The USNTDP was a force to be reckoned with this year. Every game there was a new player I was making a note about, going back to watch shifts of, and honestly having a hard time ranking forwards and defensemen within the program let alone against the 2022 draft. One of the players that played a lot on the third and fourth lines this past year that continually caught my eye was Devin Kaplan.
Devin Kaplan hails from Bridgewater, NJ and played for the North Jersey Avalanche AAA program before joining the USNTDP program. He’s played primarily with Charlie Stramel and Rutger McGroarty in the games I’ve watched.
There are a few players I’ve profiled that I really enjoy watching, but when it comes to the player I think will far outperform their draft position in the 2022 draft I’d be betting on Devin Kaplan.
Fast becoming one of the more polarizing players in the public scouting sphere: Seamus Casey serves as a prime example of the NHL’s goal to expand hockey into the American Southeast. Hailing from Miami, Florida and playing his last year before the NTDP for the Florida Alliance u16 team: Casey has been a much hyped defenseman for the better part of three years. He has committed to play for the University of Michigan with an expected enrollment in the 2022-23 year.
Playing for the USNTDP certainly has its perks as a NHL draft prospect including high-end coaching, development, and training facilities. Players get to play against USHL teams but also against some of the best NCAA teams, as well as represent the United States in international tournaments culminating in the IIHF u18 championships. Not to mention that their teammates are widely regarded as the best players in the United States in their age group.
It also has some drawbacks when evaluating players for the NHL draft. The NTDP, being a developmental program, spreads out the minutes of their players pretty evenly across all situations. Lines and defensive pairings are often scrambled throughout the season with roles and situations having to be adjusted to for developmental purposes. Casey has had multiple different defensive partners in my viewings. He primarily played on his strong side with Tyler Duke, but he also spent periods of time with Lane Hutson, and played on his off-hand side playing with Charlie Leddy for a game.
Compared to most top defensemen in North America playing for teams outside the NTDP: Casey’s minutes are much less than the top defensemen playing in the CHL. Compared to most of the top defensemen that Casey will be compared to in this class in North America he is averaging just over 16 minutes a game and just under a minute and forty seconds of power play time a game this season according to InStat. Of the North American defensemen I’ve been watching who could warrant a first round pick, this is about 6 minutes less of ice time and a minute less of power play time per game that Casey gets on average, with some of the CHL defensemen receiving anywhere from 24-30 minutes a night.
This isn’t to excuse Seamus Casey from any point production metrics, but rather to put into context the developmental system and program he currently plays in rather than a “playing for a championship” type of team in the CHL/USHL.
