By the OilKnight 01/27/2020

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Welcome to our weekly update on CHL prospects. Here are the leading scorers among all 3 leagues for the 2020 draft eligibles & 16 yr old CHL rookies. ***Re-entries are not included***

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OHL

Cole Perfetti now leads the OHL in points thanks in part to the acquisition of Ryan Suzuki, who has 13 points in 8 games for Saginaw. Those two, combined with 20 yr Cole Coskey have been absolute magic since being put together following the Suzuki trade, especially on the powerplay. 

Now, even though Perfetti now leads Marco Rossi in overall points (by 1 point), Rossi still leads in pts/game and even strength pts/game having played 7 less contests. Rossi also has a 58.6 FO% and leads the OHL with a +51. His skating is superior, his motor is relentless and he is the more responsible 200 ft player compared to Perfetti. So while they may be close in points, Rossi still has the edge in several categories and plays a more complete, pro style game that should translate better to the NHL. Rossi is also a driver while Perfetti projects to be more of a complimentary winger than anything though both are sure-fire 1st rounders. 

Meanwhile, Rossi‘s teammate in Ottawa Jack Quinn continues to score at will as he leads all draft eligibles in goals. He’s now up to 37 goals in 43 games and shows no signs of slowing down. He has all but cemented his 1st round draft status in June. 

Ty Tullio is another prospect who has picked up the pace offensively & should continue that down the stretch. Since Oshawa acquired my favourite prospect last year in Philip Tomasino, the two have gone off. Tullio, for his part has 5 goals and 12 pts in those 9 games since the trade. The two have great chemistry and have been dubbed by Sam Cosentino on-air as the “Italian Stallions”. 

Jan Mysak is also finding some success for Hamilton. He’s now scored 4 goals in 5 games as he adjusts to the North American game. OHL guru Brock Otten recently compared him to Rickard Rakell who played for Plymouth in the OHL so you know he’s talented. Rakell, is a two time 30+ goal scorer in the NHL. 

James Hardie went 14 games in Oct-Nov where he registered only 2 assists and no goals on 48 shots. In the 23 games since, he has 19 goals & 33 points and a ridiculous 109 SHOTS! He’s a shoot first ask questions later type player with a booming shot and release. But, shot selection is a real issue and he needs to work on his overall game away from the puck. Regardless, he’s talented and he’s rising. 

Speaking of risers, Ethan Cardwell has really put his name in the mix since being traded to Barrie. Seen as a deep sleeper by some while playing in Saginaw, he has broken out in a big way after scoring 4 goals in the first period against Hamilton over the weekend. He’s now up to 9 points in 8 games for the Colts, and looks like a speedy scorer with upside. He’s also one of the youngest prospects in this upcoming draft. 

Other under the radar players that are rising: Luke Evangelista, Evan Vierling, Reid Valade, Martin Chromiak.

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2021 Draft eligibles

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QMJHL

Mavrik Bourque is one of the hottest players in the Q right now with 5 goals & 10 points in his last 6 games. He’s not the strongest player on the puck or along the boards, put he knows how to shoot and put the puck in the net.

Hendrix Lapierre is still injured recovering from his 3rd concussion in a year. Lapierre, has only played 19 games this season after such a promising Hlinka-Gretzky tournament.

Speaking of injuries, Lukas Cormier made it back in time for the CHL prospects game where he stood out as a surprisingly physical, puck moving defenceman with excellent offensive instincts. Expect an offensive surge down the stretch as long as he stays healthy.

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2021 Draft eligibles

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WHL

Here comes Seth Jarvis. I talked about in length a couple months ago, about how impressed I was with Jarvis went he went head to head against Connor Zary earlier in the season. Well, he’s blown past him now in the overall scoring race registering 11 goals & 28 points in his last 9 games! That’s insane. He’s a high energy guy in a run and gun offense, and there’s plenty of reasons to believe he finishes this list on top. Having viewed him several times now he still reminds of Brendan Gallagher. Not the biggest kid but works hard, has some flair to his game but also a bit of grit too. He’s also 5 months younger than Connor Zary which may or may not influence your opinion. 

Meanwhile, Tristen Robins is having a real nice run himself and is up to #6 on this list. Robins has 20 points (10 goals & 10 assists) in the last 10 games. His teammate Kyle Crnkovic has also benefited from the hot streak. He’s now up to 40 points right behind Robins. 

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2021 Draft eligibles

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We will be providing you updates every week so be sure to check back every Monday or Tuesday for updated stats and highlights!

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