In 2023, Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) were off the board fewer than 10 picks into the first round. Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) was snagged by the New York Islanders with the 20th pick in 2024.
Likely, there won’t be any New Englanders taken in the first round come this June. It’s also true that this is a down year for NHL Draft talent coming from this region.
There were only six locals listed in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings. By contrast, 18 locals were tabbed in last year’s midterm rankings.
Still, there are a handful of local prospects who should hear their names called in June. As we say every year, all it takes is one NHL team to pull the trigger and believe in a prospect.
Here are our top 10 New England-born draft prospect rankings midway through the season.
1. Carter Amico
U.S. NTDP U-18, 3/15/2007, D, right shot, 6-5/205
NCAA: Boston University
Had Amico not needed knee surgery in November, he likely would be a first-round prospect. Great-skating, 6-foot-5 defensemen don’t grow on trees. If an NHL team is building a core on defense, Amico is the perfect shutdown presence. The Westbrook, Maine, native was a steady force on the NTDP’s U-17 team last season and was even better in the limited sample size this year before the injury. If he can stay healthy, he will be a terrific NHL defenseman someday. Expect Amico to be a high second-round pick.
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2. Teddy Mutryn
Chicago Steel, 2/16/2007, F, right shot, 6-1/207
NCAA: Boston College
NHL scouts like players who are projectable to higher levels, especially when it comes to the third round and after. Prospects with high ceilings are fun, but there’s risk. There isn’t much risk with Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.). His compete, size and physicality allow him to play anywhere in a lineup. He has high-end skill, as he was always a top-line guy with the Boston Junior Eagles and at St. Sebastian’s. He’s produced in the USHL, scoring 15 goals and 23 points in his first 31 games. He also scored in the All-American Prospects game. He can kill penalties just as easily as he can fit into a power play. The Boston College commit projects as a longtime pro someday. Mutryn makes a lot of sense as a third-, fourth- or fifth-round pick.
3. Everett Baldwin
St. George’s, 1/15/2007, D, right shot, 5-11/173
NCAA: Providence College
A Providence native, Baldwin is a fun one. With St. George’s the past few years, it’s impossible to not notice him due to his ability to flat-out fly. He is one of the best pure skaters I’ve ever seen at this level. He plays with the confidence of a veteran, always looking to make plays and with a will to skate the puck all the time. He has a pro shot, passes like a pro and is willing to mix it up with opposing teams. In early January, he was called up to the NTDP’s U-18 team to play three games and he tallied an assist. He also played in the All-American Game on Jan. 15, which showcases some of the best draft-eligible players from the United States. Typically, staying in prep can hurt draft-eligible talent. But Baldwin is too good for that to be held against him. Baldwin could go at any point after the middle of the second round, but I’d pin him to get taken in the fourth.
4. Caeden Herrington
Lincoln Stars, 1/26/2006, D, right shot, 6-1/185
NCAA: Vermont
When I talk with NHL scouts at rinks, I mainly chat with them about New England prospects. Almost all of them have mentioned regretting not taking a flier on Herrington in the sixth round last season. The Manchester, Vt., native was fresh off posting 49 points in 29 games for Holderness. But he was coming out of prep, which gave NHL teams pause, and there was concern with his foot speed. How on earth would he fare in the USHL?
He’s been great. In his first 29 games for Lincoln, he notched eight goals and 17 points. He’s proven to be a dependable two-way defenseman. When the time comes to go to Vermont, he likely will be a top player for them, too. Expect Herrington off the board in the fourth or fifth round.
5. Richard Gallant
U.S. NTDP U-18, 6/12/2007, F, left shot, 5-8/170
NCAA: Harvard
If this was baseball, Gallant’s comparable would be Dustin Pedroia. While the Concord, Mass., native doesn’t have the size that NHL teams covet and his skating is just above average, Gallant has the heart of a lion and compete you absolutely cannot teach. His other best attribute is producing at the highest level for someone his age. He's tied for first on the NTDP’s U-18 team in goals (17) and third in points (28). He has high-end skill and can play anywhere in a lineup down the road. While his size might limit his ability to be in an NHL bottom six someday, his doggedness will help him find a way.
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6. Alex Donovan
Shattuck-St. Mary’s 18-U, 4/8/2007, F, right shot, 5-11/170
NCAA: Denver
Donovan’s stock has soared over the past year. He was one of the best players at USA Hockey’s Select 17 Camp, which helped him make the Hlinka-Gretzky Team, where he scored a goal and tallied four assists in five games at the famous tournament. He opted to return to Shattuck-St. Mary’s for his 18-U season and has been immensely productive, with 29 goals and 57 points in his first 37 games. While he’s not at the coveted 6-foot mark, the Darien, Conn., native plays much bigger than he is. Donovan strikes me as someone scouts should want to take a flier on in the sixth or seventh round, as it wouldn’t be shocking if he went to junior hockey next season and continued his ascent.
7. Cam Caron
Surrey Eagles, 6/21/2007, F, left shot, 6-3/207
NCAA: Northeastern
Given his size and offensive abilities, I’m shocked Caron has been left off NHL Central Scouting throughout the season. The Dracut, Mass., native produced high offensive returns at New Hampton throughout the previous two seasons, and that production didn’t stop upon entering juniors. Caron had nine goals and 22 points in his first 27 games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. NHL scouts love size, especially with forwards, and Caron has that.
8. Gavin Cornforth
Dubuque Fighting Saints, 12/15/2006, F, right shot, 5-10/170
NCAA: Boston College
It feels like Cornforth (Milton, Mass.) has been with Dubuque in the USHL for a long time since he joined the Fighting Saints in 2022. The late ’06 has a high level of skill and is putting up good numbers in what should be his final season before heading to Boston College. He notched 12 goals and 26 points in his first 33 games. His father is Mark Cornforth, who briefly played in the NHL and bounced around the AHL throughout the 1990s.
9. Gio DiGiulian
Lincoln Stars, 9/25/2005, F, right shot, 6-1/161
NCAA: Cornell
I thought DiGiulian would get taken last June, but it wasn’t meant to be after posting 49 points in 26 games for Kent. Again, the prep school thing likely came into play. Well, the South Burlington, Vt., native joined the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and has continued his production, tallying 13 goals and 29 points in his first 37 games. If DiGiulian is not taken in June, it’s likely he has so much success at Cornell that he’s a coveted free agent down the road.
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10. Cooper Cleaves
Green Bay Gamblers, 1/5/2006, D, right shot, 6-4/205
NCAA: Dartmouth
Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) is a sleeper pick. He was considered last season after posting seven goals and 37 points in 34 games for Brunswick. This season, he recently moved from playing with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers — and he’s thrived. After 15 points in 25 games with Vernon, Cleaves posted four in his first 11 with Green Bay. NHL teams love big defensemen, and Cleaves at 6-foot-4 fits that bill. He’s also a solid skater and has a great stick. While he wasn’t on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, it wouldn’t shock me if someone took a flier on him in a later round.
