Yahoo Sports OHL Season Preview: 5 NHL Draft-Eligible Breakout Candidates To Track This Season
The beginning of the 2024-25 OHL season signifies not only another thrilling year of junior hockey but also the beginning of the 2025 NHL Draft season. The top junior development hockey league in the world is once again expected to lead the way in showcasing a strong group of prospects for the upcoming draft.
Everyone already knows to watch out for Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Porter Martone, Malcolm Spence, and Jake O'Brien, as those five players have shown the early potential of being top 20 picks in the upcoming draft.
However, there are a plethora of other first-year draft-eligible players who haven't been talked about enough and could be in for breakout seasons in 2024-25.
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Below we have five players who junior hockey fans are going to want to keep track of throughout the season.
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Soo Greyhounds - Brady Martin - Center
First on our players to keep track of is the Soo Greyhounds' third-overall selection in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Brady Martin.
Martin primarily played a third-line role for the Greyhounds in 2023-24 and recorded 10 goals and 28 points in 52 games. He at times was overshadowed by his teammate Travis Hayes who outproduced him with 35 points, but it was still a solid first year for the Elmira, Ontario native.
Brady got an early start to his draft season winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Canada this past August. He was held without a goal but tallied four assists and displayed his talented individual skillset to attack and deke around defenders one-on-one, and physicality on the forecheck.
Sault Ste. Marie has lost many key pieces to their offense from last season. Martin will have every opportunity to let his offensive skills flourish and be relied upon to drive the offense for his team in the upcoming season.
The supporting cast around him ranks average, but that also means it's an opportunity for him to lead the way and show that he is a play driver.
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Kitchener Rangers - Luca Romano - Center/Right Wing
Luca Romano was teammates with Martin at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His coming out party was a bit more noticeable.
The Kitchener Ranger's second-year forward recorded three goals at the summer tournament, but he created plenty of offense and looked like a player prime for a breakout season.
Romano's selling point is his speedy yet agile skating ability, above-average vision, and puck handling. He understands how to control the pace of play with the puck, slowing up to allow his teammates to catch up to him, or charge past aggressive defenders.
It's a similar situation in Kitchener for Luca as it is for Martin in Sault Ste. Marie. Kitchener's top producers from last season have either moved on to the professional level or were traded (Carson Rehkopf). This means that Romano will be out there to start every powerplay and whenever the team needs a goal, the coaching staff will look in his direction.
Related: Five OHL Players Feature in Bob Mackenzie's Preseason Top-20 NHL Draft Prospects
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Barrie Colts - Kashawn Aitcheson - Left Defenseman
Barrie Colts third-year defenseman, Kashawn Aitcheson, barely missed eligibility for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by five days. He has already received some hype from scouting outlets like Draft Prospects Hockey and Daily Faceoff, but watch out for the rugged defenseman to potentially be a sneaky late first-rounder in 2025.
The scouting community took notice of Aitcheson during the IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship this past spring. He finished second on the team in plus/minus (plus-9) amongst defensemen on the way to winning the gold medal.
He's a no-nonsense type of defenseman. Aitcheson is assertive with everything he does on the ice. He closes gaps quickly and eliminates his man from the play using his body and will stick up for his teammates any chance he gets, evident from his 126 penalty minutes last season.
Kashawn plays more physically than Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder Ben Danford, but think of him when considering what kind of player the Barrie Colts defender will be moving forward. These mobile defensemen with a mean side are coming back, and NHL teams will take these players high in the draft.
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Oshawa Generals - Owen Griffin - Center
Oshawa Generals' sixth overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Owen Griffin, scored only two goals in 82 combined regular season and playoff games. However, he was sheltered a lot last season due to the experience on Oshawa's roster.
The Markham, Ontario native had a terrific pre-season, leading Oshawa with four goals and seven points. His skill level to be an impact player at the OHL level has never been a question mark. The concern was his size. But Griffin displayed solid progression last season to not be scared and embrace contact with and without the puck.
Related: London & Oshawa Announced As Host Cities For The 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
Griffin is a creative puck handler who can take advantage of spacing in the defensive coverage to create opportunities for his teammates. Play him with some more experienced and talented linemates and the points will start to rise in 2024-25.
The 5-foot-10 Generals centerman should see a more elevated role within Oshawa's lineup with the departures of Connor Lockhart, Stuart Rolofs, Rasmus Kumpulainen, and Dylan Roobroeck. His skillset would pair up nicely alongside Calum Ritchie and Beckett Sennecke if they both return and don't make their respective NHL teams.
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Peterborough Petes - Carson Cameron - Right Defenseman
There's a quartet of 2025 NHL draft-eligible players to watch this season on Peterborough and the press box in last night's game between the Petes versus Kingston was filled with NHL scouts.
Related: Key Takeaways From Kingston Frontenacs 7-2 Win Over The Peterborough Petes
Aiden Young is a strong playmaker who transports pucks up ice efficiently and should see his points climb. Caden Taylor is a pure sniper with a knack for finding soft spots in between the dots to let his quick release off. And Nico Addy is a power forward with a mean side and quick hands.
But Peterborough's 13th overall pick in 2023, Carson Cameron, is our pick as the one who will have a coming-out season.
Cameron had a solid 16-year-old season despite playing on a Petes team that got outplayed most nights. He was voted onto the second all-rookie team in 2023-24 and will wear an "A" for Peterborough this season.
There's a lot to like about Cameron's game. He's a fluid skater in all four directions and moves pucks up the ice, either by activating his feet on the breakout or with a sharp first pass. He sees the ice well and can operate as a playmaker from along the offensive blueline.
Lastly, he won't be pushed around, and at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds, he possesses the size and handedness (he shoots rights), that NHL teams will look for. A good way to describe his game is that he isn't flashy but efficient.
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