THN.com/podcast. From THN American Pipeline: NHL Draft List, U-18 Worlds and Lightning Prospects Ryan Leonard [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2NDgyODA0Mzg3Njg1NTI2/leonardntdp.jpg] Ryan Leonard The USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-18 season culminates at the World Men's Under-18s. The squad builds to this tournament all season. All the games against top NCAA competition, all of the chemistry developing over the two years with the program, and all of the training and hard work are for this moment. Now that the American squad is in Switzerland for the tournament, the work is being put on display for the world to see. The team's familiar names – at least for anyone who has followed the NTDP – provide the foundation for it all. The top line featuring center Will Smith, flanked by Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, has been outstanding. Perreault and Smith are tied for the tournament lead in scoring, while Leonard is three points back in third. The trio blends their play styles seamlessly, building and working off of each other's strengths and helping provide cover for each of their weaknesses. “It just clicked,” said Leonard. “We started really hot together and stayed together almost all year. We mesh so well. It’s easy to play with those guys.” The trio has been together for most of the season. They’ve learned each other’s tendencies and traded skills as they’ve spent so much time together. “When you play with guys as much as we have, especially this year, you’re predictable to each other and unpredictable to your opponents,” said Leonard. That’s the key to the NTDP’s top line. They’ve become predictably unpredictable – Leonard’s blend of speed and power, Smith’s silky smooth skill and offensive creation, and Perreault’s connective tissue and dual-threat ability. Opponents know the role each of them plays, but their chemistry, individual skill and ability to think the game at a high level have allowed them to flourish. The NTDP program provides a rare experience – the same group plays together with very little change for two of the most pivotal developmental years of their careers. Whether it’s on- or off-ice training, flying overseas and staying in hotels for international tournaments, or just hanging out on an off-day, the players at the program are around each other more than most. “You’d think we’d get sick of each other,” said a laughing Smith. “It’s the brotherhood of it all that allows us to play like we do.” The NTDP has created a cohesion with its players that is nearly unmatched. The skaters know where they will be on the ice, and they know what the next step in the play is, trusting their teammates to be there. The team’s top line exemplifies that perfectly. Leonard is the workhorse power winger who can go through his opponent when he doesn’t see an opportunity to get around them. His skill level is quite impressive for a player who builds their game off the speed and power combo. On a number of occasions this year, he’s dangled one defender before carrying another on his back as he drives the net. He isn’t the biggest forward, standing just 5-foot-11, but there aren’t many players at his age who are as physically strong as Leonard. He has trained for years in the off-season with his older brother, 24-year-old John Leonard, who has been splitting time between the AHL and NHL for the last three years. Training with athletes who are almost a decade his senior has allowed him to push himself to a level physically most players his age could never dream of. Perreault is the ultimate play connector. His skating lacks dynamism, and his edgework will need improvement as the level of competition ramps up, but his straight-line speed and intelligence allow him to keep up with his highly skilled teammates. Perreault works the give-and-go through the neutral zone with a high degree of success, giving his teammates the ability to advance play with their skill sets. The son of longtime NHL veteran Yanic Perreault, Gabe is an effective dual-threat offensive player. He has an excellent shot and gets to high- and medium-danger shooting areas with regularity. The driver of the bus with the NTDP’s top forward line is Smith. The shifty and skilled center can undress defenders. Smith is an agile skater who changes speeds and works off his edges as well as almost anyone in the 2023 NHL draft class. His puck skill is elite, showing the ability to control and manipulate the puck on his forehand or backhand, evading opposing players' attempts at separating the puck from his stick at will. Smith is a high-level playmaker who has developed a taste for getting into scoring areas and shooting the puck. He draws so much attention to himself because of his instantaneous ability to embarrass his opponent. Smith’s awareness of where everyone is on the ice allows him to recognize when a double team clamps down and where the open man is at any given time. He can catch a defender leaning and feather a pass through the smallest of holes or identify when an opposing player is falling a step behind to take advantage of a shooting lane. The U-18 American squad is poised for a long and successful run at the Under-18 World Championship. In large part due to the trio of stars that the program has developed. Perreault surpassed Auston Matthews for the NTDP’s U-18 scoring record of 117 points, sitting at 121 points with plenty of tournament games left. Smith is tied for second with Auston Matthews at 117 after a four-point performance against the Finns on Sunday. By the tournament’s end, Leonard will likely be sitting well inside the top 10, surpassing players such as Jack Eichel and Trevor Zegras. Simply put, these kids are unreal, and they aren't done yet. Smith, Perreault and Leonard all committed to Boston College next year and could form an all-freshman line that would be among the NCAA’s most entertaining. The familiarity could help ease the adjustment to full-time NCAA hockey, especially considering they have been quite good against the college competition. All of that is for the future, though. Right now, the NTDP triplets have their focus set on winning the U-18 title. As Smith put it: “The under-18s are what we play for this year. It’s how this group leaves their mark on the program.”
