MiHockey’s 2019 NHL Draft Watch
The 2019 NHL Draft may be taking place in Vancouver this year, but there are plenty of Michigan names and American-born players from USA Hockey National Team Development Program expected to hear their names called during the two-day event.
Join MiHockey as we follow along for all of the selections that pertain to our Michigan hockey world, with the Detroit Red Wings’ selections appearing in italics.
ROUND 1
No. 1 – New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes | USA Hockey NTDP | Orlando, Fla.
Hughes recorded more points than any other player in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history over the last two seasons in Plymouth. He becomes the fifth player in NTDP history to be selected No. 1 overall, and just the second to be selected first straight out of the national program (Erik Johnson, 2006). He is the eighth American to be the first name called at the NHL Draft, as well.
No. 5 – Los Angeles Kings
Alex Turcotte | USA Hockey NTDP | Island Lake, Ill.
Turcotte, a Honeybaked alum who moved back home to the Chicago area for his 14U and 16U days, was second on the NTDP in points-per-game this season on a team full of elite prospects. He used his blend of size and skill to rack up an impressive 62 points in only 37 games with the NTDP this season.
No. 6 – Detroit Red Wings
Moritz Seider | Adler Mannheim (DEL) | Zell, Germany
For more on the Wings’ first selection of the 2019 NHL Draft, click here.
No. 9 – Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras | USA Hockey NTDP | Bedford, N.Y.
Zegras is a Boston University commit who checks in at 6-foot-0 and 174 pounds. He recorded 87 points in 60 games with the NTDP this past season. His 100 assists over his two years with the NTDP is fourth in program history, behind only Jack Hughes, Jeremy Bracco and Clayton Keller.
No. 12 – Minnesota Wild
Matt Boldy | USA Hockey NTDP | Milford, Mass.
At 6-foot-2 and impressive hands, Boldy recorded 81 points in 64 games on the star-studded NTDP Under-18 Team roster. He’s off to Boston College in the fall.
No. 13 – Florida Panthers
Spencer Knight | USA Hockey NTDP | Stamford, Conn.
No. 1 ranked goaltender in NHL Central Scouting, and rightfully so. Spencer Knight, at 6-foot-4 and 193 pounds, posted 59 wins during his two years with the NTDP – the most of any goaltender in program history. He is expected to be a franchise-leading netminder. Darren Dreger said on the live broadcast that he has the chance to go down as the best U.S. goaltender ever. He is committed to Boston College.
No. 14 – Philadelphia Flyers
Cam York | USA Hockey NTDP | Anaheim Hills, Calif.
York is on his way to the University of Michigan next fall; when he’s done there, he will be joining the Philadelphia Flyers. A native of Anaheim Hills, Calif., York broke the two-year scoring mark by a defenseman at the NTDP, showcasing the offensive abilities of the smooth blueliner. He told NHL Central Scouting he models his game after Zach Werenski – another reason for Wolverines fans to be excited for his arrival in Ann Arbor.
No. 15 – Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield | USA Hockey NTDP | Stevens Point, Wisc.
Caufield may only be 5-foot-7, but he scored more goals than any other player in NTDP history (126) during his two years in Plymouth, passing previous record-holder Phil Kessel. The Wisconsin commit can score from anywhere and everywhere, as he broke Auston Matthews’ single-season mark with 72 goals this past season.
No. 30 – Boston Bruins
John Beecher | USA Hockey NTDP | Elmira, N.Y.
He wasn’t supposed to go in the first round, but the Boston Bruins saw what fans at USA Hockey Arena witnessed for two years – a big forward who can skate and score. Beecher, a Michigan commit, is listed at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds and he put up 43 points this season while fighting for ice time with the talented forward group in Plymouth.
Round 2
No. 33 – Los Angeles Kings
Arthur Kaliyev | Hamilton Bulldogs | Staten Island, N.Y.
Kaliyev is a Compuware and Little Caesars alum who racked up 51 goals with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs this season. He played a big role in Compuware’s 16U national championship season in 2017.
No. 35 – Detroit Red Wings
Antti Tuomisto | Assat U20 (SM-liiga) |Pori, Finland
The Red Wings have selected another 6-foot-4 European defenseman with their first pick in the second round. He was ranked No. 15 by NHL Central Scouting for all European skaters. Reports say he is interested in playing college hockey this upcoming season. “Tuomisto has a cannon of a point shot, with both accuracy and power,” said a scouting report in McKeen’s Hockey. “His hands are quite smooth.”
No. 43 – Chicago Blackhawks
Alex Vlasic | USA Hockey NTDP | Wilmette, Ill.
The Chicago Blackhawks made a hometown pick with a second-round selection, claiming WIlmette, Ill., native and NTDP product Alex Vlasic at No. 43 overall. The Boston University commit is listed at 6-foot-6 and 198 pounds; he played a full 200-foot game for the NTDP while racking up 27 points and helping Spencer Knight and Cam Rowe in the d-zone.
No. 45 – Nashville Predators
Egor Afanasyev | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Tver, Russia
A budding star with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the Little Caesars alum racked up 62 points in 58 games in the USHL this past season.
No. 47 – Colorado Avalanche
Drew Helleson | USA Hockey NTDP | Farmington, Minn.
Helleson, a 6-foot-3, 194-pound blueliner, is the latest NTDP defenseman selected in the second round. He registered 23 points in 64 games; and he’s committed to Boston College.
No. 52 – Florida Panthers
Vladislav Kolyachonok | Flint Firebirds | Minsk, Belarus
The Flint Firebirds defenseman caught the attention of NHL scouts all season long, and now he’s a second-round draft pick. Kolyachonok registered 30 points in 54 games with Flint; he was ranked No. 31 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
No. 53 – Toronto Maple Leafs
Nicholas Robertson | Peterborough Petes | Arcadia, Calif./Northville
Robertson, brother of Jason Robertson, played one year with Little Caesars before going north of the border. The Robertson family moved to Michigan for the kids to play hockey earlier in their youth careers.
No. 54 – Detroit Red Wings
Robert Mastrosimone | Chicago Steel | Bay Shore, N.Y.
The Wings claimed their first forward of the 2019 NHL Draft with Mastrosimone, a star with the Chicago Steel this past season. The Boston University commit recorded 60 points in 54 games, en route to being named to the USHL Third All-Star Team. He tied for fourth in the league with 31 goals.
No. 60 – Detroit Red Wings
Albert Johansson | Farjestad Jr. | Karlstad, Sweden
Another European blueliner for the Red Wings, as they take Albert Johnansson with the No. 60 overall pick. “Very good with the puck – he’ll hold onto it until a play is there,” said NHL Central Scouting’s Goran Stubb. Johansson registered 29 points in 40 games, along with a +10 rating.
Round 3
No. 66 – Detroit Red Wings
Albin Grewe | Djurgardens Jr. | Marsta, Sweden
No. 67 – Buffalo Sabres
Erik Portillo | Dubuque Fighting Saints | Goteborg, Sweden
Portillo, a 6-foot-6 Swedish netminder, is going to play for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL this upcoming season, and after that, he will be suiting up for the Michigan Wolverines. “He is an extremely calm netminder, generally playing deep in his crease and letting his size work for him,” said McKeen’s Hockey of the Michigan commit.
No. 72 – Philadelphia Flyers
Ronnie Attard | Tri-City Storm | White Lake, Mich.
The first Michigan native is off the board! Congrats to White Lake native Ronnie Attard, the USHL player of the year, who is on his way to Philly.
MORE: Ronnie Attard selected by Philadelphia Flyers
No. 90 – Carolina Hurricanes
Domenick Fensore | USA Hockey NTDP | Bronxville, N.Y.
No. 11 off the board for the NTDP is Domenick Fensore, a slick 5-foot-8, 153-pound defenseman. The new member of the Hurricanes registered 26 points in 25 USHL games this year; point-per-game pace in the top junior league in the country is rather impressive.
Round 4
No. 97 – Detroit Red Wings
Ethan Phillips | Sioux Falls Stampede | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
The Wings have claimed another USHL forward and Boston University commit in Ethan Phillips. Ranked No. 78 (North American skaters) by NHL Central Scouting, Phillips is listed at 5-foot-9 and 146 pounds. Last year, he split time between the Sioux Falls Stampede and Selects Hockey Academy; in 50 USHL games, he registered 43 points.
No. 101 – Anaheim Ducks
Henry Thrun | USA Hockey NTDP | Southborough, Mass.
No. 103 – Philadelphia Flyers
Mason Millman | Saginaw Spirit | London, Ontario
No. 109 – Nashville Predators
Marc Del Gaizo | UMass | Basking Ridge, N.J.
Del Gaizo was a former leader of the Muskegon Lumberjacks; he recorded 38 points in 59 games in 2017-18 before making the jump to college.
No. 112 – New York Rangers
Hunter Skinner | Lincoln Stars | Pinckney, Mich.
The second Michigan native has been selected! Congrats to Hunter Skinner, a product of Little Caesars, Belle Tire and Honeybaked. He split the season between the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Lincoln Stars; he registered 11 points with both for a total of 22 in 52 games. Skinner will likely spend one more year in the USHL before heading off to Western Michigan.
No. 118 – New Jersey Devils
Case McCarthy | USA Hockey NTDP | Clarence, N.Y.
No. 122 – Vancouver Canucks
Ethan Keppen | Flint Firebirds | Whitby, Ontario
Round 5
No. 128 – Detroit Red Wings
Cooper Moore | Brunswick School | Cos Cob, Conn.
The Red Wings have claimed an American-born blueliner destined for the BCHL and North Dakota with their fifth-round pick. The future Chilliwack Chiefs defenseman – listed at 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds – is the nephew of former NHL defenseman Dave Ellett, who played 1,129 NHL games and recorded 568 points.
No. 132 – Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Janicke | Central Illinois Flying Aces | Maple Grove, Minn.
Janicke played at the NTDP from 2016-18 before spending last season with the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the USHL. Next fall, he will be suiting up for Notre Dame.
No. 137 – Florida Panthers
Owen Lindmark | USA Hockey NTDP | Naperville, Ill.
Another Under-18 Team forward has been claimed, as the Panthers take Owen Lindmark in the fifth round. The Chicago Mission product is off to Wisconsin in the fall.
No. 142 – Dallas Stars
Nicholas Porco | Saginaw Spirit | Sault St. Marie, Ontario
TRADE: Red Wings trade No. 143 to Buffalo for Nos. 177 and 191.
No. 144 – Winnipeg Jets
Logan Neaton | Prince George Spruce Kings | Brighton, Mich.
Neaton was the 2017 high school hockey goaltender of the year after leading Brighton to a state championship. This year, he shined for the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL, registering a 1.92 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. He is committed to UMass-Lowell.
MORE: Logan Neaton selected by the Winnipeg Jets
No. 145 – Pittsburgh Penguins
Judd Caulfield | USA Hockey NTDP | Grand Forks, N.D.
No. 150 – Calgary Flames
Josh Nodler | Fargo Force | Oak Park, Mich.
The future Michigan State Spartan is now a member of the Calgary Flames, as Josh Nodler heard his name called in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Nodler, a longtime Honeybaked forward, posted 42 points in 54 games with the Fargo Force this year – his first and only year of USHL play.
Round 6
No. 158 – New Jersey Devils
Patrick Monynihan | USA Hockey NTDP | Millis, Mass.
No. 159 – Detroit Red Wings
Elmer Soderblom | Frolunda HC | Goteborg, Sweden
ESPN’s Chris Peters says Soderblom is one of his favorite ‘sleepers’ in the draft, as the winger checks in at 6-foot-6 and 219 pounds. Soderblom was ranked No. 55 among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
No. 166 – Minnesota Wild
Marshall Warren | USA Hockey NTDP | Laurel Hollow, N.Y.
No. 177 – Detroit Red Wings
Gustav Berglund | Frolunda HC | Huskvarna, Sweden
Berglund is a 6-foot-2, 194 pound blueliner who logged a total of 29 points with Frolunda HC, playing with the club in three different divisions throughout the year.
Round 7
No. 190 – Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Tyutyayev | Avto Yekaterinburg | Yekaterinburg, Russia
A 2000 birth-year player, Tyutyayev played in the MHL, a major junior league in Russia, last season, and recorded 60 points in 60 games. In 2017-18, he registered 114 points in 31 games in Russia’s U18 league. Tyutyayev checks in at 5-foot-9 and 146 pounds.
No. 191 – Detroit Red Wings
Carter Gylander | Sherwood Park Crusaders | Beaumont, Alberta
Gylander, a Colgate commit, checks in at 6-foot-5 and 172 pounds. Last year was his first full season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League; Gylander recorded a 2.43 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 22 games. He was ranked No. 10 among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.
No. 205 – New York Rangers
Eric Ciccolini | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | Vaughan, Ontario
Named the OJHL top draft prospect of the 2018-19, Ciccolini is a University of Michigan commit.
No. 209 – New York Islanders
Cole Coskey | Saginaw Spirit | Zion, Ill.