Centre Cole Cassels was the 83rd player to have his name called at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. A mid-round pick like many, many others. Two years later, it looked like the Vancouver Canucks had found a diamond in the rough, when he led his OHL club, the Oshawa Generals, to a Memorial Cup title — while being named tournament MVP. But only 21 games into his first pro season, things are starting to look different.
In 2014, EliteProspects scout Curtis Joe called Cassels a “swiss army knife type player” who “can do it all.” After that, Cassels recorded 30 goals and 81 points in 53 regular season games with the Generals.