There is only one defender in the OHL leading his team in scoring. It’s not a pair of 2018 top 10 picks in Evan Bouchard or Adam Boqvist. It’s not Ryan Merkley, arguably the CHL’s best playmaker, either.



It’s Declan Chisholm, a fifth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets from this past summer’s draft. Chisholm’s 0.93 points per game places him seventh among OHL blueliners while his 28 points leads the Peterborough Petes.



What’s perhaps most impressive is that Chisholm has closed in on the OHL’s top scorers from the blueline without a dominant physical tool, like Bouchard’s point shot or Merkley’s playmaking ability. He also doesn’t have the dynamic carrying ability of Boqvist or Bode Wilde and lacks the skating ability to separate like Sean Durzi or Mac Hollowell.



Instead, Chisholm has excelled because of his smarts and decision making. Lacking high-level skills, Chisholm produces from being in the...