Riley Duran (4.25 Star Amateur Rating. NHL Grade — B-) Forward
Riley is a kid I’d love to coach. He plays hard. Finishes everything in his site. Can play multiple positions and play them well. He’s developed a bullet of a curl and drag snapper and has the ability to put it where he wants it. We love his enthusiasm, passion and effort. His NHL Grade has bounced around this year, but after thinking about his upward trajectory we have little doubt that he lasts past the 3rd round.
Riley Duran #13 (F, Cape Cod Whalers, 2002)- Duran gets better and better every viewing and he plays the game the right way. He’s got size, he’s highly athletic, he plays a hard, heavy, physical game and can make plays in all three zones. He carried well through the neutral zone, he protected the puck down low in the offensive zone and drove the net with a purpose. He carries the puck with speed, he has a powerful shot in stride and doesn’t overexpose the puck like many talented players his age in this setting. Duran was one of the real leaders of the team and brought a physical and intense presence every shift. His pace has improved and he’s been able to play with an edge without going to far and taking dumb penalties. He also has more talent and playmaking ability than he gets credit for. A high ceiling prospect who can play a lot of roles at the next level and finished the week with 5 assists. College: Providence
Lucas Mercuri (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
I honestly loved how Lucas played and competed during the prep season. He didn’t cheat and was a real catalyst for Salisbury winning their Championship. He’s got to continue working on his first step, but he has a chance to be a top 9 NHL option when he turns pro.
Lucas Mercuri #23 (F, Yale Bulldogs, 2002)- If NZ was picking a tournament MVP Mercuri would win hands down. A Quebec native who went from a raw, high ceiling prospect to one of the most dominate players in prep hockey as an ’02 this past season. He has all the tools one is looking for in a power forward; size, reach, toughness, soft hands, puck protection ability, hockey sense and scorers touch. He compiled a team high 12 points with 6 goals and 6 assists and was always around the puck. He played center and was quick on draws, he boxed out around his net front and supported his defenseman down low in the zone. He is a mature player who thinks the game, makes smart puck decisions as evidenced by the team playing him at the point on the power play. His reach and size allow him to drive wide on defenders and power his way to the net where he made nifty passes in tight or got pucks to the net. He scored a really nice snap shot goal in the slot where he had his head up, read the goalie and fired it low stick side beating him clean. His puck touch is excellent and he can make little 5 foot saucer passes in tight over defenders sticks and he can fire a cross ice 60 ft pass on the tape in stride. He had several cross slot assist off the rush but he also generated offense off the cycle, from behind the net and on broken plays. It’s rare for a player of his size to combine the skill, sense and goal scoring ability. A major prospect who has gotten better and better every viewing and looks to have NHL upside. College: Vermont
Devin Kaplan (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — NA) Forward
Devin was chosen to be on the 2004 version of the USNTDP.
Devin Kaplan #21 (F, NJ Avalanche, 2004)- Kaplan was one of the best, if not the best, projectable prospects in the tournament. He has great size and athleticism, smooth hands and puck protection ability. He can go wide on defenders with speed or he can cut in and make plays towards the net. He is a gifted passer and has the power in his shot to score from outside. He shoots with his head up, he reads the goalie and can place his shots. He uses his reach and size to shield the puck down low and has better vision and passing ability than he gets credit for, especially coming off the wall in the offensive zone. Only negative was at times he showed his age and immaturity (he’s an ’04 playing predominately 02’s) as he’d be slow getting back at times and overexposed the puck and got stripped. He has the size, the skating, the athleticism and the shooting ability to be a special player down the line; finished the tournament with a team high 6 goals and 1 assist in 5 games. College: Boston University
Alexander Servagno (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Alex had 21 points during his first season in the USHL. He’s a talented and creative kid who we feel will be a very productive college player. He probably won’t get drafted, but he is a player who NHL teams will keep their eyes on while at Ohio State.
Alexander Servagno #8 (L, F, 5’8”, 170lbs, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2002)- Servagno was one of the best all-around forwards in the tournament not only in talent but consistency and versatility. He is a fluid, athletic skater with balance and strong edges. He can skate through checks along the wall and go into traffic areas and come out with possession. He showed a quick stick here and the ability to get off checks, get around defenders 1v1 with his skating and his stick skill and has a potent release that he gets off in stride. Servagno has nifty moves on the rush and coming off the cycle and has savvy head fakes and can change the angle on his shots to trick goalies and use defenders as screens. He had several standout plays throughout the tournament; he caused a turnover on the pentaly kill and went end to end with backchecker pressure which tied up his stick but was still able to get a nice one-handed backhand off and almost scored. He had a stretch pass through the neutral zone to the far blue line that sprung his teammate for a clean zone entry and had the speed and sense to fly up the ice and become the late trailer to make it an odd man rush. He also scored several goals both on catch and shoot as well as quick moves in tight on the goalie. He doesn’t have ideal size but his balance and power stride will allow him to play at the next level and he has a wide-ranged skill set that can make him effective in most any role. He finished the tournament with 4 goals and 3 assists and was the National Champions top player from start to finish. College: Ohio State
Ryan Kirwan (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
On a Madison team that only scored 122 goals this year Ryan finished his first USHL season. with 25. Heading into the season he was a player we were very excited to watch, but he seemed to get off to a slow start and had a tough time adjusting to losing. Not the pace or physicality of juniors, but the losing. He has not been on either of our draft lists (December Top 64 or February Draft Rankings), but we’re thinking he’s going to end up on our next one.
Ryan Kirwan #44 (L, F, 6’2”, 195lbs, Little Caesars, 2002)- Kirwan looked as good here as we have seen him in quite awhile. He’s got great size and strength and can play with power and finesse. He’s strong, he fights through checks, he can win 50/50 scrums and has an elite shot. He can score from anywhere in the offensive zone and has tremendous power on his shot despite a quick release and little to no windup. He scored arguably the nicest goal we saw all tournament on a rush that he sniped top corner in stride before the goalie even saw it come off the blade. He has smooth hands, protects the puck well in the tough areas and can get off checks and will his way to the net front with possession. He has gotten stronger but doesn’t look quite as fast so he’ll need to continue to work on his straight line speed to maximize his potential at the next level but we liked how he was hungry, engaged and played a more complete, mature game. He has struggled with consistency in the past but he was moving his feet, he was competing away from the puck and was playing physical. A skilled, pure goal scoring power forward with a high ceiling who finished the tournament with 4 goals.
Jacob Quillan (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Played a hard two way game and was willing to do the little things for the Elite 8 Champions, Salisbury. Coming into the season I felt Jacob was strictly a run and gunner, but he was conscientious in his end, was very detailed while killing penalties and maintained shooting lanes like he enjoyed blocking shots.
Jacob Quillan #20 (F, Yale Bulldogs, 2002)- Quillan is a well-known prospect in the prep ranks but he really stood out in this tournament for his 200ft presence. He was in on forechecks, he stopped on pucks and was the first guy back and was taking the body all over the ice delivering some big open ice hits. His skill speaks for itself; he has strong and smooth hands, he can navigate through high traffic areas and comes out of scrums consistently with the puck. He has a quick first step, he can take a hit an maintain his stride and has the dual ability as a shooter and a setup man. He had one shift that really spoke to his overall game here; he was stopped on the puck on a zone entry, hustled on the backcheck, caught his man deliver a big hit just inside the blue line then got the puck and carried it through the neutral zone and made a cross slot assist for a one-timer goal. He was all over the ice making plays in all 3-zones and proved to be a complete player who can fill any hole on a team’s roster. Along with his ability; we loved his compete level and edge to his game. His teammate Cole Valese got a bit of cheap shot from Ryan Kirwan who is much bigger and Quillan without hesitation went right to Kirwan threw a shoulder into him and got in his face. A good teammate who also doesn’t have the size to go toe to toe with Kirwan but had the willingness. He ended the tournament with 3 goals and 1 assist. College: Quinnipiac
Zach Filak (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — NA) Forward
The biggest standout feature to Filak’s game is how utterly difficult it is to remove him from the puck. He uses his body really well to shield the puck, and adding his foot and hand quickness into the equation and he is a beast puck possession player. Excellent hands and creativity. He uses these abilities to create space well and buy himself time to make plays and exploit open ice. Excellent reads and awareness. He has a great feel for the game and is very smart. Excellent two-way game.
Zach Filak #21 (F, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, 2004)- Filak is an ’04 playing up a level and not only fits in but excels. He’s a tall, long, raw forward who has high hockey IQ and awareness. He’s still growing into his frame so his footwork needs time to develop and his hands are good but not great. However, he has a long reach, he protects the puck very well and showed some bite along the wall and in front of his own net protecting his goalie. He sees the ice very well, he showed some poise and vision and has a maturity and presence beyond his years. High ceiling prospect who is only scratching the surface ending the week with 3 assists in 3 games. Would like to see him shoot the puck more and be more assertive but for an ’04 to be one of the best players on the ice in all three games we watched is pretty impressive. College: Michigan State
Carter Mazur (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
Carter was really playing well the last 4-6 wks before the season was cancelled. His confidence was up and he the game was slowing down for him. He’s a kid we’re going to be keeping an eye on. Check out our last report on Carter here
Carter Mazur #91 (R, F, 5’11”, 155lbs, Little Caesars, 2002)- Mazur is a poised, puck possession style forward with soft, elusive hands and heads up playmaking ability. He sees the ice, is patient to allow lanes to open and makes smart decisions. He can slow it down and exploit the seems with precision passes or get pucks to the net or he can speed it up and make plays on the rush and in transition. He excelled on both special teams units here and showed impressive puck control in tight areas. Savvy, slick and constantly creating offense for himself and his linemates. He finished the tournament with a 2-4-6 line but we would have liked to see him shoot the puck more as he passed off several quality scoring chances in the slot. College: Michigan State
David Sacco (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade – C) Forward
I’m not going to lie. I like how David plays. He doesn’t waste effort running mindlessly all over the ice. He’s patient while reading the ice, but when it is time for a loose puck… it is his. He’s heading to the BCHL nect year and I think the pace will be good for him.
David Sacco #16 (F, Cape Cod Whalers)- Sacco is a heavy, physical ,tough, two-way power forward who brought an intensity and power game to his team. He doesn’t just finish checks, he wants to put the opponent through the boards and puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenders. What we liked about his game here is that he didn’t just rely on being stronger and tougher than his opponents; he was moving his feet, he was making plays in open ice and using the time and space his physical tools provide him to get shots off or hit his teammates with passes in scoring areas. Athletic, multi-dimensional forward who can play different styles and bring different set of skills depending on the situation. College: UNH
Tanner Kelly (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
We know that he will not get drafted this year, but we feel that he is the type of player who will look dramatically different next year while playing juniors. And we know he will look dramatically different after two years developing at Michigan State and we feel smart thorough NHL teams will keep an eye on Tanner as he continues to mature.
Tanner Kelly #87 (R, F, 5’8”, 155lbs, Little Caesars, 2002)- Kelly is a quick, shifty forward who is light on his feet and can think the game and make plays at a high pace. He has a quick release on his snap and wrist shot and can get it off in stride and in traffic. He showed a high hockey IQ and was squirrely enough and gritty enough to get through traffic and out of corners despite his size and get pucks to the net. He competed hard every game, he won a lot of faceoffs and played a responsible two-way game. Not as flashy as some of his teammates but equally as effective given his sense, vision and quick hands. He showed some bite here and didn’t back down from the dirty areas which was encouraging. He had an impressive 1-4-5 line and was one of their go-to-guys throughout the tournament getting on the ice in most all crucial moments. College: Michigan State
Jaden Grant (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
A player who continues to improve. He is a project, but at 6’2″ and heading to Bowling Green University Jaden will continue getting looks.
Jaden Grant #40 (F, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, 2002)- Grant is a talented forward who showed an expansive skill set here. At times he was a physical presence; he would finish checks on the forecheck, battle for pucks down low and take pucks hard to the net. At other times he was leading rushes with his head up and either pulling up and making a crisp pass or going wide on the defender and getting his quick snap shot off. He’s and athletic skater with soft hands, a quick release and is able to play a skilled game and an energy game. He combined for 1 goal and 2 assists on the week but his highlight was a pull up and dish across the high slot for a one-timer assist. College: Bowling Green
Kienan Draper (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Kienan plays a pro style game and is comfortable making the decisions professional coaching staffs expect. He finishes his checks and is strong. He wins battles. Physically he has very strong hands and does not get pushed around. We like his angles away from the puck through both a neutral zone fore-check and when being an F1. He has a good stride, but will need to work on his quickness. Although it may take some time, we feel Kienan has the make up to be a good pro.
Kienan Draper #33 (R, F, 6’1”, 175lbs, Little Caesars, 2002)- Draper is a tall, rangy forward with a long reach and solid puck protection ability. He isn’t dynamic with the puck and needs to improve his stride and agility, but he has a high compete, he gets to the right spots away from the puck and has a frame he can grow into. He shoots the puck hard and has a deceptive snap shot which takes goalies by surprise. He had a 2-1-3 line here and was the work horse on the top line, getting in on the forecheck and uses his reach to break up passing lanes and finished his checks. Honest player who will get better and better. College: Miami-Ohio
Aden Bruich (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Aden just works his butt off. He has to improve his foot speed, and I certainly hope he does, because he doesn’t get outworked and he has a pro mentality. He’s straight ahead and direct. He hits like a truck and he takes numbers. Meaning, Aden has a memory and he’s coming for you if you cheap shot him. I honestly think that kind of stuff matters over an 82 game season.
Aden Bruich #73 (R, F, 6’3”, 218lbs, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2002)- Bruich is 6’3” and nearly 220lbs which made him the biggest guy on the ice every game he played here. He’s a north-south power forward who plays a heavy, physical game. He protects pucks, he uses his strength to create separation and shoots with authority. He gets around the ice well for his frame and has deceptive skating ability once his feet are under him. He can carry the puck up the boards and fight through contact and he was nearly impossible to move from the net front once his feet were planted. He showed a multi-dimensional game; he can play with power or he can drive wide and get his powerful shot off in stride. He competes at both ends and has the size and strength to knock opponents off pucks and lean on them when they get into scoring areas. He was a force on the forecheck and made his presence felt down low below the dots compiling a 1-3-4 line in 6 games. His game has been steadily improving over the course of the season but this was the best we had seen him play.