Devin Kaplan

October 2023 – Kaplan uses his body as a weapon and is not afraid to mix it up in the corners or in front of the opposition goal. When with the puck, Kaplan takes whatever space is given to him before ripping a shot. Most of his shots come in and around the slot which should eventually translate to goals. James Iacovone

June 2023 – Coming off his first season at Boston University, Kaplan was one of two Philadelphia Flyers prospects invited to the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp/World Junior Summer Showcase, which will occur from July 27, 2023, to August 4, 2023, in Plymouth, Michigan. The event is part of the selection process for Team USA before the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, from December 26, 2023, through January 5, 2024. Mark Henry

July 2022 – Kaplan was drafted 69th (nice) overall by the Flyers. Pat Quinn

February 2022 – Devin Kaplan emerged on the scene last year for the US National Team Development Program, tallying 39 points in 46 games with the U17 squad and adding another three points in a two game audition with the U18 team. Now a full-time member of the U18 team in his draft year, he is among the top-ten scorers on the club through the midway point of the season while playing mostly thrid line minutes.

Kaplan has all the tools to become a reliable two-way winger for any NHL team that takes a chance on him. The major flaws in Kaplan’s game, however, are his poor skating and slow pace. Kaplan has been the perfect complementary winger for the USNTDP this year. He relies on his strong hockey sense to find the soft areas of the ice and exploit them before the opposition realizes he’s open. At times, he compensates for his lack of foot speed by positioning himself to be the trailer on an offensive fast break. Another strong area of Kaplan’s game is in the trenches. With his big frame, he invites competition along the boards and outmuscles opponents for contested pucks. Once he wins those battles, he often looks to start the cycle to provide his teammates scoring opportunities. The next area of focus in Kaplan’s game is his defensive game. This is an area where Kaplan shines as he is not afraid of being aggressive, whether it is in his own end or on the forecheck. When defending in his own zone, he uses an active stick to take away passing lanes and strip the puck from the opposition. Kaplan is also a staple on both special team units, leading the USNTDP’s penalty kill and supporting their dangerous power play. The last area of focus in Kaplan’s game is his transition ability. When Kaplan gains possession of the puck and looks to transition to offence, he primarily resorts to a transition pass rather than transitioning the puck himself, due to his underwhelming skating. This severely limits his transition game and allows the opposition to predict a transition pass when the puck is on his stick. Overall, if Kaplan can improve his skating, he has the potential to become a jack of all trades middle-six winger in the NHL. Zack Szweras