The Kids' Table: OHL Playoff Preview

Back in my day -- which is actually becoming a statement that makes sense -- I went through my fair share of playoff experiences. Mostly during little league baseball, but that's beside the point. The point is that for young athletes, playoffs are incredibly important at a young age. You're normally told that sports are supposed to be "fun" and your main objective is to "have fun," but at the end of the day, glory reigns supreme, and if you don't want a piece, you're wasting your time.

Now, most of the playoffs you participate in as a young lad aren't going to mean much in the long run. In junior hockey, it's an entirely different story. To some players, the OHL playoffs are merely a conclusion, but to others the stage is set to make or break their careers. A lot is at stake in the 2016 OHL playoffs, not only on the ice but in the draft rankings. We'll see players help their stock and hurt it, which could be huge, considering we're entering one of the final phases of action before the 2016 NHL Draft in late June.

The tournament kicks off Thursday and the "fun" likely won't stop until the summer. Last week, I set you up for the Frozen Four (which I may dive into a bit more later, considering we have a bracket now), but it's time to jump into the first round of the OHL playoffs with players to watch and key matchups.

Players to Watch

Pretty much everyone on the London Knights

Despite being only a No. 3 seed in this year's tournament, the Knights are easily the most dangerous team in the field of 16. Up and down, their roster is riddled with veteran experience and youthful exuberance. At the top, Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak will have their final shot at winning a Memorial Cup before making the jump onto NHL ice next season. At the bottom are potential 2016 first-round selections in forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Max Jones, and defenseman Olli Juolevi.

Chances are, you've heard of all those guys -- particularly if you've been to this column before -- but those aren't the only London players under the microscope. Forward J.J. Piccinich, a New Jersey native, ditched Boston University to play junior hockey and managed to score 30 goals in his inaugural season (technically he isn't a rookie). Piccinich was the Maple Leafs' fourth-round selection back in 2014, and though their stables are crowded, he's worth watching in the Knights' first-round series against the Owen Sound Attack. Rookie defenseman Evan Bouchard (2018 eligible) is a ways away from making an impact at the NHL level, but still warrants some attention, considering his solid freshman campaign.

Dylan Strome, C, Erie Otters

Not even the great Connor McDavid was able to lead Erie to the Memorial Cup last season, so expecting Strome to take them there is crazy, right? Strome's numbers took a hit during the regular season without McDavid (barely), as he finished with "just" 37 goals and 111 points in 56 games. The Otters are still the same run-and-gun type of team on the ice this season and should at the very least compete in the OHL Finals.

At this point in his career, Strome has proven to everyone that he's an elite prospect as a playmaking center with No. 1 potential for the Coyotes. He'll undoubtedly land on their end-of-season roster regardless of whether Erie wins or loses. Aside from his skating, I think the biggest thing scouts and everyone else will be looking for out of Strome is leadership. Can he take the reins from McDavid and lead this team further? A Memorial Cup run would definitely solidify my thoughts about Strome, and I'm interested to see what the kid's got.

Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Barrie Colts

Playoffs are always highlighted by great goaltending. This is often a theme saved for the NHL, but we've seen it in the past at the junior level too. Blackwood's season has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least – he's gone through suspensions and growing pains, but has ultimately played well enough to warrant his spot as one of the best goalie prospects around. If the Colts plan on making a deep run, they'll need Blackwood at his best, considering he might be their only advantage over teams like Kingston, Erie, Sarnia and London. Let's hope that the ghosts of playoffs past don't come back to haunt Blackwood this time around – as a Devils fan, I'm really hoping he inherits the net from Cory Schneider somewhere down the line.

Other Players to Watch:
Kevin Labanc, F, Barrie Colts
Alexander Nylander, F, Mississauga Steelheads
Michael McLeod, F, Mississauga Steelheads
Mikhail Sergachev, D, Windsor Spitfires
Logan Stanley, D, Windsor Spitfires

Key Matchups

Michael Dal Colle vs. Oshawa Generals

It's only fitting that Dal Colle will have to face his former team when the Kingston Frontenacs open things up against Oshawa in the 1-8 matchup Friday. The Generals, who happen to be the defending Memorial Cup Champions, dealt Dal Colle to greener pastures with the team struggling and looking to rebuild. Oshawa wasn't bad enough to miss the playoffs, so here we are, stuck with an amazing storyline in the first round.

I've documented Dal Colle's hot streak since he got traded and joined Spencer Watson on the Fronts' top line. This ascension has restored Dal Colle to his former glory as one of the top forward prospects in all of hockey. What I'm looking for most in this series is whether he can handle the pressure of facing old friends in a David vs. Goliath type of situation. Kingston should go out and take care of Oshawa with ease, but this is the OHL playoffs and anything is possible. Perhaps Dal Colle will exorcise the demons and again get his team to the Memorial Cup.

Pavel Zacha vs. Himself

It was a very long time ago that many thought of Zacha as the top prospect coming out for the 2015 draft. A few years later, the Czech is still a very promising young talent, though he still hasn't shown much at the junior level to get excited about. A lot of scouts and one GM who comes to mind were looking for Zacha to take the next step this season and produce at an elite level, which he didn't. Sure, 28 goals and 64 points in 51 games for the Sarnia Sting is serviceable, but in the OHL, "elite" means nearly two points per game. (Yep, life isn't fair.) On top of Zacha's production (or lack thereof), he hasn't been able to shake off the penalties, as he's coming very close to racking up 100 PIM this season.

We know that Zacha has the skill set and is a great penalty killer, so his chances of becoming a competent NHL forward are likely. The problem is, relative to his draft position, it just doesn't appear that Zacha is a bona fide top-line center.

Sarnia went out and got him help (Travis Konecny, Matt Mistele, Sam Studnicka), but he still didn't exactly set the world on fire following those trades. The Sting have high expectations in this tournament, and Zacha is arguably their best and most important player. If he can put together a nice showing through a few series, it would go a long way toward proving he can still live up to the hype.

Michael DiPietro vs. Luke Opilka

This is easily the best goaltender matchup of the first round, with Windsor's DiPietro set to take on Kitchener's Opilka in net.

DiPietro, 16, is a rookie (and no relation to the mostly disastrous Islanders No. 1 overall pick) who's helped stabilize Windsor's back end with his play all season long. DiPietro experienced ups and downs during his first year in the OHL, but has shown the ability to take over stretches of play, including a very impressive nine-game winning streak during the middle of the season. Kitchener doesn't have a ton of weapons, but Ryan McInnis, Adam Mascherin and Jeremy Bracco can all light the lamp; they'll test DiPietro throughout this series. DiPietro has never played in games as important as the ones he'll be in starting Thursday, but if he can show he belongs in these playoffs, that will go a long way toward improving his draft stock.

On the flip side, Opilka is also a first-year player in the OHL, though he's three years older than DiPietro. A St. Louis native, Opilka was drafted by his hometown Blues in the fifth round of last year's draft and has been one of the better netminders in the league this season. Not to be outdone by his opposition, Opilka has had three separate winning streaks of five or more games, so he too has the potential to take over a series. The down side to Opilka is that he and the Rangers are limping into the playoffs. The 19-year-old has lost four of his last five games while allowing 20 goals during that stretch; one of those losses was to Windsor, who got him for five goals before he was yanked.

It isn't very often that goaltending is the highlight of a first-round series in the OHL, but if any two players have a shot to make it so, it's DiPietro and Opilka.