OHL Feature: OHL Sleepers to Watch
OHL Features | 24 Sep 2009When a young hockey player enters their NHL draft year there is often a lot of uncertainty surrounding what the future will hold. With a big draft season a player can go from relative anonymity to being a high NHL draft pick and vice versa. While many players often have this type of potential within their grasp, many players fail to realize it and slip through the cracks. There will always be players who slip through the cracks early and ascend from obscurity throughout the season to establish themselves as legitimate draft prospects. TSR will profile three of these players currently playing in the OHL and how they have arrived to where they are today, and what the future might hold for them.
LC Greg McKegg – Erie Otters
6’0” | 185lbs | June 17th, 1992
McKegg is an interesting story to follow as the former 2nd overall pick in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection has almost fallen completely off the map. After a spectacular Minor Midget season with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs, McKegg was snatched up by the Erie Otters one pick behind John McFarland. Out of the spotlight in Erie, McKegg struggled during his rookie year to adapt to the increased speed and physicality of the OHL. Despite a rough transition, McKegg gradually improved as the season progressed and he started to show flashes of the talent that made him the 2nd pick. All of this culminated in a great playoff run for the 16 year old as he notched 3 points in 5 games against London and was easily one of the better players on the ice during the series despite a -5 rating. While his 8 goal, 18 point regular season is nothing to get too excited over, McKegg is a player that could definitely break out this season.
Already McKegg looks a lot stronger on the puck and more of a noticeable player. He’s spent time mostly at his natural center position this year rather than playing on the left wing which seems to have made a difference. His skating is getting better and his confidence is finally starting to come around. Despite only having 1 assist through 2 games thus far, you can tell that the 17 year old is on the verge of putting up a lot of points. He’s exceptionally skilled with the puck and does a good job of reading the play. Sometimes he is a bit guilty of trying to force a pass and make a bad decision, but the offense will come. It will certainly be an interesting year for the St. Thomas , Ontario native, as he has the potential to put up 20 goals and 60 points this year which should warrant a top 2 round selection and when it’s all said and done, don’t be surprised if you hear some talk about McKegg inching into the late first round. With McKegg it’s not all about what you see now, it’s about realizing how much potential he has and determining whether or not he can hit it.
RD Brock Beukeboom – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
6’1” | 196lbs | April 1st, 1992
At the opposite corner of the OHL from McKegg, the son of former NHL first round pick Jeff Beukeboom is beginning to make a name for himself with the Greyhounds. After a baptism by fire on a youthful Greyhounds blueline last year, Beukeboom has really solidified his game this season. The Uxbridge native put up a respectable 2 goals and 11 points as a 16 year old with the Greyhounds last season, and this year he looks poised to take the next step.
After making Canada’s Under 18 team roster for the Ivan Hlinka Tournament, it looks like Beukeboom is playing with a lot more confidence and displaying the ability to make plays and create offense. He tends to keep it simple in his own end and is a dependable player that can get pucks out and avoid defensive zone collapses. At the other end of the rink, he’s starting to use his shot a lot more which is one of his assets and he’s likely to be rewarded with even more power-play time throughout the season. Currently Beukeboom has already picked up 3 assists in only 2 games with the Greyhounds which is a positive sign. While it’s tough to project where he might go in 2010, if he can put up around 40 points and continue to play a solid two-way game, like McKegg, he could warrant some first round talk and should definitely be a Top 60 player.
RC Sam Carrick – Brampton Battalion
6’0” | 188lbs | February 4th, 1992
The last feature player in this article, Carrick was Brampton’s first round selection in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection, 15th overall. Unlike McKegg and Beukeboom, Carrick might not wow you with any high end plays, but he’s a very solid two-way forward who has the versatility to play in any situation. After spending last season bouncing around almost every Brampton line, the Stouffville native ended up with a strong rookie campaign where he put up a very impressive 10 goals and 21 points despite seeing limited ice time on a very good Brampton club.
This year it is a completely different story in Brampton however. With the loss of several key players, Carrick has found himself surging up the depth chart and now centers Brampton’s top line with Sean Jones and rookie Barclay Goodrow seeing time on his wing. This season will be a big test to see how the 17 year old can handle playing against other team’s top lines night in night out, and being relied upon to also be a consistent offensive contributor. Only two games in, Carrick has looked pretty good thus far with 2 assists for the Battalion. While a big season at 17 would be impressive, if Carrick can focus on getting stronger and working on his feet, he should be a real good value pick in the middle rounds of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Suffice to say, these are just three examples of players that are on the rise at this point and could become players to watch for throughout the season. One of the interesting things about the NHL Entry Draft is always the players who see their stocks rise and fall throughout the year and when it’s all said and done, the sense of uncertainty that will always go hand in hand with the draft itself. For TSR, I’m Scott Campbell.
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Tags: 2010 nhl draft, 2010 nhl draft prospects, Brock Beukeboom, Greg McKegg, Sam Carrick
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