USHL Futures Draft: Top New England Prospects

The USHL Futures Draft is Monday night at 7 p.m. ET. It is the portion of the draft in which USHL organizations select 2000-born players that they believe will help their franchises down the road.

While many of the top 2000-born players have already signed with the U.S. NTDP or tendered with a USHL team, there are several prospects that are worthy of a high draft pick Monday night. Here's a look at the top 2000-born players from or playing hockey in New England, excluding players committed to the NTDP or tendered to a USHL team.

Forwards

1. Harrison Roy, Boston Bandits 16U, Shoots Right, 5'11"/160 - A smooth skater with a nice offensive skill set, he's a prospect that will draw a lot of attention from college scouts at Loomis Chaffee next winter. His foot speed allows him to get open and separate from defensemen. He's strong on puck pursuit and has a nice quick release.

2. Drew Elser, Selects Hockey Academy 16U, Shoots Left, 5'11"/170 (UConn) - Simply put, his speed is elite. He gets on men with the puck, he's quick to get in on the forecheck and he can disrupt the opposition's flow with his speed. His speed allows him to get free and create room for his teammates.

3. Matt Gould, Boston Junior Bruins 18U, Shoots Left, 5'10"/150 - Speed is his biggest attribute, and it's the main reason he's such a gifted scorer. He played split-season for the lesser-known Quincy 67s and was outstanding at the Massachusetts Districts. His acceleration and ability to generate time and space is a weapon. He can keep the puck on his stick for long periods of time in the offensive zone. He's still a year or two away from being ready to play in the USHL due to the need to bulk up and add a little grit to his game, but his offensive skill set is good.

4. Jordan Tonelli, Taft School, Shoots Left, 5'10"/165 (Brown) - He's the son of former New York Islander great John Tonelli. His hockey pedigree shows in the way he plays the game. He's just a sound hockey player with and without the puck. He plays with grit, is good below the dots, is good on puck pursuit and is willing to muck it up in order to win puck battles.

5. Mark Gallant, Groton School, Shoots Left, 6'0"/160 (Colgate) - He's a finisher who can really fire the puck. He's a rink rat who gets himself in position to find pucks and get in scoring areas. He saw power play time as a young player in prep and made the most of it. He's hard to knock off pucks due to his strong lower body.

6. Jacques Bouquot, Salisbury School, Shoots Left, 6'0"/150 - He's still a little raw, but there is certainly potential there. He has good size, but started to find his scoring touch as the prep season went down the stretch. He had some good showings in split-season midget action during the fall. He does a nice job of drawing defenders before dishing the puck off to open teammates while using his size and reach as leverage.

7. Liam Gorman, St. Sebastian's School, Shoots Left, 6'2"/175 - A big power forward, he struggled to truly turn a corner against older and faster players in prep, but did well in showcases against his own age. He has a good reach, a powerful stride and uses his size to his advantage. He goes to the net and he also made a few good low to high passes in viewings.

8. Thomas Kramer, BC High School, Shoots Left, 5'11"/160 - He plays a complete 200-foot game and has above average hockey IQ. Some scouts question whether's he elite enough of an offensive talent to be a top six forward or capable of being a grinder in the bottom six. He has good vision, net drive and the ability to work the puck around the offensive zone. He plays the game the right way. He's the younger brother of Merrimack commit and Youngstown Phantoms forward Patrick Kramer.

9. Sean Brown, Central Catholic High School, Shoots Right, 6'0"/160 - He's a good young player with an above average offensive skill set. He has silky hands and pulled off several highlight reel goals during the high school season. He seemed to play better in the clutch. He could gain a little foot speed, but his willingness to go into the dirty areas and block shoots stood out.

10. Wyatt Schlaht, St. Sebastian's School, Shoots Left, 5'10"/150 - There were several games where he looked to be the best of the 2000-born players for the Arrows. He is a good skater, competes in all three zones and has good hockey IQ. He has a good offensive skill set. There are few players, at his age, who are as strong willed as he is.

11. Hunter Brackett, Boston Junior Bruins 16U, Shoots Left, 5'10"/155 - He's a tough player to play against that is gritty, despite his lack of size. He's a pass first player who reads plays well and has good hockey IQ. He's going to Tabor in the fall. Several ECAC Hockey schools have expressed interest. He's the type of forward who is relentless, gets on pucks quickly and buys into the team philosophy that would fit well on a likeminded team.

12. Riley Hughes, St. Sebastian's School, Shoots Right, 6'1"/150 - He battled some injuries during prep season, but had a good showing at Select 15s last summer. He's strong on pucks, has a heavy stride and decent hands. He needs to use size size to his advantage on a more consistent basis.

13. Colin Cobb, CT Wolfpack 16U, Shoots Right, 5'8"/155 - He's a crafty little player who has good hands and offensive creativity. He's slick and cuts well on his edges. He has good hand-eye coordination and patience with the puck.

14. Garrett Foster, Phillips Exeter Academy, Shoots Right, 5'10"/170 - He goes to the net and isn't afraid to go into the dirty areas to score. He's a natural playmaker who can shoot and pass without breaking stride.

15. Anthony Mastromonica, Selects Hockey Academy 16U, Shoots Left, 6'0"/180 - He's a big bodied winger who got a lot better in his first season in South Kent. He has good size, is quick on pucks, heavy forechecker and has decent feet for a big guy. He still needs to work on initial step to get going quicker, but he has good vision and the raw physical tools.

16. Charles Shaffer, Brunswick School, Shoots Right, 5'10"/160 - He had a really good showing at the Belmont Hill/Nichols Tournament. He finds pucks and can separate to create good scoring chances. He can finish, read plays and get time and space.

17. Shea Courtemanche, Taft School, Shoots Left, 5'9"/170 - He's quick and has a decent offensive skill set, but there were times the size and maturity of opposing defenders in prep gave him troubles. He's had some nice showings in split-season and other showcases against players his own age.

18. Gunnarwolfe Funtaine, Providence Capitals 16U, Shoots Left, 5'6"/140 - An undersized player, he's a pest and does a good job attacking the puck carrier. He has a high compete level, gets in shooting and passing lanes, is quick and has a good stride.

19. Ryan Stevens, Duxbury High School, Shoots Left, 5'5"/140 - The son of former NHLer Kevin Stevens, he hasn't quite hit his growth spurt, but he's a crafty player who had a nice showing at the Beantown Spring Classic. He has a quick release on a snap shot and can cut in and out of traffic.

20. Michael Tobin, Reading High School, Shoots Right, 5'10"/165 - He's a good all-around athlete who skates well. He has a good acceleration and a sneaky quick release. He's a possession type forward who had a solid freshman season for a good Rockets squad led by UNH alum Mark Doherty.

Defensemen

1. Jordan Harris, Kimball Union Academy, Shoots Left, 5'9"/155 - Don't look at his height as a disadvantage. He's a rugged defenseman who has gotten a lot better since scouts would have seen him at USA Hockey Select 15s. He's not afraid to mix it up, he's tough to play against and he has an active stick in the defensive zone for poke checks. He makes a solid, but not flashy breakout pass and can skate well enough even if it's not the prettiest of strides. Brother (Elijah) is a goalie committed to Brown and his dad played at UMass Lowell.

2. Tony Andreozzi, Rivers School, Shoots Left, 5'11"/160 (Brown) - He's a smooth operator with a good stride. He's able to break the puck out of the zone by himself with his escapability as well as his vision up ice for lead passes. He's a solid all-around defenseman who should only get better.

3. Conner Hutchison, Selects Hockey Academy 16U, Shoots Left, 5'11"/170 (Vermont) - He has very good mobility and vision in transition. His stride is a little awkward, but it doesn't hold him back. He's solid in his own zone, but could benefit from choosing his spots a little more wisely. His brother Nick is a Canisius commit.

4. Michael Higgins, Boston Advantage 16U, Shoots Right, 5'10"/185 - He has good vision and a strong first step. He is confident and poised with the puck going back to retrieve dump-ins and pushing the puck up ice in transition. He's mature physically for age and has above average hockey IQ.

5. Michael Kesselring, New Hampton School, Shoots Right, 6'2"/155 - He has the physical tools and pedigree to give him the benefit of the doubt. His dad, Casey, was a good player at Merrimack and is his prep coach. He has good athleticism and a good stick. The physical tools are there and his skating should get even better as he grows into his tall frame.

6. Cameron Gaudette, Boston Advantage 16U, Shoots Left, 5'11"/152 - He's not overly dynamic, but he's a smooth skater with good hockey sense. He does a nice job handling the puck from the backend. He's the younger brother of former Cedar Rapids forward Adam Gaudette, a Vancouver Canucks prospect now with Northeastern University.

7. Drew Bavaro, Lawrence Academy, Shoots Right, 6'2"/155 - He has good size and is smooth for a player his age with the height already. He's mobile, likes to join the rush and projects to keep getting better. He's part of a nice young core in prep hockey under former UNH defenseman Robbie Barker. His older brother Vito is ranked by NHL Central Scouting and committed to Sacred Heart.

8. Patrick Keegan, Billerica High School, Shoots Left, 6'0"/180 - He's a little more inconsistent than some of the prospects ahead of him on this list, but there are times he looks like the best of the bunch. He has decent mobility and footwork, but has good athleticism. He gets sticks in lanes, makes strong lead passes and can be physical in his own end.

9. Luke Krys, CT Wolfpack 16U, Shoots Right, 5'10"/140 - While there's time for growth in his game, he doesn't appear to be as elite of a prospect as older brother Chad, a BU commit and 2016 NHL Draft prospect. He does have above average vision, skating and agility. He has a good stick and makes a solid lead pass on zone exits.

10. Cam Berube, Cushing Academy, Shoots Left, 5'10"/175 - He logged a ton of minutes for Rob Gagnon's Penguins this winter after coming over from Haverhill High School. He's a good skater who always has his head up. He makes a good outlet pass. His defensive zone play is still a work in progress, but he's confident and has decent hockey sense.

11. James Perullo, Belmont Hill School, Shoots Left, 5'10"/150- He is a good skater with a nice initial step. He seemed to gain confidence, and the trust of the coaching staff, as the prep season progressed. He has a good stick and above average vision.

12. John Murray, Noble & Greenough School, Shoots Left, 5'10"/170 - He's a good skater and is mobile. He earned a lot of ice time as a younger player for Brian Day's club. He's a possession defenseman who does a nice job creating speed for zone entries in transition and getting the puck out of his own zone. He's decent in his own zone and has a good stick.

13. P.J. Garrett, Thayer Academy, Shoots Left, 6'3"/190 - His upside is intriguing with his size and physical tools, but he's still a ways away. He's got a hard shot and can play physical, but still needs to learn the game some. There were times this season where he looked really good. He's a player to keep a close eye on.

14. Jagger Benson, Lynnfield High School, Shoots Right, 5'11"/150 - He's a smooth skater who played a ton of minutes for the Division 2 Pioneers. He is good on the power play and moved the puck up ice well. He comes from an athletic family, including his father who played at Merrimack and a mother and sister who have competed internationally.

15. Noah Kim, Cushing Academy, Shoots Right, 5'10"/150 - He's still a work in progress in his own zone, but he skates well and was a key cog on the Penguins' power play. He does a nice job getting shots on net from the point and has good footwork.

16. Cullen Young, Avon Old Farms, Shoots Right, 5'8"/155 - He's undersized, but he is a decent young defenseman. He has stood out more when in games against own age group, but struggled a little against older competition in prep. His foot speed still needs to get better, but he has good vision and isn't afraid to go into battles.

Goaltenders

1. Connor Hopkins, Belmont Hill School, Catches Left, 6'0/190- He has good size and athleticism for a kid his age. He's quick and has good post-to-post movement. He does a nice job challenging shooters, staying on top of the crease and staying square. He has quick feet and good overall footwork.

2. Matthew Pasquale, Central Catholic High School, Catches Left, 6'0"/150 - He got better as the high school moved along and was the key to the Raiders' upset of top-seeded BC High in the first round. He has good footwork, is smooth and athletic in the crease and has a good glove. Rebound control was an issue, but he projects to get better. A few college coaches who saw him play were very high on him.