With the CHL Top Prospects Game complete, and the OHL Regular Season over-halfway done, it is time to start ranking NHL draft-eligible players from the OHL. Here are #1 and #2 and a full breakdown of each player.
The 2024 NHL Draft is about five months away, and it is time to start discussing the top prospects from the OHL in this class.
Here is my first edition of draft rankings, beginning with ranks 1 & 2:
1. Sam Dickinson, LD, London Knights. 6'3" 194 lbs.
GP: 44 G: 13 A: 29
Sam Dickinson has been at the top of many draft boards since September, and he doesn't seem to be moving any lower. Dickinson is one of the most complete defencemen we have seen at this age in recent years. He possesses so much poise and patience with the puck on his stick, and he sees the ice on a more "calculated" level than many others in the OHL.
He has been dominant for the London Knights this season — to say the least. He plays on the top power play, on the top penalty kill, and is relied upon heavily by his coaches. Watching Dickinson for the first time, it is easy to mistake him for a twenty-five-year-old veteran defender. He is so mature beyond his years.
Dickinson has a phenomenal first pass. He rarely messes up a breakout, and his teammates always need to be ready for the puck when he is on the ice. He never rushes plays, and he has the ability to out-wait opponents for the perfect lane or option. Dickinson has a booming-shot from the point, and is able to dictate offensive zone play with his vision.
The Toronto, Ontario-native isn't the quickest player on the ice, but his hockey sense makes up for it. He isn't going to beat players with his speed or his feet, but he beats them with his decision making and his vision.
Dickinson easily projects as a top pair defender at the NHL level, a player who can eat minutes in a variety of situations and quarterback his team at any given time. It is not only his size and strength that will allow him to translate seamlessly, it is his maturity and hockey IQ.
2. Zayne Parekh, RD, Saginaw Spirit. 6'0" 181 lbs.
GP: 42 G: 22 A: 64
At first glance, this looks like a skilled-forward's stat line. But no, this is Zayne Parekh, and he can create better than most other defencemen in major junior hockey.
Parekh has taken the OHL by storm this season with his offensive abilities. He's an outstanding skater, he has a fluid stride and high-end mobility and agility. Parekh can beat players with his feet and quickness, but that is not the only way. He can also beat you with his vision, his passing, his shooting, and by simply manipulating his opponents. Parekh can do it all in the attacking zone.
He is always in the right positions to receive the puck and create with it, but he also drives the puck at a high level. Parekh is often the puck carrier through his own zone and into the attacking zone, and he often dictates the play.
Parekh always has a scoring-mentality. He wants to take the puck and find a way to get into the back of the net. He has a high-end shot release and accuracy, and seems to find open space in the slot with ease.
Enough about Parekh's offence, he has taken a lot of strides defensively this season as well. His defensive stick has become a strength of his, as it wasn't last year. Last season, Parekh was a bit of a liability in his own zone. This season, he has been able to balance that aspect of his game. He now gets some penalty kill time, and his active-defence is what makes him effective in his own zone.
Parekh projects as another elite offensive defenceman at the NHL level. The fact that he can create better than any other defenceman in the OHL currently speaks to his talent. He projects as a number-one power play, offensive defender who needs to be balanced out with a strong, veteran defender to be flexible to pl