UPDATED Draft Day Approaches; A few schedule dates; Looking ahead

                                                

The NHL Entry draft is set for this Wednesday and Thursday in Nashville. Three future Terriers should hear their names called: 2023 recruit Tom Willander is expected to be a first-round pick. 2023 recruit Gavin McCarthy is likely to go in the second or third round while 2024 recruit Brandon Svoboda is projected for the fourth or fifth rounds. Two overagers, 2023 recruit Jack Harvey and rising sophomore Jeremy Wilmer, also could be late picks.

For an EP Rinkside profile, Russ Cohen spoke with Willander about where he want to improve his game and what he’ll bring to the Terriers next season.

Willander's physical game is on point.

“I’d say strong. Mainly around the boards,” Willander divulged. “I feel like I am very competitive and will win a lot of puck battles.”

Willander sees a lot of his game in a top-line Dallas Stars defenseman. I don’t think it’s apples to apples, but there are some similarities for sure.

“I really like how Miro Heiskanen plays. His two-way game is really good. He’s strong with his skating. I feel like his transition game is super good. Not too flashy but very effective in the offensive zone,” Willander added.

His freshman season won’t be his first time playing in North America. In 2015, Willander played for Team Alberta in the Brick Invitational Youth tournament in Quebec. His father is a skills development coach for youth hockey and, for a while, the family lived in Canada.

Rogle GM Chris Abbott on Tom Willander: “Probably not under the radar at this point but he’s very good. He’s an incredible skater, he’s very confident, he’s physical. He’s got a lot of high-quality attributes. We haven’t seen high-end offensive instincts from him yet but he’s got all the rest

In the NHL.com mock draft, Mike Morreale has Willender selected by St. Louis at #10, while Adam Kimmelman projects he'll go to Vancouver at #11.  

● TSN.ca interview with Willander  ; TSN.ca Mock Draft has Willander at #11

The Athletic's Cory Pronman included McCarthy, who missed two months last season due to an injury, in his final pre-draft thoughts:  

McCarthy didn’t post huge numbers in the USHL this past season, but I see a lot of tools that could translate into a solid NHL defender. He has good length, he skates well, he’s quite physical and has an edge in his game. McCarthy played a big role on the USA Hlinka team and showed at that level, in the USHL and with USA’s U19 team that he can at least look competent on a power play even if it’s not his strength. I look at him and compare him to Maxim Strbak, who could be a late No. 1/early No. 2 type of selection, and I don’t see a ton of differences.

►Some former Terriers and BU-connected folks will be doing the drafting as well. Rangers President and GM Chris Drury and Sharks GM Mike Grier are pictured here with new Philadelphia GM, Daniel Briere.

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All three of these guys will be on the draft floor as NHL GMs this week, pretty neat pic.twitter.com/f8Jd6kBCV7

— Sabremetrix📊 (@Sabremetrix) June 25, 2023

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In addition, Jamie Armstrong’s dad, Doug, is the Coyotes’ GM. New Terrier Jack Hughes’ dad, Kent, I the Canadians’ GM and 2024 recruit Jack Pridham’s dad, Brandon, is the assistant GM at Toronto.

 ►A few facts about new Terrier Jack Hughes, who is transferring from Northeastern:

1.He scored five goals last season for Northeastern and one of them was a lacrosse goal. Wilmer Skoog has departed, but we could very well see his signature move performed again next season.

2.A 2022 Los Angeles second-round draft pick, Hughes was a standout at that year’s combine. He ranked first in pullups (19), third on the pro agility test going left, and sixth on the bench press. 

 

A  few more 2023-24 schedule dates have become available: 10/7 @ Bentley, 10/13 @ UNH, 10/27 vs. UMass, 10/28 @ UMass, 11/3 vs. N.Dakota, 11/4 vs. N.Dakota, 11/10 @ Lowell, 11/11 vs. Lowell, 1/13 vs. UNH and 2/2 @ UNH.  A Division 1 schedule grid is available here.

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Update: According to a number of sources, a Thanksgiving Week match-up with defending national champion Quinnipiac at Agganis Areba may be in the works. Stay tuned!

Looking ahead

Goalie Max Lacroix, a 2024 recruit (previously reported as 2023), will spend next season with the new NAHL franchise, the Colorado Grit. He was one of the Grit's first players tendered. A Colorado native, he's the son of former Avalanche forward and later team executive Eric Lacroix. His grandfather, Pierre Lacroix was the Avs' general manager when the team won two Stanley Cups--including 2001 with Drury--and later was team president. Lacroix played the past two seasons at The Governor's Academy under Coach Brian McGuirk, a former BU captain.

● RubberHockeyMagazine.com Incoming Grit goaltender realizes “dream come true” with BU commit

2024 recruit Callum Hughes is moving from the East Coast to the West and will skate in the BCHL next season.  The 6'1" center, a Basking Ridge, N.J. native, scored 56 points (14G,42A) for Mount St. Charles 16U last season. He's set to play for the Chilliwack Chiefs next season along with fellow 2024 recruit Pridham, a 6'2" right wing who had a 35-37-72 line for St. Andrews College in 2022-23.

● WestKelownaWarriors.ca Warriors add four new recruits

Hughes is playing for Massachusetts in USA Hockey’s Select 17 tournament and has three goals in four games. Fellow 2024 recruit Will Zellers has a 2-4-6 scoring line for Minnesota. 2025 recruit John McNelis has three goals and two assists for Southeastern District. 2024 recruit defenseman Owen Keefe has one assist.  

Looking back

Shane Bowers was traded by the Bruins to the Devils. The 23 year-old center was acquired by Boston from Colorado last season. Originally an Ottawa draft pick, he played two seasons at BU with a combined 53 points (28G,25A) and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team in 2017-18.

● NHL.com/Devils Bowers acquired by Devils

● Elite Prospects Page