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| Bryson Cianfrone (Terry Wilson / OHL Images) |
For second year players in the OHL, this is their year to make their mark. Whether they are heading into their first year of draft eligibility or not, both drafted and undrafted sophomores set out to prove their value.
Here are a collection of OHLers that I feel are worth paying a little extra attention to throughout the upcoming season.
Bryson Cianfrone F (Mississauga Steelheads)
The Mississauga Steelheads have been a difficult team to read in recent years. From past top prospects such as Stuart Percy and Joseph Cramarossa to their current group of young players, there consistently appears to be a challenge in evaluating their talent. With Bryson Cianfrone, this is no different.
Cianfrone came into the league after moving from the United States Hockey League and passing on his commitment to the University of Michigan. Despite being a third round pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, Cianfrone had a cloud of mystery floating over him. That hasn't changed yet.
Having gone through a couple of NHL drafts without selection, Cianfrone needs to prove that his small stature won't be a limitation on his pro potential. Cianfrone reminds me of former London Knights standout Daniel Erlich. Erlich was able to quickly become one of the most enjoyable players in Ontario to watch, but has not been able to find much professionally in North America. Cianfrone would likely prefer a little more than a career in Europe.
Cianfrone will very likely get some camp invites even if he has an average season, but now is the time to put everything together.
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| Adam Craievich (Terry Wilson/ OHL Images) |
Adam Craievich knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. That much we know. What we don't know is how much longer he'll be able to keep doing it.
Craievich came out of minor midget
known as a scorer, but fell in his OHL draft year because his
potential was tougher to read than most. Log-jammed on a deep Guelph
Storm roster last season, Craievich never truly had a chance to
showoff off his major junior game. With a Guelph team that is
experiencing a fair bit of turnover this year, Craievich now has the
opportunity to step up. Craievich pretty much just needs to show that
he isn't the David Perklin of his class.
Lawson Crouse F (Kingston Frontenacs)
I won't be shy about it: I haven't yet become a big believer in Lawson Crouse's NHL potential. Top-six forward? I don't see it. But that could change, and Crouse will need to come out firing to do it. After having a strong Ivan Hlinka tournament in August, Crouse comes into the season with high expectations.
At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Crouse already has a massive frame. In fact, he may have even slimmed down a bit. What Crouse needs to do this season is be an absolute beast on the forecheck and along the wall. Crouse already displayed his will and power in his rookie season, but now is when it counts the most.
Crouse will very likely be a first round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and scoring in the OHL shouldn't be a problem this season. But if there's one thing that he needs to develop moving forward, it's his wrist shot. To me, that will make or break Crouse as a top-six or bottom-six player in the future.
Sean Day D (Mississauga Steelheads)
Coming off his first season following his granting of “exceptional”
status, Sean Day can now step up and be a leader of the Mississauga
Steelheads. While he isn't draft eligible until 2016, Day will treat
this season as the stepping stone to the top spot on 2016 rankings.
The Steelheads have some firepower up front this season with
Cianfrone, rookie Michael McLeod, and potentially Nathan Bastien; Day
can get up the ice just fine on his own, but he'll need to utilize
the weapons in front of him to find greater success. After a tough
start to last season, I'm looking for Day to come out with extremely
high puck confidence.
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| Cristiano DiGiacinto (Terry Wilson / OHL Images) |
When Cristiano DiGiacinto came into the OHL out of Hamilton Junior A, he immediately made himself known. He'd hit, he'd fly up and down the ice, and he'd score. That's how you do it.
But then DiGiacinto started playing a little overconfident, and it started taking away from his value.
DiGiacinto went from a midget standout with Hamilton to a Junior A standout with Hamilton to the OHL to becoming a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick. That mouthful all happened in essentially one year. It's time to not just be that inspiration now, but that player who can continue to inspire at the next level.
Christian Dvorak F (London Knights)
The London Knights were supposed to be a big deal last season. And for the most part, they were. Unfortunately for Christian Dvorak, he never got to be a huge part of it.
Now a second round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, Dvorak is out to show that he can be a reliable top-six forward. His draft spot was all off potential. With average size, Dvorak will need to make himself visible on a consistent basis. This is his time to make his agility shine.
Steve Lorentz F (Peterborough Petes)
If there's a player who isn't visible but remains effective in this league, it's Steve Lorentz. Fans of the league's Western Conference seem to hardly know who he is despite the fact that he moved up through the Waterloo Wolves system.
Lorentz can keep doing his thing and the majority of people will be fine with it. Is he flashy? No. Will he make your eyes wonder what in the world they just witnessed? Nope. But can he be that second or third line player who does his job night in and night out? Absolutely.
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| Jake Marchment (Aaron Bell / OHL Images) |
It's tough to be seen as a real NHL prospect when you play for Belleville. That just seems to be the way it is. Brendan Gaunce is our most recent example of that.
But Marchment is a litte different. He doesn't have that "offensive leader" kind of talent. And that's perfect. Marchment will captain the Bulls this season, and a lot of that decision likely comes down to it being tough to find someone who will say something negative about his game.
Marchment is willing to do it all for his team, and that's what made him a re-entry pick of the Los Angeles Kings this past summer. Marchment is the kind of player who could play ten years on an NHL team's third line. And that's a very, very good thing.
Blake Siebenaler D (Niagara IceDogs)
Blake Siebenaler is the kind of defenseman who could quarterback a powerplay all day. Vision, agility, and confidence are all easily apparent to anyone who watches him. For an offensive-minded blueliner, the physicality Siebenaler plays with is somewhat unexpected, but definitely admirable.
Niagara has a high-potential group of defensemen this season, and Siebenaler will be a huge part of it. I'm looking for 45 points at minimum from Siebenaler this year.
Ethan Szypula F (Owen Sound Attack)
Ethan Szypula didn't have a good rookie season in Owen Sound. He'll probably be the first person who would tell you that. But that doesn't mean I don't expect him to do big things this year.
Oddly enough, Szypula actually reminds me a lot of Kyle Platzer, a relatively new teammate of his with the Attack. Much like Platzer, Szypula has the offensive skillset to wire pucks past netminders coming into the offensive zone.
In minor midget, Szypula was an offensive force to be feared; in Junior B, Platzer was a threat every time he touched the puck. I'd like to see a Platzer-Szypula combination in Owen Sound. While they're similar players, the two might just be able to spark each other.
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| Mitchell Vande Sompel (Terry Wilson / OHL Images) |
The London Knights Gold 1996 minor midget group produced two players with high offensive ceilings: Szypula, and Mitchell Vande Sompel.
There were times when Vande Sompel would act as a forward back then, but now he needs to focus on being a rushing defenseman. Of course there will be times when rushing is inappropriate, but Vande Sompel will need to be the skater who makes those judgement calls to find success at the pro level.
Vande Sompel is already an elite skater in the OHL. After showing very encouraging signs in his rookie season, Vande Sompel can now be looked at as an offensive catalyst - but as a defenseman.
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That wraps up the first post of the year here on O'Connor Hockey. I hope you found some value in it, and I look forward to posting more throughout the season.
