OHL Priority Selection: Ottawa 67’s

The Ottawa 67's drafted outside of the top 10 for the first time in three years, however they had three selections in the top 36. With the backend getting long in the tooth, the 67's chose Ottawa native Cody Ceci. Ceci was one of the most offensively productive defenseman available in the draft. The 67's then switched their focus to forwards drafting four of them with their next few picks including Aaron Taylor, Steven Janes, Tyler Graovoc and Nicolas Foglia. McKeen's profiles these players.

Cody Ceci (2012), D, Ottawa

Ceci's situation is a unique one, as he is originally from Orleans, a suburb outside of Ottawa. He was a standout for the Cumberland Barons and team captain before moving to Peterborough to attend a private school in his bantam year. Although Ceci was trusted in most game situations and led by example, he was not given a letter due to the short amount of time that he had spent with the program. After a highly productive season with the Peterborough Jr. Petes, Ceci proved that he can play a robust offensive game with staggering totals of 57-24-48-72. Ceci tends to wear his skates loose, as he hunches over the top of his skates and does not distribute his weight accordingly. His skating appears awkward, nonetheless he is effective in pushing the puck up ice. Ceci was the offensive breakout, as the coaching staff relied heavily on him to carry the puck deep into the offensive zone. His poise and confidence with the puck are his strong suits. He could be more effective stickhandling but he did get the job done. He has a bullet from the point and with a limited back swing that eerily resembles Bobby Orr, he gets it off in an instant. Ceci will need to continue to make strides to improve his defensive game. He was often forced to do too much last season and as a result would wander out of position. Ceci should not have this problem should Tyler Cuma (Min) and Julien Demers (SJ) return to the 67's. In the event that they should stick with their respective NHL teams, Ceci should see his responsibilities increase but should be able to embrace them under the watchful eye of new head coach Chris Byrne.

Aaron Taylor (2011), LW, Ottawa

Make no mistake, Taylor was one of the best offensive players of all players available in the SCTA. With 48 goals to his credit and 49 assists for a total of 97 points, he not only led his team the St.Catharines Falcons in scoring, but he also led the entire SCTA league. Taylor is a left-handed shot but can shoot off either wing and is a shoot first, look-later-type-of-player. He has confidence in his shot. Taylor is an up-and-down winger. His skating is weak, however to his credit he is a better skater with the puck than without it. He needs to improve his overall agility and work on his turns. Below the blueline, Taylor is money in the bank, as he always manages to find a way to get the puck on goal. However, his defensive game cripples him enormously, as he never quite understood how to play without the puck throughout the entire season. His play in the OHL Cup was ok but considering his entire team imploded, he cannot shoulder the blame. He did lead the team in goal scoring yet again with 3 goals in 4 games. Taylor will need some time to develop. He will fight for a spot out of training camp and even if he should make the team, there will be a log jam of forwards, which means icetime would be limited at best. Considering that he has to be on the top two lines to score and be effective, Taylor's development might be better served playing a year of Jr. B, finding the icetime to work on his overall game.

Steven Janes (2011), LW, Ottawa

Janes had the distinction of leading all OHL draft-eligible prospects in PIM with a whopping 211. Janes appears much thicker than his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame suggests. Janes recorded many of his PIM as a result of laziness, as too often he did not move his feet and preferred to haul his man as opposed to skating into the play. Janes did manage to score 25 goals this season and add 32 assists for a modest point total of 57 in 62 league and tournament games. Janes is a rather selfish player who shoots at every opportunity and does not always see his options. Where he is effective is when he parks his big rump in the slot. He disguises his release rather well and shows some creativity by going to the back hand to both receive a pass and/or take the shot. He is a strong player who can play an effective game down low and generate a strong cycle. His snapshot is his best weapon. Janes failed to play the game at a heightened level of intensity that is expected of a player of his skill set. Not blessed with a myriad of hand skills, Janes will need to physically assert himself at every occasion to have an impact on the game. He posted healthy offensive totals during the OHL Cup, finishing in the top 10 in tournament scoring with 6-2-6-8 numbers, however four of his points came in a 9-1 thrashing of the Barrie Jr. Colts.

Tyler Graovac (2011), C, Ottawa

Graovac was the first player chosen from the Mississauga Reps by an OHL team. His stock may have slid due to a series of minor injuries that hampered him from playing at his healthiest all season. He did showcase solid finishing skills and showed a constant willingness to compete. Graovac was a standout player in Lacrosse, as he made several National teams before he concentrated on hockey. Has a knock-kneed skating style and although his presentation is not crisp he does get the job done. What separates Graovac from other prospects is that he wants to go to the danger areas and pay the price to score. He has a fire in his eyes when he has the puck in close. At 6-foot-2, and 165 pounds, he has the potential to fill out and be a great bang-and-crash player who can pot in clutch goals. Graovac is a year away but his improved play in Tier II next year may force GM Kilrea's hand in a trade to accommodate a roster spot for him.

Nicholas Foglia (2011), RW, Ottawa

No other player on the Jr. Canadiens played with more consistency than Foglia. He scored over a point a game clip and was the ultimate in versatility, as he lined up with any set of linemates to get the job done. Foglia played a handful of games for the Jr. Canadiens of the OPJHL as an injury call up and performed admirably. At 5-foot-10, and 170 pounds, he is still undersized but he does not allow that deter him from being involved in a play. Foglia hustled and simply outworked the competition, as it appeared a switch went off in the second half of the season for him to become a completely different player. He was the only player that bothered to show up during their disappointing first round playoff series loss to the Vaughn Kings. The sum of his parts, the next two years will go a long way in determining what role Foglia will play with the 67's. Foglia could be a top-six scorer or a fourth-line checker, as his ability to acclimatize himself to any game situation is what makes him such a coveted prospect. It is his chameleon-like adapting skills that could even see him land a roster spot out of training camp.