OHL Cup: Gagner Pays Off

The Toronto Marlboros had a mission at the beginning of this season to win the OHL Cup. The number one ranked team coming into the tournament, the Marlboros did not disappoint, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 32-5 margin to capture their first title in over 20 years.

The tournament, which features 16 of the top minor midget teams from Ontario and committee-selected teams from Michigan, was held this week at the Herb Carnegie arena. They represent the best 15 and 16 year olds in the game. Scouts, General Managers and coaches of various OHL teams were on hand to catch a glimpse of future hopefuls in preparation for the upcoming OHL priority draft on May 7th.

Last year's event saw a total of 121 players selected by the OHL including first overall pick of the Belleville Bulls John Hughes. This year's draft class is exciting with talented players waiting to make their mark in not only their OHL, but beyond. This week David Burstyn analyzes and gives reports of over 40 players eligible for this season's draft including an early look at 14 year old sensation John Tavares.

The first instalment is an-in-depth scouting report on ten players who are poised to make a splash next year in the OHL.

Akim Aliu (2007), RW, Toronto Marlboros

Huge frame and is going to get much bigger .. skating is phenomenal as he quickly reaches high gear and blows by defensemen .. hits and hits hard; physically stronger than his peers .. patient and looks to develop plays .. good hard shot from the point.. strong on his skates and keeps his feet moving all the time .. has a nice combination of offensive skills to complement his crash and bang style .. Outlook: Aliu sustained a torn Achilles heel in the second game of the tournament. The Marlboros experimented all season long with converting forwards to defense and this helped Aliu's overall game. He is most effective when he is aggressive and physical. He is no stranger to the penalty box as his 197 PIM in 67 games (highest on team) attest. Should be picked in the first round and the team that selects him could possibly have the best power forward to come out of the OHL since Todd Bertuzzi. (2-0-1-1-0)

Jamie Arniel (2008), C, Kingston Predators

Captain has good work ethic .. skating is his strongest asset and can reach top speed in two strides .. created scoring opportunities with quickness and the ability to cut to the outside around defenders .. small in stature, he plays bigger than his size suggests, finishing checks .. has remarkable strength as he split two defenders and still got a decent shot off .. always wants the puck and offensively is very creative .. his balance on his skates is very strong as he often battles in the corners with two (usually bigger) guys on him and retrieves it .. dangerous on PP with open ice available to him .. Outlook: Arniel is much better than his tournament numbers suggest. He hit a lot of goal posts and was targeted in every game. It did not help that his team was out scored 3 to 1 and that some players were more interested in playing individually rather than as a team. Arniel may hear his name last in the first round of the OHL draft but won't last much longer than 25th overall. (3-2-1-3-0)

Drew Doughty (2008), D, London Jr. Knights

His smooth and fluid skating movements complement his game immensely .. first pass is crisp and usually on the tape .. made many solid offensive charges; can weave in around opposition and draws guys to him, opening up ice for team mates .. good hand-eye coordination; uses skates to play the puck .. has a knack for keeping the puck in the offensive zone .. needs to be much more physical and make guys pay .. not a natural defenseman so decisions are sometimes questionable .. overall strength and conditioning need improving as well. Outlook: Doughty is very raw. Scouts drool over his untapped potential and see him as a work in progress that will take a few years to develop. The last forward that shifted to defenseman in the Jr. Knights minor midget system was Mike Van Ryn. The jury is still out on Doughty but one team will gamble on him with a first round selection. (5-0-2-2-2)

Darryl Borden (2007), G, Brantford 99ers

Enormous goalie that covers a lot of the net .. good range of movement and recovers well .. always poised and ready to make next save .. rarely caught out of position; technically sound .. handles the puck with nice confidence, one of his stronger suits .. quick glove hand, drops it a bit only to flash it with puck in it .. keeps his team in contests, rarely (if ever) giving up a weak goal .. tends to give some up short side and is vulnerable when you can get him moving often .. Outlook: Borden is capable of stealing games and won a bundle this year that his team did not deserve to win. His huge frame and strong reflexes coupled with his remarkable ability to play the puck make Borden the top rated goalie in the draft. If a team is looking to solidify its goaltending Borden could slip into the first round otherwise don't expect to see him last longer than early second. (2-0-1-1-3.28)

Sam Gagner (2007), C, Toronto Marlboros

Incredibly soft hands .. can stickhandle in a phone booth and is dangerous in close .. very patient with puck .. finds the best option and holds on to puck till the last second .. always moving his feet, thus very hard to contain .. very elusive; defensemen think they have him covered and suddenly the puck is in the net .. has a nose for the net and does not shy away from danger areas to score .. always finding holes and attacking the front of the net with his stick on the ice .. the finisher on a line with Tavares .. quick release on forehand and backhand; scored many nice goals on backhand alone .. needs to finish checks with more authority. Outlook: Gagner is a wizard with the puck. He led the tournament in scoring and was named the tournament mvp. He was the Marlboros best player and that says a lot. Gagner could be the next star at Shattuck St. Mary's as he plans to play prep school in the States to keep his options open for the NCAA. At any rate, if Gagner elects for the OHL draft he would be a surefire top-10 pick. (5-7-10-17-0)

Wilson Ngai (2007), D, Toronto Marlboros

Very intelligent, firm grasp of defensive concepts and positioning .. fluid skater, tight turn, smooth effortless stride that is deceptively fast .. sensational lateral and reverse movement .. not flashy, doesn't take risks, always first man back .. rarely takes penalties due to his defensive diligence .. never got caught once in whole tournament .. plays two-on-ones perfectly .. makes quick and smart decisions, always getting puck out of the zone .. great first pass and effective in distributing the puck on the PP .. unselfish, but needs to shoot more .. not very physical but doesn't let players sneak by him, ties up man effectively with stick. Outlook: Ngai is the best stay at home defenseman in the draft. His sound positional play and excellent skating ability will certainly warrant top 10 considerations. He played a handful of games with Milton, Jr.A this season and did not look out of place. Ngai needs to develop an offensive style to his game - otherwise he is too one dimensional and somewhat predictable. (5-0-2-2-0)

Lukas Pither (2007), C, Clarington Toros

Electrifying player with dazzling stickhandling abilities and an uncanny scoring touch .. extremely quick release on one timers resulting in key goals for team the whole tournament long .. a threat every time he had the puck; defence almost immediately backed off giving the sniper even more room .. his skating is so natural and he generates immediate speed with his strides and foot speed .. very confident with the puck, accurate with shots and passing .. can switch to backhand and forehand quickly, confusing goalies .. stick handles very well in close and often beats two guys before he gains the line, sometimes standing still .. has a tendency to shy away from the physical side of the game .. plays the periphery and needs to crash the net more, however his shot is so on the money that he can score from anywhere. Outlook: Pither's strong play in the playoffs and at the showcase really strengthened his draft status. He registered a 4 goal and 2 assist effort in one game alone. He is so slick and such a natural goal scorer that it would be a surprise if he does not land in the top 12 of the OHL draft. (5-11-3-14-2)

Jordan Skellett (2008), C, London Jr. Knights

A complete player who does many little things well .. nice combination of size and skill .. smooth skater with a long stride that covers a lot of ice .. good on ice awareness and worked well with Zamec, both using one another as decoys on numerous odd man rushes created throughout the tournament .. very strong on his skates; powers through and runs over people .. accurate shot; scored many top corner goals from top of the dot .. long reach which compliments both his offensive and defensive game .. competes on every shift .. Outlook: Skellett has continued to climb the draft ladder. Not unlike Pither, his strong play in the playoffs and four goal outburst against Kingston in the second game turned the heads of many scouts. His skills are not as high end as his peers however he is an attractive package of size and skill which could see him picked in the middle of the second round of the OHL draft. (5-5-3-8-6)

Matt Smyth (2007), C, Markham Islanders

Amazing skater who generates top speed with explosive foot speed .. smooth as silk, effortless strides, created multiple breakaways and goals in the process .. very aggressive on the forecheck, always attacking the puck carrier .. his speed allows him to cover the whole ice surface .. can do everything at top speed, extremely agile .. stick handling is superb .. lightning fast release .. hard slap shot and is used on the point on the PP .. very nasty; plays with cockiness, always throwing checks and shots .. likes to get under the skin of opposition .. needs be a bit more disciplined as he took three penalties in semi-final game when team needed him the most .. loses concentration at times … Outlook: There is no denying Smyth's abilities. He is a top notch player who gets high marks in all categories especially skating and finish. He will be a top-five pick for a team looking to add offence and a quality first line centre for many years to come. (5-3-2-5-8)

Anthony Soboczynski (2008), LW, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs

A superb combination of size and skill .. a reliable player who is able to play all three zones of the rink .. relentless in his pursuit of puck, always in motion .. has good one-on-one abilities, as his long reach and equally long skating stride allow him to manoeuvre around defensemen .. defensively always alert, solid positioning without the puck .. has an amazing wrist shot which he gets off fast .. cuts to the net with reckless abandon. Outlook: Soboczynski will really benefit playing with better players in the OHL next year. He is versatile and will probably be experimented with a lot next year, filling in on different roles with his team. The team that drafts Soboczynski will get an honest hard worker who competes every shift; a late to mid second rounder. (3-1-0-1-4)