After every draft, the first article I like to put together highlights some of the players who went undrafted despite being, in our view, worthy of a selection. Every year, there are always a handful of players who get overlooked that I felt were worth taking a chance on, and this article is simply an opportunity to shine a light on those players.

Over the years, while no players from previous editions of this article have reached the OHL yet, there has been no shortage of success stories. Several have gone on to become productive players at various junior levels, while others have eventually been selected as U18 OHL Draft picks. Benjamin Trebicky is a recent example. He appeared on this list last year, went on to have a strong season in the OJHL, committed to Dartmouth, and was selected by Niagara in this year’s draft.

Here are some thoughts on the four players from our Top 100 who ultimately went unselected.

Logan Disher | Defence | Windsor Jr Spitfires
Whenever I watched the Spitfires, Logan caught my eye. At 6’3″ with his mobility, I always felt there was a foundation for him to develop into a depth defender at the OHL level. His lateral footwork and flashes of confidence with the puck, while not always perfect, led to some impressive moments where he would evade the first layer of pressure and quickly move the puck up ice. Defensively, he was eager to engage and break up plays, using his long reach to take away passing lanes and deny space. There were certainly areas to improve, particularly fine-tuning his passing game and adding more strength to his 6’3″ frame, but he was a player I felt had a lot going for him and a legitimate chance to hang at the OHL level in a few years.

Ayden Huisman | Defence | Don Mills Flyers
Huisman caught my eye early in the season and continued to impress throughout the year. I really liked how he used his footwork in all sorts of situations to make an impact, whether it was closing down an attacker or making an escape move, the mobility was always at the core of his success. He showed enough flashes of confidence with the puck and eagerness to activate that while it wasn’t the primary point of his game, it was always a nice addition to what he brings. When you start talking about what makes for a projectable depth defender everyone is looking for something different, but Ayden checked a lot of boxes for me as someone who can bring a smart and mobile presence to a back end.

Cole Coristine | Forward | Don Mills Flyers
I always liked Cole’s skating and compete level. Most of my notes throughout the year revolved around his ability to win pucks on the forecheck and his effort on the backcheck, and that’s what primarily landed him on our rankings. Add in his nose for the net, ability to find open space, and finishing touch when he gets his chances, and it was an easy profile to bet on and see where it could go. The projection was more of a third-line player who brings consistent effort and can occasionally chip in offensively, but someone I felt was worth taking a swing on once you got beyond the top few tiers of players.

Evan Fisher | Forward | Huron-Perth Lakers
Fisher may not have been one of the primary offensive drivers for this Huron-Perth team, but in terms of reliable two-way play, he was a difference maker. An engaged presence all over the ice, he was always looking to win possession, track back defensively, and provide strong puck support. Evan could protect the puck, make plays off the cycle, and contribute offensively, but his primary calling card was his reliable 200-foot game. I think he’s someone who will need to add strength and become more explosive to fully establish himself as a competent depth forward at the OHL level. However, his smart positioning, ability to support plays, and eagerness to battle for possession create an intriguing profile.

Undrafted HMs
Corey Coe – Barrie Colts
Gavin O’Connell – Barrie Colts
Preston Medeiros – BioSteel Academy
Rocco Ottorino – Burlington Eagles
Cole Roberts – Central Ontario Wolves
Nathan D’Onofrio – Credit River Capitals
Reid Graham – Halton Hurricanes
Calen Gorr – Hill Academy
Christian Warren – Kitchener Jr Rangers
Reid Martin – Kitchener Jr Rangers
Luka Vranic – London Jr Knights
Jake Harris – Mississauga Senators
Caden Petrovsky – Niagara North Stars
Maxim Isaev – North York Rangers
Mason Hilton – Southern Tier Admirals
Alex Xu – Toronto Jr Canadians
Cooper Niquet – York Simcoe Express
Dylan Kirk – York Simcoe Express
Justin Watkins – York Simcoe Express