3 days Ago By Hannah Stuart
Who's flying this plane, anyway? Draft rankings are beginning to drop left and right (we did our Big Board in September ), but we're still pretty early in the hockey season. There's a long way to go until we hit the NHL Draft in June, and a lot of leagues to keep an eye on. Along the way, we'll be checking in to let you know whose draft stock is rising (and perhaps, at a later date, whose draft stock is falling) and why.
Two players in particular have caught our eye with their blazing starts to the season, and all we have to say is: James Hagens, watch your back. Michael Misa was named the OHL's October Player of the Month, and the honor almost feels like it isn't emphatic enough for what he's been doing on the ice. At the time of writing, he has 18 goals (28 total points), with a projected goal total of 82 on the season.
We'll see where he ends up, but the fact that he's on such an offensive hot streak and has only played 15 games is a testament both to Misa's skill and his determination to keep all eyes on him this season. I'm going to be honest: right now, Misa is Hagens' number one competition for first overall. And he would have to do a lot to convince me otherwise.
That's quite a jump from his public perception last season—that he had somehow 'fallen off' or otherwise become disappointing in the wake of receiving OHL exceptional status. He heard that narrative building ahead of his draft season and decided to do something about it. If you like exciting, skilled forwards who are the real deal and not just a flash in the pan, pull up a Spirit game this season and watch Misa.
Steelheads forward Porter Martone is also pushing for one of those top spots, and he's a legitimate threat. He's got the size that scouts salivate over—he's 6'3", 207 pounds—and he pairs it with high-end puck skills and good vision. He's a physical player, throwing the body around whenever he feels like it.
And he can score. In 14 OHL games at the time of writing, Martone has 32 points, half of which are goals. He's been on a heater lately just like Misa, and like Misa, and we don't expect him to slow down that much.
The difference between Martone and Misa, however (apart from their size), is that Martone kind of lollygags around. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. He floats around the edges as a play is developing, not getting involved as much as he could, and then goes in for the kill when the puck gets around the net- front area.
I've watched him a lot; I've asked other scouts. It's not a systemic choice, it's just Martone's decision-making. That decision-making also comes into question when you take a closer look at his hits.
How often is Martone hitting a guy just to hit him, as opposed to truly throwing the body to separate an opponent from the puck? Productive physicality should be the focus, not aimless violence. At the end of the day, Martone needs to be challenged to get into the tough areas of the play. He's already this good without it—think how much better his game would be if he developed this aspect of it.
Shifting our focus westward, Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants is another forward catching our eye lately. The key thing to know about Schmidt? He is scoring so many goals. At the time of writing, Schmidt has played 15 games and has 17 goals (27 points total), good for first in the WHL and putting him smack between the two players we've already looked at, Misa and Martone.
Schmidt is on the smaller side at 5'7" and 161 pounds, and while it remains to be seen whether teams will hold that against him, his impact on the game is larger than his size suggests. Another important thing to know is that Schmidt's current goalscoring pace isn't exactly sustainable—he's got a shooting percentage of about 38% right now. But what he's doing to achieve those goals showcases a skill set that is still going to be extremely valuable to whatever team drafts him.
He's an explosive skater with great top speed, and his shooting and playmaking are both high-end. At present, Schmidt is holding his own with the big guns in this year's draft race; we'll be watching to see how high on the list he can stay across the season. Moving back to the OHL and over to defense, Kitchener Rangers defenseman Cameron Reid has been on an impressive track since the start of the season.
While we haven't put him on our rankings yet, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see him there next go-round, especially if he continues to play the way he has been. He may be a defenseman, but he's playing at a better-than-point-per-game pace right now, with 19 points in 16 games so far, good for second among all defenders in the OHL. Reid was also recently named to the CHL roster for the upcoming CHL-USA Top Prospects Game, happening at the end of November.
What you should know about Reid: he's a terrific, mobile skater. His mobility allows him to be successful in all areas of the ice, including both rush defense and leading the breakout. If his current offensive pace is an indication of how he's going to continue to play, we'll soon see him blow past his last season's offensive totals of 23 points— a significant step forward for his game.
Hopping overseas for this one: we included forward Victor Eklund in the middle of our initial 32-player Big Board for the season, but Eklund's play of late indicates that there's a distinct possibility he'll be climbing those rankings as the year wears on. It's not a stretch to suggest that Eklund could end this year as the most dynamic European 2025 prospect. (Initially, it seemed like he could have serious competition in the form of Russian prospect Ivan Ryabkin; Ryabkin has since been announced as joining the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL).
Eklund currently sits at 13 points in 15 games with Djurgårdens IF and is clearly determined to make a name for himself outside of his older brother, San Jose Sharks player William Eklund. In addition to a natural hat trick at the end of last month, Victor has been showing off both his speed and his intelligent decision-making with the puck at those top speeds. He's been playing with a relentless motor, something that we like to see.
Keep an eye on him if you watch Swedish hockey at all—or even if you don't..
