That time is almost upon us, the 2019 NHL Draft, and here at Stars n’ Stripes we have formulated our rankings for NTDP players eligible to be selected.
We break things down in a few different ways. We start by offering our opinion on what order the NTDP players will be selected. We also hypothesize on just where each player may land in the first round and offer a brief breakdown of each individual player.
1. Jack Hughes: No surprises here. Hughes has been number one on our board all along and remains in that slot. Nothing against Kaapo Kakko, he is the ultimate consolation prize, but you just can’t pass on Jack.
We don’t want to hear about him being undersized, because he isn’t. Plus, just watch his compete level and there is nothing undersized when it comes to that. The bottom line is he just makes so many extraordinary plays look rather commonplace, and if you watch him enough you begin to take for granted just how immensely talented he really is.
Selection Number 1 -- New Jersey Devils: The Devils just can’t pass on Jack.
2. Alex Turcotte: Another player who has held steadfast in his spot. All along we have had Turcotte slotted as the second NTDP player to be selected and there he remains.
Turcotte returned from injury to the Team USA lineup back on 12/15/18 and just went on a tear, tallying 22 goals and 29 assists in 27 games. That stretch cemented Turcotte into the early first round.
Turcotte is surrounded by talent on the U18s and quite a bit of flashy players. Don’t get me wrong, Turcotte’s game does not lack flash, but he seems to produce in a quieter fashion than many of his counterparts.Turcotte’s overall game is completely sound. He just does many things well, checking off all the boxes.
Selection Number 3 -- Chicago Blackhawks: Torn between the ‘Hawks grabbing Turcotte here or defenseman Bowen Bryam. If for some reason they go with Bryam, Turcotte could end up falling a bit.
3. Cole Caufield: The highest riser among the U18s, Caufield has skyrocketed up draft boards. Not too long ago it was 'can you grab him in the 1st round?' That question was answered rather quickly, but for most of the 2018-19 season he still hovered around 12-16 on most boards. Fast forward to the present and some boards have Caulfield going as high as five to the Kings.
It definitely has been a wild ride this past season for Caufield. Records broken while scoring goals at a frenetic pace from just about every angle possible, but don’t let the flashy goal numbers fool you.
Caufield’s game is more than that. Much like line mate Jack Hughes, Caufield is a battler who wins his share of one-on-one battles along the boards. He also does an excellent job of hiding in the weeds, so to speak, on breakouts and disrupts many zone exits with his keen ability to read the play.
It’s a new world these days in the NHL and Caufield has come along just at the right time. We just believe some GM is going to pull the trigger sooner rather than later on “the diminutive sniper”, as TSN’s Craig Button likes to call him.
Selection Number 7 -- Buffalo Sabres: Caufield could go anywhere from number 5 to the Kings to 10th to Vancouver. Have a feeling he doesn’t make it past the Sabres selection at number 7.
4. Trevor Zegras: This has easily been the toughest selection when it comes to the NTDP players. If you asked us 30 times throughout the course of the 2018-19 season who we ranked higher, Trevor Zegras or Matthew Boldy, we may have given you 30 different answers.
They both are supremely talented, both have off the chart skill sets and both have had us hit the rewind button countless times just to be sure our eyes weren’t playing games and we actually witnessed that amazing play we just recorded.
You could argue, with great success we may add, for either one here, but for this moment we go with Zegras. One thing that is certain, if you are a GM and you have to choose between Zegras or Boldy, consider yourself lucky because there is really no wrong answer.
Selection Number 8 -- Edmonton Oilers: The new brass in Edmonton kick things off by selecting the future Boston University Terrier.
5. Matthew Boldy: Hard to slot Boldy as the 5th NTDP player to get selected, 4a seems more fitting. He has all the tools; size and stellar edge work - and much like Zegras and many other U18 teammates - off the charts creativity.
Boldy is an All-Star in the making and arenas around North America, starting with Kelley Rink at Boston College, better get used to the presence of “The Boldy Nation”.
Selection 10 -- Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver gets insane value at the ten slot. Only caveat here is if Cole Caufield remains on the board, Canucks may find him hard to pass up.
6. Spencer Knight: Everyone is well aware of the perceived risks of drafting a goaltender in the first round. Despite that, it’s hard to envision some club not selecting Knight in the opening round.
He certainly has an impressive resume, coming off a stellar season for Team USA. Knight is also supremely skilled and can handle the puck with the best of them. So many times this past season, Knight has ignited the U18s transition game with a quick stretch pass. He has also made more than a few plays with the puck that has left fellow netminders shaking their heads.
Add that to the insane numbers Knight just put up at the combine and some GM is surely going to grab Knight early on in this draft.
At the combine, the Connecticut native posted a 117 inch standing long jump, good for 2nd. On top of that he finished 5th in the vertical jump(23.58 inches) and 15th in the Vo2 Max bike test(14:20), a way to measure each prospect’s stamina. To round things out, he recorded the 10th best mark in the Wingate ergometer bike test. This mimics a shift for a skater with an all-out sprint.
Selection 13 -- Florida Panthers: The Panthers roll the dice hoping they find their future number one in the talented Knight.
7. Cam York: The 7th and possibly final selection of the 1st round for former NTDP players, York is a dynamic defender who is ultra-efficient. Another player coming off a record setting performance with the NTDP’s, York averaged over a point per game with the U18s this past season.
York excelled on both ends of the ice for Team USA. He quarterbacked their extremely dangerous power play unit, while also doing a fantastic job in his own end. York’s game resembles another former NTDP player, Cam Fowler.
Selection 15 -- Montreal Canadiens: Cam Fowler went 12th overall in 2010 to Anaheim, York goes three selections later than his namesake nine years later.