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The USHL will hold their Phase I Futures Draft next week on Thursday May 5th. Any player born in 1998 is eligible to be selected in this year's Futures Draft. Players selected will be placed on the team's affiliate list, and will attend the team's tryout camp with an opportunity to make the team for next year, or stay protected by that team for future seasons.
For the past year, I've been keeping a list of all the '98-born prospects I've seen play, and it seems most relevant to post it now, with so many of those players likely to be drafted
A few caveats about this list:
-I kept this list to players that I've personally seen play, and I never really traveled more than 30 minutes from my house in Minnesota. As a result, most of the Minnesota kids have more viewings than the out-of-state kids, and the group of Minnesotans on this list are a little more thorough than other areas. I'm including a list at the bottom of kids that have a good chance of being drafted, but I just didn't see play this year, or didn't get a good enough look at to give a fair rating.
-This list is my personal opinion, and not necessarily what I think will happen at the Draft. For example, a player like Dominic Mersch will go higher in the draft than I have him listed here. I also didn't move anybody up or down based on things like college commitments, NTDP commitments, signing tenders, etc. It's a subjective thing, and the margins here are a lot closer than most people think.
-With any draft like this, there are a ton of mitigating factors that teams have to take into consideration before drafting a player. I've listed some of the ones that are officially known--NTDP commitments, signed with a CHL team, tendered with a USHL team, Import status--but there are some other factors--leaning towards the CHL, likelihood of reporting to the USHL, etc.--that I didn't take into consideration at all. For example, Cal Foote is pretty high on the list, but concerns about him signing with Kelowna in the WHL may cause some teams to back away from him.
-This list ends up being a lot lengthier than likely necessary. Once you get to the bottom 25% or so, you're looking at real long shots to get drafted next week.
Must Reads
Must Reads
All that said...here's the list of the best I saw this year:
Tyler Benson-F-Vancouver Giants(Canadian)(WHL signed)
Clayton Keller-F-Shattuck(NTDP)(Boston University)
Joey Anderson-F-Hill-Murray(NTDP)(Minnesota-Duluth)
Max Jones-F-Honeybaked U18(NTDP)
Ryan Lindgren-D-Shattuck(NTDP)(Minnesota)
Trent Frederic-F-St. Louis U16(NTDP)(Wisconsin)
Graham McPhee-F-Shattuck U16(NTDP)(Boston College)
Patrick Khodorenko-F- Honeybaked U16(NTDP)
Callan Foote-D-Colorado Thunderbirds
Ty Farmer-D-St. Louis U16(Tendered by Youngstown)(Michigan State)
Jake Toporowski-D-Chicago Mission U16(WHL signed)
Mitch Eliot-D-Honeybaked U16(Tendered by Muskegon)(Michigan State)
Nick Pastujov-F-Honeybaked U16(NTDP)
Hank Crone-F-Dallas U16(Tendered by Omaha)(Boston University)
Derek Daschke-D-Oakland Grizzlies U16(Tendered by Cedar Rapids)
Mitch Lewandowski-F-Honeybaked U16(Michigan State)
Kieffer Bellows-F- Edina
Sam Huff-F-Maple Grove
Garrett Wait-F-Edina
JD Greenway-D-Shattuck-St. Mary's(NTDP)
Jake Oettinger-G-Lakeville North(NTDP)
Luke Martin-D-St. Louis(NTDP)(Michigan)
Zach Walker-F-Colorado Thunderbirds U16(NTDP)
Sam Rossini-D-Burnsville(Tendered with Waterloo)
Nick McKeeby-D-Honeybaked U16(Western Michigan)
Joseph Woll-G-St. Louis Blues U16(NTDP)(Harvard)
Ryan Edquist-G-Shattuck U16(Minnesota)
Matt Hellickson-D-Rogers(NTDP)
Cole Weaver-G- Omaha U16
Matt Kiersted-D- Elk River(North Dakota)
Alec Semandel-D-Mission U16
Liam Schioler-D-Shattuck U16(Canadian)
Anea Ferrario-D-Colorado Thunderbirds U16
Dave Melaragni-D-Team Comcast U16(Northeastern)
Kailer Yamamoto-F-LA Jr. Kings U16
Noah LaLonde-F-Honeybaked U16(Michigan State)
Garrett Nieto-G-LA Jr. Kings U16
Brett Crossley-F-Shattuck St. Mary's(Canadian)
Kevin Fellows-F-Prior Lake
Davis Bunz-D-Team Wisconsin
Tim Gettinger-F-Cleveland Barons U16
Austen Long-F-Spring Lake Park HS
Hank Sorenson-D-Wayzata
Mitch Mattson-F-Grand Rapids(North Dakota)
James Sanchez-F-CYA U16(NTDP)(Michigan)
Zach Solow-F-St. Louis U16
Phillip Knies-F-Arizona Bobcats
Ralph Jarratt-D-POE U18(WHL signed)
Chris Conway-D-Pittsburgh Penguins
Dylan Dix-D-Arizona Bobcats
Ryan Carlson-D-Mission U16
Willie Knierim-F-Mission U16(Tendered by Dubuque)(Miami)
Mark Senden-F-Wayzata
Dominick Mersch-F- Mission U16(Wisconsin)
Max Johnson-F-Lakeville North
Jack Kopacka-F-Compuware
Casey Staum-D-Hill-Murray
Riley Tufte-F-Blaine(Minnesota-Duluth)
William Lockwood-F-Oakland Grizzlies U16(NTDP)(Michigan)
Hugh McGing-F-Chicago Mission(Tendered by Cedar Rapids)(Western Michigan)
Brad Belisle-F-Thunder Bay Kings(Canadian)
Luke Paterson-F-Wayzata
Christopher Berger-F-Buffalo Jr. Sabresf
Dayton Rasmussen-G-Holy Family(MN) HS
Robbie Johnson-F-POE U18(Canadian)
Ash Altmann-F-Duluth East
Ethan Roswell-D-Arizona Bobcats
Max Gerlach-F-Colorado Thunderbirds U16
Dalton Weigel-D-Breck
Ethen Frank-F-Omaha U16
Benjamin Lown-F-Shattuck U16
Blake Bargar-F-Arizona Bobcats
Trenton Bliss-D-Team Wisconsin
Grant Cruikshank-F-Milwaukee U16
Josh Dunne-F-St. Louis U16
Keegan Mantaro-D-Colorado Thunderbirds
Jack Kelly-D-Maple Grove
Parker Smyth-F-POE U18(Canadian)(WHL signed)
Carver Watson-D-Team Wisconsin U16
Keegan Howdeshell-F-Compuware U16
Kenny Johnson-D-Shattuck-St. Mary's
Calvin Pugh-D-Edina HS
Ryan Bederka-D-Honeybaked U16(Michigan State)
Brian Hurley-D-St. Thomas Academy
Niko Karamanis-F-Shattuck U16(Canadian)
Bryan Yoon-D-Colorado Thunderbirds U18
Griffin Neault-D-Team Illinois
Jeff Stack-D-KC Mavs U16
Evan Pace-F-San Jose U16
Nikolay Knyzhov-D-Phoenix Firebirds(Russian)
Brian Hawkinson-F-Colorado Thunderbirds U16
Joseph Abate-F-Chicago Fury U16
Matt Denman-D-Prior Lake
Brendan Gillis-F-Thunder Bay Kings(Canadian)
Egan Wolford-D-San Jose U16
Brendan Walkom-F-Pittsburgh U16
Adam Goodsir-F-Lansing Caps U16
Jacob Gaydos-D-Cleveland Barons U16
Carter Wade-F-Arizona Bobcats U16
Jake Theis-F-Chanhassen
Justin Jallen-F-St. Paul Academy
Ben Dallke-F-Pembina Valley(Canadian)
Zac Risteau-F-Benilde-St. Margaret's
Brandon Bushy-D-Thief River Falls HS
Bryceton Butkiewicz-F-Moose Lake HS
Nick Leitner-D-Bemidji
Eric Gotz-D-Hermantown HS
Jensen Zerban-F-Elk River Bantam AA
Ben Meyers-F-Delano HS
John Stampohar-D-Grand Rapids Bantam AA
Brendan Skarda-F-Minnetonka
Connor Nobach-D-LA Jr. Kings U16
Aaron Maguyon-F-Team Comcast U16
Aiden Beck-F-Pittsburgh Penguins U16
Jake Walker-F-TPH Thunder U16
Alec Bosnic-F-Esmark Stars U16
Brandon Schuldhaus-D-Shattuck U16
Carson Bergstrom-D-Arizona Bobcats U
Myles Cunningham-D-Blake
Justin Dixson-D-San Jose U15
Jerry Calengor-D-Benilde-St. Margaret's
Will Rooney-F-Cooper HS
Brandon Morgan-F-Compuware U16
Dalton Gally-D-Omaha U16
Justin Wells-D-Cleveland U16
Marco Bohatiuk-F-Team Comcast U16
Crey Bankes-D-Blake(Michigan lacrosse)
Daniel Marod-D-Little Falls
Noah Turaski-D-POE U16(Canadian)
Grady Hauswirth-F-Farmington(MN) HS
Charlie Monn-F-Rosemount(MN) HS
Alex Heinritz-F-Arizona Bobcats
Trey Bagwell-F-LA Jr. Kings U16
Tristan Moss-D-Wayzata
Zach West-F-Thunder Bay Kings U16
Jason Koehn-F-Grand Rapids(MN) HS
Lukas Dow-F-Duluth Marshall HS
Nick Althaus-G-St. Cloud Apollo
David Cohen-F-TPH Thunder U16
Thomas Hanson-G-Minnetonka
Mark Willson-D-Orono
Cody McLean-F-Centennial HS
Nick Schnelle-F-St. Louis Jr. Blues U16
Mitch Bourgerie-F-St. Michael-Albertville
Michael Underwood-D-Oakland Grizzlies U16
Mason Palmer-D-Shattuck U16
Reed Robinson-F-Texas Tornado U16
Thomas Steven-F-POE U16(Australian)
Haven’t seen:
Cam Dineen, Brett Callahan,Konstantin Cherynuk(Russian)(Maine), AJ Drobot(Maine), Simon Butala(Maine), Victor Mete(Canadian), Tyler Nother(Canadian)(Miami) Michael Latorella, Jamie Armstrong, Alex Green, Andrew Peeke, Sam Sternschein(Cornell), Justin Cmunt, Cole Gallant, Drake Rymsha, Kyle Moore, Andrew Jackson, Igor Larionov, Evan Wisocky