RD AJ Francisco - Hermantown High School, USHS-MN (2026 Draft)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

One of the best defensemen on the victorious US YOG team. Ran PP1. He's a good or very good skater. He has a decent puck game too, and his defense isn't that bad. The skating is the best part of his game. He's only 5'11, and not an ace defender or an ace offensive player, so he will need to show improvements, but he stands a good chance of making the NTDP for next year.

A.J. Francisco - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of A.J. Francisco, 2008-01-10 Hermantown, MN, USA USA. Most recently in the USHL with USNTDP Juniors. Complete player biography and stats.

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[Hockeyville USA]

Committed to Notre Dame

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's like a poor man's Aram Minnetian. Good puck rusher, skates well, has solid handles. Okay-ish defensively. Okay-ish offensively. A little small, but not terribly. 3rd or 4th round pick is my provisional projection. Could also easily become one of those players that people are wondering how he went undrafted, and the answer becomes he's another Galvas that is a good junior player and a bad fit for what NHL teams like.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He seems to be trending the wrong way and I think it'll be close for him whether he makes the draft. He's an impressive skater and like okay in most areas (with the puck-rushing being decent), but he's 5'10, has essentially shrunk in the measurements in the last year or so, and doesn't have any obvious traits other than maybe skating that look clear NHL level. Maybe he hits 6'0 and that'll be enough because he doesn't have any huge flaws or maybe someone takes a late flyer on him at 5'11 because he has a lot of exposure on a bad NTDP blue line and all that, but yeah he's kind of not trending well.