The initial stage of projecting which draft-eligible prospects are considered to be future NHL stars was accomplished Tuesday when NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary rankings for the top levels of North American junior hockey.
Central Scouting ranked the top 25 skaters and top goaltenders for each of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Western Hockey League and United States Hockey League, which includes the United States National Team Development Program.
Here is a listing of the top draft-eligible prospects from the Ontario Hockey League for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey:
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
SKATERS
1
Sean Monahan C
Ottawa 6'2/186
2
Darnell Nurse D
Sault Ste. Marie 6'3.5/189
3
Kerby Rychel LW
Windsor 6'1/200
4
Max Domi C
London 5'9.25/193
5
Bo Horvat C
London 6'0.25/200
6
Jason Dickinson C
Guelph 6'1.25/179
7
Nikita Zadorov D
London 6'5.25/230
8
Stephen Harper LW
Erie 6'1.5/202
9
Justin Bailey LW
Kitchener 6'3.25/194
10
Chris Bigras D
Owen Sound 6'0.5/189
11
Ryan Hartman RW
Plymouth 5'11/187
12
Ryan Kujawinski C
Kingston 6'1.75/203
13
Cole Cassels C
Oshawa 6'0/176
14
Jimmy Lodge C
Saginaw 6'0.5/166
15
Zach Nastasiuk RW
Owen Sound 6'1.25/191
16
Remi Elie LW
London 6'0.5/203
17
Jordan Subban D
Belleville 5'9/175
18
Nick Moutrey LW/RW
Saginaw 6'2/208
19
Nicholas Paul LW
Brampton 6'2.25/202
20
Josh Burnside LW
Mississauga 5'11/171
21
Hunter Garlent C
Guelph 5'8.25/164
22
Erik Bradford C
Barrie 5'11.25/178
23
Ben Harpur D
Guelph 6'5.5/210
24
Mark Raycroft D
Brampton 6'2/178
25
Sergei Kuptsov RW
Belleville 6'1.75/214
GOALIES
1
Spencer Martin G
Mississauga 6'2.25/192
2
Michael GuigovazG
Peterborough 6'0/172
3
Alex Fotinos G
Barrie 6'0/176
4
Jordan DeKort G
Windsor 6'4.25/193
5
Jake Patterson G
London 6'0.5/191
6
Jacob Blair G
Ottawa 6'2/176
Leading the way for the OHL contingent is two-way center
Sean Monahan of the Ottawa 67's. Monahan (6-2, 186) had 33 goals and 78 points for Ottawa last season, and already has produced 11 goals and 33 points in 23 contests in 2012-13.
"His production probably would be quite a bit more if he had somebody who could finish for him," Central Scouting's Chris Edwards said. "He gets pucks through traffic, has real good hands, real good play-making ability. He's got an excellent shot, gets it off real quick and gets himself involved in battles for pucks. He's used in every situation, double- and triple-shifted at times."
Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the top rearguard on the list and No. 2 overall on the OHL list. The 6-3 1/2, 189-pound defenseman has four goals, 17 points and a plus-6 rating in 23 games in his second season for the Greyhounds. Nurse had one goal and 10 points as a rookie in 2011-12.
"He's just a big, steady guy that doesn't make a lot of mistakes," Edwards said. "He gets the puck and he generally makes a good pass with it. He's a real smart guy, uses his size well, [is] physical and plays with an edge and toughness. He's a good all-around guy."
Mississauga goalie
Spencer Martin, the top-rated goalie in the OHL, is having a strong sophmore season with a sparkling 11-3-0 record, with a 2.47 GAA and .923 save percentage in fifteen games.
"Spencer is a big goalie with very good net coverage and is aggressive," CSB’s Al Jensen said. "He challenges very well and has a total command of his crease. He's strong and demands space, and I really like his battle and compete level. He's got great drive and determination, good reactions in his feet and pads, and is very athletic."
To see a full rundown of the CSB’s Preliminary rankings for all North American junior league and their international rankings, please click
here
The Central Scouting Bureau is expected to release their mid-term rankings in mid- January following the World Junior Hockey Championships in Ufa, Russia. At that time, all the prospects will be listed as a whole group and not split by league.
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