Picking up right where he left off the season prior, Owen Griffin had a better season than I think a lot of people realize. Despite his team finishing last in the entire league, he was still able to put together a productive season, and his ranking improved as a result, moving up to #17 this offseason.
The top prospects list was compiled by a collective ranking from all of the writers at Union and Blue: Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. We only include players 24 years and under, with fewer than 25 NHL games. Stats are from the previous season, in the league where each player spent the most time. Projections are based on top-end upside.
Top Prospect #17: C Owen Griffin
How we ranked him: Mike, Struan (14); Weston (15), Curtis (17), Matthew (19). Last year, Griffin was ranked #20 on this list.
Owen Griffin was a very intriguing prospect ever since draft day, with his major junior hockey journey beginning in 2023. He was drafted sixth overall in the OHL draft after dominating U16 play, and had very high expectations heading into his first year.
However, Griffin struggled badly during his rookie season, recording just one goal and six points in 61 games. He was unable to make much of an impact at all, but instead of feeling bad for himself, he put his head down and got to work.
He made solid strides during his draft-eligible year, especially in the second half of the season, and finished with 51 points in 62 regular season games, and then stunned the OHL with16 goals and 29 points in 21 playoff games, and was a big reason why Oshawa made the finals that year.
His two-way game also showed really strong development, and he saw his draft rankings shoot up, and was generally projected to go in the third round. NHL scouts were a bit more wary, and Griffin ended up being drafted 160th overall in the fifth round by Columbus.
It's not too surprising that he went this late, as his size at 5'10 and 170 pounds doesn't project well for an NHL center, and it's hard to ignore the lackluster production from the previous season.
Griffin has definitely proven that last year was no fluke, as he finished with 67 points in 66 games despite the Generals finishing as the worst team in the league. He also was the main producer offensively, as the next highest scorer had ten less points, and the next closest had 25 less.
Despite the stats not jumping off the page, it was another season of smart, hard-working hockey for Griffin. He has a lot to like in his game, with fantastic effort on every play combined with good awareness, speed, and offensive skill that has flown under the radar.
Yup, Owen Griffin can play hockey🤯#OSHvsPBO pic.twitter.com/PD3VWNCG3k
— Oshawa Generals (@Oshawa_Generals) October 19, 2025
Griffin also signed with the Cleveland Monsters on an amateur tryout contract, and although he didn't suit up for a game, you have to imagine that being exposed to professional practices and training will benefit him in the near future.
After being written off after his first season, he's just the kind of player you would like to see succeed, with his work ethic and maturity proving itself over the past two years.
Pros: Motor, physicality, effort, speed, two-way game
Cons: Limited ceiling, size
Projection: Speedy, high-energy bottom-six penalty killer with offensive upside
Owen Griffin will return to the OHL again this year, but this time with the Guelph Storm after being traded for a handful of picks. The Storm will host the 2027 Memorial Cup, which features the winner of the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL to determine the champion of the entire CHL.
As hosts of this tourney, the Storm will automatically be the fourth participant, regardless of their regular season or playoff performance, although host teams generally load their rosters enough that they are extremely competitive, as the hosts have won it all in two out of the last five seasons.
Regardless, this will be a great opportunity for Griffin as he will immediately join a much better team and get valuable experience in some of the most important hockey games in his career so far.
I can't wait to see how he performs with other high-end talent, and he could prove us wrong about his upside if his offense can take that next step.
With the Memorial Cup usually wrapping up by the beginning of April, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Griffin join the Monsters yet again, but be able to make an impact this time after another season of positive development.
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