As the NHL draft concluded on June 28th, 27 of our league’s own officially began their new careers as NHL rookies. Vaclav Nestrasil and Ryker Lee from Muskegon and Madison respectively lead their USHL peers as the 25th and 26th pick in the first round.
Below is a list of every NHL rookie drafted from the USHL this year.
Round 1
Vaclav Nestrasil – RW, drafted 25th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
At 6’6”, this Prague native is a fantastic young enforcer that never gives up on the play. Excellent while playing off-puck, Nestrasil brings a level of unselfishness to the Blackhawks that will bring a multitude of goals for the team.
Ryker Lee – RW, drafted 26th overall by the Nashville Predators from the Madison Capitols
In 58 games with the Capitols, Lee managed to lead his team with 68 points. The elusive shoot-first winger closed his season doing it all by collected a team-high of 37 assists with a team high of 31 goals to go along with them. If utilized well, Ryker Lee could pose a great threat to the NHL.
Round 2
Jacob Rombach – D, drafted 3rd in the 2nd round by the Nashville Predators from the Lincoln Stars
Ivan Ryabkin – C, drafted 30th in the 2nd round by Carolina Hurricanes from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
Ben Kevan – RW, drafted 31st in the 2nd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Des Moines Buccaneers
Round 3
Sean Barnhill – D, drafted 6th in the 3rd round by the New York Rangers from the Dubuque Fighting Saints
Michael Pradel – G, drafted 11th in the 3rd round by the Detroit Red Wings from the Tri-City Storm
Mason Moe – C, drafted 26th in the 3rd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Madison Capitols
Brady Peddle – D, drafted 27th in the 3rd round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Waterloo Black Hawks
Teddy Multryn – C, drafted 31st in the 3rd round by the San Jose Sharks from the Chicago Steel
Round 4
Adam Benak – C, drafted 6th in the 4th round by the Minnesota Wild from the Youngstown Phantoms
Caeden Herrington – D, drafted 24th in the 4th round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Lincoln Stars
Round 5
Sam Laurila – D, drafted 10th in the 5th round by the New York Islanders from the Fargo Force
Ethan Wyttenbach – LW, drafted 16th in the 5th round by the Calgary Flames from the Sioux Falls Stampede
Jackson Crowder – C, drafted 27th in the 5th round by the Washington Capitals from the Chicago Steel
Round 6
Ashton Schultz – C, drafted 7th in the 6th round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Chicago Steel
Anthony Allain-Samake – D, drafted 8th in the 6th round by the Anaheim Ducks from the Sioux City Musketeers
Carter Sanderson – LW, drafted 9th in the 6th round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
Bruno Idzan – LW, drafted 21st in the 6th round by the Ottawa Senators from the Lincoln Stars
Edison Engle – D, drafted 28th in the 6th round by the Winnipeg Jets from the Dubuque Fighting Saints
Round 7
Caleb Heil – G, drafted 1st in the last round by the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Madison Capitols
Brendan McMorrow – C, drafted 4th in the last round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Waterloo Black Hawks
Matthew Lansing – C, drafted 15th in the last round by the Vancouver Canucks from the Fargo Force
Maxon Vig – D, drafted 17th in the last round by the Montreal Canadiens from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Nolan Roed – C, drafted 22nd in the last round by the Colorado Avalanche from the Tri-City Storm
Ryan Rucinski – C, drafted 27th in the last round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Youngstown Phantoms
Aidan Park – C, drafted 31st in the last by the Edmonton Oilers from the Green Bay Gamblers
