MIN – Adam Benak, C (Brantford Bulldogs)
24GP: 14G, 26A, 40PTS
104th overall, 2025
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165 lbs
Benak’s performance to start this season in the OHL already has people wondering if he might be one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NHL Draft. To be able to get that type of skill in the fourth round, Minnesota has to be happy with that. With 40 points over 24 games, he currently sits in second place as the scoring leader, behind his teammate Jake O’Brien. Coming from Youngstown in the USHL, his transition to Brantford has been no issue for him, as he’s quickly proved he can dominate games night in and night out.
Benak has great vision on the ice, often finding open seams and regularly setting up his teammates. He competes hard, finds soft areas of the ice and goes to the net hard. Despite being undersized, Benak has a knack for scoring goals in tight by pouncing on rebounds or opening himself up as a backdoor option. Every time I watch him play, I’m always impressed with his motor, as it looks like he never gets tired. His pace is above most of the players, if not every player in the league. There’s no doubt that his 5-8 frame is what led to his value dropping during the draft, but his skill set is up to par with just about any high-end NHL prospect.
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PHI – Jett Luchanko, C (Brantford Bulldogs)
14GP: 2G, 17A, 19PTS
13th overall, 2024
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190 lbs
Luchanko made headlines a week ago when a trade was announced that sent him from Guelph to Brantford. The 13th overall from the 2024 NHL Draft made his Bulldogs debut on November 28th and has since produced two assists in his first three games with the team. He picked up his first point on a beautiful passing play that led to Cooper Dennis scoring against Kitchener.
Luchanko is a 200-foot playmaking centreman who excels in all three zones of the ice. In his own end, he has an active stick that can break up cycle plays and has the vision to execute breakout passes. Through the neutral zone, he has excellent foot speed and transitions up the ice with ease, whether it’s with the puck or without. On offence, he has soft hands that can turn a defenseman inside out and often showcases his deception by faking a shot just to pass it to an open teammate. It’s not by fluke that he has earned himself a couple of short NHL stints, both last season and at the start of this one. There’s a lot to like about Luchanko’s game. He has a high-end computer, as Martin St-Louis would say. He processes the game very well, and all his actions with the puck reflect that. His game is responsible, calculated, and I have no doubt that when the time comes, he will have no issues translating his game to the NHL level.
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NYI – Kashawn Aitcheson, D (Barrie Colts)
24GP: 18G, 12A, 30PTS
17th overall, 2025
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 lbs
Aitcheson knows his identity as a player and demonstrates it every game. Physicality, toughness and edge are three words to describe his game. He has laid some of the biggest hits I’ve seen at the OHL level, whether it’s connecting with them in open ice, along the boards or in front of his net. Aitcheson continues to show progression in his offensive game, having already scored 18 goals in 24 games, which ties him for third in the league despite being a defenseman. Last season, he had 26 goals over 64 games, during a season in which he produced just under a point per game.
As Aitcheson continues his development, it will be interesting to see if his offensive numbers can translate to the NHL level. This season, he’s shown improvements in reading plays and timing jumps in the offensive zone, and his points output reflects that. He has a heavy shot and likes to evade pressuring wingers to open himself up for one-timers. As long as Aitcheson stays true to his identity, he will become a top-four defenseman who can log big minutes and be an effective penalty killer at the NHL level.
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Honorable Mentions: Emil Hemming, Nathan Villeneuve, Kieron Walton
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‘Til next time,
Emmanuel Alforque