Scouts will be scouring the prep school rinks this winter in hopes of finding prospects worthy of being selected in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Six prep school players were selected in Dallas at the 2018 NHL Draft, including Thayer center Jay O’Brien, who went in the first round, 19th overall, to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Kimball Union defenseman Jordan Harris, Salisbury defenseman Peter Diliberatore, New Hampton defenseman Michael Kesselring, St. Sebastian’s center Liam Gorman and St. Sebastian’s right wing Riley Hughes followed later in the proceedings.
While quite a few New England natives could be selected in the upcoming draft, held June 21-22 in Vancouver, it might be slim pickings among the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association circuit. There are certainly some good players, but most of them have flaws in their game that NHL organizations will pick apart as the season progresses.
But, there’s one very notable exception. Dexter senior center John Farinacci will almost certainly be selected in the second round, but there have been rumblings his stock could soar to the point where he’s picked late in the first round.
Prep school hockey’s prospects for the 2019 NHL Draft
John Farinacci
Dexter, 2/14/01, C, Right Shot, 6-0/181, Chatham, N.J.
NCAA Commit: Harvard
Farinacci is far and away the most skilled player in prep school hockey this winter. His hockey sense is his biggest strength. He has terrific vision and can read plays well. He’s able to stick-handle and toe-drag his way through opposing defensemen to get scoring chances. He’s good in small areas and isn’t afraid to play between the circles or below the dots. His compete level is also very good. He’s dogged in his pursuit of the puck and getting into scoring areas. His foot speed has sometimes been critiqued, but he gets it done. What will help his stock more than the success he has in prep games is how well he performed at this past summer’s USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp and at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He had two goals and three assists in five games for the U.S. at the Hlinka. In two USHL games this fall with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, he had two goals and an assist. He’s also earned a few call-ups with USA Hockey’s NTDP. Prior to Dexter, Farinacci played at Shattuck St. Mary’s and Delbarton.
Cade Webber
Rivers, 1/5/01, D, Left Shot, 6-6/194, Milford, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Webber is entering his third season of prep school hockey with Rivers. He will likely be picked in the second or third round for two major reasons: He’s a 6-foot-6 defenseman, and he can skate. Webber certainly has the physical tools that interest NHL scouts, but his game is still raw. Webber will make a rush or make a play, but his productivity seems to dissipate. He was strong in three games with USA Hockey’s NTDP against Boston University, Harvard and Dartmouth. Webber is originally from Meadville, Pa., but moved to Milford, Mass., when his dad, Mike Webber, took over as the head coach of the women’s soccer team at Regis College.
Jayden Struble
St. Sebastian’s, 8/9/01, D, Left Shot, 5-11/170, Cumberland, R.I.
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
There’s no denying the athleticism, strength and skill of Struble’s game. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman who plays hard. He likes to bring it physically, but he’s great at rushing the puck up ice and has a hard shot. He’s a little on the shorter side, but his skating and strength make up for that. There are two areas of his game that concern scouts. His body language and taking himself out of the play by running around and being overly physical are two issues that he will need to continue tackling in order to truly be successful as he moves up the developmental ladder. With his tools and athleticism, a team should take him somewhere in the fourth, fifth or sixth round.
Arlo Merritt
Kimball Union, 1/31/01, LW, Left Shot, 6-3/190, Halifax, N.S.
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Merritt is a big winger who played some center this fall with his split-season team, the GBL Bruins. Ever since he arrived at KUA as a sophomore, his skill and potential were on display. He has good hands, especially for a player his size. He does a good job protecting pucks with his frame and finishing around the net. The biggest concern with Merritt is his lack of consistency when it comes to producing. There’s no doubt he can score, but he’ll need to prove he can make an impact on each and every game. He’ll be the go-to player for Tim Whitehead’s team and get a lot of minutes to showcase his ability.
Cade Alami
Berkshire, 3/13/01, D, Right Shot, 6-7/190, Bedford, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Providence
Alami is a huge defenseman whose skating and stick skills are better than he’s sometimes given credit for. If he’s selected, it will be by a team looking to watch him develop in college under Leaman as a project. With his size, skating and stick skills, he has legitimate upside. He’s still a little raw as he enters his second season at the prep level.
Malik Alishlalov
Westminster, 1/7/01, D, Left Shot, 6-1/194, Moskva, Russia
NCAA Commit: UConn
Alishlalov enters his second season playing for the Martlets. He’s a good-sized defenseman with an offensive flare. He skates well, makes really good passes to start the breakout and has good overall length. Similar to Struble, he sometimes gets caught out of position in the defensive zone by looking for the big hit or the big play. His hockey sense is an issue that could prevent him from being drafted. There’s a shot, but it’s slim without a major improvement from now and the end of the season.
Tyler Young
Lawrence, 5/8/01, RW, Right Shot, 6-0/160, Lancaster, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Providence
Young is a play-making wing whose game is trending upwards. He didn’t make USA Hockey National Camp until this past summer. He had a really strong finish to last season, which earned him a commitment from the Friars. He’s smart and can think the game well, even away from the puck. NHL organizations like to see a player who is continuing to develop. He still has room to fill out his frame, which will allow him to get stronger and be more consistent. Tyler is the son of former BU and NHL forward Scott Young, who now works in player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Braden Doyle
Lawrence, 8/24/01, D, Left Shot, 5-10/165, Lynnfield, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Doyle has a lot of skill with the puck on his stick. He skates well, can side-step forecheckers, and moves pucks north. He has his head up, looks to push the pace in transition and can quarterback a power play. His play in his own end and turnover issues are questions in his game, but his skill and puck-moving abilities are strengths that could help him hear his name called next June. As has been said often, it takes just one team to like a player. Late in the sixth or seventh round seems to be a slim possibility.
Derek Mullahy
Dexter, 3/20, 01, G, Catches Left, 6-1/170, Scituate, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Harvard
Mullahy is entering his second season at Dexter following a stint at Shattuck St. Mary’s. He’s on the smaller side of what NHL organizations are looking for in a goaltender, but he’s very good at his position. He moves well and is technically sound. He competes and tracks pucks well. If he were an inch or two taller, there’d be no question whether he’d get drafted. As it stands now, a team might take a flyer on him in the seventh round.
Ilya Usau
Salisbury, 8/3/01, C, Left Shot, 6-0/174, Minsk, Belarus
NCAA Commit: UConn
Usau played left wing for much of last season, and he can play center as well. He skates well, has a well-rounded offensive skill set, and can rip a shot. He scored two goals in five games for Belarus at the 2018 IIHF U-18 World Championship. He’ll need to prove he can produce at a more consistent level if he wants to hear his name called at the draft.
Alex Aslanidis
Avon Old Farms, 1/20/01, G, Catches Left, 6-4/215, Moorestown, N.J.
NCAA Commit: Providence
Aslanidis is a big goaltender who has been considered one of the better goaltenders in this age group for a few years now. He has the size of a prototypical modern era goaltender. He covers a lot of the net and challenges shooters on the top of the crease. Soft goals have been an issue in the past. A team might take a chance on him as he’s a big goaltender with some upside. Plus, Providence has a good track record with goaltenders over the past few years.
Luke Krys
Salisbury, 9/27/00, D, Right Shot, 6-2/150, Ridgefield, Conn.
NCAA Commit: Brown
Krys is a tall, lanky defenseman with limited offensive upside. He’s a smooth skater who does a good job retrieving pucks and making simple, smart outlet passes. He can defend with his length. Luke is the younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Chad Krys, who is a defenseman at Boston University. His father, Mark Krys, played for the Terriers as well. Being selected is somewhat of a long-shot, but there’s a possibility in the seventh round.
Cooper Moore
Brunswick, 2/16/01, D, Left Shot, 6-0/165, Greenwich, Conn.
Moore showed a lot of promise down the stretch as his team captured the New England Large School Tournament title last March. He skates well and makes good plays with the puck. He can activate into the offense, but he also has the stick and reach to close on opposing forwards. His hockey sense is still somewhat of a work in progress, but he has potential to be good collegiate player. As far as NHL projection goes, that’s still up in the air, but it would be a long-shot for him to be selected next June.
Nikita Nesterenko
Lawrenceville, 9/10/01, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-0/150, Brooklyn, N.Y.
NCAA Commit: Brown
Nesterenko has a fair amount of skill, shiftiness and overall skating ability. However, he’s on the smaller side and often times too perimeter. He was listed on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List, but will not be selected.
Garrett Foster
Exeter, 12/12/00, Right Wing, Right Shot, 5-10/185, Newfields, N.H.
Foster was on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List, but will not be drafted. He’s a good prep player who plays with energy and can make some plays.
