One of my favorite days of the year is when the NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List is released.
It’s not because the list is the most accurate, telling tale of who will be drafted the following June. The list always invokes a lot of opinions and discussion among hockey professionals.
I used to get worked up over some of the players on the list who clearly did not belong and bemoan the fact that this player or that player didn’t make it. While it’s still fun to discuss who was snubbed and who clearly was overrated, it’s just not that important in the grand scheme of things.
From scouting myself, it is significantly easier to determine the top players. It’s one thing to get on Central Scouting for missing an ‘A’ or ‘B’ player, but when you get down to ‘C’ players, it’s not easy to differentiate between them.
With that being said, there were three players with ties to the New England region who are far more deserving of being on the NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List than a number of players mentioned.
Duncan Ramsay
Kimball Union/GBL Bruins U18, 2/8/04, D, left shot, 6-4/200, NCAA commit: Vermont
Ramsay is a smooth, two-way defenseman. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native is in his second season with Tim Whitehead’s program at KUA. The big blueliner is rangy, mobile, and smooth. He’s not overly flashy, but he has good size, physical tools, and hockey sense. Ramsay is poised, makes smart decisions, and can be tough to play against. There’s a long way to go, but Ramsay is the top 2022 draft-eligible skater playing in New England, sans Jack Hughes, who is a freshman at Northeastern.
Cam O’Neill
Mount Saint Charles U18, 1/24/04, RW, right shot, 6-1/194, NCAA commit: UMass
It was shocking to not see O’Neill on the NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List, especially considering a teammate made it who he is clearly better than. The Odenton, Md., native is a strong power forward with a lethal goal-scoring touch. He shoots it hard, is heavy on pucks, and is a north-south winger. Regardless, his skating and toughness are better than others who made the list. He put up north of two points per game last season and is on pace to do so again this year in his first as a U18 player. His absence is truly baffling. It’s one thing for NHL CSS to omit Ramsay, who plays on an obscure midget team. O’Neill plays on one of the most well-known and well-respected organizations in the country.
Damien Carfagna
Green Bay, 12/12/02, D, left shot, 5-11/168, NCAA commit: New Hampshire
Carfagna, from Wood Ridge, N.J., is in his second year of draft eligibility. The former Lawrence Academy star is leading the USHL in scoring with two goals and six assists for eight points in eight games. In his second year in the USHL, Carfagna has taken a nice step and is far better than many of the defensemen listed by NHL Central Scouting. His omission brings up a key pet peeve of mine that level of play is often overlooked by scouting services.
