After we highlighted the top goaltenders at USA Hockey's Select 16 Player Development Camp, it's now time to work through the standout defensemen.
The event, hosted from July 8 to July 13 at the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., brought together many of the country's top 2002-born prospects, excluding those selected for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP). At the event's conclusion, the Five Nations Tournament roster was announced.
The 2002 birth year isn’t the strongest, and there is a serious lack of depth, especially on defense. There were no obvious NHL prospects among the blueliners at camp.
That’s not to say a player or two from camp won’t someday be a NHL Draft pick or a NHL player. Many will likely be standout college players, too.
Listed below are the top defensemen from Select 16s. For the purpose of these rankings, players were evaluated based on performance at camp. Future potential is also noted.
Our analysis includes 14 players with ties to New England, including seven prep school standouts and six committed to colleges within the region.
1. Avery Winslow
#6 Grey, Notre Dame Hounds, 8/24/02, Left Shot, 5-10.75/174
From Clearwater, Fla., Winslow is a smooth skater with strength. He retrieves pucks and can pinch to keep pucks in the attacking zone. He reads plays and sees the ice very well, which allows him to push the pace and generate offense. He’s mobile, defending with his feet and a good stick. Defending the rush and his positioning in his own end still need work. Leaving him off the Five Nations Tournament roster was inexcusable.
2. Gerard Keane
#5 Grey, Chicago Mission 16U, 1/30/02, Right Shot, 5-10.25/165
Keane was the biggest snub from the All-Star Game, especially on the backend. He’ll be making the move to the London Knights in the OHL. He can make quick, effective breakout passes or skate the puck out of his own zone. He likes to activate and he has good vision. He made a really nice look to the backdoor for an assist. His one weakness is when he tries to do too much.
3. Christian Jimenez
#6 Columbia, Taft, 3/15/02, Left Shot, 5-9.5/185
NCAA Commit: Harvard
Jimenez, from Yorktown Heights, N.Y., was really good, especially in the All-Star Game. He does a good job pushing the pace and can activate as the fourth forward. He sees the ice well, and madea few good looks to the weak side for quality scoring chances.
4. David Ma
#4 Forest, Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U, 6/22/02, Left Shot, 5-9.75/168
The Yonkers, N.Y., native is a very smart defender. His skating isn’t bad, but he still hasn’t found the lower-body strength to be explosive. However, his hockey sense allows him to move pucks, make plays, and defend the rush. He jumped into the rush for a goal in the All-Star Game.
5. Jarod Crespo
#4 Orange, North Jersey Avs 16U, 4/30/02, Right Shot, 5-10.5/186
NCAA Commit: Penn State
Crespo was up and down during the final two days of the regulation games at camp, but he was really good in the All-Star Game. He was productive and influenced the offense in a positive manner. He had a good stick and defended with his feet. His skill and skating are both good, but he needs to cut down on turnovers and be a little more consistent with his decision-making.
6. Wyatt Kaiser
#7 Royal, Andover, 7/31/02, Left Shot, 5-10/154
The opinions on Kaiser varied at this camp, but this observer was high on him. He’s physical and was tough to beat one-on-one. He skated well and was reliable in his own zone. His puck handling was his biggest weakness.
7. John Opilka
#5 Orange, St. Louis Blues AAA 16U, Left Shot, 6-1.25/190
Opilka offers a steady presence on the blue line, making few mistakes. He defends well and can move pucks out of his zone with simple, smart passes. He’s the younger brother of goaltender Luke Opilka, who's in the St. Louis Blues organization with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.
8. Bryce Montgomery
#7 Kelly, Team Maryland 16U, 11/12/02, Right Shot, 6-3/198
NCAA Commit: Providence
The Bowie, Md., native will head to Cushing in the fall. Uncommitted heading into camp, he earned an offer from Providence. He’s a big, strong, athletic defender who should continue to improve. His skating and instincts are just slightly above average.
9. Jake Ratzlaff
#7 Red, Rosemount, 6/23/02, Right Shot, 6-0.75/190
NCAA Commit: Minnesota
Ratzlaff made the Five Nations roster as the big defenseman. His foot speed needs some work, but he brings the size and strength that are necessary. He’s solid and doesn’t make mistakes in his own zone.
10. Jason Marsella
#7 Black, North Jersey Avs 16U, 11/20/02, Left Shot, 5-10/174
NCAA Commit: Yale
The Greenwich, Conn., native was really good here. He makes crisp outlet passes and can skate the puck out of his own zone.
11. Max Bronstine
#6 Red, Mississauga Rebels, 1/15/02, Left Shot, 5-8.5/133
Bronstine is a very mobile defenseman who can escape trouble and push the pace. His weakness is his tendency to make one too many moves with the puck on his stick.
12. Nick Williams
#3 Forest, Edina, 9/21/02, Left Shot, 5-8/142
NCAA Commit: Minnesota
Williams is a smaller, offensive defenseman who defends with his stick, makes good looks to push the pace, and can quarterback a power play. He’s a good skater who made several good breakout passes.
13. Scott Morrow
#7 White, Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U, 11/1/02, Right Shot, 6-0.75/179
Morrow is inconsistent, but there are plenty of physical tools in his repertoire to make him a legit prospect down the road. The Darien, Conn., native has the size and instincts to make some plays. He has skating and hands, especially for his size, to sidestep opposing players, but he is prone to making mistakes as well.
14. Nathan Schweitzer
#3 Columbia, Benilde/St. Margaret, 2/21/02, Right Shot, 5-11/70
Schweitzer really stood out in the All-Star Game with his breakout passes and by making smart decisions with the puck on his stick.
15. Ben Dexheimer
#2 Columbia, Minnesota Blades, 6/21/02, Right Shot, 5-4.75/129
NCAA Commit: Miami
Dexheimer is extremely small, but he steps up and makes quick decisions with the puck on his stick. He usually made the right pass to move the play up the ice.
16. Michael Suda
#3 Grey, Nichols 16U, 7/3/02, Left Shot, 6-0/172
Suda has good size and defends with his length and stick positioning. He’s mobile, especially for his size. He was steady and made a few strong defensive plays, including a nice play to disrupt a rush.
17. Ryan MacDermott
#5 Red, St Sebastian’s, 1/27/02, Right Shot, 6-0/178
MacDermott is consistently underrated because he doesn’t play a flashy style. He’s solid and made some nice plays physically here. He’s tough to beat and is solid in his own zone.
18. Casey Roepke
#7 Forest, Team Wisconsin 16U, 5/2/02, Left Shot, 5-10.5/167
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Roepke was one of this observer's biggest snubs from NTDP Evaluation Camp, but it wasn't his best week here. He skates well and has a good stick defensively.
19. Tucker Hartmann
#5 Royal, St. Mark’s, 4/4/02, Right Shot, 5-9.5/158
From Southboro, Mass., Hartmann is an athletic, two-way defender who can play with an edge in his own zone and move pucks north. He defends with his stick and made some nice plays to stop the rush. He had poise with the puck on his stick. He could be a very nice pickup for an Ivy or academically-oriented ECAC or Atlantic Hockey school.
20. Brandon Chabrier
#3 Kelly, Long Island Gulls 16U, 7/19/02, Right Shot, 5-9.75/151
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
This observer has been high on Chabrier, but this wasn’t his best week. The Bayville, N.Y., native has a good stick and is a graceful skater who makes a good first pass. His tendency to wander and not play with enough assertiveness hurt him this week.
21. Victor Mancini
#3 Black, Compuware 16U, 5/26/02, Right Shot, 6-3/206
Mancini is big and can play physically. He’s not afraid to throw his weight around, though his feet have gotten better over the past year. He’ll likely land a spot on a Division 1 roster down the line.
22. Mitchell Smith
#6 Royal, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 16U, 9/15/02, Left Shot, 5-9/163
NCAA Commit: Michigan
Smith was high on this observer’s list coming into the week, but it wasn’t his best viewing. He has poise and skates well. He defends with his feet, but he coughed up a few turnovers and wasn’t as sharp as he usually is.
23. Stephen Davis
#6 White, Boston Advantage 15U, 1/9/02, Right Shot, 5-10.5/201
NCAA Commit: Boston College
The Hingham, Mass., native is a bull in the defensive end. He plays physically and makes life difficult for opposing forwards. His hockey sense, instincts and skating need improvement as he progresses before enrolling at BC.
24. Cole Oravitz
#7 Orange, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U, 4/13/02, Right Shot, 5-10/203
Oravitz missed a significant chunk of the season with an injury, but played fairly well here. He’s a tough, mean defender who is fairly steady in his own zone. He plays with a mean streak and is hard to beat in one-on-one battles.
25. Luke Gramer
#4 Red, Moorhead, 7/2/02, Left Shot, 5-8.5/172
Gramer is a mobile defenseman who has a good stick and can move pucks north. He defends pretty well for an undersized defenseman. He made some nice plays to make defensive stops on one-on-one battles.
Honorable Mention
Matthew Basgall
#2 Royal, Chicago Mission 16U, 8/16/02, Right Shot, 5-8.5/177
Basgall was another player who didn’t play as well as he’s capable of this week. His skating and puck handling are issues, but he’s tough to beat, plays physically, and has good stick positioning.
Nate Boak
#3 White, Northwood, 7/12/02, Left Shot, 5-6.5/154
Boak is small, but was noticeable a few times for making good lead passes and having good mobility on the backend. He’s at Northwood, a prep school in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Spencer Evans
#4 Royal, PAL Islanders 16U, 4/19/02, Left Shot, 6-2/196
Evans has the size to intrigue college coaches and pro and junior scouts, but his hockey sense, decision-making, and skating need work. There’s potential if he can put it all together.
Cam Grillo
#2 Grey, Trinity-Pawling, 2/6/02, Left Shot, 6-1.25/152
The Old Saybrook, Conn., native exceeded this observer’s expectations of him heading into camp. He has good size and mobility. He makes some nice looks and moves the puck with precision. Whether or not he’s a Division 1 player is still up for debate, but he’d be a very good NESCAC player if not.
Richard Hart
#2 Orange, New Jersey Colonials 16U, 2/23/02, Right Shot, 6-1/173
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Hart, from Stamford, Conn., didn’t have the best week here. He didn’t stand out much. He’s an athletic defender who plays with an edge. He’ll be headed west to play for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 16U next season.
Nolan Hayes
#5 Kelly, Thayer, 8/14/02, Right Shot, 5-10.75/158
Hayes is an offensive defenseman who likes to jump into the rush and impact the offense. He had his moments here, but struggled some defensively.
Jack Hepp
#6 Gold, St. Paul’s, 4/12/02, Right Shot, 6-4.25/202
Hepp has come a long way and still has a ways to go to be a definitive Division 1 prospect, but his size, tools and instincts are intriguing. His feet need the most work, but his skating has improved over the last year.
Noah Marino
#2 Gold, Chicago Fury 16U, 4/2/02, Right Shot, 6-0/204
Marino has good feet and his first touch is usually pretty good. He didn’t appear to have a lot of offensive upside at camp, but he’s worth watching.
Andrew Ramsey
#4 White, Arizona Bobcats 16U, 6/21/02, Left Shot, 5-10.75/192
Ramsay will make the move to the Junior Coyotes for this upcoming season. He was solid here this week with a good stick and made some plays offensively.
Matthew Sredl
#5 Forest, Honeybaked 16U, 4/22/02, Right Shot, 5-11.75/182
Sredl is a player worth watching over the next year or two as he has good mobility, had a good pivot to go back, and made some good lead passes.
Bayard Hall
#6 Black, North Jersey Avs 16U, 8/16/02, Right Shot, 6-0/170
NCAA Commit: Brown
Hall had an active stick to defend in his own zone. He’s usually smart and in the right position to defend. He’s not high-end, but he could be a very good prospect for Brown.
Colin Hedland
#4 Grey, Alaska Oilers 15U, 9/11/02, Right Shot, 5-9.5/162
Hedland, from Alaska, plays tough and delivered some big hits throughout the few days of camp.
Hunter McDonald
#4 Gold, Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U, 5/11/02, Left Shot, 6-1/170
McDonald has good size and does a good job defending with his reach and closing quickly on forwards. He’s tough and plays with a mean streak. He’ll be making the move to the Rochester Coalition.
Kobe Pane
#7 Gold, Anaheim Jr. Ducks 16U, 4/30/02, Right Shot, 5-11/161
Pane makes some nice lead passes, including one highlight-reel pass that led to a breakaway goal. It wasn’t his best week, but he had some impressive viewings last season in midget hockey.
Robert Zammetti
#2 Red, LA Jr. Kings 15U, 2/19/02, Right Shot, 5-11/168
Zammetti made a really nice look to the backdoor in Wednesday’s game. He’s on the smaller side, but is worth watching over the next few years.
