memorial Cup victory, which is something Nedeljkovic has a chance to do.

6. Spencer Watson - Kingston Frontenacs
The trigger man on one of the most underrated lines in the OHL this year with fellow rookie (and another guy on this list) Sam Bennett and import Henri Ikonen. Watson impressed with his pure ability to create offense. Without the puck, he did well to get himself in scoring position and has a terrific shot already. With the puck, he's very elusive and has the stickhandling ability to create off the rush. It's clear he needs to get stronger, which is no surprise. Too often was he pushed off the puck in the offensive end this year. And he relied on Bennett and Ikonen to do most of the grunt work in the corners. But his skill level and production this year was very impressive.

5. Michael Dal Colle - Oshawa Generals
Big powerful forward who looks to have some power forward potential in the league. I understand that he's a natural center who played the wing this year. It'll be interesting to see if he goes back to center next year, especially with Jenner gone and Scott Laughton potentially in the NHL. I was really impressed with Dal Colle's ability to protect the puck and create scoring chances off the wall. He definitely did not look like a rookie this year. I think the one thing I'm interested in seeing next year, is just how much his nasty side takes off. He was occasionally physical this year and I think that growth in that area of his game will be key to his development.

4. Jared McCann - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Got better and better as the season went on. Heck, he finished out the year with 16 points in his last 9 games, before being knocked out of the OHL playoffs from a hit by Cameron Brace. Hopefully there aren't any lingering concussion issues at play here. A couple of things really impressed me with McCann. The first was his strong two-way play and ability to excel on the penalty kill (especially later in the season). He's going to be a very strong two-way player at the next level. Another thing was his skating ability. A terrific skater who can really get himself up the ice quickly on the breakout. McCann has the potential be the complete package.

3. Sam Bennett - Kingston Frontenacs
Bennett is an incredibly entertaining player to watch. He's one of those high energy guys who always seems to be involved in the play. He's actually got some real pest like qualities to him. He's quite physical and is very involved on the forecheck and in the corners. He and Henri Ikonen did great to work the cycle this year. He may not be big, but Bennett is very slippery and OHL defenseman had a tough time containing him on most nights. I also really liked the way Bennett created offense off the rush. He's got really underrated skill with the puck and made many a defenseman whiff this season. With added strength this offseason, I can't wait to see him play next year (and I hope he sticks with the Under 18 team currently).

2. Blake Clarke - Brampton Battalion
I was so impressed with Clarke this year. Big guy, but massive offensive potential. He's got terrific hands and can really carry the puck. Is definitely most dangerous off the rush where his size, skating ability, and skill with the puck make him incredibly difficult to contain. I actually was really impressed with his vision and ability to create for his linemates. Not just a, "put the head down and drive to the net" kind of forward. He uses that size to get close and the playmaking ability to find open teammates. Could be a real total package offensive player. Best of all, as the season went on, Clarke became more confident in throwing the body around and showed signs of becoming a physical player. I hope that continues to grow.

1. Aaron Ekblad - Barrie Colts
A beast, plain and simple. Ekblad was the best defenseman on one of the top teams in the league this year. He's also been fantastic so far in the playoffs, especially since Barrie has been missing captain Ryan O'Connor due to suspension. He took massive steps forward this year as a defensive player. Most of that was due to the fact that he became more physical and much more difficult to play against. Because of his size, reach, physicality, and agility, Ekblad is one of the toughest defenders to beat one on one in the league. Offensively, I felt like his breakout pass and ability to start the rush improved this year, as did his confidence on the point on the powerplay. The sky is the limit for this young man.

Honorable Mentions

Brandon Prophet - Saginaw Spirit
Prophet looks to have the makings of a really solid two-way defenseman. Was sheltered a bit in Saginaw this year, but in the ice time he did see, I was impressed with his composure with the puck and ability to start the breakout. I also liked his positioning defensively and occasional glimpses of physical play. Definitely a keeper.

Aaron Haydon - Niagara IceDogs
Was really starting to play well before he suffered that broken jaw in February. When Dougie Hamilton left the Niagara line up, Haydon started to gain more confidence offensively and began to take chances leading the rush. He even started to see some time with the man advantage. For a bigger defender, he seems to move quite well and his skill with the puck and ability to generate off the rush are areas with a lot of potential. And at his size, he's obviously got a lot of potential in his own end too, when he learns to play more physical and use his size.

Jacob Middleton - Ottawa 67's
I was actually most impressed by Middleton at the Under 17's, where I felt he was Ontario's best defenseman (even more so than Aaron Ekblad). In the OHL, he had some injury issues this year and at times looked a bit overmatched. In particular, his positioning defensively is something that stuck out for the wrong reasons at times. But he showed enough at both ends of the ice to suggest he could be a very good defender at this level. In particular, I liked how willing he was to engage physically.

Ben Hughes - Niagara IceDogs
Scored his only goal of the year in the playoffs, but I felt like every time I saw Niagara play, he made the most of his limited ice time. Hughes was one of the youngest players in the league, but he didn't show it. I liked his ability to play both ends of the ice and work hard without the puck. He seems to have some good instincts and I think that if he gets increased ice time next year, he could be someone who really impresses.

Joe Manchurek - Oshawa Generals
Only played 5 games in the OHL this year, but he made his mark in those 5 games. I saw him play two of those, one live and he showed a lot of promise. Was in there on the forecheck, winning battles along the boards and flashed some skill with the puck. I think he could be a big part of Oshawa's offense next season.

Special Honorable Mention

Connor McDavid - Erie Otters
I'm not including McDavid on this list, just as I didn't include Ekblad on last year's list. If I did include McDavid, he'd be number one over Ekblad, I was THAT impressed with him this year. His skating ability and stickhandling ability are electrifying. He was making 4 year OHL veteran defenseman look like pylons at times. His vision and ability to create for linemates is also incredible. Yes, he faded towards the end of the season. I think that was to be expected. It was also due to the fact that Erie significantly cut his icetime to prevent fatigue related injury. Next season, he'll be back stronger and better. Can he challenge for the scoring race next year? I guess we'll find out!

Game Report: Steelheads & Otters from November 4

My first game report of the season! Fear not though, I have obviously been watching games. This is just the first report I've decided to write.

I, along with many other people in the GTA (including the likes of Steve Stamkos, Gary Roberts, and Joe Nieuwendyk), traveled to the Hershey Center to catch a glimpse at 15 year old phenom Connor McDavid. The Steelheads (I think I've wrote Majors already three times and corrected myself) dominated the exhausted Otters, outshooting them 55-22, and outscoring them 4-1. In all honesty, the score could have been much more lopsided had it none been for the great goaltending provided by Devin Williams. It's hard to blame the Otters. They were playing their 3rd game in three nights, with the first two games coming against the Owen Sound Attack, possibly the hardest working team in the OHL.

So was this game truly a good measuring stick for players? Hard to say, but I'm going to provide you with some player reports anyway.

Mississauga Steelheads

#2 - Dylan DeMelo (San Jose Sharks) 
DeMelo had a great game and appears to be building off the confidence he gained last season. He made great strides last year and has continued his strong play into this year so far. He looks very confident with the puck this year. I've seen the Steelheads a few times this year and I've yet to see him turn the puck over in his own end. This used to be a real problem for him. But he's skating himself out of jams and making smart decisions with passes. He had a secondary assist on Smoskowitz's second goal, and scored by pinching in and pouncing on a loose puck near the crease while on the powerplay. Defensively, he was terrific. Nearly all of Mississauga's defensive players shone today, as Erie had a real tough time mustering the energy to keep possession in the offensive end.

#4 - Trevor Carrick (Carolina Hurricanes)
Carrick has done well to increase his offensive production thus far this year, and is seeing lots of time on the powerplay. Offensively, he was pretty good today. He did have one turnover at the point which lead to an odd man rush, but it was more the fault of Brett Foy for a bad pass which put Carrick in an awkward position. He gained an assist on the powerplay, working a give and go up top with Kris Kontos. He's playing 5 on 5 with Alex Cord, which is giving him lots of opportunities to work on his puck rushing skills. Defensively, I felt like he was one of the few Steelheads defenders to get exposed today. There were a few times where he was beaten off the rush and wasn't able to stay with a forward going to the net. When the play slowed down, he was good and was able to win his battles in the corners and was a physical presence, but those defensive lapses off the rush were things that plagued him last year too. He'll need to continue to work on that.

#15 - Josh Burnside (Draft Eligible in 2013)
I continue to be impressed with Burnside. Three things really stick out when you watch him play. The first is his speed. He's got a terrific extra gear and really creates space by stretching out the opposing defense. The second is how well he moves without the puck offensively. He gets himself in great scoring position. He was wide open twice in the slot in the game today, but both times he was spotted too late by the puck carrier (Brace and Smoskowitz). The third is how aggressive he is in getting to the net. He's a real crease crasher and relishes the role of being a pain in the neck of opposing goalies. He was a factor while playing with Brace and Smoskowitz, even though he didn't get any points. The biggest thing for him moving forward will be added strength. He still loses too many battles in the corners and isn't as effective as a forechecker as he could be because of this.

#21 - Damian Bourne (Draft Eligible in 2014)
What a mammoth. Bourne has definitely been one of the most impressive 1996's in the league this year. I remember hearing a lot of whispers about people feeling like he was overrated going into the draft, that he was only a product of his size and the fact that he was bigger than other midget players. But he's been pretty damn effective for Mississauga so far. He really is massive and he already uses his size really well, both with and without the puck. He's already hard to move from the front of the net, and he's hard to get the puck away from in the corners. He's also a physical player and had a couple of really nice hits today. For a big guy, I also think he sees the ice well. He seems smart in picking his spots in driving hard to the net. The skating needs to improve, but all things considered, he's been a very impressive rookie. He earned a secondary assist on Kontos' powerplay goal.

#23 - Dylan Smoskowitz (Draft Eligible in 2013, 3rd time eligible)
Pretty hard to ignore him at this point. 11 goals in 12 games since the trade from Barrie. He's a talented offensive player who just got himself in Dale Hawerchuk's doghouse. He's got great chemistry with Riley Brace (call them the 'stache brothers). The question is, if he continues to score at this pace, is he someone NHL teams take notice of? He's got a terrific shot and he does a great job of creating room for himself to get it off. You have to love his goal scoring instincts. The rest of his game (skating, play without the puck, playmaking ability, etc) rates out to only average, but if you can score goals, someone will give you a chance. He had 2 goals tonight, and missed a wide open cage to complete the hat trick. He's certainly someone to keep an eye on to see if he can keep this up.

#28 - Stuart Percy (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Fantastic game from Percy. I've been really impressed with his play so far this season. At both ends of the ice, might I add. Offensively, I've been really impressed with his ability to skate the puck out of his own end and make smart decisions to start the breakout. Perfect example of this today was when Connor McDavid looked like he had backed Percy into a corner and a turnover, but Percy stayed calm, waited for McDavid to go for the stick check, then spun away from him, through two other Otters and brought the puck up across the blueline. He looks very confident on the point of the powerplay too, where he's shooting the puck more. Defensively, he's been a rock. I honestly don't even remember the Otters having a scoring chance while he was on the ice today. He's playing physical too and winning battles in the corners and in front of the net because of it. This was an important year for Percy after last year's issues, so it's refreshing to see him back strong.

Erie Otters

#7 - Jake Evans (Draft Eligible in 2013)
Was centering a line with Stephen Harper today. I liked his aggression without the puck. Was very aggressive in pursuit and played physical. But was very quiet, dare I say invisible offensively.

#10 - Stephen Harper (Draft Eligible in 2013)
Very, very quiet game for Harper. His line wasn't able to sustain any pressure in the offensive end. Part of the reason for this was Harper's inability to win battles in the corners. He seems to be getting outmuscled a lot from what I've seen this season. My viewings of Harper this season have been less than impressive thus far, but I'm still a fan of his long term potential.

#27 - Adam Pelech (New York Islanders)
I thought Pelech was Erie's best player today. He's had a great year and is continuing to develop well, despite not having a ton of help on the backend in Erie. He looks quicker this year, in rushing the puck and defensively. He's very hard to beat one on one. Many of Mississauga's forwards tried to get by him off the rush, but every play ended the same way, with Pelech coming out with the puck and the opposing player rubbed out of the play. He was a steal in the 3rd round, as he's got great potential as a defenseman at the next level. As mentioned, he looks quicker when rushing the puck this year too, and was able to avoid the forecheck of the Steelheads. Hey Erie, get this guy some help on the backend!

#28 - Connor Brown (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Having a great year in terms of goal scoring, but it's hard to tell whether it's because of McDavid or not. At this point, I still don't see Brown as a guy who's creating his own offensive chances by being electric with the puck, or by flying into the offensive zone. He's certainly not a speedster, and his skating ability still seems to lack that explosiveness (something that caused him to fall as far as he did in the draft). But he definitely knows how to move without the puck and is a smart player. Perfect example of this was his goal today on a give and go with Connor McDavid. On the Powerplay, take the puck from the wing, dish to McDavid at the side of the net, cut hard to the net, get the puck back in the slot and rifle home a quick wrister. Other than that, he was a non factor today.

#97 - Connor McDavid (Draft Eligible in 2015)
There was a guy sitting near me saying "man this McDavid guy isn't as good as people say he is." To that man or anyone else who came away from this game saying that, give your head a shake. This was the team's 3rd game in 3 days. McDavid certainly didn't play his best, but I've been absolutely blown away by him this year previous to this game. The dude is such an electric player. He's such an explosive skater, and he has such confidence and poise with the puck. His vision and IQ is among the best I've ever seen in this league. And while this wasn't his best game (might have even been his worst in the OHL thus far), there were still some positives to take away. Firstly, he's starting to play with more of an edge. I love the fact that he's starting to engage physically and throw his body around. He's going to need to continue to develop that edge as player's start to target him. Secondly, I absolutely loved the play to end the game. While on the penalty kill, he was out there (in a game already decided), and was tenacious in forcing Eric Diodati into a turnover at the blueline. Then took the puck hard to the net (showing great strength on the puck), drawing a penalty. When every other Erie player looked like they had laid down and died, McDavid kept going hard. I can't stress this enough. If the Otters are making their only trip to your city this season (like Mississauga), get out there and watch him play. He's usually (sorry aforementioned bitter man) worth the price of admission.

#31 - Devin Williams (Draft Eligible in 2014)
Williams' certainly didn't get a lot of help today. He had to make 48 saves and kept his team in this game for nearly two periods. He's not the biggest goalie (maybe 6'0), but he plays a lot bigger than he is due to a hybrid style. He'll take a lot of shots from the outside standing up, although isn't afraid to drop down to the butterfly to handle shots low to the ice. I thought he did a pretty good job with his rebounds today too. He's certainly looking better than last year, and is on the right development path. He'll learn a lot from playing behind Dansk this year. Then he might have a chance of starting next year (his draft year because of an October birthday). He's certainly putting himself in conversation to be the top goalie available from the O for 2014 (although it's crazy early).

That's all folks!

Connor McDavid

I'm sure most people who follow the Ontario Hockey League have familiarized themselves with the name Connor McDavid. The Toronto Marlies forward (GTHL) has had a much talked about season, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there's been a lot of talk that he may have applied for exceptional status to enter this year's OHL Priority Draft (he's a '97 playing with '96's). Secondly, he plays on an absolutely dominant Marlie team that also includes the much hyped Joshua Ho-Sang (the clear cut favourite for first overall in this year's priority draft should McDavid not enter). Thirdly, he's an absolutely fantastic player who many (including blog friend Sean LaFortune) consider the best player to enter the OHL in quite some time.

PuckLife magazine asked me to write a short piece on McDavid for their upcoming issue. I'll be sure to let you know when that issue comes out (so that you can buy it!), but for now I figured I'd share with you the Q & A I did with Connor to help me write the article.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Brock Otten - How would you describe yourself as a player? What are the biggest strengths that you bring to the ice?

Connor McDavid - I believe that I am a good playmaker, looking to pass before shooting. I am a good skater who is able to do things at high speed. I feel my biggest strength is my hockey IQ. For me the game slows down a bit and allows me to see different things on the ice. I need to work on becoming more of a shooter. Often times give up the shot for the pass and at the next level I need to change that.

BO - How long have you been playing a year up? What has that adjustment always been like? Is it harder for you to be an on ice/off ice leader because you're a year younger?

CM - I have played with the ’96 age group my entire life. I haven't played one game with my own age actually. There has never really been an adjustment because this age group is the one I have grown up playing with. Again, because I have played up my whole life, being a leader has been something I have never had trouble doing because I am born in January 97 and feel that I am a 96 born player. The minute you start to think, "maybe I shouldn't be here", that's when things will change. You have to believe that you can play at that level and believe that you can do well. I have been an assistant captain on my team for 6 of the 8 minor hockey years.

BO - Obviously getting drafted high in your OHL priority draft year is an upcoming goal, but what are you going to have to improve on in order to make a significant impact at the next level?

CM - I am not eligible for the draft until next year. The thing I need to improve on most is my shot. At the next level time and space are hard things to come by so when you get less time and in tight spaces, you have to take the shot. All the great players can score from the outside so if I can bring that aspect to my game, then defenders will need to step up on me and that is where I can use my speed to my advantage. Another part I will need to work on, is my strength. Everyone is so big at the next level so strength training is going to be a big part of this and next summer’s activities.

BO - Everyone seems to always compare you to your teammate Joshua Ho-Sang. Do the constant comparisons get tiresome?

CM - Just to even be compare to Josh Ho- Sang is a honour in itself. He is a tremendous player with some pretty unique skills that I have never seen before. The constant comparison can get tiresome sometimes because at the end of the day we both play the game to have fun. We are very good friends and are fortunate to play on the ’96 Toronto Marlboros. We have a great team. We are all friends and have had a lots of fun playing this year. Josh and I both just love to play the game and we just try to focus on that.

BO - Is there a player in the NHL that you look at and say, "that's the type of player I want to become?"

CM - If there is any player in the NHL that I would like to become, it's Pavel Datysuk. He has amazing offensive skills but is also someone that the coach can put on in the last 30 seconds in a one goal game because he is also very defensive minded. He is the complete 2-way player.

BO - Why the Ontario Hockey League (assuming that's the route you're going)? Have you received interest from NCAA schools and considered that path?

CM - We haven't made any decisions yet and I am trying to keep all my options open. I am lucky to have received some interest from NCAA schools and am considering that as well. They are both very good options, each have their upside and downside. They are both very good choices and am sure either one will be a great experience.