If you cover the Ontario Hockey League and the NHL Entry Draft is your thing, it hasn’t been a fun season. We will see three OHL players selected on the first day of the draft, maybe four.
Colby Barlow of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
Colby Barlow of the Owen Sound Attack is the consensus first OHL player to hear his name called. He is followed by Calum Ritchie of the Oshawa Generals, not quite a consensus number two but as close to it as can be. There is some division in the scouting community on who is number three and I’m leaning to Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves. Those three should hear their names called in the first round Wednesday.
At number four there seems to be a tossup between Hamilton Bulldogs forward Nick Lardis and London Knights defenceman Oliver Bonk. One of them could find themselves at the tail end of the first round of the draft.
There’s a consensus with the number 6 spot with Carson Rehkopf of the Kitchener Rangers. I’ve called him pound for pound probably the most talented player in this group who could impact the game in different ways. From there, it becomes a crapshoot.
Below are my top 40 skaters and top 7 goaltenders from the OHL. What might we see? Well, I can see it being as low as 30-32 skaters selected and 2 goaltenders.
Alex Pharand of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
HT
WT
DOB
POS
SHOOTS
OHL DRAFT
NHLCS
COUNTRY
6’3”
198
1-5-05
C/RW
R
14th 2021
54 N A
CANADA
SEASON
LEAGUE
TEAM
GP
G
A
PTS
2021-2022
OHL
Hamilton Bulldogs
23
1
3
4
2021-2022
OHL
Sudbury Wolves
33
5
5
10
2022-2023
WJC U-18
Canada
7
0
1
1
2022-2023
OHL
Sudbury Wolves
67
18
21
39
A big body who has deceptive speed for his size and knows how to use both is the best way to describe Sudbury Wolves winger/center Alex Pharand. He drives the net, uses his size extremely well to take away the goaltender’s vision, plays a straight north-south game, gets in on the forecheck and disrupts plays effectively and is near impossible to knock off the puck when in the cycle.
Those assets alone will get Pharand a lengthy look at the draft and those assets translate to the next level. He will score some at the next level as well, but they’ll mostly come from cleaning up the loose pucks in front. He doesn’t really possess an overwhelming shot that he can beat goaltenders with, nor do I believe he has the puck skills or the playmaking skills to be a driver on a line.
Pharand put up decent numbers but consistency was an issue. His second half of the season was not great with just 3 of his 18 goals coming in the second half. And for the most part, he looked overwhelmed at the WJC U-18 often trying to do too much rather than play a simple game.
His skill set will allow him to play a fourth line role in the NHL, provide some energy and create offensive zone time, but for him to become a third liner, he will have to find consistency in the goal scoring department and work on his shot.
Easton Cowan of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
If there is one thing, I don’t like about NHL Central Scouting’s rankings, it’s the timing of their release. They don’t wait until after the playoffs. I feel it’s important to see what a player does (or doesn’t do) in the most important games and under pressure. For Easton Cowan of the London Knights, I think that hurt him a little in their rankings and helped him in some of the public rankings.
There was a transformation in Cowan’s game through the season from a hard working, tenacious and secondary player to a player that not only drove his line, but his team. It was most evident when he led his team to a Western Conference Championship.
Cowan is a terrific skater with a great separation gear that allows him to challenge defenders one-on-one. When chasing dump-ins, he regularly beats defenders to those pucks. It helps that he has a non-stop work ethic as well. He plays every shift of every game with the same high-tempo effort.
Cowan isn’t only about skating fast and working hard. He has the sill set as well. He has soft, great hands, able to make plays at top flight. He sees the ice extremely well and you can tell he knows what he’s going to do with the puck as soon as it’s on his blade. He can also score with a very good shot and has a way of disguising his release. His confidence grew as the season progressed and yet, there is more development on the horizon for Cowan. He’s just beginning to scratch the surface and if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Dale Hunter gets the best out of his players and another year under Hunter will do wonders for Cowan.
I know there are still plenty of people that put a lot of emphasis on size and will do so with Cowan as well. But he doesn’t shy away from physicality, he’ll go along the walls and he will drive to the dirty areas. He plays an all-around game that can be used in any situation. If his development continues at his current pace, he could fill a middle six role at the next level.
Denver Barkey of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
Obviously, the first thing that will come to mind is “5’9” – 154-pound NHL player?” The scouting community raises the same question. I will say this: You will be hard pressed to find a handful of players that work harder than London Knights’ forward Denver Barkey in the entire draft class, not just the OHL.
Barkey is quick, but not a speedster. He is like the Tasmanian Devil in pursuit of the puck. He is often the first man in on the forecheck causing havoc and usually forcing the opposition to react faster than they’d like and turning over the puck.
Barkey is versatile and can play all three forward positions. He can also play in any situation. On the powerplay where he has more space, Barkey is dangerous, able to make tape-to-tape passes through sticks and bodies look easy. On the penalty kill, he uses that same tenacity in puck pursuit to break up plays.
Barkey is an extremely intelligent player who anticipates well and reads and reacts well. There are issues, here, but I don’t believe size is one of them (how often do we have to be proven wrong before we admit it).
For starters, I wish Barkey was faster. Yes, he is quick, but doesn’t possess the speed you’d expect out of a smaller player. Secondly, he really needs to work on his shot. Maybe he can gain a little more power behind it when he adds some muscle, but for now, it’s a work in progress. He’s not going to beat many goaltenders at the next level with it.
The good thing is that his play on the ice is contagious. When teammates watch him go out and leave everything on the ice, they usually follow suit. All things considered; Barkey can fill a third line role if he maximizes his potential. We love how Dale Hunter gets the most out of his players here and how he brings them along in their development.
Nathan Day of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
If you are an NHL team looking to draft a goaltender with relative success from the Ontario Hockey League then your chances of success are relatively diminished. While there have been some mildly successful picks, the odds are stacked against you.
There are many reasons. For parents, it is cost prohibitive to provide equipment for their kids when they are outgrowing that equipment every other year. Many European hockey federations are investing more money and time in developing goaltenders from a young age than Canada does. The CHL even banned drafting import goalies from 2014 to 2018 and all that did was dilute the product on the ice.
Even the NHL salary cap plays a role. Skaters earn more money than goaltenders so the better athletes chose not to tend the net. I admit, that thought process enters the parent’s mind long before it enters the player’s mind.
The last OHL goaltender chosen in the first round of the NHL draft was Malcolm Subban back in 2012. Since then, there have been 7 goaltenders drafted in the first round – three Russians, two Americans, one Swede and one from the Western Hockey League.
We also know that NHL teams don’t like to use first round picks on goaltenders. From 2000-2021 the majority of goaltenders were picked in the sixth round and followed closely by the fifth round. There is a drop off to the next two busiest rounds for goaltenders which are the third round and seventh round.
Here’s a look at the goaltenders ranked by NHL Central Scouting with their mid-term rank and their final rank:
Goalie
Team
Height
Weight
Mid
Final
Nathan Day
Flint
6’3”
181
14
12
Charlie Robertson
North Bay
6’3”
167
12
13
Zach Bowen
London
6’2”
176
29
15
Charlie Schenkel
Soo
6’6”
197
23
25
Owen Flores
Niagara
6’2”
178
NR
27
Andrew Oke
Saginaw
6’2”
194
NR
29
Corbin Votary
Owen Sound
6’2”
198
NR
32
Here’s a look at their regular season stats:
Goalie
Team
GP
Min
Shots
Saves
GA
SO
GAA
SAV%
Nathan Day
Flint
32
1659
856
748
108
0
3.91
.874
Charlie Robertson
North Bay
21
1155
563
502
61
3
3.17
.892
Zach Bowen
London
26
1373
701
630
71
1
3.10
.899
Charlie Schenkel
Soo
31
1753
958
856
102
2
3.49
.894
Owen Flores
Niagara
42
2209
1557
1388
169
0
4.59
.891
Andrew Oke
Saginaw
24
1269
675
602
73
0
3.45
.892
Corbin Votary
Owen Sound
30
1628
862
761
101
0
3.72
.883
Obviously, we shouldn’t put too much stock into the stats because everyone is in a different situation. Flores was on a bad team in Niagara and no one played as much or faced as much rubber as he did, yet he managed to allow a goal per game+ less then his partners in Niagara. On the flip side, Day, Robertson and Bowen played for three very good defensive teams. Flores averaged ten+ shots more against per game than that trio yet his save percentage was comparable to Robertson and Bowen.
Here are some thoughts:
Nathan Day
Day got off to a slow start this season, but because of his willingness to work hard and the support of his long-time goaltending coach, he turned things around by the mid way point of the season. Day has good size, is very athletic and has an explosiveness in his lateral movement from post to post. He tracks pucks well, gets up from the butterfly and resets quickly and is very sound positionally. In tight he takes away the lower portion of the net when there are battles in front of him. What I like best about Day is that he is willing to put in all the hard work to become the best he can be.
Charlie Robertson
Robertson didn’t get to take the net a lot as the backup in North Bay but he was given the opportunity at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game as the lone OHL goaltender to showcase himself. He has good size but doesn’t have the athleticism Day possesses. He can be aggressive in the crease challenging players, but he is not overly aggressive to the point it costs him. His lateral movement is a work in progress as is his recovery from a save. He tracks the puck extremely well, but he needs to get quicker.
Zach Bowen
It’s hard to get any traction and playing time when you are the backup to one of the best goalies the OHL has ever had. But injuries to Brett Brochu, including in the playoffs afforded Bowen the opportunity. Bowen is one very calm goaltender. He rarely gets rattled in the crease and if he gives up a soft goal it is quickly behind him and onto the next save. He is athletic and has very good lateral movement. His glove and blocker are extremely quick. He tracks extremely well and knows where everyone is on the ice and anticipates very well. He needs to work on his rebound control and using his stick.
Charlie Schenkel
It was a tough situation for Schenkel with the Soo Greyhounds. But this kid battles and only Flores faced more shots per game than he did. He’s a huge goaltender who uses his size to take away the net extremely well. He remains tall when down on his knees and battles taking place in front of him. He moves extremely well for a big goaltender, challenges well and is technically sound. Schenkel is a draft re-entry who caught the attention of some scouts last season (Central Scouting ranked him 17th), but a lack of ice time left more questions than answers. Are those questions answered after this season? Only time will tell, but it’s not a great OHL goaltending class, or CHL for that matter so someone might take a shot here.
Owen Flores
I spoke a bit about Flores earlier and it appears he opened some eyes going from not being ranked on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings to 27th among North American goalies on their final list. I don’t know that it is enough to hear his name called out at the draft. Interesting enough, Flores attended the Detroit Red Wings Development Camp last summer after going undrafted, so he’s gotten some attention. He has good size with good mobility. He is technically sound, has vastly improved his rebound control and he is adept at killing plays. What is most impressive is that he never gives up on a play. Niagara was terrible this season. It is hard to imagine how much worse off they would have been without Flores.
Andrew Oke
Oke is a draft re-entry (ranked 9th by Central Scouting in 2022) and you can read what I had to say about him last season here. Not much has changed. I mentioned some things that Oke needed to improve on and he has put in the necessary work, but still has some work to put in. Personally, I had him ranked as the third goaltender from the OHL in 2022 based on potential alone, but I wanted to see more of an improvement this season.
Corbin Votary
Votary came to the OHL with a lot of promise as a big goaltender with good athleticism, technically strong goaltender with excellent positioning who controlled rebounds like a seasoned veteran and knew how to take away much of the net with his size. I just did not see enough from Votary this season to garner a lot of attention. He is also a draft re-entry that did not make Central Scouting’s rankings a year ago, nor was he on mine. He will be on my list in a couple of weeks, but as I said earlier, it’s not a great draft class.
Kingston Frontenacs acquired Ethan Miedema from the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Tim Cornett/OHL Images.
When the Kingston Frontenacs traded Shane Wright to the Windsor Spitfires, one of the key pieces with promise coming back to the Fronts was Ethan Miedema. It didn’t turn out as well as expected.
There is no questioning the size. Miedema brings with that size physical play but also has some good hockey smarts, vision and playmaking skills from the wing. And he can chip in with some goals too. He can play up and down the lineup whether with skilled players or to provide a boost with some energy in the lower part of the lineup.
Miedema could certainly benefit by adding some speed to his skating. He moves like you’d expect a 6’4”, 200-punder to move. Despite the size he could also benefit from adding some strength on his feet. He doesn’t get knocked down but you can certainly knock him off balance.
The other concern I have is that he doesn’t always with the pace I’d expect from him. At times it doesn’t look like he’s giving it 100% and there might be some tentativeness in his game while he waits for things to develop or he waits for the play to come to him rather than initiating.
His second half of the season, after the trade, was an opportune time for him to showcase himself given the extra opportunities he wasn’t going to get in Windsor. It didn’t materialize and, in the end, may have hurt his draft stock. Still, what he brings to the table has to be considered intriguing in the middle of the draft.
In what is a common theme with NHL Central Scouting where many OHL players dropped from the mid-term rankings to the final rankings, Miedema only dropped 5 spots among North American skaters.
Quinton Burns of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by OHL Images.
Kingston Frontenacs defenceman Quinton Burns has good size at 6’1” but will need to add plenty of bulk to that frame. But that doesn’t deter him from playing an aggressive and physical game. Whether it’s along the boards or open ice, making contact for Burns is a priority.
Burns is a great skater and his pre-OHL days have shown us he can be a capable puck rushing defenceman in transition. However, the confidence to do so hasn’t materialized at this level as of yet although, as the season progressed, signs of his ability were beginning to come through which is what you are hoping to see.
If you like playmaking defencemen with physicality, then Burns is your guy. He can be dangerous inside the opposition blueline with his passing skills, vision and high IQ. However, he lacks the shot from the point to make him extremely dangerous. If he could add that element to his game and leave the opposition guessing as to what is coming next, it will make him that much more dangerous.
At this point it’s difficult to say what type of defender Burns can be at the next level. Certainly, the skill set is there and there are some things to improve on. At worst, you have a physical, shut down defenceman who will make life difficult for the opposition. At best, you have that but the added element of a puck-rushing, two-way defenceman. Next season will be a huge development year for Burns and that will tell us more. In the meantime, he is definitely worth a mid round pick.
Andrew Gibson of the Soo Greyhounds. Photo by OHL Images.
If you’re only watching a handful of Soo Greyhounds game and defenceman Andrew Gibson, you’ll probably question why so many public rankings have him listed so high. On the opposite end, if you’ve watched a lot of games, you’ll be questioning those that just don’t see it.
At 6’3” and 198 pounds, the first thing you notice is that Gibson has great size. His mobility isn’t the greatest, but it’s good enough. And being a right-shot defenceman that NHL teams are always looking for, that’s a plus.
Gibson is still a green blueliner with enough raw potential who plays a solid two-way game. He’s not going to bring fans out of their seats with a flair for the dramatic. Instead, he plays a consistent, safe game almost always making the right plays at both ends of the ice.
Defensively, Gibson plays with physicality. He moves well enough backwards and laterally to keep his gaps tight. The long reach he possesses is a bonus, able to break up plays with his stick. At times he can be pressured into making an error under the forecheck. But I also believe that with more experience and confidence those errors will be minimized.
As the season moved along, Gibson became more confident in his abilities offensively and it showed up on the stat sheet. After recording just a single point in November, he came to life in December and early January. But a lower body injury on January 12, 2023 would cause Gibson to miss the next two months of the season.
Prior to the injury, a more confident Gibson was jumping into the attack more. He began to take more risk, was better at keeping the puck in the offensive zone and even taking more chances at going in deep from the blueline, all with success.
Again, Gibson is a raw talent. If he can continue to improve in the defensive zone and continue to improve his skating by adding more speed, there is definitely some upside here.
Tristan Bertucci of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
They year-over-year offensive improvement for Flint Firebirds defenceman Tristan Bertucci has elevated his stock. But it was the continued development and improvement throughout the season that has seen his draft stock rise. Ranked 51st on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings, he improved to 32nd on their final rankings among North America skaters.
Not only is that a 19-spot jump for Bertucci, but Central Scouting has him third among OHL defencemen on their list, overtaking some noticeable defencemen ranked ahead of him coming into the season and even on their mid-term rankings.
Bertuzzi has good size and his skating is one of his best skills. He has quick first steps and very good top speed. He can be elusive and hard to read with his feet. Has excellent edge work with great lateral mobility and is one of the better backwards skaters in this class. He also has a strong hockey IQ with an ability to process the game quickly. That ability allows him to conserve energy and to play big minutes.
Beginning in his defensive zone, Bertucci is quick to pucks. He can lead the breakout with an excellent first pass and is very good with long stretch passes. He can also break the forecheck by skating the puck out of his zone. In this area, he fits the mold of the new age defenceman perfectly.
Bertucci also plays physically in his own zone. He is capable of taking his man out, fighting for pucks on the wall and in front of the blue paint and he will only get better as he gets stronger. His skating allows him to keep gaps tight where he uses an excellent stick, reach and anticipation to break up plays. There is always room for improvement but he is on track.
His offensive game may be a question mark. While he has shown to be offensively capable at the OHL level, it may not translate to the next level. While he can quarterback the powerplay for Flint with his ability to walk the line and make plays, a lack of a good shot from the point may prevent him from doing it at the AHL or NHL level.
Bertucci certainly has some of the skills scouts like and he is sure to be taken in the upper half of the draft in June.
The Hamilton Bulldogs acquired Nick Lardis from the Peterborough Petes on Jan 7. Photo by OHL Images.
Nick Lardis of the Hamilton Bulldogs has been one of the biggest risers on NHL Central Scouting’s draft lists and rightfully so. Ranked 96th among North American skaters on their mid term rankings, Lardis appeared at number 27 on their final list. He was the benefactor of a January 7th trade from the Peterborough Petes to the Bulldogs.
Lardis was the 6th overall pick at the 2021 OHL Priority Selection by the Petes. He would finish the campaign with 18 goals and 19 assists – not bad for a rookie. He got off to a good start this season but it wasn’t until the trade that he exploded. He more than doubled his production in the second half with Hamilton.
Lardis is now a solid second round pick on most rankings and a strong showing at the World Junior Championships Under-18 where he already has 3 goals in 2 games could potentially see some teams liking him in the very late first round.
The biggest difference after the trade is Lardis turned from complimentary piece to a driver in Hamilton. Because of his size, skating is key to Lardis’ game. At the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game fitness testing, Lardis ranked near the top in several categories: 5th in 30-meter backwards skate, 5th in weave agility, first in weave agility with the puck, 5th in transition ability, 2nd in transition ability with the puck, 1st in reaction ability and 4th in reaction ability with the puck. He finished at the top of the overall list in on-ice testing.
Lardis is one of the better skaters in the draft class, but he also brings a lot of energy with it. He gets on the forecheck quickly, can cause havoc and create turnovers and he can make plays once he gains possession. He’s a north-south player he uses his speed and energy to perfection.
Of course, there are things Lardis needs to work on. He’s going to have to add a lot of bulk and strength onto his frame and he’s going to have to bring the same intensity and energy to the defensive side of the puck.
OHL Writers 