OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Happy New Year!

The second half of the Ontario Hockey League season is upon us and teams will be looking for help in the upcoming trade deadline. But for a lot of teams, they’ll be looking for their draft eligible players to continue where they left off and for others to pick up the pace.

Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

We look at the top draft eligible players in a variety of statistical categories. As always, we look only at players eligible for the draft for the first time – except for goaltenders – where those previously past over are included.

Matthew Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat and Alexander Nylander are away at the World Junior Championships, and although the order has changed are one, two and three in points.

DeBrincat continues to lead the entire league in goals with 33, while Tkachuk leads the entire league in assists. Cam Dineen, my draft eligible player of the month for December, leads all OHL defencemen in points with 31. He’s followed by Windsor’s Mikhail Sergachev with 25.

Tyler Parsons leads the goaltenders in goals against average (2.48) and save percentage (.917). There are three other goaltenders with a sub 3.00 goals against average and over .900 save percentage.

Stats 1

OHL’s Draft Eligible Player of the Month for December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Sure the likes of Alex DeBrincat, Matthew Tkachuk, Alexander Nylander and others are away at the World Junior Championships in Finland, but that doesn’t make being recognized for what you do less worthy. With those off to Finland representing their countries, others get some recognition.

So for the month of December, my draft eligible player of the month is North Bay Battalion defenceman Cam Dineen.

In ten December games, the 5’11” defenceman scored twice and added 12 assists while finishing a plus 6. He had points in 8 of his 10 games with four of those games being multi point games.

Dineen was named the games second star versus Niagara on December 18 and first star versus Mississauga on New Year’s Eve. Which is how Dineen does things: Quietly and efficiently.

Dineen is in his rookie season and has 5 goals and 26 assists and a plus six in 34 games on the season. His 31 points are not just tops among draft eligible defencemen, but he leads all defencemen in OHL scoring. Dineen is also third in scoring among rookies trailing only Nylander and Max Jones.

Cam Dineen of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Cam Dineen of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Max Jones also received consideration. With the London Knights’ top line all over in Finland, Jones has picked up the pace in their absence. He scored 6 goals and 9 assists in 11 games – his best month of the season. Jones was held pointless in just one game.

Adam Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers scored six times along with seven assists, recording at least one point in each of the Rangers’ eight games during December.

In goal, Troy Timpano of the Sudbury Wolves appeared in 8 games. Despite a 3-5-0 record, Timpano was more than solid in his return from injury. He posted a 3.79 goals against average and .901 save percentage while facing 30 or more shots 6 of his eight appearances and 40 plus in 3 of those games.

Mid-season OHL’s Draft Eligible Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The mid way point of the Ontario Hockey League season is upon us and it’s time for my mid-season rankings of players eligible for the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.

Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
1. Jakob Chychrun – Sarnia Sting

 

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 215 pounds

Date of birth: March 31, 1998. Boca Raton, Florida

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 1st overall, 2014 Priority Selection

 

Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
2. Matthew Tkachuk – London Knights

Height:  6’1”

Weight: 195 pounds

Date of birth: December 11, 1997. St Louis, MO

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 4, 64th overall, 2013 Priority Selection

Nylander, Alexander (1)
3. Alexander Nylander – Mississauga Steelheads

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 172 pounds

Date of birth: March 2, 1998, Södertälje, Sweden

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 12th overall, CHL Import Draft

 

Max Jones of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
4. Max Jones – London Knights

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 200 pounds

Date of birth: February 17, 1998, Orion, MI

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 18th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Mikhail Sergachev of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
5.Mikhail Sergachev – Windsor Spitfires

Height:  6’2”

Weight: 205 pounds

Date of birth: June 25, 1998. Nizhnekamsk, Russia

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 6th overall, 2015 CHL Import Draft

Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
6. Alex DeBrincat – Erie Otters

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 160 pounds

Date of Birth: December 18, 1997 – Detroit, Michigan

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Undrafted, signed as a free agent.

 

Olli Juolevi of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
7. Olli Juolevi – London Knights

Height:  6’2”

Weight: 185 pounds

Date of birth: May 5, 1998. Helsinki, Finland

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft:  Round 1, 45th overall, CHL Import Draft.

McLeod, Michael (2)
8. Michael McLeod – Mississauga Steelheads

Height:  6’2”

Weight: 187 pounds

Date of birth: February 3, 1998. Mississauga, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 5th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Brown, Logan (1).JPG
9. Logan Brown – Windsor Spitfires

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 218 pounds

Date of birth: March 5, 1998, Chesterfield, MO

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 6th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Bastian, Nathan (2).jpg
10. Nathan Bastian – Mississauga Steelheads

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 208 pounds

Date of birth: December 6, 1997. Kitchener, Ontario

Position: Center

Catches: Right

OHL Draft: Round 7, 127th overall, 2013 Priority Selection

All photos courtesy of Terry Wilson/Aaron Bell – OHL Images

Dmitry Sokolov – Player Profile – Sudbury Wolves

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 220 pounds

Date of birth: April 14, 1998, Omsk Russia

Position: Center/Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 3rd overall, 2014 CHL Import Draft

Last season, Sokolov played junior with Omskie Yastreby of the MHL in his native Russia. In 29 games he scored 13 goals and added 3 assists. But it was at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 where Sokolov put up a dominating performance scoring 6 goals and 3 assists in 6 games and led Russia to Gold. He also performed well at the WJC Under-18 with 2 goals and 3 assists in 5 games.

When you look up the definition of enigma, you can easily replace it with this:

Dmitry Sokolov of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Dmitry Sokolov of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Sokolov has the skill level to be a first round pick, top 15, perhaps top 10. First and foremost, he’s built like a tank. He possesses a lethal shot with high end playmaking skills and a force on the powerplay. Simply put, he has the skill level to take over and dominate games. He’s put up decent points playing for a weak Sudbury Wolves team.

However, when I think of Sokolov, one thing comes to mind: The Russian Phil Kessel.

Concerns surfaced that he came to Sudbury’s camp out of shape and overweight. More alarming is that he showed disinterest in wanting to work on those concerns. While those same problems have always been attributed to Kessel, Sokolov lacks the skating skills, abilities and speed of a Phil Kessel.

Sokolov also lacks in the intensity and consistency department. He almost appears lazy at times, especially when the puck is not on his stick. He certainly has the skill set to be listed as a top 10 player from the OHL for the NHL draft, but unless he shows improvement in the second half on his consistency and work ethic, the skill alone will not be enough.

Sokolov made NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary list of players to watch as a B prospect – which means a second or third round prospect. On their November list, he was moved down to a C prospect – which means a fourth, fifth or sixth round prospect.

At this point, it remains to be seen whether Sokolov has the willingness and determination to disperse the cloud over the second half. If he does, and combined with his skill set, he’ll climb. If the status quo is what we see, then he’ll continue to drop.

Logan Brown – Player Profile – Windsor Spitfires

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 218 pounds

Date of birth: March 5, 1998, Chesterfield, MO

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 6th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Brown played his Midget hockey for the Indiana Jr Ice. During the 2013-2014 season he scored 19 goals and added 12 assists in 19 games. Last season was his rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League and he didn’t disappoint. He played in 56 games for the Spitfires and scored 17 goals while assisting on 26 others. His 43 points were good enough for 5th in rookie scoring but his points per game were second only to Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters.

Logan Brown of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Logan Brown of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

While I’m not one to make comparisons, there are those that find similarities to Joe Thornton and Ryan Getzlaf.

The size. Oh that size. At 6’6” and 218 pounds, that alone has to focus your attention on Brown. The NHL is transitioning to smaller, faster skilled players, but scouts will find it difficult to ignore a player with Brown’s massive size, vision, playmaking abilities and soft hands.

Brown’s skating is very good. He is deceptively quick and agile for a player of his size, especially with the puck on his stick. He is extremely strong on his skates and virtually impossible to knock him off of the puck. Combine his skating and his strength, he can hold onto the puck for what seems like an eternity, allowing teammates to get open and into position.

Brown’s vision and playmaking abilities can now take over. After buying his mates time, he sees the ice so well he knows where everyone is. He can find the seams with relative ease, but he can also make a pass through legs and sticks that few could see.

Brown is not just a playmaker. He possesses a powerful shot with deadly accuracy and velocity. With his size and strength he could be a fixture in front of the opposition net that few defenders could handle. His defensive awareness is also very good.

Rating players on potential and how they eventually pan out requires a crystal ball, and last time I checked, none of the 30 NHL teams have purchased one. That said, most players have their warts and Brown isn’t immune to that.

There are those that point to Brown’s exclusion from Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial as a warning. Not so in my opinion. You cannot put that much stock into a tournament held in August, whether a player makes the squad or not.

I won’t argue with those that believe he needs to play with more consistency or that sometimes he looks “lazy” out there. There are times that he won’t pursue the puck when dumped and use his big body and consider that a knock on him. Personally, I think that he reads the game so well, and sees the plays developing before they actually do, that he knows when it’s safe to attack and when the best option is to think defence first.

Of course, not everyone can be right. The book on Brown is still wide open.

Max Jones – Player Profile – London Knights

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 200 pounds

Date of birth: February 17, 1998, Orion, MI

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 18th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Last season Jones played for the USNTDP and in 24 games scored 5 goals and 5 assists. He joined the US National U-17 squad and in 38 games scored 18 times while adding 10 assists. He also put in a solid performance for the U.S. at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17. In 6 games he scored 7 goals while contributing 4 assists. He was named to the All Tournament team and finished second in scoring in leading the Americans to silver.

Max Jones of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Max Jones of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Jones father Brad is a former NHL player who played in 148 games in 4 seasons and scored 25 goals and 31 assists in his NHL career. His brother Mitch is a former OHL’er with the Plymouth Whalers and is currently playing for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL.

With one goal and two assists for Jones in his first eight games, it took him a few weeks to get accustomed to the OHL. Since then, he’s been on a bit of a tear with 14 goals and 12 assists in his last 21 games.

Jones is a straightforward north-south player who possesses aggressiveness, great speed and nastiness who is more than willing to go through defenders –successfully- rather than try and dangle around them.  He’s a prototypical power forward who can get on top of the defence and punish them. He battles along the walls and is near impossible to move off the puck.

Jones will fight for his space in front of the opposition goal. He plays on the powerplay and that is usually where you’ll find him planted.  He’s very good in tight and has some finish there.

It’s not all strength and power to Jones’ game however. There is finesse to his repertoire. He’s an excellent skater with high end top speed and an excellent first step. He possesses a pro level shot with an excellent release and accuracy. His vision is very good and has the high hockey IQ to go with it – an underrated playmaker in my opinion.

Jones’ play without the puck needs some improvement and is a work in progress. He also needs to better choose his spots to be physical – he sometimes goes out of his way chasing the hit. As he matures, those things will come to him.

London Knights coach Dale Hunter

“He’s a complete player. He’s a fast player. He’s skilled. In big games, like you see in the National Hockey League right now, he raises his game . . . That’s what we need in London. He’s going to put up lots of numbers during the year but come playoff time, he raises his game to another level and that’s what you need to win.”

Alexander Nylander – Player Profile – Mississauga Steelheads

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 172 pounds

Date of birth: March 2, 1998, Södertälje, Sweden

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 12th overall, CHL Import Draft

Toronto Maple Leafs fans are pretty excited about prospect William Nylander. As of now, they are in a prime position where they could grab younger brother Alexander in the 2016 National Hockey League draft. And if they are excited about William, then they’ll be on cloud 9 about Alexander.

Nylander last season played for AIK J20 in the SuperElit league and in 42 games scored 14 goals and added 25 assists. Not only did that experience bode well for his OHL debut, but so did his wealth of international experience.

Nylander, Alexander (2)
Alexander Nylander of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell OHL Images

Nylander played for Sweden at the Under-16’s – 1 goal, 1 assist in 3 games; the World Hockey Challenge Under 17’s – 2 goals, 5 assists in 6 games; the Ivan Hlinka Memorial – 2 goals, 4 assists in 5 games; and is currently vying for a spot on Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships Under-20.

I don’t often use the word elite – it’s something I save for the best of all time – but Nylander has some very elite qualities if he is not elite overall. His puck handling is elite and his hockey IQ is elite, his vision is elite. He is phenomenal in one on one situation. He is extremely elusive; defenders have to be aware of his presence constantly.

When I watched him at the Ivan Hlinka, I thought he played a soft game. But that is the furthest thing from the truth in his first OHL season. While he is more physically involved than his older brother, he’s not a basher. But he doesn’t shy away from the physical game – he’ll take what the opposition throws at him and keeps on going.

Nylander will also battle along the boards even though he needs to add some bulk. He plays it smart and has excellent puck possession skills, even in those battles. While he can improve defensively, he’s no slouch in that aspect of his game either. He works extremely hard to get back on the backcheck, and it’s helped out greatly by his skating.

Nylander currently leads all OHL rookies in goals, assists and points. Don’t take this as a knock on Nylander though – that is also a product of the OHL rookie eligibility rules.

The adjustment to North America has been smooth for Nylander. With his brother playing for the Marlies in Toronto and his father Michael – an NHL star himself – as his assistant coach in Mississauga, he’s had plenty of family around.

Mississauga head coach James Boyd to Sportsnet following the Import Draft:

“He plays the game at a fast-fast pace and he’s got a great shot and nose for the net. He’s one of the better players in his age group, in Sweden, likely in Europe. He’s going to be a key guy and someone to watch for at the NHL draft next year.”

 

Logan Stanley – Player Profile – Windsor Spitfires

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 220 pounds

Date of birth: May 26, 1998, Waterloo Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 14th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Stanley played his minor midget hockey with the Waterloo Wolves. There he appeared in 28 games and scored 8 goals while adding 20 assists with 95 penalty minutes. Following his season, he was called up to the Waterloo Siskins of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and while he didn’t appear in any regular season games, he played in two playoff games for them scoring once.

Stanley also played for Canada Red at the World Hockey Challenge U-17 scoring twice in 5 games. He’s played in the OHL Cup twice – in 2013 and 2014, the OHL Gold Cup and at the Under-17 Development.

Logan Stanley of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Logan Stanley of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Stanley is a physically imposing defenceman who has no hesitation in using his big frame to throw a big check, battling along the wall and to win battles in front of his goal. Stanley also seems to relish and have fun with the physical game. He also plays it intelligently, not taking himself out of the play looking for a big hit. Of course, his style means that he has to drop the gloves once in a while and Stanley is a willing combatant having dropped the mitts 6 times in his rookie season and already has two fights this season.

Stanley came to the OHL as a very raw kid with some offensive upside and the need to improve on areas of his game. His defensive game has come along since his rookie campaign and he continues to learn and work hard to be a top shut down defender. While his skating is very good, an area he needs to continue to improve on is his speed. His quickness in close is the direst need of improvement. He does possess the ability to skate the length of the ice with the puck.

Stanley also showed he had some offensive abilities in Minor Midget. He is now just beginning to feel more comfortable with jumping into the play. He won’t take many chances at the offensive blue line and plays it safe. If he can show development in the offensive zone it will be the difference between being a second round pick and breaking into the first round at the NHL Draft.

Stanley was listed on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary list of players to watch as a C prospect – a 4th, 5th or 6th round pick. On their updated list in November, Stanley was moved up to a B prospect – a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

“My favourite player in the NHL is Shea Weber and he’s a physical guy who likes to throw his weight around, be physical in his own end. I just try to be like him. I just think its fun to get in other guys’ faces and hit hard and stuff like that. It’s a big part of my game, but also it’s important to be a good skater and make a good first pass. All those three things can make a good defenceman.

–Logan Stanley

Jonathan Ang – Player Profile – Peterborough Petes

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 160 pounds

Date of birth: January 31, 1998. Markham, Ontario

Position: Center

Catches: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 9th overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Jonathan Ang of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Jonathan Ang of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Ang played for, and captained the Markham Waxers Minor Midget squad in 2013/2014. In 33 games he scored 28 goals and added 14 assists en route to being selected in the first round of the OHL Priority Selection. He won the OHL Gold Cup and contributed with 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games.

Last season was his rookie year in the OHL and he appeared in 59 games for the Petes scoring 10 goals and adding 10 assists. He also added a single assist in 5 playoff games. He also played for Team Canada White at the World Hockey Challenge U-17 and in 5 games scored 3 goals and one assist.

Ang is a self proclaimed playmaker who moves with an effortless stride and explosive speed. He possesses excellent puck handling abilities and vision and an ability to make plays at top speed. He has the ability to finish in close. It’ll be his skating, vision and playmaking abilities that can make Ang a capable offensive threat on a third line at the next level.

Ang is a project and will have to continue to work on the things he worked on during the offseason to continue on his development curve.

First and foremost he’ll need to add some mass and strength to his slight 160 pound frame so that he can battle along the boards, down low and in front of the opposition goal. Secondly, he’ll need to work on his consistency from game to game and shift to shift. He’s made strides on that since last season and it needs to continue to improve.

Finally, Ang will need to improve his faceoffs. He is currently 130 for 280 or 46.4% on the dot.

Ang was on NHL Central Scouting lists of players to watch as a C prospect on both their preliminary list and their November list. A C prospect is considered a third to sixth round prospect.

Dylan Wells – Player Profile – Peterborough Petes

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 182 pounds

Date of birth: January 3, 1998. Oakville, Ontario

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 21st overall, 2014 Priority Selection

Wells is currently in his second Ontario Hockey League season. Last season, he appeared in 27 games finishing with a 7-15-1 record and a .893 save percentage. His record and stats however, should not speak to his abilities. The Petes were a team rebuilding and provided very little goal support for Wells.

Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Wells was highly touted and showed his abilities early on earning the call from Hockey Canada and being named to Team Ontario at the World Hockey Challenge U-17. He would get three starts for Ontario and posted 3.78 goals against average with a .838 save percentage.

Wells got the call again from Hockey Canada to represent his country once again, this time at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. He sparkled in the tournament with a 0.48 goals against average and .971 save percentage. He was in goal for Canada in the final and helped them win their 8th consecutive gold medal.

Wells plays a calm and relaxed game and rarely seems to get rattled. He has good size with excellent athleticism to go along with it. He possesses excellent reflexes with above average rebound control. His ability to move side to side is also excellent but at times has shown to over commit. He reads plays very well and remains square to shooters. He challenges those shooter without hesitation. Wells also handles the puck very well.

When you talk to Wells, you find out just how mature he is. He also knows what he has to do to be successful, is focused and works hard to achieve success.

Wells doesn’t come from a sports or hockey family. His father Rob is a drummer for Canadian country music band Tim Hicks.

Wells was on both NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary List and updated November list of players to watch as a B prospect (second or third round pick). He is currently the top ranked OHL goaltender for the draft and could push to be the top ranked North American goaltender come June 2016.