Over the past four NHL drafts, 13 Hockey East players have been drafted following their freshman seasons. Of those 13 players, 10 were in their second or third season of draft eligibility.
Two of the three players in their first year of eligibility, Boston University forward Brady Tkachuk and goaltender Jake Oettinger, were first-round picks. UConn defenseman Yan Kuznetsov was the other, going in 2020 to the Calgary Flames in the second round.
All three of those players were elite talents well-known to scouts and thought to be top prospects for quite some time. However, there’s another end of the spectrum. The other 10 Hockey East freshmen selected since 2017 were players who might have taken off or possibly were just under the radar in junior hockey.
Another way to look at it is good coaching, whether it be recruiting those next-tier players or getting the most out of those late bloomers, was a key part in those players being drafted after going undrafted in junior hockey.
UMass is responsible for four of those 10 players. Forward John Leonard, defensemen Matthew Kessel and Marc Del Gaizo and goaltender Filipe Lindberg were all drafted after solid freshman seasons in Amherst. Providence defenseman Jacob Bryson and forward Tyce Thompson were selected after one season under the tutelage of Nate Leaman. Merrimack defensemen Zach Uens and Michael Kovacevic were Warriors drafted after their freshman seasons. Boston College and New Hampshire also were represented during that time with Logan Hutsko and Filip Engaras hearing their names called.
The 2021 draft could continue the trend of NHL organizations drafting older players. A big reason for that is the coronavirus limiting the viewings of first-year eligible prospects who are in junior, prep or high school hockey.
Organizations might be more inclined to draft a player who their scouts have seen for a couple of years. I expect at least two Hockey East freshmen — UMass center Josh Lopina and Vermont center Dovar Tinling — to be selected at the 2021 NHL draft. However, there are a few other prospects lurking. Below is an evaluation of the Hockey East freshmen who could be prospects for the 2021 draft.
Dovar Tinling
Vermont, 3/3/03, C/LW, left shot, 5-11/181
Tinling will be the youngest player in college hockey this season. The Pointe-Claire, Quebec, native won’t turn 18 until playoff time. Despite his youth, there’s a lot of maturity in Tinling’s game. His hockey sense, especially his instincts offensively, is his best attribute. He’s also a very good skater who can possess pucks and slow the game down before making the right decision. He’s a pass-first player, but he can also put the puck in the back of the net. Tinling, a first-year-eligible prospect, comes to Burlington from the Hawkesbury Hawks in the CCHL. Last season in 50 games, Tinling scored 21 goals and added 30 assists. Tinling will be the biggest bright spot for a rebuilding Vermont program under the guidance of first-year head coach Todd Woodcroft. The Catamounts haven’t taken to the ice yet, due to coronavirus complications at the school. Once they do, Tinling will look to prove his worth. NHL Central Scouting has him pegged as a second- or third-round pick.
Joshua Lopina
UMass, 2/16/01, C, right shot, 6-2/194
Lopina is in his third year of draft eligibility, but he’s making a serious case to hear his name called this time around. There is no doubting that he’s a late bloomer. The Minooka, Ill., native never showed much offensive upside while playing Bantam and Midget hockey for the Chicago Mission. What I liked about Lopina in that time and at the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp was his size, strength and knack for being heavy on pucks. In his first year in the USHL with Lincoln, he scored just 12 goals and 15 assists in 62 games. Last season, he again scored 12 goals, but added 23 helpers in just 44 games. So far this season, Lopina has three goals and two assists while centering the top line for the Minutemen. In his team’s game at Boston College, he was around the puck a lot. His skating has gotten better from his youth hockey days. Lopina should get the nod in the 2021 draft, especially given the lack of viewings scouts will have on the younger pool of eligible prospects.
Ty Jackson
Northeastern, 9/6/01, C, left shot, 5-8/161
Jackson and his twin brother, Dylan, both come to Northeastern after spending two seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL. The Oakville, Ontario, native played Midget hockey for the Mississauga Rebels before moving onto the St. Michael’s Buzzers in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. After scoring 19 goals and 37 assists in 54 games in the OJHL in 2017-18, he moved on to the USHL. Jackson scored 16 goals and 26 assists in 68 games as a rookie in the USHL. A year later, he upped that to 17 goals and 41 assists. Ty is more of the playmaker who sees the ice well and can make plays.
Dylan Jackson
Northeastern, 9/6/01, RW, right shot, 5-10/161
Dylan always has played wing on Ty’s line. Dylan has two inches on his twin brother and is more of a goal scorer. In 2019-20 with Dubuque, he tallied 21 goals and 34 assists in 48 games. As a USHL rookie the year before, he had 15 goals and 33 assists. While size always will be a detriment for the twin brothers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both of them got picked if the production continues at the collegiate level. I’ve seen the duo only a few times between a viewing at the OJHL Showcase in 2017 and a couple of times at the USHL Fall Classic. I’m not necessarily advocating for them to be drafted. I do think the brothers are significantly better than some of the ’03s listed by NHL Central Scouting.
Carsen Richels
New Hampshire, 10/3/01, LW, left shot, 6-3/229
Richels was listed by NHL Central Scouting last season as a first-year eligible player as a late ’01. The Ham Lake, Minn., native was a standout for Blaine High School. In 2019-20, he had 27 goals and 26 assists in 28 games. I’ve never seen Richels play live, but size, goal scoring and play below the dots are reasons he found his way onto NHL Central Scouting. Richels will have to prove his skating at the college level, if he’s going to be selected in the 2021 NHL draft.
Timothy Lovell
Boston College, 2/8/02, D, left shot, 5-7/150
Lovell has yet to appear in a game for Boston College, suffering a wrist injury in preseason camp. The Hingham, Mass., native comes to the Eagles by way of the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL. He played youth hockey for the Boston Advantage, coached by his father, Tim, who played college hockey at Maine and UMass. The younger Lovell is undersized, but his hockey sense, skating and stick are all assets. He was listed on NHL Central Scouting last year during his first season of draft eligibility. It’s a long shot, but you can bet scouts will be writing reports on him once he steps onto the ice for the Eagles.
