Way Way Too Early Mock Draft (Import Edition)

In 1995, the band TLC warned the world of the perils of chasing waterfalls. One of the world's original dance-floor bangers was a parable of engaging in pursuits that would have self-destructive consequences. 7 years later, a child named Lucas Raymond would be born, and set into motion events that could change the landscape of the FOHL forever.

The CHL import draft is the ultimate crapshoot in hockey. Top ranked players mixed with obscure names you have to google to even make sure they're real people. Teams taking flyers on players with potential while the "have" teams like London and Portland manage to land 1st round NHL talent with the 76th overall pick. 

A lot of people don't appreciate the impact the import draft has. This most recent season we saw Guelph walk away with franchise player Marco Rossi. We saw North Bay solidify their status as contenders with UPL. We saw Flint swing for the fences and strikeout with Phillip Broberg. Looks like someone needs to catch up on their mid 90's R&B.

There's a tremendous amount of talent in the 2019 Import draft, some solid B+ options, some modest upgrades to your teams lineup. But there's also "an area where water flows over a vertical drop", and for those that wish to chase Lucas Raymond, 25 years of warning from TLC be damned, they could the real winners of the draft.

If the Bulldogs are drafting here, that means Shane Wright is on his way to Hamilton, a town as famous for it's steel and iron industries as it is it for it's bulldogs(?), so having the top talent available allows them to take a gamble. A gamble they won't take. Hamilton takes it nice and safe and drafts Ilya Solovyov. He's a 19 year old defenseman, so that would limit his eligibility in the league to 2 seasons, but he's heads and shoulders above the competition that is expected to report and would be an instant spark on the blueline.

The smallest city in the OHL by a few country miles, the town famous for their electroplating, and infamous for it's bear Attacks isn't too familiar with being this far in the basement. They're a team that's constantly stuck between a rock and a hard place with the likes of Kitchener, London, Windsor and others to contend with in the West. With the opportunity to rebuild and reload against those juggernauts, Owen Sound drafts Andrei Bakanov. They like their power forwards in Owen Sound, and the 6'2 Russian has the size and the skill to be another man-child in the vein of Jonah Gadjovich. 

When Stompin' Tom Connors sang about a Sudbury Saturday Night, he probably didn't envision them losing to division rivals every weekend, which has been the case for the Wolves this season. They're a team that rides the wave of compete and rebuild probably more literally than most teams in the OHL, and while the crest rose high recently, they now find themselves face down and motionless in the deep end with no life guard on duty. The Wolves go into full recovery mode when they draft Eric Hjorth, the imposing Swede who is expected to be an NHL draft pick in June. He's got tremendous size, 6'3, and is capable of creating scoring chances, something Sudbury desperately needs. 

Kitchener should not be drafting here. The team knows it, the fans know it, and the agent of Lucas Raymond knows it. That's why a team that's usually competing for the Memorial Cup will take their rare disappointing result, and take a chance on the most talented European player in the world not playing pro hockey. Raymond is expected to to be the second banana of the 2020 NHL draft. He's the Robin to Lafreniere's Batman but playing his draft season in Kitchener could be exactly the gritty reboot he needs to become a leading man.

Absolutely sucking at hockey is nothing new for Petes fans these days, it's the baseline for a fanbase that has been witness to some truly dark years. When they bottomed out last year, it was expected to spring forth a new age of competitiveness, but the pause button was pushed more times than Sharon Stone's interrogation scene in Basic Instinct, and the Petes again are a lame duck. They've got some scoring punch, what they really need is Ville Ottavainen and his ability to make plays under pressure. He's got a deceptive shot that's hard to read, and can quarterback a powerplay that needs a lot of help.

Well at least the owner isn't firing the coach for not playing his kid anymore, but Flint was expecting more out of their potentially only 2 year Quinton Byfield era. If the kid makes the NHL in 2020, then Flint is going to be wondering where the years went. It's clear he needs more help in the offensive zone, he needs someone who can shoulder some of the scoring load, and the biggest help Flint could provide him is Oliver Suni. The towering Finnish forward isn't afraid to go to the dirty areas to create chances, and could be the perfect running mate for Quinton.

After stunning the league and rewarding their patient fans with an OHL championship, the Greyhounds have navigated the fall from the top with poise and grace most teams can only dream of. It wasn't a scorched earth approach, they didn't leave their season ticket holders left watching the scraps and skeleton of their former selves. They've played hard, while dealing with the post-championship rollback of a team that lost a lot of talent and needs to rely on their youngsters. Where the Soo could really fast forward the rise back to the top is by acquiring a top talent in net, say a guy like Arturs Silovs? The 6'4 Latvian netminder has the size, agility and scouts say he has the potential to be an NHL draft pick come June.

Ever since celebrity GM OHLInsiders took over for the Sting, we haven't heard a lot of buzz (get it?!) out of the franchise. They're kind of on autopilot, if that pilot were screaming kamikaze and steering straight into the ground. They have some talent on the team, and they're in a good position to either sell off and rebuild or add and make a legitimate run, but if these bees want to make honey then they need to land some talent like Yevgeni Oksentyuk. He's an undersized forward that could see his NHL draft stock suffer because of it, but the OHL is built for smaller, skilled forwards to excel.

The Fish made a big run last season, landing an unlikely spot in the OHL championship finals, and have navigated the hard road back to reality rather smoothly. They sold their veterans for big returns, they boast a pair of 1st round priority draft selections, and this draft season can add to that fully realized rebuild by adding another '02 piece in Ruben Rafkin. He's got the potential to be a late NHL pick in June, and the young Finn could be a PPQB type in the OHL as early as next year.

Kind of blending in with the competitors in the league, Kingston's camouflage as a true contender is the ultimate trick we saw this Halloween season. How long can this team tread water on the strength of a few veteran stars. Showing a savvy on the draft floor that is unmatched in the league, the Fronts are a threat to hit a home run no matter where they draft. So it's no surprise when they add potentially NHL drafted defenseman Kalle Loponen. It seems a safe bet if you draft from Finland in the next draft, you're probably doing okay, and Kingston needs someone better than just okay to get back into the mix.