Game Report – January 22nd, 2026
Saginaw Spirit 4 vs Peterborough Petes 1
Venue: Peterborough Memorial Center
#4 D, Levi Harper
Team: Saginaw Spirit, OHL
Height/Weight: 5’11”, 174 lbs
Shoots: Right
DOB: October 3rd, 2008
Overview:
Levi Harper is a dynamic, puck-moving defenseman who thrives with the puck and plays a confident, possession-focused game. Despite a smaller frame, he’s very much an offensively involved blueliner, excelling in transition with soft hands, deceptive fakes, and quick reads that create scoring chances. His smooth skating and excellent lateral mobility, especially showcasing 10-to-2 crossovers, allowing him to walk the blue line and sustain pressure. Offensively, he brings a dual threat, threading passes through seams or firing accurate point shots. Defensively, his limitations show: he struggles in board battles, can be pushed off pucks, and his short reach hinders disruption. While his positioning is solid, he needs to not only keep his feet moving when defending the rush. Also, he must become more assertive in physical engagements and shot blocking.
Player Projection
Ceiling: Top-Four Offensive Defenseman
Floor: AHL Top 2 Defenseman
Special Teams: PP1 Quarterback
Production Outlook: 45-55 Points
Pick Range: 25th~40th Overall
Player Comp: Cole Hutson
Strengths:
- Offensive Activation and Anticipation with the Puck: Displays great confidence with the puck, understands how to assess his risks in his actions with the puck.
- Reverse Skating/Crossovers: Smooth transitioning from one move to the next, helps him stay square in positioning when defending the rush.
- Puck Skills: Although not the fastest, he does showcases smooth hands to knife his way around the opposition in tight spaces.
Weaknesses:
- Size and Reach: Gets muscled off the puck very easily, needs to build core strength to also improve balance.
- Increase in Defensive Activation: Although pretty square in positioning and not always chasing, he needs to block shots more and getting involved more physically in the corners/board battles.
- Lateral Quickness: Although confident at tomahawking onto his forehand side, he does need to develop quickness when tomahawking onto his backhand side.
In-Game Observations:
- At 4:25 of the 1st, at the o-zone blue line, his pass got intercepted, hustled very hard on the backcheck and stopped breakaway chance from happening. Needs to be mindful when performing d-to-d point passes.
- At 4:23 of the 2nd, showed explosiveness and being able to cut off a lane while defending the rush which led to Saginaw regaining possession of the puck.
- At 9:12 of the 2nd, Harper displayed his offensive instincts and used his quick strides to explode himself into a 2-on-1 with Zhilkin, then was able to thread a pass over to Zhilkin.
- At 16:10 of the 2nd, after Barabanov was able to win faceoff to him, Harper quickly and crisply distributed the puck to his defensive partner who scored Saginaw’s 3rd goal of the game. Harper earned a primary assist on the play.
- At 2:45 of the 3rd, Harper wasn’t square enough to his side when it came to defending the rush, he got flat footed and had to take a tripping penalty.
Skater Category Ratings:
- Skating: 6.5
- Puck Skill: 6.5
- Scoring Ability: 5
- Playmaking Ability: 6.5
- Hockey Sense/IQ: 6
- Character: 5
- Physicality: 3
- Defensive Play: 4
#71 F, Dimian Zhilkin
Team: Saginaw Spirit, OHL
Height/Weight: 5’10”, 185 lbs
Shoots: Right
DOB: October 21st, 2008
Overview:
Dimian Zhilkin is a dynamic playmaking forward who brings a high level of creativity and offensive awareness. His ability to spin out of tight situations with quick, fluid movement makes him a unique offensive presence. His shot is adequate, featuring a reliable toe-drag release, though greater hip rotation would add power. Zhilkin’s offense is driven by his playmaking, as he consistently keeps defenders off balance by reading teammates faster than the opposition. His elite puck skills and soft hands allow him to execute at high speed. To become more unpredictable, he would benefit from balancing his shot and pass selection. Defensively, improvement is needed; while he has an accurate poke check and generally sound positioning, he must increase his backchecking effort, improve faceoff timing, and engage more physically, especially by getting involved in puck battles along the boards.
Player Projection:
Ceiling: 1st Line Forward
Floor: Top-6 Scoring Forward
Special Teams: PP1
Production Outlook: 25~ Goals, 75~ Points
Pick Range: 5th-10th Overall, 2027 Draft
Player Comp: Matt Duchene
Strengths:
- Puck Skills: Very dynamic hands, smooth as silk and highly coordinated.
Agility and Edgework: Exceptional mobility helps him evade defenders and create space.
- Offensive Awareness: Has a strong feel for his teammates and does a good job acting as a sponge in the offensive zone.
Weaknesses:
- Shooting Power: Although displays an accurate toe-drag release, needs to emphasize more hip rotation to create more power from his shot.
- Physical Engagement: Although showcases strong balance, needs to get involved physically by using his motor to outwork opposition in corner.
- Defensive Stability: Although shows adequate positional awareness and accurate poke, needs to be more willing to sacrifice the body. Needs to better time his faceoffs.
In-game Observations:
- At 1:15 of the 1st, although he lost faceoff, he still played square in position, was able to pick up loose puck and then create a PK rush with Klepov.
- At 11:15 of the 1st, in the offensive zone, displayed strong anticipation and fluid edgework to buy himself a lot of time and utilize his teammates to his advantage. Faked shot high in the slot allowing him to then change the angle, just the goaltender made a better save.
- At 3:05 of the 2nd, had very much the opportunity to rip a shot on the 2-on-1, instead however was trying to be too fine with his playmaking when the lane was closed.
- At 9:12 of the 2nd, displayed great engagement on the rush by driving hard to the slot, was given a pass from Harper and tried to shoot it five-hole, just the goalie made a good save.
- At 16:00 of the 2nd, along the halfwall, he did a great job anticipating, but quickly exploding into the inside, got down low in the slot, quickly snapped it, the goalie made a big save.
Skater Ratings:
- Skating: 7
- Puck Skill: 7.5
- Scoring Ability: 5.5
- Playmaking Ability: 7
- Hockey Sense/IQ: 6
- Character: 5
- Physicality: 4.5
- Defensive Play: 3.5
#14 F, Egor Barabanov
Team: Saginaw Spirit, OHL
Height/Weight: 6”, 180 lbs
Shoots: Left
DOB: May 16th, 2006
Overview:
Egor Barabanov is a smooth playmaking forward who’s linemates benefit from. At 6 feet and 180 pounds, his solid frame and agility make him highly effective in puck protection, board battles, and transitions with still some room to grow. Offensively, his strength truly lies in his playmaking as he can thread pucks through crowds along with his patience when controlling the puck. When discussing his shot, it lacks weight due to him not emphasizing enough hip rotation. As a result, he relies a bit too much on his playmaking which acts as a double edge sword as he occasionally tries to force passes through closed lanes. Defensively, he showcases adequate positioning as he is good at picking off passes, but he needs work on the draw along with being more urgent in his own end. This ties in the fact his grit and commitment on the backcheck need work. When discussing about his skating, he could generate more extended strides to create higher top speed, but his agility and balance are quite up to par as it allows him to smoothly transition from one move to the next.
Player Projection
Ceiling: Top-9 Scoring Forward
Floor: AHL Top-6 Forward
Special Teams: PP2 Flank, Distributor
Production Outlook: 15~ Goals, 45~ Points (Two-Way Playmaker, Secondary Scorer)
Pick Range: 65th-90th Overall
Player Comp: Marcus Johansson
Strengths:
- Agility: Swift footwork/cross overs, allows him to shield the puck off well
- Playmaking Ability: Displays great vision, poised to utilize his teammates to his advantage.
- Puck Skills: Fluid with his stick movement when controlling the puck, anticipative.
Weaknesses:
- Shot Power: He lacks heaviness in his shot, limiting his scoring potential, making it easier for the goaltender to read. (Needs to build upper core strength).
- Risk Management: Occasionally tries to do too much with the puck, leading to turnovers.
- Physical Engagement: Although has a good enough frame to throw the body around, doesn’t seem to showcase the mentality of wanting to throw it around.
In-game Observations:
- At 0:40 of the 1st, on the PK, played sound in position, was able to intercept puck in neutral zone and waste PP time.
- From 9:50-10:10 of the 1st, on PP, displayed although consistent when passing the puck itself, the situational awareness of when he was passing was inconsistent. Got intercepted and had taken a hooking penalty.
- At 14:40 of the 1st, on PK, although being responsible not chasing the play defensively, needs to be a bit more aggressive and sacrificial at covering closer to the point.
- From 9:20-9:45 of the 2nd, displayed crisp and smooth puck distribution as he was utilizing his teammates to create both himself and his linemates lanes for getting pucks on goal. Moments later on the PP, continued distributing pucks crisply and was rewarded with an assist on 2nd goal.
- At 14:00 of the 2nd, on the PP in his own zone, lacked a lot of urgency to hunt for the puck, Peterborough then had a dangerous chance down low.
- At 16:10 of the 2nd, did a good job staying hard and muscling a faceoff win to Harper, led to secondary assist on Saginaw’s 3rd goal.
- At 19:40 of the 2nd, on PK, was able to use shifty cuts to deke his way by the opposition, then was able to utilize Klepov who came in with momentum to get a shot on goal.
Skater Ratings:
- Skating: 6
- Puck Skill: 6.5
- Scoring Ability: 4
- Playmaking Ability: 7
- Hockey Sense/IQ: 4.5
- Character: 5
- Physicality: 4
- Defensive Play: 4
#10 F, Adam Levac
Team: Peterborough Petes, OHL
Height/Weight: 6”, 172 lbs
Shoots: Right
DOB: June 27th, 2008
Overview:
Adam Levac is a high energy forward who is willing to do whatever it takes to cause havoc. His best offensive trait is arguably his shot as it is mechanically heavy and accurate as he puts all of his weight into his hips. When discussing about his playmaking, it is very much nothing out of the ordinary due to his limited puck skills. What is key for him however is that he does do well on give and go set ups to generate speed on the rush. When discussing about his skating mechanics, he has a powerful stride and is considerably quick when it comes to his footwork. What will need to be worked on is that he does need to develop flexibility in order to explode quicker laterally. He’s an energy ball which is key when putting on pressure in the opposition. Defensively, he will need to play slightly more sound in positioning. Physically, he finishes his checks, well and fights for the puck hard. What he will need to build is getting stronger in his upper core to not only be more durable, but also be more punishing.
Player Projection:
Ceiling: Bottom-6 Energy forward
Floor: AHL Middle-6 Forward
Special Teams: PK2
Production Outlook: 10~ Goals, 20~ Points
Pick Range: 160th-190th Overall
Player Comp: Sam Lafferty
Strengths:
- Shot Mechanics: Displays thorough shot mechanics, gains a lot of power and displays great control with aim.
- Skating Strides: Demonstrates powerful and explosive strides, fully extends his legs quickly.
- Work Ethic: Although not the strongest guy, showcases tremendous heart to fight for the puck in the corners and fights for positioning at the front of the net.
Weaknesses:
- Puck Skills: Isn’t consistent with his puck coordination, especially when deking
- Lateral Movement: Although quick and powerful strides, isn’t the most flexible which he can’t seem to explode laterally as quick as he should.
- Vision: Although good at creating speed on the rush with give and go plays, isn’t consistent enough at threading the puck through crowds.
In-game Observations:
- At 0:50 of the 1st, after receiving puck from Novotny, Levac displayed patience holding at the blue line, though needs to be a bit more mindful of the risks when passing to top of the point.
- At 9:07 of the 1st, Levac displayed his ability to engage yet be patient in the offensive zone. Was able to create himself some space high in the slot, showcased follow through shot mechanics. Could emphasize quicker hip rotation.
- At 19:10 of the 2nd, was highly active down low, creating havoc. One small scenario that could have been better is that he could have been more opportunistic when shooting.
- At 3:04 of the 3rd, drove hard to the net on the PP, which allowed him to score on a rebound.
Skater Ratings:
- Skating: 5.5
- Puck Skill: 4
- Scoring Ability: 6
- Playmaking Ability: 4
- Hockey Sense/IQ: 5.5
- Character: 7
- Physicality: 5.5
- Defensive Play: 4