D Haoxi (Simon) Wang - Oshawa Generals, OHL (2025 Draft)

[Briser la glace]

Here his first game in the OHL.

 

[Briser la glace]

 

[Hinterland]

Top15? Really? I think that would require one heck of a 2025.
Yes, you can't teach size and Wang is clearly a good skater. Still, at this point he's far from a complete or well rounded player and one heck of a project. Being big doesn't mean you go top15 in an NHL draft. Performance matters as well and Wang so far hasn't performed. Talent is there, performance is not. Even Lian Bichsel didn't go top15 despite cracking SHL Leksands in his draft season. Silayev did go top15 but he was a regular for KHL Nizhny Novgorod all draft season long.
Wang, as we speak, isn't even close from Bichsel or Silayev kinda level. The upside may be there but we're talking different worlds here. Wang would get eaten alive playing vs men. Wang so far failed to crack an OHL lineup in his draft season. The one game he played he frankly just wasn't good. I watched the game vs Ottawa and he was struggling. He was bad enough to not get another chance since. He's gonna be one of the younger players available but he has to crack the Generals (or find another place to play at a higher level) if he even wants to get drafted. I'm not saying he can't play in the NHL eventually but at this point he's a project at best and top15 seems like one heck of a stretch. We'll see. But he'd probably have to dominate the OHL if he wants to go top15.

 

[Briser la glace]

Top15? Really? I think that would require one heck of a 2025.
Yes, you can't teach size and Wang is clearly a good skater. Still, at this point he's far from a complete or well rounded player and one heck of a project. Being big doesn't mean you go top15 in an NHL draft. Performance matters as well and Wang so far hasn't performed. Talent is there, performance is not. Even Lian Bichsel didn't go top15 despite cracking SHL Leksands in his draft season. Silayev did go top15 but he was a regular for KHL Nizhny Novgorod all draft season long.
Wang, as we speak, isn't even close from Bichsel or Silayev kinda level. The upside may be there but we're talking different worlds here. Wang would get eaten alive playing vs men. Wang so far failed to crack an OHL lineup in his draft season. The one game he played he frankly just wasn't good. I watched the game vs Ottawa and he was struggling. He was bad enough to not get another chance since. He's gonna be one of the younger players available but he has to crack the Generals (or find another place to play at a higher level) if he even wants to get drafted. I'm not saying he can't play in the NHL eventually but at this point he's a project at best and top15 seems like one heck of a stretch. We'll see. But he'd probably have to dominate the OHL if he wants to go top15.

I agree 100% with you, but it's just a bold prediction made 6 months before the draft, let's not take it too seriously

 

[Hinterland]

I agree 100% with you, but it's just a bold prediction made 6 months before the draft, let's not take it too seriously

We'll see. But Wang has to play in the OHL. If he doesn't get the chance in Oshawa I wonder if he may be involved in a trade. He'd be a valuable asset in trades. Oshawa was bad early on but Ritchie turned the team around single handedly and they've been on a roll since. For as long as Ritchie is healthy I think it would make sense for them to go all in this season.

 

[FourQuarters]

I support the kid, but I also think getting drafted too high is not good for his career.

 

[Albatros]

An interesting project for sure, but if I'm drafting 16th overall and want size in my defense then why would I pick this guy and not Mrtka who has a higher floor and shoots right? On the left Smith might also still be available. It will be very hard to justify him compared to the BPA anywhere in the first round. If he's still available in the 3rd I'd absolutely consider using my pick though.

 

[StreetHawk]

An interesting project for sure, but if I'm drafting 16th overall and want size in my defense then why would I pick this guy and not Mrtka who has a higher floor and shoots right? On the left Smith might also still be available. It will be very hard to justify him compared to the BPA anywhere in the first round. If he's still available in the 3rd I'd absolutely consider using my pick though.

I recall Constantino of SN had him late round 1 in his first mock. He's since slipped out of his last mock draft. In light of the He signing, Wang was born in Asia as well.
A couple other Asian prospects in this draft. Alex Huang and Tanner Lam are rated to go Rd 2 for Huang and then mid rounds for Lam.