OHL Tier Lists Thread

[Donnie740]

Aitcheson is a nice player but expecting an 18yr old defenceman to dominate the league is a laughable overestimate.

 

[NorthernBridge7]

 

[Leviathan899]

Knights D>Oshawa D

You may be right, London does have a good back end. Hard to compete with Dickinson and Bonk. But I would say it’s close. Oshawa best D in the east though imo. Barrie if they get Eliasson will be good too. Akey, Bertucci, Aitcheson and Eliasson would be a solid top 4.

it’s just for Barlow. Not smith

Fair enough. I wonder if they circle back to smith at some point. But I do think they like D’Amato’s offence.

 

[Leviathan899]

Yes. If the rumoured Eliasson deal goes down and Barrie ends up with those guys in their top 4, it would be lights out defence. People forget how good Akey was before his injury. The question for the Colts is whether they will add the depth needed up front.

Loads of elite wingers available though. Many potential 50 goal scorers off the wing likely on the trade market. Oshawa getting Barlow won’t be a significant difference if Brampton ends up with Pinelli, and Barrie ends up with Romani. Misa may also come available. Look for a team like Brantford to be all in on a deal like that if they are loading up for next year while trying to make the most of this year. I think NB will roll the dice on Van Steensel being back as an OA next season but they could make him available as well.

Van Steensel is an OA this year.

 

[OMG67]

Van Steensel is an OA this year.

Ah, yes. Maybe he moves prior to the deadline then.

If Brady Stonehouse is returned after he rehabs his injury (December), I wonder if any of the competitive teams would make OA room for his type of play. I know there are some out there that discount his play and level of contribution but on a Championship calibre team, a player like Stonehouse running around wreaking havoc could be a hell of a lot of fun and a distraction for the opposition. I think he would look great in Oshawa but they wouldn’t have room for him. I am wondering if a Western contender like London would rotate one of their returning players out to add that element to their lineup?

 

[OHL4Life]

You may be right, London does have a good back end. Hard to compete with Dickinson and Bonk. But I would say it’s close. Oshawa best D in the east though imo. Barrie if they get Eliasson will be good too. Akey, Bertucci, Aitcheson and Eliasson would be a solid top 4.


Fair enough. I wonder if they circle back to smith at some point. But I do think they like D’Amato’s offence.

they still want smith. Just will need to be a second trade

 

[Generalsupdates]

In fairness, you’re getting back the best D in the deal. So you’re down 1, plus they have Mcdonell and O’Toole. Bedkowski was a third pair guy last year, he needs to clean up his decision making and get a step faster imo. If you have the opportunity to add a D of Smith’s caliber, plus the chance of a 50 goal scorer in Barlow, you do it everyday.

Don't try to use logic with them, it just goes nowhere lol

 

[frontsfan67]

If Oshawa is not down a D after a Barlow trade, their D would be among the top 5 imo. I doubt even the knights will be able to match the colts Aitcheson, Akey, and Berucci. If Eliasson is added, the colts D really should be considered best over all imo.

Completely agree. Knights last year was unmatched. The bottom 4 isn’t as good this year now but top pairing will be better

Colts have the best top 4 in the league with Eliasson- he is EXACTLY what their defence needed.

 

[frontsfan67]

Aitcheson is a nice player but expecting an 18yr old defenceman to dominate the league is a laughable overestimate.

You’re right

17 year old zayne Parekh didn’t do that last year

 

[dirty12]

Aitcheson is a nice player but expecting an 18yr old defenceman to dominate the league is a laughable overestimate.

Danford, #1 of ‘the best D bar none’? He is an ‘06 as well.

Ah, yes. Maybe he moves prior to the deadline then.

If Brady Stonehouse is returned after he rehabs his injury (December), I wonder if any of the competitive teams would make OA room for his type of play. I know there are some out there that discount his play and level of contribution but on a Championship calibre team, a player like Stonehouse running around wreaking havoc could be a hell of a lot of fun and a distraction for the opposition. I think he would look great in Oshawa but they wouldn’t have room for him. I am wondering if a Western contender like London would rotate one of their returning players out to add that element to their lineup?

Might be a fit for the steelheads.

 

[Donnie740]

You’re right

17 year old zayne Parekh didn’t do that last year

Parekh put up some big offensive numbers thanks to the fact that he played on a team that was stacked with talent, but he’s a very soft player and defensively he’s mediocre at best.

Calgary made a catastrophic mistake drafting Parekh ahead of Sam Dickinson. Maybe I’m the only one who sees it at this point, but Dickinson is a far superior to Parekh and his game will translate much better to the NHL.

 

[Kingpin794]

Parekh put up some big offensive numbers thanks to the fact that he played on a team that was stacked with talent, but he’s a very soft player and defensively he’s mediocre at best.

Calgary made a catastrophic mistake drafting Parekh ahead of Sam Dickinson. Maybe I’m the only one who sees it at this point, but Dickinson is a far superior to Parekh and his game will translate much better to the NHL.

They play completely different games. Of course Dickinson is the better traditional defender. Does that game typically translate better to the NHL? Historically yes. But that’s ignoring the fact that the game has been changing over the last 10 years or so. You’re going to see more offensively creative d men succeed in the NHL down the road. They can both be successful.

 

[Finster8]

If Parekh would be traded this year with conditional picks for next if applicable then Sag loses the best offensive D in the league. In return they get 1st Rd pick and 3-2nds + 3-3rds + which would strengthen the D. They will have the forwards to score thenChernyshov comes back, don’t count them out,yet.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

I see the west this year as a completely toothless dog, London will have as good if not better team than last year and should steam roll the league.

It will be interesting to see if OS and Saginaw sell or hold.

The east is the beast this year, teams have to be sharp or they will fall hard in the standings.

 

[Kingpin794]

I see the west this year as a completely toothless dog, London will have as good if not better team than last year and should steam roll the league.

It will be interesting to see if OS and Saginaw sell or hold.

The east is the beast this year, teams have to be sharp or they will fall hard in the standings.

Idk. Last year's London team was probably the strongest iteration of the knights since 2016. Don't know if this year's team is going to be quite as deep. Still should be favorites in the West. But they could definitively be just as good as last year if they decided to go buying. Just hasn't really be the knights m.o. to do that in the past few years. More often add complimentary pieces that fit well.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Idk. Last year's London team was probably the strongest iteration of the knights since 2016. Don't know if this year's team is going to be quite as deep. Still should be favorites in the West. But they could definitively be just as good as last year if they decided to go buying. Just hasn't really be the knights m.o. to do that in the past few years. More often add complimentary pieces that fit well.

I absolutely know how crazy that sounds! And I stated that last years team was the best team I saw since 2005… just 1 data point but last year we sent 11 players to NHL camp which was the most in the league, this year it’s 13!

We may lose Cowan and one of the imports but all other players step up and are a year older. The graduations from last year are replaced internally already.

We should get:
() designate NHL draft rd

(1)Bonk
(1)Dickinson
(6) Wooley
Leonard (OA)
Brzustewicz (should be top prospect)
Jenken (OJHL Rookie Allstar)
Fagan (OJHL Rookie Allstar, 3rd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Spenser
Mitchell (2nd rnd OHL, 2026 NHL eligible)

(1)O’Rielly
(1)Cowan
(2)Halttunen
(3)Barkey
(4)Nurmi
(5)Julien (OA)
(6)Nichol
(6)Sim (OA)
Johnston (clearly stepped up 19 year old)
Van Gorp
Van Bommel
Arrowsmith (2nd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Hawery (top prospect 2026)
Read
Boulton
Bidgood
Gerber
Mews (top prospect 2026)

If that is the roster that is 11 NHL prospects, and 6 world junior players (4 CAN, 2FIN)

This is a better team than last year.

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

 

[Finster8]

I absolutely know how crazy that sounds! And I stated that last years team was the best team I saw since 2005… just 1 data point but last year we sent 11 players to NHL camp which was the most in the league, this year it’s 13!

We may lose Cowan and one of the imports but all other players step up and are a year older. The graduations from last year are replaced internally already.

We should get:
() designate NHL draft rd

(1)Bonk
(1)Dickinson
(6) Wooley
Leonard (OA)
Brzustewicz (should be top prospect)
Jenken (OJHL Rookie Allstar)
Fagan (OJHL Rookie Allstar, 3rd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Spenser
Mitchell (2nd rnd OHL, 2026 NHL eligible)

(1)O’Rielly
(1)Cowan
(2)Halttunen
(3)Barkey
(4)Nurmi
(5)Julien (OA)
(6)Nichol
(6)Sim (OA)
Johnston (clearly stepped up 19 year old)
Van Gorp
Van Bommel
Arrowsmith (2nd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Hawery (top prospect 2026)
Read
Boulton
Bidgood
Gerber
Mews (top prospect 2026)

If that is the roster that is 11 NHL prospects, and 6 world junior players (4 CAN, 2FIN)

This is a better team than last year.

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

Looks like a strong team no doubt and serious contenders it’s early with 68 games ahead. Their always are surprises. London will be a Western conference favorite.

 

[rangersblues]

I definitely don't have enough knowledge of the entire league to make a thorough assessment of the tiers. But it does seem to me that both Peterborough and Kitchener have a solid group of 07s that should develop and contribute enough this season that both teams should end up in the playoffs.

 

[OHL4Life]

I absolutely know how crazy that sounds! And I stated that last years team was the best team I saw since 2005… just 1 data point but last year we sent 11 players to NHL camp which was the most in the league, this year it’s 13!

We may lose Cowan and one of the imports but all other players step up and are a year older. The graduations from last year are replaced internally already.

We should get:
() designate NHL draft rd

(1)Bonk
(1)Dickinson
(6) Wooley
Leonard (OA)
Brzustewicz (should be top prospect)
Jenken (OJHL Rookie Allstar)
Fagan (OJHL Rookie Allstar, 3rd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Spenser
Mitchell (2nd rnd OHL, 2026 NHL eligible)

(1)O’Rielly
(1)Cowan
(2)Halttunen
(3)Barkey
(4)Nurmi
(5)Julien (OA)
(6)Nichol
(6)Sim (OA)
Johnston (clearly stepped up 19 year old)
Van Gorp
Van Bommel
Arrowsmith (2nd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Hawery (top prospect 2026)
Read
Boulton
Bidgood
Gerber
Mews (top prospect 2026)

If that is the roster that is 11 NHL prospects, and 6 world junior players (4 CAN, 2FIN)

This is a better team than last year.

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

how is mews a top 2026 nhl prospect? he went in the third round

 

[OMG67]

how is mews a top 2026 nhl prospect? he went in the third round

Siblings…. MAX Mews.

 

[Generalsupdates]

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

The biggest trade chip anyone has is their most recent 1st round pick and London can't trade theirs as he just told every team he was going NCAA to specifically fall to London so seems unlikely he's accepting a trade out of there 6 months later.

I do think Willmore is solid, but last year at this time London picked up the reigning OHL goalie of the year. This year they're running with a career backup and a rookie. They very well may still be good in net, but you cant act like goal is as sure a thing as last year was going into the season.

The biggest benefit London has this year is the West looks very weak compared to the East. I think 4 of the top 6 teams in the league are in the East, and Erie looks like the only other good team and they have very few picks to use to get better (but can trade Challenger)

 

[frontsfan67]

Siblings…. MAX Mews.

MAX Mews went 3rd round in the 2024 OHL Draft

 

[OHL4Life]

Siblings…. MAX Mews.

I know who it is, I’ve seen him, how is he a top prospect for the 26 nhl draft?

MAX Mews went 3rd round in the 2024 OHL Draft

See above

 

[OMG67]

I know who it is, I’ve seen him, how is he a top prospect for the 26 nhl draft?


See above

He’s in London. That’s enough, right?

 

[Squirrel88]

Does anyone know the last time the East had a higher winning percentage than the West? Google was no help.

I honestly don't know whether it was 2 years ago or 20, but it feels like it has been a while.

More specific to this thread, are we sleeping on Flint a bit? Lots of new faces that need to gel, but they have a relatively experienced team that has upside and some assets to fill holes.