Tyler Toffoli was extremely involved in the game against Guelph, scoring one and assisting on two. To be honest I expected nothing less from the 18 year old winger. For Ottawa to be a contending team this season, they are going to be relying heavily on the Scarborough, ON native.  Toffoli is an outstanding offensive talent and is incredibly dangerous below the opposing team’s blue line.  He is not going to beat you with shear strength, or speed, but is incredibly shifty when controlling the puck. Despite being an offensive threat, there is no knock on his two-way game. His drive, determination and competitive nature were shining attributes when the Kings picked him up in the 2^nd round (47^th Overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

#18 LW Shane Prince – 2011 NHL Draft Eligible
D.O.B: November 16^th, 1992 | HT: 5.11 | WT: 185 | Shoots: Left

Shane Prince will be an interesting prospect to watch throughout the 2009-10 OHL season. Through just 20-games this season, Prince is two points away from matching his 17-year old season (30-points) offensive production.  Being a late birthday he is 2011 draft eligible and will definitely benefit greatly from the extra season in the OHL before NHL scouts have to make their final decision. In previous seasons, the 5.11 forward was considered to be a one dimensional player, with his speed being his shining quality.  He has now developed a more complete game to his quickness and it is clearly paying dividends in the first third of the season. Prince will be considered an undersized forward at the next level, which will likely be a defining factor when it comes to his predicted mid-round selection. Regardless, his great start to the season definitely has NHL scouts talking at this point.

#19 LC Tyler Graovac – 2011 NHL Draft Eligible
D.O.B: April 27^th, 1993 | HT: 6.04 | WT: 180 | Shoots: Left

Come June, Tyler Graovac is not a player that is going to be selected on day one, and to be completely honest, he is not a guaranteed NHL Draft selection. His most desirable attribute at this point would be his 6.04 frame that he will have to grow into. Like teammate Ryan Martindale, he needs adapt a more physical component to his game. When you have size in the OHL you are looked upon to provide a physical element. The Brampton, Ontario native is known for having a solid two-way presence on the ice and after an off-season that saw him significantly improve his acceleration and top speed he will only become a more effective hockey player. At the end of the day, his ability to offer offensive support in combination will be taken into serious consideration when looking at his draft stock.

#20 LC Sean Monahan – 2013 NHL Draft Eligible
D.O.B:  October 12, 1994 | HT: 6.02 | WT: 180 | Shoots: Left

Sean Monahan is a hard prospect to judge, especially this early into his OHL career. A player initially expected to go in the top 60 of the OHL Priority Selection, an amazing OHL Cup, drove his stock right up to the first round. Monahan will likely play a limited role this season, especially as the Ottawa 67s look to make a run at an OHL championship. The future role of the 6.02, 180-pounder will be looked upon to provide an offensive punch, as well as a physical edge.  As he continues to fill out he should develop into a solid power forward in the OHL.

#33 LW Dalton Smith – CMB 2010 2^nd Round, 34^th Overall
D.O.B: June 30^th, 1992 | HT: 6.01 | WT: 200 | Shoots: Left

To say the least, Dalton Smith has had a less than impressive start to the 2010-11 campaign.  A player who is supposed to add physicality to the game as well as offensive punch, he has really struggled with the latter. Although struggling to find the net early in the season, Smith is still an effective player to have on your team. He rarely takes a shift off, and is a great leader to have.  He will lead by example and is not afraid to stick up for his teammate. After being selected early in the 2^nd round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, expectations are high for the Oshawa native, and to date, he has been gripping his stick a little too hard.

#77 LC Ryan Martindale – EDM 2010 3^rd Round, 61^st Overall
D.O.B: October 27^th, 1991 | HT: 6.03 | WT: 190 | Shoots: Left

Ryan Martindale can be one of the most frustrating players to watch in the OHL this season. The size, strength, and talent the 19 year-old possesses will be amongst the tops in the OHL this season, but that can be completely offset by his lack of desire and competitiveness.  For his size he has great mobility, and can be an offensive threat either passing or shooting the puck. When on his game, and using his size, he protects the puck extremely well making him very effective on the cycle. The games when he isn’t competing he is just another player on the ice, which leads to the frustrating aspect of his game.

Click here for more information on Martindale, as TSR’s Scott Campbell’s sat down with Copper ‘n Blue to discuss the Oiler’s 2010 3^rd rounder.

#83 RD Cody Ceci – 2012 NHL Draft Eligible
D.O.B: December 21^st, 1993 | HT: 6.02 | WT: 203 | Shoots: Right

Cody Ceci is an interesting prospect in my opinion. He can be categorized as a two-way defenseman, but at the next level will be looked upon to think defence first, and chip in offensively when his own end is taken care of. His mentality in his own zone one of his top qualities, but he is also able make a great first pass to initiate the rush. With a 6.02, 203 lbs. frame, Ceci already has respectable size, especially for a 16 year-old. To coincide his size, Ceci is a good skater, and has great vision. Due to his late birthdate, the Orleans, Ontario native is not eligible until the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and preliminary rankings have him sitting in the top 30.

# 1 G Petr Mrazek – DET 2010 5^th Round, 141^st Overall
D.O.B: February 14^th, 1992 | HT: 6.00 | WT: 170 | Catches: Left

Petr Mrazek was a goalie I had high hopes for after seeing him play a few games last season.  In my first viewing of Mrazek this season, it was a less than impressive showing to say the least.  The first two goals against were soft, and generally the Czech native would have stopped them. It appeared as though he lacked concentration for this game and wasn’t mentally prepared.  Naturally, everyone is due for a poor game once and a while and it just happened to be Mrazek’s turn.  He has good lateral movement and is positionally sound which seems to add size to his 6.00, 170 pound frame. Although I would have liked to see a stellar game out of Mrazek, I have no doubt he will rebound in his next start.

With nearly half of the 2009/2010 OHL Season completed, here is TSR’s look at how the 2010 Draft Crop from the OHL is beginning to stack up. We’ve managed to get multiple viewings at every player on this list, and as always we’re taking into account a combination of current ability as well as potential, and projecting player’s abilities to be strong pro players. Please note that we have ranked Goaltenders as a separate entity from the skaters, and you can see the Goalie list at the bottom, after the Skaters table. If you have any thoughts or comments, feel free to post a comment or send us an email!

Skaters

Goaltenders

Although the standings indicate that the Ottawa 67’s are a bottom dwelling team, the team possesses quite a bit of talent, and are particularly strong with 2010 Draft Eligibles. Tyler Toffoli, Petr Mrazek and Ryan Martindale will be closely watched by scouts this season for the upcoming draft in June, while former 2008 first round pick Tyler Cuma will be looking for a shot to crack the Minnesota Wild next season. 1993L Cody Ceci, Ottawa’s first round selection in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection is another prospect to watch, but he will not be eligible until the 2012 Entry Draft as a result of his December birthday.

LD Tyler Cuma

2008 1/23 MIN

OTT | 6.02 | 192 lbs. | Jan. 19, 1990

Cuma is a player who has had a lot of ups and downs since being selected 23rd Overall by the Wild back in 2008. He’s a big defenseman who is extremely mobile for his size. His skating is his most definite asset, as he has a powerful stride and good agility on the ice. Beyond his skating, Cuma is an extremely raw prospect. His offensive instincts are average at best, and he doesn’t see the ice as well as some would like to believe. He has a good shot, but he has problems utilizing it to his advantage and often settles for weak shots to the net. There is no doubt he’s a solid OHL defenseman, which you would expect out of a 19 year old first round pick, but moving forward there will certainly be some speed bumps. Cuma has lost some key development time due to injury, and he could be a player that either struggles to adapt to the next level, or thrives, it’s just a matter of how much he’s willing to compete.

LC Ryan Martindale

2010 Draft Eligible

OTT | 6.03 | 190 lbs. | Oct. 27, 1991

Ryan Marindale is an interesting prospect who has been flying under the radar so far this season. A late 1991 birthday allows him to be eligible for the 2010 draft, where he should be late first or early second round pick next summer. He’s not a flashy player, does not try to do too much, and finds success in his simplicity.  He has a good stride for his size, and uses the 6’ 3” frame to make room for himself in the slot. This often leads to scoring chances where he does a good job of using his talent to capitalize on his opportunities. One thing that could add another level to his game, would be to play with an edge, and use his frame to create energy. He has the build for a power forward, and should use it to his advantage.

G Petr Mrazek

2010 Eligible

OTT | 5.10 | 170 lbs. | Feb. 14, 1992

Petr Mrazek is an import player for the 67’s and this is the first time I have seen the Czech native in game action. In this contest he was not overly tested, but was able to make some big saves when he was called upon. He appeared to have great lateral movement, and a quick glove, but may need to work on controlling his rebounds. His 5’ 10” frame may scare off some NHL scouts, but Mrazek has likely played himself onto the NHL draft radar.

RW Tyler Toffoli

2010 Eligible

OTT | 6.00 | 181 lbs. | Apr. 24, 1992

Toffoli is a dynamic offensive player and is starting to break out of the funk he was in to start off the season. He shows great poise with the puck and is very patient around the net, which makes him a scary player over the opposition’s blue line. If defense give him the room to skate and get comfortable with the puck, he has the hands to move around defensemen with ease. His defensive game will need some refinement, and he needs to learn how to play a smart two-way game, while continuing to be a dangerous player offensively. After being pegged as  sure-fire first round pick after his rookie season, Toffoli is on the bubble now and will need to remain consistent throughout the season to hear his name called in round one.

RD Cody Ceci

2012 Eligible

OTT | 6.02 | 190 lbs. | Dec. 21, 1993

Cody Ceci was Ottawa’s first round selection in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection, and looks to be steadily developing into a very good player. Ceci already has NHL size standing at 6’ 2” and 190 pounds, which is even more impressive considering Ceci is still only 15 years old. As a rookie, Ceci is playing in all situations, power play and penalty kill, and doing it effectively. This shows the confidence coach Chris Byrne has in his young defenseman, as well as the kid’s versatility. The Orleans, Ontario native has great speed for his size and is rarely beaten by quick skaters. He’s effective in the offensive zone, and is finding some success by keeping things simple and not over-thinking the game. There is no question that Ceci has the raw ability to play hockey at a high level, and he’ll have the next two seasons to develop his game before he becomes draft eligible.