With the 153rd overall pick in the NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Ty Voit out of the OHL.

Voit is a 5’10” center/winger who has played for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL, but is actually an American. And by played for them, I mean he played for them last year. This year, with the OHL shut down for the pandemic, he did not play in any games in the OHL or anywhere else.

Despite that he was ranked 80th overall by Scott Wheeler, and within the top 100 by several other outlets. He may be a diamond in the rough who didn’t get any attention due to lack of playing time this year. Here’s a quote from Scott:

Voit’s in the same boat as Lockhart as a similarly-composed player who also didn’t get into action this year, only with a little more cleverness and a little less willingness to go to the dirty areas. Loved what I saw of his sense and feel out there. I don’t like using either of those words (sense and feel) in evaluation because they’re ambiguous, but he’s just got this cerebral nature to him that allows him to softly move around the ice, making plays.

You can see how the uncertainty of Voit not playing at all this year affected his rankings over time, in this from Elite Prospect’s draft guide:

There was a pitched battle in every meeting to determine Ty Voit’s place in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, with our scouts aligned on two separate sides. Some viewed him as a B-grade prospect, a high second-round pick. Others saw him as more a question-mark, better suited to the third or fourth-rounds.

He started the season as an A-grade prospect, checking in at No. 27 overall in January. Ultimately, the Sarnia Sting forward’s stock dropped as our discussions about his game intensified and we became more certain of the projection of other prospects.

Being able to snag a potential 2nd or even first round pick in the fifth round could make him a steal, but that’s what happens when any uncertainty surrounds a prospect.

And here’s what Brock Otten, OHL scout for McKeen’s Hockey, had to say about him:

Voit has to be considered one of the most creative and dynamic playmakers available from the OHL this year. Simply put, he is a fun player to watch go to work in the offensive zone. There are a lot of layers to his game. He is most effective currently on the attack, playing the game at a feverish pace. With a quick, low stride and terrific edgework, Voit is a very difficult player to contain because he changes direction and stops and starts with relative ease, all while keeping the puck on a string. While he does possess finishing ability, his vision and passing touch would need to be rated above his shooting ability at this time. Voit finishes well in tight but could stand to improve the release time on his shot.

However, this is a kid who never seems to quit on the play in the offensive end. He may be undersized, but he is extremely determined. Larger defenders try to stop him from getting to the net, but he is like the little engine that could. He just keeps on trucking. Because the effort is there, once he improves his overall strength, he will be able to win more of those 50/50 battles and keep more pucks alive along the wall, to prevent him from those inconsistent stretches.

Here are some highlights:

Maple Leafs ProspectsNHL Draft