Tuesday July 8, 2014

18 Ontario Hockey League players have been identified by NHL Central Scouting on their North American Futures List for the 2015 NHL Draft released Tuesday morning on NHL.com.

“The list is based on the body of work that we saw from the players during 2013-14,” NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr said. “Every year the scouts think that it’s a good crop of prospects, there’s just been a little more emphasis in 2015 because there’s been a couple more top-end frontrunners.”

Among the frontrunners is projected top pick Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters who has recorded 165 points in 119 games since becoming the first overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.  2013 top pick and OHL Rookie of the Year Travis Konecny of the Ottawa 67’s also highlights the top-end talent from the OHL eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft.

With the Florida Panthers selection of Barrie Colts’ defenceman Aaron Ekblad on June 27 in Philadelphia, an OHL player has been chosen first overall in the NHL Draft six of the last eight years with Ekblad just the fourth player to be chosen first overall in both the OHL Priority Selection and NHL Draft.

McDavid is one of three Otters on the NHL Central Scouting Futures List along with forward Dylan Strome and defenceman Travis Dermott.  Konecny is joined by 67’s teammate Dante Salituro on the list, while the Oshawa Generals and Niagara IceDogs also boast two players each including forward Sam Harding and defenceman Mitchell Vande Sompel from the Gens, with defenceman Vince Dunn and forward Hayden McCool from the IceDogs.

The IceDogs will host the 2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 22 that will bring together the top 40 draft eligible prospects from across the OHL along with top prospects from the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The list below includes 11 OHL forwards identified by NHL Central Scouting, with six defencemen, and one goaltender.

NHL CSS Futures List – OHL Players:

Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts) G

Doug Blaisdell (Kitchener Rangers) D

Lawson Crouse (Kingston Frontenacs) LW

Travis Dermott (Erie Otters) D

Vince Dunn (Niagara IceDogs) D

Sam Harding (Oshawa Generals) C

Travis Konecny (Ottawa 67’s) C

Nikita Korostelev (Sarnia Sting) RW

Justin Lemcke (Belleville Bulls) D

Mitchell Marner (London Knights) C

Hayden McCool (Niagara IceDogs) C

Connor McDavid (Erie Otters) C

Brett McKenzie (North Bay Battalion) C

David Miller (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) C

Dante Salituro (Ottawa 67’s) C

Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) C

Mitchell Vande Sompel (Oshawa Generals) D

Connor Walters (Owen Sound Attack) D

A total of 41 OHL players were selected in the 2014 NHL Draft including 10 chosen in the first round.

NHL Central Scouting will next release a Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2015 NHL Draft in September.

Click here to see the full 2014-15 NHL CSS Futures North American List