The WHL has (deservedly) stolen much of the hockey world’s attention with its upcoming class of 2023 NHL draft eligible prospects, and while the QMJHL’s talent pool is quite shallow this year there are a number of intriguing players coming out of the OHL that are well worth taking a closer look at. Two in particular, left winger Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves and center Calum Ritchie of the Oshawa Generals, bring a rare blend of size and high-end offensive skill to the table that is certain to pique the interest of more than a few NHL general managers next summer. They were the first (Musty) and second (Ritchie) overall picks of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, although it certainly appeared the Generals had landed the better player after their 2021-22 major junior rookie campaigns. Ritchie put up 45 points (19g26a) in 65 games to help Oshawa reach the postseason and earned himself a spot on the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team. He then tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 7 points (4g3a) in their 6-game opening round loss to the Kingston Frontenacs. Musty, meanwhile, notched 31 points (12g19a) in 50 games and was added to the Second All-Rookie Team. Sudbury missed the cut for the postseason with their star winger falling short of expectations for a former first overall draft pick.
This season, as sophomores, things have gone much differently and re-opened the conversation regarding which of these two OHLers is actually the better prospect. Both players got off to slow starts, but Musty suddenly discovered chemistry with center David Goyette (a 2022 second round pick) and went on a hot streak that had him sitting with 48 points (12g36a) in 32 games prior to suffering an injury that knocked him out of the Wolves’ lineup. Ritchie, who had been regarded as a potential top-ten prospect for the 2023 draft early on, struggled to score over the first half of the campaign and was producing less than a point-per-game until after the CHL Top Prospects Game in late January. What initially seemed to be a lopsided debate in favour of Ritchie has now turned into a legitimate question: which of these prospects is the better player now, and which of them has the brighter future? That is what I seek to answer in this article.
BACKGROUND
QUENTIN MUSTY
A native of Hamburg in the state of New York, Musty came up with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres as a U13/U14 player before joining the North Jersey Avalanche U16-AAA club in the Youth Atlantic Hockey League for the 2020-21 campaign. He played just 4 games with the Avalanche that season, but produced 4 goals and 7 points during that stretch. Based on his combination of size, skating, skill and physicality, the Sudbury Wolves chose to make Musty the first overall pick of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection after he announced his intention to play major junior hockey in Canada. As a 16-year old rookie he notched 31 points (12g19a) in 50 games for a 0.62 points-per-game average, earning a spot on the OHL’s Second All-Rookie Team. Musty was then named to Team USA’s roster for last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament, and though his squad had a disappointing finish he led them in scoring with 5 points (1g4a) through 4 contests. The Wolves named him an alternate captain at the beginning of the 2022-23 OHL season, and Musty has responded with 48 points (12g36a) in 32 games for an average of 1.50 points-per-game that is currently tied for the highest mark among all the league’s 2023-eligible prospects.
CALUM RITCHIE
Originally born in Brampton, Ontario but raised mostly in Oakville, Ritchie was a member of the Oakville Rangers in the South Central AAA League (SCTA) throughout the majority of his minor hockey days. He put up 59 points (20g39a) in 30 games at the U15 level in 2019-20, plus another 3 points (2g1a) in 2 games at the U16 level, but did not play any competitive games in 2020-21 due to a league shutdown. The Oshawa Generals obviously liked what they had seen from him previously, as they made him the number two pick of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection behind only Musty. In his 16-year old rookie campaign, Ritchie produced 45 points (19g26a) in 65 games for a 0.69 points-per-game average that landed him on the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team. The Generals made the playoffs in 2020-21, and their freshman center tied for the team lead in both goals (4) and points (7) during their 6-game first round series loss to the Kingston Frontenacs. Suiting up for Team Canada at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament, Ritchie led all players in scoring with 10 points (4g6a) in 5 games to help his club capture the gold medal. Also named an alternate captain to start his OHL sophomore year, he currently has 44 points (19g25a) in 43 games for a 1.02 points-per-game average.
SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES
QUENTIN MUSTY
Musty came into the OHL at 6’2” and over 200 lbs. despite the fact he was only 16 years old in 2021-22, and though he has slimmed down slightly this season he is still listed at 197 lbs. Along with his NHL-sized frame, Musty is also a very strong skater with a powerful stride, impressive mobility and great speed. Although he’s not an overly physical player, he will occasionally throw big hits and use his size and strength to knock opponents off the puck or to shield it from forecheckers. When he plays with a bit of an edge he is a much more effective presence on the ice than when he is strictly focused on playing a finesse game. He does have plenty of offensive skill though, including sublime stickhandling ability that allows him to beat defenders one-on-one, outstanding playmaking vision, and a blistering wristshot that he doesn’t quite use frequently enough. Musty currently has three times as many assists (36) as he does goals (12) through 32 games, but with the hard and accurate wrister he possesses he could definitely post higher goal totals than he has so far. As a winger he doesn’t necessarily need to bear a large amount of the defensive responsibilities on his line, but he could certainly stand to bring a more aggressive approach to his own-zone efforts. There have been some questions regarding Musty’s hockey IQ, but even though he may not have “off-the-charts” intelligence he has no issues reading or anticipating plays and understanding the best options available to him. This season has shown that he is fully capable of being an impactful offensive contributor who can dominate a game when paired with a skilled centerman in a top-six role, so his hockey sense does not pose any significant problems (in my opinion).
CALUM RITCHIE
Ritchie also has NHL-ready size at 6’2” and 187 lbs. and is a terrific all-around skater with all the speed and mobility needed to fill a center spot at the next level. Like Musty, he also possesses an incredibly slick set of hands and (when he’s feeling it) can regularly beat defenders one-on-one with relative ease. He is a dual-threat offensive talent with a quick, snappy release on his lethally accurate wristshot and the exceptional vision to routinely execute high-difficulty passes through traffic. He uses his size and strength advantage quite effectively when it comes to puck protection, but rarely throws a hit or engages opponents physically. It wouldn’t be completely false to say that he plays the game like a much smaller player than what he actually is. While an added element of physicality would greatly benefit his game, perhaps the biggest drawback to Ritchie is an apparent lack of intensity or competitiveness in his performances. Over the first half of the campaign this was clearly evident in his middling point production, but over the second half (so far, anyways) he has been able to ramp up his intensity and his point production has followed suit. He has put in plenty of work to improve his faceoff percentages this season, and now he is one of the strongest draft eligible centers at the dot who his coaches can rely on for key draws within the game.
NHL PROJECTIONS
QUENTIN MUSTY
With his man-sized frame and above-average package of strength, speed, and high-end playmaking ability, Musty undoubtedly has the potential to become a top-six scoring winger in the NHL one day. With the dangerous shot he wields in his arsenal, he could quickly evolve into an unpredictable offensive force and a big-time point producer within his future NHL team’s top six too. His competitiveness and decision-making (particularly when it comes to whether he uses his shot or makes a pass to set-up a teammate) requires some work before that can happen, but he has significant tools at his disposal that not many others his age do. With the occasional bone-crunching physical edge he can bring, along with the fact that he likely has more filling out to do, there is also a strong possibility that he could capably fill a middle or bottom-six role if he can’t find a way to stick on one of the top two lines. Much depends on how his injury plays out and whether he can stay healthy enough to develop properly, so we will just have to wait and see how the rest of this season goes for him. There is no question that he has taken a giant step forward from his rookie year into his sophomore season as a 17-year old in 2022-23, yet until he is back on the ice there’s no telling just how much better he can get before finally reaching his ceiling.
CALUM RITCHIE
Ritchie is quite difficult to accurately project based on the up-and-down performances he has put on over the last couple of seasons. When he’s at his best he looks like a future number one NHL centerman with the way he can effortlessly stickhandle around defenders, connect pinpoint-accurate passes to teammates through a maze of sticks and skates, and fire off laser-beam wristers that can beat goalies clean from mid-range. When he’s not at his best, he looks somewhat disengaged and disinterested and oftentimes fails to have any kind of measurable impact on the game. That version of Ritchie looks like a middle-six pivot (at best) or a non-NHL player at worst. Showing consistency in his efforts for the remainder of the season will be critical to where he is eventually selected in the draft and should help to determine the actual upside of his future projection.
MY VERDICT
Who’s the Better Player Now?: There have been moments where Quentin Musty was the better player and moments when Calum Ritchie was the better player, with Musty being the more consistent producer and effective playmaker and Ritchie the better goalscorer and two-way presence but the less consistent of the two. Despite playing 11 less games than Ritchie so far this season, Musty is still ahead in scoring and his Sudbury Wolves have been the stronger club. In that case, my answer to this question has to be Quentin Musty.
Who Becomes the Better Player in the Future?: As a natural center who has put together some dominant showings in the past (11 points in 5 games for Canada Black to win gold at last year’s U17 Capital City Challenge, 10 points in 5 games to help Team Canada win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup) there is little doubt that Calum Ritchie has the higher potential upside. The problem is that he’s only given us flashes of dominance so far. Quentin Musty, on the other hand, has put together a better stretch of dominance this season than what we have seen from Ritchie. Musty has run into injury issues during each of his last two OHL campaigns though, whereas Ritchie has been completely healthy. It’s a bit of a toss-up at this time, but in my honest opinion Calum Ritchie has the best chance of becoming a difference-maker at the NHL level. His lack of an aggressive competitive edge concerns me a lot, though, whereas I don’t have those same concerns with Musty. Musty competes hard and battles hard (most of the time) but doesn’t have the IQ or quite the same caliber of tools as Ritchie. Personally, I would probably take a chance on the big, intelligent, highly-skilled center over the big, hard working, highly-skilled winger who needs a true number one center to thrive (and may eventually top out as a bottom-six forward). At this stage of their respective developments, it’s close to splitting hairs trying to compare them or to project their NHL upsides and then declare which of them becomes the better player in the future. Maybe it’s a cop-out, but I’m calling it a draw.
The Draft Report 