When June's NHL Draft finished, only one player who played New England fall hockey was taken and it was Ben Merrill, who suited up for the Cape Cod Whalers.
There were certainly others in the mix, most notably Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.; Islanders Hockey Club) and Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.; Yale Jr. Bulldogs), but it was just Merrill who heard his name called.
It was a bleak year for NHL Draft prospects in New England fall hockey last season. That's how it's looking this year, too.
The 10 players listed below aren't sure-fire picks in next year's NHL Draft— far from it, actually. I did a similar story on fall hockey prospects this time last year and only Merrill was picked from the list.
These are players who NHL scouts will (and should) be watching through the fall and into the prep season. I'm not including players who are in junior leagues. So Carter Amico (Portland, Maine), who was our preliminary No. 1 draft prospect from the region for 2025, or Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), our No. 2, weren't included in this.
So, let's dive in. Who of this crew will rise above the rest and be picked next June?
Everett Baldwin
Boston Little Bruins, 10/15/2007, D, right shot, 6-0/174
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
NCAA: Providence CollegeÂ
Of all the players on this list, Baldwin has the highest chance of being drafted. And by highest chance, I mean he absolutely should be picked. It's his speed and skating that sets him apart. He can fly, chasing down any forward and keeping up with any forward when covering them in the defensive zone. He has no hesitation in skating the puck and is the definition of a driver of offense. He has a pro shot, passes like a pro and can be very physical. The hesitation on him for scouts will be that he tends to take a lot of chances. The counter to that he has all the tools to be a dynamic pro defenseman someday. He was a fourth round pick by Cedar Rapids in the USHL Phase 1 Draft last year.
GEARING UP FOR JUNE: Why Everett Baldwin is such a fascinating 2025 NHL Draft prospect
That's a chance I'd take every time.
Connor Davis
Northern Connecticut Nor'Easter Storm, 11/9/2006, F, right shot, 6-1/174
Hometown: Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
NCAA: NortheasternÂ
Typically, for a player to get drafted, they need a discernible quality that sets them apart. Something that scouts can use to project the player. With Davis, it's his high-end compete. He never shies away from contact or the dirty areas. In my viewings of him this fall, he drives offense and has a really heavy shot. He's responsible in his own zone and plays a well-rounded game. He posted 12 goals and 30 points with Salisbury last season as a junior.
The NHL scouts I've talked to are intrigued by Davis but aren't quite sure he's a certain pick yet. What that compete shows is he could someday be a pro who could play anywhere in a lineup. That has value.
Ryan Cameron
Long Island Gulls, 8/21/2007, G, catches left, 6-1/174
Hometown: Berwyn, Penn.
NCAA: Boston CollegeÂ
Drafting goalies is a whole different deal, but Cameron has a real case. Scouts have been heavily in attendance at his fall games in large part due to his eventful year. It started when he led his Long Island Gulls 16U team to a national championship, posting a 0.84 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage en route to winning. He followed that up as Team USA's starter at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, posting a 3.02 GAA and an .882 save percentage. Being the starter for Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup is enough for scouts to follow his draft year closely. He was selected by Omaha in the ninth round of the USHL Phase 1 Draft earlier this year.
Ethan Phillips
BK Selects, 4/9/2007, G, catches left, 6-2/205
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
NCAA: Providence CollegeÂ
Phillips has the kind of size that NHL scouts look for in goalies. He also has the ability. Through nine games with the BK Selects 18Us, he has a 1.85 GAA and a .948 save percentage. He had equally dazzling numbers with the 16Us last season. Most notably, he was the top goalie at USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp, leading the crew in GAA (1.33) and was second in save percentage (.941).
PREP PREVIEWS: Avon Old Farms | Belmont Hill | Berkshire | Phillips Andover Â
Viktor Samal
Islanders Hockey Club, 5/5/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/161
Home country: Czechia
Full disclosure: I've only seen Samal play once, so I'm no expert on his game. Samal played for Czechia at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, which is enough to get the attention of scouts. He put up strong numbers — 32 goals and 68 points in 47 games — HC Slavia Praha U17 last season. He is known more as a playmaker than a pure shooter. Samal will be a local prospect for scouts to watch, as he will be a headliner for Holderness this winter.
Grayden Robertson-Palmer
Neponset Valley River Rats, 8/29/2007, F, left shot, 5-10/181
Hometown: Kanata, Ontario
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Robertson-Palmer will probably never have gaudy numbers at the next levels, but he is a pure, 200-foot center. He's a good skater who can drive play and has power despite not being the tallest player on the ice. He protects pucks well. Last season, Robertson-Palmer posted 17 goals and 37 points in 30 games for Phillips Andover. For him to best position himself to be drafted, he will need to produce even more in prep. He was an eighth round pick by Dubuque in the USHL Phase 1 Draft earlier this year.
Tyler Russo
Central Mass. Penguins, 3/19/2007, D, left shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: South Hamilton, Mass.
NCAA: Minnesota StateÂ
NHL scouts typically like defensemen with some offensive upside. While Russo isn't flashy offensively, he is a terrific shutdown defenseman. He has a great stick, is very physical and makes smart puck plays. He has good size, too. What will help boost his stock is a jump in points from the 18 assists he had last season. In 2023, the Buffalo Sabres drafted Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) in the sixth round. Keohane had a few inches on Russo, but it is an example of an NHL team recently drafting a shutdown defender out of prep. Russo was a third-round pick by Cedar Rapids in the 2023 USHL Phase 1 Draft.
C.J. Watroba
Fall Prep Wildcats, 2/2/2007, F, left shot, 6-0/172
Hometown: West Springfield, Mass.
NCAA: MerrimackÂ
Kimball Union last season had Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.), who posted 87 points from the left wing. Watroba will have every opportunity to do the same on Kimball Union's top line this winter. He notched 31 points in 37 games last season from the Wildcats' second line and was one of the Massachusetts District's best players at Select 17 Camp, where he scored one goal and added four assists. He has good size, a nice shot and skates well. The big thing for him will be bringing consistency every game.
Nathan Di Chiara
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 4/12/2007, D, right shot, 6-2/181
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
NHL scouts love size, especially in defensemen, and Di Chiara certainly has that. He's a reliable shutdown defenseman. Just like with Russo, his offensive upside isn't huge. But a breakout prep season with Kent could turn him into a player that NHL teams consider drafting in June.
NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING: Check out how many locals were put on the preliminary players to watch list
Jake Tavares
Boston Jr. Eagles, 1/27/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/174
Hometown: Belmont, Mass.
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Tavares is known for being able to finish. He posted 18 goals last winter for Belmont Hill in a breakout sophomore year. He followed that up with three points at Select 17 Camp in June. He also has the size to be someone scouts keep an eye on this fall and winter.
