2021 NHL Draft: Top OHL prospects

The 2021 NHL Draft will be held July 23-24. NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at the top eligible prospects from the Ontario Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Mason McTavish of Peterborough has proven himself worthy not only as the best forward from the Ontario Hockey League, but a potential top-10 selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The center (6-foot-1, 207 pounds) is No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. Defenseman Owen Power of the University of Michigan is No. 1.
The first round is scheduled for July 23 (8 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, SN NOW). Rounds 2-7 are scheduled for July 24 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, SN NOW).
"There's a lot of high-end talent at the top of our list, but when it came down to it, I think Mason is going to be a heart-and-soul type of guy at the NHL level," NHL Central Scouting's Joey Tenute said. "A guy who's really at the forefront when the game is on the line. I can see him really being a leader for a franchise for years to come."

McTavish is one of three OHL players among the top 10 North American skaters on Central Scouting's final ranking. Defenseman Brandt Clarke (6-2, 185) of Barrie is No. 7, and left wing Brennan Othmann (6-0, 175) of Flint is No. 8. Benjamin Gaudreau of Sarnia is No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies.
All four players represented first-place Canada at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
The OHL 2020-21 season was canceled due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
McTavish scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in 13 games on loan with EHC Olten in the Swiss League, the second-highest professional league in Switzerland. He scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven games for Canada at the U-18s.
The OHL had 61 players recognized in Central Scouting's final rankings.
To break it down, here are five questions with Tenute:
Can you describe the challenges in evaluating 2021 draft-eligible players in a league that was shut down due to COVID-19?
"We saw a lot of these guys as underage players and had a good base. We watched video from last year to give the players who didn't play in the OHL a fair shot. There were guys who did play overseas and did what they had to do to get seen. Seeing some of the players at the U-18s gave a little more clarity but it was a challenging year."

When you watched McTavish, what did you see and how impressive was he as an 18-year-old against older professionals in the Swiss League?
"I think he popped right away in his underage year (2019-20) with Peterborough, put up a ton of goals and really gave us a small taste of what he can really do. Then he went overseas and really showed that he could play an expanded role; he showed he could play a lot more of an in-depth game. He showed physicality, strong skating, and continued his goal-scoring play. At the U-18s, watching him against his own age group and draft class, he was really driving the bus for Canada and just kind of showed the different elements of his game. He does the dirty work; just a total-package-type of guy that I can see any NHL team building their franchise around."
What stood out about Othmann when you were able to watch him either when he played in Switzerland or at the U-18s?
"When I watched him play in Switzerland, you saw right away the speed upgrades. He looked physically bigger and stronger and just came out of the gates on a mission with his feisty play. He's a highly skilled player with a great shot, great release. He and Shane Wright (2022 NHL Draft eligible) showed great chemistry so he can play with the elite players and, at the same time, can take other teams off their game. He finishes checks hard and kind of plays on the edge, which is when he's at his best."
Can you give us a few OHL players you feel could be diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of this draft?
"There's a group of defensemen that didn't play this year who I feel really showed a good raw development curve. Jacob Holmes (6-1, 205; No. 70) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ben Roger (6-4, 200; No. 74) of London, Ryan Mast (6-4, 210; No. 89) of Sarnia, and Artem Guryev (6-4, 225; No. 99) of Peterborough ... these guys are mobile defensemen with good size. They are kind of the modern-day defenseman. You kind of see there's lot of development to work with in these guys. They are four who could be good sleeper picks who potentially could have good careers at the next level."

Clarke played 26 games in Slovakia earlier this season and had seven points in seven games at the U-18s for Canada. What skills does he possess that make you believe he'll be a top-pair defenseman in the NHL one day?
"Brandt is a very elite offensive defenseman. He's got elite hockey IQ, his vision on the ice if off the charts, and he's a playmaking and goal-scoring threat from the back end with the way he can step in off the blue line. He has a release on his shot that can really catch goalies off guard. What really impresses me about Brandt is that he has a lot of dare in his game. He dares to do stuff that most guys won't do in terms of some of the highly skilled plays that he can pull off."