Vladislav Kolyachonok – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 188 pounds

Date of birth: May 26, 2001

Hometown: Minsk, Belarus

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 102nd overall, 2018 CHL Import Draft (London Knights)

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season: B prospect, November: A prospect, mid-term: 22nd NA

To say it’s been a bit of a whirlwind season for Flint Firebirds’ defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok is an understatement. Drafted by the London Knights at the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, once the Chicago Black Hawks decided they would send Adam Boqvist to the OHL, the Knights were left in a position to decide which Import they would place on waivers so they could comply with the CHL rule that the team could only ice two imports.

The Sudbury Wolves had the first crack at Kolyachonok but were already in the position of having two imports on the roster. The Firebirds were second and made room for his arrival by releasing Nikita Alexandrov and on October 2, 2018, the claim was made. Unfortunately for Firebirds’ fans, a delay in obtaining a U.S. Visa kept him out of the lineup until October 26, 2018.

To date, Kolyachonok has 4 goals and 23 assists in 45 games, good for third among the OHL’s draft eligible defenders, despite having played in as many as 15 fewer games.  

At 6’2” Kolyachonok has good size but lacks the bulk to his frame. But once he adds that bulk, there are areas to his game that will show improvement. For example, he will not shy away from physicality, but the added strength will not only make him a physical force, but I believe it will give him greater confidence going into board battles, or those battles to claim the space in front of his netminder.

Kolyachonok is an excellent skater with tremendous agility and very good speed. His excellent mobility was proven at the Sherwin-Williams NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game testing both on ice and off ice where he finished fifth overall in the testing. He ranked third in forward skating with the puck, first in reaction without the puck, second in transition agility without the puck and first in transition agility with the puck.

Kolyachonok, Vladislav
Vladislav Kolyachonok of the Flint Firebirds. Photo courtesy of OHL Images.

In off-ice testing, Kolyachonok ranked second in the broad jump, and first in pro-agility left. All in all, a very good showing.

Kolyachonok is an intelligent player. His positioning in the defensive zone is very sound. His skating allows him to angle opponents off – difficult to beat one-on-one. He uses a very active stick to defend and closes lanes smartly and quickly. His transitioning from defence to offence is excellent. He has the ability to skate out of danger and out of the zone but he is also capable of making an excellent first pass. He is also a left shot defender who plays as strong on his off side.

Offensively, Kolyachonok reads plays extremely well. He is capable of jumping into the play but chooses his opportunities very carefully. He is not a risk taker but I wonder how much of that is confidence, or that he worries about defence first on a team that while is trending in the right direction, still needs some work. And how much of it is due to getting use to the North American game?

Once in the offensive zone, he rarely makes a bad pinch, choosing the safe play most of the time. He sees the ice extremely well and is an excellent passer. He has a very good shot from the point that almost always hits the target, and he gets his shot through. Most of the time he keeps it low looking for tips or trying to create rebounds.

Kolyachonok is a very raw player – a project if you will, who, in my humble opinion, has all the tools to be a solid two-way defender at the next level.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

 

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it produced the best offensive numbers of the season led by Hamilton Bulldogs’ sniper and our draft eligible player of the month, Arthur Kaliyev.

Kaliyev led the way with 11 goals and 10 assists in just 11 games as he attempts to hit the 50-goal, 50-assist plateau on the season. Entering tonight’s action, Kaliyev sits at 47 goals along with 46 assists in 60 games. Among draft eligible players, he is dominating in just about every offensive category.

Kaliyev finished February with points in 9 of his 11 games and 6 of those being multi-point games. Twice he was named the games first star as well as second star on two other occasions.

Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Also Considered were Flint Firebirds’ Ethan Keppen who had 8 goals and 5 assists in 10 games, and Cole MacKay of the Soo Greyhounds with 9 goals and 5 helpers in 12 games. In goal, Jet Greaves of the Barrie Colts led the way 286 of 310 shots in just 8 games for a .919 save-percentage. He was named CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 4.

Player of the Month

Arthur Kaliyev – Hamilton Bulldogs – February

Arthur Kaliyev – Hamilton Bulldogs – January

Connor McMichael – London Knights – December

Philip Tomasino – Niagara IceDogs – November

Hunter Jones – Peterborough Petes – October

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

A lot of talk has gone on this season, present company not excluded, about the lack of quality at the top of the 2019 National Hockey League Draft coming out of the Ontario Hockey League. And that might be the case, but there is some quality in the mid-rounds. Yet 2019 may just have the fewest OHL players selected in years.

Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

With February now in the books, we bring you the statistical leaders among first time draft eligible players in a variety of categories. If you would like to compare this year’s class to last years, you can view the 2018 class by clicking here.

When looking at the leaders, one name stands at the top of the list in almost every offensive category there is: Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs.  

While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 47 46 93
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 35 32 67
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 19 44 63
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 30 32 62
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 26 29 55
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 25 27 52
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 10 41 51
Nick Robertson Peterborough Petes 46 23 25 48
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 14 33 47
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 21 24 45
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 47 0.78
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 35 0.59
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 30 0.52
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 26 0.46
Blake Murray Sudbury Wolves 58 26 0.45
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 25 0.42
Nick Robertson Peterborough Petes 46 23 0.50
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 21 0.35
Nicholas Porco Saginaw Spirit 59 20 0.34
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 19 0.33
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 46 0.77
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 44 0.77
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 41 0.68
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 33 0.57
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 32 0.55
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 32 0.54
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 29 0.51
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 27 0.47
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 27 0.45
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 24 0.40
Primary Assists
Player Team GP  P1A
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 26
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 25
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 25
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 22
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 21
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 20
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 19
Jamieson Rees Sarnia Sting 35 18
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 16
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 14
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 10 41 51
Billy Constantinou Kingston Frontenacs 57 7 22 29
Vladislav Kolyachonok Flint Firebirds 45 4 23 27
Nathan Staios Windsor Spitfires 57 6 19 25
Jack York Barrie Colts 58 7 17 24
Michael Vukojevic Kitchener Rangers 60 3 21 24
Simon Rose North Bay Battalion 49 3 19 22
Mason Millman Saginaw Spirit 58 3 18 21
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 +34
Jacob LeGuerrier Soo Greyhounds 60 +32
Liam Ross Sudbury Wolves 59 +26
Nikita Okhotyuk Ottawa 67’s 48 +25
Keegan Stevenson Guelph Storm 55 +21
Lucas Peric Ottawa 67’s 46 +20
Lucas Peric Ottawa 67’s 46 +20
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 +16
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 +16
Grayson Ladd Windsor Spitfires 48 +15
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Joe Carroll Soo Greyhounds 57 65 1.14
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 58 0.97
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 84 1.45
Michael Vukojevic Kitchener Rangers 60 53 0.88
Mason Primeau North Bay Battalion 61 53 0.87
Luke Bignell Barrie Colts 60 51 0.85
Jacob LeGuerrier Soo Greyhounds 60 50 0.83
Faceoff Leaders  (minimum 325 faceoffs)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 538 295 54.8
Tye Kartye Soo Greyhounds 56 380 208 54.7
Blake Murray Sudbury Wolves 58 556 297 53.4
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 60 896 465 51.9
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 761 389 51.1
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 325 164 50.5
Erik Cermak Peterborough Petes 60 350 175 50.0
Camaryn Baber Saginaw Spirit 40 320 160 50.0
Powerplay Goals
Player Team GP PPG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 18
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 10
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 9
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 8
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 60 8
Powerplay Assists
Player Team GP PPA
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 22
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 21
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 18
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 15
Billy Constantinou Kingston Frontenacs 58 10
Shorthanded Goals
Player Team GP SHG
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 2
Nicholas Porco Saginaw Spirit 59 2
Eric Uba Flint Firebirds 59 2
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 1
Petr Cajka Erie Otters 54 1
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 2/1 2/9 5 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 12/31 1/6 4 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 10/13 10/19 4 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 9/21 9/30 4 6
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 1/19 1/26 4 4
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 12/8 12/15 5 8
Jamieson Rees Sarnia Sting 12/12 12/30 5 5
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 1/10 1/18 5 5
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 2/13 2/22 5 5
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 2/2 2/9 4 5
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 1/2 1/23 11 13
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 12/31 1/20 10 14
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 12/15 1/11 9 17
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 1/26 2/13 8 17
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 12/1 1/13 7 15
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 282
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 198
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 178
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 174
Eric Uba Flint Firebirds 59 150
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 1209 63 3.13
Ethan Taylor Soo Greyhounds 19 868 46 3.18
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 2833 161 3.41
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 2347 139 3.55
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 2201 135 3.68
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 886 52 3.52
Ethan Langevin Saginaw Spirit 37 1945 122 3.76
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 1367 86 3.77
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 1230 87 4.24
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 692 49 4.25
Luke Cavallin Flint Firebirds 32 1494 140 5.62
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 744 681 0.915
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 1611 1450 0.900
Ethan Taylor Soo Greyhounds 19 433 387 0.894
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 454 402 0.885
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 1158 1023 0.883
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 1169 1030 0.881
Ethan Langevin Sarnia Sting 37 995 873 0.877
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 695 609 0.876
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 687 600 0.873
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 374 325 0.869
Luke Cavallin Flint Firebirds 32 972 832 0.856
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 25 23 3
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 18 15 3
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 17 16 5
Ethan Langevin Sarnia Sting 37 15 14 3
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 11 10 1
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 2
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 2
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 1
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 1
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 1
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 1
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 1

Jamieson Rees – Sarnia Sting – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 172 pounds

Date of birth: February 26, 2001

Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 9th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season, November: B prospect, mid-term: 23rd North America

The Sarnia Sting selected Jamieson Rees, a graduate of the Mississauga Reps Minor Midget AAA, with the 9th overall selection at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection.

Rees appeared in 32 games for the Reps during the 2016-2017 season, scoring 24 goals and adding 16 assists. At the OHL Cup, Rees would add 6 goals and 5 assists in 8 games for the Reps, helping them win a championship and being selected to the tournament’s all-star team. He would represent Team GTHL Red at the OHL Gold Cup adding 7 points with 4 goals in 5 games, once again winning a championship. OHL Central Scouting’s report on Rees read as follows:

Jamieson is one of the elite players in this year’s Priority Selection. He is a skilled centre that is dangerous every time he has the puck on his stick. He is a good skater with deceptive speed and always manages to win races to loose pucks. He is dangerous off the rush with his speed, elusive one-on-one moves and creative vision. Jamieson makes all the players around him better. He has great vision and is a creative playmaker. He shoots the puck very well with a quick release and very good accuracy.

Rees would appear in 46 games for the Sting last season. His rookie campaign saw him notch 5 goals and assist on 15 others. In August, he would represent Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He scored once and assisted on 3 others in 5 games and helping Canada win a gold medal.

Jamieson Rees of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jamieson Rees of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Put simply, Rees has won at every level to date and has done his share. Only an OHL championship eludes him.

At 5’10” Rees is a smaller pivot who will also need to add some bulk to his frame. Despite that, he has excellent lower body strength, and more importantly, knows how to use it to his advantage. He also plays with tenacity and rarely gets outworked. He uses that same tenacity in puck pursuit when the opposition has possession. And although he’s not a chirper, he does get under the oppositions skin.

Rees is also an excellent skater with excellent speed, both in his first steps and top speed. His edgework is second to none among his peers. He has an uncanny ability to shift on a dime, crating time and space. And he can make plays at top speed.

If his vision isn’t described as elite, it’s about as close as you can come to it. He sees the ice extremely well and is often one or two steps ahead of the play. He has superb, soft hands Often, when it looks like there is no play available, Rees finds one.

Rees has appeared in just 35 games this season. He’s missed some time with a kidney laceration and is currently serving an eight-game suspension and won’t be able to return until March 16, 2019. He has 10 goals and 22 assists on the season.

But when you look into Rees’ stats a little deeper, you realize how impressive they are. Of his 22 assists, 18 of them are primary assists. His primary assists per game are not just at the top of the draft class, but top ten in the entire OHL. And he does it at even strength play. The vast majority of his assists (16) come 5-on-5. Three of his 10 goals come with the extra man.

Although Rees is a playmaker first, he does have a very good shot with a deceptive release and deadly accuracy. We’d like to see him become a little more selfish at times and adding that element to his game will only keep defences and goaltenders guessing. He’s shooting now at 9.2% but his high-danger zone shooting percentage is at 17.7%.

Defensively, Rees is as good as anyone in the draft class. He uses that same tenacity, puck pursuit, hockey sense, anticipation, puck protection and skating while defending. And he has the ability to be a one-man breakout. And for those reasons, the coaches know they can deploy him in any situation.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

Extra stats from Prospect-Stats

Cole MacKay – Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 185 pounds

Date of birth: June 13, 2001

Hometown: Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 5, 98th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: Preseason: not ranked, November: C prospect, Midterm: 96th NA.

Like Greyhounds before him, Cole MacKay is having an impressive draft season that is making him climb up draft boards. That’s not to say he will end up being another Morgan Frost who climbs all the way into the first round on draft day, but considering he was not on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list coming into the season to where he is now shows there is something to watch there. Not to mention he was a 5th round pick at the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

MacKay grew up playing in the Sault Ste Marie hockey leagues and playing for the Greyhounds was a dream come true. However, he spent a year in Minor Midget AAA with the Kitchener Jr Rangers, during the 2016-2017 leading the league in goals (30) while adding 16 assists in 32 games. He also appeared in the OHL Cup and OHL Gold Cup.

MacKay, Cole
Cole MacKay of the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds. Photo courtesy of OHL Images

MacKay broke onto the OHL scene a season ago appearing in 42 games and scoring 5 goals and adding 9 assists playing a limited role. However, as his responsibilities increased this season, along with prime specialty teams time, his offence has skyrocketed to 25 goals and 29 assists in 56 games.

MacKay can be an offensive threat in any situation. He can be the shooter on the powerplay (9 goals) as well as the setup guy (9 assists). But he can be a threat on the PK as well, having a shorthanded goal while setting up 3 others.

MacKay has an above average shot with good velocity, a quick release and deadly accuracy. His 18% shooting percentage is evidence of his ability to shoot. When you break it down by shot location, it becomes more impressive. He has 4 goals on 28 high danger shots (14.3%) versus 9 goals on 20 shots (45%) from the mid-danger areas versus 12 goals on 91 shots (13.2%) from low danger shot areas.

Besides MacKay’s shooting ability, his other strengths are his non-stop motor and work ethic and his high hockey smarts. He is relentless in his puck pursuit and never gives up on a play. He leaves 100% out on the ice each and every shift and he works his tail off in the defensive zone as well.

MacKay uses his above average vision and hockey sense as well as anybody. Defensively, he knows where he needs to be and uses excellent anticipation skills and an active stick to defend. Offensively, he protects the puck extremely well, can slip into lanes to make himself available, and has some shiftiness to create lanes to find teammates. And despite his size, if he can’t create a lane, he shows no hesitation in taking the disk to the net himself.

The knock on MacKay however is his skating. Most would agree that he needs to improve his first-step explosiveness that is lacking, especially with his size. While I will agree it needs work, I don’t agree that is detrimental. It’s average to slightly above average.

Secondly, MacKay lacks a separation gear that could only help him offensively. And that has some truth to it. But when I read some scouting reports, it makes it sound as though he is slow. Again, its average and he is still providing offence. Sure, that extra gear will help however, I think he can show some improvement in the areas with a commitment to improving.

I mentioned teammate Morgan Frost earlier. And while I am in no way suggestion MacKay can jump all the way to the first round come June’s NHL Draft in Vancouver, I thought it would be fun to look at a comparison chart of their draft years courtesy of Prospect-Stats.

MacKay versus Frost
MacKay versus Frost comparison chart courtesy of Prospects-Stats

Stat page from Elite Prospects

Jet Greaves – Barrie Colts – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’

Weight: 161 pounds

Date of birth: March 30, 2001

Hometown: Cambridge, Ontario

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Right

OHL Draft: Round 3, 56th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: Not Ranked

The first question that might pop into people’s minds reading this is “why would we be discussing a goaltender not ranked by NHL Central Scouting?” Well, two reasons. There is a perceived opinion out there that NHL Central Scouting and NHL teams prefer bigger netminders. But there are a half-dozen netminders on Central’s list that stand as “small” as Barrie Colts’ netminder Jet Greaves. Secondly, we believe Greaves deserves some consideration when everything about this season is put into context.

Greaves played his Minor Midget AAA hockey for the Cambridge Hawks during the 2016-2017 season and in 17 games posted a 2.41 goals-against-average and .916 save-percentage. The Colts would use the 56th overall pick at the 2017 Priority Selection to draft Greaves.

Greaves spent last season with the Guelph Hurricanes of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He appeared in 35 games and posted a 3.46 goals-against-average and .899 save-percentage.

Jet Greaves of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jet Greaves of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Now, lets put this, his OHL rookie and NHL Draft season into context.

Greaves had spent the season sharing the crease with two other netminders in Barrie, Kai Edmonds and Maksim Zhukov until the latter jumped ship to the United States Hockey League in mid-January. The Colts currently sit third from the bottom in the standings. They have also scored the second fewest goals in the league, so there isn’t much run support for any of the netminders.

The Colts have allowed the sixth fewest goals in the entire league while allowing 35 shots against per game for a team save-percentage of .903 and a team goals-against-average of 3.31. Greaves’ goals-against-average (2.97) is better then both Edmonds (3.13) and Zhukov’s (3.43) as well as the team average. So too is his save-percentage (.919) versus Edmonds (.902) and Zhukov (.900).

Greaves has been so impressive that the coaching staff rewarded him by starting 4 consecutive games in February. He faced back-to-back 50-plus shots in his first two games stopping 100 of 103 shots directed on his net and earning himself the OHL and CHL Goaltender of the Week honors.  To put that into perspective, 6’5” Guelph Storm goaltender Nicholas Daws has faced 50 shots to date in the month of February and is ranked 19th among North American goaltenders.

Greaves is second among rookie netminders in goals-against-average and tops in save-percentage. In fact, Greaves is second overall in save-percentage among all netminders.  Among this years’ draft crop, Greaves is second to Ethan Taylor (2.95) in goals-against-average and tops in save-percentage. But he sits 7th in minutes played. However, since Zhukov joined Green Bay in the USHL, Greaves minutes have increased and that trend should continue.  

So, what does Greaves – who’s full name is Calvin Jet Greaves (his father is a Jet Li fan) Bring to the table?

Greaves is a superbly athletic netminder who moves in any direction quickly. He’s just as quick in getting into the butterfly and back on his skates to prepare for second chance opportunities. He is technically sound, keeping himself square at the shooter. He plays his angles well and moves to the top of the paint and back with ease.

Greaves is a right hand catching netminder and we all know that can sometimes fool shooters who aren’t accustomed to the trapper being on the other side. But he does require some work with the glove. At times, the puck does go through the webbing, but I feel it is an area that can be worked on.

The area that can not be worked on is Greaves size. He tracks the puck well, and in close he’s good at taking away the bottom of the net and making himself as tall as he can be. But with the puck at a distance and traffic in front of his goal, he’ll need to work on seeing past that traffic.

I’ve been pretty impressed with his play for the better part of the season. Has he done enough to hear his name called in Vancouver? One never knows, but I think he has to date, earned mention and should at least get an invite to an NHL Development Camp should he not be drafted in June.

Nick Robertson – Peterborough Petes – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 160 pounds

Date of birth: September 11, 2001

Hometown: Arcadia, California

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 16th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season, November: B Prospect. Mid-term: 30th North America

Born in Arcadia California and now calls Northville Michigan home, Peterborough Petes’ little engine that could Nick Robertson is the younger brother of OHL sniper Jason Robertson of the Niagara IceDogs. The younger Robertson is one of the youngest players available for the 2019 National Hockey League Draft, making the September 15, 2001 cut off date by just 4 days.

The biggest difference between the brothers that stands out most to hockey watchers is the size difference. While Nick stands at just 5’9”, Jason comes in at 6’2”. There is also an older brother, Michael, who when he played, stood at 6’. So, you’d think there is some room for physical growth, right?

Robertson played his Minor Midget AAA hockey with the Toronto Red Wings during the 2016-2017 season amassing 18 goals and 18 assists in 32 games as an Alternate Captain. At the end of his Minor Midget season, Robertson appeared in 4 games with the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, notching 3 assists in 4 contests.

Last season, Robertson broke onto the OHL scene with the Petes, appearing in 62 games and scoring 15 goals and 18 assists.

NIck Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Terry Wilson - OHL Images.
Nick Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Terry Wilson – OHL Images.

Robertson’s draft year began by representing Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and in 5 games with the Americans, Robertson scored 4 goals while adding an assist. He started off the preseason well but then just two games into the season, he suffered a wrist injury that caused him to miss the next month. He would re-injure the wrist in early November missing another 4 games.

Since Robertson’s return in November, he’s been nothing short of a consistent offensive producer, notching points in 20 of his 32 contests, going pointless in back-to-back games just once. He now has 44 points in 42 games and only Ryan Merkley, who the Petes acquired in a trade, has more points on the Petes.

Robertson is an extremely hard worker who plays with a “do anything to win” mentality. Maybe it’s because he was born 8 weeks premature and almost didn’t survive and came to the conclusion that he had to do his best to be the best he can be. I strongly recommend this article from the Peterborough Examiner.

Robertson is a very good skater with very good speed. He has excellent edgework and despite the size disadvantage is very strong on his skates. He has the ability to slow the game down or pick up the pace quickly because of a very quick first step. He’s able to slip into seams almost unnoticed. He skates with a wide stance which makes him stronger on his feet.

Robertson also possesses excellent vision. He can draw in defenders with his patience and sees opportunities and seams open up with good anticipation. But when he doesn’t see those seams, he will take the lane directly to the net.  

It can be argued that Robertson has the best puck skills in his draft class. He handles the puck extremely well at top speed and can dish it at top speed. He can also fire it while at top speed and off his wrong foot. His shot is deceptive and is as NHL ready as any shooter in the draft class.  His shot is right there with Arthur Kaliyev and his puck skills with Ryan Suzuki.

Defensively, the game is a work in progress for Robertson. He certainly has the skating ability to put himself in the right position. And he has the work ethic and the smarts. But he’s young, determined and has the coaching he needs. I don’t think it will be an issue going forward.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

Blake Murray – Sudbury Wolves – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’3

Weight: 185 pounds

Date of birth: July 5, 2001

Hometown: Uxbridge, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 7th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season, November: B Prospect. Mid-term: 111th North America

A native of Uxbridge, Ontario, Sudbury Wolves’ pivot Blake Murray played his Minor Midget AAA with the Whitby Wildcats during the 2016-2017 season compiling 29 goals and 26 assists in a 35-game campaign. He would follow that up with 3 goals and 7 assists in 6 playoff games with the Wildcats.

At the OHL Cup, Murray would score 1 goal and a helper in 5 games for the Wildcats and a goal to go along with 3 helpers at the OHL Gold Cup with Team OMHA Black. The Wolves would use their 7th overall pick at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection to nab the offensive Murray.

At the time of his OHL Draft, Central Scouting had this to say:

Blake is a big centre that has the ability to take the game over when he wants to. He is a powerful skater that is explosive off the mark. He has the ability to beat defenders wide with speed and takes the puck to the net with authority. Blake makes the players around him better and is a constant threat on the ice. He shoots the puck extremely well and isn’t afraid to use it. Blake is a big centre that all teams love to have and if he continues to develop he will be a dominate player at the next level.

Last season, Murray broke onto the OHL scene and the Wolves immediately put him in the position to be their go-to guy, leading the team in goals (21) and points (44). The Wolves’ reliance on Murray was evident as he was the only rookie to lead his team in offence. Only Andrei Svechnikov (40) and Arthur Kaliyev (31) finished with more goals.

Murray. Blake
Blake Murray, Sudbury Wolves. Photo by OHL Images

Murray did not have the best start to this season and was even in a funk coming out of the Christmas break. But since mid January he’s been on an excellent pace scoring 12 goals and 7 assists in 15 games. More importantly, he’s found a consistency only going back-to-back once in that span without producing a point.

The knock on Murray throughout the season has been that he lacks consistency from game to game and sometimes shift to shift. He certainly has the skill set to be a difference maker and maintaining the level of consistency he’s found now offensively could play a huge role on how high he gets drafted come June.

Standing 6’3”, Murray is a big body. But at just 185 pounds, he is going to have to add some much-needed bulk. He’s a very good skater and as long as adding the necessary bulk doesn’t affect his stride we aren’t going to worry about his feet. He’s good on the forecheck and goes into battle along the walls, but again, adding muscle will be key for him going forward.

Murray isn’t afraid to take the puck to the net himself. He’s surprisingly strong on his skates and uses body position extremely well to protect the puck, and he can do that at top speed. Despite being a shooter first, Murray does have soft hands and very good vision and the ability to become an effective playmaker.

On the dot, the Wolves’ coaching staff does not shy away from allowing Murray to take key draws. He’s won 54% of his faceoffs – good for second among draft eligible players.

On the defensive side of the puck, Murray shows an understanding of three-zone play. He knows where to be on the ice and most of the time he puts in a concerted effort. Finding that consistency mentioned earlier is important going forward.

There is enough time remaining in the season and playoffs to prove he is worthy of a higher selection then where Central Scouting has him ranked. One independent scouting service had him ranked second from the OHL behind only Kaliyev coming into this season. The skill set is certainly there.

Now is the time to prove it.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

 

Ethan Keppen – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 214 pounds

Date of birth: March 20, 2001

Hometown: Whitby, Ontario

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 10th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: Preseason, November: C Prospect, Mid-term 110th North America

By now, any follower of the Ontario Hockey League is aware of the turmoil that has surrounded the Flint Firebirds over the past couple of seasons. But the future in Flint is looking brighter and the fact that they have 4 players that are likely to be selected at the 2019 National Hockey League Draft in June is a testament to the work the front office has done. The list includes Vladislav Kolyachonok, Eric Uba, Luke Cavallin and the subject of today’s profile, Ethan Keppen.

The Native of Whitby Ontario played his minor midget AAA with the Toronto Nationals during the 2016-2017 season where he amassed 14 goals and 21 assists in 33 games. But it was at the Nationals’ run at the OHL Cup where Keppen had his coming out party. He led the Nationals in scoring and finished second in the tournament on 3 goals and 8 helpers in 8 games.

Ethan Keppen of the Flint Firebirds Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
Ethan Keppen of the Flint Firebirds Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

The scouting report from OHL Central Scouting read as follows:

Ethan is a prototypical power forward. He has very good size with a powerful stride that allows him to reach top speed quickly. He goes up and down his wing crashing and banging into everything. Ethan creates room for his linemates and goes to the net hard for rebounds and loose pucks. He is a complete player that takes care of his own end and is relied on in all key situations. There isn’t a hit that he turns away from. He competes hard for loose pucks and forechecks hard.

Keppen broke onto the OHL scene last season with the Firebirds and scored 10 goals while adding 8 assists in 63 contests. Again, if you are aware of what the situation in Flint has been like, it wasn’t an ideal situation. But 2018-2019 has been a different story.

To date, Keppen has 24 goals and 23 assists in 55 games. He sits second on the team in goals, powerplay goals, assists, third in points and leads the team in shots on goal.

Since the calendar flipped to 2001 however, few players in the OHL have been racking up points at the pace Keppen has. Through 17 games, Keppen has points in 16, goals in 12 and has totaled 14 goals and 8 assists in those contests while firing 71 shots on goal, good for a 19.7 shooting percentage. That’s well above his season average 14.5 shooting percentage. He holds the longest point streak among draft eligible players at 10 games and the longest and active goal-scoring streak among draft eligible players at 5 games.

There’s not much to add to OHL Central Scouting’s description of Keppen except to give you a little more detail.

Keppen is a true power forward that won’t beat defenders with finesse, but rather to blow through them at any given opportunity. He’s as strong as an ox already and is just going to get stronger as he physically matures. His style alone opens up space for himself and his teammates. He’s willing to drive to the goal with and without the puck. He is extremely good on the forecheck and rarely loses a puck battle. When combined with his relentless work ethic, he is quite simply a physical beast.

His skating stride is long and powerful and he does cover a lot of ice with those long strides. His speed is okay, but I wonder just how fast he could be if he worked on his technique. Keppen more often then not stands upright when he reaches top speed. But with the quality of skating coaches available to players these days, I have no worries that the kinks will get worked out and that coaches will find the technique that works best for him.

First and foremost, Keppen is considered a goal scorer. But I think his playmaking abilities are underrated. Of his 23 assists to date this season, 18 of them are primary assists, third only to Arthur Kaliyev (20) and Philip Tomasino (21) and tied with Ryan Suzuki among draft eligible players. His primary assists to assists (78.2%) is second among all players next to fellow draft eligible Connor McMichael (82.7%).

Keppen won’t beat a goaltender with a deceptively quick release on his shot. Instead, it’s hard, heavy and deadly accurate and he can quite simply overpower a netminder. Hard to predict how that will translate to the next level, but it’s also hard to predict just how much heavier that shot will become when he matures physically.

Not easy to predict where Keppen will end up going at the 2019 Draft. When you consider Europeans and goaltenders, NHL Central Scouting has him as a late third to early fourth in their rankings. Today, I’d say he has to get consideration as an early third rounder.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

Graeme Clarke – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 172 pounds

Date of birth: April 24, 2001

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 6th overall, 2017 Priority Selections

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: Pre-season, November; B prospect, Mid-term; 56th North America

Ottawa 67s’ right winger Graeme Clarke played his Minor Midget AAA with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2016-2017 scoring 82 goals and 54 assists in 51 games. Scoring has always been his forte; he combined for 67 goals in 35 regular season and playoff games in Bantam AAA with the Ottawa Senators.

Clarke’s offensive prowess also came to the forefront during some well watched showcases. In 2016-2017 at the OHL Cup, Clarke scored 6 goals while adding a helper in 5 games. He also appeared in the OHL Gold Cup where he scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. He also represented the East Coast Selects Under-15 at the World Selects Invite where he scored 10 goals and 4 assists in 7 games.

The scouting report from OHL Central Scouting was complimentary:

Graeme is a goal scorer. He possesses one of the better shots in this year’s class. It is very accurate, has pace and he seems to be able to get it off from anywhere and at any time on the ice. He is a very good skater when at full stride and should improve as he gets stronger. He is very creative with the puck and has good offensive instincts as the puck always seems to find him on the ice. He is a smart offensive player that doesn’t put himself in bad positions.

Last season, Clarke made his OHL debut with the 67’s appearing in all but 5 games and scored 14 goals to go along with 11 assists. He would represent Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 and notch 2 goals and 4 assists in 6 games. Later that summer, he would represent Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he would score twice and add an assist in 5 games.

Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67''s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67”s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Too date this season, Clarke has appeared in 39 games (he’s missed 13 games with a dislocated shoulder) and has scored 17 goals and 7 assists on a very deep 67’s roster that has made some major additions and poised to make a serious run at an OHL Championship and Memorial Cup. Despite missing those 13 contests he is tied for 6th among 67’s in goals and fourth in powerplay goals.

I think Clarke’s skating sometimes gets an unfair shake in the scouting community. It’s the same debate I had about Jason Robertson during his draft year. It is in some cases described as having a laziness to his effort. But my opinion is that he is such an intelligent player that he is able to slip into seams and high scoring areas without expending a lot of energy. And once he gets there, he is able to fire off a lethal shot. To these eyes, those are two big reasons why he is scoring at a 20.9% rate.

I am often asked who has the better shot/release: Clarke or Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. I think you could flip a coin.

Clarke has superb puck handling ability. In tight, he can dangle with the best of them. On the rush, he handles it with ease. What he lacks is a separation gear, but skating is an area he has worked on hard and will continue to work on and improve. He also has an ability to slow the play down with the puck on his stick. While he is a goal scorer first, he has excellent vision and can slow the play down with possession to give his teammates time to find space and deliver a good pass on the forehand and backhand.

Clarke is most dangerous on the powerplay where there is more time and space. 40% of his offensive production comes with the man advantage. But we think there is more to be seen five-on-five where he doesn’t always get the top offensive duties on such a deep Ottawa lineup.

There has also been a bit of an evolution to Clarke’s game. He is more willing to drive to the net. He is more engaged on the forecheck. Despite needing to add some muscle, he is more willing to engage physically. And he has put the necessary work into being a better defensive player and with his play without the puck.

Stat page from Elite Prospects