Ryan Merkley is a 5’11 right-shooting defenceman from Mississauga, and his favourite team growing up was the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the first overall pick in the 2016 OHL draft, and immediately led the Guelph Storm in scoring as a 16 year old defenceman. He carries the scoring talent of a top 10 pick, but did not earn a spot in the top 16 of Bob McKenzie’s latest draft rankings.
Merkley is a polarizing figure across draft rankings. He placed ninth on my list back in March, but many outlets have taken him out of their top 20.