The Sunday Top 10 - Mini Mights

In today's Sunday Top 10, I rank the best undersized players in the OHL. For this list, any player listed at 5'9 and under was considered for this list. I realize that the selection of the 5'9 marker is completely subjective, however here is my reasoning. I find that when players are 5'11, or 5'10, they are often considered undersized, but more often than not, their ability to crack the NHL is not questioned as largely as players who are 5'9 or 5'8. Once you start talking about a player who is under 5'9, you get into the "too small for the NHL argument." This is just in my experience in following junior hockey and the draft, and again is completely subjective. But you've got to draw the line somewhere for a list like this, and I went with 5'9. Also, all players are considered according to their listed OHL weight (according to www.ontariohockeyleague.com).

The interesting thing is, this was actually a very hard list to make for me. Some very good and interesting players failed to make this list, like William Wallen, Tyler Murovich, and Kaine Geldart. I think it speaks volumes to the way the game has changed, that so many "undersized" players can not only play, but make an impact in the Ontario Hockey League.

Anyway, here is my top 10 players 5'9 and under:

10. Andrew Agozzino - Niagara IceDogs - Listed at 5'9
Agozzino does everything for the IceDogs, from playing on the team's top line and leading the team in regular season and playoff scoring, to killing penalties and demonstratingg leadership qualities. Agozzino is one of those stereotypical undersized forwards who wears his heart on his sleeve and plays hard every shift. Perhaps due to his size, he hasn't been ranked all season for the 2009 NHL entry draft (by Central Scouting), however I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was still drafted. Generally speaking, for a player to succeed in the NHL at 5'9, he's got to have two things, speed and heart. Agozzino has both.

9. Ryan Hayes - Plymouth Whalers - Listed at 5'9
A former standout with the U.S. Under 18 team, Hayes left Boston College last year for Plymouth with little fanfare. He had some trouble adjusting to the league last year, but this year went much better for him. He finished 2nd on Plymouth with 26 goals, and was even better in the playoffs with 5 goals and 5 assists in 9 games. Hayes uses his speed very well and has an excellent shot. He finds the scoring areas very well too, which makes him a dangerous sniper in the mold of a Brian Gionta. Hayes has also worked hard to become involved in all areas of the game, increasing his desire to enter high traffic areas. While it may be too little, too late for Hayes to be drafted into the NHL, he'll likely be one of the better overagers in the league next year, should he return to Plymouth.

8. Ryan O'Connor - Barrie Colts - Listed at 5'8
O'Connor is one of two defenseman, as well as one of two 1992 born rookies on this list. O'Connor impressed me greatly in my viewings of Barrie this season. He has a ways to come in terms of learning the defensive side of the game, but he moves the puck well and can really shoot the puck and run a powerplay. I think it's pretty impressive that O'Connor, as a 1992 5'8 defenseman, was able to hold his own in most areas, considering his lack of strength and growth at this stage. Here's hoping that he has a bit of a growth spurt before the draft in 2010, because as rare as it is for forwards under 5'10 to be drafted, it's even rarer for defenseman at that size to get the call at the next level. He reminds me a lot of the way Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell looked in the WHL when he played for Medicine Hat. Russell grew to 5'10, so hopefully O'Connor can hit a similar height eventually.

7. Chris DeSousa - Niagara IceDogs - Listed at 5'9
Similar to Agozzino, DeSousa is an undersized forward who does it all for the Dogs. As I mentioned in my draft preview, DeSousa had the highest goal total of any draft eligible OHL forward. Quite an impressive feat. He drives hard to the net and he has an outstanding shot. He'll be a big time goal scorer in this league. However, he's more involved in the physical side of the game than Agozzino. He loves to throw the body and is often the first player into a scrum to protect his teammates. It's that hardline attitude that I believe will get DeSousa drafted somewhere in 2009. Should Alex Pietrangelo not return next season, DeSousa could also be wearing the C for Niagara in 2009-10.

6. Michael Quesnele - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - Listed at 5'9
Quesnele is the 2nd and last defenseman to appear on this list. At 5'9, Quesnele has been a main contributor on the Greyhounds blueline for over three seasons now. He even wore the A on rotation this season. While his offensive numbers have never really taken that step forward, he remains a solid puck moving defenseman who can also contribute at the defensive end. What has made Quesnele effective and allowed him to play a key role, is his fearlessness and willingness to engage opposing forwards physically. He loves to take the body, which is what you like to see in your defenseman, regardless of size. Quesnele is another guy who's likely to return as an overager next season, where he'll try to lead an up and coming Greyhounds defense back to the playoffs. However, Quesnele did see some time in the ECHL this year following the regular season's completion.

5. Daniel Erlich - London Knights - Listed at 5'6
At 5'6, Erlich is the smallest player on this list, but he might also be the most skilled. Erlich is a solid all around offensive player who is elusive and finds the scoring areas. He isn't afraid to go into the middle of the ice or to the front of the net to make a play. With how deep London was this year, Erlich is likely to receive an increased role next season. And I expect him to improve his offensive numbers drastically (not like they were poor this season). I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was in the top 10 in scoring next season, he's that talented.

4. Ryan Spooner - Peterborough Petes - Listed at 5'9
Spooner is the 2nd and last 1992 born rookie to make this list. He was largely very impressive in his first season in the OHL after being the 5th overall pick in the 2008 Priority draft. He shows explosive speed and offensive creativity, however I have to wonder if the best is yet to come. In my viewings this season, he seemed over matched at times and was unable due make room for himself to use his skill, because of size and strength inadequacies. But, like most 1992's, I'm sure Spooner will grow and continue to get stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at around 5'10-5'11, 180, rather than the 5'9, 160lbs he's listed at now.

3. Dale Mitchell - Windsor Spitfires - Listed at 5'9
This little spark plug has been as advertised for the Windsor Spitfires, after coming over from Oshawa. Similar to Chris DeSousa, Mitchell has made his living by getting under the skin of opposing players, laying the body, and by using his wicked shot to pot goals. He was fantastic for Windsor in the OHL playoffs, sporting a rather stylish 70's porn stache. Mitchell, a 2007 draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, has already signed with the Leafs and will be looking to make an impression at the pro level next season. However, his sights are currently set on trying to help Windsor win the Memorial Cup (although they aren't off to a great start).

2. Chris MacKinnon - Kitchener Rangers - Listed at 5'9
MacKinnon, for whatever reason, has had trouble finding a team to stay with. With three seasons of OHL hockey under his belt, MacKinnon is already on his 4th team. However, whatever the circumstances, MacKinnon has managed to produce offensively, netting 81 points for Kitchener this season, leading them in points by 15. This undersized forward can produce offensively, in particular as an excellent playmaker. While his pro career might be a little cloudy, one thing is for certain; if he returns as an overager to Kitchener next season, he should be among the league leaders in scoring. With all the talent Kitchener has coming in, and with the young talent they already have improving, MacKinnon could be right in the middle of things offensively for a very strong team.

1. Brett Parnham - Oshawa Generals - Listed at 5'9
It's hard to argue that the league's 2nd highest goal scorer from the 2008-09 season, isn't also the league's best "undersized" player. Voted in the Coaches Poll as the most dangerous player in the goal area, as well as having the best shot and the 3rd hardest shot, it's obvious at to where Parnham's talent lies. Parnham just plain ol' knows how to score. While his pro potential may be hurt by a lack of skating talent (in combination with his size issues), it's hard to argue over Parnham's OHL success. Should he return as an overager next season (instead of signing a professional contract), Parnham will likely be right up there again next season, a threat to score 50 in a league where few can do it.

Stay tuned for next week's Top 10!

A New Contributor and His Thoughts on Ottawa/London from February 1

First I would like to introduce you to Sean Keogh. He will be joining Ryan and I to bring you even more coverage of OHL prospects. Sean is a former writer for HockeysFuture and an avid CHL, not just OHL, follower. He currently lives in Ottawa so the game reports he will supply us with will come from watching the 67's take on opponents at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Below is his report...

The London Knights are probably the most hyped junior team in the country yet again, and for good reason considering all the talent they have. In today’s game the 67s neutralized their skill for the most part and outworked them en route to a huge 4-3 victory. The star of the game was Logan Couture who was dominant in every aspect of the game, and the biggest disappointment was arguably John Tavares. Below are my thoughts on selected players for both teams.

John Tavares – YOB: 1990 - Draft Eligible 2009

Obviously Tavares needs no introduction or talent analysis because he’s a known commodity. In this game however, he was unimpressive, if not poor. Although he scored a goal to tie it up in the third period, he struggled the rest of the game. He tried several cutesy moves that were easily stopped, was routinely stifled one-on-one by Julien Demers and displayed a measure of frustration as the game wore on. As a result he started yapping at opponents and got involved in some skirmishes. His goal showed again that with some time and space he can and will score, but more was expected. His skating has improved but he will need to upgrade his balance and lower body strength as a professional. Although he had a goal and an assist, it was an underwhelming performance from JT.

Nazem Kadri – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

Was probably London’s most impressive player in the first half of the game, then got a diving call and a ten minute misconduct and was a bit off his game afterwards. His skating, particularly his acceleration, is good, and he’s fairly elusive with the puck. Although I have seen his slick stickhandling on display before, it was not too evident in this game. Also, Kadri displayed nice energy and his usual willingness to play physical hockey. The questions about his hockey sense and finishing ability again came up in my mind. Kadri is very good at breaking out and coming through the neutral zone, but little comes of it. At worst he’s a third line center though, but that’s not what you want in a top ten pick, as he is projected to be.

Phil Varone – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

For the second half of the game, Varone was probably London’s most impressive forward. He had several nice bursts, and is willing to drive to the net when he gets a step on a blueliner wide. It was he, not Tavares or Kadri, who was arguably the catalyst for the Knights’ third period surge. He had a goal and an assist, but also took a late hitting from behind penalty, ending London’s hopes of tying it up. I would want to see him again from a different perspective in the rink to get a grasp of just how high I would take him.

Phil McRae – YOB: 1990 – St. Louis 2^nd round pick, 2008.

It seems as though Tavares’ arrival has resulted in less ice-time and responsibility for McRae. While he was generally uninvolved and had little impact on the game, McRae still demonstrates the tools that he has. Along with good size and solid all-round skating ability, he ripped a couple of nice shots. I could see why St. Louis took him so high last year, but he did not appear to be a core player for London.

Zac Rinaldo – YOB: 1990 – Philadelphia 6^th round pick, 2008

Rinaldo’s performance was not exactly what I expected from him. He had one big hit but was not a pest or a shift disturber in the Stefan Della Rovere or Patrick Kaleta way. On the powerplay he played the front of the net and got a goal, albeit a weak one, as a result. Overall he played reasonably well as a complimentary player on a scoring line.

Daniel Erlich – YOB: 1991 – Draft Eligible 2009

It’s impossible to be invisible when you are as small as Erlich is. Even his listed 5’6” might be exaggerated. He was fairly involved in the play and showed good offensive ability. Thanks to having to survive in spite of his size, he always has his head up and sees the ice well. The decision to play him on the point of the powerplay is questionable though, as he is far too small and weak to defend at all and it almost cost the Knights a couple of goals. Unfortunately for Erlich, he is half a foot too small, and at least 40 pounds too light, to be a legitimate prospect.

Justin Taylor – YOB: 1989 – Washington 6^th round pick, 2007

Of all the notable forwards on London, Taylor was the least visible. Perhaps I was just focusing on too many other players to notice him, but he certainly did not stand out in any way.

John Carlson – YOB: 1990 – Washington 1^st round pick, 2008

I had high expectations going in, but Carlson was only mediocre. It was evident that he has all of the tools, great size, good skating ability, overall offensive tools and a willingness to play the body. However he never asserted himself or made a huge impact on the game, and he was a underwhelming when playing in his own zone. In the neutral zone he intercepted passes nicely, but was beaten to loose pucks and made some bad reads defensively, including on the winning goal. Part of that is definitely acceleration, but it displayed either or both a lack of effort and questionable in-zone awareness.

Michael Del Zotto – YOB: 1990 – New York Rangers 1^st round pick, 2008

For such a gifted offensive player, Del Zotto was fairly quiet tonight. He had an assist but did little on the goal. His break-out passing was only average and he is certainly not gifted defensively, but he was neither dynamic offensively nor adventuresome defensively in this game.

Trevor Cann – YOB: 1989 – Colorado Avalanche 2^nd round pick, 2007

Although the 67s outshot the Knights, Cann faced far fewer quality chances than his counterpart Adam Courchaine. Aside from perhaps the winning goal, none were his fault although he did not make any game saving stops from what I could see. It was an average performance.

From the 67s…

Logan Couture – YOB: 1989 – San Jose 1^st round pick, 2007

Quite simply Couture was the best player on the ice by a country mile. Moreover, it was perhaps the best game I have ever seen him play. He was in on all four goals, sniping two and directly creating and setting up the two others. Neither of his linemates, Cowick or Nigro, were as dynamic or creative as Couture. What was most impressive about his game, however, was that for a player much-maligned for his effort, he was a force in all zones. He was outstanding on the penalty kill, threw several big hits including almost destroying Tavares, and showed impressive puck control along the boards. Particularly notable is the fact that he got better as the game went along, and all three times London scored in the third period, Couture led his line out there to respond soon after. If Couture had played like this he would have made the World Junior team as well, and I can only hope for his sake that it’s the beginning of a great finish to the season for him. He was the first star of the game and for extremely good reason.

Anthony Nigro – YOB: 1990 – St. Louis 6^th round pick, 2008

Without a doubt the Michael Latta trade with Guelph has worked out very well for Ottawa. Nigro has been very good since arriving, first on the second line and now as a winger on Couture’s line. He has supplanted Cowick as the trigger man on that line, and shows good finish, hands, shot and cycling ability. I’m not sure he’s more than a good junior player at this point, because he’s not likely to have NHL scoring line upside and in Ottawa is not showing the all-round game that I expected. It was definitely a strong game from Nigro though, getting in on all three goals in the third and being named third star.

Corey Cowick – YOB: 1989 – Draft Eligible 2009.

For the game Cowick had no points, but he played very well. Although known for his goal scoring ability, Cowick’s best work this game was defensively and on the penalty kill. His defensive game has improved a lot and he has good awareness. His skating is fine for a player his size, but he lacks explosiveness. Pittsburgh considered signing him after he was invited to their camp in the fall, and Cowick could definitely be drafted this summer in the late rounds if a team sees third line potential in him.

Thomas Nesbitt – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

Nesbitt had a very strong game, despite not putting up any points. He played with great energy and work ethic, won a lot of races and battles, and generated a few chances as well. After being passed over last year, it is possible he gets picked up this year but I doubt it. He is not a gifted offensive winger but he’s a classic Kilrea-style player.

Julien Demers – YOB: 1990 – San Jose 5^th round pick, 2008.

Essentially Ottawa’s #1 blueliner with Tyler Cuma still out, Demers and his partner Travis Gibbons, must have played over thirty minutes in this game. Overall, Demers had an up and down game. On the plus side, he was matched-up against Tavares and was outstanding in playing him one-on-one and frustrating him at every turn. He plays the man very well and uses his size, strength and lateral mobility to his advantage very nicely. Offensively, he had a good game, notching three assists and getting some nice shots off. On the down side, he took a couple of penalties and it was his mistake that led to Tavares’ goal. He still needs work on his first-step quickness but he’s a very good defenceman at this level and has definite NHL potential in my opinion.

Adam Courchaine – YOB: 1989 - Signed by Boston

Courchaine had a strong game, particularly in the first two periods. Although he did not face a ton of shots, most of them were of the difficult variety. Courchaine has great size and moves well for a big man at 6’3”. He has a bit of trouble in close though and has certainly been inconsistent this year. I will be interested to see how he does if he plays in for the AHL’s Providence Bruins next year.