Eighteen Minnesota natives have been named as NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
The list includes seven players who are expected to play high school hockey in Minnesota during the 2017-18 season, five in the USHL (including two with the U.S. National Team Development Program), three in the WHL, and one each in the Big Ten, NAHL and Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
Grand Rapids High School left wing Blake McLaughlin (pictured above), U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman K'Andre Miller and Sioux Falls (USHL) center Jaxon Nelson (Luverne) are projected to be second/third round selections at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in Dallas.
Rating | Player | Pos. | 2017-18 Team (League) | Hometown | College |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
B | Blake McLaughlin | LW | Grand Rapids HS (MSHSL) | Grand Rapids | Minnesota |
B | K'Andre Miller | D | U.S. Under-18 Team (USHL) | Hopkins | Wisconsin |
B | Jaxon Nelson | C | Sioux Falls (USHL) | Luverne | Minnesota |
C | Gavin Hain | C | U.S. Under-18 Team (USHL) | Grand Rapids | North Dakota |
C | Chase Hartje | D | Moose Jaw (WHL) | Bemidji | |
C | Ben Helgeson | C | Hill-Murray HS (MSHSL) | Lake Elmo | Wisconsin |
C | Jack Jensen | C | Eden Prairie HS (MSHSL) | Eden Prairie | Minnesota |
C | Isaac Johnson | LW | Tri-City (WHL) | Andover | |
C | Keegan Karki | G | Omaha (USHL) | St. Cloud | |
C | Nate Knoepke | D | Minnesota (B1G) | Farmington | Minnesota |
C | Jack Lagerstrom | D | Shattuck-St. Mary's | Edina | |
C | Luke Loheit | RW | Minnetonka HS (MSHSL) | Minnetonka | Minnesota Duluth |
C | Jack Perbix | RW | Elk River HS (MSHSL) | Elk River | Notre Dame |
C | Colin Schmidt | RW | Wayzata HS (MSHSL) | Maple Grove | Minnesota |
C | Todd Scott | G | Vancouver (WHL) | Albertville | |
C | Zach Stejskal | G | Central Illinois (USHL) | Grand Rapids | Minnesota Duluth |
C | Ryan Ullan | G | Bismarck (NAHL) | Hibbing | |
C | Michael Vorlicky | D | Edina HS (MSHSL) | Edina |
Players have been identified using the following criteria:
• A Rating -- Indicates a 1st round candidate
• B Rating -- Indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate
• C Rating -- Indicates a 4th/5th/6th round candidate
Tag(s): News Let's Play Hockey