One of the top prospects out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) realizes that he has a chance to play for the team he grew up watching and knows how special that could be. A former OHL team captain has landed his first professional contract. Also, a defensive prospect from Slovakia is heading to North America for the 2020-21 season.
Quinn Would Love to Stay Home
Jack Quinn getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators this fall would be a story straight out of a Hollywood script. Quinn grew up in Cobden, Ontario, just over an hour west of the nation’s capital. He has scored 64 goals and 121 points over two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL.
The Senators have three picks in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and Quinn knows just how special it would be for one of them to be used to select him.
“It would be something special,” he said if his name were to be called by the Senators. “I’ve been around there my whole life, so, to stay there would be pretty cool.”
(Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images)
Quinn rapidly shot up the draft rankings after scoring 52 goals and 89 points in 62 OHL games during the 2019-20 shortened season. He posses an elite-level shot as well as a good set of hands and a high hockey IQ.
Most draft experts feel that Quinn will be a top-20 draft pick and might even sneak up into the top 10. The Senators will not use the third or fifth pick on Quinn, but if he is on the board when they select at 21, he could be a perfect match.
Boka Lands ECHL Deal
Staying in the OHL, former Windsor Spitfires winger Luke Boka signed his first professional contract. He recently inked an ECHL deal with the Fort Wayne Komets for the upcoming 2020-21.
Boka, 21, played five seasons with the Spitfires and owns the franchise record 313 games. He scored sixty goals and 140 points during his OHL career. He was the team captain for both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
(Dave Jewell/THW)
“Luke will be an exciting addition to our locker room, he adds to our team of champions and leaders.,” said Komets head coach Ben Boudreau. “His defensive style of hockey will play a vital role within this organization. Luke is fearless when it comes to blocking shots and doesn’t mind going into the hard areas of the ice and he finds a way to contribute with a lethal shot in and around the net.”
Stacha Coming to North America
According to a report out of Slovakia, defensive prospect Marko Stacha will be coming to North America for the 2020-21 season. He confirmed to reporter Matej Deraj that he will play for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
The 18-year-old left-handed defenseman spent the entire 2019-20 season in Slovakia’s top their league and held his own. Stacha is eligible for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and our own draft expert, Larry Fisher, predicts he will be a fourth-round pick.
Stacha was selected by the Giants in the recent OHL Import Draft. His skating and his mobility are his strongest attributes. He can play a physical game when the situation calls for it. He likes to join the rush and play aggressively in the offensive zone.
Prospect of the Day – Alexander Holtz
We will stay in Europe for our Prospect of the Day. Holtz is the second-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting heading into the draft. He played in 35 Swedish Hockey League (SHL) games for Djurgårdens IF and scored nine goals and 16 points.
Related: THW’s 2020 NHL Draft Guide
Holtz is an offensively gifted forward. Scouts love both his impressive wrist and slap shot. He is a very smart player with good vision and has a knack for being in the right place on the ice at the right time. While he is a great goal scorer, he is no slouch in the playmaking department.
(Photo by ERIK SIMANDER/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images)
There is no doubt he will be a top-10 pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and THW’s Matthew Zator predicts he will go in the top five.
There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Holtz is a top-10 pick in this year’s draft. He could even enter the top-five if a team’s needs match his skill set. I don’t foresee him dropping out of the top-10, so I am projecting him to go fifth overall behind the other Terror Twin, Lucas Raymond.
Holtz is a deadly scorer and a pure sniper. His shot is elite and is what puts him so high on the draft board. He could use some improvement with his footwork and acceleration. He has used his smarts to be in the right place to make up for this but has time to improve. He has the potential to be a top-line winger in the NHL and his shot is good enough to make to get him there rather quickly.