This past weekend I was in Pittsburgh for the USHL Fall Classic, a showcase event where every USHL team competed. Over a hundred NHL, junior and college scouts in attendance and plenty of notable draft eligible and drafted players were on the ice.
Here are some of my takeaways:
Noah Cates, C, Omaha (Philadelphia):Cates wasn’t a standout for me when I watched Omaha, but you saw flashes of why Philadelphia picked him in the fifth-round last June. He possesses great IQ that allows him to do a lot even without dynamic speed or hands, the former of which is more of a glaring weakness. He works hard and displays versatility in terms of which situations he can play, plus he can slot at center or wing.
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Nate Clurman, D, Tri-City (Colorado): Clurman has only played in a handful of high level hockey games outside prep school so it was interesting to see how he handled the pace. He was just ok in that regard, looking behind the play a few times and being pressured a little easy. On a tools level though he’s 6-foot-2, skates quite well for his size and showed competence handling the puck. He’s not a top-end guy but I left with him on my radar.
Mathias Emilio Pettersen, C, Muskegon: I was very impressed by the long-time internet wonder boy. For those who are not prospect nerds, he has had a continuously active HFBoards thread dating back to 2006. In an interview on the weekend he also admitted he used to read it when he was younger. His skill and offensive IQ stood out to me. He makes such quick and proper reads on top of being able to execute difficult plays. He’s small but he’s on my NHL radar this season as a potential second or third round pick.
Jachym Kondelik, C, Muskegon: Kondelik has improved his skating a lot, thus elevating himself to a legitimate NHL prospect. He was one of the Czech Republic’s top players at the under-18s last spring. He’s not a dynamic player but at 6-foot-7 just getting around ok, and showing quality skill with the puck will draw attention.
Tyler Madden, C, Central Illinois: The third overall pick in the most recent USHL draft had a good showing last weekend. He’s small but highly skilled and dictated puck possession when he was on the ice. I would like to see an extra gear in his skating, especially at his size, but I do think he’s still worth monitoring for the NHL draft.
Nick Perbix, D, Omaha (Tampa Bay): Perbix was an intriguing sixth round pick by Tampa last season as a second year draft eligible player. He’s a great skater for a 6-foot-5 defenseman. He’s a smart puck mover as well. At times, he seemed a little caught up in the USHL pace, but everyone I talks to praises his hockey sense, so I imagine that will be more of a quick adjustment than an issue for him. He also could be a little more physical. For a 1998 at this level he’s expected to be good so you don’t want to overreact but he made a strong impression on me to elevate his prospect stock especially for his first exposure to high level hockey.Big defensem*n who can skate and move the puck are not easy to find.
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Clayton Phillips, D, Fargo (Pittsburgh): Phillips was the highest picked player at the showcase and while he wasn’t fantastic, he showed flashes of why he was a thirdround pick. “His decision making is getting better and quicker, his footwork is great, he can really shoot the puck and he can join the rush,” said Phillips’ coach Cary Eades. His skating is a clear standout ability (with his shot being a secondary standout ability), as he gets up the ice at an elite level, but improving his reads at both ends will go a long way. However, he was one of the youngest players in his draft class so I don’t want to ding him too much for being a little behind.
Andong Song, D, Madison (New York Islanders): Song generated a lot of hype when the Islanders picked him in the sixth round of the 2015 draft since he was born in Beijing and there was hopes of a Chinese-born player making it to the NHL. Sadly, I don’t think that’s a reality. He has a pro frame and skates decent for his size, but doesn’t display NHL skill or have good enough instincts with the puck.
Sampo Ranta, LW, Sioux City: I wasn’t a huge fan of Ranta coming into the showcase, but he swayed me somewhat with his performance. He skates very well, works hard at both ends of the rink and showed a high-end shot, notching several goals from mid-distance including a hat trick in one game. His skill isn’t great but he’s competent with the puck and can gain the zone.The Wisconsin commit showed he’s worth a potential pick in June.
Bode Wilde, D, USNTDP: Wilde had one of the better performances I’ve seen from him (and while I know him I haven’t seen 50 games of him) this past weekend. When he’s on like this, he’s a dynamic player who skates and handles the puck at a high-end level in a 6-foot-2 frame. His decisions were better than I’ve seen before, but he did still make the odd mistake. Still if he’s this player all season he could be a top five or ten prospect.
Tomas Vomacka, G, Lincoln (Nashville): Vomacka was a little up and down but you saw why he was an NHL draft pick. He’s big, athletic and while he doesn’t have a ton of structure in his game you see that he has the IQ to get to pucks with more development. He’s also a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve, as after a goal in a close game that would have been tough to stop he tried to break his stick over the top of the net.
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Other prospect tidbits:
In Swift Current of the WHL, the line of Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona), Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA) and Glenn Gawdin (previously STL now unaffiliated) could be the best in the CHL this season. Combined, they have 29 points in their first 3 games. Heponiemi is the driving force on that line. He’s such a gifted playmaker who puts his team in positions to succeed, although Steenbergen is highly skilled too and knows how to finish chances.
Alexei Toropchenko (STL) had a good NHL camp and has carried it to the OHL where he has been fantastic for Guelph. He’s such a good skater for a 6-foot-3 forward and plays with great intensity on each shift. His skill isn’t high-end, but he knows what to do with the puck, and early on is generating over 4 shots a game and scoring 2 points a game in a very small sample.
(Photo credit: Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
