There’s no other way to put it: The 2023 NHL Draft will be a down year for prospects coming out of the New England prep school hockey circuit.
With much of the region’s first-year draft-eligible talent with the NTDP or in the USHL, there are slim pickings when it comes to players remaining in New England. In my mind, there are only two definitive draft picks skating for a New England team in 2022-23: Dexter Southfield defenseman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) and Connecticut freshman right wing Matthew Wood in Hockey East.
There will be NHL scouts scouring the prep school rinks, and rightfully so. There are other prospects who have upside and there are still plenty of talented players throughout the region, including at the prep school level. As is most things in life, the prospect pool for hockey tends to be cyclical. In 2022, there were seven players drafted directly out of prep school and another five NEPSAC alums were selected.
Below is a ranking of the top 2023 draft-eligible prospects in the prep school hockey circuit this winter. Please keep in mind that all of these players have accomplished a lot, will play in college and are good prep school players. They all have flaws, including the top prospect. It is hard to be drafted into the NHL and even more difficult to make it to the top of the pyramid.
With that in mind, all nitpicking is meant as an honest evaluation and not intended to be a slight of any of these players.
1. Sean Keohane
Dexter Southfield, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-4/185
NCAA: Harvard
As I mentioned above, Keohane is the only lock from the NEPSAC circuit to get drafted next June in Nashville. He’s got the size, range, and skating ability for a big man to catch the eye of NHL scouts. His stick and sense aren’t elite, but they’re good enough when combined with his size and skating ability. During the 2021-22 prep season, his production took a big jump from what he had shown previously. Keeping that up will help his stock as he hopes for a high draft selection. There won’t be a player in prep hockey who is viewed by NHL scouts as much as Keohane this winter. He’ll be the unquestioned leader for Danny Donato’s (Dedham, Mass.) team that looks to replace a lot of key players that graduated or moved onto the USHL. As of right now, I see Keohane as a third-round pick.
2. Joe Connor
Avon Old Farms, 3/31/05, C, left shot, 5-9/172
NCAA: Northeastern
Connor’s biggest shortcoming when it comes to being an NHL prospect is his size. He’s got the speed and compete level to hunt pucks and produce offensively at this level. His monster numbers at USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp in June and a subsequent strong showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August propelled him up the NHL draft radar. He can finish and make plays. He won’t shy away from physical contact and goes to the dirty areas. He should be one of the most productive players in prep hockey this winter, slotting in on the left wing on John Gardner’s top line. I’m not sold on him being a draft pick, but not totally out on the idea either. Regardless, the Amherst, N.H., native is someone who I predict will be a great four-year player at Northeastern after his time is up in the USHL.
3. Ethan Gardula
Cushing, 2/28/05, LW, left shot, 6-1/178
NCAA: UConn
Gardula has the physical tools to get drafted in seven months. His size, skating and physical strength are all reasons he could hear his name called. The Princeton, Mass., native needs to be consistent and get back to his identity when he played on a line with Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass.) with the Junior Eagles. He needs to take over games with his physical presence, go to the dirty areas, and be heavy on pucks. He has gotten better in other elements of his game over the past two years, including his stick and ability to create on the rush. He’ll be on one of the best lines in prep hockey with Landan Resendes (Marlborough, Mass.) and perhaps Daniel Markevych. I’ve always been a fan of Gardula and think he can easily get back to the point where I see him as a draft pick.
4. Cam Russo
Governor’s, 1/3/05, RW, right shot, 6-1/187
NCAA: Brown
Russo will be one of the most skilled players in the 2022-23 prep school hockey season. The Middleton, Mass., native checks boxes for his height, stick and skating. He’s a goal-scoring winger who should put up big numbers for Brian McGuirk’s (Danvers, Mass.) team. Whether or not he gets drafted hinges on his ability to show scouts that he’s turning a corner in terms of his compete and play away from the puck.
5. Rudy Guimond
Taft, 5/19/05, G, catches left, 6-3/180
NCAA: Yale
Guimond has shown well over the last two split seasons and could parlay that into draft interest during the prep season. The junior from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, has the size and is technically sound in net. He’s capable of stealing games but will have to show that his athleticism and rebound control are getting better if he’s to pull off the difficult feat of being a goaltender drafted out of prep hockey. He should get plenty of rubber on a Taft team that isn’t expected to be as strong as many of its opponents on most nights.
6. Daniel Heroux
Kimball Union, 1/14/05, G, catches left, 6-2/190
NCAA: Vermont
Heroux had his ups and downs during his first season of prep hockey in 2021-22. At the end of the day, he still posted a respectable .930 save percentage and played in a lot of key games for the Wildcats until their ouster from the Elite 8 at the hands of eventual champion Salisbury. The Montreal native will get plenty of chances to perform well in front of NHL scouts. He’s got the size and showed some glimpses this fall during the split season.
7. Eli Friedman
Brunswick, 4/29/05, C, right shot, 5-10/173
NCAA: Yale
Friedman was on NHL Central Scouting’s futures list this July. His skating and being below six feet are reasons he hasn’t made subsequent lists. Friedman is a playmaking center whose stick and vision are worthy of attention from NHL scouts. His skating will hold him back as far as being a draft pick. However, he’ll once again be one of the top-scoring forwards in prep hockey and should make for a good player at Yale down the road.
