Ryan Merkley – Right Defenseman – 5’11 170lbs – Guelph Storm in the OHL – 4gp 1g 5a 6p
The former first overall selection in the OHL Priority Draft is an interesting player to watch this draft. The diminutive defender is arguably the most talented defenseman in a draft filled with strong players. Purely from an offensive standpoint he’s extremely dynamic. Last season he won the OHL Rookie of the Year on the back of a 12 goal and 55 point (in 66 games) campaign. He led the Storm in points. He also had the dubious distinction of having the worst +/- in the OHL at -41…but…well the Storm sucked anyways. Like a lot of pure offensive defenders with the ability to break the game with one play, he’s also prone to some mistakes that can be costly. The double edged sword of the nature of players like Merkley. I will say that Merkley is a bit unlucky that he plays without a great partner to augment his game. Which really stood out in the Ivan Hlinka where he helped win Gold for Canada with 6 assists in the 4 games. He looked very good beside top prospect Jett Woo who really allowed Merkley to play the rover without consequences.
Like other smaller defenders that destroy junior. It’s always a bit of a crapshoot as to their NHL future. You can look at the most obvious player like Karlsson and hope for something similar, but that’s always highly unlikely.
Then you can see guys like Ryan Ellis or Tyson Barrie. Ellis has never hit the scoring production most predicted after an illustrious junior career, yet he’s sacrificed scoring for overall game and quietly become one of the most underrated two-way defenders in the game. Barrie on the other hand is anything but an underrated two-way defender, but has carved a niche for himself as an offensive defenseman that can play in a top-4.
Then you look around and see players like Ryan Murphy and Derrick Pouliot and you realize how difficult it is for smaller offensive defenders to make an NHL impact where conservative coaches won’t sit idly back while you make risky plays and allow opponents prime chances.
Merkley should hear his name called in the top-15. With the way his season has started, it’s hard to see him slip if he keeps it up. However there are a lot of good defensive prospects in this draft, many who have the size advantage, even if less naturally skilled. He’s about a month off the cutoff for the 2019 Draft, so age and maturity will be a factor. He has a lot of room to grow, both physically and in his game.
NHL Comparable : Kevin Shattenkirk