Prep hockey’s top two prospects for the 2020 NHL Draft are no secret. St. Mark’s defenseman Ian Moore (Concord, Mass.) and Gunnery right wing Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack.
Moore recently switched his college commitment from Princeton to Harvard. He has become much more of a household name over the past two seasons as he’s come into his own. Jefferies’ stock has also soared to the point where some top Hockey East programs were looking to poach him, but he reaffirmed his commitment to Merrimack last week.
After Moore and Jefferies, the prospect picture gets a little murkier. A few other prep players could be taken in the last two rounds, but nothing in terms of order is necessarily agreed upon by the masses.
In addition to a few of the New England natives who have been discussed previously, a few prep players from outside of the region could be under consideration. Below are my top 12 prospects from prep hockey for the 2020 NHL Draft.
1. Ian Moore
St. Mark’s, 1/4/02, D, right shot, 6-2.25/171
NCAA commit: Harvard
Moore is a good-sized defenseman with mobility. He skates well and has the footwork to sidestep forecheckers and walk the blue line in order to get shots through to the net. He has a very good shot and is able to be a dynamic player on the power play. Although he’s certainly more offensive-minded, he can defend adequately well with his size, stick and feet. It’s a part of his game that is a work in progress.
2. Alex Jefferies
Gunnery, 11/8/01, RW, right shot, 5-11.75/195
NCAA commit: Merrimack
Jefferies is a power forward who plays hard and competes for loose pucks. During the fall season and in previous viewings, he has demonstrated a consistent ability to track down loose pucks and turn it into offense. He has a hard shot and can drive the net, but his ability to make good passes from the wall shouldn’t be overlooked. Although his skating isn’t elite, he gets the job done. His loyalty to his prep school and original commit should be viewed favorably when evaluating his character.
3. Riley Duran
Lawrence Academy, 1/25/02, C/RW, right shot, 6-1.25/174
NCAA commit: Providence
I could see Duran eventually being the top prospect in this year’s prep draft class. The Woburn, Mass., native is a tall, athletic, power forward who can play both center or right wing. He’s not gifted with the best hands, but he can shoot it with zip and he has the tools to drive the net and get to the scoring areas. He’s at his best in a structured environment when he’s just going hard north and south. That’s why I think his best hockey is ahead of him in junior and at college for Nate Leaman.
4. David Sacco
Lawrence Academy, 1/3/02, C/RW, right shot, 5-11.5/187
NCAA commit: New Hampshire
When Sacco is on top of his game, he has tremendous ability. He’s a power forward with the ability to shoot it and play physically. The Middleton, Mass., native can change the tone of a game with his intensity. If he can learn to bring that ‘A’ game every shift of every game, his draft stock would skyrocket.
5. Lucas Mercuri
Salisbury, 3/7/02, C, right shot, 6-3/192
NCAA commit: Vermont
Mercuri is another power forward in this year’s draft class who will need to prove to NHL scouts that he can overcome his less than stellar skating. Mercuri does a very good job of using his length to protect pucks and find open teammates. Below the dots, he is very effective. His skating has gotten better, but it’s an area of concern when projecting his game to the pro level.
6. Jake Quillan
Salisbury, 2/2/02, C, left shot, 5-10/155
NCAA commit: Quinnipiac
Quillan is a 200-foot center with elite skating ability. He’s quick, is strong on puck pursuit and can see the ice very well. Quillan, from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is an elite playmaker and can facilitate offense from anywhere on the sheet. In addition, he’s smart and reliable in all three zones.
7. Philip Tresca
Rivers, 4/10/02, C, right shot, 5-10.5/170
NCAA commit: Yale
Tresca is a highly skilled forward who has gotten a lot better over the last 12 months. He’s always been gifted with slick hands, but the Newton, Mass., native has taken a step in his game. His added lower-body strength has allowed him to be faster overall, and quicker in small areas. There’s no denying that Tresca has become better at playing within the dots. However, he still needs to improve in that area, as well as being more inclined to engage physically in the greasy areas.
8. Cole Teleki
Lawrence, 3/13/02, D, right shot, 6-1/185
NCAA commit: Providence
Teleki is a good-sized defender who can take away time and space from opposing players. He has a good stick and can be a shutdown defender. Finding his identity and realizing he can’t try to do too much will help him become a more highly coveted prospect. He has offensive skill, but he needs to pick and choose his spots wisely so he’s not chasing the play.
9. Bayard Hall
Salisbury, 8/16/02, D, right shot, 6-1/185
NCAA commit: Yale
Hall is a smooth two-way defenseman who should garner attention from NHL scouts. He skates well, has a good stick and is solid at both ends of the ice. He makes simple, but effective outlet passes and can shoot it from the point. I don’t really see one area of his game that has a weakness, but he’s yet to find that one elite attribute.
10. Ryan McGuire
Belmont Hill, 7/27/02, C/RW, right shot, 5-10/165
NCAA commit: Colgate
McGuire is 200-foot center who excels away from the puck. He kills penalties, is on the right side of the puck and is reliable in his own zone. In addition, he’s very good at the face-off dot. Although his offensive skill and skating are both areas of weakness, he appeared to gain explosiveness over the summer.
11. James Tepper
Proctor, 2/20/02, RW, right shot, 6-0/175
Tepper is a big, physical wing who likes to throw his weight around. He’s tenacious on the forecheck and can disrupt the opposition’s flow. The Shrewsbury, Mass., native has good hands and can finish, but his hockey sense needs to get better so he can more consistently find himself in a position to influence the offense.
12. Ronan Walsh
Proctor, 5/3/02, RW, right shot, 6-2.5/192
NCAA commit: Vermont
Walsh is on NHL Central Scouting as a ‘C’ skater because of his size and shot. The Andover, N.H., native has a hard shot and can use his size and strength to be heavy on pucks. Although he’s a good prep player, his skating will be the reason he doesn’t get selected in June.
