Aram Minnetian

June 2023 – Minnetian was selected 125th overall by the Stars. Pat Quinn

April 2023 – The crop of defensemen out of the USNTDP in 2023 is significantly weaker than in past years, but there is one very intriguing player in that group who could slip under the radar on draft day and fall to the middle rounds. Aram Minnetian is a tremendous skater. The right-shot defenseman has great stride and crossover mechanics, he moves with great fluidity, and he layers deception into every motion with the puck on his stick. The production doesn’t reflect his skill, dynamism, or playmaking ability, but he is poised for a breakout with Boston College next season. His on-puck game has some impressive flashes that are reminiscent of Seamus Casey, but he also has more developmental question marks than Casey did. He has a tendency to rush plays under pressure, which all effective offensive defensemen in the NHL have grown out of, and he will need to do the same. He’s also quite a passive transition defender, his gaps are typically loose and he often gives up zone entries without much contest. His in-zone defending is defined by generally good scanning habits and the very same passiveness that is so visible in his transition defending. Minnetian is far from a sure thing, but his foundation of strong tools and deception gives him a very interesting upside that will likely trump most alternatives as of the third round of the draft. Playing with his entire first line from the USNTDP at Boston College will also help optimize the conditions of his development. Sebastian High