It’s a dreary, chilly Monday in October, which means it’s the perfect time to peruse the NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Watchlist, hoping to see Minnesota represented by a chunk of players.

NHLCS has the list broken down into tiers - A, B, C, W, and LV. ‘A’ players are considered first-round talents, ‘B’ players are pegged as second or third rounders, ‘C’ players could go in the fourth or fifth round, and ‘W’ players are considered sixth or seventh rounders. ‘LV’ means ‘limited viewing’, indicating that a player has a recent injury that has precluded scouts from getting the best read on where they may slot in. 

The list is a Pandora’s Box of names - names who have left the Minnesota ranks as youth players or high schoolers, names that maybe weren’t called in their first year of draft eligibility, and a name that’s joining the Minnetonka Skipper varsity after playing for a few Michigan-based programs over the last few seasons. 

At last count (and there could be one or two we’ve missed), there are 33 Minnesota products listed by NHLCS as possible NHL Draft selections this coming summer, plus Michigan native Cameron Merrick, who will join Minnetonka this season. 

Three players have earned ‘B’ ratings, including NTDP U18 forwards Mikey Berchild and Victor Plante. The third is Eagan native Kyle Heger, who moved on to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s program for his Bantam hockey. Heger is a Wester Michigan commit. Berchild has verbally committed to Denver, and Plante will continue his family’s legacy at Minnesota Duluth. 

Continue reading for a table of all Minnesota products listed this fall, plus capsules on five players who could see their stock rise this season.

Dylan Dean 

The Maple Grove native has built a strong pre-draft resume over the last few seasons, playing critical roles for elite teams at Mount Saint Charles Academy and with the Long Island Gulls. 

Now with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, Dean has six points in 10 games, and has seen time on the Oil Kings’ power play. A strong WHL season in front of a multitude of NHL scouts (five of the 19 North American players with an ‘A’ rating reside in the league) could push Dean into the fourth or fifth round by season’s end. 

Jimmy Egan 

Egan’s 2024-2025 season got off to a slow start due to injuries, but the 6-foot-2, 187-pound power forward still managed to score 15 goals and total 45 points in 26 games with the Sioux Falls Power 16U Tier I team. 

The Arizona State commit has yet to register a point with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, but the season is long and there should be more opportunities for goals and assists. 

Teddy Lechner 

Is there a hotter name among American defenseman than Lechner right now? What started as a nice, but unspectacular, fall season for the Holy Angels senior has turned into a roadshow of exposure. Since the leaves began to change, Lechner has seen time with the National Team Development Program’s Under-17 squad and the defending USHL champion Muskegon Lumberjacks. 

Teams already love Lechner’s length and reach at 6-foot-3, and he has room to add muscle to his frame. He’s a smart player and highly effective distributor of the puck, evidenced by his 34 assists in two seasons of varsity hockey. Still only a junior this season, Lechner also played well on the national stage at this past spring’s USA Hockey Select 17 camp, registering three assists in six games. 

Jayden Kurtz 

Kurtz checks every box in the era of the high-octane defenseman. He’s a wildly athletic 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, his skating is superb, and he’ll play this season for the powerhouse Rogers program. Kurtz currently has three goals and 11 points in 18 games during Upper Midwest High School Elite League play this fall. 

Kurtz is an easy player to fall in love with, considering his size and skill. He’s got 35 total points in two seasons with the Rogers varsity, and with the graduation of high-profile defenders Nolen Geerdes and Jackson Smithknecht (committed to Western Michigan and Colorado College, respectively), Kurtz should be “the man” on the Royals’ blueline. 

Kaenan Smith 

A native of Duluth, Smith went from Duluth Marshall to the Sioux Falls Power Tier I program last year, then suited up for Team USA at the Gretzky Hlinka Cup this summer. It’s easy to lose track of goalies, considering how quickly the funnel narrows due to the fact that teams only roster two or three netminders, but Smith’s current NAHL numbers and his international experience could make him a darling in scouts’ eyes. 

Through eight games with the Janesville Jets, Smith has a 2.39 goals-against-average and a .915 save percentage. He is committed to Minnesota Duluth.