Round 1 [#14 overall 2019 NHL Entry Draft]
Cam York
Style of Play: Fast, agile, poised puck handler who can play in all situations. A potential future top pairing defenseman.
Defense | Left Handed
Born: Jan 5 2001 | Anaheim Hills, CA (18 years old)
Height: 5.11 | Weight: 175
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-17 Team | USHL | 20 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-17 Team | Exhibition | 18 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 6 | 13 |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | USHL | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 12 |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | Exhibition | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| 2018-19 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | Exhibition | 35 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 4 | 16 |
| 2018-19 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | USHL | 28 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 12 | 40 |
I can see the Brian Leetch comparison and I would add a touch of a Brian Rafalski comparison into the mix as well. My early thoughts are that he seems like he could have a really nice upside, especially if his body fills out and he adds strength into his game. His shot will definitely need some extra gusto, as I can’t see him beating goalies clean with his current velocity. That, however, can absolutely be fixed as he matures physically.
Currently, he’s ahead of development for most defenseman his age. He’s one of two players, under the age of 17, to make the USDP team in 2018-2019. The other player to accomplish the same feat is Jack Hughes. Throw in the fact that he’s the top-pairing defenseman for his team, a position that tends to take longer to develop, and you have something special. It’s an impressive feat that could indicate he’s ahead of the curve in the IQ department. I see his game translating into a top pairing in the league, especially with the reputation and development program he graduated from. When you have a core of players who are all elite and growing up together, you try to grab as many of them as possible.
Round 2 [#34 overall 2019 NHL Entry Draft]
Bobby Brink
Style of Play: Aggressive and dynamic playmaking forward with goal-scoring prowess and high-creativity potential.
Right-Wing | Right Handed
Born: Jul 8 2001 | Minnetonka, MN (18 years old)
Height: 5.08 | Weight: 159
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-17 Team | Exhibition | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -1 |
| 2017-18 | U.S. National Under-17 Team | USHL | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017-18 | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | Exhibition | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 43 | 35 | 33 | 68 | 22 | 23 |
Bobby Brink has all of the unassuming appeal of a draft pick steal. Falling further than most would have imagined, Brink has a lot of skill and casual confidence to go with it. It seems that the more I learn about Bobby Brink, the more I like about him. Outside of his skating concerns he appears to be a player that would have easily gone in the top have of the 1st round and when a player like Cole Caufield drops to 15, it’s not that surprising that Brink, one of the most talented players in the draft, would fall to 34.
I don’t think many people expected him to fall so far, but it shouldn’t be that surprising considering a lot of talented players have fallen of late due to skating concerns. Having said that, skating issues are fixable, but talent is not. A high reward pick, Bobby Brink
Is a highly-skilled, agile, and creative player. Looking at his physical makeup it doesn’t appear he has a lack of explosive skating, its that his body needs to evolve if he wants to skate at the next level. He’s a wildcard with skating, but everything else about his game seems to be a top tier talent.
Round 3 [72 overall 2019 NHL Entry Draft]
Ronnie Attard
Style of Play: Hard Nosed, aggressive shooting defenseman with a booming shot and two-way upside. Possible secondary powerplay support at the NHL level.
Defense | Right Handed
Born: Mar 20 1999 | White Lake, MI (20 years old)
Height 6.03 | Weight 208
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2016-17 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 46 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 27 | -15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017-18 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 50 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 126 | -9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2018-19 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 48 | 30 | 35 | 65 | 66 | 47 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
Attard surprised me at dev camp. I was impressed with his game overall and his confidence was high as he consistently smiled after the whistle. He felt good about his game and it was noticeable. Big, strong, and fast. Ronnie Attard plays with tenacious confidence that helps him stick out of the crowd. It’s a bit too early to tell if it’s his confidence comes from being an overager (drafted at age 20) or was he just a little late to find his stride.
What I see is a player ripe for a bottom pairing role in the NHL, but could be versatile to play with more talented players. He might not pan out to be a top 4 guy, but he could have all the tools to be a good #5 defenseman in the NHL with secondary power-play unit potential. I would take any of my predictions here with a grain of salt, because, at this stage, it’s up to Attard to prove what his ceiling really is. However, he’s a dark horse to impress at training camp and his time in the NCAA, playing against men, will tell if he’s really ready for another level of competition.
Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
