NHL organizations are looking more and more to second and third year eligible players at the NHL Draft.
It’s a safer bet for many organizations. While a player might be closer to hitting his ceiling, organizations have a better sense of the type of player they are drafting. They are basing these picks less on projection and more on what they’ve seen a player do at a higher level.
Several second and third year eligible players could hear their names called at the 2018 NHL Draft next June in Dallas.
Boston College freshman Logan Hutsko, UMass right wing Mitchell Chaffee and Maine defenseman Alexis Binner are the three most likely over-agers to be drafted from Hockey East. Northeastern freshman forward Zach Solow and Maine freshman forward Emil Westerlund have also been mentioned.
Logan Hutsko
#9 Boston College, Fr., RW, 2/11/99, Shoots Right, 5-10/165
Hutsko has been one of the most prominent offensive playmakers for the Eagles this season. The Tampa, Fla., native only played in nine games for USA Hockey’s NTDP U-18 Team last year, which obviously hurt his draft stock. He’s undersized, but he is always retrieving pucks in the corners and making plays. The Shattuck-St. Mary’s product does a nice job when it comes to finding seams and being crafty. Hutsko is riding a three-game point streak heading into this weekend’s series against UMass Lowell. He scored at nearly a .5 per game pace in the USHL as a 16 year-old. His skill set and playmaking capabilities shouldn't be questioned. He's proven he can compete and be successful even when going up against players that are four to six years older than him on many nights in Hockey East.
Mitchell Chaffee
#21 UMass, Fr., RW, 1/26/98, Shoots Right, 6-0/205
Chaffee is a versatile winger with good size. He’s heavy on pucks. Against BC this past Tuesday night, he didn’t find the score sheet, but he made several plays down low. Going forward, the Rockford, Mich., native projects as a bottom six winger who can be responsible in all three zones. He’ll do what the coaches ask of him and be able to chip in offensively from time to time. He’s quietly scored nine goals to lead the Minutemen in that category. He scored just nine goals in 52 USHL games a year ago with Bloomington Thunder and Fargo Force. He’s a player whose trajectory is trending upwards. Don’t be surprised if a team takes him as a flyer late in the draft.
Alexis Binner
#16 Maine, Fr., D, 12/3/98, Shoots Left, 6-3/212
The Stocksund, Sweden, native has been a reliable two-way defenseman for a much improved Maine team. One of the biggest areas of improvement for the Black Bears comes from the mobility of its back end. Binner is a prime example. He’s big, but he can skate and move pucks north. His +13 plus/minus is tied four fourth best in Hockey East. The Green Bay Gamblers product was bench in early December for spending too much time in the box, but he’s done a better job in that regard since then.
