Is Matthew Schaefer the bonafide No. 1 overall pick in 2025? After putting up just six points during his rookie season, Oshawa Generals' forward Owen Griffin is on pace to score more than 40 points this season. Last night, he registered the first three-point night in his OHL career in the Generals' win over Ottawa. The Oshawa Generals selected Griffin with the sixth-overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Expectations were high after he signed with the team and started preparing for his rookie campaign. Players who transition from minor league hockey into the OHL have a whole new world on and off the ice that they need to adjust to. Not only is this the first time these 16-year-olds are leaving home, but they also have to adjust to playing against opponents u to four years their senior. Players handle that pressure with mixed results. While some find their footing immediately, see Beckett Sennecke, others take a moment to adjust. It's incredibly common for players to need a year to adjust especially when they are smaller. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNyiajB-ww[/embed] In his OHL draft year, Griffin ran rampant over his opponents scoring a league-leading 94 points in 35 games. In two separate trips to the OHL Cup, the 5-foot-10 forward averaged more than a point per game against some of the best competition in Ontario. He seemed like a guaranteed success from day one. However, at the start of his rookie season, Griffins couldn't seem to find his way onto the scoreboard. Through his first 25 games, he remained pointless despite having chances. It was shocking for a player who had been so dominant in the minor league. Coming into his sophomore year, things changed. Griffin started the year with a three-game point streak during which he scored a goal and added four assists. Ten games into the season he was almost a point per game player. He's currently tied for sixth in scoring on the Generals with 31 points in 44 games. During the game against Ottawa last night, Griffin scored two goals and added an assist while registering the first three-point night of his OHL career. The change couldn't have come at a better time as he is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. NHL Central Scouting listed Griffin 197th among North American Skaters on their midterm rankings. Griffin is an elite playmaker whose hockey sense is his greatest strength at the OHL level. Despite his stature, he is unafraid to dig in the dirty areas around the net. His puckhandling and shooting abilities are nothing to be sneered at. His size is certainly a factor in his current ranking. He would likely rise up teams' draft boards if he were to grow a little before the end of the year. As it is, he's a player with good upside whose skills give him a high ceiling. As things stand, he has a third of the season remaining to prove to NHL teams that he is a player to think about come draft day. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
