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2016 NHL Draft: OHL Preview

By Max Marko

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Jakob Chychrun scored with 2.7 seconds left to complete a 4-3 comeback win over visiting Erie Jan. 8, 2015 (Photo courtesy of Metcalfe Photography)

Last year the OHL was full of prospects selected in the first round from Connor McDavid to Travis Konecny. This year the OHL should once again be filled with 1st round picks, but what is more exciting this year is the fringe players that will be fighting for a late 1st round selection.

Besides the later 1st round picks, the OHL does have great prospects in their system. Jakob Chychrun, Max Jones, Sean Day, Logan Brown and Matthew Tkachuk are all prospects that have been linked to a first round prediction.

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Chychrun, a defenseman, has been put inside the top 3 for awhile now. He has been called a man-boy and has been following the footsteps of Aaron Ekblad.

Max Jones and Matthew Tkachuk committed to the London Knights this offseason. Both are powerful scorers and have the ability to win battles.

Sean Day is also a defenseman who has a stronger offensive game than Chychrun. Day is a good skater who was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early.

Logan Brown is a forward who was highly sought after at the OHL Draft. Brown is a better passer than a scorer. He uses playmaking skills to stand out on the ice.

Moving on to prospects that will look to rise up the ranks into the first round, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament certainly helped some of those players.

Players like Michael McLeod, Jordan Kyrou, and Timmy Gettinger all made a name for themselves at the Hlinka Memorial.

McLeod was a prospect that gained the most ground from the tourney. He had a fantastic 5 games scoring 2 goals and 4 points along the way. What was more impressive was his physical presence. He played with grit and determination all game long.

Kyrou impressed with his playmaking and set-up skills during the tournament. He showed that he could be dangerous on a team like the Sarnia Sting with the right targets.

Timmy Gettinger was a big force for the USA behind Casey Mittelstadt.

Gettinger had 2 goals and 2 assists in a 4 game span; however, he put up 30 penalty minutes with 5 minors. He still managed to get a fair amount of ice time for the Americans. Gettinger played a bit inconsistent, though.

I recommend taking a look at the previous post I did on the OHL and the 2016 NHL Draft, which can be found again HERE. 

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