2024-25 USNTDP U18 Discussion

[Hockeyville USA]

By far the worst USNTDP program I've seen since getting into prospects 10 years ago.

2014 team had Eichel, Tuch
2015 team had Matthews, Tkachuk, Mcavoy
2016 team had Keller, Fox
2017 team had Q. Hughes, Tkachuk
2018 team has Farabee, Miller, Samuelsson
2019 team Hughes, Caulfield, Boldy, York
2020 team had Beniers and Sanderson
2021 team atleast had Luke Hughes
2022 had Cooley, Gauthier
2023 Smith, Leonard, GP
2024 Hagens, Eiserman

At the very least NHL top 6 NHL forwards/ top 4 nhl dman.

Besides Murtagh (who projects as a second liner to me) this team has not much going for it

Beniers is good but not great. Sanderson is legitimately great. Faber was also on that team and is much better than Beniers IMHO. The rest of that 2002 birthyear team was dogshit by good NHLer standards.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Won three in a row now against three USHL teams. McKinney had three points last night.

Two of those wins were against a really bad Cedar Rapids team. That first game was so bad that my wife and I left after two periods -- it was ugly, boring hockey. Both teams were stumbling around. The 0-0 score at that point was well deserved. The U18's looked better the 2nd night, though.

 

[jtechkid]

I think they'll have a few. They have a lot of big and athletic and physical and good skating players. A few of these players are likely to end up better NHL players than juniors. For instance, Amico is out for the season, but projects as top 4.

Trethewey could definitely be that. Phillips is very raw, but could end up that. I think it's a possibility. Likely one or two of the forwards hits on their potential (there are at least 4 or 5 with potential top 6 if all goes right), and then you have Potter who is part of this team. It would be unfair to forget him just because he decided to ditch them for NCAA this year. He might have the best chance of the forwards to be top 6.

They have two goaltenders that could be good with Quinlan and Boettiger.

So I think they'll end up with 2-3 at least that are respectable in that same sense you mention, maybe 1 or 2 hit big, and they'll probably at least equal the level of 2020 and 2021.

Just because your 6’4 and look athletic doesnt mean your a good player - obviously NTDP scouts forgot that as both amico and phillips were below average players going into selection . The biggest 2 things scouts completely over value is size and completely under value is hockey IQ . Phillips I dont see it all and Amico is such small sample size reaching at straws . If both were 6 feet would have little interest . Trethaway is just a “ good dmem “ that doesnt do anything great so not sure where you value . Bracco runs the PP and prob wont get drafted sums him up . Barnett is solid and i would take him late rounds . Schock is mobile - good skater but doesnt really jump out as doing anything high end .

I have McKinney ranked high right now. He’s the best all around player on that team I’ve been saying it from the beginning. I think he has the tools to be a good pro. I look at Murtagh as a guy that may top out as a productive college player. I think there is more risk with him.

i think mckinney is the safest pick and will have long nhl career . i like murtaugh too but right below him because way he plays worry about injury’s . moore might have highest upside but he has nhl bust all over him . These are all great players -top1% in usa so dont want be that harsh but in perpective of playing in the nhl .

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Just because your 6’4 and look athletic doesnt mean your a good player - obviously NTDP scouts forgot that as both amico and phillips were below average players going into selection . The biggest 2 things scouts completely over value is size and completely under value is hockey IQ . Phillips I dont see it all and Amico is such small sample size reaching at straws . If both were 6 feet would have little interest . Trethaway is just a “ good dmem “ that doesnt do anything great so not sure where you value . Bracco runs the PP and prob wont get drafted sums him up . Barnett is solid and i would take him late rounds . Schock is mobile - good skater but doesnt really jump out as doing anything high end .

Faber wasn’t a star at the NTDP. Look now. Neither was K’Andre Miller. Sanderson barely put up any points at the NTDP. Brzustewicz was the fourth pair RHD.

Junior hockey and what will work in the NHL aren’t always the same thing. I think a team that has a lot of secondary prospects who are big and physical and athletic and good skating players is probably the type of attributes that you will see age better over time than secondary small offensive forward prospects without the top caliber NHL traits.