Had Erie Otters right wing Ivan Lodnia been born 15 days later, he would have been eligible to enter the 2018 NHL Draft. Lodnia, born on August 31, 1999 in Los Angeles, is instead one of the youngest players in this year’s Draft. The California native has enough upside at one of the San Jose Sharks’ major positions of need to warrant selection in the second round.
Lodnia’s role with Eerie changed following the trade deadline. He played a shutdown role down the stretch for the eventual OHL champions and Memorial Cup runners-up, after being relied upon for offense at the beginning of the season.