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 2, Joey Hishon, Devante Smith-Pelly, Ryan Spooner and Austin Watson are featured.

Joey Hishon C, Owen Sound (selected 17th overall) Colorado Avalanche

A late birthdate can work to a prospect's advantage, but in Hishon's case, it did nothing to help his cause. Hishon laboured through an injury-ravaged season that saw him miss action on three separate occasions during the course of the year. He started the season with a double groin pull which was followed by a broken foot blocking a shot. Hishon then went on injury reserve treating a torn MCL. It can be argued that Hishon never played a single healthy game and as a result was unable to duplicate his offensive feats of a year ago where he finished in the top 10 of OHL scoring. Despite his nagging injuries, he still managed more than a point a game. Hishon is a highly creative player with a penchant for finding the open man. He makes others around him better, but saw his most success with Garrett Wilson whom he, surprisingly, did not play with much this season. Hishon still needs to learn to make the simple play as he could over-handle the puck and hold onto it too long. Question marks have always surfaced about Hishon's lack of size, however, his prevailing hockey sense and competitive nature should quell any size concerns.

Devante Smith-Pelly C, Missassauga (selected 42nd overall) Anaheim Ducks

Smith-Pelly is one of the most intriguing players in this draft. He offers a dynamic that very few prospects have which is pure brute physical strength. Smith-Pelly is built like a mack truck and approaches the game like a fullback as he makes his own holes. In many cases this year, Smith-Pelly would literally allow the defenseman to close the gap on him so he could prove his strength by hitting him. Once moving and cutting to the outside, he is virtually unstoppable. His hand skills in close are very refined as he can make quick moves to slide a puck past a goalie. The same, however, can't be said in open ice or in the neutral zone. Smith-Pelly's confidence with the puck grew and he was leaned on more often by his coach, Dave Cameron, in power-play situations. He struggles with consistency and tends to score in bunches and then disappear for periods or games at a time. Smith-Pelly plays an honest game and remarkably has never been a fight in his entire OHL career. Conditioning has been a major concern and he will need to monitor his weight. When he is on his game he can be an absolute wrecking ball, but he must remain mentally focused to be a qualified pro.

Ryan Spooner C, Peterborough (selected 45th overall) Boston Bruins

Spooner made history last season by becoming the youngest Pete to score 30 goals. That is quite an achievement when considering the notable players who have donned the Petes jersey, including the likes of Eric Staal and Steve Yzerman. Spooner started the season on fire and was amongst the league leaders in points before suffering a broken collarbone in January which cost him 21 games. One of the most naturally-gifted centres available in this draft, Spooner oozes creativity and soft hands to administer passes. He has presence in all three zones and a great transition game to switch from defence to offence, often catching defenders flat footed in the neutral zone. For a smaller player at 5'10 and 170 pounds, he has a long extension on his stride and is capable of getting around bigger defenseman with his multiple levels of acceleration. He can also make moves at a stand-still that elude bigger players. Spooner is not physically developed, but has great timing as he often wins loose puck battles due to his quick stick. Spooner has made every team he has ever tried out for including both the U17 and U18 programs. His lack of size may scare some NHL teams but there is no denying his skill package.

Austin Watson RW, Peterborough (selected 18th overall) Nashville Predators

Watson's performance at the Top Prospects game was bittersweet. It can be argued that he was the best player on the ice, but a blocked shot by Brandon Gormley - which may have saved the game - cost the Ann Arbour, Mich. native five weeks of action while healing a broken ankle. A mid-season trade from Windsor to Peterborough helped Watson's stock as he racked up 20 points in his final 10 games, however, it was more his defensive diligence that got him noticed. He has done a remarkable job of recreating himself into a better two-way player. His transformation began at the U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament where he was given all penalty killing situations and the difficult match-up assignments. Watson flourished in the Petes' system and became so renowned for his shot blocking that teams were adjusting their power-play to avoid him. He desperately needs to add some weight to his 6'3 frame as he lacks the requisite strength at this point to win battles down low. His skating is also a slight area of concern as he lacks explosiveness out of the gate. Watson brings versatility to his game as he is capable of playing with any set of line mates ranging from the first line to the fourth - he can easily adapt.