The USNTDP is always must-watch hockey for prospect followers. It’s not just that they usually have the top American prospects — it’s that their games solely feature draft-eligible talent playing across different levels and often getting into track-meet affairs.

This year, the program is particularly interesting. There are no fewer than six first-round candidates, the order of which isn’t set. Even the argument for the top prospect isn’t clear: Logan Cooley is the frontrunner to go first, but Frank Nazar has closed the gap.  

To get a bit of clarity on the group, I tracked seven of the NTDP’s USHL games. Spoiler alert: there wasn’t much more clarity gleaned. But, I do have some thoughts.

Here are the five most interesting ones: