Vancouver Canucks 2017-18 prospects watch Week 1: A Dominant Start

Ontario Hockey League

Before getting to the awesomeness of Jonah Gadjovich and Michael DiPietro, let’s go over the first week for the other prospects.

After getting a look with the Utica Comets, centre Brett McKenzie is back in the OHL for an extra season. Already, his dependence in the faceoff circle is evident with a 55% win rate. He was one of the leaders in the OHL last year in how many faceoffs he took.

After getting traded to the Sudbury Wolves, defenceman Cole Candella is doing quite well, posting five points in seven games. Seventh-round pick Matt Brassard is being his usual self, getting lots of shot through at the opposition net.

Now, for the real stars of the OHL.

The numbers speak for themselves but Michael DiPietro has been lights-out for the Windsor Spitfires. DiPietro’s 1.76 GAA and .945 Sv% has made him the best Windsor Spitfire player so far in the season. The Spitfires tried giving him a night off and played their rookie backup, only to get burnt big time.

As a result, DiPietro is the OHL’s top netminder.

• Leads in Games Played (8)
• Leads in Minutes Played (443)
• Leads in Goals Against Average (1.76)
• Leads in Save Percentage (.945%)
• Tied Lead in Wins (5)
• Second in Saves, Shots Against

For Jonah Gadjovich, he is establishing himself as the biggest net-front threat in the OHL. He is on pace to slightly out-do last season’s point totals, and though a big part of that is thanks to the star power of Nick Suzuki on the Owen Sound Attack, the types of goals that Gadjovich scores shows that he can do it regardless of who his teammates are.