Craig’s List: Hughes leads class heavy on American talent

Craig Button

TSN Director of Scouting

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Jack Hughes’s record-breaking season could end with him leading a historic draft class for American hockey talent.

Hughes, who recently broke Clayton Keller’s USA Hockey National Team Development Program scoring record by recording his 190th point in two seasons with the Under-17 and Under-18 squads, sits atop the March edition of Craig’s List ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Five other American skaters have worked their way into the top 10. The record for most U.S. players drafted in the first 10 slots of an NHL draft is four (done in both 2005 and 2006). With 10 Americans currently ranked as first-round picks on our list and 18 in our top 50, the record of 12 U.S. players picked in the first round (done in 2016) could also be challenged.

Hughes remains the best player available this year, combining elite offensive skill and imagination with his will to compete every time he comes over the boards. He’s been slowed by a couple of minor injuries this season, but still has put up monster numbers (35 goals, 89 assists in 61 games).

That sustained excellence keeps him ahead of TPS Turku right wing Kaapo Kakko (No. 2) and Russian right wing Vasili Podkolzin (No. 3). Very little separates these two dynamic players who both have plenty of size and high-end skill to offer.

He sometimes gets lost in the hype surrounding Hughes, but USNTDP centre Trevor Zegras (No. 4) is having a great season of his own, with 110 points in 77 games. The Boston University commit’s playing style and body type remind me of Vancouver Canucks rookie phenom Elias Pettersson.

Vancouver Giants blueliner Bowen Byram (No. 5) has established himself as the clear top defenceman in this class. The Cranbrook, B.C., native has been an offensive force in the Western Hockey League this season, scoring 26 goals and adding 45 assists in 67 games. I think he’ll be able to run a power play at the NHL level.

Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Dylan Cozens sits sixth this month. A great skater with size (6-foot-3, 181 pounds), Cozens has 34 goals and 84 points in 68 games this season. Cozens has slipped out of the top five as the season has progressed, but he’s still an excellent prospect with a big engine who reminds me of Filip Forsberg.

The rest of the top 10 is dominated by Americans. USNTDP left wing Matthew Boldy (No. 7) blends size and great hands, while teammate Alex Turcotte (No. 8) has major upside as a two-way centre. Hamilton Bulldogs right wing Arthur Kaliyev (No. 9) was a top-10 scorer in the Ontario Hockey League this season, scoring 51 goals and adding 51 assists in 67 games.

USNTDP right wing Cole Caufield, an offensive dynamo who is just 5-foot-6 3/4 and 162 pounds, rounds out the top 10. Caufield, who recently broke Phil Kessel’s record for career markers with the USNTDP, is the best pure goal scorer available in the draft.