2020 Draft: Byfield's size, strength, skating make him OHL's top prospect

The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually on Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at the top prospects from the Ontario Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Quinton Byfield of Sudbury has proven himself worthy not only as the best player in the Ontario Hockey League, but perhaps the second-best player in the 2020 NHL Draft.
The center (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) is No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters and is the first of 57 OHL players (49 skaters, eight goalies) in Central Scouting's final rankings. Left wing Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is No. 1 on the list.
RELATED: [Top WHL prospects | Top QMJHL prospects | Top International prospects]
Byfield is the first of five OHL skaters listed among the top 10. The others are defenseman Jamie Drysdale of Erie (No. 3), and forwards Cole Perfetti of Saginaw (No. 5), Marco Rossi of Ottawa (No. 6), and Jack Qunn of Ottawa (No. 7). Additionally, Nicolas Daws of Guelph is No. 1 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies.
"Quinton obviously had a great season; he came out of the gates really hot in the OHL," Joey Tenute of NHL Central Scouting said. "He's a guy that's so young, he's got so much upside with his combination of size and strength. The work habits he possesses, the 200-foot game he plays, his compete level. He's 6-foot-4 and not even finished growing. He's an exciting player to follow for the future."

The 18-year-old was a driving force for Sudbury, finishing 14th in the OHL with 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) and sixth in points per game (1.82). He had a 51.9 face-off winning percentage (304-for-586) in 45 games and had one assist in seven games for first-place Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.
In addition to Byfield, there are many more OHL players projected to be chosen in the 2020 draft. Each of the 20 OHL teams has at least one player on the list, with Sault Ste. Marie (seven) leading the way, followed by Erie (six), Kitchener (four), London (four) and Windsor (four).
To break it down, here are five questions with Tenute:
Q: Ottawa center Marco Rossi is No. 6 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. He led the OHL with 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 56 games. Do you think his size (5-9, 183) will deter him from taking his game to the next level?
"I don't believe so. He's got that low center of gravity and looks like he's got a strong core and strong legs. He's just a dynamic skater, has that elusive ability and it's hard for guys really to hit him. He very rarely is eliminated from the play and has a strong determination to his game. I see Marco always looking for an edge over his opponents, he's feisty and has that grit game. Marco plays at a high pace and doesn't need a lot of time on the ice to make plays happen. He's got that goal-scoring ability and playmaking ability and he wants to win and that's what I think sets him apart and why his size won't be an issue for him at the next level."

Q: Barrie right wing Tyson Foerster (No. 21) opened a lot of eyes at the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 16, scoring two goals and an assist. How has his game grown since September?
"He's been one of the biggest risers of the draft class this season. There wasn't much hype on him at the start of the year and he kind of just burst onto the radar and forced everybody to take note. Foerster (6-1, 194) was consistent all year and his statistics were outstanding (80 points; 36 goals, 44 assists in 62 games). I think that his skating improved a ton and he just kept getting better and better. He went from a C-rated prospect on our list to a B-rated prospect and ended up as A-rated in our final rankings in the first round. The prospects game helped his cause; he showed he can play with and against all the top competition of this draft class and excel. He has a lethal shot and excellent goal-scoring instincts and his playmaking ability, I think, is underrated as well. He's as good as anybody in the draft with the puck on his stick and definitely a potential sleeper in this draft."
Q: Saginaw center Cole Perfetti scored 111 points (37 goals, 74 assists) in 61 games and was the second-leading scorer in the OHL, yet hasn't garnered a lot of attention. Based on your viewings, how special a player is he?
"I think Perfetti (5-10, 177) grabbed the attention of our whole country at the start of the season with his clutch performance for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (12 points; eight goals, four assists in five games) in August and he really just carried it into this season. I was excited every time he came onto the ice during my viewings to see what he could do and what he was going to do. He's a player that's targeted and he draws the attention from the other players. They want to eliminate him and take as much time and space away from him as possible because he's a guy that gets it done. He's elusive with his stops and starts and his ability to turn and change directions. He draws the attention of everyone on the ice, including scouts and fans and everybody's looking at him. He's a guy that's stepping up off the blue line, back door, and putting it on his tape and it's in the net. His statistics backed it up and he's got a bright future."

Q: Is there an OHL player outside the top 31 projected players you feel could be a diamond in the rough in the 2020 draft?
"I think a real diamond in the rough is (No. 39-ranked right wing) Luke Evangelista of London. Here's another guy that didn't have a lot of hype coming into the season. He played minimal games, earned minimal ice time as a rookie (in 2018-19). This year he was relied upon and delivered. He had a great season statistically (61 points; 23 goals, 38 assists in 62 games). The thing that really sticks out to me with Evangelista (5-11, 166) is that if you look at his numbers, 57 of his 61 points were at even strength. What that shows me is that he's consistent, night in and night out, and he plays a 5-on-5 game. He played on the second power-play unit and I think he's got power-play upside. Next year he'll see a lot of time on London's power play and he did play penalty kill this season so you know he can play in every situation and contributes with high hockey IQ and puck management. He makes smart plays with the puck and has great vision. As he physically matures he could be a real sleeper in this draft."
Q: How have you seen Windsor forwards Jean-Luc Foudy (No. 33) and William Cuylle (No. 34) progress this season?
"I've seen a lot of Windsor this year and these are guys who have been heavily scouted by our staff. I think that they contributed well. Maybe the statistics weren't where a lot of people thought they would be, but for me that doesn't mean they didn't contribute and didn't have a strong season. Foudy (5-11, 177) is one of the best skaters of the draft. His speed is outstanding and his puck possession, end-to-end ability and the amount of zone time that he gains for his team is very high end. I think he's got an untapped offensive upside (43 points; 15 goals, 28 assists in 59 games this season). Cuylle (6-3, 204) is at his best when he's playing the heavy game, when he's hard on pursuit, finishing the body, making power moves with the puck to the net, and parking himself in front on the power play. He's got that power-forward upside (42 points; 22 goals, 20 assists in 62 games). I've seen him fight and I've seen him go to the hard areas. He's got a great release and plays a 200-foot game. I think they each contributed well this year to Windsor and they're great prospects."
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