OHL Player Profiles

McKeen's Director of Scouting, David Burstyn, has profiles of several OHL prospects that were ranked by McKeen's for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In Part 3, Alexander Burmistrov, Jeffrey Skinner, John McFarland and Jared Knight are featured.

Alexander Burmistrov C, Barrie (selected 8th overall) Atlanta Thrashers

Burmistrov's decision to come to the OHL as opposed to playing in the KHL improved his draft stock considerably as the Kazan, Russia native enjoyed a fine rookie campaign averaging more than a point a game. His strong play was instrumental in making others around him better, namely Alex Hutchings, and contributing to team success as the Barrie Colts finished the regular season as the top rated CHL team. Burmistrov has all the tools to become a quality NHLer. He is fast - possibly the quickest in the draft - instinctive and a clever playmaker. Burmistrov has levels of speed that were unrivalled by his peers and the opposition. He used it advantageously as he could easily gain the line with a series of moves and head fakes to coax defenders into biting. He excelled in power-play or four-on-four situations where the additional real estate helped him to manufacture even more scoring chances largely in part to his stick skills and patience. While Burmistrov did not embrace the physical dimension of the OHL, he certainly did not back down from it and was not intimidated. Burmistrov enjoyed a fine world junior tournament with 4 points in six games. The Russian factor may surface again as teams will need to have assurance that he will not leave the CHL to play in the KHL ranks, as has been rumoured.

Jeff Skinner C, Kitchener (selected 7th overall) Carolina Hurricanes

Skinner became the youngest player in Rangers franchise history to score 50 goals and the first since Ron Goodall of the 1986-87. Skinner flat out scores and is quite possibly one of the best natural finishers in the draft. Including the playoffs he was the highest scorer in the CHL, after potting 20 goals in the post-season. He scores in a multitude of ways, in particular his wrist shot which literally explodes off his blade. Stealth-like in his approach, he is always in position to score as his stick preparation is superb. Coach Steve Spott did an excellent playing to his strengths by placing him on a line with Jason Akeson and Gabriel Landeskog. Under Spott's watchful eye, Skinner did a better job addressing his defensive woes and became a better defensive player. Skinner is small in stature but is thick and plays with sandpaper as he will battle for loose pucks. Skinner plays with cockiness to him and at times likes to show off just how good he is by beating the same guy twice on a shift. There is still immaturity in his game as he has a reputation for flopping and embellishing calls. To his credit, he did his best to eliminate that type of behaviour from his play in the second half of the season and post-season.

John McFarland LW, Sudbury (selected 33rd overall) Florida Panthers

No player entered the draft with more hype than John McFarland. The first-overall pick in the 2008 OHL draft failed to build on a modest rookie season as his offensive totals dipped in his second season, despite logging ample power-play time. He had a revolving set of linemates this season as Coach Mike Foligno did everything possible to ignite his game. McFarland is a power forward who is a strong skater, but struggles moving laterally. He has a good, hard shot but accuracy plagues him. One of his best attributes is the fact that he can bully himself to get into the offensive zone, but he simply does not know how to position himself accordingly. He reacts more than he relies on instinct and does not have the best feel for the game. His defensive game marked a slight improvement, but still needs to be addressed. McFarland showed signs of visible frustration this year as he tried to over compensate physically to make up for his lack of offensive game which crippled his draft stock. Character and maturity issues have also surfaced as he had a difficult time getting along with the coaching staff and teammates.

Jared Knight C, London (selected 32nd overall) Boston Bruins

Knight became a different player after Christmas when it was revealed he had diabetes and received treatment for his condition. Knight patiently waited for his ice time and grew under coach Dale Hunter who traditionally grooms young players slowly. He became more reliable in the defensive zone and, as a result, was awarded key power-play time playing alongside Nazem Kadri and other skilled players. Knight is a strong skater with a crisp, clean stride and unbelievable acceleration. He has uncanny offensive instincts and is always ready to receive a pass so he can utilize his hair trigger release. He has a great shot and is extremely clever in close yet he does not have the best stick-handling skills. He plays without fear as he readily charges and goes hard to the net. At times he can stop moving his feet, which put him at a disadvantage in the neutral zone and he will need to show more urgency without the puck. Scouts will gravitate towards the second half improvement in his play and his exceptionally productive playoff as he was easily the best London player besides Kadri.