First Round Favourite: Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa Generals
Ritchie was the 2nd overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection by the Oshawa Generals and has been a huge asset for them. He had a quick impact by finishing his rookie season with 45 points (19G,26A) in 65 games, being awarded as part of the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team. This year Ritchie has looked great, playing even more defensively minded while still being able to show off his offensive tools, producing at just under a point-per-game, which is 2nd on his team in points. Richie has the potential to become a Top 5 pick in this draft and he definitely put his name into the discussion after an excellent performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, being a standout and finishing with 10 points (4G,6A) in 5 games, leading his team and the tournament in points.
There’s so much to love about Ritchie’s game and so little to dislike. The best part of his game is the way he thinks as he possesses elite hockey sense and consistently makes smart and responsible decisions in all three zones. He understands where to be to take away passing lanes with his active stick and has the strength to pickpocket puck carriers easily. He also has elite offensive tools in both his shot and vision. He’s able to get his release off quickly and from in-tight, making him a constant threat with the puck. He’s able to connect with teammates through tight holes and has great anticipation and patience, waiting for the best option available. Ritchie’s offensive game doesn’t always stand-out, but it could be because of the lack of talent on his team and because he understands he can’t take as many risks. There may be a lot of untapped offense that Richie is just waiting to show at the right moments.
Ritchie is mostly known for having a very pro-style, responsible and two-way game, but there are times where he shows some flash and creativity that forces you to watch the replay because of his ability to make such great plays at high pace. Here is a great play of Ritchie creating a strong offensive zone entry with great speed, while displaying his soft hands. He’s able to handle the puck very well in traffic and does so here to enter the zone. Once he enters the zone, all eyes are on Ritchie, and he understands that, making a great play to open up space for his teammate. He then drops the puck in between the defenders to create a high danger chance for his teammate.
Ritchie is known as both a playmaker and goal scorer, but I still believe his shot is underrated and people aren’t talking about how he possesses one of the best shots in this draft. Here is a great look at how quick and clean Ritchie’s release is and how dangerous he is from all over the offensive zone. Once Ritchie receives the pass, there is little to no draw-back and he’s able to get his shot off with minimal space given. The velocity and accuracy on this shot is high-end and close to elite in my opinion.
The defensive side of Ritchie’s game is what I love the most. His ability to pick-pocket with ease and just his defensive awareness in general is on display every single game. However, one area I have found he’s also very effective at is on the penalty kill. In this clip you can see Ritchie’s great defensive awareness, understanding where to be and also knowing when to be conservative or aggressive. On this shift, Ritchie does a great job at using both his stick and body to quickly apply pressure on the puck carrier, giving them little time to make a play. His skating ability allows him to stay in great positioning and take away as much space as possible.
Pushing for the Top 50: Carson Rehkopf, W, Kitchener Rangers
With the Kitchener Rangers having a slow start despite having high expectations, Rehkopf has been one of the more intriguing players to watch. The 17th overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection had a smooth transition into the league and finished his rookie season with 33 points (18G,15A) in 65 games, which was 7th on his team in points. He’s continued to develop and has had a strong season so far. He had a successful performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, playing both centre and the wing and finishing with 5 points (1G,4A) in 5 games.
Rehkopf has a lot of tools that many scouts are looking for in first round candidates. He has the size, skating, skill and also defensive awareness that makes him so valuable. The one thing that may keep Rehkopf outside of the first is that although there aren’t any glaring weaknesses to his game, none of his strengths are considered elite at this time. However, he has a very solid all-around game which makes him a potential safe pick for teams in the top 50. He thinks the game very well and is very effective on both sides of the puck. He has both great vision and a shot, making him a dual threat. He handles the puck very well through traffic and in-tight, using his body and reach to protect the puck and keep possession for his team. Defensively, Rehkopf stands out consistently by making great reads and being in great position to suppress chances against. He has the compete to out-battle opponents for pucks and has an active stick that he uses often to lift opponents and force turnovers. There is a lot of potential and room for Rehkopf to continue to grow, making him a player to keep an eye on in the second half.
Rehkopf is a dual threat as both a playmaker and goal scorer. Here’s a good look at Rehkopf’s release and shooting accuracy. Rehkopf understands how to take advantage of space if it’s given to him, like he does here on the power play. Receiving the puck at the top of the zone, Rehkopf sees open ice and starts to drive towards the net. Once the defender bites, he releases a quick shot that beats the goalie cleanly upstairs for a nice goal.
Rehkopf is a two-way player with a strong 200ft game, always competing hard on both sides of the puck. Here is a great sequence that displays Rehkopf’s strong defensive game and compete. Starting away from the puck, Rehkopf uses his speed to backcheck hard and force a takeaway with a clean stick lift. After the takeaway he’s quickly met by an opponent, but he makes a quick deke to blow past and maintain speed. He attempts to make a pass but misses his target, resulting in a turnover. He stays committed and makes a good defensive play to apply pressure and suppress any chances against.
Rehkopf thinks the game at a high level and consistently makes smart decisions with and without the puck. In this clip Rehkopf displays great offensive awareness, great positioning, and great vision. After receiving the puck, Rehkopf quickly finds his teammate in the slot for a high danger shot that gets saved. Rehkopf comes up with the rebound behind the net and while under pressure, finds a teammate to get the puck to. He then continues by following the play and keeping good positioning by applying pressure on opponents while also looking for open space to give his teammates an option. Rehkopf reads the play well and gets into space where he knows the puck will end up. After coming up with the puck, Rehkopf drives hard towards the net and dekes his way through traffic and then makes a good attempt at a wrap-around, but ends up being denied.
Mid Round Candidate: Luke McNamara, C, Saginaw Spirit
McNamara is a player that hasn’t been talked about much and seems to be under the draft radar, but in each viewing, I’ve come away impressed and I think he deserves more attention. McNamara was drafted 15th overall in the OHL Priority Selection by the Saginaw Spirit and had a good rookie season finishing with 22 points (7G,15A) in 63 games. Despite McNamara having a slow start to this season, he has 6 points in his last 8 games and has been heating up.
McNamara’s main asset is, without a doubt, his hands and puck handling. He is consistently showing off his skill by beating opponents cleanly with his bag of tricks and dekes. He has the ability to draw in opponents and embarrass them. When there seems to be no room under pressure, he’s able to find open space and maneuver the puck into it with ease. He has the reach and good body positioning to protect the puck and keep possession for his team. Defensively he uses his stick to retrieve pucks from opponents in board battles and has the strength to lift sticks and force turnovers. One area that he will need to continue to improve is his speed and ability to separate from opponents. Although he has the skill and deception to beat opponents, he will need to add more speed and improve his skating to be effective at the next levels. McNamara’s tool kit is intriguing to me, making him a mid-round candidate, but if he continues to produce, his draft stock will continue to rise.
In each game that I’ve watched Saginaw, McNamara catches my eye with a flash of his high-end skill and ability to beat opponents with his hands and deception. In this clip McNamara displays strong vision in transition, understanding where the open ice is and how to get there. McNamara starts this play by gaining speed with the puck in his own zone. He notices the first opponent attacking aggressively so he makes a quick deke, faking going inside and beats him clean on the outside. He is quickly met with another opponent and sees his body is positioned to the outside so he cuts back to the middle and makes a pass to a teammate to create the zone entry. He finishes it off by driving hard to the net. If McNamara is able to improve his skating so he can increase his speed, he could become very effective in transition and difficult to defend against.
Here's a good display of McNamara’s offensive skill on the rush. He starts the play by making a good saucer pass to his teammate to break out. After the pass, McNamara quickly gets to the neutral zone where his teammate makes a good play to take away a defender by forcing them to the outside and then finds McNamara wide open. McNamara comes into the offensive zone with good speed, forcing the defender back. He then makes a quick cut to the outside to open up space and releases a nice shot far side and upstairs.
One of the areas of McNamara’s game that I love the most is his ability to play with his reach and understanding how to maximize it as a strength. In this clip he does a great job by following the zone entry away from the puck, bu closely behind, being able to maintain his speed and giving his teammate the option for a pass. His teammate sets him up with a nice drop pass and McNamara does a good job at driving towards the net, faking a shot to freeze the goalie, and then using his reach to score a nice goal on a wrap-around.