Position: Defense
Age: 19
2022-23 Team: Kitchener Rangers
Last Year’s Rank: Not Ranked
Reader’s Rank: #17
Writer’s Rank: #18
Final Rank: #16
At the 16th place of our ranking is another newcomer — a 19-year-old defenceman Roman Schmidt from Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Schmidt was the first selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, where the Lightning traded their first-round and second-round pick, selecting Schmidt as the 96th overall. After his inaugural season in the OHL, Schmidt is expected to be the Rangers’ top defenceman in the upcoming season.