FanPost

Comparing Michael Dal Colle's and Sam Bennett's points-per-game to recent OHL standout forwards.

This is the 2nd of a pre-draft series focussed on the top draft-eligible players. Here is the link to the Draisaitl/Reinhart post.

EDIT: Stamkos, Landeskog, PKane, Gagner, JStaal, BRyan, BPouliot, EStaal, Horton, and Carter added to this chart.

While we debate over who the Isles might/should choose with their likely top-5 draft choice, let's take a look at how Dal Colle and Bennett have scored this season compared to recent top forward prospects from the OHL. I know points-per-game isn't everything, but it is one of the better statistics that is readily accessible.

Note that Bennett's numbers may be inflated due to being on a high-scoring team. His Kingston Frontenacs finished 4th in the OHL with 301 goals. Meanwhile, Dal Colle's Oshawa Generals finished around the middle of the pack with 232 goals. Here is a link to the standings. (Sam Reinhart's and Leon Draisatl's OHL teams also finished middle of the pack.)... Also note that Bennett led his team in scoring by 21 points, similar to how Draisaitl led his team by 32 points. So those two most certainly received a lot of attention from the shutdown defensemen around their respective leagues.

OHL recent top forward prospects:

Player...Year...Age at start of season (Oct)... Goals scored by team during regular season... Points-per-game

(Bolded players entered draft immediately after the season.)

PKane.......2006-07...17Y11M....311...2.50

SGagner...2006-07...17Y2M......311...2.23

Tavares.........2006-07...16Y1M....292....2.00**

Hall.............2009-10...17Y11M..331...1.86

McDavid.......2013-14....16Y9M....312.....1.77**

Stamkos....2007-08...17Y8M...251....1.72

Seguin........2009-10...17Y9M...245....1.68

Yakupov.....2011-12....18Y0M...243....1.64

Strome........2010-11...17Y3M....273...1.63

Bennett.......2013-14...17Y4M...301....1.60

Yakupov.........2010-11...17Y0M....243.....1.55**

EStaal.......2002-03....18Y0M....222....1.48

BRyan......2004-05....17Y7M....245.....1.44

Dal Colle......2013-14...17Y4M...232...1.42

Duchene......2008-09..17Y9M...264...1.39

Monahan.....2012-13....18Y0M...235...1.34

DBrown.......2002-02...17Y11M..217...1.31

Horton........2002-03....17Y5M...243...1.26

Landeskog..2010-11...17Y11M...256...1.25

Monahan........2011-12....17Y0M....268.....1.24**

Galchenyuk...2010-11....16Y8M....243.....1.22**

JCarter.....2002-03.....17Y9M....232....1.16

JStaal.......2005-06....17Y1M.....269....1.00

BPouliot...2004-05....18Y1M.....201....0.97

**Connor McDavid is draft eligible in 2015...Other players were in same position, under-aged.

How do Bennett and Dal Colle compare to one another? Same age. Bennett scored quite a bit more, but his team also scored a lot more goals. Purely on this information, their numbers look about even.

Ordering most impressive to least impressive looks something like this:

1) Tavares (1st in 2009)

...

2) PKane (1st in 2007)

3) McDavid (Likely 1st or 2nd in 2015)

4) SGagner (6th in 2007, after Hickey and Alzner, before Voracek... Same team as P Kane

5) Stamkos (1st in 2008)

...

6) Hall (1st in 2010)

7) Strome (5th in 2011, after Larsson in strong top-5)

8) Yakupov under-age season (1st in 2012)

...

9) Seguin (2nd in 2010)

10) Bennett (???)

11) Dal Colle (???)

12) B Ryan (2nd in 2005, between Crosby and J Johnson)

13) E Staal (2nd in super 2003 draft)

14) Yakupov pre-draft season (1st in 2012)

15) Galchenyuk (3rd in 2012, after Murray, before G Reinhart)

...

16) Monahan under-age (6th in 2013, after Jones and Lindholm, before Nurse)

17) Horton (3rd in super 2003 draft)

18) Duchene (3rd in 2009 draft, between Hedman and E Kane)

19) D Brown (13th in super 2003 draft)

20) Monahan pre-draft (6th in 2013, after Jones and Lindholm, before Nurse)

21) J Carter (11th in super 2003 draft)

22) Landeskog (2nd in 2011 draft, between RNH and Huberdeau)

23) J Staal (2nd in 2006, after E Johnson, before Toews, Backstrom, Kessel)

...

24) B Pouliot (definitely last, but drafted 4th overall in 2005 after JJohnson, before Price)

The group of comparables (points-per-game, age, team-scoring) is largely 2nd-overall type of talent. Heck, the group below them is largely 2nd/3rd overall talent. (Brown and Carter likely go much higher if not for 2003 super draft.)

And if we take a look at the 2nd overall picks, the past 16 have been high-impact NHLers, especially the forwards: Barkov, Landeskog, Seguin, JVR, JStaal, BRyan, Malkin, EStaal, Spezza, Heatley, DSedin.

Also notice that the majority of these OHL standouts have done very well in the NHL. Gagner has had difficulty breaking through. Strome has been gradually developing. Galchenyuk is coming along well. Monahan is too young to conclude anything, but he seems to be coming along well. Pouliot never really had an OHL season comparable to the rest here. The rest are very good to great hockey players, and I'd be happy if Isles could add one like these this draft-- even a Bobby Ryan type of talent.

It would be hard for Isles to pass on Bennett or Dal Colle if either is available when Isles pick comes up this draft.

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