From what I have seen online, many first round talents in the upcoming OHL draft are poised to forego the OHL in favour of going to the USHL and BCHL.
Zachary Nyman
Adam Valentini
Colin Fitzgerald
Caleb Malhotra
Logan Hawery
Callum Croskery
Jett Kwajah
Alexander Hage
Beckham Edwards
Jacob Xu
Jude Bray
Thomas Vandenberg
All players that should go in the first two/three rounds of the OHL draft on Friday and all are rumoured to be going elsewhere. With this much talent looking elsewhere, should the CHL hit the panic button?
So...draft has taken place and some of the dust is beginning to settle....I'm merely speculating here but speculation done with some research and talking to some people in the know
Zachary Nyman.... 5th round pick of the Steelheads...chances of reporting 25%,..... chances of following through on his tender to the BCHL and NCAA...75%. Probably the 2nd best D man in the draft. Nyman has family in B.C. and is serious about playing college hockey.
Adam Velentini....1st round pick of the Steelheads...local Toronto boy who has never visited any USHL team, BCHL team or even NCAA team for that matter.....90% chance he will report to his OHL club. Probably the 3rd best player in the draft.
Colin Fitzgerald....1st round pick...local Peterborough lad selected by his hometown team....95% chance he reports to his OHL club....5% chance he keeps his commitment to G.B. and the USHL. He's a legit top 10 talent in this draft with legit NHL upside.
Caleb Malhotra....1st round pick of the Fronts....75% chance he reports to his OHL club and a 25% chance he keeps his commitment to the BCHL....a legit top ten talent in this draft
Logan Hawery....1st round pick of the Knights...99% chance he reports to his OHL club...a legit top 10 talent in this draft
Callum Croskery...2nd round pick of the Greyhounds...best D prospect in this draft 60% chance he reports to his OHL club and a 40% chance he keeps his commitment to the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Greyhound staff have had extensive conversation with the family ad Croskery's father is from the Soo
Jett Kwajah 6th round pick of Owen Sound....20% chance he reports to his OHL club and 80% chance he keeps his commitment to Capitals of the USHL...late 1st round early 2nd round talent in this draft
Alexander Hage 6th round pick of the Petes.....25% chance he reports to his OHL club and 75% chance he keeps his commitment to the BCHL. A late 1st round early 2nd round talent
Beckham Edwards 3rd round pick of the Sting 50 % chance he reports and 50% he keeps his commitment to Youngstown....he is from the Sarnia area and is a legit top 15 talent in this draft
Jacob Xu 8th round to Kitchener...has no commitments to either the BCHL or USHL but only 20% chance he reports....a late 2nd early 3rd round pick
Jude Bray...10th round to Kitchener...only 10% chance he reports and keeps his commitment to the BCHL....a 2nd round pick in this draft
Thomas Vandenberg 5th round pick of Ottawa 67s....this one is 50/50 as he is a local Ottawa kid. A 2nd round pick in the draft
So of the really high end kids the OHL has more than likely lost Nyman and that's about it. Valentini, Fitzgerald, and Croskery will more than likely end up in the OHL.
Of the really good talent, only Edwards stands on the knifes edge and can go either way
Xu, Bray and Vandenberg are all good players but their losses would not be all that much cause for concern
What the OHL is certainly losing is the battle for the top U.S born talent and losing it by a wide margin.