With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft behind us, it's time to begin looking forward to next June in Minnesota where the 2011 draft will be held.
2010 was a great draft for the Ontario Hockey League, with nine selections in the first round (nearly one third of the round). That performance was second to only 2008 among first round selections (eleven).
However, for as good as the 2010 and 2008 drafts were for the league, 2011 could be that much better.
The league's home grown talent of 1993's is good, but the amount of top end talent entering the league this season could make it even better. I recently saw an early top 30 for the 2011 draft from a CHL scout and the combination of current OHL'ers and players expected to skate in the OHL next year, gave the league nearly HALF of the 30 spots on the list. Keep in mind that it is early (REALLY early), but I have no doubts that the OHL could make a run at 50% of the spots in the 2011 first round.
As mentioned, the names on that list were a mixture of current OHL'ers and players stepping into the league as rookies next year. However, it is only speculated that some of those names could end up in the OHL. It's in fact likely that only a few end up playing in the league.
Of current OHL'ers, Ryan Murphy, Matt Puempel, Gabriel Landeskog, Boone Jenner, Scott Harrington, and Brett Ritchie were on the list.
Of confirmed/speculated/possible OHL'ers, Brandon Saad, Alex Khokhlachev, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nicklas Jensen, Tobias Rieder, Lucas Lessio and Scott Mayfield were on the list.
Interestingly enough, the number of potential incoming OHL players on the list was greater than the number of current ones. That obviously speaks volumes as to the level of talent the league will be infused with next season.
The U.S. Development Program's Brandon Saad has already signed on with Saginaw. As a late 1992, he's already got a wealth of experience and should be able to be one of the league's most dynamic offensive players in his first season. This explosive offensive ability is what has scouts considering him a possible top 5 pick for 2011 (and the potential first player chosen for 2011 from the OHL).
Russians Alex Khokhlachev and Vlad Namestnikov are still only rumoured to be coming to the OHL after being chosen by Windsor and London (respectively) in this year's Import Draft. The Spitfires and Knights rarely lose a recruiting battle and they can now sell Alex Burmistrov's success story as a recruiting pitch. Both have been standouts internationally and are considered to be the two best Russian players available for 2011. If they do come over, they should be impact players.
However, fellow Import selections Nicklas Jensen and Tobias Rieder are already confirmed to be coming over to the OHL this season. Both are talented offensive players who come from less traditional hockey nations (Denmark and Germany). While their impact for Oshawa and Kitchener is somewhat of a wild card, as of right now both are considered to be bluechip prospects for 2011.
That leaves us with two players who are less likely to report to the Ontario Hockey League. Lucas Lessio has committed to Michigan for 2011-2012, but that didn't stop him from attending Oshawa's rookie camp in May. He's got a lot of options for next season (OHL, USHL, CCHL), and it remains to be seen how his cards will play out. Scott Mayfield was a surprise selection of the Kitchener Rangers in the 2010 Priority Draft. The late 1992 defenseman was already an impact player in the USHL last season, but may look to move to Kitchener if he believes the OHL offers more in the way of exposure.
With so much draft talent available from the Ontario Hockey League in 2011, this season should be just as exciting as watching all of the aforementioned players grow.
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