2011 OHL Mid-Term Draft Rankings: Top 20 Skaters (1-10)
2011 Draft Rankings, TSR Features | 22 Dec 2010Click Here for Part 2 of the Mid-Season Top 20
1. RW (LS) #92 Gabriel Landeskog | Kitchener (OHL)
Height: 6.00 | Weight: 201 | Birthdate: 11/23/92 | Nationality: Swedish
2010/11 - 32GP 25G 20A 45P +23 43PIM
After coming into the season jostling with Brandon Saad for top honours in the OHL, Landeskog has surpassed Saad to top TSR’s Mid-Season OHL Rankings. Rated 6th Overall in TSR’s Preliminary 2011 Top 15 Rankings, Landeskog’s torrid pace to start the year has left him knocking on the door of the Top 3 in this draft. He’s a very solid all around player who plays a hard nosed game and is has a lot of grit for a skilled player. Has a strong nose for the net and good goal scoring instincts, but a lack of pure creativity is likely the biggest cause for concern for his upside at the NHL. Still, he projects to be a great Top 6 forward who will be capable of being a top line winger with strong two-way ability.
2. LW #22 Brandon Saad | Saginaw (OHL)
Height: 6.01 | Weight: 196 | Birthdate: 10/27/92 | Nationality: American
2010/11 - 31GP 20G 16A 36P +13 20PIM
Saad was 5th Overall in TSR’s Preliminary 2011 Top 15 Rankings, and has immediately made an impact in the OHL. He’s a big guy with explosive speed and does a good job of creating a lot of offense off the rush. Protects the puck well with his wide reach and has a pretty quick release and a quality shot. Isn’t a particularly creative player and also shies away from a lot of contact for a big guy. In our viewings, he’s showed limited grit and lost a lot of board battles for a player of his size and caliber.
3. RD #24 Ryan Murphy | Kitchener (OHL)
Height: 5.10 | Weight: 165 | Birthdate: 03/31/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 31GP 15G 33A 48P +15 14PIM
Ranked 8th in TSR’s Preliminary 2011 Top 15 Rankings. One of the most intriguing prospects to come around in recent memory. Tremendous skater with elite acceleration and agility. Able to make shifty moves at high speed and is very adept at beating opponent’s with quick head fakes and stick fakes. Murphy is always looking for opportunities offensively and has the explosive ability to skate end to end seemingly at will. His shot has improved significantly and his powerplay distribution is also much improved. Defensive game is still a concern as he is undersized and can got caught out of position looking to move the puck up to the other end of the ice. His style of play will be a point of contention to see how well it translates to the NHL.
4. LW #18 Matthew Puempel | Peterborough (OHL)
Height: 6.00 | Weight: 190 | Birthdate: 01/24/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 33GP 19G 23A 42P -18 35PIM
The top CHL rookie a year ago has seen his star fade a bit this season with a struggling Peterborough squad and was ranked 7th Overall in TSR’s Preliminary Top 15. Not an overly dynamic player, but has great hockey sense and the ability to capitalize on any opportunity he gets. Has one of the better shots of any player in this draft and has a pro caliber release. Finds seams in the defense and does a good job of getting into positions where he can generate a good scoring chance from. Above average skater, and an improving playmaker, but is still guilty of disappearing for lulls in a game.
5. RC #18 Ryan Strome | Niagara (OHL)
Height: 6.01 | Weight: 183 | Birthdate: 07/11/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 33GP 19G 31A 50P +15 36PIM
Listed as TSR’s Player to Watch prior to the start of the season, Strome has even managed to shatter our expectations thus far, much like Greg McKegg a year ago. Dynamic player who can play all three forward positions, with great skating ability and a very high skill level to match. Has the ability to make highly skilled moves at top speed, in and out of traffic. More of a playmaker and sees the ice very well and knows when to make a pass, but also is a threat to score as well. Despite listed weight, Strome is still extremely weak physically and loses a lot of board battles because of it. Will be a bit of a risk where some people are talking about him because of this, but could be an impact player with his skillset.
6. RD #27 Dougie Hamilton | Niagara (OHL)
Height: 6.04 | Weight: 193 | Birthdate: 06/17/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 32GP 5G 22A 27P +26 47PIM
Imposing defender who good upside at both ends of the ice. Hamilton skates well for a big guy and has a good skill level. Big shot on the powerplay and uses it frequently, doing a good job of getting it through. Not afraid to play physical, but doesn’t use his size as much as he could. Sometimes struggles to deal with opposing forecheckers and handling the cycle as his lateral agility is relatively average. Also is prone to making some poor decisions moving the puck and has struggled against some of the better teams this year in that regard. Will be a high NHL pick, but we have concerns about what type of role he will have in the NHL.
7. RC #19 Mark Scheifele | Barrie (OHL)
Height: 6.03 | Weight: 175 | Birthdate: 03/15/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 34GP 9G 26A 35P -11 14PIM
Rangy center who will be poised to ascend up the draft rankings this season. Still needs to add a considerable amount of strength to his lanky frame, and also needs to improve his balance on his skates, but there is a lot of upside to his game. He’s a very deceptive skater and moves well in traffic. Isn’t afraid to battle on the boards and protects the puck well for a big guy. Moves the puck well in tight seams and also has a quick release in traffic which improves the effectiveness of his shot. Needs to improve in the faceoff circle, but he is still very raw at this point. His numbers won’t blow you away right now, but a lot of his skills project well to the next level.
8. LC #7 Daniel Catenacci | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Height: 5.10 | Weight: 185 | Birthdate: 03/09/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 35GP 18G 27A 45P -3 58PIM
Has rebounded well this season after a mediocre rookie season as the 1st Overall Pick in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. Catenacci is one of the better two-way forwards in the OHL, and has also established himself as one of the most consistent offensive threats in the league. He’s a good skater with a low center of gravity and very good strength for being undersized in stature. Has a heavy stick and wins a lot of battles with his drive. Fairly creative player, but it’s difficult to project just how effective he will be offensively at the next level, and due to his size, he could have a hard time being a checker. He could be a solid 2nd line center or a tweener, but he might struggle to find a role as well.
9. LC #22 Boone Jenner | Oshawa (OHL)
Height: 6.03 | Weight: 197 | Birthdate: 06/15/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 29GP 11G 17A 28P +8 28PIM
There were high expectations for Jenner this season and he’s started to rebound after a bit of a slow start to the year that was derailed by a suspension. Jenner has great size and strength for a 17 year old and is very hard to move off the puck. He’s not afraid to get physical and he can handle body contact effectively as well. He has a good release and likes to shoot the puck and wants the puck to be on his stick. Some may view this as a good trait, but with Jenner it borders heavily on immaturity as he is constantly calling for the puck at inopportune times. Jenner’s skating is still pretty choppy, but it’s improving, and aside from that there’s a lot that translates well to the NHL level, but he needs to find some consistency and make better decisions with the puck to be a more effective player.
10. LD #5 Stuart Percy | Mississauga (OHL)
Height: 6.01 | Weight: 186 | Birthdate: 05/18/93 | Nationality: Canadian
2010/11 - 29GP 2G 16A 18P +27 33PIM
One of the most underrated players in the OHL this season, Percy is a player who thinks the game extremely well. Rarely makes a bad decision or forces a pass, Percy is a very good puck mover who is very effective on the breakout. Delivers tape to tape passes in traffic or down the seam and does a good job of buying time for himself from opposition fore-checks. Can skate the puck when he sees an opportunity and does a good job of advancing the puck that way as well. Offensive instincts are good, and while his shot is weak, he does a great job of getting it on net and creating rebounds. Not an overly physical player, but is good in zone coverage and will rub forwards out. An above average skater who is rarely beaten off the rush. Doesn’t blow you away with any one skill, but does a great job of managing the game.
Click Here for Part 2 of the Mid-Season Top 20
Tags: 2011 nhl draft, 2011 nhl draft prospects, Boone Jenner, Brandon Saad, Daniel Catenacci, Dougie Hamilton, Gabriel Landeskog, Mark Scheifele, Matthew Puempel, Ryan Murphy, Ryan Strome, Stuart Percy
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