MoneyPuck: Four OHL prospects worth monitoring at the draft

I dove deeper into a few potentially undervalued players whose statistical profiles really stand out.

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It may not feel like it considering there’s a round and a half to go in the playoffs but the 2022 NHL Entry Draft is very quickly sneaking up on us.

While attending games, and combing through tape, to dissect a player’s skills, traits, and tendencies is still the primary way of scouting, data evaluations have become a much larger piece of the puzzle in recent years.

With that in mind, I thought it’d be fun to take a closer look at a few OHLers – beyond the Shane Wrights and Pavel Mintyukovs – whose statistical profiles stand out.

C - David Goyette - Sudbury Wolves

Goyette’s first OHL season was a spectacular one. He was given plenty of opportunity while playing for a rebuilding Wolves team and he certainly took advantage of it.

Goyette put up 73 points in 66 games (33 goals, 40 assists) and was ultra productive at even-strength.

He netted 27 goals at evens. That ties him with Mitch Marner for 13th among all DY OHLers since 2015.

The short list of players who have bested Goyette’s even-strength goal output is promising, to say the least.

Of the group, Gadjovich is the only prospect who seems unlikely to catch on as a full-time NHLer.

Goyette’s playmaking numbers are very promising as well. From 2015-22, only 23 players picked up more primary assists at evens.

Goyette’s outputs (18) tied him with Jordan Kyrou and Travis Konecny, among others, while besting stars like Matthew Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat, although the former played nine fewer games.

In terms of primary points, Goyette is tied for 14th since 2015; just three behind projected 1st overall pick Shane Wright. Pretty good.

He’s not just an empty calorie scorer on a bad team; his on-ice impacts are solid. Goyette finished -2 at evens on a team that won 23 of 68 and was out-scored by 74 across all gamestates. Sudbury’s share of ES goals was nearly 7.5% higher with the draft eligible pivot on the ice.

He’s very smart, he has a nose for the net, and he can beat you as a passer or a shooter. I think he’s deserving of being selected in the 1st round but he is not projected to go that high. Thus, he’s firmly on my radar for pick 37.