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By: David Saad

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Another OHL season is underway, and this year promises to be a treat. With the drama of a potential CHL/NCAA split, the first ever CHL/USA Top Prospects challenge and the numerous NHL prospects the league will showcase, there will be ample reason to keep a finger on the OHL’s pulse.

Speaking of those top prospects, the OHL is chock full of promising talent for the 2025 draft cycle. Headlining the crop are not just one, but two incumbent challengers for James Hagens’ early consensus 1st overall spot, namely Matthew Schaefer and Porter Martone. While they may hold the top two spots, former Exceptional Status recipient Michael Misa may not be far behind, adding some intrigue to the mix. On top of that, there are European imports Filip Ekberg and Ruslan Karimov that could turn some heads and are worth keeping an eye on. No matter how they stack up right now, there is still an entire season ahead of us to see how these young talents measure up.

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Porter Martone, W, Brampton Steelheads:

Martone is coming off a spectacular D-1 campaign, leading the then Mississauga Steelheads with 33 goals. He capped off his season with a gold medal win at the U18s last April, contributing 17 points in seven games, good enough for third in the tournament. Watching him, it’s easy to see why he has drawn so much early attention. Martone plays a tough, bruising game and combines it with some jaw-dropping creativity. As seen in the value of players with that elusive combination of size and skill (like Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk or former 1st overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky) Martone’s ability to impose his will on the game is something really sought after in today’s NHL. If he can consistently tap into the “wow” factor that has NHL staff unquestionably drooling, he can usurp the 1st overall spot. He will be in a great position to do so, as Brampton have made considerable off-season acquisitions to support Martone, most notably Seattle 2nd round pick Carson Rehkopf. A first line of Rehkopf, Dallas Stars prospects Angus MacDonell and Martone promises to be one of the deadliest the OHL has to offer, and places Martone as a genuine contender in the OHL scoring race.

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Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie Otters:

Matthew Schaefer is, relatively, a much more recent discovery than Porter Martone. However, the first overall buzz he’s garnered from his Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament performance is well deserved. He simply doesn’t make mistakes with the puck on his stick. He’s as true-blue a two-way defender as there is, straddling the line between constant offensive activation and suppressive defensive play. All of these factors press the question: How good can Matthew Schaefer get? His ceiling is among the best the class has to offer. Unfortunately, we will have to wait a while to get an answer as Schaefer recovers from mononucleosis. However, what Schaefer won’t lose is what separates him from the pack: his profile. In a draft dominated by players born in late 2006, Schaefer’s a late 2007, mere days from being a 2026 draft eligible. Furthermore, the pool of potential top 10 defenders is currently seen as slim. The organizational needs for teams projected to be at the bottom of this year’s standings also tend to be more skewed towards defencemen. There’s a wide range of possibilities with what can happen with Schaefer in the next 8 months, but what likely won’t change is the value he can bring to a franchise as a potential ace defender.

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Michael Misa, C, Saginaw Spirit:

It is kind of curious that of the two first overall hopefuls out of the OHL, neither of them is the kid with exceptional status. Misa has had to endure his name dropping across boards lately due to some perceived unimpressive play. While potentially explainable by the lingering effects of a knee injury he had suffered the year prior and his roaming around the Saginaw lineup, it shouldn’t distract from the fact that Misa put up a very respectable season. He won the Memorial Cup and led all Saginaw forwards in scoring during the regular season. His drop is not so much an issue with Misa himself, but more the result of other players just generating more excitement at the moment. For his part, Misa seems to have heard the music and has kicked off his draft year with a renewed vigor after dropping 10 goals in his first five games, including a couple that will surely land on highlight reels. If this is a sign of things to come, look for Misa to re-enter that first overall conversation. He may not be the runaway option anymore, but he is a true dark horse.

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Filip Ekberg, W, Ottawa 67’s:

Going away from the names that are highlighting the draft class, there is also a lot of fascinating fresh blood coming from overseas. Among the highlights of that list would be Ottawa 67s’ import Ekberg. The Swedish forward established himself as one of the biggest names to come out of his home country two years ago when he set the record as the youngest Allsvenskan player in history to record not just a point, but a hat-trick at the age of 15. If he were 16 at the time, he would be joining the company of established NHLers like David Pastrnak, William Nylander and Filip Forsberg; to do it at 15 puts him in a tier of his own. Like the players above, Ekberg is a dynamic talent that plays the game with remarkable speed and finesse as well as some refined playmaking ability. Despite his 5-10 frame, Ekberg is anything but shy from challenging defenders, regularly using his feet to tackle gaps with remarkable timing. Couple that with his underrated shot and you have an in-suppressible forward that can beat you any number of ways. While the 67s are likely to keep Ekberg on a tight leash while he acclimates to his new team, they likely will not be able to keep him on the pine for long. He is going to be a blast to watch.

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Ruslan Karimov, W, Sarnia Sting:

Another name to get familiar with is Sarnia Sting forward Ruslan Karimov. Karimov has managed to go under the radar as a result of jumping between three levels and two underwhelming teams while in Russia last year. The one constant in Karimov’s game was the energy and natural goal scoring ability that earned him top line minutes wherever he went. He projects as a great bottom-six energy forward at the NHL level but has the tools to take his skill up a level while in Sarnia. The foundations for it are definitely present. Karimov already comes in boasting a good set of hands with a really powerful shot, and his 6-0, 200lb frame gives reason for optimism that a decent power forward can come yet. At the very least, he will be given the opportunity to lock down a top six spot, and the Sting are coming off a season where they finished third last in goals for. With the added arrivals of highly touted prospects like Beckham Edwards and Alessandro Di Iorio, Karimov should not be left without support either. If things pan out as planned, Karimov can establish himself as a serious riser in this year’s draft.

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Beyond the players highlighted here, there are many other significant 2025 eligibles playing in the OHL this year. Forwards Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters and Brady Martin of the Soo Greyhounds both play the kind of game centered around skill, speed and physicality that could see them shoot up draft boards over the season. Barrie Colts defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson is another player that blends finesse and physicality, whether that be in his hard-hitting two-way game or using his skating for fearless and frequent activations. Brantford Bulldogs centre Jake O’Brien rounds out the top end of the OHL class, bringing slick playmaking and an advanced hockey IQ. No matter how the final order shakes out, these players are names that should be quite familiar by the end of the season.

David Saad