As the NHL Draft trends older, there’s a good likelihood that a player or two from New England college hockey teams will hear his name called next June in Montreal.
Last season, Providence freshman right wing Tyce Thompson, Massachusetts freshman defenseman Marc Del Gaizo, and Massachusetts freshman goaltender Filip Lindberg all were drafted at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver.
Thompson and Del Gaizo were picked up in the fourth round by New Jersey and Nashville, respectively, before Minnesota took Lindberg in the seventh round.
Players born between January 1, 2000 and September 15, 2002 are eligible to be drafted next June. The most scouted draft eligible prospect in college hockey this season will be Wisconsin left-shot forward Dylan Holloway. From Calgary, Alberta, he put up huge numbers last season, his second with the Okotoks Oilers in the AJHL.
Most eligible prospects in New England college hockey are in their second or third year of eligibility. The only exception is Connecticut freshman defenseman Yan Kuznetsov, who accelerated in order to play for the Huskies as a 17 year-old.
It’s not just the obvious prospects that will get drafted that NHL scouts have to evaluate. Amateur scouts are tasked with crossing off players as well to make sure mistakes aren’t made.
Below are 15 draft eligible prospects, ranked in order of likelihood that they’ll be drafted, with an evaluation on why they will or won’t be selected. Keep in mind that most of these players will be viewed and crossed off the list by amateur scouts, but a select few could hear their names called at the 2020 NHL Draft in Montreal.
College hockey: Top 2020 NHL Draft Prospects
Zachary Uens
#7 Merrimack, 5/13/01, D, left shot, 6-1/178
Uens could give amateur scouts a good reason to head to Merrimack games this year. The Belleville, Ontario, native comes to the Warriors after two seasons with the Wellington Dukes in the OJHL. In 56 games last season, he had eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points. He was named the Ontario Hockey Association’s Top Prospect and OJHL First Team All-Prospect. He’s a good-sized defender who can has mobility both ways.
Yan Kuznetsov
#2 Connecticut, 3/21/02, D, left shot, 6-3/201
The big Russian defenseman will play the entire regular season as a 17 year-old after accelerating to make it to Storrs in time for the 2019-20 season. Kuznetsov has a good stick and skates well, but needs to pick and choose his spots to activate. He had four assists for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede during his first season of hockey in North America. He’s played extensively for Russia in international competition.
Parker Ford
#20 Providence, 7/20/00, C, right shot, 5-9/170
Ford should step right into a top six center role for the young Friars. His compete level is terrific and he keeps his feet moving. He hunts pucks, goes to the greasy areas, and has skill to go with it. The Wakefield, R.I., native had 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 56 games during his second season in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers. Ford played two seasons at Selects Academy at South Kent prior to junior hockey.
Jérémie Bucheler
#4 Northeastern, 3/31/00, D, left shot, 6-4/200
Bucheler has always put up strong offensive numbers from the backend, sans his one season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel. He moved on to the BCHL where he played his final year of junior hockey for the Victoria Grizzlies. In an offensive-minded league, he put up nine goals and 43 assists in 69 games. As a big defenseman, he’ll get the attention of some scouts.
Declan Carlile
#3 Merrimack, 5/18/00, D, left shot, 6-2/180
Carlile is a dual citizen who played one season of junior hockey in the OJHL before making the jump to the USHL for the Lincoln Stars and Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Hartland, Mich., native and Culver Military Academy product has good size, can jump into the rush, has above average vision, and skates well. There are areas of his game that need improvement, but he’s a solid enough prospect that scouts will write about him after views.
Jere Huhtamaa
#1 Merrimack, 4/10/00, G, catches left, 6-2/191
There’s not much known about Huhtamaa besides his stats, but he’s played some international competition for his native Finland in addition to playing for Blues U18 and Jokerit U20. He has good size and a couple of scouts who’ve seen him play believe he could be a very good goaltender in Hockey East. He’ll likely face a lot of rubber and have to be very good in order for the Warriors to win hockey games this winter.
Cam McDonald
#6 Providence, 2/3/01, D, left shot, 5-8/162
McDonald, from Eagle River, Alaska, will have to overcome his lack of size and the perception that he’s not great defensively. However, in limited viewings, he’s shown that he has the puck a lot and can break pucks out of his own zone. He’s strong on retrievals and makes a sharp first pass. His feet are good and he can skate. He’ll have to bulk up and show he can be hard to knock off pucks in order for NHL scouts to overlook his small stature.
Ryan Siedem
#22 Harvard, 2/25/01, D, right shot, 6-2/191
Siedem, from Madison, N.J., had a bumpy road that led him to Harvard. A good sized defender, he jumped around between New Jersey Colonials, Delbarton, and Avon Old Farms before making the NTDP for his U-17 year. After a season that saw him get less ice time than he expected, he left the program and played his final year of junior hockey for Central Illinois in the USHL. A former BC commit, Siedem had for goals and 32 assists in 60 games with the now defunct Flying Aces.
Luke Krys
#2 Brown, 9/27/00, D, right shot, 6-2/185
It could take a while for Krys to adjust to the college game after coming straight in from prep hockey, but there will be eyes on him. The Ridgefield, Conn., native has good size, skates well, retrieves pucks, and makes a good first pass. While he’s not as offensive-minded as his older brother, Chad, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, he’s probably better in his own zone. His hockey sense is an area of his game that could be questioned by NHL scouts.
Matt Kessel
#4 Massachusetts, 6/23/00, D, right shot, 6-2/193
Kessell, formerly committed to Ohio State, is a player who transformed his game into a solid defensive player through two junior seasons in the USHL with Fargo, Chicago and Sioux Falls. In his final season of junior hockey, he helped the Stampede win a Clark Cup Championship with his +33 plus/minus. From Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Kessell won’t play as pivotal of a role offensive as the two other two freshman defensemen, but he’ll log important minutes in the defensive end.
Robert Griffin
#17 New Hampshire, 1/8/01, C, right shot, 6-0/177
Griffin was once thought of as one of the top ‘01s in the New England region. His development, especially in the mind of scouts, stalled while playing in the USPHL NCDC instead of heading out to the USHL. Griffin is a very good passer who has a strong hockey IQ. When he was on top of his game, he appeared to be one step ahead of the opposition. The Burlington, Mass., native is a former Northeastern commit who scored 10 goals and 41 assists in 58 games during his final season of junior hockey.
Jace Foskey
#14 Harvard, 6/1/00, D, right shot, 6-2/193
The Southlake, Texas, native saw both of his final two seasons of junior hockey cut short due to injury. However, the Dallas Stars Elite youth program product was once a highly coveted player. He has three years of experience in the USHL and should defend well, if healthy. He’s rangy, but his skating will need work in order to garner any serious draft consideration.
Riley McCutcheon
#21 Vermont, 6/25/00, LW, left shot, 6-2/198
McCutcheon has already been passed over twice at the draft and it’s largely due to his skating ability. A big, power forward, McCutcheon can shoot it and there are some physical tools that intrigue scouts. However, he’s yet to prove he can get up and down the ice quickly enough or use his first two steps to create separation.
Harrison Rees
#27 Connecticut, 3/19/00, D, right shot, 6-1/170
Rees comes to the Huskies following two seasons playing for the North York Rangers in the OJHL. He had 12 goals and 45 assists in 69 games. He’s likely not a draft, but he’s eligible and will be evaluated.
Tyler Spott
#18 Northeastern, 6/17/00, D, left shot, 5-10/168
Spott, from Toronto, Ontario, comes to St. Botolph Street following three seasons of junior hockey. He spent his first season with St. Michael’s in the OJHL before playing out his final two with Green Bay in the USHL. He’s on the smaller side, but he can move pucks north and make plays. He might take a little bit to adjust to the pace of the college game, but he’ll get a brief look. His father, Colgate alum Steve Spott, is an assistant coach for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
