2011 OHL Priority Selection 1st Round Mock Draft

TSR Features | 15 Apr 2011

Thanks for checking out this year’s edition of our 1st Round OHL Mock Draft. As always, the OHL Draft is difficult to project as some of the top players bypass the OHL to take the NCAA path, while other players may not report to certain teams due to location, personnel, or other concerns their families may have. With that being said, this year’s list is particularly interesting as you will notice the omission of some fairly highly touted American players who are eligible for the draft.

Players like Steven Santini and Will Butcher would assuredly be Top 10 picks if they were taking the OHL path, but both have already committed to the USNTDP. JT Compher would likely be at least a Top 15 guy as well, but he to has committed to play in Ann Arbor next season. From what I can tell, the last NTDP commit to be selected in the first round of the OHL Draft was Nick Petrecki back in 2005, which makes it seem very unlikely that any of this trio will be selected in the first round of the OHL Draft (Remember: Brandon Saad actually played a year in the NAHL before playing 09/10 with the U18 team).

Other Americans such as Alex Smith, Ian McCoshen or Michael McCarron could all be players that may report to certain teams, but it’s difficult to project at this time. Regardless, here’s the list I’ve managed to put together based on how I see things potentially shaping up. I had the opportunity to see a ton of AAA hockey during the first portion of the year, and actually managed to see most of the AAA teams, albeit a significant portion of which was only in tournament play. Hope you enjoy the list, and remember to tune into the 2011 OHL Priority Selection on May 7th!

1. Barrie Colts - RD Aaron Ekblad

HT:  6.03 | WT: 180 lbs. | Sun County Panthers MM | DoB: February 2nd, 1996

Aaron Ekblad has big shoes to fill after being the first player since John Tavares to be granted exceptional status into the OHL Priority Selection as a 15 year old. While Tavares managed to put up a mind boggling 45 goals as a rookie, Ekblad will have a different role with the Colts. He’s a very mobile puck moving defenseman who will inject some much needed size into the Colts blue-line, as well as providing them a big shot from the point. It’s tough to gauge what type of numbers to expect from a 15 year old defenseman in the OHL, but he’ll be a huge component of the Colt’s rebuild and will not be draft eligible for three full OHL seasons, as a 2014 NHL Entry Draft eligible.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Kerby Rychel (21)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Ryan Strome (8)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Ryan O’Connor (6)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Mitch Lebar (17)

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2. Peterborough Petes - RD Darnell Nurse

HT:  6.03 | WT: 175 lbs. | Don Mills Flyers MM | DoB: February 4th, 1995

The Petes have a lot of holes to fill, both up front and on defense, but Nurse provides them with another defenseman to build around, and could arguably fill the role of being the BPA at this pick as well. A bit of an enigma on the blue-line, Nurse has the tools to be a dominant player but is often guilty of over committing and trying to do too much. He’s going to need a lot of coaching at the next level, but his combination of size, skating ability and offensive potential present an enticing package. The addition of Nurse would create a solid nucleus of young defensemen including last year’s first round pick, Slater Koekkoek.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Slater Koekkoek (7)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Matthew Puempel (6)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Ryan Spooner (5)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Zack Kassian (4)

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3. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - RC Nicholas Baptiste

HT:  6.00 | WT: 170 lbs. | Ottawa Senators MM | DoB: August 4th, 1995

I didn’t get much of a chance to see Ekblad this season, but of those I saw the most frequently, Baptiste is the guy who I think is the best of the crop. Having him available at #3 would be a great pickup for the rebuilding Greyhounds as they get a dynamic center who is an offensive threat every time he’s on the ice. The addition of Baptiste could make Nick Cousins readily available, but is a nice dilemma to have for the Hounds. He had some injury trouble this past season, although Catenacci battled injuries in his MM year and it has yet to deter his OHL career.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Gianluca Curcuruto (14)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Daniel Catenacci (1)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Brock Beukeboom (18)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Jordan Mayer (13)

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4. Sarnia Sting - RW (LS) Nicholas Ritchie

HT:  6.02 | WT: 195 lbs. | Toronto Marlboros MM | DoB: December 5th, 1995

Sarnia hit a pair of homeruns with rookie of the year Nail Yakupov and last year’s first overall pick Alexander Galchenyuk, who potted 31 goals and 83 points. While the Sting are probably hoping for Nurse to be available at this pick, if he’s gone it looks like Nicholas Ritchie will be the likely target. The brother of current Sting forward Brett, Nicholas is another big body who has a similar skill-set to Rick Nash. He’s a big guy that can fly up and down the wing and is very opportunistic. Has a good shot and a quick release and overall, a true sniper’s instinct. Could stand to use his size more, but he’d be yet another addition to what will be a very dangerous offense in Sarnia.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Alexander Galchenyuk (1)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Brett Richie (12)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Gregg Sutch (11)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Colt Kennedy (12)

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5. Belleville Bulls - RD Jordan Subban

HT:  5.11 | WT: 165 lbs. | Toronto Marlboros MM | DoB: March 3rd, 1995

I don’t think Subban is the fifth best player available in this draft, but given the lineage to the organization, I’d be very surprised if Belleville doesn’t scoop him up at 5. His play does resemble that of his oldest brothers as he has a lot of the same “swagger” or on ice flair that P.K. has become famous for. Subban will likely struggle a bit at the start, but he should be a pretty effective player as he improves his strength and adjusts his game to the OHL level. It will be critical for him to understand what type of moves work in AAA, and which ones don’t work at the next level and I expect a bit of an adjustment period before he finds a comfort zone in the OHL.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Brendan Gaunce (2)
2009 1st Round Pick: G Tyson Teichmann (18)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Stephen Silas (19)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Tyler Randell (14)

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6. Sudbury Wolves - RW Jordan Maletta

HT:  6.02 | WT: 190 lbs. | St. Catharines Falcons MM | DoB: April 30th, 1995

The Wolves could go in a lot of directions with this pick but Maletta seems to be a good fit for their organization and can contribute right away. There are strong rumours that the Wolves will nab “local” Ryan Kujawinski at 6, which could be a very realistic possibility, but keep in mind he’s actually from Iroquois Falls, not Sudbury. Maletta has the size and strength to play in the league from day one and is a very strong skater with powerful acceleration. Doesn’t quite have the offensive polish you might want out of a guy at 6, and in that case might even remind Wolves fans a bit of John McFarland, but I think Maletta brings some more intangibles to the table, making this a solid pick up for a team that will have some offensive holes to fill.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Matthew Campagna (5)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Justin Sefton (5)
2008 1st Round Pick: F John McFarland (1)
2007 1st Round Pick: D Daniel Maggio (7)

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7. Brampton Battalion - LC Bryson Cianfrone

HT:  5.09 | WT: 155 lbs. | Toronto Marlboros MM | DoB: February 14th, 1995

After addressing their blueline in last season’s OHL Priority Selection, the Battalion really need to add forwards this year. Bryson Cianfrone will be a pretty good local option at this point despite it being a little high for his range. Cianfrone was the captain of the Marlies last year, and a good one that that. He’s a hard working guy with great speed and plays a lot bigger than his size would indicate, somewhat like Christian Thomas used to when he was on the Marlies. He might struggle a bit at the beginning due to his size, but in the long-term, he could be a productive offensive player with a lot of character for the Battalion.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Marcus McIvor (9)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Barclay Goodrow (17)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Sam Carrick (15)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Matthew Duchene (5)

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8. Kingston Frontenacs - LC Max Domi

HT:  5.09 | WT: 160 lbs. | Don Mills Flyers  MM | DoB: March 2nd, 1995

A major wildcard in the draft, Domi has arguably the most natural talent in this draft, but his father has indicated that he will take the USHL route before moving onto an NCAA program. Rumours do indicate that Frontenacs head coach Doug Gilmour may bring Tie into the fold if Max is drafted by the Kingston, and at this point, it doesn’t seem to unreasonable for this to happen. Domi is a very crafty forward with tremendous hockey sense and creativity. He makes players around him better and can hold his own for being undersized. If Kingston could get him to report, it would be a major addition for a team that has a lot of uncertainty heading into next year.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Alex Gudbranson (10)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Alan Quine (2)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Erik Gudbranson (4)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Ethan Werek (9)

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9. London Knights - LD Steven Varga

HT:  6.02 | WT: 185 lbs. | York Simcoe Express MM | DoB: May 15th, 1995

It was a bit of a retooling year for the Knights, but London saw some of their younger forwards emerge and contribute at a young age. With some holes to fill on the backend, a defenseman like Varga will come in ready to log some quality minutes from the get go. Varga isn’t an overly physical defenseman, but plays a solid all-around game and has a very high hockey IQ. He won’t be the most glorious pick, but he can play the PK and moves the puck well enough to eventually be a dependable two-way guy as well.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Chris Tierney (19)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Scott Harrington (19)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Christian Thomas (13)
2007 1st Round Pick: G Michael Zador (20)

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10. Guelph Storm - LC Bo Horvat

HT:  5.09 | WT: 170 lbs. | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs MM | DoB: April 5th, 1995

Guelph’s roster in 2011/12 will take a major hit from this season, losing almost all of their top scorers. Horvat could be a player that might be able to make an immediate impact with the Storm and should get plenty of opportunity to do so in a line-up looking to fill some substantial voids. Horvat is the top scoring minor midget player in the draft and also played exceptionally well at the Canada Winter Games, scoring 9 points. Horvat is a very creative offensive player who sees the ice well and distributes it even better. He needs to work on bringing a more consistent effort and competing every shift, but he certainly has the tools to be a very productive player at the next level.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Matthew Finn (12)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Carter Sandlak (11)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Cody McNaughton (12)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Peter Holland (11)

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11. Plymouth Whalers - RD Anthony DeAngelo

HT:  5.11 | WT: 165 lbs. | Cedar Rapids USHL | DoB: October 25th, 1995

The youngest defenseman to ever play in the USHL, DeAngelo cracked the Roughriders roster as a 14 year old this season. A naturally gifted offensive defenseman, DeAngelo makes great decisions with the puck and is a very adept puck moving defenseman. Skates well and has shown he can already handle playing against older competition. DeAngelo has already committed to Boston University for 2014 and could be a bit of a wildcard, but Plymouth has a decent track record getting Americans to report and they should have a legitimate shot at getting him to deviate from the NCAA path.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Max Iafrate (15)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Garrett Meurs (13)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Tyler Seguin (9)
2007 1st Round Pick: D Beau Schmitz (19)

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12. Erie Otters - LD Michael Vlajkov

HT:  6.02 | WT: 185 lbs. | St. Catharines Falcons MM | DoB: February 3rd, 1995

The Otters will have an interesting dilemma next season as they have numerous overage considerations to debate as they put together their roster. One thing is clear, the team lacks young defenseman in a major way, which is something that needs to be addressed in this draft. Vlajkov has a big shot and should help the team’s powerplay moving forward while also being able to log some hefty minutes. He’s a big guy that plays pretty well defensively and would be a nice pickup for the Otters in the 12 hole as they look to stockpile some younger players on defense.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Chris Marchese (11)
2009 1st Round Pick: F David Broll (10)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Greg McKegg (2)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Ryan O’Reilly (1)

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13. Windsor Spitfires - LW Mitchell Dempsey

HT:  6.03 | WT: 205 lbs. | Cambridge Hawks MM | DoB: February 27th, 1995

Dempsey is a big winger who really carried the load offensively for a fairly mediocre Cambridge team this season. He’s not an overly dominant player despite his size, and doesn’t quite have the jam you’d like to see out of that stature, but his skill level will alleviate some of those issues. In a draft that’s a little weak up front, Dempsey is a pretty solid value pick for the Spits at 13 and will be a solid forward for them in the long-run.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Grant Webermin (20)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Austen Brassard (20)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Cam Fowler (17)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Taylor Hall (2)

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14. Kitchener Rangers - LD Charlie Pelnik

HT:  6.03 | WT: 180 lbs. | Carolina Hurricanes U16 | DoB: May 15th, 1995

Pelnik is currently committed to the University of North Dakota, but has yet to be offered a spot with the NTDP program, which could open up the potential for an OHL team to lure him away from the college path. Kitchener has a veteran defense and adding Pelnik would solidify their depth moving forward. He’s a big guy who I understand is very raw but has some solid upside. From speaking with scouts in the first half of the season, I got the feeling that most teams have him all over the map in terms of where he might be on their lists.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Matia Marcantuoni (18)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Ryan Murphy (3)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Jeff Skinner (20)
2007 1st Round Pick: D Cam Fowler (18)

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15. Saginaw Spirit - LD Adam Bateman

HT:  5.11 | WT: 160 lbs. | Don Mills Flyers MM | DoB: January 5th, 1995

The last time Saginaw took a defenseman from the Don Mills program was in 2006, when they selected Nick Crawford, which ended up working out pretty good for the Spirit. After taking only one defenseman in their first ten picks last season, Saginaw could certainly use Bateman to help solidify the defense moving forward. He’s not an overly dynamic player, but Bateman is a workhorse who competes every shift and isn’t afraid to finish a check despite his size. He’s a good skater who is an adept puck mover and should be able to log a lot of situational minutes in his OHL career.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Justin Kea (13)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Anthony Camara (14)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Brandon Saad (10)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Daniel Pachis (16)

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16. Oshawa Generals - LD Chris Bigras

HT:  6.00 | WT: 165 lbs. | Barrie Colts MM | DoB: February 22nd, 1995

The Gens are loaded up front and a little thin on the backend, so you have to think they’re going with a defenseman at 16 even if it’s a bit of a stretch. Unless they feel like they can get an American to report or someone like Bateman slips through, Bigras might be the lucky guy that works his way into the first round to Oshawa. I saw him several times and wasn’t overly impressed with his game, but he does have good offensive instincts and sees the ice pretty well. I’ve also seen him make some solid stretch passes and manage the powerplay pretty effectively, which would be a big asset moving forward for the Generals as they lose several veterans off this year’s team including Calvin de Haan.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Scott Laughton (3)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Boone Jenner (4)
2008 1st Round Pick: G Kevin Bailie (16)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Justin Shugg (10)

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17. Ottawa 67′s - LW Brody Milne

HT:  6.01 | WT: 170 lbs. | Halton Hurricanes MM | DoB: April 3rd, 1995

Milne could go anywhere between the 15-35 range depending on who likes him, but with some of the Americans unlikely to be drafted in the first as a result of their NCAA commitments, he could slide into the first. He’s got decent size and is a pretty skilled player, skates well and knows how to score goals. I think he still needs to bring it a little more in all three zones and win more puck battles, but if he has the work ethic to improve, he would be a nice pickup for Ottawa at this point in the first round.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Sean Monahan (16)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Cody Ceci (16)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Tyler Toffoli (7)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Michael Latta (6)

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18. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors - LW David Perklin (Compensatory Pick)

HT:  6.02 | WT: 180 lbs. | Toronto Marlboros MM | DoB: March 3rd, 1995

Mississauga’s roster will take a hefty hit after this year’s Memorial Cup run, and Perklin will be one of the keys to complimenting a veteran laden offense with some much needed youth. Perklin didn’t shine as much as he may have on less talented teams, but the big winger is a versatile player that protects the puck well and drives the net assertively. He competes pretty well and will be a guy that can finish checks at the OHL level. He’s the type of guy that should fit in well with Mississauga’s tight forechecking system and will be defensively responsible as well.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Nick Ebert (17)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Stuart Percy (15)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Devante Smith-Pelly (8)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Casey Cizikas (3)

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19. Niagara Ice Dogs - LC Ryan Kujawinski

HT:  6.01 | WT: 190 lbs. | Sudbury Wolves MM | DoB: March 30th, 1995

The Wolves MM squad played a unique season, getting their only real exposure playing in a series of tournaments throughout the year as their league play was restricted to local rep loop around Sudbury. Kujawinski has good size, pretty explosive speed, and a strong ability to generate scoring chances. From the games I saw him, I was a little concerned about his lack of production given the amount of opportunities he had, which could especially hurt on the small ice, but he’s a solid pick at this spot. Don’t be too shocked if he lands at #6 with Sudbury, either.

2010 1st Round Picks: D Jesse Graham (6), D Luke Mercer (8)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Lucas Lessio (7)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Freddie Hamilton (14)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Andrew Agozzino (15)

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20. Owen Sound Attack - LW Mitchell Fitzmorris

HT:  5.11 | WT: 170 lbs. | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs MM | DoB: April 21st, 1995

Fitzmorris is a tremendous skater with great offensive instincts and really adds a lot to any line he plays on. He could slip into the second round, but I believe he has pretty good upside and has looked good playing against some of the better teams in his age group as well. He’d be a nice addition to the Attack, who stands to lose a few major offensive contributors including Joey Hishon and Garrett Wilson, and would be a player they shouldn’t have any issue getting to report.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Jarrod Maidens (4)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Curtin Crombeen (9)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Steven Shipley (3)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Joey Hishon (8)

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21. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors - RW Stephen Nosad

HT:  5.11 | WT: 175 lbs. | York Simcoe Express MM | DoB: January 25th, 1995

The Majors would love to scoop a defenseman up here, but this draft is a little thin in that area in this range. Nosad is another player who really fits the Dave Cameron system as he’s a hard nosed player who does all the little things well. Competes every shift, has some solid grit, wins puck battles and is very tough to play against along the boards. He’s got some offensive upside, but he won’t be much of a producer in his first couple of years in the league. He reminds me a lot of Stefan Della Rovere from the Jr. Canadiens a few years ago.

2010 1st Round Pick: D Nick Ebert (17)
2009 1st Round Pick: D Stuart Percy (15)
2008 1st Round Pick: F Devante Smith-Pelly (8)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Casey Cizikas (3)

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22. Barrie Colts - LC Nick Moutrey (Compensatory Pick)

HT:  6.01 | WT: 190 lbs. | York Simcoe Express MM | DoB: June 24th, 1995

I saw Moutrey quite a bit this year and he’s a guy that could certainly be a nice addition to a pretty promising group of forwards in Barrie. He’s got good size and a pretty solid skillset as well. He’s got good on ice awareness, battles for pucks and competes pretty hard. He can play the point on the PP and while he is dangerous, I don’t think he’s that much of a natural scorer as I’ve seen him fight the puck on some pretty glorious scoring opportunities. Barrie could go in a lot of directions with this pick, but it’s relatively safe to assume they’ll be taking a forward here, due in large part to the lack of quality defensemen available.

2010 1st Round Pick: F Kerby Rychel (21)
2009 1st Round Pick: F Ryan Strome (8)
2008 1st Round Pick: D Ryan O’Connor (6)
2007 1st Round Pick: F Mitch Lebar (17)

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26 Comments

  • Nice job! thorough detail on each player. Cool to see each teams 1st round picks over the past few years as many have become Junior stars and future Pros. Nice to see some Twist athletes on the list!

  • Andrew

    I don’t think Aaron Ekblad is such a concentious first overall pick like you’re making it sound. While he’ll go in the top 3 easily, I don’t think he goes first.

  • Andrew,

    I think the fact that Barrie desperately needs a defenseman, plus the fact that Ekblad will have at least three years in the league, means that Barrie will grab him at 1. They have some quality up front, but right now their defense has some pretty gaping holes.

    Cheers

  • Sean

    FYI.

    Your draft order is not correct.

    Mississauga will be drafting 17, because they finished 16th last year. The reason that they drafted 17 was because of the Lessio compensation pick. The rule reads that they will get a draft pick one spot lower then where they finished in the standings.

    Take that compensation pick out, and they where 16th, so the Ebert compensation pick would then fall to 17.

  • Hey Sean,

    Yeah I wasn’t sure how that works with Niagara’s compensation from last year, but I understood the rule to be one spot lower from where you drafted regardless of how it came about.

    Otherwise if you hypothetically had two teams with compensation picks higher than you, it would have to be a double standard or you’d actually pick higher than what you did the previous year.

    I was going to email Ted Baker to clarify, but I figured for the purpose of this mock draft it wouldn’t be a huge deal.

    Thanks for being alert, however!

  • Just to add to that with an example.

    Niagara got 8th overall as compensation for not signing Lesson (7th, 09)

    So lets say for the purpose of this, Erie doesn’t sign Broll (10th, 09) and gets the 11th overall pick as compensation in 2010.

    Now we have 22 picks in the first round, with two teams drafting ahead of Mississauga. Mississauga would select 18th despite finishing 16th in the OHL standings. If you give them one pick higher than where they finished regardless, they would actually get the 17th pick in 2011, which would be higher than where they selected in 2010.

    That’s why I interpreted the rule as just +1 of wherever you drafted the year before.

  • Sean

    Barrie has the 22nd overall compensation pick due to the Rychel trade

    They drafted Rychel at 21, so we all agree on that.

    However there is an extra compensation pick this year, so therefore should that pick not go to 23? The answer is no.

    Everyone goes back down one due #8th overall pick from 2010 being deleted.

    Thats why they are 22, and thats why Mississauga si 17.

    How do i know? Work for OCS.

  • Well if that’s the case, fair enough, I see how they’re doing it now.

    I think my point does stand, however. If there’s ever 2-3 compensation picks in a round, a team could hypothetically pick higher than their previous pick with this rule, which is a bit of a loophole.

  • Attack/Dog

    There is a great young hockey player out there, you have totally missed ! Hmmmmm ! We’ ll see what team he sneaks onto !!! Any ideas ?????

  • Anthony

    Two alarm bells.

    1. The Quote “and actually managed to see most of the AAA teams”

    Well, how can we take this as a reasonalbe attempt if you did not even get to see all the teams?

    2. Dont know the order of selection.

    Attack Dog, there is a top 15 rated forward who is not on the list, I assume that is who you are talking about.

  • Dave

    Anthony:
    I’m not sure if you realize how many teams there are in AAA, but OHL scouts don’t even have the opportunity to see all of the teams each year. This was a nice list guys, we appreciate your work. Please don’t listen to people like Anthony who are probably the type to harp on anything and everything from behind a computer screen!

    Keep up the good work!!!

  • Anthony

    Dave,

    There are 62 AAA teams from the GTHL, OMHA, MHAO, OEMHL, plus other teams from the NOHA, HNO and others.

    I coach in the AAA loop. Very well aware.

    Im fine with Mock Drafts, just be sure your accurate.

    The not caring about the draft order was a red flag right away.

    Im just not sure if id put my name on something when I didnt get to see every team, or judge players first hand.

    To each there own, you can have your opinon, ill have mine.

  • Hi Anthony,

    Thanks for the checking out our site.

    I think it’s very unfair to say I don’t care about the draft order… I wasn’t sure how to interpret the rule but that’s now been cleared up. As I pointed out, I think in certain situations that rule would actually have a loophole, so I’m not sure if the OHL even has a contingency in place should such a scenario occur.

    I’m assuming the forward you’re referring to is likely Robinson, and that’s fine. In all likelihood he probably will end up being a first round pick, potentially even in the 10-15 range. From my viewings of him he was a little too inconsistent and had me drawing parallels to Brittain when he was with the Jr. Canadiens.

    As for the mock draft, such is life. It’s difficult to find the time and resources to see all of the players while working a full-time job, applying to graduate school among the other things that consume my time. I was able to still get out to the rink 4+ times a week between AAA, OHL and NHL action, so I’ll take it for what it’s worth.

    This list is by no means a strict resource to use. It’s supposed to serve as a guide to help educate some people who likely aren’t familiar with the draft and to articulate my opinion on how the draft may shake down.

    It’s going to be an interesting draft regardless, and as always there will be some curve balls that nobody expects but we’ll see how things play out on May 7th!

    Cheers.

  • Ekblad's # 1 FAN

    Huron Perth Lakers Major Peewee’s

    Ur Going 1st pick Ekblad

  • James Myers

    Unbelievable job considering what you have to work with. It’s not like the NHL where you have access to every game on TV (with PVR). I see Adam Brady is not mentioned in anyone’s drafts higher than 3rd round. Let me tell you, this kid may not have all the skills of a Max Domi, but he has huge upside. Domi has had NHL type of training and coaching since birth. Brady toiled in DELHI for 6 years before coming to AAA Brantford. Brantford, which, folks, let me tune you in. Despite being the birthplace of The Great One, is not the pinnacle of hockey development. BRADY, HUGE UPSIDE..

  • Gilbert

    Hey man do you know any sites where I can find past Bantam Drafts for both the OHL/WHL. Also do you know where I can find past Central Scouting players rankings before the draft actually happened?

  • Hi Gilbert,

    For the OHL Drafts you can check out the results at http://ohldraft.ilap.com/ps2010/

    I think it only dates back to about 2003, however. Just change the browser URL at the end to whatever year. For example 2009 would just be /ps2009/

    WHL Bantam Draft results can be found right on the WHL website at http://media.whl.ca/draft/index.php?id=1

    You can use the drop down menu in the top left corner to navigate through various drafts dating back much further.

    As for OHL Central Scouting, they do not publish any formal rankings for the public. About three years ago they started to publish a players to watch document about a week before the Priority Selection but I don’t have any of the links to those off hand.

  • Gilbert

    K cool thanks

  • Brad LeClair

    Hey Scott,

    Nice work here with this mock draft. When that Anthony dude posted and bashed your work I swore it was someone else, then he said he coached in the GTHL so I realized, yeah not the guy I thought of…lol.

    Anyways, I easily see Ekblad going first overall here, 3 years of a defender who already has NHL size; hecould use some help on the strength though.

    As for the one comment about seeing all teams…I know a few scouts and have been scouted before, and they usually cannot see all players. They base alot of their work on word of mouth from other scouts who have seen the players play, and also video they see of that prospect.

    I was holding out hope the Wolves would take Domi though…just to make Joe Bowen happy…lol.

  • Anthony

    There are regional scouts for every team, who see each team play in their region, and then see most other teams in tournaments like the Toronto Titans Invitational and the Marlboros Classic. I know them, they put in tones of hours for no pay.

    My only issue was that if your going to do it, then do it right. Im no scout, have two jobs including coaching, and I have got to see every kid ranked in the top 50 or so.

    Messing up the draft order, Putting Domi on the Marlboros and the “we got to see each team once” thing urks me because so many people volunteer their time in rinks and don’t call themselves experts. Yet someone who has seems almost every team ‘once’, didn’t think that the draft order was important and put Domi on the wrong team is now presenting themselves as experts?

    Not trying to come down hard on you, but people need to realize just how hard this job it is, and how there is little to no glory behind it.

    It just doesn’t come off as someone who takes it seriously is all, and I think the kids who commit their time and the scouts who put in countless hours in rink’s efforts are discounted when these lists are put out, and in the post comments are made like “its not important”

    i can promise you, to the elite kids that put in so much time and effort, its important.

    Good luck to everyone May 7th.

  • Anthony,

    As you can see from the OHL media guide, Mississauga actually has the 18th overall selection.

    Thanks,
    Scott

  • Anthony

    Fair enough,

    However I take it there is no other issues with what I said.

    Again, good luck to all the 95′s on Saturday. The Scouts have put in countless hours and seen you play a ton, dont worry if you had an off game, because those who are dedicated to their craft have seen you play more then a single game.

  • Stephanie

    Disclosure: My son is a 95 ready for the draft tomorrow.

    I have to agree with the posters who are saying that to be fair, you really should go out, see all the players. If not, then interview someone who has and get their mock draft.

    I dont understand how someone can watch a team one game and then decide he is a first round pick? Scouts see players 10-15 times and still struggle with it.

    Do what you want, but from appearances, it really looks bad.

  • Stephanie,

    Again, it’s not like I have never seen these players, and to say otherwise is just a bit of hyperbole.

    Being located in Newmarket, the teams I see the most are the GTHL and ETA teams. There are over 60 teams in Ontario so obviously I’m not going to see the other teams except at tournaments. To have seen most of the teams in a season for one person is pretty impressive, given the number of teams to cover. I also managed to see most of the high-end American teams as well.

    Throughout the year I’m also in discussion with scouts, media personalities etc. so I have a good idea of who will be going in the first round. At this point anyone in the Top 10 here is a lock to be in the first and there’s a group of about 10-15 players who could go in the first. As Anthony mentioned, a player like Brandon Robinson will be a likely first rounder and there’s a few other players that are also interchangeable.

    This list is a guide, and a pretty light one at that given it’s only the first round. I’ve seen every player on this list live with the exception of DeAngelo who was unfortunately out of the lineup when Cedar Rapids came to Indianapolis.

    Good luck to your son tomorrow in the draft, it’s an exciting process.

  • Anthony,

    Robinson might have gone a bit high but we’ll see how he does. I guess the rumours about Cianfrone going the NCAA route look to be pretty factual since he was not touched in Round 1 at all.

    I don’t know about you, but it was pretty surprising to see the wingers go early considering this draft is a little thin on high end defenseman. I thought some teams would pick more-so based on that need.

    Very interesting first round nonetheless!

  • Chris Thatcher

    ITS A MOCK DRAFT; STOP BUSTING HIS BALLS ABOUT IT. Obviously alot of hard work went into the mock so try and be a bit appreciative. Very well done Scott!

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