Projection: Top Six Upside

Tools: Creativity, Playmaking, Puck Skills

Development Opportunities: Foot Speed, Lateral Agility

Nobes brings tons of creativity and playmaking to the Markham Majors lineup. He leads with his puck skills and patience, always looking for ways to handle the puck, create gaps, attack lanes, and make something happen. Ryder is constantly spotting holes to get pucks to the scoring areas, mainly through his ability to buy time and space and then connect on passes to teammates in scoring positions. The processing and creativity with the puck to spark chances is what has impressed me most and what you are betting on when you take him.

The question mark is the skating and how it projects to the OHL level. I think he will need to lengthen his stride, get more explosive, and become more agile to keep pace at the next level. As a smaller player, being able to outskate opponents when you might be outmatched physically will be key to hitting his potential. It's an upside pick on the handling and offensive instincts, and one that could pay real dividends on the scoresheet if he gets there.

Nobes showed the crafty and creative side to his game. Leveraging his puck skills, Ryder effectively played through pressure, navigated in and out of checks in small areas, and was able to effectively drive scoring chances through his desire to handle the puck and make plays. He got to the scoring areas consistently, making little moves around sticks and weaving in for quality scoring chances that made him a leader in the scoring chance department for the Majors. Ryder tallied two of their three goals, the first off a rebound in the slot and the second coming on a shot from distance that found its way through traffic and trickled off the post and in. Nobes has long been a favourite of mine in this class for his creativity and raw offensive skill.

Nobes’ pace and confidence to carry pucks through the neutral zone were the main elements throughout this game. He entered the zone with control shift after shift, smartly surveying his options, using delays, and quick moves to always maintain possession. Nobes connected on a few nice moves to the middle upon entry, showing the confidence and handling to find ways to create lanes to the scoring areas. While he had plenty of chances and clever passing moments, he only recorded one on the scoresheet, finishing off a pass over on a 2-on-1. Another solid showing from Nobes, displaying the quickness and crafty handling to his game that he can use to generate offence.

Nobes showed some playmaking in this one, connecting on some clever passes, sparking his fair share of offence for the Majors. Especially off the rush, Ryder was entering the zone with his head up, looking for options, and connecting on some drop passes and seam passes to teammates in scoring positions. He set up Fenwick for a goal with a nice pass to hit him open in the slot area. Ryder scored two of his own both from chances in and around the net, being in the right place to pounce on a rebound or be open for a pass. It’s been a few good viewings in a row now for Ryder, and he’s yet another forward on this Majors team that I have highlighted to keep watching closely.

Nobes was always at the center of the play for the Majors. I typically noted him as the one commanding the puck, making smart decisions, and acting as a critical piece to their offensive rhythm. When he had the puck, he managed possessions well, never rushing things, and playing a well thought out game. He’s a quick skater, who often used bursts of speed to beat defenders off the rush and make things happen. Most of his offensive impact was as a passer, controlling play on the outside and waiting for a lane to open up, and threading a puck through gaps. I’ve seen Nobes plenty before, but I felt here he exceeded my initial expectations and stood out more as a player for me to keep a closer eye on this year.

Nobes was another forward in this article that I noted for his dynamic on-puck skill. Combining both quick hands and explosive skating, Ryder showed some high-end flashes of challenging defenders in one-on-one situations and beating them cleanly with a deke or an explosive burst of speed. He scored once across the two Majors’ games I watched, dangling his way by a defender, attacking the middle of the ice, and ripping a shot high from the slot into the back of the net. Like I’ve already mentioned, the first report is all about tools, and Nobes showcased a solid package of varying offensive tools to make for a good first impression.

Nobes led Markham in scoring with 7 goals and 12 points, including two hat tricks. While many of his goals came against weaker competition in his pool, the variety in how he scored was impressive. Nobes demonstrated excellent hand-eye coordination, scoring multiple goals off deflections and tipping several more on net that were stopped. On his tip goals, he consistently found space off to the side of the net, calling for low shot-passes and redirecting them effectively. He also scored with snipes off working down the wall, and with crafty finishes in tight. He also played off his teammates very well, always being in open ice and controlling zone time.

A pacey forward, Ryder Nobes caps things off for Everest as his speedy playstyle and strong shooting abilities in step off the rush let him generate a handful of scoring chances for his team. He showed a nice ability off the cycle to keep his feet moving, zipping around the zone, connecting on brief one-touch passes between himself and teammates, spreading out defenses, and then slipping into open ice, catching a pass, and firing a strong shot on goal. When areas were more congested and crowded, he did a good job at changing the angle of his shot, with strong pulls of the puck around sticks and bodies, firing shots on net through screens.