OHL Priority Selection: Sudbury Wolves

In a position to draft within the top five, the Sudbury Wolves chose Matthew Campagna, arguably the best playmaker in the draft. In an effort to rebuild their forward unit they then took Brody Silk in the second round. The Wolves chose two defensemen in the later rounds - Cody Mintz and Tyler Prong - that could see icetime for the Wolves in a few seasons. McKeen's Director of Scouting, David Burstyn, profiles the four players.

Matthew Campagna (2012), C, Sudbury

Campagna played two years of minor midget, as he played as an underager for the Mississauga Senators last season. Campagna was the key offensive catalyst of the GTHL champion Toronto Young Nats. He made others around him better, as he has slick hands and excellent puckhandling skills. At times during the season, he needed to be prodded to play better but when games mattered most, he willingly stepped up to the challenge and embraced being the go-to-guy. Campagna is a great skater with crisp acceleration and can explode into top gear in a few short strides. His hands and feet work in unison with one another and he is a threat to make something happen with the puck every time he crosses the zone. Campagna had a strong OHL Cup finishing in the top three in tournament scoring. He has the ability to put up a lot of points in the OHL and should have a nice cast of forwards to play with upon his arrival to camp this season.

Brody Silk (2013), C, LW Sudbury

Many scouts did not get a chance to see Silk play this year due to geographical distances and his injury-riddled season. He did not play many tournaments in the southern Ontario region with the exception of one in Peterborough where he injured his shoulder in the first game of the tournament. Two separate shoulder injuries kept him on the shelf for a prolonged period of time this year. Despite his shortened season he did register 83 points in 34 league games and was a key contributor to the Cubs run in the playoffs. Silk uses his speed and physical tools to generate his offence. He has a quick change of pace and can converge on loose pucks. Silk is injury prone and he will need to add some weight to his frame and make some adjustments physically in terms of picking his battles more wisely so he can play.

Cody Mintz (2012), D, Sudbury

At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Mintz plays an aggressive style and the opposition is aware that he is on the ice at all times. Mintz is more of an offensive-minded defenseman but he plays with a snarl and recorded a whopping 134 in PIM's. He has good puckhandling skills but they are not elite and he needs to work on them. His first pass out of the zone is good, however there were times in the playoffs that he forced things, as it appeared he did not want to get hit. Mintz struggles against players with size, as he simply cannot contain them off the rush. In down-low situations, he uses his leg strength to neutralize players but he lacks the upper body strength to slow players down. Mintz played well in the second half of the season even though he received a few suspensions for his unruly play, which lent credence to the type of player he wanted to be associated with. Mintz needs time to get bigger and stronger and should be able to land a spot on a Tier II team either in Eastern Ontario or the North should the Wolves have a spot for him up there.

Tyler Prong (2012), D, Sudbury

Prong may surprise many teams that passed him over and allowed the Wolves to select him in the 8th round. Prong is a vanilla defenseman, as he does nothing exceptional. He certainly looks the part, however he gets very little accomplished. Nonetheless, he has some tools from which to build on. He is a qualified skater in all directions and did a good job of cleaning up his skating throughout the year. He has an erect posture, which does not help his puck-protection skills. Prong can handle the puck ok but can make some questionable decisions. He felt as if he had to do too much this season and it had adverse effects on his game, especially in the second half and postseason, which caused his stock to drop. Prong struggles to find an identity, as he is not a true puck moving defenseman and he also needs considerable work on the defensive side of the game.