USA Hockey’s NTDP U18 team has jumped into the meat of its schedule over the first two months of the season, playing several marquee college programs, including Boston University, Notre Dame, Michigan and Minnesota.
The team, made up of ‘01s, has hit the ground running with its USHL slate, including the USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pa., in front of many NHL scouts. This could be a banner year for the program with the potential for a record number of players drafted in the first round come next June in Vancouver.
Two weekends ago, the NTDP played Boston University, Harvard and Dartmouth. This observer had the chance to watch the team play the Terriers and the Big Green, as well as two games at the USHL Fall Classic.
Of the team’s 22 players, all but two are eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft. Notre Dame commit Ryder Rolston and Harvard commit Sean Farrell (Hopkinton, Mass.) are both born after Sept. 15, 2001, meaning they’re not eligible until 2020. Rolston, a right-shot right wing, has been one of the team’s best players, especially during the college swing. It’s particularly impressive considering he’s only 16 years-old and competing against players who could be as old as 24.
The team has plenty of New England flare. Five players hail from New England, while 12 are committed to local programs like Boston College (5), Boston University (4) and Harvard (3). Two New York natives also played prep school hockey in New England before heading out to the NTDP.
Forwards
1. Jack Hughes
5/14/01, Center, Left Shot, 5-10/168, Orlando, Fla.
Uncommitted
Hughes is all but assured of being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Simply put, when Hughes is on the ice, danger is on the horizon.
He can change a game in the blink of an eye. His passing and vision are phenomenal. His stride allows him to go from zero to 60 in no time. His agility and edge work gives him the ability to maneuver around bigger defensemen and work his magic in tight spaces. He’s on the small side, but it hasn’t impacted him, even against much older competition. He has two goals and six assists in seven games against NCAA competition.
As everyone in the hockey world already knows, he’s the younger brother of Michigan sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes, a 2018 first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks. His younger brother, Luke, is an ’03 playing for Little Caesars 15U and committed to the Wolverines. His father, Jim, played hockey at Providence and is mother, Ellen, played soccer and hockey at UNH. Those are some genes.
2. Alex Turcotte
2/26/01, Center, Left Shot, 5-11/189, Island Lake, Ill.
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Turcotte has largely been injured this fall, which prevented him from being viewed by NHL scouts at the USHL Fall Classic and the recent college swing through New England. However, he's an explosive offensive player who put up big numbers in his U17 year. He’s not the biggest player, but his quickness and 200-foot, complete game give off the vibe that he’s bigger than he really is.
He has just has a really good first step and that extra gear to turn defensemen and create scoring chances from all over the ice. Turcotte also comes from a hockey family. His father, Alfie, played over 100 games in the NHL and over 400 in the AHL. He has several other cousins, an uncle and a grandfather who played at a fairly high level.
3. Matt Boldy
4/5/01, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-2/187, Millis, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Boston College
It’s hard to believe, but there were a whole bunch of Hockey East coaches who doubted Matt Boldy’s feet about two years ago. He made the USA Hockey Select 15 Festival, but it wasn’t until the end of his first season at Dexter in 2017 that he committed to the Eagles.
Boldy’s hockey sense is what sticks out to you right away. He thinks the game incredibly well. It’s always been one of his strengths. He’s developed an explosiveness as he’s filled out his frame. He has touch on his passes and can rip shots. His length allows him to protect pucks from opposing defenders. He was named the MVP of the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in September.
With Boldy's development trending upward, his NHL Draft stock has soared. If he keeps up this level of play, he’ll be off the board within the first 10 picks in Vancouver.
4. Johnny Beecher
4/5/01, Center, Left Shot, 6-3/204, Elmira, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Michigan
Beecher still hasn’t fully put it all together. His size and ability to take over a game as a power forward are reasons for optimism. At times, he’s shown that he can come off the wall and bull his way to the slot for a scoring chance. The problem with Beecher is he’s inconsistent and doesn’t always play to his potential. He probably ends up being a wing at the next level.
Nonetheless, his physical tools are worthy of a first-round pick. Concerns about his hockey sense and consistency could keep him in the second round. Beecher spent a season playing prep hockey at Salisbury before earning an invitation to the NTDP.
5. Trevor Zegras
3/20/01, Center/Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-0/159, Bedford, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Zegras is on the lighter side, but his offensive skill set is very impressive. He provided three assists in the game against his future college team, BU, and scored two goals at Dartmouth.
He hunts pucks and makes plays with the puck on his stick. He has good hands to make saucer passes and can quickly deposit pucks into the net off his stick. He showed an innate ability to create off the rush with his speed. He’ll have to bulk up and be heavier on pucks to be effective below the dot at the pro level. Zegras played prep hockey at Avon Old Farms and youth hockey for Mid Fairfield before heading out to the NTDP.
6. Cole Caufield
1/2/01, Right Wing, Right Shot, 5-7/155, Stevens Point, Wis.
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Caufield has always had to answer questions about his size, but he’s a dynamic offensive talent. His agility, hands and hockey IQ are first-round grade. He’s cuts in and weaves his way in between opposing defensemen. He can get a shot off quickly and accurately. He’s almost always in good position to make a play.
7. Judd Caulfield
3/19/01, Right Wing, Right Shot, 6-3/204, Grand Forks, N.D.
NCAA Commit: North Dakota
Caulfield has good size and is a strong power forward. He has six goals in games against college competition, including three over the team’s weekend in New England. His skating has improved and he’s always been hard to knock off pucks. His NHL upside is as a bottom-six forward who can play a complete, physical game while chipping in offensively from time to time.
8. Patrick Moynihan
1/23/01, Right Wing, Right Shot, 5-11/183, Millis, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Boston College
Growing up, Moynihan was always more well-regarded than Boldy in terms of ’01 forwards in Massachusetts. The duo, both committed to BC, are from the same town, about a 35-minute drive to the southwest from BC’s campus. Moynihan is on the smaller side, but he’s played with a chip on his shoulder since his time at Nobles. He’ll hunt pucks and isn’t afraid to muck it up in the corners, below the goal line, or along the wall. He’s a good facilitator of the puck for his teammates. His size is a concern for some, but he’s the type of player teammates want on their team.
9. Owen Lindmark
5/17/01, Center, Right Shot, 6-0/184, Naperville, Ill.
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Lindmark doesn’t have the offensive upside of many of his teammates, but he’s a good skater who competes in all three zones. When watching him closely, he’ll almost always make the responsible play in the defensive zone. He’ll block shots and use his active stick to deflect pucks on the penalty kill. He’s surely a bottom-six forward going forward, but there’s still a spot on many organizations’ depth charts for a player like him.
10. Danny Weight
5/1/01, Center, Left Shot, 6-0/177, Lattingtown, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Boston College
Weight has a low center of gravity and is hard to knock off pucks. He can drive the net and has a hard shot. However, his skating holds him back when it comes to separating from opposing defensemen and creating time and space. He has good enough hockey sense to make up for that to an extent. He’s the son of former NHL great Doug Weight, who was the coach of the New York Islanders the past several seasons.
11. Michael Gildon
6/21/01, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-1/194, Plano, Texas
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Gildon is heavy on his feet and his skating is a noticeable weakness, especially when compared to many of his NTDP teammates. He’s at his best when he’s digging out pucks below the goal line for his teammates. His older brother, Max, also played for the NTDP before being drafted by the Florida Panthers and heading to UNH, where he's a sophomore defenseman.
Defensemen
1. Alex Vlasic
6/5/01, Left Shot, 6-3/193, Wilmette, Ill.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Vlasic is a tall, rangy defenseman whose best hockey comes in his own zone. He does a good job with his body and stick positioning, forcing plays to the outside and keeping pucks from the middle by getting in shooting and passing lanes. The best thing you can say about Vlasic is he often goes unnoticed. With his size and pro-style game, he’ll be highly coveted by NHL teams with a pick in the first round.
2. Cam York
1/5/01, Left Shot, 5-11/171, Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Uncommitted
York is a great skater who expertly moves pucks north. He’s not flashy, but he retrieves pucks and acts as a one-man breakout. His first pass is always good and he can side-step forecheckers if he breaks it out with his skates. While not overly big, York defends with his feet and stick. York, who played at Shattuck St. Mary’s before heading to the NTDP, de-committed from Boston College earlier this year. It was a big blow for the Eagles. He’s a first-round talent.
3. Drew Helleson
3/26/01, Right Shot, 6-2/181, Farmington, Minn.
NCAA Commit: Boston College
It’s hard to say a player on the national team is under-the-radar, but that could be the case with Helleson. He doesn’t garner the attention of the two aforementioned defensemen, but he was fantastic against BU and Dartmouth. He plays a solid game in all three zones. He’s big, mobile and a right-shot. Those three ingredients usually lead to a fairly high draft pick.
4. Marshall Warren
4/20/01, Left Shot, 5-11/168, Laurel Hollow, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Harvard
Warren has been out with an injury that he sustained at the USHL Fall Classic. However, he had an impressive showing at the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. He’s an elite athlete with the physical makeup to dominate the game in the offensive zone. He has a hard shot and can move pucks and jump into the offense with ease. He’s physical and isn’t afraid to throw the body around, despite not having the biggest frame. He’s probably a second-rounder or early-third rounder.
5. Henry Thrun
3/12/01, Left Shot, 6-2/190, Southborough, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Harvard
The former St. Mark’s star projects as a bottom-pairing defenseman who will do what it takes to win hockey games. He’s not flashy, but he makes a smart breakout pass and has a strong hockey sense overall. He has a good stick and gaps well to defend on the rush and quickly transition the other way. He’s a high-character kid who NHL organizations will really like during the interview process. He’s probably a late-second or early-third round pick.
6. Case McCarthy
1/9/01, Right Shot, 6-1/194, Clarence Center, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
McCarthy is still a really good hockey player, but his stock has dropped in this observer’s mind since the NTDP Evaluation Camp in March 2017. He has good size and can play physically, but he doesn’t always bring that element of his game. His vision is good, but not elite. He’s jumps into the offense, but it’s certainly not an area of strength or part of his game that will translate to the next level.
7. Dom Fensore
9/7/01, Left Shot, 5-7/154, Thornwood, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Fensore has also missed significant time this fall with an injury. He’s an undersized defenseman whose best attributes are his playmaking ability. He’s rushes the puck up ice and make good passes to create offense. He’s a mobile, puck-moving, offensive defenseman. Defending will never be his strength, but there’s room in the NHL for players like him. Just look at Torey Krug on the Boston Bruins. He’s likely a late pick or might have to wait until he proves himself at the college level.
Goaltenders
1. Spencer Knight
4/19/01, Catches Left, 6-3/197, Darien, Conn.
NCAA Commit: Boston College
Knight has long been considered the best goaltender in this age group. He has it all: size, athleticism, skating and fundamentals of the goaltending position. He moves laterally and tracks pucks well. He can eat pucks to prevent rebounds and get a whistle. It’s not often a goaltender is selected in the first round, but there’s a high likelihood he bucks the trend. A Mid-Fairfield product, he played a year of prep hockey at Avon Old Farms.
2. Cameron Rowe
6/1/01, Catches Left, 6-2/201, Wilmette, Ill.
NCAA Commit: North Dakota
Rowe isn’t as big as Knight and certainly doesn’t have the upside. He has just average size for a modern-era goaltender, but very athletic with quick reflexes. Formerly committed to Nebraska-Omaha, he’s now headed to play college hockey for the Fighting Hawks.
