NHL draft coverage kicks into gear again, with James Hagens, Porter Martone and more North American prospects being must-watch players.

With training camps kicking off around hockey and pre-season games getting underway, hockey is just around the corner. That means the NHL draft coverage kicks into gear after a brief break post-Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Any definitive NHL draft ranking that comes out this early is a bit premature, with next to no game action under the draft class’ belts from this current season. That said, after watching them over past seasons, there's an idea of who to follow.

Let’s look at some of the top North American talent heading into the season and what the year may hold for them ahead of next summer's NHL draft. Stay tuned for European talent in the coming days.

James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA), 5-foot-10, 172 pounds

Coming into the year, Hagens has been atop most boards and deserves to be the first player talked about from North America. 

His performance with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program over the last two years has been incredible. With the U-17 program, he pushed for game time with the U-18s. When it was his U-18 year, he was the clear-cut offensive catalyst for the squad. 

Simply put, Hagens has been the best player for his age group at the NTDP in each of the last two years.

Hagens is a slick playmaker who is constantly pushing the pace and busting out almost video game-esque skill. His dirty dangles and slippery movement all over the ice always give opponents fits. 

Hagens heads to Boston College, where he will be yet another premier prospect looking to go near the top of the draft class as a college freshman. He follows the footsteps of Owen Power, Matty Beniers, Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini, who came from the NCAA in the last few seasons as top three picks.

Porter Martone, RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL), 6-foot-3, 196 pounds

If Martone were a center, there would be more conversation about him challenging Hagens for the top spot. It may even still happen. 

Martone has been dominant for the Canadians at international tournaments. He finished third in scoring at the World Men's Under-18 Championship last spring with 17 points, trailing Hagens and 16-year-old phenom and teammate Gavin McKenna. Martone was the captain of that Canadian team despite being one of the youngest players.

The 17-year-old plays with power and skill, attacking defenders head-on and showcasing his blend of strength and skill. The Brampton Steelheads’ winger is a handful for defenders. 

Martone plays a brand of hockey that NHL teams love. If he can tear the OHL up the way many expect, he could challenge for first overall by the end of the year.

Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie Otters (OHL), 6-foot-1, 174 pounds

After a superb performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Matthew Schaefer has become a popular choice as the top defenseman in the NHL draft class. 

While his impressive play in a Canadian sweater has earned him that status, he must have a big year with the Erie Otters to maintain that standing.

Schaefer is an incredibly agile and smooth skater who often looks effortless as he makes his way around the ice. He has the instant burst to win short races and the top speed to make up for any mistake. His game is far more well-rounded than one would expect from a smooth-skating offensive-leaning blueliner with excellent defensive reads and a fantastic defensive stick. 

An increase in his offensive numbers would be huge when it comes to securing a top-five draft choice.

Logan Hensler, D, Univ. of Wisconsin (NCAA), 6-foot-2, 196 pounds

Playing for the NTDP’s U-18 squad last year, Hensler didn’t get nearly as much love because of Cole Hutson putting up some impressive numbers in his draft year. Hensler was the team’s best overall blueliner, though, playing various roles and looking quite good in all of them.

Hensler has all the tools you could ask for from a defender. He has size, mobility, intelligence and skill. He has the ability to play an offensive role, pushing the puck up ice or a defensive role by stepping up and killing a rush attack before it even gets a chance to develop. How he defines his game and establishes a role for himself in college this upcoming season will be integral to supplanting Schaefer as the top defender in the draft class.

Michael Misa, C/LW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL), 6-foot-1, 185 pounds

The former exceptional status OHLer had a bit of an up-and-down season last year. He started it off a little banged up but played through the injury and eventually helped the Saginaw win the Memorial Cup. 

Misa is an incredibly smart player who seems to understand how to play a tactical game with high engagement. He shows some speed and pace at times but it’s not consistent enough just yet. His skill and agility are impressive. 

His biggest flaw is that while he seems to have all of the tools, he isn’t always putting them together. Misa needs to bounce back from what was largely a down year, but if he does, he could be the sneakiest candidate to go No. 1 on draft day.

Cullen Potter, LW, Arizona State Univ. (NCAA), 5-foot-9, 161 pounds

Playing just one season with the NTDP and then jumping to the NCAA a year early, Cullen Potter will be an interesting player to evaluate this season at Arizona State. 

Although he is an undersized forward, Potter plays bigger than he is, bringing some solid two-way play. He uses his speed and agility effectively to affect the game at both ends of the ice. 

Potter is a dual-threat offensive player who was often seen as the play-driver and catalyst for the U-17 group at the NTDP last year. If he can show his size isn’t an issue in college and he can wreak havoc with his speed, Potter could end up pretty high on draft boards.

William Moore, C, U.S. NTDP (USHL), 6-foot-2, 161 pounds

After playing in Canada through his entire hockey career, William Moore joined the NTDP last year thanks to being a dual citizen. 

After leading the team in goals, he looked to have made the right choice. 

Moore draws pressure, works around defenders with his passing game and then looks to get himself into pockets of space. His shot is quite good, and it often comes from excellent scoring positions around the slot or faceoff dots. 

Moore is slender but strong and looked more than capable against older USHL competition last year. With Cullen Potter gone to the NCAA, Moore will be one of the lead dogs heading into the upcoming NTDP season and will look to lead a solid U-18 squad.

Malcolm Spence, LW, Erie Otters (OHL), 6-foot-2, 192 pounds

With a couple of big moments in a Team Canada sweater under his belt, including the gold medal-winning goal in overtime at the Hlinka a year ago as a 16-year-old, Malcolm Spence has been on the radar for a couple of years now. 

His speed is immediately noticeable when you watch him, blazing up and down the ice. He is a very good playmaker who is always looking to advance play and then move up ice. Adding a bit of a goal-scoring touch and weaponizing his speed even more could make him a very high draft pick next June.

Alex Huang, D, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL), 6-foot, 170 pounds

Playing alongside Schaefer for Canada at the Hlinka, Alex Huang showed off just how effective he can be by playing the role of safety blanket on the back end. He consistently made excellent defensive reads, using his mobility to get into position. 

Huang is a capable puck-mover as well, consistently looking to hit teammates on the breakout with passes. His puck skill isn’t overly impressive, and his game lacks a dynamism that top-of-the-draft defenders have, but as a mid-first-round pick, Huang could fill a need for quite a few teams.

Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), 6-foot-2, 179 pounds

After a strong Hlinka, Desnoyers put his name near the top of draft boards with impressive complementary play. 

His skating isn’t incredibly dynamic, but he never falls behind play. Desnoyers’ physical tools aren’t overly impressive, but his tactical game and ability to play off his teammates with a high level of effort has been impressive at the Hlinka and last season in the QMJHL. 

Desnoyers will be one of the prospects who help reinvigorate the QMJHL pipeline after a few down years when it comes to draft prospects from Quebec and the Maritimes.