USA U-18 Saves Best for 2011

The USNTDP's Under-18 team has received a great deal of attention for the seven players it has with strong odds of going in the first two rounds of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but the best is probably yet to come from the program's 1992's. Left-winger Matt Nieto led the Under-18 team in scoring heading into the World Under-18 Championships, despite missing ten games, and was the team's most dynamic player offensively with his phenomenal speed, smooth stickhandling, and powerful arsenal of shots. If Nieto can crack Boston University's lineup as a top-six forward as a freshman, which he has a shot at doing with Nick Bonino signing with the Ducks after his junior season, he'll put himself in a prime position to be a top-20 pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Fellow left-winger Brandon Saad won't be battling for icetime in college in 2010-11, he'll be playing major juniors for a Saginaw Spirit team that had hoped to have him this season, and you can't blame the Spirit, either. With Saad's abilities to protect the puck and drive the net seemingly at will, and his nearly 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame, he projects as a top-ten pick in the 2011 Draft, and could potentially crack the top five. The Under-18 team also has a third forward who could go early in 2011 NHL Entry Draft, although this one is actually a 1993-born and will likely return to the team next season. Rocco Grimaldi, the aforementioned 1993-born, joined the Under-18 team from the Under-17 team on Jan. 30 and still led the latter in scoring by nine points to end the season over two months later. The 5-foot-6 Grimaldi not only has the potential to lead the Under-18 team in scoring next season, he has the potential to create a paradigm shift in how the hockey world looks at height, and with that comes the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2011 Draft at a height that normally relegates a player to the fifth round or later, or not at all.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to catch the USNTDP's Under-18 twice after the Six Nations Tournament and enters notes on Matt Nieto, Brandon Saad, Rocco Grimaldi, and the team's other prospects eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Matthew Nieto (2011), LW, USA U-18

Under-18 team's most dangerous offensive threat .. phenomenal speed .. possesses excellent first-step quickness with the puck and can easily separate from most opponents .. has the top speed to split defenses .. a smooth stickhandler who can do so at speed .. able to undress opponents with quick moves and with his sheer speed .. a heads-up stickhandler who can assess his options .. makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. dangerous making centering passes from the boards or the corners .. also a major threat on the cycle .. shot power is quite hard .. able to fire hard wristshots, snapshots, one-timers, you name it .. slapper features a quick wind-up .. also uses his speed defensively on the forecheck and the backcheck .. is obviously a regular on the powerplay, but also sees a regular shift on the PK .. has reasonable size at 5-foot-11, 182 pounds .. a dynamic offensive talent with strong odds of being a first-round pick in 2011, with an eye toward the first half of the first round .. committed to Boston University (2010) .. played 46 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 26 goals and 23 assists, leading the team in scoring with 49 points .. scored 15 goals and 14 assists in 24 USHL regular season games (including 3 with the Under-17 team, scoring 1 goal) .. selected to play in the USHL All-Star Game, but was unable to participate due to commitments with the USNTDP .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had scored 8 goals and 4 assists in 9 international games, leading the team in international scoring .. was suspended for some games mid-season due to an off-ice transgression that also saw Jonathan Merrill and Kevin Clare suspended and Jacob Fallon dismissed from the program.

Brandon Saad (2011), LW, USA U-18

Power forward who's in his own league protecting the puck .. has nice cruising speed with the puck and wins races to the puck against some USHL opponents also known for their speed, too .. does what he pleases along the boards .. able to shield the puck using his 6-foot-1, 196-pound frame and using his long reach and quick stickhandling .. able to evade opponents from a near standstill by dragging it around them and with slight lateral moves .. has excellent presence with the puck and remains calm even with multiple opponents on him .. drives off the half boards seemingly at will .. also in his own league in driving wide on opponents .. sports a hard wristshot .. also has good offensive vision from the boards and will make plays to teammates out front or to trailers .. consistency of effort could improve a little bit, because Saad could become unbelievably dominant with an effort on par with Nieto's or Jason Zucker's .. the top talent on the USA U-18 team, and should battle to be a top-five pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft .. will play major juniors for the Saginaw Spirit in 2010-11 .. played 54 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 23 goals and 25 assists, second in team scoring .. scored 12 goals and 14 assists in 24 USHL regular season games .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had scored 4 goals and 2 assists in 9 international games.

Rocco Grimaldi (2011), RW, USA U-18

Started the season on the Under-17 team, but was called up to the Under-18 full-time January 30 .. played on the third or fourth line for the Under-18 team, but did see some powerplay time .. moved to the wing on the Under-18 team, as the centers were well-established .. still showing the smooth, powerful speed he's had for some time .. no matter how many times you see it, Grimaldi's ability to make incredible cuts at speed is amazing .. able to get so low in his turns and can get well out on his edges .. is so low in his skating stride and has great knee bend and textbook extension .. uses his near-perfect skating to evade hits, absorb hits, and engage physically .. is able to use his short stature (5-foot-6, 167 pounds) to his advantage, because he's so hard for taller players to knock off the puck .. will thrust into opponents when going for the puck, which makes him very effective in 50/50 battles, because he thrusts into them at a much lower point than most opponents and at a point where it's difficult for players to stay strong on their skates .. it's very difficult for anybody to stay strong on their skates when someone is shouldering upward into you with great power into your core, and Grimaldi does that .. able to make some incredibly quick stickhandling maneuvers .. some might consider Grimaldi's size a weakness, but he turns it into a strength, because most opponents are helpless to do much against this textbook skater with significant speed, quickness, and power, and a center of gravity that's completely foreign .. Grimaldi has the potential to shift the paradigm in how the hockey world looks at height .. the odds-on favorite to lead next year's Under-18 team in scoring, although Travis Boyd, J.T. Miller, and Tyler Biggs are also in that picture .. there's a real chance that a 5-foot-6 player is selected in the first round of the 2011 Draft .. no college commitment of yet .. played 15 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 5 goals and 2 assists .. played 36 total games for the Under-17 team and scored 14 goals and 26 assists, leading the team in scoring despite joining the Under-18 Jan. 30 .. scored 11 goals and 9 assists in 32 USHL regular season games .. selected to play in the USHL All-Star Game, but was unable to participate due to commitments with the USNTDP .. prior to the World Under-18's, he scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 international games with the Under-18 team .. scored 7 goals and 15 assists in 10 international games with the Under-17 team, leading that team in international scoring, despite missing the Vlad Dzurilla Tournament while playing at the Six Nations Tournament with the U-18's.

Adam Clendening (2011), D, USA U-18

Talented puck-moving defenseman .. makes hard, crisp, accurate breakout passes .. shines at the point .. makes smooth point-to-point passes that are also very hard .. an adept one-touch passer .. has a crisp wristshot from the point .. has good patience and poise at the point .. will join the attack if he's in place to do so and has good speed for the backcheck if his team turns it over while he's down low .. adept down low in his own zone with the puck .. able to make tight spins and cutbacks to evade forecheckers and can even get creative in using his net to bank passes to himself and around the opponent .. defensively, he seems to favor stick checks over body checks, but he can make some nice checks along the half boards or even hip checks .. small by NHL standards at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds .. doesn't have the powerful skating that teammate Justin Faulk has, who's similar in height .. noticed Clendening was bringing his left skate up more in his stride .. at this juncture, I'd be inclined to project Clendening as a second-round pick for the 2011 Draft, but a strong freshman year against men would help his stock even more .. committed to Boston University (2010) .. played 56 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 10 goals and 25 assists, leading the team in defense scoring .. scored 4 goals and 13 assists in 26 USHL regular season games .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had scored 2 goals and 4 assists in 9 international games.

Nick Shore (2011), C, USA U-18

Cerebral player who can seem to be invisible but strike with impressive playmaking quickly .. has an innate sense of where people are on the ice .. has strong patience with the puck in the corners and on the half boards and can connect with crisp, hard passess .. excellent peripheral vision and connects on passes most people won't see as options from the stands .. had one spinning backhand pass that resulted in a goal in one viewing that very few players on the planet see because of the level of peripheral vision and sense it required .. will engage physically, but isn't an overtly physical player .. an alternate captain .. in an era of speed, Shore is succeeding through vision and offensive awareness .. inclined to peg Shore as more of a late second-rounder or early third-rounder next year, as I wonder how long Shore can excel without using some speed .. committed to Denver (2010) .. graduation of a number of seniors from Denver's lineup, including Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger, and the signing of sophomore Joe Colborne, should help Shore receive quality icetime as a freshman, though .. played 56 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 16 goals and 29 assists, third in team scoring .. scored 6 goals and 14 assists in 26 USHL regular season games .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had scored 3 goals and 4 assists in 9 international games.

Austin Czarnik (2011), RW, USA U-18

Small spark plug with some offensive ability .. small at 5-foot-7, 155 pounds, but feisty .. throws his body around .. finishes his checks and can thrust into his hits .. almost throws his entire self into some hits .. able to lay down some stiff shoulder checks and will come across the zone to make a hit .. speedy .. has the speed to drive wide and toward the net ..very agile with the puck down low .. able to employ some impressive speed bursts and can be shifty with his speed .. a heads-up stickhandler with good offensive vision and makes hard, crisp passes .. utilizes his pointmen well .. inclined to peg Czarnik as a mid-round pick for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, a more traditional spot for a player of Czarnik's size but also of undeniable talent .. withdrew his commitment to Michigan State and currently has no college commitment of yet .. major junior rights are held by the Windsor Spitfires .. played 52 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 14 goals and 29 assists .. scored 10 goals and 18 assists in 26 USHL regular season games .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had scored 2 goals and 1 assists in 9 international games.

Frankie Simonelli (2011), D, USA U-18

Doesn't receive the hype or publicity of his fellow Under-18 d-mates, but a decent blueliner in his own right .. makes hard, crisp, accurate breakout passes and passes on the attack .. able to make long-distance, one-touch passes that connect .. able to build good speed with the puck .. has some patience with the puck and won't rush a play but will instead wait for a play with better odds .. has a hard slapper from the point .. didn't take any notes on Simonelli's defensive play, but a lack of negative notes is fairly positive in and of itself .. small by NHL standards at 5-foot-10, 187 pounds, but his height does not appear to be inflated any .. committed to Wisconsin (2010) .. Wisconsin has no graduating senior defensemen, so openings will only be created if d-men like Brendan Smith sign NHL contracts after the Frozen Four .. wouldn't mind seeing Simonelli playing in the USHL during his draft year to stay in the sight of scouts .. played 56 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 3 goals and 10 assists .. scored 1 goal and 5 assists in 27 USHL regular season games (including 1 with the Under-17 team, no points) .. heading into the World Under-18's, he had 1 assist in 9 international games.

Michael Mersch (2011), LW, USA U-18

Unfortunately, it was easy to see Mersch getting cut for the World Under-18's .. no easy way to say it, just did not look good in two viewings with the Under-18's and a viewing with the Under-17's .. seemed a step or two behind the play and appeared to lack confidence in his skating .. displayed poor speed with the puck and was easily caught almost every single time .. showed a little speed without the puck at times, but this brought him up to adequate by USHL standards .. is not strong on his skates .. bodied off the puck too easily and is routinely out-muscled in 50/50 battles due to sub par balance .. skating deficiencies must be addressed if Mersch is to go anywhere in hockey .. on the plus side, the effort was there and he was trying to do the right things .. still sports his crisp wristshot, although he doesn't get to flash it too often .. shows some hand-eye coordination with deflections and controlling airborne pucks .. will be a long shot for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft unless he significantly improves his skating so that he can play the game at the pace necessary to play NCAA D1 hockey ..committed to Wisconsin (2010), but would strongly advise him to delay that at least one season and play in the USHL (or NAHL, if necessary) .. played 49 total games for the Under-18 team and scored 4 goals and 10 assists .. scored 4 goals and 4 assists in 26 USHL regular season games (including 4 with the Under-17 team, with which he had 1 goal) .. finished the season with 1 assist in 9 international games.