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Fantasy Summary

Has the size and hockey sense to develop into a middle-six, two-way forward. He needs to improve his skating and the speed of his game. He has the potential to develop into a multi-category player. Patience in his development will be necessary, as players his size tend to take longer to reach their potential.


Observations

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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

 

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 6.5
NHL Certainty 7.5
Country USA
Position RW
Roster Type NCAA
Shoot/Glove Right
Date of Birth January 10, 2004
Height 6‘3”
Weight 204 lbs
Drafted 2022 Round 3; Overall: 69

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2015-2016 East Coast Selects O U12WSI U127 4 59 12|        
 2016-2017 Pro Hockey McDonald U13WSI U138 9 716 6|        
  New York Jr. Rangers QC Int PW3 5 16 6|        
 2017-2018 North Jersey Avalanche 14U AAAAYHL 14U19 11 1627 32|        
  North Jersey Avalanche 14U AAAT1EHL 14U12 4 812 32|        
 2018-2019 North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAAAYHL 16U20 16 2137 91|        
  North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAAT1EHL 16U24 14 1731 8|        
  Oshawa Generals Selects U15WSI U157 4 15 10|        
 2019-2020 Team White USA-S154 0 11 2|        
  North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAAAYHL 16U4 2 1113 16|        
  North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAABEAST 16U8 3 69 30|Playoffs1 1 01
 2020-2021 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL30 6 1824 32|        
  U.S. National U17 TeamNTDP46 13 2639 52|        
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP2 1 23 0|        
 2021-2022 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL22 8 1018 36|        
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP53 13 2538 59|        
  USA U18WJC-186 1 56 0|        
 2022-2023 Boston Univ.NCAA40 10 1323 49|        
 2023-2024 Boston Univ.NCAA37 5 1823 34|        
 2024-2025 Boston Univ.NCAA1 0 00 19|        

Highlights