Caden Taylor (C, L, 6’2″, 186, Peterborough Petes, 03/31/2007)
Caden Taylor is a 6’2”, 185-pound left-shot left winger playing for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. A 2007-born forward, Taylor appeared in 68 games in 2024/25, registering 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points, while finishing with a -38 rating — the worst on his team. Despite playing top-six minutes (16:16 TOI/game) and heavy power play usage (3:47 PPT/game), his two-way impact remained inconsistent, though his size, skating posture, and flashes of puck anticipation offer developmental intrigue.
Statistical Profile (2024/25 averages per game)
TOI: 16:16 | PPT: 3:47 | SHT: 0:02
Shots: 5.0 | S+ (on goal): 2.8 | SC: 2.2 | SC%: 8%
Hits: 0.36 | Puck Battles Won: 40% (11 attempts/game)
Pass Completion: 82% | Pre-Shot Passes: 0.71
Takeaways: 3.0 | Giveaways: 4.9 | Plus/Minus: -38
Why Taylor Should Be Drafted
Pro Frame and Athletic Foundation
Taylor has an NHL-caliber frame and shows signs of developing pro skating habits. His stride has structure and his skating base supports further agility and power as he fills out.
Tools Over Results
While his production and impact have not aligned, Taylor shows flashes of high-end vision, soft hands, and creative upside. His 3.0 takeaways per game and high shot volume (5.0 shots/game) show a pro mindset with strong offensive anticipation and a shoot-first mentality.
Upside with Development
Taylor is still learning how to impact games shift to shift, but his skating mechanics, size, and flashes of offensive awareness give him the base tools to build on with proper development and usage. He projects as a late-blooming winger who may find more success in a system that supports structure and physical growth.
Power Play Usage and Confidence
He consistently earned power play minutes as a downhill shooter or mid-wall distributor. While his decision-making needs development and consistency, coaches trusted him with offensive-zone face-offs and puck touches, which suggests strong foundational instincts.
Why Taylor May Not Be Drafted
Poor Two-Way Impact and Worst Plus/Minus on Team
Taylor’s -38 rating is the worst on Peterborough, and while that doesn’t tell the full story, it reflects a lack of defensive off-puck support, poor puck management (4.9 giveaways/game), and low battle win percentage (40%).
Low Scoring Efficiency
Despite high shot totals, Taylor scored on only 8% of his grade-A chances. His shots are frequently blocked (1.22/game) or miss the net (1.01/game) — shows a lack of deception and highly inefficient shot selection.
Limited Physical Presence
For a player his size, Taylor is not yet intimidating or physically engaged. Averaging only 0.36 hits per game and drawing few penalties, he has yet to impose himself physically on games — a must for his projected role at the next level.
Passing and Processing Still Developing
His 82% pass completion and 0.71 pre-shot passes/game are below average for a player in his usage role. While he shows occasional poise, he still rushes decisions or overhandles the puck under pressure when quick give-and-goes would create opportunities.
Projection & Recommendation
Projection: Bottom-six winger with potential to grow into a reliable third-line NHL winger if strength, physicality, and puck efficiency improve.
Development Track: Two more OHL seasons, then Two seasons in an NCAA environment with focus on strength, consistency, and off-puck play. He must become harder to play against, win more battles, and improve net-front timing. Ideally follows with 2–3 years in AHL refining a power-forward game.
Draft Range: 7th Round
Verdict: Taylor is a long-term development project with NHL frame, skating posture, and flashes of skill. He will need a highly structured program that focuses on physical development, processing speed, and shift-to-shift engagement. Teams with strong development pipelines and patience may extract a power forward in time, but without physical growth and mental sharpness, the risk remains high.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images