2025 NHL Draft Watch: Team CHL vs US-NTDP
Upside Hockey’s prolific prospect profiler Trevor Curtis thoughts and observations from the Team CHL/ Team USNTDP game.
First 5 minutes of the game were nasty, and unrelentingly physical. There was plenty of animosity throughout the game, but the Americans were basically outclassed, 6-1.
LW Lynden Lakovic: I've seen him play, but this game was a bit of an eye-opener for me. He has an awkward-looking 10-and-2 stride, but he generates good speed- his goal came from his efforts to get open through the neutral zone to receive a Ben Kindel stretch pass, and then firing a nifty wrister top-shelf. He added an assist, and led all skaters with a +3. He made some smart passes that his teammates were unable to convert.
D Matt Schaefer: Best player on the ice tonight, and seemed to touch every inch of ice on every shift. He was pinching to the net, then making it back to man the point or to snuff the rush in seconds. Goal and an assist, +2. His goal was an end-to-end rush on the PP, and he blocked a shot after losing his stick and his glove. He's like a bigger, faster Parekh with a smothering defensive game.
D Reese Hamilton: I think his confidence is quite low right now, and I question his hockey sense and decision-making in the offensive zone. He was dumping the puck when plays were available, and his shots weren't getting through. He seemed to want to get rid of the puck. His speed was on display though, and he showed he can beat the opposition wide. Defensively, he blocked some shots and seemed to play well positionally. No points, but +1.
D Kashawn Aitcheson: He drove the opposition nuts all night long with huge hits, some in open ice. He has a booming point shot that he showed off on his goal that at first looked like it went off the crossbar, but was determined to be a good goal. Pretty heads-up two-way player.
D Blake Fiddler: He's the type of defensive defenseman who can ride shotgun with the top D on your team- he moves well, does all the little things right, and pays attention to his defensive duties before anything else. He keeps pucks alive, and supports the play in the offensive zone from the blueline, without pinching too much. Good first-pass too, but no points tonight- although that's not really his game.
RW Porter Martone: He skates well, but there's room to improve his small-area quickness- he took a lazy penalty in the second by hooking a player who beat him with speed. He had some chances, and got involved physically and in the scrums, but not his best game overall. No points tonight.
D Cameron Reid: Though he's considered an offensive D, he paid special attention to playing a sound, detailed defensive game. He's an excellent two-way player, but he can be outmuscled, and knocked off the puck. Still, I like this kid more than most. No points tonight.
RW Justin Carbonneau: It was good and not-so-good tonight for JC- he had an assist and was one of the more dangerous players on the ice, but had a rough night with the puck as it seemed like he had a hole in his stick. He flubbed some passes, has trouble receiving at times, and missed an easy tap-in pass from Lakovic in the first. Still, he showed a willingness to battle physically, and skated hard. 1 assist, and +1.
LW Malcolm Spence: Pro-style player with good speed, but his boots look a bit heavy at times- he could use a little tweak on his explosiveness and top speed. He's a smart, responsible player who doesn't take short cuts, is a natural leader, and always seems to be in position. Scored a goal by going to the net front.
C Caleb Desnoyers: Missed on a glorious set-up by Martone while short-handed in the second, with the USA goalie making a big save 1-on-1. Played an industrious defensive game, and went 9/14 in faceoffs. He likes to slow the play down at times, but will need to play with more pace in the pros. No points for him tonight.
C Mike Misa: He could be a spectator in the stands and stiil wind up with points. He was one of the best players on the ice tonight, and put up 2a, with a +1 playing on a line with Martone and Desnoyers. He's around the puck at all times, always dangerous, and has an effortless skating stride.
G Josh Ravensbergen: I'm sure he's had plenty of busier nights, but he's as cool and calm as they come. He has exceptional hockey sense, and reads the play extremely well.
C Conrad Fondrk (USA): No Points, but I like his grit. He's a hard-worker, battles hard in the trenches, and plays a physical game- despite not being the biggest player out there.
C Jake O'Brien: He has elite vision, and can connect on passes that few others can even see, but I was disappointed to see that he lets up a bit in 50/50 battles, and plays a bit soft. 1 assist, and +1,
D Charlie Trethewey (USA): He's bigger and stronger than his 6'1" frame, plays hard and physical, and is pretty mean. He made some excellent defensive plays, even stifling Misa, and played in all situations but needs a bit of a tweak on his defensive coverage at times and his decision-making. Still- he moves well, is good with the puck, and puts in an honest two-way effort. I like this kid. No points, and -2.
D Maceo Phillips (USA): Huge D-man (6'5",214lbs) had a running feud with Martone all night, and was one of the few on team USA that could handle the big Canadian. He's mean and surly, taking 2 minors, one of them for a head shot. I don't think his mobility is very good. No points, and -1.
C Jack Murtagh (USA): I'm a fan of Murtagh's, and I thought he was the best forward for the Americans, followed by Will Moore. He's speedy and hard-working, and never backs down from a battle. He had some good chances, and scored the goal for team USA off of a one-timer from the dot.
C Will Moore (USA): He assisted on Murtagh's goal, and was even on the night. He's big and skates well, and challenges defenders using his size and reach effectively. He's got skill, but wasn't able to show it off much tonight. He played in all situations, including the PK, and almost scored a shorty.
C Ben Kindel: Surprisingly, I thought Kindel was one of the CHL's best players, especially in the third- it seemed like the puck was around him every time he stepped on the ice, and he made several heads-up dangerous plays. He connected with Lakovic on a stretch pass for the first goal of the game, and duplicated the same play again in the third with no goal. 1 assist, and +1.
RW Cameron Schmidt: Another one of the CHL's best, he had a goal and an assist with a +2. Aside from maybe Schaefer and Misa, he was the fastest player on the ice. and had many chances that didn't go in. His goal was a snipe from the faceoff dot, high glove. He's proficient at finding soft spots on the ice, but can also make room for himself with reverse hits. Not afraid of traffic at all.
D Jackson Smith: One of my favorites for the upcoming draft, his speed was on display and he joined the rush a few times, but no points and a +1. He had a bit of a quiet night, but moved the puck well, and played a sound game.
C Braeden Cootes: I like his ability to outskate and outwork his opponents, although he sometimes tried to do too much by himself. He's a nice two-way player with grit and some physicality.
C LJ Mooney (USA): I'm familiar with this kid from the U-18's. He's quite small, but ultra fast and quite feisty with a low center of gravity that seems to make it hard to knock him off the puck. He was noticeable on the PP in the 3rd, and he seems to like to QB the play from the half-boards, where he made some nice passes. Exciting player to watch, but no points tonight, with a -2.
C Brady Martin: Another one of my favorites in this draft class, he really understands the C position, and how to play positionally- he's an excellent defensive player, with good 1-on-1 skill, and displays grit and physicality. He is a lot like Cootes IMO- both could make it in the NHL as defensive specialists, if their offense lets them down. He scored a goal off a misplayed puck by the USA goalie, and was +2. Great two-way performer.
C Cole McKinney (USA): He went 8/13 in faceoffs, picked up an assist, and was even on the night. He played in all situations, and looked good on the PK. Like Cootes and Martin, he's a six-footer who plays a tight two-way game with intensity and physicality.
Check out our extensive 2025 NHL Draft Rankings November Edition. We’ve ranked the Top 96 with nearly 350 prospects included and tons of additional features.
BONUS: Trevor Curtis has also provided his alternative Top 100:
