Height: 5’10”
Weight: 171 Pounds
Date of birth: February 25, 2002
Hometown: Lake View, New York
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
OHL Draft: Round 3, 57th overall, 2018 Priority Selection
NHL Central Scouting Rankings
| Pre-season | November | Mid-term | Final |
| N.R. | N.R. | N.R. | 155 NA |
Kitchener Rangers right wing Declan McDonnell played his Midget hockey with the Buffalo Jr Sabres Under-15 squad during the 2017-2018 season, scoring 64 goals and assisting on 44 in 73 games. The Rangers selected him with the 57th overall pick at the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He was also selected by the Lincoln Stars at the 2018 USHL Futures Draft in the third round, 43rd overall.
The following season, McDonnell played in 54 games with the Junior Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, scoring 18 goals and 31 assists, He would add 4 goals and 7 helpers in 12 playoff games and was named to the OJHL Second Team All Prospect. McDonnell would also play in 7 USHL games with the Stars, scoring 1 goal.
In this shortened OHL season, McDonnell appeared in 63 games with the Rangers, scoring 21 goals and 21 assists. His 21 goals ranked third among OHL Rookies while his 21 assists ranked him 7th. His 42 points were good enough for second among OHL rookies.
One of McDonnell’s most interesting traits is his tenacity. He is seemingly almost always after the puck whether on the forecheck, attacking the opposition, or coming back on the backcheck. His ability to steal pucks and create turnovers is uncanny.
McDonnell also possesses some excellent speed and whether he’s just stolen the puck or is attacking he shows that speed off well and combined with some very good puck skills he can create scoring opportunities. He also uses that speed to come back and defend his zone.
McDonnell has an excellent wrister that he gets velocity behind and with some deadly accuracy. He has a lot of confidence in his shot and he has the ability to beat goaltenders with it. He’s not shy about using it either and he likes to use it coming down the wing. Adding a one-timer to his shooting could bode well for him.
McDonnell has shown some playmaking skills and appears to have the vision. He is strong in puck possession but could work on slowing down the play to give his teammates the time to get into scoring position.
McDonnell has been a climber in draft rankings after he wasn’t listed on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch lists or even their mid-term rankings. But he really took off in the second half of the season scoring at almost a point per game pace.
I expect a big season from McDonnell next season as he’ll get more opportunities with players graduating from the Rangers and more powerplay time. Getting some penalty killing time could be beneficial to him as well.
McDonnell projects as a third liner at the NHL level that could provide some energy and a bit of offence.
With exceptional mobility and speed, Clarke is almost like a fourth forward when transitioning to offence and jumping up into the play. It should come as no surprise since he models his game after Erik Karlsson. He plays a very poised game, patient with the puck, and rarely turns it over. He has excellent hockey senses and is a superb passer. His defensive game showed marked improvement as the season progressed. He gets back quickly because of his skating, has good gat control and is effective with his stick. And he doesn’t shy away from the physicality and began to be the player who initiated contact rather then the receiver as the season went on. Clarke finished the season with 6 goals and 32 assists in 57 games and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team. 
The offensively talented McTavish led all 2003 born players in goals and points despite not always getting the best offensive opportunities with the Petes, moving up and down the lineup. He’s a puck possession beast, seemingly having the puck on a string. He’s not shy about going end-to-end, is patient with the puck and is very adept at creating space. He reads the play extremely well and is able to find soft spots undetected. He is willing to drive the net with or without the puck. McTavish is a pure sniper with a pro caliber shot and release already. He’s already physically strong and yet there is still room for more. He’s also a top player in the faceoff circle. McTavish finished the season with 29 goals and 13 assists in 57 games and was named to the OHL Second All-Rookie Team.
At this point, it may not be a reach to say that Pinelli is the best two-way player out of the draft class and that ability coming straight from minor midget earned him the trust of the Rangers coaches. He’s a versatile player who can play both the wing and down the middle. He works hard from shift-to-shift and is not afraid to play a physical game. He has high hockey senses, is positionally sound and creates turnovers almost at will. He’s a strong skater with a unique ability to draw in defenders and make a perfect pass. He has a superb one-timer and can unleash it with accuracy and it is especially dangerous on the pp with space. He finished fourth among rookies with 18 goals and 23 assists in 59 games.
When watching Othmann play, it’s obvious his deadliest asset is his shot. He possesses and excellent one-timer and a snap shot that is deadly accurate with a superb release. Maybe it was a lack of confidence in his abilities, but he just didn’t use that shot enough as he chose to dish off rather then take his shot. That said, he is a very good playmaker as well, so maybe he was reading something else on the ice. One might raise the question if it’s his hockey sense/vision that comes into play. However, I believe it’s just a question of confidence in his ability to beat goaltenders and with a year under his belt, those questions will be answered. Othmann finished the season with 17 goals and 16 assists in 55 games and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team.
With a late 2002 birth date, Chayka will be in his third OHL season come his draft year and the young Russian has already made a name for himself. He is a smooth skater, plays in all situations and eats up huge minutes. Chayka is a pass first defender but is more then willing to jump into the play on offence. He has a good shot from the point but doesn’t try to overpower goaltenders and shoots with a purpose. Defensively his size and skating make him hard to beat one-on-one. Even at a young age, Chayka has shown excellent leadership qualities. Chayka finished the season with 11 goals and 23 assists in 56 games. He was named to the 2018-2019 OHL Second All-Rookie Team.
While the attention in Sudbury was all on Quinton Byfield, Stillman quietly put up a very good rookie season. The son of former NHL’er Cory Stillman and younger brother of Riley, he comes from a family with hockey blood lines. He is a swift skater he has a high level of hockey smarts. Stillman is a coachable player – not because his father is a coach in Sudbury, he stayed with a billet family, but he took directions well from the older players. Expect Stillman to be one of the go-to guys for offence in Sudbury next season. He finished the year with 13 goals and 21 assists in 58 games. He was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team.
OHL Writers 