The early part of the first round has been evaluated, now it is time to look at the back half of the top ten, including a couple of players that potentially could have sneaked into the top five.
The second half of the top ten in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection is where it starts to get interesting. It is where some players seperate themselves as one of the top picks, and some fall down the board.
In the top five, there are several players that can be high NHL Draft picks. In the top ten however, there are also some of those players.
6th Overall: Owen Griffin, Oshawa Generals
Owen Griffin has had a considerably difficult start to his OHL career, but his ceiling still remains very high. Griffin has 3 assists through 44 games this season, and has spent most of his time on the fourth line.
In U16, it was Griffin's electric speed that made him a threat. At this level, his speed has begun to level out with others and he hasn't been able to separate himself. That being said, Griffin is the type of player who has high offensive intelligence and can be a low net-front player, or a driver. His utility offensively will pay off once he gets some more ice time, and experienced players around him.
7th Overall: Jack Ivankovic, Mississauga Steelheads
Jack Ivankovic has given hope for the Canadian goaltending of the future, as he is the most exciting OHL goaltending prospect there has been in years. Though the Steelheads have 2006-born goalie Ryerson Leenders, they knew they couldn't pass on the hometown kid in Ivankovic.
Ivankovic has gotten his opportunities this season despite Leenders starting this season and he has not disappointed. He has the ability to be that game changer and steal games for his team — and he does it on a regular basis. He's gotten into 15 games this year, rocking a .906% save percentage as a 2007-rookie.
It is not often that we see goaltenders play right after their OHL Draft year, but Ivankovic is a different beast and has the potential to be a starter in the NHL — and he's still only sixteen. There are likely a couple of teams wishing they took him inside the top five.
8th Overall: Jake O'Brien, Brantford Bulldogs
Jake O'Brien is another player who has played above many of the players picked before him. He has had an an outstanding season for the Bulldogs, leading all OHL rookies in scoring. He has 46 points in 44 games, including 37 assists.
O'Brien's assist count attributes to his next-level vision and awareness. He has eyes in the back of his head and seems to find his teammates through traffic with ease. O'Brien's hockey sense and playmaking ability has surely translated to the junior level, and he is only going to get better.
The plays he is pulling off are plays that a twenty-year-old veteran forward would make, and he is sixteen.
9th Overall: Caden Taylor, Sudbury Wolves
Caden Taylor is the highest player on this list to have been traded already, as he was moved to Peterborough ahead of the OHL Trade Deadline. Taylor has flourished since joining the maroon and white. He has been able to do what he does best — shoot the puck.
Taylor has a lethal release and that was the main draw for scouts when evaluating him last season. If he gets the puck and he has a sliver of space and time, it is likely ending up in the back of the net. In Sudbury, Taylor wasn't getting a whole lot of chances. In Peterborough so far, he's been getting lots of top-six and power play minutes.
Taylor has the potential to score 20-30 goals in his draft season, and maybe even more.
10th Overall: Cameron Reid, Kitchener Rangers
Defenceman Cam Reid has likely had the quietest start to his OHL career, but that is his game. He is quietly going to be effective at this level. Reid moves the puck well up the ice, but he also defends incredibly well with his stick. He can be relied upon at both ends of the ice, even as a rookie.
He has been out of the lineup recently with a supposed injury, but he is hopeful to return before playoffs. Kitchener gets the offence from Brzustewicz, they get the defence from Andonovski, but Cam Reid will give them that two-way game.