There were 49 American-born players drafted by NHL teams at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. This year, with several possibilities to be selected in the top 10, I’m curious to see if that number could be on the rise. It was only one fewer than the year prior, and I think it’s a promising sign for future American draft hopefuls.
There’s been a lot of fluctuation among the potential draftees regarding their ranking movement from the midterm rank to the final rank according to the NHL’s 2023 Draft Prospect Rankings. Additionally, while there’s no American skater who could project to be Connor Bedard, there are several that could be potential franchise-altering pieces if selected by the right team. Interestingly, it’ll only feature one goaltender and one blueliner, the rest are forwards.
Let’s dive into the top 10 American-born draft-eligible prospects ahead of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
10) William Whitelaw – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 42nd (NA Skaters)
William Whitelaw may lack size, but he has the work ethic to catch some NHL general managers’ eyes. He’s a good skater with strong playmaking abilities and a willingness to get creative. Being underestimated due to his size should give him a chip on his shoulder that helps him find his way to the NHL one day, and if he can round out his consistency and two-way play, he could be a strong top-nine scorer.
He will have time to round out his game as he is committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2023-24 season. Playing for the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL) he scored 36 goals and 61 points in 62 games, before adding five goals and nine points in the playoffs. He also found success at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup scoring four points in four games.
9) Hunter Brzustewicz – Defenseman
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 41st (NA Skaters)
With Hunter Brzustewicz, you have a right-handed defenseman standing at 6 feet who has the potential to blossom into a top-four defenseman. As Alex Hobson, author of his prospect profile, wrote, “If you can draft a top-four defenseman in the second round, you’re laughing.” He’s got a good breakout pass due to his high level of hockey IQ, and has strong defensive awareness and skating ability. He’s not much of a goal scorer from the blue line, and doesn’t have the strongest shot.
Related: THW’s NHL Draft Guide
Brzustewicz played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this past season for the Kitchener Rangers, totaling 51 assists and 57 points in 68 games. He kept his discipline in check as well as he only tallied 12 penalty minutes (PIMs). He played in nine playoff games for the Rangers and tallied four points, but was a minus-5 rating. I’d like to see him raise his goal total this upcoming season. He doesn’t have to explode for 15-20 goals from the blue line, but showing some improvement following his draft year would be a good step in the right direction.
8) Charlie Stramel – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 30th (NA Skaters)
The biggest player on the list thus far, Charlie Stramel is 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, and definitely plays like a power forward. He is strong in the faceoff dot and reliable in his own end. Not many prospects of his size are able to skate as well as he can, and he has a compete level that should translate well to the NHL game. He could look to improve his playmaking skills, which could help bolster his defensive play and ability to break the puck out of his own zone. He saw a drop in ranking from 21st at mid-year to 30th at final.
He didn’t have the most impressive offensive season for the University of Wisconsin, scoring five goals and 12 points in 33 games. He added three assists in seven games at the World Juniors as well. His 59 PIMs were definitely on the higher end, and I’d like to see a bit more discipline this upcoming season for the Badgers. The more he can stay on the ice, the more he can continue to improve his game and hopefully see a boost in point production.
7) Trey Augustine – Goaltender
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 3rd (NA Goalies)
The lone goaltender on my list, Trey Augustine excels in his lateral movements and puck tracking ability. He plays a confident game, and due to being on the smaller end for goaltenders (6-foot-1) in today’s NHL, he has to rely on his agility and those movements to make saves. He tends to be pretty economical with his movements, isn’t frequently caught out of position, and has a great glove hand. An area of improvement for him could be his rebound control.
He saw action at both the U18 and U20 World Juniors this season, performing strongly at the U18s. He also played in the USHL for the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), and in 14 games had a 2.34 goals-against average (GAA) and .928 save percentage (SV%). In 33 games with the U18 National Team Development Program (NTDP), he held a 2.13 GAA and .926 SV%. He’s committed to Michigan State University for the 2023-24 season.
6) Gavin Brindley – Right Wing/Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 23rd (NA Skaters)
Gavin Brindley is another American on the smaller end at 5-foot-9, but he doesn’t play like he’s sub-6-foot. His high compete level manifests into excellent skating ability and a willingness to get involved physically, especially when battling for the puck. He’ll bring a lot of energy to the lineup, and once he builds his shooting to an NHL level could really turn into a strong middle-six winger; especially if he improves his play in his own end.
He scored 12 goals and 38 points in 41 games for the University of Michigan this past season, and added a goal and four points in seven games at the U20 World Junior Championship. I feel that playing collegiately will give him the opportunities to work on his size due to the less demanding schedule. In addition, he should be able to round out the areas of his game, such as his defensive play, before turning pro. He rose 17 spots from his mid-year to final draft ranking.
5) Quentin Musty – Left Wing
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 14th (NA Skaters)
Quentin Musty was drafted first overall in the 2021 OHL Draft by the Sudbury Wolves, and through two seasons with the team, it looks like he’s been a fantastic investment. He’s yet to turn 18 years old and has already seen improvement in his shooting ability from one year to the next. He has good awareness in the offensive zone and has creative playmaking ability. Standing at 6-foot-2, he could engage more physically, but that should come with more seasoning.
Musty has played 103 games over two seasons with the Wolves and has improved offensively by more than doubling his point total from his first season to his second, having played just three more games. He scored 31 points in 50 games during the 2021-22 season and rose to 78 points in 53 games during the 2022-23 season. In four playoff games, he tallied four points.
4) Gabe Perreault – Right Wing
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 10th (NA Skaters)
Gabe Perreault has high hockey IQ and creativity with the puck, and that feeds into his playmaking ability. Not only is he good at putting the puck in the net, but he’s smart about it too. He shoots often but is good at selecting the right shots to take. His offensive ability translates well to the power play. He needs to work on his skating, size and defensive awareness ahead of debuting in the NHL, and he’ll have a great opportunity to do that playing for Boston College.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft: Top 10 Right Wingers
While he’s ranked 10th among North American Skaters, drafting him inside the top-10 could prove to be a steal. He scored 19 goals and 45 points in 23 games for the USNTDP Juniors team in the USHL, and rose that to 53 goals and a monstrous 132 points in 63 NTDP games. As the stage got brighter, his performance followed suit; he scored five goals and 18 points in seven games at the U18 World Championship. I think he’s a lock for an NHL team’s top-six once he hits his prime.
3) Ryan Leonard – Forward
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 5th (NA Skaters)
You may have noticed that I listed Ryan Leonard as a forward rather than specifying his position. That is because of his versatility; he’s played both wings and center at different parts throughout this past season for the USNTDP. He’s a strong two-way player, and knows how to use his body to his advantage. His scoring instincts are strong, and if he reaches his max potential he could see first-line ice time in the NHL. His floor is more along the lines of a top-nine role.
The Boston College commit scored 51 goals and 94 points in 57 games for the U18 team at the NTDP, and 11 goals and 20 points in 17 games for the USNTDP in the USHL. His success carried into the U18 World Championship as he scored eight goals and 17 points in seven games.
2) Oliver Moore – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 8th (NA Skaters)
Oliver Moore will need time to develop but holds the potential to turn into a top-two center in the NHL. He’s an explosive prospect who excels with his speed but also has the ability to control the pace of play. He works hard every shift and has an accurate shot. While he needs to work on his puck control, he also needs to add some muscle. He’s under 6 feet, and getting stronger will help him when battling opposing defensemen in the offensive zone.
Moore will have a chance to further his development while playing for the University of Minnesota next season. He’ll be heading into the season following a successful 2022-23 campaign in which he scored 31 goals and 75 points in 61 games at the NTDP level, and added eight goals and 25 points for the USNTDP in 23 USHL games. He rounded out his year at the U18 World Championship, scoring four goals and nine points in seven games.
1) Will Smith – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 3rd (NA Skaters)
No, not that Will Smith. NHL Entry Draft-eligible Will Smith brings a great and confident two-way game to the projected top-five of the draft. While he isn’t the most dynamic skater, he’s able to make plays at a high pace and use deceptive stick handling to his advantage. He has the ability to both finish and distribute on the power play, and that two-way game could manifest itself into penalty kill proficiency as well. Similarly to the aforementioned actor of the same name, he could look to improve upon his decision-making and physical game. Of all players on this list, he has the potential to develop into a bona fide top-line center in the NHL.
Smith was a bad, bad man this past season, putting up explosive numbers everywhere he played. In the NTDP he scored an absurd 51 goals and 127 points in 60 games and added on 15 goals and 42 points in 20 USHL games for the USNTDP. Heading to the U18 World Championship, he scored nine goals and 20 points in seven games. The Boston College Eagles should be over the moon with excitement that he’ll be joining their squad for the 2023-24 NCAA season.
Round 1 of the NHL Entry Draft will take place on June 28, followed by Rounds 2-7 on June 29 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. Not only am I excited to see how many Americans from this list get drafted in the first round, but in the top-15.