The challenges of scouting the 2004-born NHL draft class in the OHL

More than halfway through the 2021-22 OHL season, the road to the NHL Draft looks foggy at best.

We're talking about a sample of players that largely lost a season of hockey last year. It's not uncommon for players to play their OHL rookie season in their draft year in large numbers, but an entire class? That's unheard of.

Typically players who play out their OHL rookie seasons in their NHL draft years are able to play some sort of hockey in their draft-minus-one seasons, whether that's in the OJHL or elsewhere. They weren’t forced to miss an entire season.

So how did the unexpected year off impact development?

It’s difficult to say right now, but I think we have to start with the Shane Wright debate. Has the gap between him and other top prospects closed? I don’t think anyone can argue it has