Main Photo: USA Hockey on Twitter — Link
The U.S. National Team Development Program has announced its newest U17 roster. This lineup is made up of 2006-born talent: arguably the greatest American birth-year class in a long time. On the back of that comes two truths. First is that this U17 team is, from a distance, shaping up to be one of the best NTDP teams iced… well, ever. It’s studded with incredible star talent. But the strength of the 2006-class in America also means that a ton of tremendous players didn’t make the final roster. The roster and its cuts have major implications on both the OHL and USHL Draft and are worth a serious breakdown.
Getting to Know the Team
There’s no way to accurately predict the lines that the NTDP will ice. But these lineups give us, at the very least, an idea of the depth of talent.
Forwards
Max Plante – James Hagens – Cole Eiserman
Kristian Epperson – Brodie Ziemer – Shane Vansaghi
Kamil Bednarik – Brendan McMorrow – Christian Humphreys
Teddy Stiga – Lucas Van Vliet – Charlie Pardue
Austin Baker, Noah LaPointe
This forward group should scare you. It scares me. It’s undoubtedly headlined by Cole Eiserman, who has been poised to become the next star American talent for years now. Eiserman has a goal-scoring ability that’s dominated every level he’s played in, including leading him to 56 goals in 53 games this year, the most among any 2005-or-younger skater in Prep league. But his stardom absolutely should not take away from the potentially-incredible Max Plante and James Hagens. The former was one of, if not thee, greatest players in Minnesota high school this season, as a 2006-born, 5’6″ freshman. And the latter has been dubbed as the “next Jack Hughes” by many; a ridiculously-skilled forward that shined as the youngest player at the Chicago Steel main camp last summer (in informal games). This top line could rival the trio of Trevor Zegras, Jack Hughes, and Cole Caufield. Seriously.
And the depth similarly rivals the 2001-team. Kristian Epperson and Brodie Ziemer have elite talent in their own right, fitting in as the top-two scorers for the Shattuck St. Mary’s 15U team this year, both netting over-100 points and both following up strong 14U seasons last year. Their tempo is fast and dangerous. They’ll, hopefully, be flanked by the physically-mature Shane Vansaghi, who was a top-3 scorer among 2006-borns in the T1EHL 16U this season, despite being the youngest forward in the entire league. Vansaghi’s modern-power forward style is, stylistically, following in the shoes of Adam Fantilli, to some degree, and will be fun to develop. Vansaghi is an October birthday, which gives the NTDP that much more time to develop him into the top-20 Draft talent he is on pace to become.
The bottom-six could be a mix-up of any of these names — including Noah LaPointe who is listed as a defenseman on the official roster but has played forward, and Austin Baker who is listed as a forward but has played defense. But Brendan McMorrow may very well shine as the standout. McMorrow has a poise to his game that instills amazing confidence. He’s responsible in all three zones and is tracking like a guy that will make a juniors team, and a pro-team, very happy one day.
Defense
Cole Hutson – EJ Emery
John Whipple – Sam Laurila*
Will Skahan – Logan Hensler
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, Noah LaPointe, Austin Baker
*Listed on their off-hand*
It’s always beautiful to see a competition for who is going to be the “star” of a blueline. And this blueline features no fewer than three names that will battle for the title. John Whipple is the undoubted favorite as it stands. He’s already 6’0″, 174 lbs and has mixed that tremendous size with powerful skating and a confidence with the puck that really makes it look like he doesn’t actually belong to the age group he’s in.
But don’t sleep on Cole Hutson, the brother of Lane and Quinn, who has shattered the scoring record for defensemen in the AYHL 16U league, a record previously held by now-Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Adam Fox. Cole trampled this record by netting 20 goals and 62 points in only 24 games this season, again as a defenseman. It led the entire league in scoring and he managed it thanks to an extreme razzle-dazzle with the puck. Cole is, for all intents and purposes, another Lane Hutson who has found a way to play an even quicker game, and with even more pizzazz.
But EJ Emery may win out the hearts of scouts come NHL Draft day. Emery, who previously had both USA and Canadian eligibility, hasn’t dominated the scoresheets in the way that Whipple and Hutson have. But he has shown a great ability to use his ginormous 6’4″ frame in all aspects of play. If he can add weight, and a corresponding physical presence to his game, Emery could become a standout, two-way blueliner, far from the typical “all-offense” defensemen usually in the Program.
Goalies
Jack Parsons
Nicholas Kempf
Admittedly, the goaltending doesn’t match the extreme stardom of the forward and defensive group. But it’s still solid enough to back up what is an amazing skater roster. Jack Parsons has been hit-or-miss in tournament play but has always looked good when he’s in the comfort of league play. He’s a stable goalie that will really look the part of an NTDP starting talent as he continues to improve his angles and lateral movement. But, interestingly, much of the same can be said for Kempf, who could very well end up as the starter for this team. The two have similar areas to grow in and will improve tremendously as they take practice shots from the likes of Eiserman and Hagens.
So… Why the Cuts?
With a good understanding of the lineup that’s been decided upon, it can be easy to see the logic behind the NTDP’s cuts. The Program, reportedly, wanted to make sure that they weren’t overwhelming the top-six or top-four with too much star talent, leading to some major cuts. And with so many players already fighting for the “star” roles of this lineup, that logic doesn’t seem too outlandish. The addition of another star center, or star defenseman, to this lineup would make appropriating ice time incredibly difficult. At the end of the day, the Program isn’t icing a team to win games. It’s a development program first-and-foremost, so adding players like Brodie Ziemer, who may be a bit more raw than someone like Aidan Park, takes precedent. With that in mind, the cuts that were made are still… incredible.
The Notable Cuts
Aidan Park
Aidan Park is the name that everyone is clamoring about. His exclusion from the team is one of the biggest decisions made by the NTDP in a long time. Park is one of the four emerging stars out of the Shattuck St. Mary’s program, ranking second on the SSM 16U team in scoring this season with a staggering 48 goals and 113 points in 50 games.
With his cut, Park is immediately an immediate favorite for a First Round selection in the USHL Draft. While he certainly has fundamentals to iron out in his game, he plays with a mature style and the patented SSM-tempo and finesse that many expect will develop into a very fine NHL Draft package.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first major cut Park has faced this season. Many were shocked when he was held to only the 16U team at Shattuck rather than joining Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman on the Prep team. This move was made under the same guise as the NTDP exclusion: to guarantee Park’s ice time in a top-line role. But it’s hard to argue that any star forward wouldn’t see the pattern. Will this cut kick Park into sixth gear?
Or, the more pressing question, where will he even play next year? Park is a highly-touted USHL prospect but was also taken 19th overall in the WHL US Draft by the Calgary Hitmen. Would a move north be too outrageous?
Tory Pitner
Tory Pitner was also a high pick in the WHL US Draft, going 17th overall to the Edmonton Oil Kings. Many claimed that his high selection was on the back of his likeliness to consider the WHL but Pitner’s talent was certainly a large factor as well. He very quickly become a personal favorite of mine in the 2006-class, on the back of a fun style that revolves around great movement through the neutral zone. It might be strange to be fixated on how well a 16-year-old defenseman takes charge in neutral zone regroups but Pitner’s ability to quarterback his team’s movements up the ice and use crisp, heads-up passing to catch opponents off-guard is mesmerizing. Pitner is a name that those focused on the NHL Draft should get to know soon. No matter where he plays juniors, he’ll make those on his hype train early look smart.
Cole Longacre
There was an underlying feeling that the NTDP would take one of Pitner or Longacre. The two are far from what I’d call similar but both understand the little details of the game, like how to box out opponents in the slot and when to be aggressive. And while their stylistic choices outside of these traits differ, having a player that can control the defending blueline and understands these details is always important.
Longacre himself clearly enjoys having the puck on his stick and can be trusted to carry the puck into the zone. But he’s taken notable strides forward — pun intended? — in improving his mature decision making with the puck, as well as his off-puck play. At 6’1″, 201 lbs, Longacre should be physically dominating his age class. But most of his game has previously been built on the back of smooth, long strides that push the pace of play. He’s finding new ways to use his long reach and physical frame to control the defensive zone more, effectively helping him grow into his frame.
Adam Kleber
A lot of scouts that are very good at their jobs really like Adam Kleber. He didn’t rack up the minutes with Chaska High this year but he’s a big-bodied defenseman that plays a solid, physical game. He has room to improve the speed of his game in nearly every aspect — skating, decision making, in-tight movements, oomph behind puck plays — which would have been the perfect reason for the NTDP to add him to their lineup.
But the 6’2″, 181 lbs defenseman will have to look elsewhere for juniors development. Luckily, there’s a ton of interest around him. With the promise that his strong physical package and poise offers, many teams are eager to be the ones to help him reach his potential. This, publicly, includes the Portland Winterhawks, who took Kleber 34th overall in the WHL US Draft.
Drake Muray
It’s inappropriate to say that a player should have made a team because he simply fits their vibe. But it’s surprising to see the NTDP pass on Drake Murray, a 6’1″ (at the least) blueliner that has all of the makings of an NTDP defenseman. He’s a smooth, relaxed defenseman that knows how to join the rush and blended well with his teammates on a stacked Shattuck 16U team. If he had any Achille’s Heel, it’d be that his game can feel a bit too nonchalant at times, leading to potentially up-and-down shifts. If a juniors team can get past this, Murray’s got a spunk to his game that could develop him into a top-pair guy at the juniors level.
The Vancouver Giants selected Murray 27th overall in the WHL US Draft.
Geno Carcone
Geno Carcone wasn’t one of the more popular players at evaluation camp but could have been a tremendous addition to the Program’s center depth. It’s a weird way to describe things but in a word, Carcone is lucrative. He has tremendous lane awareness and knows how to maneuver through open space to create options for his teammates. That same awareness makes him a dangerous playmaking asset, with the BK Selects 15U team running most of their powerplay through Carcone on the boards. He tallied an even 100 points this season in only 65 15U AAA games, split between 38 goals and 62 assists.
Carcone is a playmaking center through-and-through and should develop into a nice passing asset over the next few years. While he doesn’t have a tremendous ceiling, like some of the players called above him, he’s shown a nice passing ability and mixes it well with tenacious play in the corners to create a really reliable, bottom-six center package. He was passed over in the WHL US Draft but should be sought after in the middle rounds of the USHL Draft and will fit nicely into any juniors program.
Drew DellaSalla
There’s a weird sense of “two’s” in the notable cuts. Pitner and Longacre are two fundamentally-sound, long defensemen. Kleber and Murray are two scout-favorites that had strong arguments to make the Program. And Carcone and Drew DellaSalla are both tenacious forwards with a playmaking boost. And while DellaSalla has some fundamentals to improve upon, he’s continued what was a very strong summer with a solid freshman season at Brunswick School, in New England Prep, this season. He’s matched the physical play of NE Prep very well and stayed active
Of the cuts mentioned in this article, DellaSalla may be the least surprising. But he has a nose for the net and has adapted well to what was a gritty New England Prep league this year. He’s clearly a moldable talent that could pay dividends to a team willing to focus on bolstering a few notable areas of his game. While some of the other names on this list will make immediate impacts, DellaSalla is going to be important to keep in mind simply for what he could become in a few year’s time.
What It Means
The cuts listed are far from the only notable names excluded from the Program. The list goes on-and-on, including names like Callum Hughes, Ben Miller, and Reid Varkonyi. But the notable cuts sets up what’s sure to be an incredibly exciting USHL Draft. The league continues to grow into its own on the back of tremendous talent outside of the NTDP and will have the opportunity to take advantage of even more skill come the May 2 and 3 Draft dates. Meanwhile, the names that did make the cut will attempt to band together and create an NTDP group that rivals some of the best in the team’s 23-year history. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of American hockey.