NHL Draft: OHL Overview Part II

In our second installment of players drafted out of the OHL, McKeen's correspondent looks at the next five players chosen in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, which includes Joshua Bailey, Cody Hodgson (pictured), Michael Del Zotto, Tyler Cuma, and Greg Nemisz.

Josh Bailey (NYI), C

The Islanders got their man in Joshua Bailey and in the process, secured two second round picks to move down from the fifth spot to the ninth. Time will tell if they missed the boat on Luke Schenn, however they did draft two defensemen with the picks they acquired. Ness is a puck moving defenseman and Hamonic a defense-first defenseman whose stock rose after an impressive Under 18's. Bailey gives the Islanders a top first-line centre. With Bates being placed on waivers recently and Comrie and Vasicek not getting any younger, the reins may be passed down to the likes of Comeau and Bailey sooner rather than later. The current trend in the NHL has younger player's breaking into the league quicker than the past and Bailey could certainly fall into this category. He possesses all the offensive skills and marries it with a defensive conscious. Mike Sillinger could be the perfect role model for Bailey. However, should the Islanders not want to rush him, he will be returned to an outstanding junior program, the Windsor Spitfires, a team many believe will emerge from the OHL to challenge for the Memorial Cup next season.

Cody Hodgson (Van), C

The Canucks addressed their lack of depth at the forward position by drafting a centre for the second consecutive season. Last year they drafted Patrick White (2007/ 25th) and this season they grabbed Cody Hodgson. Hodgson comes with more accolades and is more than likely a player the Canucks envision will skate on their top line one day. He has all the attributes to be successful based on his junior and International accomplishments. Most recently, Hodgson was named Team Canada captain on the gold medal winning Under-18 squad, a team coached by former Canuck coach Pat Quinn. There is little to no doubt that he spoke at length about Hodgson to new Canuck GM and long standing friend Mike Gilles. Hodgson has already developed a reputation for being a character player, as he has been named captain of every team he has represented internationally. He brings a scoring dimension and a defensive-minded approach to the Canucks and he should be ready to step in when others are on their way out. The only notable forward on the Canucks roster that is locked up until 2010 is Ryan Kesler, so Canucks management will have many decisions to make in terms of creating a new identity for this team.

Michael DelZotto (NYR), D

For the second time in three years, the Rangers return to the OHL with their first round selection to take an offensive-minded defenseman. The Rangers have not had a legitimate PP specialist since the days of Brian Leetch and when they foolishly let go of Sergei Zubov. The backend mustered only 37 goals with Rozsival being the biggest threat on the point. The selections of Bob Sanguinetti (2006) and now Michael Del Zotto, give the Rangers two players who are well versed with the puck but have taken criticism in their own end. Del Zotto did not have as good a season as his rookie campaign, but his penchant for creating offence; especially shorthanded where he scored five goals was noted by the Rangers brass. Del Zotto gives the Rangers a defenseman, (who shoots left) with a blistering shot, whereas Sanguinetti is a right-handed shot. The tandem could prove to be lethal in a few seasons given the right development. Considering the success the Rangers have had recently with defensemen from the OHL including Girardi and Staal, the additions of Sanguinetti and Del Zotto could round out the top four.

Tyler Cuma (Min), D

The Wild traded up a position in order to secure Cuma. The move cost them a third rounder, however that is a small price to pay for getting a potential top-three defenseman for many years to come. Cuma struggled on a poor Ottawa 67's team this year but that was largely due to his supporting cast and not his skill set. When he was put into situations to succeed namely the Under-18 tournament, he displayed to NHL scouts his mature game. Cuma has always taken a back seat to the likes of Pietrangelo and Del Zotto in both his OHL draft and now the NHL draft, however considering he only started playing defense in his OHL draft season, it is remarkable how quickly his game has progressed. Cuma already has a gold medal at the Canada Under-17 Games held last season in Whitehorse and followed that up this season with a gold medal at the Under-18 tournament. Playing in winning environments such as these has molded him into an ideal defender already capable of playing against the best in his age group. Cuma was invited to Team Canada's WJC early camp and stands a good chance of making that squad to represent his country in his OHL stomping grounds in Ottawa.

Greg Nemisz (Cgy), RW

The biggest enigma of the draft could be Nemisz, a player who has all the tools to be cut from the same mould as a Mats Sundin, or he could turn out to be the next Jason Bonsignore. The knock on Nemisz is that he does not always use his size to his advantage and does not compete hard enough away from the puck. While these are huge deficiencies, need we be reminded that it took Sundin a few years to fully understand how much more effective he could be when he used his size down low. The Flames are hoping that this is a lesson learned by the young Courtice-born native. Nemisz is far from a complete NHL player but with his size and soft hands, he could be a solid addition to the Flames top six. The depth at the RW position with the exception of Iginla and Lombardi is very weak. That is not to suggest that Nemisz will rival for a spot in training camp but the door is open for him to jump into the program in the next two to four years. A return to junior is inevitable and considering he more than doubled both his goal and point production from his rookie season, he could have another breakout year for the emerging Spitfires.