Ad Blocker Placeholder
SAT FEB 22
FINAL OT
MIN
4
DET
3
Recap
FINAL
EDM
3
PHI
6
Recap
FINAL
WSH
8
PIT
3
Recap
FINAL
NYR
2
BUF
8
Recap
FINAL
SEA
2
FLA
1
Recap
FINAL
COL
1
NSH
2
Recap
FINAL
DAL
4
NJ
2
Recap
SUN FEB 23
FINAL
CHI
1
CLB
5
Recap
FINAL
CAR
3
TOR
6
Recap
FINAL OT
ANA
3
BOS
2
Recap
FINAL
MTL
5
OTT
2
Recap
FINAL SO
WPG
4
STL
3
Recap
FINAL
UTA
3
LA
5
Recap
FINAL
VAN
1
VGK
3
Recap
6:00 PM
EDM
-120
WSH
T: 6
Preview
8:30 PM
NYR
-135
PIT
T: 6
Preview
11:00 PM
COL
-145
STL
T: 6
Preview
11:00 PM
ANA
T: 6
DET
-190
Preview
11:00 PM
NJ
-120
NSH
T: 6
Preview
11:00 PM
SEA
T: 6
TB
-250
Preview

Future Considerations: USA players who could shape top of NHL Draft

The USNTDP has been producing elite level talent for several years. Prospects who have become household names include:

• Auston Matthews
• Jack Hughes
• Quinn Hughes
• Jack Eichel
• Trevor Zegras
• Cole Caulfield

The current USNTDP roster is projected to have three players selected in the top 10 of the NHL draft this June in Nashville, and they have been putting on a show early on at the U18 Worlds.

The games will get harder in the medal round, but Team USA has looked unbeatable through its first four games.

Here’s a look at their top performers so far and the NHL teams that could be targeting those players come draft day:

Gabe Perreault, Forward, 5-foot-11, 165 pounds
Ranked 10th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters

Perreault recently broke Auston Matthews' scoring record at the USNTDP. He’s up to 123 points on the season. He has elite puck skill and the ability to make plays in small areas. He’s tied for the tournament lead with five goals and 10 assists in four games. The only area of concern I have is his skating. Similar to his father Yanic, who played over 500 NHL games, Gabe isn’t a pure burner in open ice. His mechanics are pretty sound, however, so I’m not overly concerned. He just has to put in the work. I do appreciate his effort up and down the ice at this tournament so far. He hasn’t only been producing offence.

Projection: First Round Pick (12-18)

Possible destinations: Arizona, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Calgary, Detroit

Will Smith, Forward, 6-foot, 172 pounds

Ranked 3rd by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters

Smith always seems to have the puck on his stick. He’s noticeable offensively every shift I watch him. He’s elusive in small areas. He seems to either slide through on his own, with the puck on his stick, or slide passes to linemates that put them in prime scoring position as a result of his feed. Some scouts have a concern about his three-zone detail and effort via offensive zone exits. I’m not concerned. He’s way too talented to start dissecting too aggressively for his defensive awareness. As he matures, he will become more accountable at the next level(s). Smith is tied for the lead in scoring at this tournament. He will play to his identity at the NHL level someday. He’s a first line/top unit power-play NHL prospect.

Projection: First Round Pick (3-5)

Possible destinations: Anaheim, Columbus, Chicago, San Jose, Montreal, Arizona

Ryan Leonard, Forward – 5-foot-11, 181 pounds
Ranked 5th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters

Leonard trails Perreault and Smith for the scoring lead in the tournament, but he’s played the most complete game of the three in the preliminary round. Every time I've viewed Leonard late in the season he's established a new level of quality play. His element leans offence, but he works hard in all three zones and tracks back to assist with defending. He’s being used in all situations at the tournament. It wouldn’t surprise me if Leonard ends up as high as fifth on some NHL teams' year-end draft list. He's on the rise as the season nears its conclusion.

Projection: First Round (Pick 5-8)

Possible destinations: Montreal, Arizona, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit

ADDITIONAL PLAYER OBSERVATIONS

With the preliminary round wrapped up, the quarter-finals are set to begin on Thursday at the Men’s World U18 Hockey Championship. All the teams have Wednesday off to regroup and prepare for the next stage.

Here, then, are some other notes on players I've seen so far...

Kasper Halttunen, Team Finland, Forward, 6-foot-3, 207 pounds
Ranked 11th by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters

Halttunen has elevated his game so far in the tournament after having a less than spectacular season playing at various levels in Finland. He’s scored five goals and three assists through four games and directed 19 shots on goal. He looks more like the player I viewed at the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament last summer when he was ripping pucks on net from the flank on the power-play. He’s playing quicker and competing more consistently. It’s fair to say he is a bit of an enigma heading towards the draft. A big performance in the medal round would go a long way towards an uptick in his draft ranking to end the year. His element is his shot. There is no secret that he’s a shooter more than a playmaker.

Oliver Moore, Team USA, Forward, 5-foot-11, 176 pounds
Ranked 8th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters

Moore has scored four goals and two assists in his first four games and is being deployed in all situations. Moore continues to display a high-octane, fast, competitive style. There is no question he plays to his max every time he rolls over the boards. I appreciate his small area game. He can escape pressure with tight turns and pivots. I am, however, concerned about how high end his offence projects to be as an NHL player. Moore isn’t the easiest linemate to play with. He tends to play to his strengths and at times lacks some vision and playmaking with his wingers. At worst he is a 3F who can very likely play the middle, the wing and be used in an energy/penalty-killing role. His projected versatility gives him an edge on some other prospects.

Aron Kiviharju, Team Finland, Defenceman, 5-foot-10, 165 pounds
Underage Prospect: 2024 NHL Draft Eligible

Kiviharju is an underage prospect for Team Finland and he’s already part of the leadership group of the national team, wearing an “A” at this event despite his age. Kiviharju leans transitional defenceman. He’s quarterbacking one of the power-play units and shows some deception when moving laterally, to go along with solid vision of where to distribute the puck. At this stage he is a playmaker more than a shooter. He's undersized, but pretty strong in the trenches. Time will tell his trajectory, but he's solidly on the map as a priority for the 2024 NHL draft.

Otto Stenberg, Team Sweden, Forward, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Ranked 6th by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters

I really like the way Stenberg plays the game. He has a take charge personality, so it’s easy to see why he is Team Sweden's captain. Stenberg is quick and sturdy. He’s plenty strong and hard to knock off the play. Stenberg is being used in all situations at this tournament, producing three goals and six assists in four games. He’s projected to be drafted in the back half of the first round. I feel like a team might value him between picks 16–22 come June.

Juraj Pekarcik, Team Slovakia, Forward, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Ranked 41st by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters

Every year there is a player at this event who elevates his game. Last year Jiri Kulich of Team Czechia was the player who most improved his draft stock and he ended up being selected by the Buffalo Sabres at 28th overall.

In this year's tournament Pekarcik has improved his stock. He’s benefiting from playing alongside Dalibor Dvorsky on the Slovakian power-play, but opportunity is only what you make of it. Pekarcik sits ninth in tournament scoring after the preliminary round with three goals and four assists.

Pekarcik is a good sized forward who has a long reach, average-plus puck touch, and sound zone awareness offensively. His skating has room to improve, as does his secondary battle at times. But there is no doubt he has caught the attention of my colleagues in his first four games this week.

Here are a couple of his goals from the tournament. Pekarcik wears No. 18 in blue for Team Slovakia.

In the first clip, watch as he sets the power-play from behind the Swedish goal line, then rotates off the weak-side through the slot, finding open space to make himself available to one-time a puck home for the tuck.

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected

      In the second clip, Pekarcik’s role is to take away the eyes of Canadian goaltender Carson Bjarnason, but first he needs to position himself as a down low option off the boards before the puck moves up top to the point. Once the puck gets to the top of the zone, he stations himself accordingly and tips home a goal from just outside the Canadian crease.

      The entire sequence shows good situational awareness, support and then highlights his hand/eye coordination on the tip.

      Video Player is loading.
      Current Time 0:00
      Duration 0:00
      Loaded: 0%
      Stream Type LIVE
      Remaining Time 0:00
       
      1x
        • Chapters
        • descriptions off, selected
        • captions off, selected

          With the tournament moving into the single game knockout stage of the medal round, it will be interesting to see which players finish the strongest in front of the entire NHL scouting community.

          I will provide further updates following the quarterfinal games on Thursday.

          NHL NEWS

          More Headlines

          COMMENTS

          When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.