U.S. NTDP U18: October Rankings

It’s been a challenging start to the season for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 squad, which sits at 2–9–3 in USHL play and carries a -31 goal differential, the only team in the league’s Eastern Division on the wrong side of that metric. Despite the record, this group continues to develop through a demanding schedule designed to test its depth, mental toughness, and maturity against older, physically stronger opponents.

Offensively, Victor Plante has emerged as the team’s most consistent producer, leading in both points (16) and goals (8), while defenseman AJ Francisco anchors the back end and leads the team with 12 assists, tied for second overall on the team in points. Sammy Nelson joins Plante with 8 helpers and is tied with Francisco with 13 points overall.

From a defensive standpoint, the team has faced sustained pressure through the early months, but Logan Stuart has managed to post a +2 rating, the best mark on the roster, with Wyatt Cullen (+1) the only other player in the black through his limited action. On the flip side, Abe Barnett (-13) and Logan Lutner (-12) highlight some of the group’s early-season defensive challenges. The physical edge has been noticeable, as defenseman Luke Schairer leads the team with 39 penalty minutes, followed by Parker Trottier at 30, underscoring the growing pains that often come with a roster learning to play with the pressure of performing in their draft year.

While the results have been uneven, Neutral Zone scouts continue to see individual growth and flashes of the high-end talent that defines each NTDP cycle. These rankings reflect each player’s performance during the month of October, but can clearly show who’s trending upward, who’s adapting to the pace of USHL competition, and who’s emerging as key pieces for Team USA as the international calendar approaches.

September	October		Pos	NTDP U18	NZ’s Draft Grade
1	1	Victor Plante	LW	NTDP U18	C
2	2	Sammy Nelson	C	NTDP U18	A (2027)
10	3	Jamie Glance	RW	NTDP U18	C+ (2027)
5	4	AJ Francisco	D	NTDP U18	NR
16	5	Mikey Berchild	C	NTDP U18	A-
3	6	Logan Stuart	C	NTDP U18	C
4	7	Jackson Marthaler	D	NTDP U18	C
14	8	Luke Carrithers	G	NTDP U18	NR
11	9	Dayne Beuker	C	NTDP U18	C+
12	10	Casey Mutryn	RW	NTDP U18	A-
22	11	Wyatt Cullen	LW	NTDP U18	C+
8	12	Lucas Zajic	RW	NTDP U18	B
15	13	Aurelio Garcia	C	NTDP U18	C
7	14	Brady Knowling	G	NTDP U18	C
13	15	Brody George	C	NTDP U18	NR
6	16	Nick Bogas	D	NTDP U18	C+
9	17	Luke Schairer	D	NTDP U18	B+
17	18	Parker Trottier	LW	NTDP U18	C+
18	19	Dain Gordon	RW	NTDP U18	NR
21	20	Sam Wathier	D	NTDP U18	C+
–	21	Logan Lutner	D	NTDP U18	NR
20	22	Abe Barnett	D	NTDP U18	C
19	23	Tyler Martyniuk	D	NTDP U18	NR
23	24	Wyatt Jones	LW	NTDP U18	C+ (2027)