Scouting takeaways from the OHL: Suzuki, Bouchard stand out

Each week, this column will highlight news for NHL prospects and 2019 draft-eligible players, and share some thoughts from recent prospect viewings as we look ahead to June’s 2019 NHL draft.

I spent the last week in Ontario getting a closer look at some of the top OHL prospects, along with many of the top U16 players at the OHL Cup — including Shane Wright, who just became the sixth player to be granted exceptional status to join the CHL early.

Here’s a quick look at the prospects I saw during the five-day OHL scouting trip.

Prospect notes | Game to watch

Scouting notebook

Nick Suzuki, LW, Guelph Storm

Every time I see Suzuki play, it seems he’ll do something a little different that shows another element of his game. This time it was his compete level for pucks and defensive responsibility. He’s a gifted offensive player and dynamic playmaker, but he kills penalties and battles for pucks as well as anybody.

Nate Schnarr, C, Guelph Storm