Here's the current stats for top NTDP players vs. NCAA DI teams. For those not familiar, the U18 team plays about half their games in the USHL and about half in the NCAA, not including international tournaments. The stats aren't technically counted by the NCAA because they're officially recognized as exhibition games, so on EP and such they'll just show up as part of the NTDP totals. A couple times a year I like to go through and add up those numbers for top players. Stats of course are listed as GP-G-A-P +/-.
Forwards
Gabriel Perreault 5'11 LW/C 15-16-15-31 +16
Will Smith 6'0 C 15-9-20-29 +13
Ryan Leonard 5'10 RW/C 15-12-14-26 +13
Oliver Moore 5'11 C 13-7-10-17 +8
Danny Nelson LW 6'3 15-5-7-12 +/-0
Defence
Zeev Buium 6'0 LD 15-1-9-10 +8
Aram Minnetian 6'0 RD 15-4-5-9 +2
Drew Fortescue 6'3 LD 15-0-8-8 -4
Paul Fischer 6'1 LD 11-0-8-8 +2
Compared to recent past NTDP lineups, this lineup is a little above average. Of course the 2019 team was maybe the best ever so that's the standard. This group is not as good as that one, but I would say it is easily better than 2020 or 2021. It's definitely a bit of a step down from last year's team in overall quality. This team doesn't have anywhere near the forward depth of the 2022 U18s, but I think I like the defense better this year, and those top two or three forwards look absolutely sensational. They might not go as high in the draft as some of the top forwards from last year's team because NHL teams love the size of guys like Gauthier, McGroarty and Snuggerud, but Perreault and Leonard are truly elite at the junior and college level.
Will Smith is pretty comparable to Logan Cooley - Smith is a little bigger, Cooley is a little craftier with the puck, but both play tremendously pro-translatable offensive games. Perreault is probably not that far off from Nazar - perhaps even more purely skilled than Nazar, but not on the same level as a defensive forward. Perreault will need to simplify his game and use his teammates better at the pro level, but I'm starting to think he could be an option inside the top 20. Leonard is another exceptionally pro-style player who is known as a versatile, hard-working, meat and potatoes forward who will be able to play all situations up and down the lineup, but I think his skill is a little under-rated too. He should be a first rounder for sure.
On defense, I'm a huge fan of Aram Minnetian. A converted forward who once played on a line with Connor Bedard at the WSI youth hockey tournament, I don't think there's a defenseman in this draft (including Dragicevic) I'd rather have carrying the puck through the neutral zone. Very much a work in progress defensively, but I think his hockey IQ is high and considering he's only been a defenseman full-time for a few years now, there's tons of room to grow there.
Their other defenseman with very high NHL upside in Zeev Buium. As a late birthday he's not draft eligible until 2024, but I expect he'll go very early in that draft. He's one of those guys who is a tightrope-walker on the offensive blueline, and is usually the one defenseman out with the top PP unit. Fischer is a good two-way defenseman with an NHL frame. Not sure I see him as a first rounder, but might not be too far off. Somewhat comparable to Chesley from last year's team, although I think I like Fischer's offensive upside a little better.
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