Weird- Maybe in minor midget but for Niagara Wassilyn doesn't really power through anyone i've seen- a lot of perimeter playmaking in my opinion and nothing wrong with that he's having a great year and is important for them already but I don't see a physically powerful player. Another guy without playing heavy is Pierce Mbuyi who's having a fantastic year but isn't physical at all- might be having the best 16 year old season of all rookies. Zurawski also in owen sound another smaller guy not imposing will on anyone. Point is I'm gonna take a kid like Edgar with elite offensive IQ who is only 15 and has time to get bigger faster and stronger over someone who may already be bigger and stronger than his 15 year old competition but doesn't have the IQ because once you get to the league good chance that game won't translate and there are many examples of that.
2009 Born for the 2025 OHL Draft
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Mbuyi is 100 percent physical, that’s what makes him so effective. Look at the comments in the attack board about how hard to play against he is. All of his third party reports on Rinknet say that as well. He’s a bulldog. someone like @Stellar29 can probably confirm that if you don’t believe me or the Rinknet reports
With all due respect I do t really care what you want to do, I’m just saying what most in the OHL prefer. Theres a reason why everyone in the nhl wants Brady tkachuk and not Trevor zagras.
Based on what agents and teams say I do t think Edgar will go top 10, but maybe he will. The debate in here has no baring on anything.
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Agreed, Wassilyn was elite with powerful powerful skating, much higher projection than Edgar. Wassilyn would be the 1st overall in this year class.
B.Smith was a lazy winger with elite skill and release. Not comparable to Edgar at all.
I wouldn't consider Edgar an inconsistent playmaker, he led the OMHA in goals so he can definitely put the put in the net, inconsistent play overall maybe but most kids this age are.
Edgar reminds me alot of Owen Griffin, even though I hate comparisons. Not an elite skater but a smooth silky skater, not a physical presence but extremely skilled and extremely smart with average/below average size. Good compete overall.
ohloutsider
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Ya Mbuyi plays like a power forward, maybe even more than he likely should. But it seems to fit his game.
Mbuyi is more skill based than physical but plays the game hard. Zurawski was extremely physical in U16 and he isn't small, 6'0 180.
But I agree with you Edgar is someone I'd want on my team, he's a hell of a player. With some high profile US kids bound to get drafted early, I project Edgar being a mid-late first round pick but if he went in the top 10, it wouldn't surprise me either. One of my fav players to watch this year.
OMG67
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The reality is when the playoffs roll around, teams value the players with size and a compete level that matches it. They will often bypass smaller skilled players specifically to grab the bigger players with a higher compete level because they know they won’t’ get a chance to snag them later int he draft. IF you want size with skill, you need to jump on it in round one (maybe round 2). You can get a lot of smaller skilled players later in the draft. A good organization will develop those players quite well. There are loads of 19 and 20 year old point per game type players that are average to undersized, especially on the wings that were drafted in the middle rounds (4th though 9th). What you typically do not find are big body point per game guys drafted in those same rounds. There is a reason for that.
In the earlier stages of the first round, teams will jump on that size because it is VERY difficult to acquire via trade and if you can acquire it, it will cost HUGE.
Also, when I say SIZE I also mean players that use their size effectively. They don’t need to be monsters. Average size works as well provided they know how to leverage it and aren’t afraid to use it. There are a lot of players at 6’0” 185 that don’t use their size whereas there are only a handful of players at that size that play much bigger than they are and prove to be VERY effective. Consistent compete level is highly sought after. There is nothing worse than a player leaving opportunities scattered all over the ice because of laziness or lack of willingness to engage. It doesn’t’ matter how skilled the player is. That type of player usually racks points up against the weaker teams int he standings. When the playoffs roll around, he disappears the deeper they go in the playoffs because the stronger teams render that player meaningless.
In the earlier stages of the first round, teams will jump on that size because it is VERY difficult to acquire via trade and if you can acquire it, it will cost HUGE.
Also, when I say SIZE I also mean players that use their size effectively. They don’t need to be monsters. Average size works as well provided they know how to leverage it and aren’t afraid to use it. There are a lot of players at 6’0” 185 that don’t use their size whereas there are only a handful of players at that size that play much bigger than they are and prove to be VERY effective. Consistent compete level is highly sought after. There is nothing worse than a player leaving opportunities scattered all over the ice because of laziness or lack of willingness to engage. It doesn’t’ matter how skilled the player is. That type of player usually racks points up against the weaker teams int he standings. When the playoffs roll around, he disappears the deeper they go in the playoffs because the stronger teams render that player meaningless.
I can support that, 100%. Mbuyi is listed at 5'10" and 153lbs but plays much bigger. Certainly not shy about getting into the physical/hard parts of the ice. He's got compete in spades and has shown he can score in a number of ways this year. To add some perspective, he's currently on track to break the Attack franchise record for points by a 16 year old and flirting with the goal record as well. He's been outstanding.
I think there would be more talk about Zurawski as well if he had anybody to play with on his line in Owen Sound. Maybe not much to show for it in terms of stats but he's pretty well driving the second line most nights on his own. I wouldn't consider him at 6'0" and 181lbs to be small either. He can handle the physical play just fine in my opinion.
watched mbuyi tonight... be surprised if he was credited with even 2 hits. There's a clear difference to me of being physical and being a bulldog. he competes and hunts pucks... not overly physical. Beau Jelsma is a bulldog. he competes and hunts pucks constantly but youre lucky if you get one hit out of him and thats fine. As far as bringing up tkachuk- those two are an anomaly. If you spend all year trying to find the next tkachuk you will fail over and over.
I agree with you on Mbuyi. Fact is there are different ways to play the game "hard". Hunting pucks like a bulldog is playing hard, throwing the body is playing hard, and in Edgar's case, I find his constant will to attack defenders over and over everytime he gets the puck is playing hard. Sure, he isn't physical and has details that need to get better, but the raw skill and IQ is fantastic.
Seen this mistake too many times over the years. Teams drafting size over skill being naive thinking they can teach them how to play and it fails over and over. Obviously, a big player with physical tools and IQ is the grand slam and if you can get it, you jump on it. However, that is a rare combo to find. So many times kids are drafted who are physically dominating their 15 year old competitors and get to the OHL and can't think their way through a paper bag. It's been going on for years (Damian Bourne, Brett Hargraeves, Hayden Mccool, Zach Gallant, Connor Roberts) and the list goes on all extremely high picks who barely accomplished anything at the OHL level nevermind the pro level. All to say, you cannot draft simply on size it is a flawed recipe and all of the teams who made those picks above set themselves back with a wasted first round pick because they had no hockey IQ. As I said if you can get the size IQ combo it's golden- but they are few and far between and you have to be real careful.
OMG67
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The point is you can’t get it in round 3 or later. You only have that opportunity in round one, maybe round two. If you choose not to draft it, you end up trading your 1st round pick plus additional picks to get it four years later.
Right. But more often than not teams draft a big kid over a small one even though they have no head for the game and it fails. Have to be very careful with that.
ohloutsider
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Do you have data to back this up or just your opinion or is your kid small?
The OHL finds ( imho) more 6' or better skilled players than smaller players and I define smaller players 5' 9" or under .
OMG67
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No. Those are the big kids drafted after the 1st round. You can get a dud big kid and dud small kid in the first round. Same-same. But if you EVER want a chance at a consequential big kid, you have no choice but to take him in the 1st round.
I can make a long list of underachieving top 10 picked OHL players, ranging between average to below average sized as well. You simply aren’t going to hit on every top 10 pick.
Drafting speed and skill without placing a premium on size was a failed experiment. When teams saw the NB Battalion roster after the COVID shutdown filled with players big enough and fast enough to play NFL skill positions, the race to draft size with compete was on.
the debate started last year with the puck preps list where they had belchetz not as a 1st round pick when he was the 1st overall lock. for whatever reason some online scouts and younger people (i generalize) still love the kyle dubas mentality of skill over everything. take the 5'6 guy who has more skill vs the 6'4 guy who is less skilled but competes hard and wins battles. the online community genearlly speaking loves small skill but doesn't value the bigger guys who may not be as skilled but are way more effective. its the same mentality that suggested that denis malgin for mason marchment was a good trade for the leafs. get the small skill, the big dumb guy isnt as skilled. any they are right, they are not as skilled, but sometimes the compete level is more important when the skill isn't overly competitive.
and just to qualify, its not even a size thing per say, the poster above brought up mbuyi hes not big or small, but he works and never quits, plays in dirty areas and will battle when needed, added to the skill and he's a perfect mix of both. now he never will have the pretty youtube plays like alex hage (remember he was like 4th overall on that list last year) but his work and engine are so big that it doesnt matter.
when your 5'10 and do not have that same engine. it gets harder and harder to be effective. so when you get a guy like belchetz who has the skill but is uber powerful and plays heavy, its an easy call to make.
and just to qualify, its not even a size thing per say, the poster above brought up mbuyi hes not big or small, but he works and never quits, plays in dirty areas and will battle when needed, added to the skill and he's a perfect mix of both. now he never will have the pretty youtube plays like alex hage (remember he was like 4th overall on that list last year) but his work and engine are so big that it doesnt matter.
when your 5'10 and do not have that same engine. it gets harder and harder to be effective. so when you get a guy like belchetz who has the skill but is uber powerful and plays heavy, its an easy call to make.
OMG67
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Additionally, when you have a small guy with a big engine like Hedrick, that’s fine too. But you better be 100% every shift and not afraid to go into dirty areas. If you are small and inconsistent, you will end up getting fed your lunch a lot and likely will fall out of favour with your coaches.
100 percent. Small compete and skill is better then big skill with no compete, it’s just harder for them Headrick should grow as well so he’s a good pick by Kitchener
Look above, I provided examples of guys off the top of my head who were drafted in the first round and turned into nothing. If you bothered reading the conversation, all I said was you are better to draft small skilled and smart over big with no IQ, because those guys are a giant waste and teams do it all the time. Obviously if you can find size and IQ thats ideal but its a rare combo.
I don't recall North Bay winning anything lol. They also had a first line with 300 points last year with one undersized player and one average sized player.
I agree Belchetz was a lock im simply saying you cant just draft for size because it doesn't work. If you don't know whether or not he has the brain his size is useless (see my examples above- bourne etc.) Mbuyi is someone who proves my point, he is not a big kid out there, but has skill and competes. you dont have to be 6"4.
sorry, i dont know of you did with mbuyi? You did t believe he played consistently hard and myself and others corrected you.
I don’t care what you believe and you don’t care what I believe. Great, we’re just going in circles. everyone on here is telling you what the OHL wants right now and your saying we’re all wrong. great. more circles. not sure the point.
End of the day compete level will be a massive factor and many teams are questioning edgars. you think they are wrong. Cool, we’ll find out in 5 years who is right.
