With the 2019 NHL Draft now in the rearview mirror, attention among those in the scouting community shifts towards 2020 NHL Draft prospects.
Many amateur scouts from the 32 NHL organizations will converge on the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., later this week for the 2019 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. The crop of American, 2002-born players, sans those competing for USA Hockey’s NTDP, will compete for a coveted spot on the American team for the 2019 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Of those ‘02s in Amherst, players born before September 15, 2002 will be eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. In addition, late ‘01s will be in the first year of draft eligibility. All players born in 2000 and 2001 are eligible to be selected in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Three of the region’s best ‘02s are all born after September 15, meaning they won’t be eligible until the 2021 NHL Draft. Forwards Matt Beniers (Hingham, Mass./NTDP U18), Mackie Samoskevich (Newtown, Conn./Shattuck St. Mary’s), and Sasha Teleguine (Attleboro, Mass./Thayer) all will have to wait until 2021 to have the opportunity to hear their name called at the draft.
Overall, 2020 looks to be a significantly weaker draft for Americans than the historic level of success the country had in 2019. That carries over into New England as there doesn't appear to be any players in the realm of Matt Boldy or Spencer Knight.
Last year following the 2018 NHL Draft, I looked ahead to 2019. I hit on the two projected first round picks, while missing one way or another on a few other prospects. Here’s a look at the first year eligible prospects from New England who could hear their name called at the 2020 NHL Draft:
1. Sam Colangelo
Lawrence Academy, 12/26/01, RW, Right Shot, 6-2/204
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Colangelo posted 19 goals and 29 assists in 28 prep school games for Robbie Barker’s team at Lawrence Academy. He joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel for 11 games over spring break and recorded three goals. The Stoneham, Mass., native is a right wing with terrific finishing ability. He has a hard and accurate shot that he gets off quickly. He also showed some finesse at times, being able to score some nifty goals around the net. An underrated part of Colangelo’s game is his vision. He can make good passes and setup quality scoring chances for his teammates.
While Colangelo certainly boosted his stock in 2018-19, there are still some areas of concern. He’s gotten better in regards to floating around and waiting for the puck to come to him, but he still needs to continue improving his compete away from the puck. His skating has also come a long way, but continued progression in that department will only solidify his high draft projection.
Colangelo will leave prep school and spend the 2019-20 season playing in the USHL for the Chicago Steel. It will give him a good chance to prove to NHL scouts that his pace and compete level are strong enough to strive in one of the top junior leagues in the world.
There’s certainly a possibility Colangelo could be selected late in the first round if he has a good year in the USHL. The safest bet is he gets taken somewhere in the second round as the top 2020 NHL Draft prospect from New England.
2. Sean Farrell
USA NTDP U-18, 11/2/01, LW, Left Shot, 5-8/167
Like Colangelo, Farrell will spend the 2019-20 season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel after two strong seasons with USA Hockey’s NTDP. Another late ’01, he still has to finish high school before enrolling at Harvard and playing from the Crimson in 2020-21.
The Hopkinton, Mass., native potted 19 goals and 40 assists in 97 games. His passing skills and vision are his top attributes. He skates well and is able to protect pucks by using his agility. While his size is certainly a concern, he tends to be able to make an impact from below the dots by hunting pucks and moving the puck quickly.
He’ll get plenty of chance to put up big numbers in the USHL this upcoming season. He’ll adjust from being on a secondary or third scoring line to being a top line player. Look for Farrell to be a top two round pick in 2020.
3. Jack Williams
Selects Academy 16U, 3/20/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-11/165
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Williams is a big time goal scorer who can also dish the puck off to open teammates. The Biddeford, Maine, native had 29 goals and 28 assists in 39 games for Selects Academy. In addition, he had three goals and three assists in nine games as a call-up for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. He appeared in two games with the NTDP U-17s.
Williams is a north-south, power forward who drives the net and is heavy on pucks. He does a good job digging pucks out from the corners, along the wall, and below the goal line. He’s a competitor who has already proved his worth as a youngster in the USHL.
He’ll likely spend the 2019-20 season in the USHL with the Lumberjacks. If he puts up strong numbers as he’s shown he’s capable of, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be selected in the second or third rounds.
4. Alex Jefferies
Gunnery, 11/8/01, RW, Right Shot, 6-0/190
NCAA Commit: Merrimack
Jefferies is a lethal goal scorer who is heavy on pucks and can potentially develop into a solid, north-south winger at the professional level. His skating is better than he's given credit for. In one viewing last season, he set up a shorthanded goal by racing down the ice to win a race for a loose puck before dishing it out front. There are viewings where he shows an explosive stride and ability to really get around the ice surface. He'll hunt pucks and have that second gear to deceive defensemen.
Looking at the negatives, he floats a little at times, but the Lunenburg, Mass., native can dominate a game at the prep school level, when he's firing on all cylinders.
Jefferies played two games with Dubuque in the USHL after the prep season was over. If he heads out west next year and proves himself on the big stage, he should slide up the draft boards.
5. David Sacco
Lawrence Academy, 1/3/02, C, Right Shot, 6-1/185
NCAA Commit: New Hampshire
Sacco is a huge wildcard when it comes to predicting his draft stock ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft. The Middleton, Mass., native has the physical tools to be a top two round pick, but needs to be more consistent.
A strong center, Sacco loves to throw his body around. He delivers some bone-crushing hits and is always looking to disrupt the opposition’s flow by doing so. While Sacco projects as a big, mean, power forward going forward, he has shown the ability to finish at times. He has a powerful, explosive stride that allows him to drive the net and get to opposing players to finish those hits.
He had 14 goals and 15 assists in 25 games at Lawrence this past winter. He also had a strong fall and trip to nationals for the Cape Cod Whalers 16U. His hockey sense and compete level are two areas. While he likes to play with a mean streak, he’s in and out, in terms of his effectiveness. If he can work on his consistency and become a menacing force with more regularity, he’ll see his stock soar.
Sacco was drafted by Waterloo in the USHL, but he appears to be headed back to prep school as a junior. If he challenges himself and makes the move to the USHL, he could see his position on teams’ draft boards climb. His pedigree, with both uncles having been very good players, is also a strong ingredient that teams will take into account.
Sacco could go as high as the second round, as that's where his physical tools are, but he could slide down as well.
6. Ian Moore
St. Mark’s, 1/4/02, D, Right Shot, 6-2/170
NCAA Commit: Princeton
Moore is a player who was wildly underrated by many college programs for too long. A strong student, he was going to be picky when it came to committing to a college. He finally got the offer he was looking for this spring when Princeton pulled the trigger.
The Concord, Mass., native put up gaudy offensive numbers in his second season playing for Carl Corazzini’s Lions. He had 16 goals and 20 assists in 31 games for St. Mark’s. Moore excels with the puck due to his stick skills and he can shoot it. He can quarterback a power play and has a strong stride that allows him to escape trouble.
Away from the puck, he’s gotten better, but he still has a tendency to commit a turnover or two here and there as well as get caught out of position in the defensive end.
Moore is likely a fifth or sixth round pick, but if he makes another leap in his game, don’t be surprised if he climbs into the fourth round.
7. Nick Capone
Salisbury, 12/17/01, RW, Right Shot, 6-2/211
NCAA Commit: Maine
Capone was a man among boys at the prep school level. He recorded 20 goals and 27 assists in 30 games for Andrew Will’s team at Salisbury before moving onto the USHL at the conclusion of the prep season.
In seven games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, Capone had a goal. As a late ’01, Capone has the potential to be drafted, but could also go undrafted, if he doesn’t prove he can develop certain areas of his game.
There’s no doubt Capone is a strong forward who can throw his weight around. However, some players will start to catch up to his physical prowess as he climbs the developmental ladder. At the prep level, Capone was able to dominate below the dots, drive the net, and use his strength to get to the dirty areas. In the USHL, he’ll have to continue improving his skating in order to play at the pace necessary.
If the East Haven, Conn., native can continue to be a mean, power forward, he could be drafted. However, he’ll need to prove his skating and hockey sense to NHL scouts in order to be selected next June. A sixth or seventh round pick seem likely, at least at this point in time.
8. Riley Duran
Lawrence Academy, 1/25/02, RW, Right Shot, 6-1/185
NCAA Commit: Providence
Duran didn’t put up the offensive numbers that this observer expected he would in his first year of prep hockey after a really strong fall with the Cape Cod Whalers 16U.
However, he showed glimpses of why he could be a NHL draft pick come next June. The Woburn, Mass., native had nine goals and 17 assists, while occasionally playing his off wing on a line with three right-shot players.
Duran has good size, athleticism and skating ability. When he keeps things simple and just goes north and south, he’s able to be most effective. He can drive the net and be heavy on pucks.
Duran’s hockey sense and puck skills are the two areas of his game that need the most work. However, he wasn’t playing in a very structured environment at Lawrence so time will tell if that was an issue in regards to his hockey sense in 2018-19.
He’s likely a middle six wing going forward, but he’s shown that he can play center, during the split season with the Whalers. He’s reportedly staying at Lawrence, which should give him an increased role in 2019-20. If he can have a successful prep season, a late round pick is certainly a possibility.
9. Drew Commesso
USA NTDP U-17, 7/19/02, G, Catches Left, 6-0/156
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Commesso was the top goaltender for the NTDP U-17s, but certainly didn’t blow anyone away with his performance, statistically speaking. The Norwell, Mass., native had a .889 save percentage in USHL games and was .886 away from the league.
Commesso isn’t small, but for what many NHL teams are looking for in the modern era, his size will be an issue. He’s just around six feet tall. Working in his favor is his solid fundamentals and athleticism.
If he can learn to play a little bigger, control rebounds, and not go down into the butterfly so quickly, his draft stock will improve in 2019-20.
As the top goaltender for the NTDP, it’s obviously a strong likelihood he’ll be one of the top 2020 NHL Draft prospects at his position. Where he goes in the proceedings is hard to pinpoint at this time.
10. Timothy Lovell
Boston Advantage 16U, 2/8/02, D, Left Shot, 5-5/120
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Lovell is perhaps the most intriguing 2020 NHL Draft prospect out of New England. It’s impossible to ignore his size, as he comes in at just 5-foot-5.
Lovell played on three different teams during the 2018-19 season. He skated for Boston Advantage’s 16U and 18U teams as well as stepping up and playing for the Northeast Generals in the NAHL.
On paper, the offensive stats stick out as not being adequate for an undersized defenseman. However, he’s shown in the past that he can contribute offensively. At the recent Massachusetts Hockey Final 40, he was the best player in the age group — and it wasn’t even close.
His skating and ability to retrieve pucks and quickly turn them up ice are impressive. He seems to always check over his shoulder and know which way to go with the puck to avoid the oncoming forechecker.
That obviously will become more difficult as he climbs the developmental ladder. It will be interesting to see how he fares at USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp and whether or not he can earn a spot on the Hlinka roster.
He’s a terrific talent, but his size will be an issue in the scouting process. He’ll almost certainly be one of the more talked about prospects throughout next season leading into June’s NHL Draft. On talent alone, he’s a sure-fire draft pick. Whether he gets selected is another story. Where he plays next season could have a huge impact on that.
11. Brett Berard
USA NTDP U-17, 9/9/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-8/146
NCAA Commit: Providence
As an undersized forward, Berard took some time to adjust to playing in the USHL and against stiff international competition in his first year with the NTDP. His size will always be an area of concern among scouts, but he’s proven he has parts of his game that can offset that.
The East Greenwich, R.I., native recorded 11 goals and 23 assists in 83 games while competing for the NTDP U-17s. Berard is gritty, quick and smart. His hockey sense will carry him a long way as he’s able to know where the puck will be before a lot of others on the ice. He hunts pucks and has touch on his passes.
Like others with his size, he’ll have to work that much harder to prove to scouts he belongs. With the NTDP, he’ll get plenty of opportunity. Don’t be surprised if he’s selected somewhere around the fifth or sixth round, unless he really takes off in his U18 year.
12. Victor Czerneckianair
Selects Academy 16U, 2/17/02, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-11/170
NCAA Commit: Quinnipiac
Czerneckianair put up huge numbers to lead Selects Academy 16U in scoring. The Southington, Conn., native had 44 goals and 45 assists in 56 games.
Czerneckianair has good skill and competes hard. He’s a good F1 on the forecheck, hunts pucks, and seems to always be around the play. He’s also proven he can finish and make plays in tight areas with his high skill.
Czerneckianair should perhaps be higher, but he still has to prove he can produce at the junior level. If he has a good year in the USHL, his stock will certainly improve.
13. James Tepper
Proctor, 2/20/02, RW, Right Shot, 6-1/165
Tepper, from Shrewsbury, Mass., had a solid first campaign in prep school hockey after starring for his hometown high school in the MIAA. He posted 18 goals and nine assists in 31 games for Mike Walsh’s Hornets.
Tepper is a goal scorer, but going forward, his ability to be a physical presence on the third or fourth line will be his biggest attributes. He’s an above average skater and looks to throw his body around. His hockey sense is the area of his game that he needs to work on the most.
If he can continue to show he can score, he’ll be a potential flyer late in the 2020 NHL Draft. Most likely, he’ll be a potential second or third year eligible or free agent prospect down the road.
