2022 NHL Draft

Paul Ludwinski – Kingston Frontenacs – Player Profile

Posted on January 8, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	172	4-23-2004	C	L	5^th – 2020	B Prospect	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	YOG	Team Canada	4	0	3	3
2019-20	Under-16	Toronto Marlboros	31	15	17	32
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Paul Ludwinski of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL IMAGES

One thing we know for sure is that because Shane Wright plays for the Kingston Frontenacs, his teammate Paul Ludwinski is going to have a lot of eyes on him this season. What those eyes take away from those viewings may differ. The people I have spoken to have varying opinions.

Currently. Ludwinski is ranked as a B-Prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list. That typically means a second or third round pick. A few of the independent scouting services has him in the 32 to 35 range while one has him as high as 27. A couple of more have him in the 40’s and just one as low as 54.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that he plays the game at an extremely high pace. His ability and willingness to motor is very noticeable. He gets in on the forecheck quickly and isn’t afraid to after anyone to try and create turnovers – and he’s actually pretty successful at it. He is more than willing to drive to the net with or without the puck. Unless you are looking for it, you won’t notice, but Ludwinski uses subtle little moves in front of the blue paint to separate himself from defenders and pounce on loose pucks for second chance opportunities.

Ludwinski is an accomplished three-zone player. He positions himself perfectly to break up plays or passes through the neutral zone or defensive zone. And when he breaks those up, he transitions quickly and with possession with an excellent ability to gain the offensive blue line. His defensive game is well into his development.

Along with Ludwinski’s pace and willingness to battle physically, he is a strong technical skater with very good top speed and acceleration. He gets to top speed quickly but he has that separation gear as well. He has a knack of being able to slow down and then burst back into top gear quickly and uses his body to protect the puck very well.

Some question his hockey IQ. I don’t have any questions about that IQ as some of the things I have spoken of speak to his IQ. But to add to that, he sees the ice very well and can make plays to set up teammates using those smarts and passing abilities.

What I have been somewhat disappointed in his production this season. I thought he would be further along than he is. But in fairness, he has come on lately. Of his 6 goals and 12 assists through 25 games, 3 goals and 5 assists have come in his last 7 games. He’s going to have to keep close to that pace to lock himself into an early second round pick.

I don’t have a read on what Ludwinski could become at the next level. Can he be a middle six player or is he destined to be a bottom six? By the end of the season it could become clearer but for now we know his defensive game and pace of play is surely going to garner him some attention.

Pavel Mintyukov – Saginaw Spirit – Player Profile

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	190	11-25-2003	D	L	52^nd Import	A – November	RUSSIA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	Under-16	Russia Under-16	24	9	11	20
	Under-18	Russia Under-18	7	2	8	10
2019-20	MHL	Dynamo Moskva	33	1	2	3
	WHC U-17	Russia	6	0	5	5
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Saginaw Spirit defenceman Pavel Mintyukov arrived in the Ontario Hockey League primarily known for his offensive contributions. Don’t let his MHL (OHL equivalent in Russia) fool you as he was playing above his age group starting there as a 16-year-old.

Mintyukov’s offensive game has come as advertised. Despite playing in fewer games, he’s third among draft eligible defensemen in points (22 points in 27 games) and second on goals (6 goals in 27 games) at this point.

Mintyukov is a gambler, willing to make high risk plays from the blueline. The fact is he checks off all the boxes necessary to pull them off: Skating, stick handling, vision, hockey sense, you name it, he’s got it and he quite possibly end up as the best offensive defenceman in the OHL draft class.

In his own zone, Mintyukov retrieve’s pucks quickly. He will draw in forecheckers and beat them on the transition mostly with his skating, but he can make a great first pass out of his zone. His ability to stickhandle in a phone booth is up there with the best of them.

What makes Mintyukov a high-risk high-reward type of player is that he makes those same high risk plays in his own zone as he does in the offensive zone and he can leave you scratching your head with his decision making. I love a player who has the confidence in his abilities and is willing to take risks, but he does need to reel them in some. In fairness, he has taken the steps to pick his spots better, but it is a work in progress.

You can certainly find a “safer” pick among OHL blueliners, but they don’t possess Mintyukov’s offensive talent. And you could say that sometimes he looks disinterested or doesn’t put in the effort. Some who cover the OHL suggest they would take him before Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion and is the clear number one blueliner. Others say they prefer the safer picks.

Myself? I believe if Mintyukov can put it all together he has the ability to be a top pairing defenceman at the NHL level. It all comes down to whether you believe he can. We’re only half way through the OHL season. Once the season comes to an end, we’ll have a better understanding on where he fits.

OHL WRITERS’ DRAFT ELGIBLE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: DECEMBER 2021

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

The Ontario Hockey League had to postpone more games than anyone wanted to see in December due to the COVID-19 Protocols, but there were some pretty good performances that should not be ignored.

Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

In previous season, I looked for one performance that I would feel comfortable saying that player was the Player of the Month. But because of the lost season one year ago and the number of players re-entering the NHL Entry Draft in 2022, I decided for this year to select one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender. Here we go.

Up front, It’s Mississauga Steelheads forward Luca DelBelBelluz who scored 4 goals and 9 assists in 9 contests in the month of December and a whopping 31 shots on goal. He had 4 multi point games including a four-assist night against North Bay on December 29 and he was held off the scoresheet in just two contests.

DelBelBelluz now has 15 goals and 21 assists on the season and sits second in points on the Steelheads just two points behind James Hardie. Among draft eligible players, he is third in points, tied for third in goals and second in assists and easily leads all draft eligible players in plus/minus with a plus-27.

Also considered were a pair of Hamilton Bulldogs. Avery Hayes had 6 goals and 7 assists in 9 games while Ryan Humphrey had 3 goals and 8 assists in 9 games. Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs had 3 goals and 7 assists but played in just 4 games because of the World Junior Championships and the Fronts being in COVID protocol.

On the blueline I could have gone a number of different ways but settled on Kirill Kudryavtsev of the Soo Greyhounds. The 5’11, 200-pound Russian scored once and added 6 assists in 7 games for the Greyhounds raising his totals to 2 goals and 16 assists in 28 games on the season.

I gave the nod to Kudryavtsev because I liked his all-around game. He was kept off the scoresheet in 2 of those 7 games, but the Greyhounds were 0-1-1 in those games. In the 5 games he registered a point? 4-0-1. He is an important player on the Greyhounds blueline as a rookie.

Also considered were Saginaw Spirit defenceman Pavel Mintyukov with 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 games, Samuel Mayer of the Peterborough Petes with 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion with 8 assists in 9 games and Rodwin Dionicio of the Niagara IceDogs with a goal and 5 assists in 5 games.

The decision in net was the easiest and that was Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers. The draft re-entry netminder simply gives the Rangers a chance every time he mans the crease. He went 4-1-1 in the month of December with a stellar .919 save-percentage.

In his only regulation loss, Cajan stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires. In his only other loss – in overtime- he stopped 34 of 38 shots in a 4-3 OT loss to the Soo Greyhounds. On the season Cajan has a save-percentage of .904 – third among draft eligible goalies and a goals-against-average of 3.23 – fifth among draft eligible goalies.

Also considered was North Bay Battalion netminder Dom DiVincentiis. In 4 appearances he went 1-2-0 with a .909 save-percentage

FORWARDS

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

OHL’s DRAFT ELIGIBLE STATISTICAL LEADERS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2021

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to hoping for a fantastic 2022 and hockey everywhere will be able to continue their seasons.

As you know, the Ontario Hockey League had to postpone a large number of games due to the COVID-19 pandemic as over half the league is in COVID protocol. As much as I hate to admit it, I hope that the OHL follows the lead of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and suspends all action for a couple of weeks.

That said, there were games played in the month of December, and as is always the case, we look at players eligible for the National Hockey League Entry Draft and the statistical leaders in a variety of different categories. Some players have obviously played more games than others due to the postponement of games, but eventually, those games will be made up.

In past years, we’ve always looked at first time draft eligible players. But, because of the lost OHL season a year ago, there are too many players re-entering the draft this time around and we are including them. There are some third-time eligible players re-entering the draft, but we are not including them here with the exception of Brett Brochu of the London Knights as he only made the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by 5 days. If an NHL team is interested in those players, they are more likely to sign a professional contract as free agents rather than a team using a draft pick on them.

One of those players re-entering the draft is Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Robertson leads all draft eligible players in points, goals and goals, sits second in assists and third in faceoff winning percentage. A pair of Hamilton Bulldogs are also on the list. Avery Hayes is second to Robertson in goals and fourth in points, while Gavin White is second among defencemen in points and assists.

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

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	19	22	41
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	15	22	37
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	15	21	36
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	16	14	30
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	22	11	19	30
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	14	13	27
Denis Goure	Owen Sound Attack	25	12	14	26
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	9	17	26
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	5	21	26
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	12	13	25
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	19	0.73
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	16	0.55
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	15	0.65
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	15	0.54
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	25	15	0.60
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	14	0.56
Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa 67’s	27	14	0.52
Denis Goure	Owen Sound Attack	25	12	0.48
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	12	0.43
Colton Smith	London Knights	26	12	0.46
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	22	0.96
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	22	0.85
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	21	0.75
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	21	0.68
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	22	19	0.86
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	19	0.66
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	17	0.59
Jake Karabela	Guelph Storm	27	16	0.59
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	27	16	0.59
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	28	16	0.57
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	5	21	26
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	4	19	23
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	27	6	16	22
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	26	5	15	20
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	26	8	10	18
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	28	2	16	18
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	27	6	9	15
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	24	2	13	15
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	27	0	15	15
Luca D’Amato	Flint Firebirds	24	5	7	12
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	+27
Isaiah George	London Knights	26	+17
Tnias Mathurin	North Bay Battalion	22	+16
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+16
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+15
Dylan Gordon	Mississauga Steelheads	16	+13
Matthew Poitras	Guelph Storm	27	+13
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+13
Ethan MacKinnon	London Knights	20	+12
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	+12
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player	Team	GP	PIM	M/G
Liam Arnsby	North Bay Battalion	29	49	1.69
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	22	43	1.95
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	26	42	1.62
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	41	1.41
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	27	39	1.44
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	24	36	1.50
Teddy Sawyer	Ottawa 67’s	27	35	1.30
Lawson Sherk	Hamilton Bulldogs	27	33	1.22
Nathan Poole	Kingston Frontenacs	20	31	1.55
Stepan Machacek	Owen Sound Attack	25	28	1.12
Faceoff Leaders
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	586	359	61.3
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	24	279	164	58.8
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	669	385	57.5
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	28	243	139	57.2
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	25	301	164	54.5
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	25	273	148	54.2
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	225	122	54.2
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	27	479	259	54.1
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	24	270	145	53.7
Ethan Larmand	Sudbury Wolves	24	381	200	52.5
Minumum 225 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Jonathan Melee	Hamilton Bulldogs	26	21	6	28.6
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	26	53	15	28.3
Dean Loukus	Saginaw Spirit	25	32	9	28.1
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	19	36	10	27.8
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	72	19	26.4
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	22	28	7	25.0
Gavin Bryant	Owen Sound Attack	20	24	6	25.0
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	59	14	23.7
Cameron Lowe	Erie Otters	25	17	4	23.5
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	25	66	15	22.7

Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Brett Brochu	London Knights	22	1306	54	2.48
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	15	776	40	3.09
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	12	652	34	3.13
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	19	1083	58	3.21
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	17	1023	55	3.23
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	20	1145	69	3.62
Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters	22	1263	80	3.80
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	8	476	32	4.03
Andrew Oke	Saginaw Spirit	14	782	55	4.22
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Brett Brochu	London Knights	22	680	626	0.921
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	19	615	557	0.906
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	17	574	519	0.904
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	12	324	290	0.895
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	8	287	255	0.889
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	15	341	301	0.883
Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters	22	668	588	0.880
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	20	551	482	0.875
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	18	541	471	0.871

Spencer Sova – Erie Otters – Player Profile

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’	185	1-10-2004	D	Left	8^th – 2020	B – November	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under-15	Honeybaked Under-15	57	19	38	57
2020-21	Under-16	Honeybaked Under-16	3	0	0	0
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Spencer Sova of the Erie Otters. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

When it comes to Erie Otters defenceman Spencer Sova, there are varying mentions when it comes to his size. While some have him at 6-feet there are plenty that list him at 6-foot two-inches. If you go by NHL Central Scouting and the Ontario Hockey League, he is listed at 6-feet and 185 pounds and that is what we will go by here, even if my untrained eye says differently. Now that we got that out of the way…

While there are no future NHL franchise blueliners in the draft class, there are a handful that are very intriguing and Sova is one of them.

What stands out first with Sova is his skating. He is a smooth skating defenceman who has speed to burn. Offensively, he can make you pay with that speed by jumping up into the play and winning the race. Defensively, he uses that speed to close gaps and break up plays at his blueline, the neutral zone and surprisingly at the oppositions blueline to keep plays in the O-zone. And his edgework should not be overlooked and could be the best in the draft class. There are no flaws in his technique or mechanics.

In his own zone, Sova has all the tools to be a one-man breakout. He can make the stretch pass or he has all the tools necessary to skate it out on his own. However, and this may be a coaching decision when it comes to system, Sova along with his fellow blueliners are a safer bunch of chips it out and get to work type. To me, it doesn’t appear that he has the green light.

Whatever the case may be, Sova has some work to do in his own zone and again, you can say that about any blueliner at this stage. While the skating is that good that it can mask some of the issues it will just come to making better decisions with and without the puck in his zone. He’s shown improvement and I think his hockey sense is high enough that it all comes down to gaining experience.

Offensively, his production probably isn’t where it was expected to be at this point, but again the tools are there. His vision is very good, he can make a pass, he can create lanes with his skating and can delay the play with the puck on his stick to allow plays to develop. He is creating opportunities for his teammates but puck just isn’t finding the back of the net. He has a howitzer of a shot but he misses the target to many times. If he can get his accuracy to a better spot and not always shoot to blow it past netminders a.k.a shooting with a purpose, it will be just another tool in the chest for him.

Fairly or unfairly, Sova is compared to former Otter Jamie Drysdale. But in fairness, Drysdale possesses tools that Sova is lacking and vice versa.

A strong second half could see Sova climb up some rankings.

Jorian Donovan – Hamilton Bulldogs – Player Profile

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	180	4-5-2004	D	L	6^th – 2020	B – Nov	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	Under-15	Upper Canada Cyclones	29	9	12	21
2019-20	Under-18	Kanata Lasers	38	8	19	27
2020-21	CCHL	Carlton Place Canadians	0	0	0	0

#75 Jorian Donovan of the Hamilton Bulldogs / Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images

When you search the independent scouting services available, you will find Hamilton Bulldogs defenceman Jorian Donovan ranked anywhere from a late first round pick to the middle of the second round in their 2022 NHL Entry Draft rankings. NHL Central Scouting has him as a B-prospect in their November Players to Watch List – typically meaning a second or third round pick.

Donovan won’t be the top defenceman selected from the OHL at the draft. But the sixth overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection is certainly going to draw a lot of attention to be the first one chosen “in the next group”.

Donovan is the son of former NHL’er Shean Donovan, who spent 15 seasons in the NHL and played 951 career games.

Donovan is a very good skater with some explosiveness and speed in his strides. Offensively, he uses those abilities to create space, quarterback the powerplay and create lanes. Defensively, he uses the abilities to get back and defend.

Donovan is very patient and understands that his first priority is to defend his own zone. He recognizes when his opportunities arise to jump up into the play and how to be the late man coming in the attack. He retrieves pucks in his own zone quickly and is even quicker to transition to offense with a good first pass or to skate it on his own- something he is more than capable of doing.

Donovan is an excellent puck handler and once he reaches top speed is difficult to contain and separate the puck and is excellent at using his body to protect the puck. While he can create space for himself, he has the vision, hockey sense and passing abilities to recognize where the next play is and usually makes the right decision. He has an excellent shot from the point that almost always finds the target and he shoots with a purpose – not always trying to beat the goaltender.

Defensively, his skating helps him with keeping gaps tight and forcing players to the outside. However, there are times you question whether he has made the right decision. That’s not a knock-on Donovan, because you can say that about any defenceman at this level. When you possess the hockey sense and the skating Donovan does, I believe everything else is coachable.

Donovan projects to be a solid two-way, second pairing defenceman at the next level if he reaches his potential.

Hunter Haight – Barrie Colts – Player Profile

Posted on December 27, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’10”	167	4-4-04	C	Right	9^th – 2020	B – NOV	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under – 16	Elgin Middlesex Chiefs	33	32	26	58
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Hunter Haight of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson, OHL Images.

For the 9^th overall pick at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection that was deemed one of the top offensive producers in the 2022 NHL Draft Class from the OHL, it has not been a stellar start for Hunter Haight of the Barrie Colts. With just 5 goals and 6 assists in 19 games, more was expected because he is capable of more.

So, what’s the issue? Judging from what I have seen it is a size issue. Not so much his 5’10” but the measly 167 pounds he carries on that frame. Haight just isn’t capable of getting sustained time in front of the opposition net to get dirty chance goals as he is easily moved. And if you happen to be a good enough skater that you can catch him streaking down the wing, you can easily knock him off the puck.

That said, the skillset is definitely there and it should not be ignored. You can’t knock Haight’s effort. He plays the game with a lot of pace, is an extremely quick skater with the hands and the brains to go with it. Many times, you look at the same caliber player and suggest when his hands and brain catch up to his feet, he will be dangerous, but Haight is already there.

Haight’s ability to make plays at top speed is also pretty impressive. His skating – speed and edgework- allows him to maintain possession, buy time and with his IQ create space for himself and his teammates. He has the vision, creativity and playmaking skills to go along with that. He also has an NHL caliber shot already. The problem is that he is averaging just 1.7 shots per game, not enough for a player with his shot quality. Again, I attribute that to not having the muscle/size to get to the areas he needs to get too to get that shot off.

The most surprising thing, to me anyway, is that he has bought into what Coach Marty Williamson insists on and that is being a strong two-way player. There is no questioning Haight’s effort defensively, using his skating, IQ and the effort he brings at the other end of the ice to his own end.

There is no telling at this stage what NHL teams think of Haight. He certainly has the talent to be an early second round pick in the NHL Entry Draft. It will all come down to whether anyone has size concerns. If not, we could see him even go as high as a late first rounder, but if they do, he could even drop to the third round.

My perspective is this: When I look at Haight, I look back to Alex DeBrincat, not that I am comparing Haight to DeBrincat. But during his draft year, DeBrincat played at 5’7” and 160 pounds. Today, DeBrincat is playing at 167 pounds and is very successful and to put it simply, he found a way.

Haight is also going to have to find a way. Eventually, I think he will.

Luca Del Bel Belluz – Mississauga Steelheads – Player Profile

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’1”	178	11-10-2003	C	Left	51^st 2019	C Prospect	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2018-2019	Under-16	Toronto Red Wings	31	20	12	32	18
2019-2020	OHL	Mississauga Steelheads	58	1	5	6	8
2020-2021	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

I feel that NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of a C-Prospect for Luca Del Bel Belluz if the Mississauga Steelheads was the result of the lost Ontario Hockey League season of a year ago due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It has affected many players throughout the OHL and I wonder how things may be different had they OHL played. That said, it could all change come draft day in June.

Luca Del Bel Belluz of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson, OHL Images.

At 6’1, Del Bel Belluz has some good size but he is a lanky 178 pounds. He’s getting top line minutes and opportunities on the powerplay and his production has not disappointed. He currently leads Mississauga in assists with 17 and is second on the team in goals (14) and points (31) in just 26 games. He trails James Hardie by just one point. His 5 game winning goals leads the team easily. His 14 goals come on just 77 shots on goal for an 18.2 shooting-percentage, also tops on his squad.

There is much more to like about Del Bel Belluz than just his name. He is extremely creative with the puck, protects it well, has excellent vision and an uncanny ability to buy time and space for himself and his teammates. He is as effective at dishing the puck on his backhand as he is on his forehand. He can play the forecheck and cycle game very effectively. He’s not the hardest worker on the ice, but you can’t knock his effort.

Del Bel Belluz is effective in his own zone as well. He understands where the center needs to be and he gets there. He has somewhat of a long reach and is very effective in getting his stick in lanes and taking away opportunities. He can sometimes be overpowered by players his size, and this is where adding some bulk will help improve that part of his game.

His game is not all perfect. Skating, or more specifically his mechanics, needs some work. Some tweaking there will help him generate more power in both his first steps and overall speed. If he could have a separation gear, there’s no telling what he may be capable of. And that’s the thing with skating. As you move up in levels of hockey, the skating coaches improve but sometimes it’s not easy getting a player to change his mechanics when he’s been skating the same way for years.

Only time will tell if he can improve, but I know he will put the effort required into it. He’s trending up in the scouting world and I would bet that as of now, he is probably a mid to late second round pick.

Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by OHL Images

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’10	197	3-30-2004	RD	Right	#1 – 2020	B Prospect	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2018-19	GTHL U-16	Toronto Jr Canadiens	35	59	9	14	10
2019-20	GTHL U-16	Toronto Jr Canadiens	33	11	21	32	12
2019-20	U-16 AAA	Toronto Jr Canadiens	61	18	47	65	–
2020-21		DID NOT PLAY

Drafted with the first overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, 5’10, 197 pounder North Bay Battalion defenceman Ty Nelson has impressed through the first 25 games of the season. The rookie blueliner has 5 goals and 16 assists and is tied for the OHL rookie scoring lead. His 21 points place him fourth among all OHL defencemen.

Nelson is a superb powerplay quarterback and he controls the play effortlessly like few do. Moves laterally along the blue line with ease and control which opens up either passing lanes or an option to the net. When he opens up those passing lanes, he delivers a tape-to-tape pass. But if he feels the shot is the best option, he is not shy about taking it – and he has a very good shot. He’s also capable of escaping attention and drive to the net for a chance.

From his own zone, Nelson is a superb transitional blueliner, using either his feet or the ability to make all sorts of passes out of the zone and move to offense. He also competes physically but he needs to learn to pick his spots better and that will come with time. Remember, he is still transitioning to the OHL. I feel he sometimes takes himself out of the play to engage when the safer option is to retreat. But when he’s on his game, he uses a surprisingly quick and active stick to break up plays.

Skating is definitely a major strength. He keeps his feet moving with blazing speed, excellent edgework and an ability to move in any direction. The most impressive part is that he does it with the puck on his stick as well.

By the time his OHL career is over, Nelson will develop into a premiere two-way defender at this level. How that development goes over the next couple of seasons, and whether he reaches his potential will determine the kind of player he will be at the NHL level.

But I wouldn’t bet against him.

OHL WRITER’S DRAFT ELIGIBLE PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER 2021

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Kyle Jackson of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson, OHL Images

I can’t tell you how much fun it is to be back in an arena and watching live hockey. There just isn’t anything like it in the sports world.

In prior years, we here have done a draft eligible player of the month. However, just like we did for October, because of the sheer number of players re-entering the draft we have expanded it to include the draft eligible player of the month at forward position, defence and goaltending. So here we go…

FORWARD

It was an easy decision up front and that was Kyle Jackson of the North Bay Battalion. Jackson recorded eleven goals and eleven assists in just eleven games in November and now sits with fourteen goals and twenty-one assists in twenty-two games to lead all draft eligible players in scoring. Jackson was held off the scoresheet just once in November and produced seven multi-point games. He was recognized by the OHL as the top performer of the month.

We did consider Nolan Dann of the Sarnia Sting briefly. Dann played in twelve games and scored ten goals and assisted on six.

DEFENCEMAN

This could have gone any number of ways but we went with Gavin White of the Hamilton Bulldogs. White scored twice while adding eleven assists in ten games in the month of November. The reason we chose White over the others was his consistency through the month. He was only held pointless twice in those ten games and he only had two multi point games in the remaining eight. You can’t get much more consistent than that for a blueliner. White is a draft re-entry.

Also considered were a pair of Saginaw Spirit defencemen. Pavel Mintyukov had two goals and eight helpers in twelve games while Roberto Mancini had three goals and eight assists. Spencer Sova of the Erie Otters was also given consideration with his three goals and eight assists in eleven contests.

GOALTENDER

Patrick Leaver gets the nod here and it’s a token nod since he will not get the playing time, he has gotten through the first two months with the return of Oshawa Generals number one netminder from an injury. It’s not like he is not deserving though. Leaver posted a 4-2-1 record through November and a .902 save-percentage.

Of course, Brett Brochu of the London Knights was also considered. Brochu had a 6-4-1 record and a .904 save-percentage.

FORWARDS

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

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