OHL: The OReilly Factor

The Erie Otters have improved on their horrid season last year and are in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference playoff hunt. The young backend has slowly been improving, however the play of Ryan O'Reilly has elevated this team to the position it is currently in. McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn looks at several draft-eligible prospects from the Erie Otters.

David Shields (2009), D, Erie

Shields has made tremendous steps in defending but still struggles at this level .. he has size and a maturing offensive game but his game still is not without warts .. is becoming more daring with the puck, as he will make routine rushes up the ice, often finding himself as far below as the back of the opposition's net .. his breakouts need to be more calculated, as they rarely materialize into anything and often leave his team shorthanded coming back .. an ok skater, his size and in particular his long stride swallow up the ice .. he has the appearance of a labouring skater even though his speed and mobility rarely see him get beat in this league .. his passing skills are improving, but he still plays with an element of immaturity in his game and developing patience would help him become a better hockey player .. he could develop into a reliable player on special teams .. his game is very raw at this point and he urgently needs to become more physical to create time and space for himself.

Tyler Hostetter (2009), D, Erie

The Otters simply lack a true PP defender as Hostetter is the closest thing to resembling one .. no Otter defenseman has scored more than a single goal this season and considering his lack of shot it is doubtful that Hostetter's totals will ever be double digit .. continues to be plagued by the same inconsistencies away from the puck, as he chases the play too often and constantly finds himself out of position in defensive situations .. his overall poise with the puck is viewed as a strong suit, as he is a bit of a wild card as to when he will join and jump into the rush .. he needs to be more mindful of when to strike the offensive zone and when to hang back .. his puck skills are improving as he becomes more confident in the league, however his positioning is still a big time issue.

Ryan O'Reilly (2009), C, Erie

O'Reilly has been out playing the veterans on this team and is forcing coach Ftorek to play him all in all situations, essentially taking valuable PP time away from more proven OHLers .. this bodes well for his overall development .. he can make things happen offensively and is fully aware of the defensive side of the puck .. his biggest problem is quite simply his skating .. it has marked very little improvement since the beginning of the season as his straight-line speed is simply not there .. he attempts to hide his true lack of speed by skating more on angles .. he could benefit from getting down lower on the ice and using his edges better .. he can manufacture offensive chances and makes others better with his positioning on the ice .. he is always pumping his feet to retire back in the defensive zone .. can launch an attack due to his ability to pick pocket a player and make a heady pass up ice .. excellent on faceoffs, if his stick is not tied up he is very dangerous, opposing players must constantly be mindful of this .. could still stand to be more selfish and shoot more .. he was positioned on the PP to be the trigger man, as he constantly slid in backdoor but his shots were slightly off .. uncanny athleticism in his ability to control and settle down loose pucks off any part of his body .. O'Reilly is a cerebral centre with many tools in the toolbox but his skating is a big knock against him.

Greg McKegg (2010), RW, Erie

Recently named to the Ontario Under 17 Team, McKegg has laboured through the season unable to find the net .. a natural scorer, he appears to be clutching the stick a tad tighter as a result .. combine that with his sheer lack of strength at this point and it is clear why he only has two goals through 30 games .. nonetheless, there is reason to be optimistic, as McKegg has competed and is slowly starting to get it .. they moved him to wing from his natural centre position, which has been a period of adjustment for him .. he is not creative or smart enough to be a centre and the wing suits his speedy up-and-down-the-wings-type-of-game .. he scored several of his goals in minor by muscling his way to the net, however such has not been the case this year where the opposition literally bolls him over .. his shot is not strong enough to beat goalies from the perimeter but he does show a willingness to get into better positions to score .. he can still be passive with the puck and cough it up under pressure, especially if he sees a hit coming .. this is not to suggest that he is soft, he just lacks the confidence in his physical makeup to stand up to the players in the league .. McKegg should gain some valuable experience and confidence playing with guys his own age group at the Under 17's .. a good tournament could change his entire outlook for the rest of the season, something the Otters franchise would love to see.