hockeynorth
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2017
- 12,571
- 6,441
2020 OHL draft
- Thread starter MasterMatt25
- Start date
Some people look like they’re talking about basketball. If you have 4 first round picks that play 80% of a game then chances are you will dominate. Except this is hockey. The first line will normally only play maximum 40% of the game. Which means the majority of the game is Played with non-first round caliber players. Once you learn that winning is usually a team effort, you’ll understand why there can be top talent on poor teams.
Marlies specifically; they’ve been fighting injuries all year. If you could count the man games lost, it’s likely ranked tops in app Minor Midget. Their goalies aren’t the greatest, but their defense is pretty good. Still, a goaltender can make or break a game. Injuries also strike goal scoring slumps. Even if the goaltender only allows 2, sometimes it’s hard to score more than 1.
A fully healthy Marlies squad made scoring look pretty easy. JRC the same. Fimis is a top notch player and it’s unfortunate to see 4 games where he was invisible. His shot rivals that of Lavoie.
Vaughan was counted out because of their positioning in the standings, but what people don’t realize is that the goaltending they get on a near nightly basis is outstanding. Kingo has been killing it particularly. Pending OHL cup performance, he could have possibly solidified his first tender off the board status. I once predicted a Kings shutout vs the Nats prior to even entering the arena, or knowing who was in net... the goaltending is THAT predictable.
Nelson is going to be the first Canadian defenseman off the board. McGroarty could still go first round, 2 teams likely, Hamilton could be one. Isaiah George still goes high. He skates too well to let what few mistakes he does make impact him too much. Basic intangibles are there, the more mistakes that are easily correctable, the better.
Watch for Jake Karabela out of the SCTAs Guelph Gryphons.
I have Whitcomb in around the same slotting as Noah Villeneuve (JRC), Ben Armstrong (Vaughan) and Ben Oliver (kitchener). Not an insult.
If I were to guess, I’d say 7th to 11th rounds.
Marlies specifically; they’ve been fighting injuries all year. If you could count the man games lost, it’s likely ranked tops in app Minor Midget. Their goalies aren’t the greatest, but their defense is pretty good. Still, a goaltender can make or break a game. Injuries also strike goal scoring slumps. Even if the goaltender only allows 2, sometimes it’s hard to score more than 1.
A fully healthy Marlies squad made scoring look pretty easy. JRC the same. Fimis is a top notch player and it’s unfortunate to see 4 games where he was invisible. His shot rivals that of Lavoie.
Vaughan was counted out because of their positioning in the standings, but what people don’t realize is that the goaltending they get on a near nightly basis is outstanding. Kingo has been killing it particularly. Pending OHL cup performance, he could have possibly solidified his first tender off the board status. I once predicted a Kings shutout vs the Nats prior to even entering the arena, or knowing who was in net... the goaltending is THAT predictable.
Nelson is going to be the first Canadian defenseman off the board. McGroarty could still go first round, 2 teams likely, Hamilton could be one. Isaiah George still goes high. He skates too well to let what few mistakes he does make impact him too much. Basic intangibles are there, the more mistakes that are easily correctable, the better.
Watch for Jake Karabela out of the SCTAs Guelph Gryphons.
I have Whitcomb in around the same slotting as Noah Villeneuve (JRC), Ben Armstrong (Vaughan) and Ben Oliver (kitchener). Not an insult.
If I were to guess, I’d say 7th to 11th rounds.
Yeah I agree with much of your assessment. The other thing with Vaughan is they play a very boring and defensive style of hockey. A lot of their breakout is off the glass or icing the puck when they're in trouble, they don't make a ton of plays up the ice.
When I mentioned Whitcomb it was because someone asked about a player who could go late and be a sleeper. I agree that he will go later in the draft. I believe he could be a sleeper though because he's a big kid who can skate well, he's got really under-rated hands, good hockey sense and seems to score almost every game. He doesn't play with a lot of talent and I wonder if you put him around some better players if he's the kind of guy who will start to really shine.
Marlies haven’t scored much all season long and every team in minor midget has injuries.
Their issue isn’t injuries - they just don’t have the offensive firepower.
George is a good steady player, but 6A all season, and 1g. 0a for 1 pt in 7g in the playoffs is going to give scouts pause for a first round selection, playing on any team, let alone a top team.
For 1st round, they want to see results in minor midget AND a high ceiling. There are a hundred defensemen with 6a that can skate.
Brandt Clarke was 2 pts a game in minor midget and he’s already lighting it up in the OHL.
MoWanchuk1
Registered User
- Feb 18, 2017
- 858
- 296
This more than any other year I can remember, the top players are US born. If all were to come, 10-12 of the first picks would be from the US.
There is strong talent from Ontario, but no game breakers or franchise changers other than Fantilli.
There is strong talent from Ontario, but no game breakers or franchise changers other than Fantilli.
None of the top US players are coming the OHL. We can’t even get their top teams to come to the OHL Cup anymore.
Unfortunately, they have far better development options in the US.
As for Fantilli, I doubt he will play in the OHL. If he wanted to play in the OHL - why go away to Kimball Union to play prep school hockey? Doesn’t make any sense. No - he’s going to go NCAA.
Sidney Crosby (the adult version) probably wouldn’t be a franchise changer for North Bay. They might need Crosby and Letang, plus Murray.
Lots of good players, and very few weak ones, but they aren’t going to have 4-5D taken in the first or second round. Nelson sticks out the most especially offensively but is undersized even by undersized standards - the rest are solid but I think will be later rounds.
Last edited:
I’ve personally seen George with more points than that. If you wanna go by GTHL stats page (which is a first during the season) Then by all means, but It’s similar to using Wikipedia as a credited expert source. Further more, injuries happen all over, I get it, but the Marlies iced a team in Whitby that had 5 Bantam players. The top line at one point was Levin, Petterson and Bonaiuto with the top pair defense being Muir and Hinkley. Baiocchi (a forward) and a Bantam defenseman were the next pair. Tell me that is normal injury rates for AAA hockey.
Brandt Clarke was a defenseman that was a part of (arguably) the best Minor Midget team ever. He was invisible for the Colts until the coaching change. Not knocking Clarke, but not a great example, especially since his forward group was Shane Wright and Brennan Othman.
Most teams don’t have their superstars during the time of the OHL cup. Compuware last year declined because they wouldn’t ice the same team they did in Whitby. This year, NTDP tryouts are the same week. US teams gather from all around. Two quick, but not the only examples are Beau Jelsma, a Canadian playing for buffalo, and Seamus Casey has played two years of minor midget for Detroit Comp and Florida, Don’t think it needs to be said that those two city/states aren’t close to each other. Since they draw from all over, they are in it to win it. If they don’t have their best players, they don’t want to come and play without a strong chance to win.
Last edited:
Exactly my thoughts! Prospect Pipeline has their 4th D at 55, sorry bud but they won't have 4 go in the first 2 rounds!
Ive enjoyed Pipelines for a nice reference on players as far as a checklist goes, never a rankings though.
The same as I was on Kai Greaves last year, I can’t understand what is so high end attractive about Buchinger. Everyone has him so high (like greaves and hipkin last year) but I could never see them as a top 4 round pick.
I find Buchinger makes good decisions for the most part and moves the puck well. He's a good skater and gets it up the ice efficiently. He's not a stalwart defensively, but more of a new aged defenseman who can transition quickly. At least on the defensive side he gets his stick in lanes and positions himself averagely. I would take him anywhere in the 35-50 range of the draft if he was available.
With Van Vliet I find he's the opposite player from Buchinger. He's more of a responsible defensive player, and he can play a physical brand of hockey. I saw one of his games he AP'd with Whitby and he was far more physical than I ever saw in his league play. Not a lot of skill with the puck, but he skates pretty well for a big player and he keeps it simple. I think he could end up playing on a second pair and first PK unit in the OHL. I think he's probably got more of a range of where he might fall in the draft because he's different from most of the other higher end defensemen. I could see him anywhere in the 30-60 range.
Sirman has good offensive instincts as well, he can skate very well and he's efficient defensively. Sometimes he doesn't move the puck on time and holds on to it too long, and he tries to carry it when there's a better play to move it up the ice. But he has a good shot and can create offensively. He'll probably be the second defensemen taken out of this group, I would guess somewhere in the early to mid 2nd round (21-35)
Nelson is clearly the most talented of the defensemen on the team. He's small but he's got a very sturdy frame. He shows a lot of maturity in his game, and I love the way he communicates out there. In recent years he probably compares most similarly to Mete and Moore, but I think he might have more upside than both of those players. He's definitely a top 10 player and considering the lack of defensemen at the top of this draft (other than Cam Allen not a lot of defensemen at the top of next year's draft either) I would be surprised if he doesn't end up going in the top 5.
As a parent of a Chief alum it's unfortunate that this year the OHL Cup is cancelled. Not since the Konecny/Crouse team have they had a team capable of competing for the trophy. Alas, maybe next year.
Tristan bertucci will be a very good one for next year too. Super smart
Damn shame for Elgin. That’s a strong, strong team that would have done well. Not much separations tween them and jrc/quinte
if they havent played any games how would they determine the order of selection? i would think they would need to finish the regular season first, be it a full season or if they play a few games less. maybe they get it in by april 4th.
you are right thou, at the end of the day i dont see why it wouldnt happen.
Generalsupdates
@GeneralsUpdates on Twitter
- Sep 4, 2017
- 7,301
- 4,973
Tony Saxon says it'll still be April 4th, which means when the OHL does come back they'll be starting the playoffs based on the current standings because you can't do the draft then finish the reg. season after or the order of the picks would change
Users who are viewing this thread
Latest posts
-
-
Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XXI (Will these playoffs ever F'ing end?) (135 Viewers)
- Latest: NYRangers0723
-
-
Salary Cap: 24-25 Salary Thread Crosbicles Volume MXIIX: Rust out, Marner in, all part of the plan! (38 Viewers)- Latest: Jag68Sid87
-
