NAHL Showcase: USNTDP U-18s

The USNTDP boast an impressive crop this year of draft-eligible talent including potential early first round picks in Jeremy Morin and Drew Shore. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese was on hand for the NAHL Showcase and filed these notes on the USNTDP U-18's.

Jeremy Morin (2009), LW, USNTDP

A pure goal scorer with special offensive upside, Morin will be a high-end first round selection at this years draft .. owns an unappealing, jerky stride yet is seemingly faster with the puck than without, as he can surge by defenders in a hurry .. strong on his edges and can accelerate briskly, especially out of his crossovers .. blessed with jaw-dropping hand skill and sick dangle, Morin can freeze defenders with his mitts and can handle the puck like it's on a string through congested traffic .. excellent in tight confinements with the ability to make something out of nothing and his puck control in traffic is outstanding .. a sniper with pinpoint accuracy, an explosive release, and the ability to let it go at full-speed without losing a step .. innately shifts his blade at the last second to get the goaltenders moving before the puck comes off his blade .. creative in distribution, as he sees the ice well in possession and can send the puck on a rope through the opponent's defenses .. will patiently hold onto the puck until the last possible moment to allow more appealing options to develop .. always active and prowling for openings, Morin attacks the slot with vigor .. strong on his feet and willing to pay the price to score .. utilized on the penalty-kill and backchecks hard, but he is guilty of over handling the puck in his own zone at times .. sat a game out with an in-house suspension because he missed curfew, but he responded the next day with a hat trick and four points.

Drew Shore (2009), C, USNTDP

Has all kinds of skill, but what separates Shore is his work ethic on both sides of the puck .. an aggressive skater for a player of his size with awesome acceleration and the ability to gracefully hit his top gear in just a few strides .. a multiple-offensive threat, with a wickedly fast release and clever distribution skills .. owns a long reach with exceptional puck control .. urgent in possession and can beat defenders in multiple ways with a vast arsenal of stick fakes .. at his best coming through the neutral zone with speed .. relentless in pursuit and never stops working .. oozing character, Shore leads by example and never quits on a play .. acts like a third defenseman in his own zone by aiding in defensive coverage .. backchecks hard and positions himself astutely in his own zone .. wins the majority of puck battles he takes on and will be a valued penalty-killer at the higher levels of play .. somewhat similar to a Milan Michalek, Shore has top-six forward potential in the NHL and will be a stud when his body matures .. should be a high draft pick this year before heading to the University of Denver.

Cam Fowler (2010), D, USNTDP

A thoroughbred skater that is gracefully powerful in all directions .. skates remarkably well with the puck displaying his elite range every shift .. utilizes his superior mobility as both an offensive and defensive asset .. blessed with superb puck control both in tight and when outstretched with the ability to make multiple opponents miss when carrying the puck up ice .. guilty of over handling the puck at times and he needs to work on getting his quick shot on net more frequently .. displays patience and creativity distributing the puck from the point, however he is inefficient at manufacturing offense because he will move the puck too softly at times, leading to his passes being picked off .. his vision of the ice is just adequate, but he can control the game with the puck on his blade by either quickening or slowing the pace of the game to his liking .. displays good urgency while defending and utilizes his great mobility to apply non-stop pressure on puck carriers .. has an athletic frame with good size and strength .. plays with a physical edge, but could improve his coverage around his own net .. utilized on both special teams .. committed to Notre Dame, Fowler may be the prize of the 2010 American Draft Class.

Nick Mattson (2010), D, USNTDP

A sharp all-access skater with incredibly fast feet and a real kick to his stride .. has elongated strides for a player of his size and moves well with the puck .. an expert at kick starting the rush with a great transitional repertoire .. owns quick hands and impressive escape-ability .. works the point well and demonstrates his passing skills by hitting the open teammate sneaking in the backdoor .. disguises his intentions well and owns a crisp shot, but this weapon goes underutilized because he's overly unselfish with the puck .. jumps into the offensive rush more than any other defender on the team, although he seemingly picks his spots appropriately every time .. still makes youthful errors at times both with and without the puck .. maintains tight gaps and defends well in space, however he is undersized and struggles to defend around his own net .. committed to North Dakota, Mattson is a promising prospect that would benefit from strengthening his smallish frame.

John Henrion (2009), LW, USNTDP

Played in the EJHL last year with the Boston Jr. Bruins .. uses his edges well and has a nice glide to his skating with an efficient stride and effortless acceleration .. owns a quick stick, as his hands and feet work in unison .. owns a hard shot, especially his slapshot that is accurate .. however, Henrion needs to shoot more, as he surrenders scoring opportunities for himself at times by looking for the perfect pass .. is a deft set-up man that disguises his intentions to the very last second .. utilizes fake shots to open up passing lanes instinctively .. displays a polished understanding of the defensive side of the game .. a valued penalty killer with a knowledgeable approach to angling and blocking shots .. stocky and can hit pretty hard, but mostly wins his battles with his quick and strong stick .. this New Hampshire commit is asserting himself well early into his USNTDP career.

John Ramage (2009), D, USNTDP

Played for the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL last season .. working hard on improving his footwork, but he needs to continue to make further upgrades in his backward mobility .. his most distinguishable asset is the rocket shot he can unload from the point .. it's an absolute bomb and he gets it off quickly aiding in his ability to get it on net consistently .. understands that it's a weapon and will send opponents sprawling to block it by utilizing fake shots to create new and open passing lanes .. has a home on the powerplay because of his shot .. oozes hockey sense and his defensive reads are outstanding .. a thunderous open-ice hitter with good timing to the puck and a cannonball-like frame that can dish out the punishment .. tough and highly competitive .. has acclimated himself seamlessly to the USNTDP and will be sought after at the NHL draft.

Brendan Rempel (2009), D, USNTDP

Played for Avon Old Farms School last year .. a big, mobile and physical defenseman .. swiftly accelerates and fluidly pivots for a larger defenseman .. his puck skills and decision-making are coming along nicely, although he still seems unrefined distributing at times .. comfortable and effective lugging the puck up the ice and is even beginning to look-off opponents before making his passes .. picks his spots well when pinching deep into the offensive zone or when joining the rush .. displays good timing to the puck defensively and his above-average anticipatory skills aide in his ability to land big open-ice bodychecks .. proactively seeks to catch opponents with their heads down and effectively short-circuits oncoming rushes .. fronts the puck well and is a strong shot-blocker .. owns a long reach and utilizes it aptly .. his confidence and play have soared to new heights now that he's wearing his countries' colors.

Brandon Maxwell (2009), G, USNTDP

Competitive and fundamentally sound goaltender with decent athleticism .. swiftly moves laterally to his butterfly and his footwork is textbook .. his rebound control bellies his age .. tracks the puck well, even through traffic and swallows up shots into his chest that most young goaltenders struggle with .. knows the position, as he displays good pad control and a compact stance with a tight butterfly .. his net coverage is strong and he doesn't give the shooter a lot of daylight to look at .. plays big when traffic is present, playing the percentages in hopes of the puck hitting him .. has a quick blocker and he effectively angles rebounds to the corners .. glove hand is surprisingly not as quick and he's susceptible to being beaten here .. can be his own worst enemy at times and get overly aggressive .. can fall back on his athleticism to recover and make sprawling saves .. guilty of going down too early at times .. intense and shouts out commands to his teammates .. handles the puck fairly well and is committed to Boston College.

Tyler Amburgey (2009), D, USNTDP

Impressive athlete that excels in a shutdown role .. strong skater in all directions with tight footwork and the ability to really go when he gets on his horse .. has fast feet for a player of his stature and this allows him to recover or win footraces .. more streamlined and efficient in his movements now after losing some weight this summer .. lacks the finesse skills to be an offensive puck-moving type .. most effective when keeping his game simple and making the high-percentage play .. decision-making with the puck is steadily improving, as he will curl back and patiently wait for the play to develop to his liking if no immediate options present themselves .. also making sharper defensive reads, as he's now more in control of his aggression while still asserting himself and not getting caught reacting .. the positioning of his stick in the defensive zone has improved immensely, as he now takes away the proper lane .. stands his ground with his athletic frame and effectively angles his man to the wall before displaying his ability to land a hip check .. a worthy NHL prospect that right now is mulling over offers from North Dakota, Boston College, and Michigan State.

Christopher McCarthy (2009), LW/RW, USNTDP

Pint-sized puck wizard that played for Berkshire school last season .. owns a deceptive change of gears to the outside when coming down the wing in possession .. slippery to contain one-on-one with electric puck skills .. a skillful passer, but is more of a finisher with a seeing eye shot .. few players are better at burying chances consistently when in alone on the goaltender .. committed to Boston College and will flourish offensively in their system that is tailored to players like himself.

Kenny Ryan (2009), C, USNTDP

His speed is neither a weapon nor weakness, but he's a crisp skater with a non-stop motor .. his strong defensive commitment and work rate generate most of his opportunities, as he possesses the knack for creating turnovers and cashing them in for scoring chances .. has an accurate shot and can finish if the puck is on his blade near the net .. periodically plays with the body with some jam and will look to spark his team with an open-ice hit .. an effective penalty killer that is strong in the faceoff circle .. committed to Boston College.

Chris Brown (2009), RW, USNTDP

Will need to upgrade his first-few strides and agility, however his speed is fine once he hits full flight .. effectively plays to his strengths, mainly his big body and superior strength .. a physical presence with toughness and a healthy snarl to his game .. a ferocious forechecker and a thunderous hitter .. a strong presence in front of the opponents net and cycles the puck well .. needs to improve his hands and add some finesse to his repertoire, as his shots can miss the net by a few feet and his passes can equally be as off the mark .. owns an NHL-caliber slapshot .. heading to the University of Michigan, but may flourish more in Canadian junior where his physicality can really come through.

William Wrenn (2009), D, USNTDP

Team captain that is a steady defender for the most part with good character .. decent skater with solid recovery speed, although he can struggle to contain quicker forwards in the open ice .. a solid one-on-one defender that tenaciously works to establish inside body positioning .. however, he needs to make more decisive defensive reads and he doesn't defend odd-man situations well .. competitive and does a good job in the battle areas .. his brain locks-up in offensive situations and is overall erratic with the puck on his blade .. committed to Denver, Wrenn has more to prove before warranting NHL consideration.

Kevin Lynch (2009), C, USNTDP

Competitive two-way center that lacks offensive ability .. needs to upgrade the initial burst out of the gates, although he has fine length to his mobility and a solid stride that steadily picks up momentum .. lacks finesse and hand skill .. drives the net at every opportunity and creates plenty of scoring chances for himself, but he simply can't finish .. isn't a resourceful puckcarrier and he tends to dead-end himself, relying on dump-and-chase methods to gain the offensive zone .. a smart defensive player that displays great hustle and battle .. this Michigan recruit is tough and can be an effective collegiate grinder that can kill penalties.

Ryan Bourque (2009), LW, USNTDP

The son of Ray Bourque and brother of Washing Capitals' draft pick Chris .. quick, agile with a fluent stride, and good balance .. lacks a dynamic top-speed and can struggle to create space for himself .. needs to keep his head up and see his way through traffic better .. owns fast hands and a compact release .. his passes are hard and tape-to-tape, although it's clear he would rather shoot or handle the puck than share it .. diminutive but competes in the trenches and finishes all of his hits on the forecheck .. a real sparkplug that is committed to New Hampshire.

Adam Murray (2009), G, USNTDP

Acrobatic, unorthodox goaltender .. effectively takes away the lower half of the net .. displays superb flexibility and owns a compact butterfly that closes holes down low .. fast feet and lateral movement .. goes down on every shot and gets beaten glove side repeatedly .. must begin to challenge shooters more and play bigger in traffic .. will resort to unconventional methods to stop the puck .. once off a rebound he lay on his side and attempted to stack the pads vertically to stop a shot that beat him up high .. committed to Denver, Murray has the athleticism to be molded.

Sam Calabrese (2009), D/RW, USNTDP

Played out of position on the right wing during the showcase .. a fabulous skater with remarkable lateral acceleration .. excelled killing penalties but little elsewhere .. struggled out of position and couldn't manufacture offense in the tight confinements that forwards have to deal with deep in the offensive zone .. struggled in traffic and was kept to the perimeter, as his lack of size is a major concern moving forward .. committed to Notre Dame, this evaluation of Sam is incomplete until we see him back on defense.

Richie Crowley (2009), D/RW, USNTDP

Played out of position on the right wing for most of the showcase .. shows some stiffness in his skating at times, but overall he gets around okay .. his lateral mobility is adequate to allow him to defend in space .. a decent penalty killer that short-circuits rushes proactively .. lacks ability with the puck but overall makes a clean first pass .. hasn't proven himself worthy of an NHL draft pick yet .. steady and serviceable, but nothing special.