USA Hockey Select 17 Camp: Top defensemen

David Ma (Yonkers, N.Y.) has honed his skills with the Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16-U team. (Matt Addington/Shattuck-St. Mary’s)

The 2019 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp at Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., showcased many of the top 2002-born defensemen in the United States, sans those on the NTDP.

From the camp, seven defensemen were chosen to represent USA Hockey on the 2019 U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team that will compete at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Slovakia and Czech Republic from Aug. 5-10.

The crop of blueliners in this age group isn’t as deep as the forwards. There wasn’t a whole lot to be excited about in terms of 2020 NHL draft prospects, nor were there many uncommitted defensemen who piqued the interest of college coaches in attendance.

Without further ado, here’s a look at the defensemen who stood out at the 2019 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp:

1. Wyatt Kaiser

No. 2 Black, Andover (Minn.) HS, 7/31/02, D, left shot, 5-11.5/171
NCAA commit: Minnesota Duluth

Kaiser’s play over the first three days was just above average, considering the high expectations I have for him. However, he still showed why he’s one of the top defenders in the country at this age group. He’s strong on his skates, smart and can bring it physically. He has a good stick, makes strong decisions and delivered a few big hits.

2. David Ma

Hometown: Yonkers, N.Y., No. 4 Royal, Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16-U, 6/22/02, D, left shot, 5-10.5/169
NCAA commit: Princeton

Ma had a really good camp with four assists. His hockey sense is his best asset. He makes good reads, smart puck touches and pinches at the right time. His edge work gives him very good mobility, which allows him to make an impact offensively as well as cover ground in his own zone.

3. Donald Kempf

No. 3 Red, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 4/15/02, D, left shot, 6-0.25/176

Kempf had a solid week offensively, but he’s consistently a reliable, steadying presence on the blue line. He closes quickly on opposing forwards. With good hockey sense and a hard shot, his stock soared.

4. John Opilka

No. 4 Navy, St. Louis AAA Blues 16-U, 9/26/02, D, left shot, 6-2.5/205
NCAA commit: St. Cloud

Opilka is a good-sized, sturdy, two-way defender with pro upside. He does a good job keeping things simple and being in the right position. If his foot speed can come along a little, expect him to be a draft pick come next June.

5. Evan Bushy

No. 3 Royal, Thief River Falls HS, 3/26/02, D, left shot, 6-0.5/184
NCAA commit: St. Cloud

Bushy had a strong camp with his size and hockey sense. Not an offensive player, he’s solid and reliable in his own zone because of being in control.

6. Jake Ratzlaff

No. 3 Grey, Rosemount HS, 6/23/02, D, right shot, 6-1.75/197
NCAA commit: Minnesota

Ratzlaff is a big, athletic, shutdown defender from Rosemount, Minn. He has a good reach and can play physically. His feet will need to improve in order to get more positive reviews from NHL scouts, but he’s already projecting as a potential pick in 2020.

7. Alex Gagne

No. 3 Forest, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 8/26/02, D, left shot, 6-3/195
NCAA commit: New Hampshire

Gagne came out of nowhere after an impressive season with the New Hampshire Avalanche 16-U in the ECEL. With his size, stick and skating, he has a lot of upside. He isn’t overly offensive at this level, but he’s very good on breakouts and protecting pucks. He’s still raw, but he was solid here and earned a roster spot on the U.S. team for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

8. Timothy Lovell Jr.

No. 7 Navy, Boston Advantage 16-U, 2/8/02, D, left shot, 5-5.25/124
NCAA commit: Ohio State

Lovell had a great week and was one of the most talked about players at camp. He had two assists but is an elite puck mover due to his hockey sense. He retrieves pucks well and is an above-average skater, especially using his edges. His size and strength are still issues he’ll have to overcome. If he was a few inches bigger, he makes the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in the mind of this observer.

9. Michael Suda

No. 4 Black, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 7/3/02, D, left shot, 6-0.5/176
NCAA commit: Cornell

Suda was one of the most improved players from last year’s camp. He seems in better shape and was solid defensively. He has a good stick, can cover a lot of ground defensively, and protects pucks. He’s added a step as well. If he can become even more assertive and improve his puck skills, he could be a draft pick or free agent signing down the road.

10. Nathan Schweitzer

No. 5 Navy, Benilde-St. Margaret, 2/21/02, D, right shot, 5-11.5/194
NCAA commit: Colorado College

Schweitzer had just one assist, but his vision and feet are both assets. He has the skating and puck skills to transition from defense to offense and jump into the rush on a consistent basis. His stick and speed allow him to recover defensively when he needs it.

11. Ian Moore

No. 6 Kelly, St. Mark’s, 1/4/02, D, right shot, 6-2.5/167
NCAA commit: Princeton

Moore skates well, has above-average hockey sense, and a good shot. His feet and puck skills allow him to make plays on the breakout. He can defend with his feet and stick, but his defensive positioning is an area that he could improve upon as he continues progressing.

12. Cole Oravitz

No. 5 Royal, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16-U, 8/13/02, D, right shot, 5-11/217
NCAA commit: UMass

It wasn’t the best camp for Oravitz, who is one of the stronger and more physically intimidating defensemen in the age group. When he’s at his best, he’s making strong, crisp outlet passes and being tough to play against. He has a hard one-timer, but his bread and butter will be his physical play.

13. Matt Basgall

No. 2 Columbia, Chicago Mission 16-U, 8/16/02, D, right shot, 5-9.25/180
NCAA commit: Michigan State

Basgall’s feet kept him from being a consistent force here. His hockey sense is high and he made a couple of really nice plays on the breakout, which is expected in his game.

14. Scott Morrow

No. 7 Royal, Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep, 11/1/02, D, right shot

Morrow had three assists and made several really nice plays with the puck on his stick. He sees the ice well and made a couple of really good looks to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He skated the puck up ice in transition. His feet have improved, but they need to continue getting better in order to truly make that next step in his game.

15. Christian Jimenez

No. 5 Kelly, Taft, 3/15/02, D, left shot, 5-9/187
NCAA commit: Harvard

Jimenez is able to get pucks moving north at times, but he wasn’t as efficient at this camp as he was at last year’s Select 16 when he made the U.S. roster for the Five Nations Tournament.

16. Brandon Chabrier

No. 2 Red, North Jersey Avalanche 16-U, 7/19/02, D, right shot, 5-10.75/155
NCAA commit: Northeastern

Chabrier has the puck skills to impact the offense. He can make some really good passes in transition as well as from the point during in-zone sequences. If he can improve his hockey sense and float less, there’s upside as an offensive defenseman.

17. Noah Ellis

No. 7 Forest, Des Moines Buccaneers, 2/1/02, D, right shot, 6-1.25/187

Ellis was the best uncommitted defenseman at the camp. He’s mobile and jumped into the offense. His mobility and size were intriguing. He’s had an interesting development track, coming up from the Iowa Wild and starting the year with Omaha AAA before earning a call-up to Des Moines in the USHL.

18. Hunter McDonald

No. 3 Columbia, Rochester Monarchs, 5/11/02, D, left shot, 6-2.5/175
NCAA commit: RPI

McDonald is a steady, reliable defender. He scored a goal on a low wrist shot, but his offensive upside is limited. What he does bring is smart, simple outlet passes and the ability to defend well with his size.

19. Mitchell Smith

No. 7 Columbia, Saginaw Spirit, 9/15/02, D, left shot, 5-9.75/174

Mitchell had a strong week offensively. He can jump into the rush with his feet, skating and puck skills. He likes to push the pace and has a lot of skill. His proneness to turnovers is one weakness that he will need to work on in his first OHL season.

20. Bryce Montgomery

No. 2 Kelly, London Knights, 11/12/02, D, right shot, 6-4/208

Montgomery is a big, strong defender who uses his reach to defend and close on opposing forwards. His puck touches and ability to play the puck are works in progress. A former Providence commit, he’s moving from Cushing Academy to play for the OHL’s London Knights.

21. Avery Winslow

No. 3 Gold, London Knights, 8/24/02, D, left shot, 5-11.25/181

Winslow is a mobile defender who pushes the pace in transition. He had just one assist, but showed some flashes. He’s making the move to the London Knights after playing for the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild last season.

22. Nick Justice

No. 2 Grey, Victory Honda 18-U, 11/24/02, D, right shot, 6-1/185

Justice was one of the top uncommitted skaters at the camp. He has size and a good stick. He was steady and made a great pass in transit on the opening day. His development is trending upward.

23. Jason Marsella

No. 6 Grey, North Jersey Avalanche 16-U, 11/20/02, D, left shot, 5-10.5/181
NCAA commit: Yale

Marsella has the puck skills and skating to push the pace in transition and jump into the offense. His play away from the puck was an issue at times, but he has the feet and stick to recover when necessary.

24. Gerard Keane

No. 7 Red, London Knights, 1/30/02, D, right shot, 5-10.75/168

Keane had a goal and an assist but wasn’t as strong overall as he was in past development camps in Amherst.

25. Max Bronstine

No. 4 Forest, Fargo Force, 1/15/02, D, left shot, 5-9.25/137
NCAA commit: Arizona State

Bronstine has the skating and skill to be a dynamic puck-mover. He has the ability to jump into the rush and create offense. If he can run around a little and improve his sense away from the puck, he’ll be an even better prospect.

26. DJ Hart

No. 6 Columbia, Sioux Falls, 2/23/02, D, right shot, 6-1.75/185
NCAA commit: Ohio State

Hart had three assists here and brought it physically. His ability to defend will need some work in order to be a consistent presence at the USHL level for this upcoming season.

27. Mason Langenbrunner

No. 4 Kelly, undecided, 9/14/02, D, right shot, 6-2.25/166

Langenbrunner is a steady defender with size. He has the size and length to defend. His skating still needs some work, but he’s a prospect trending in the right direction. He is the son of Boston Bruins player development coordinator Jamie Langenbrunner, who had nearly a two-decade run in the NHL as a player.

28. Jacob Bauer

No. 5 White, Lincoln Stars, 2/25/02, D, right shot, 6-2/180
NCAA commit: Western Michigan

Bauer had a strong week offensively with his vision and above-average stick. His hockey sense and feet need some work in order to become more of a reliable commodity in his own zone.

29. Colin Hedland

No. 3 Navy, undecided, 9/11/02, D, right shot, 5-10/165

Hedland made some good outlets and skates well. He was one of the more physically imposing defensemen at camp. If he can improve his defensive play and hockey sense, there’s a lot to like with his tools.

30. Bayard Hall

No. 4 Columbia, Salisbury, 8/16/02, D, right shot, 6-1/176
NCAA commit: Brown

Hall’s puck touches were an issue early in camp, but he’s a player who has improved significantly from a couple of seasons ago. He has upside as a two-way defender with his size.

31. Max Tobin

No. 7 Kelly, undecided, 10/29/02, D, left shot, 5-10/177

Tobin had a good week in Amherst, his first at a USA Hockey Player Development Camp. He had two goals and an assist. His shot and overall puck skills are above average, while his hockey sense, ability to defend and mobility could all use work in order to get a college commit.

32. Ben Dexheimer

No. 4 Gold, Blake, 6/21/02, D, right shot, 5-7.5/144
NCAA commit: Miami

Dexheimer is on the smaller side, but he has puck skills and hockey sense to make plays. He plays with a little bit of jam and isn’t afraid to go into corners to retrieve pucks.

33. Grant Hindman

No. 3 Black, Little Caesars 18-U, 5/16/02, D, left shot, 5-11.25/197

Hindman had a good week for himself. He made a couple of plays and was solid in his own zone.

34. Ian Ferguson

No. 2 Navy, Tri-City Storm, 3/8/02, D, left shot, 5-11/178

Ferguson is a defensive defenseman with limited offensive upside. He needs to improve on his poise, decisions and ability to play with pace, but there’s some potential to blossom into a bottom-pairing defender at the NCAA level.

35. Frank Jenkins

No. 4 White, Hamilton Bulldogs, 9/25/02, D, left shot, 6-2.75/199

Jenkins is a big, tough defender but needs to keep his feet moving and make better decisions with the puck.

36. Victor Mancini

No. 6 Forest, Frolunda, 5/26/02, D, right shot, 6-3.5/203

Mancini has size and strength. He’s the son of USA Hockey ADM manager Bob Mancini.

37. Hunter Hatcher

No. 5 Grey, Belle Tire 18-U, 6/29/02, D, left shot, 5-7.5/148

Hatcher is on the smaller side, but his mobility is above average. He’s not quite dynamic enough yet given his size.

38. Nicholas O’Hanisain

No. 5 Gold, undecided, 2/9/02, D, right shot, 5-10.25/156

O’Hanisain jumped into the offense a few times and scored a couple of goals. He had a good stick to defend on the rush.

39. Jarod Crespo

No. 4 Red, Salisbury, 4/30/02, D, right shot, 5-11.25/210
NCAA commit: Penn State

Crespo has the skill and strength to make some plays, but his feet and sense need work as he continues his development.

40. Casey Roepke

No. 4 Grey, Green Bay Gamblers, 5/2/02, D, left shot, 5-11.5/168
NCAA commit: Wisconsin

Roepke suffered an injury in the second game and missed the rest of the camp. He’s still one of the better junior and college prospects on the blue line at this age group.