OHL Stock Watch: Jordan Charron finding goal-scoring touch with Soo Greyhounds

It’s been an eventful start to the OHL season. The Ottawa 67’s are the last remaining undefeated team in the league, although they’ve played the fewest number of games. 

The Windsor Spitfires were also undefeated through their first seven games of the season, before their winning streak ended after they ran into a pesky Owen Sound Attack team over the weekend. 

With most of the league’s more notable prospects still away at NHL training camps, several newcomers have set the bar high to start the year. Saginaw Spirit forward Egor Barabanov leads the league in scoring, Beksultan Makysh has been a goal-scoring machine in Windsor, and the Brantford Bulldogs’ new additions Adam Benák and Caleb Malhotra have impressed early on as well.

But it’s not just the newcomers who are making a statement. In fact, it’s a couple of 2025 NHL Draft picks who lead the first OHL Stock Watch of the season.

Stock Rising 📈 

Jordan Charron, RW, Soo Greyhounds (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Last season, we were impressed by Jordan Charron’s pace, physicality, skating, and flashes of dynamism, enough to make him a late inclusion on our draft rankings last spring. Clearly, the Pittsburgh Penguins saw his potential, too, selecting him in the fifth round. 

More confident as the puck carrier this season, Charron has been dominant as a play-driver in his first OHL season. His eight goals in eight games lead the entire league at the time of writing, and his 11 points have him tied second in league scoring. 

“He's always had the pace and physicality of a legitimate NHL prospect, but unlocking more offence early this season has been a significant game-changer for his long-term projection. If he can keep it up this season, it's possible he could reach a middle-six role in the NHL.” – October 3rd, 2025

Even more impressive? Charron has currently been producing like this in the Greyhounds’ mid-six. A promotion to the top line and first power play unit could be in his future, especially if he continues to score at this rate. More offensive opportunities with other scorers could be just what he needs to establish himself as a top player in the OHL. 

Nikita Klepov, RW/LW, Saginaw Spirit (2026 NHL Draft)

Coming off a gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with the United States in the summer, Nikita Klepov has exceeded expectations in Saginaw. A well-rounded package of dynamic skill, details, and physicality, Klepov is a versatile player. He’s capable of being a play driver, but he can also play a more understated two-way game. 

With Klepov, it’s the flashes of puck skills that excite. Combining give-and-gos in transition with deceptive handling manouvres, he manipulates defenders to create advantages. Backed by a nonstop motor and advanced physical skills, Klepov can create space and link plays. He has great chemistry with Barabanov, but he’s also shown adaptability playing with different wingers on Saginaw’s top line.

Klepov hasn’t needed much time to adapt to the OHL, and expect the OHL Rookie of the Week to continue to produce steadily this season. Already just one point behind linemate Barabanov for the team lead in scoring, Klepov could be a top-20 pick next June. 

Ethan Czata, C, Niagara IceDogs (Tampa Bay Lightning)

It’s been an up-and-down start to the season for the Niagara IceDogs, but once Ethan Czata returned from the NHL, he solidified their top-six. It didn’t take him long to get going, either: Czata kicked off his season with a two-goal, three-point outing in his season debut and recorded a hat trick over the weekend.

Currently the IceDogs’ scoring leader, Czata uses his versatile skillset and two-way ability to drive play offensively and help lock down the defensive zone. Increasing his pace has really allowed his offensive vision and tools to blossom, as he looks like a more confident play-driver this season. Continuing to build on his creativity and playmaking ability will bode well for his development, but the Lightning have to be encouraged with how he’s started the season.

Honourable Mentions: Adam Benák (Minnesota Wild), Jacob Battaglia (Calgary Flames), Kashawn Aitcheson (New York Islanders), Jared Woolley (Los Angeles Kings), Carter George (Los Angeles Kings), Owen Griffin (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ethan Belchetz (2026 NHL Draft), Caleb Malhotra (2026 NHL Draft), Jaxon Cover (2026 NHL Draft), Beksultan Makysh (2026 NHL Draft), Egor Barabanov (2026 NHL Draft re-entry), Ryerson Edgar (2027 NHL Draft), Jaakko Wycisk (2027 NHL Draft), Camryn Warren (2027 NHL Draft)

Stock Steady ↔️

Haoxi Wang, LD, Oshawa Generals (San Jose Sharks)

Back from NHL training camp, Haoxi Wang looks like a new player in Oshawa, playing in the top four. The Generals may be in more of a rebuilding phase, but Wang is already a point-per-game player through three games, scoring his first OHL goal over the weekend, and surpassing his production from last season.

More confident to make plays from the blueline, Wang activates off the point, walks the blueline, and is unafraid to unleash his heavy wrister through traffic. But he also shows more patience as the puck carrier now, and there’s no better instance of it than his assist on Oshawa’s overtime winner over the weekend. Using his long reach to keep the puck in at the line, Wang walked into the high slot and, instead of shooting from there, delivered a soft saucer to an open teammate in a better shooting position.

While Wang is still unlikely to be a big producer from the blueline, his confidence to make plays has been a welcome sight this season, and it bodes well for his long-term development. 

Chase Reid, RD, Soo Greyhounds (2026 NHL Draft)

Name a quality that you want in an NHL defenceman, and there’s more than a good chance that Chase Reid has it. The 6-foot-2, right-shot blueliner is a transition force, excellent on retrievals, and a play-driver from the back end. 

With evasive skating ability, Reid controls the game with a quiet confidence. Extremely patient with the puck on his stick, he’ll never force a play. He’s not a flashy activator, but a refined and intelligent one, whether it’s shooting for deflections and rebounds or activating into space. An excellent risk-mitigator, Reid perfectly times joining the play or taking pucks deeper into the offensive zone to limit exposure the other way. 

Extremely disruptive as a defender, Reid uses his range and mobility to get stops easily. Rarely overaggressive, he understands how and when to use his frame and physicality to kill the cycle and eliminate puck carriers. A well-rounded player who already has the makings of a top-four defender in the NHL, expect Reid to be in first-round conversation all season long. 

Stock Falling 📉

Ryan Roobroeck, LW, Niagara IceDogs (2026 NHL Draft)

Statistically, Ryan Roobroeck looks as advertised so far. The IceDogs’ hulking winger is nearly a point-per-game player through his first seven games of the season. However, for a player coming off a 41-goal season who has been touted as a top-five pick for the upcoming draft, his on-ice performances have been wholly inconsistent so far. 

When Roobroeck is at his best, he’s an energetic play driver who can score at will. Though the points have been coming so far, he hasn’t been quite the dominant top prospect we expected to see. Whether it's poor play selection and reads, lack of engagement in the defensive zone, or inconsistent physicality, Roobroeck hasn’t been taking over games yet. 

That being said, Roobroeck’s dual-threat ability still makes him one of the OHL’s most lethal scorers and one of the top offensive talents available at the draft. Plus, it’s very early in the year, and there’s a lot of hockey left to be played. Roobroeck will have to play with more urgency and improve his attention to detail away from the puck to cement himself as a top prospect in this draft class.