2021 NHL Draft: Top American prospects

Harvard commit Matt Beniers is the top American prospect ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. (Rena Laverty/USA Hockey)

The 2021 NHL Draft is just over 17 months away, but it is never too early to begin looking at the top American prospects.

A few NHL organizations employ an underage scout whose primary job is to scout the next year's draft class. For example, in the 2019-20 season, the underage group would be players born between September 16, 2002 and September 15, 2003.

The following rankings of the Americans include first year eligible players born in the U.S. or players with dual citizenship who have previously played at USA Hockey events. A lot can change between now and June of 2021, but there is now a fairly large sample size for many of these players.