Five 2027 Draft Eligible Players to watch this season in the OHL
Pre-season games for the upcoming OHL season are underway and with that brings the anticipation for a new crop of NHL draft eligible players. Last season, the OHL saw 7 of its players drafted into the first round of the NHL draft with Caleb Malhotra leading the pack at 3rd overall. For the 26-27 season, there comes another group of players from around the league who will have a chance to be selected high as well
This group will highlight 4 forwards and one defenseman to keep a close eye on over the course of the season. These players will have great opportunites to showcase their skills not only over the regular season but through the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, the World Juniors, Memorial Cup, and U18 World Championships. Dima Zhilkin - Saginaw Spirit - RW
When Dima Zhilkin was drafted 19th overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 OHL draft, he was eighth in scoring on his U16 AAA team with 22 points in 34 games as a 5-foot-6 winger. Fast forward to today, Dima Zhilkin enters the 2026-27 season with a strong possibility to be the first North American forward drafted in the 2027 NHL draft. Zhilkin is a late ‘08 birthday who was named captain of Saginaw last year as a draft minus-1.
Now standing at 5’11. While Zhilkin is an undersized winger for NHL size standards, he makes up for it with his tenacity, speed, and ability to drive play at a high level. Zhilkin is consistently physical and plays hard on both ends of the ice. Last season, his 36 goals and 75 points in 59 games was good for 15th in the OHL in scoring and highest among 2027 draft eligibles, along with 100 penalty minutes, which placed him 6th league wide.
As Canada’s only draft eligible player at the World Junior Summer Showcase, Zhilkin was the star for Canada, scoring 3 goals and 1 assist through 2 goals. He also led Canada in points with 5 goals and 2 assists at the 2026 IIHF U18 Championship, solidifying his case. Zhilkin has a real chance of making Team Canada’s World Junior Roster if he can continue on track and impress in the first half of the season. If Zhilkin takes charge this season, don’t be surprised if he leads the OHL in scoring. Especially if his teammate from last season, Nikita Klepov, doesn’t crack the Anaheim Ducks roster at training camp and heads back to Saginaw for another season. Zhilkin recently committed to the University of Michigan for the 2027-28 season. The Wolverines have been very active this summer, gaining commitments from other top 2027 prospects, including Landon Dupont, Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, and Saginaw teammate Levi Harper. If Zhilkin is drafted high enough, it’s very likely he signs his entry level contract and forfeits his college eligibility, but if not, Michigan will be a great place for the winger to continue to develop.
Timothy Kazda - Guelph Storm - RW
Timothy Kazda spent last season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and will be joining the Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm for the 2026-27 season. Last season with the Steel, Kazda scored 22 goals and 41 points in 59 games, which was 4th in the league for under-18 scoring. Kazda then went to the U18 World Championship and put on a show, winning tournament MVP with 12 points in 7 games. Kazda is committed to the Boston College for the 27-28 season.
Kazda played similar minutes as both a center and a wing last year with Chicago, and it will be an interesting storyline this season with Guelph on which position he sticks at. Like Zhilkin, Kazda is a late ‘08 birthday, giving him more time to develop his game before headed to the OHL for his draft season. When Kazda plays at his best, it is because he uses his power forward ability to work his way into the dirty areas while using his primary weapon, his offensive driving capability. Kazda will be joining a stacked Guelph team this season where he should have opportunities to play with Ethan Czata who was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2025 with their second-round pick, and Jaakko Wycsik, the 2nd overall pick from the 2025 OHL draft and 2027 draft eligible (more on him later).
Ryerson Edgar - Niagara IceDogs - C
Ryerson Edgar’s 2025-26 rookie season was stronger than his numbers look at first glance. Edgar, who began on the wing last season but moved back to the middle in the new year, ended the year as one of the best players on the IceDogs with 49 points. His 49 points were the most by any 2009-born player which earned him a spot on the OHL’s second all rookie team.
Ryerson Edgar will play the 2026-27 season with the heavily depleted Niagara IceDogs team. Who lost Vancouver Canucks prospect Riley Patterson to the AHL, NHL second-round picks Ethan Czata and Ryan Roobroeck to Guelph via trade, and NHL second-rounder Haoxi Wang to Boston University. Having a big draft season with the IceDogs might actually be better for his draft stock than putting up bigger numbers on more of a contender.
The watered down IceDogs will rely heavily on Edgar this season. Committed to Michigan, Edgar stands at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. He is a fantastic skater who can keep himself in the play with that advantage as well as by using his Hockey IQ. Edgar will get a lot of runway this season with Niagara and will need to show he can handle that responsibility to be in the conversation for the mid to early first round range.
Internationally, Edgar represented Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky this summer where he put up 5 points through 5 games. He should get an opportunity to play for Canada at the U18’s next spring for another chance to show off internationally before the NHL draft.
Jaakko Wycisk - Guelph Storm - C
The aforementioned Jaakko Wycisk enters the 2026-27 season with high expectations on the Memorial Cup hosting Guelph Storm. Wycisk has all the tools of a first round pick. He’s got the size, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 204 pounds to go alongside the two way ability and puck battle skills.
Wycisk is the player on this list that has boosted his draft stock the most since the end of the season. Wycisk’s stock jumped at the Hlinka Gretzky this summer where he put up 2 goals and 10 points to co-lead the tournament in scoring. Wycisk is ranked very highly at this point across different scouts. With Elite Prospects ranking him at 5th overall in their pre-season draft ranking.
Wycisk continued to improve over his rookie season last year ending up with 17 goals and 43 points over 60 games. This year, he should get a chance to center either Ryan Roobroeck or Ethan Czata, giving him good players to work on his craft with over the course of the year. With Guelph hosting the Memorial Cup, expect them to make some big trades to bring in additional help too.
If Wycisk can stick it through the year at center, his stock grows more. Right handed centers with a big frame are hot commodities around draft time. If he looks like he’s going to be more of a winger, his offensive production is going to have to improve this year to go in the middle portion of the first round. If he can stay in that center range, his stock skyrockets.
Levi Harper - Saginaw Spirit - D
Levi Harper enters the season with a chance to be one of the biggest risers over the course of the year. The only defenseman on this list, Harper was incredible last season as a rookie in the OHL. Harper led all rookie defenseman with 12 goals and 57 points and finished 5th in scoring among blueliners overall. Harper’s season was historic for Saginaw, setting the new record for points by a rookie defenseman, smashing the previous mark of 37 set by Zayne Parekh.
The right-shot draft eligible is a late 2008 birthday standing in at 5’11 and 174 pounds. Harper’s game is built on skating and his ability to join the rush and make plays under pressure. Harper will play this year under Dima Zhilkin on what should be a very dangerous Saginaw team. He is committed to the University of Michigan for the 2027-28 season.
The NHL has become more accepting of shorter defensemen over the past decade or so, but it will not be an easy path for Harper to climb up into the high pick range of this draft. 70 points and an improvement of Harper’s defensive game puts him in a comfortable spot headed into June.
The Americans already have Seattle’s Chase Reid and Nashville’s Tommy Bleyl on the right side comfortably stapled on the World Junior roster who could run the powerplay, so Harper would need a very strong first half of the season to get himself on the radar for the United States for this upcoming tournament.
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