Top 25 OHL Prospects - Summer 2019

Brock

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Feb 27, 2002
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OHL Prospects: Top 25 OHL Prospects - Summer of 2019

As has become regular practice now, following the conclusion of my NHL team write ups ('31 Teams in 31 Days'), I give you a list of the top prospects who played in the OHL during the previous season. In this case, it was the 2018/19 season. The list is capped at 25, with some honorable mentions. I'm also going to keep the write ups slightly short. If you want to read more about these guys, simply click on their NHL team in brackets and you'll be taken to the team's '31 in 31" from this summer and you'll get a detailed write up on their skill set and progression.

1. Evan Bouchard - Defense - London Knights (Edmonton Oilers)
You could make a case for any of the guys in my top 5 to be the top prospect from the OHL currently. And on a different day, I might give you a different answer. In fact, I think I changed the order of the top 5 multiple times before settling on this. So here's why I have Bouchard first: I think his vision, poise, and overall play with the puck should translate well to the NHL level. While he'll never be a truly dynamic defender like an Erik Karlsson, nor will he be the league's best in his own end, I do think that he'll grow in those areas over his career and become a very solid top 4 defender and number one powerplay QB for the Oilers.
NHL Comparison: Larry Murphy



2. Adam Boqvist - Defense - London Knights (Chicago Blackhawks)
Kind of the antithesis of Bouchard from an offensive perspective, even though the two were teammates this year. Boqvist is electric with the puck on his stick and aggressive as hell as an offensive defender. He plays a high risk game, but it works at this level. Defensively, he has a ways to go, but this is a guy made to be an impact player in today's faster paced NHL game.
NHL Comparison: Sergei Gonchar



3. Barrett Hayton - Forward - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Arizona Coyotes)
Hayton is a very safe prospect IMO because of how well rounded his game is and how competitive he is in the offensive end. His finishing skills in tight are top notch and he processes the game well in any situation. His game is pro ready and it seems quite unlikely that we see him back in the OHL for his 19 year old season.
NHL Comparison: Bryan Little



4. Morgan Frost - Forward - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Philadelphia Flyers)
A cerebral playmaker, Frost and Suzuki are almost 4A and 4B here. But I've given the slight nod to Frost because I think that he's elevated the power in his stride to be a little quicker than Suzuki is. He can really keep the puck on a string and his offensive upside is quite high. As he gets stronger at the pro level, I think he eventually becomes a pretty solid two-way player too. It just may take time.
NHL Comparison: Logan Couture



5. Nick Suzuki - Forward - Guelph Storm (Montreal Canadiens)
Like Frost, Suzuki is a top notch playmaker. He is a creative puckhandler whose strength on the puck and ability to operate through traffic really improved this year. After winning an OHL championship and taking his game to another level in the playoffs, he's ready for the next challenge. I do think that there could be a learning curve for him as he adjusts to the pace of the pro game. And I do have questions as to whether he stays down the middle. But he's a terrific young offensive player.
NHL Comparison: Joe Pavelski


Here's the rest of the Top 25

6. Ty Dellandrea
7. Jason Robertson
8. Bode Wilde
9. UPL
10. Owen Tippett
11. Dmitri Samorukov
12. Arthur Kaliyev
13. Phil Tomasino
14. Thomas Harley
15. Ryan Suzuki
16. Ryan Merkley
17. Issac Ratcliffe
18. Jack Studnicka
19. Serron Noel
20. Liam Foudy
21. Michael Dipietro
22. Sasha Chmelevski
23. Akil Thomas
24. Alex Formenton
25. Sean Durzi

Numerous HM's, in addition to all the other comments and snippets on the link above.

Happy to answer any questions and always love reading your comments.
 

battfan888

Podcaster
Feb 29, 2012
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Sleeman Centre
Fantastic as always Brock.
Also always fun to see a list full of Storm players. As you've come to expect if not enough players from my team are on a list I give you a bad review. :thumbu:
 
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Snippit

Registered User
Dec 5, 2012
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Good list, disagree quite a bit with McMichael not being ranked but you've explained your reasoning.
 

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