Each month leading up to the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver, New England Hockey Journal will run through the region's top prospects.
The rankings are based on potential, performances from the past month and overall talent. To kick off this NHL Draft season, we highlight five players from three of the region's six states.
Just after the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas, we explored 15 of the region's top prospects. That expansive approach highlighted players born in the region or playing prep or junior hockey locally. As matters have evolved, this focused look at the region's next draft crop offers an updated perspective.
1. Matthew Boldy
• LW | U.S. NTDP U-18
• Hometown: Millis, Mass.
• Height: 6-feet | Weight: 184 pounds
• Shoots: Left
The Boston College commit continues to see his stock soar as he begins his second season with the NTDP. Boldy has good size, skates well and has skill, but his hockey sense is what truly sets him apart from the competition. Boldy, who didn’t commit to the Eagles until midway through his sophomore season at Dexter, was somewhat of an unknown. However, his game has popped and the first round is now very well in range.
2. Spencer Knight
• G | U.S. NTDP U-18
• Hometown: Darien, Conn.
• Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 194 pounds
• Catches: Left
Unlike Boldy, his fellow Eagle commit, Knight long has been regarded as one of the top goaltending prospects for the 2019 NHL draft. The Mid Fairfield Rangers and Avon Old Farms product has the size, athleticism and sound fundamentals to make him a very intriguing player for NHL scouts. While it’s rare for goaltenders to squeak into the first round, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
3. Henry Thrun
• D | U.S. NTDP U-18
• Hometown: Southboro, Mass
• Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 183 pounds
• Shoots: Left
The Dexter product and Harvard commit is another prospect who has far exceeded expectations. He always was thought of as a smart, reliable two-way defenseman. However, his game has taken off with the NTDP. He has decent size, can skate, make plays and defend the rush and in his own zone. He’ll rarely make a flashy play, but he’ll almost always make the smart, effective one. His character and intangibles are big plusses when it comes to how highly NHL organizations will view him.
4. Jayden Struble
• D | St. Sebastian’s School
• Hometown: Cumberland, R.I.
• Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 170 pounds
• Shoots: Left
Struble’s status as a draft prospect is very much a wild card. A tremendous athlete, he competed in the 2014 Little League World Series and still is a very good player on the diamond. His physical tools on the ice are easy to see. The Northeastern commit skates well, has a hard shot and can make plays with the puck on his stick. He likes to jump into the rush and he’ll close quickly and assertively on opposing forwards. His body language and ability to tone it down are two areas that concern NHL scouts.
5. Braden Doyle
• D |Lawrence Academy
• Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.
• Height: 5-foot-10 | Weight: 165 pounds
• Shoots: Left
A Boston University recruit, Doyle has been widely praised for his puck skills ever since his Bantam season with Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school in Faribault, Minn. Now at Lawrence, he’s assimilated himself well and had a big hand in the Spartans winning the NEPSAC small-school championship last March. There’s little question Doyle can skate well enough and make plays to garner NHL draft attention. Whether or not he gets selected most likely hinges on his ability to clean up turnovers and prove his offensive upside is enough to counter those concerns.
