USNTDP's Will Smith moving up on Button's prospect ranking

Published Nov 30, 2022 at 10:04 AM ET

While this year’s United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) squad doesn’t have an individual prospect at the level of a Jack Hughes or an Auston Matthews headlining its class, centre Will Smith is making plenty of noise.

Committed to attend Boston College in 2023-24, Smith leads the USNTDP in scoring this season with 17 goals and 45 points in 24 games. He’s also climbed from No. 16 to No. 6 in TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s latest 2023 NHL Draft ranking.

“He’s one of those players that’s got a real subtle excellence to him,” Button said of Smith. “All of the sudden, he needs to go a little bit faster, and he does. He needs to make a pass, and he does. He needs to maneuver the puck into a shooting position, and he does. You better know where he is on the ice because if you don’t, chances are you’re about ready to get slayed.”

The USNTDP has churned out a number of star players over the years and has been well represented in recent drafts.

The program has produced five first-overall picks in Rick DiPietro (2000), Erik Johnson (2006), Patrick Kane (2007), Matthews (2016) and Hughes (2019), and had a record eight players selected in the first round of 2019. Six players heard their names called in the opening round in Montreal last year, led by centre Logan Cooley going third to the Arizona Coyotes.

While Smith has enjoyed a big rise up the draft rankings, he’s not the only USNTDP player to climb the list. Joining Smith in Button’s top 15 are centre Oliver Moore, who rises from No. 28 to No. 11, right winger Ryan Leonard at No. 13, and left winger Gabe Perreault, who jumps from No. 34 to No. 15.

Smith centres Perreault and Leonard to form the USNTDP’s top line, one that Button calls “the best line I’ve seen in hockey this year.”

“They’re excellent two-way players,” said Button of the trio. “They’re highly skilled, they can shoot the puck as well as [they] pass the puck. They’re all high, high IQ and they’ve all got a burning competitive fire.”

Perreault has 20 goals and 41 points this season while Leonard has 19 goals and 33 points.

Moore slots in as the second-line centre behind Smith, registering 14 goals and 31 points this season, and like the trio, he is also entrusted with killing penalties. Button compares him to a current Detroit Red Wings star.

“He just has so much game,” Button said of Moore. “He’s really good, he’s a Dylan Larkin type.”

While the four USNTDP players enjoyed some of the biggest rises on the list, it wasn’t the only notable movement.

No. 1 ranked prospect Connor Bedard stands alone at the top of the 2023 draft, but centres Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson jump into the No. 2 and 3 spots respectively, with Button proclaiming they’ve separated themselves from the rest of the field.

Fantilli, who is currently enjoying a strong freshman season at the University of Michigan with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games, has been on the radar for several years due to standout performances with the USHL’s Chicago Steel and internationally with Team Canada.

Carlsson has been putting up impressive numbers in Sweden as a draft-eligible player with two goals and 13 points in 20 games (0.65 PPG) for Orebro, pacing ahead of the likes of former top-five draft picks Elias Lindholm (0.625), Nicklas Backstrom (0.565) and Lucas Raymond (0.529).

“He’s one of those deceptive skaters,” said Button on Carlsson. “It’s effortless. It’s like he glides over the ice. He’s always coming down on you and his agility and quickness are fantastic. He can accelerate and speed up; he just keeps defenders right back on their heels.

“He can evaporate really quick on you. You think you have him and all of the sudden you’re chasing him. Great puck skills.”

On this side of the pond, a player that has been dazzling scouts and hockey fans this season is the No. 16 ranked player, Kelowna Rockets centre Andrew Cristall.

The 17-year-old is second in Western Hockey League scoring this season with 18 goals and 43 points, behind only Bedard who has 22 goals and 54 points.

Despite being one of the smaller players in the first round at just under 5-foot-9, Cristall has shown an ability to win puck battles.

“He has an exceptional brain and puck skills,” said Button. “Every time he has the puck, be ready because there’s going to be a scoring chance happening either for him or somebody else.

“He just makes plays all over the ice. He’s got a Mitch Marner-esque quality to him.”

Statistics updated through November 28

Craig's List: Nov. 30

RK	Player	Team	POS	HT	WT	GP	G	P
1	Connor Bedard	Regina (WHL)	C	5'9 ¾	183	24	22	53
2	Adam Fantilli	Michigan (NCAA)	C	6'2	195	14	10	25
3	Leo Carlsson	Örebro (SHL)	C	6'3	198	20	2	13
4	Eduard Sale	Brno (CZE)	LW	6'2	174	21	3	6
5	Matvei Michkov	St. Petersburg (KHL)	RW	5'10	172	8	8	12
6	Will Smith	USA NTDP (USHL)	C	5'11 ¾	178	24	17	45
7	Colby Barlow	Owen Sound (OHL)	LW	6'0 ¼	193	20	17	31
8	Brayden Yager	Moose Jaw (WHL)	C	5'10 ½	162	24	13	30
9	Zach Benson	Winnipeg (WHL)	LW	5'9	160	24	14	35
10	Dalibor Dvorsky	AIK (SWE-Als)	C	6'1	201	17	4	8
11	Oliver Moore	USA NTDP (USHL)	C	5'11	188	24	14	31
12	Ethan Gauthier	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	C	5'11 ¼	176	24	9	26
13	Ryan Leonard	USA NTDP (USHL)	RW	5'11 ½	190	22	19	33
14	Gabe Perreault	USA NTDP (USHL)	LW	5'10 ¾	165	24	20	41
15	Koehn Ziemmer	Prince George (WHL)	RW	6'0 ¼	204	23	15	36
16	Andrew Cristall	Kelowna (WHL)	LW/RW	5'9 ½	167	20	16	39
17	Cameron Allen	Guelph (OHL)	D	6'0	194	23	2	12
18	Riley Heidt	Prince George (WHL)	C	5'10 ½	182	23	13	36
19	Calum Ritchie	Oshawa (OHL)	C/RW	6'1 ¾	187	21	8	18
20	Mikhail Gulyayev	Omsk (MHL)	D	5'11	172	5	1	10
21	Nate Danielson	Brandon (WHL)	C	6'1 ¼	185	53	23	57
22	Samuel Honzek	Vancouver (WHL)	LW	6'3 ½	186	23	14	32
23	Otto Stenberg	Frölunda (SWE J20)	RW	5'11 ¼	180	18	6	14
24	Kasper Halttunen	HIFK (SM Liiga)	RW	6'2 ¾	207	9	7	12
25	Matthew Wood	Connecticut (NCAA)	RW	6'3 ½	193	15	5	12
26	Tom Willander	Rogle (SWE J20)	D	6'1 ¼	180	23	4	14
27	Axel Sandin-Pellikka	Skelleftea (SWE J20)	D	5'10 ¾	176	20	13	26
28	Lukas Dragicevic	Tri-City (WHL)	D	6'1	192	23	8	32
29	Etienne Morin	Moncton (QMJHL)	D	5'11 ¾	181	23	9	23
30	Bradley Nadeau	Penticton (BCHL)	RW/LW	5'10	161	23	24	48
31	Oliver Bonk	London (OHL)	D	6'2	174	21	5	17
32	Emil Jarventie	Ilves (SM Liiga)	LW	5'9 ½	167	21	8	19

33	Charlie Stramel	Wisconsin (NCAA)	C/RW	6'3	212	14	2	4
34	Roman Kantserov	Magnitogorsk (MHL)	RW	5'9	176	25	16	32
35	Jesse Kiiskanen	Pelicans (SM Liiga Jr)	RW	5'10 ¾	178	19	13	30
36	Noah Dower-Nilsson	Frölunda (SWE J20)	LW	6'0	174	22	21	37
37	Danny Nelson	USA NTDP (USHL)	LW	6'3	202	23	11	22
38	Mathieu Cataford	Halifax (QMJHL)	C/RW	5'10 ¾	188	24	16	36
39	Kalan Lind	Red Deer (WHL)	LW	6'0 ¼	158	23	6	22
40	Andrew Strathman	Tri-City (USHL)	D	5'10	190	16	1	17
41	Tanner Moldendyk	Saskatoon (WHL)	D	5'10 ¾	184	20	0	9
42	Quentin Musty	Sudbury (OHL)	C/LW	6'1 ¾	200	20	7	25
43	Coulson Pitre	Flint (OHL)	RW	6'0 ½	172	24	9	21
44	Beau Akey	Barrie (OHL)	D	5'11 ½	170	20	4	13
45	Hunter Brzustewicz	Kitchener (OHL)	D	5'11 ¼	188	21	1	17
46	Caden Price	Kelowna (WHL)	D	6'0 ¼	186	20	2	13
47	Michael Hrabal	Omaha (USHL)	G	6'6 ¼	209	12	2.87	.914
48	Carson Bjarnason	Brandon (WHL)	G	6'3	186	19	3.02	.912
49	Lenni Hameenaho	Pori (SM Liiga)	RW	5'11 ½	173	25	3	10
50	Tuomas Uronen	HIFK (SM Liiga Jr)	RW	5'10 ¾	183	19	9	21
51	Jordan Tourigny	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	D	5'10 ½	165	25	4	15
52	Daniil But	Yaroslavl (MHL)	LW	6'5	203	16	12	20
53	Tyler Peddle	Drummondville (QMJHL)	LW	6'0 ½	195	24	14	21
54	Ethan Miedema	Windsor (OHL)	LW	6'3 ¾	206	22	7	20
55	Theo Lindstein	Brynäs (SWE J20)	D	6'0 ½	180	11	2	7
56	Maxim Strabak	Sioux Falls (USHL)	D	6'1 ½	205	17	3	10
57	Carson Rehkopf	Kitchener (OHL)	LW	6'1 ¼	195	21	10	16
58	Noel Nordh	Brynäs (SWE J20)	LW	6'1 ½	196	18	5	11
59	Aram Minnetian	USA NTDP (USHL)	D	5'11	192	24	3	14
60	Carey Terrance	Erie (OHL)	C	6'0 ¼	175	21	10	17
61	Nick Lardis	Peterborough (OHL)	LW	5'10 ½	165	24	11	17
62	Connor Levis	Kamloops (WHL)	C	6'1 ½	189	20	5	20
63	Jakub Dvorak	Liberec (CZE)	D	6'5	202	23	0	2
64	Will Whitelaw	Youngstown (USHL)	C/RW	5'9	173	17	9	17