Best players in the OHL?

[bcspragu]

When Bode Wilde was sent back to Saginaw this week, I saw an interview with Saginaw's head coach where he said he believed Bode was a "Top 5 Player" in the league and if not the best "in the Top 2 defense-man ". I know rose colored glasses in all, but interested in what the HFBoards hive-mind has to say. Who do you think are the Top 5 at both forward and d in the league and who would a combined Top 10 overall players be?

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[OMG67]

I would think you'd have a pretty difficult time arguing Wilde isn't the best D-Man in the league.
I know there are a couple other names out there but if you look just as "right now" and don't consider future prospects, I think he'd be number one.
Some are better offensively and some better defensively but when you factor all aspects of the game into the equation, I think he's the best.

 

[Generalsupdates]

When Bode Wilde was sent back to Saginaw this week, I saw an interview with Saginaw's head coach where he said he believed Bode was a "Top 5 Player" in the league and if not the best "in the Top 2 defense-man ". I know rose colored glasses in all, but interested in what the HFBoards hive-mind has to say. Who do you think are the Top 5 at both forward and d in the league and who would a combined Top 10 overall players be?

I think Wilde and Harley are the 2 best Dmen in the league and don't think many would argue that. Drysdale, Kolyachonok are the only 2 that are close imo

 

[bcspragu]

I think Wilde and Harley are the 2 best Dmen in the league and don't think many would argue that. Drysdale, Kolyachonok are the only 2 that are close imo

I was trying to think if there were any defensive guys that dont put up numbers I might have been forgetting. I think those 4 are probably the top 4 hands down.

 

[Generalsupdates]

I was trying to think if there were any defensive guys that dont put up numbers I might have been forgetting. I think those 4 are probably the top 4 hands down.

Kevin Bahl, but I don't think he's up there with those top 4

 

[sirius67fan]

In no particular order
Forwards: Mcmichael, Tomasino, Rossi, Robertson, Thomas
HM: Byfield, Quinn, Perfetti,Gogolev, Foudy
Wow a top five is not easy. Hard to keep Perfetti out but offensively he's incredible but his all around game not quite where the others are imo.

Defense: Drysdale, Wilde, Chisholm, Bahl, Harley
HM: Regula, Hoefenmayer

 

[Savard18]

Arthur Kaliyev and Ty Dellandrea gotta be on the edge of that conversation too. There’s a few others I’ve seen have really impressive performances this year but maybe not quite Top 10 material.

 

[sirius67fan]

Arthur Kaliyev and Ty Dellandrea gotta be on the edge of that conversation too. There’s a few others I’ve seen have really impressive performances this year b ut maybe not quite Top 10 material.

Yes agreed about those two but its hard to include every great player in a top five. I also probably have an east bias as the way the OHL works we see the west players twice a year. At the end of the day its an opinion open for debate.

 

[Savard18]

Yes agreed about those two but its hard to include every great player in a top five. I also probably have an east bias as the way the OHL works we see the west players twice a year. At the end of the day its an opinion open for debate.

For sure. I was mostly thinking just outside top 10 on the others I mentioned. First viewing this year, but Bode Wilde wasn’t in the top 5 tonight. Looked more like a Ryan Merkely impersonator. Created some offense but it was for both teams.

 

[Snippit]

McMichael, Rossi, Byfield, Tomasino to me is the top 4.

#5 is hard, have a bunch of guys in mind.

 

[Petes1987]

Nick Robertson is the most prolific goal scorer in the OHL this season with 42 goals in 38 games for a 1.11 goal a game pace.

 

[Snippit]

Nick Robertson is the most prolific goal scorer in the OHL this season with 42 goals in 38 games for a 1.11 goal a game pace.

Yeah now that I think about it Robertson is in my top 5 as well, he was super impressive at the WJC too

 

[Savard18]

A few days ago I was going to mention Tyler Tucker as one of the top D in the league. Produces offense, hits, fights but mostly because of his calmness and the amazingly smooth defensive plays he seems to produce every night. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to spend 6-7 posts defending it, especially seeing as how I’ve actually only seen him live like 3 times prior to this years’s trade deadline. Wellllllll......he just had a 2g 5a 7pt +8 performance today. It’s just one game against Sarnia but everybody gets their chance to play them and other non-playoff teams and I doubt you’ll find a better single game performance by a D this year. So yeah, I’d put Tucker on the HM list of the best D in the OHL at least.

 

[LR8]

A few days ago I was going to mention Tyler Tucker as one of the top D in the league. Produces offense, hits, fights but mostly because of his calmness and the amazingly smooth defensive plays he seems to produce every night. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to spend 6-7 posts defending it, especially seeing as how I’ve actually only seen him live like 3 times prior to this years’s trade deadline. Wellllllll......he just had a 2g 5a 7pt +8 performance today. It’s just one game against Sarnia but everybody gets their chance to play them and other non-playoff teams and I doubt you’ll find a better single game performance by a D this year. So yeah, I’d put Tucker on the HM list of the best D in the OHL at least.

Has not had a fighting major this year. Irrelevant

 

[Savard18]

Has not had a fighting major this year. Irrelevant

America hasn’t launched a nuclear missle this year either. Don’t think I’d call their nuclear arsenal irrelevant.

 

[LR8]

Never said anything about the US Nuclear arsenal. US arsenal is not irrelevant. Classic Straw man argument.

Tyler Tucker has 1 fighting major in the last 2 seasons.
Fighting is no longer something that can or should be used to determine the best players in the game.

If you want to argue that he does some of the other things you mention it might make more sense.

 

[Savard18]

You ever been on the ice with a guy you know can fight and has fought? It’s a little different than playing against a D you know has never dropped the gloves and has never shown a willingness to. Fights still happen in the OHL and they still impact games whether they’re limited or not. It’s part of his arsenal and you can bet every NHL scout still takes note of guys who have that as part of their repertoire.

 

[Section7fan]

You ever been on the ice with a guy you know can fight and has fought? It’s a little different than playing against a D you know has never dropped the gloves and has never shown a willingness to. Fights still happen in the OHL and they still impact games whether they’re limited or not. It’s part of his arsenal and you can bet every NHL scout still takes note of guys who have that as part of their repertoire.

He’s better described as a hard nosed player who will answer the call when someone comes after him. He’s had five fights and two of them were instigated upon and I’m assuming they’re a result of his physical play. I would call him more of a fighter if he was a guy who gets the instigator penalty for sticking up for a teammate.

Either way he’s still one of the best all round D in the OHL.

 

[OMG67]

It is interesting to see the spectrum of criteria used to evaluate players.

This is what I love about hockey. Everyone seems to weight those attributes differently. It really makes for great discussion, especially topics like this.

Same goes for discussing best players all time when people ask for top 5 NHL players. Guys like me slide Eric Lindros into that discussion because he was so dominant prior to his concussion injury. Some others would also point to Cam Neely for some of the same reasons.

 

[Square Corners]

Has not had a fighting major this year. Irrelevant

Stop letting facts get in the way of his arguments! lmao

 

[nofriendsinhockey]

How isn't Shane Wright in this conversation? Look what the kid is doing on a crappy Fronts team.

 

[OMG67]

How isn't Shane Wright in this conversation? Look what the kid is doing on a crappy Fronts team.

Because he's not. At least not yet. He will be soon.

 

[Truthking]

Because he's not. At least not yet. He will be soon.

He really is having an historic year. Considering how young his teammates are and the fact he really didn’t get off to a great start. So impressive

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

I think there’s a few ways of looking at this. obviously point production is a good start. guys that have played pro hockey should also all be in this conversation as they have simply just experienced that level of hockey and can take it back to junior. and then the eye test. guys that are more physically matured, quicker, smarter and just all around dominate. the games so boring that they become one of the best defensive forwards for something to do.

with all that said, I can’t come to a clear decision on the best player so I’ll do a full line:

Rossi-Byfield-Dellandrea
Hoefenmayer-Wilde

 

[OMG67]

He really is having an historic year. Considering how young his teammates are and the fact he really didn’t get off to a great start. So impressive

That is compared to his age group, not compared to the best the league has. HE may be a good conversation point and he wreaks of talent. Agreed. But the topic of conversation is the Best in the OHL. HE is not in that conversation.

He may very well be in that conversation next year when a bunch of 18 and 19 year old guys graduate.