2024 USHL Draft Review: Sioux City Musketeers

Ryan Sikes

Jun 20, 2024, 00:58

Ryan Sikes

Jun 20, 2024, 00:58

After signing Nikita Klepov to a tender agreement, the Sioux City Musketeers added dynamic skaters early on in their 2024 USHL Draft, including former NTDP defenseman Sam Laurila.

Photo courtesy of Rena Laverty / USA Hockey's NTDP - 2024 USHL Draft Review: Sioux City Musketeers

The Sioux City Musketeers got a head start on their 2024 USHL Draft when they signed forward Nikita Klepov to a tender agreement in early April. The 15-year-old, listed at 5-foot-9 and 146 pounds, skated with the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Knights 15U team this past season. There, Klepov recorded an incredible 31 goals and 41 assists in only 22 games, with his production more than 25 points better than the next closest skater.

The Musketeers got a look at the young forward early in the 2023–24 season. As the season progressed, Klepov and his family were invited down to see Sioux City and experience what a day in the life might look like.

"Him and his father were kind of bought-in at that point," Sioux City general manager Sean Clark told The Hockey News. "We feel like it was a really good fit relationship-wise. We love the player and his abilities. He's a really humble kid. He's a hardworking kid, and we feel he's a really good fit in our lineup next year."

Having forfeited their first-round pick because of the tender signing, the Muskies selected Maddox Dagenais with the 25th overall pick in the second round. The Montreal native, listed at 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, is a left-shot forward who racked up 81 points on 42 goals and 39 assists during the regular season for the Quinte Red Devils U16 squad. In the playoffs, Dagenais tied for the second-most goals (14) and finished with 17 points in a ten-game sample size.

Given his skill set and production, Sioux City felt like they got the best player available in the second round of the draft.

"He's a dynamic, offensive-driving centerman," Clark said of Dagenais. "He has a high skill level, really sees the ice, understands time and space and when to attack, and can really score around the net, too. That was the thing we saw the most in this game."

Following the Dagenais selection, Sioux City looked to the blue line and took defenseman Blake Sinclair, listed at 6-foot-1 and 174 pounds, with the 55th overall pick in the fourth round. While he primarily played junior hockey for Rogers Academy, the Musketeers scouting staff got a look at the left-shot defenseman at both the Select 15 National Development Camp and Minnesota Lakers 15U teams.

"At that point, we really kind of fell in love with the player," Clark said. "He's an extremely balanced, athletic skater. He has good size. He has the ability to possess pucks and make plays. He has some physical gifts to his game and has some physicality he can add on the defensive side of things, too. We're extremely excited about the player and his upside. We really feel like he's kind of an untapped raw potential. When he came to camp just last week, he really showed that ability. We're extremely excited about him."

Despite Sinclair being a fourth-round selection, the plan right now is for the young defenseman to practice with the team in the fall and see where it goes from there.

Here is a look at the Sioux City Musketeers' entire 2024 USHL Phase I Draft class:

Round 1, Pick 10: Nikita Klepov, F (Tender)

Round 2, Pick 25: Maddox Dagenais, F

Round 4, Pick 55: Blake Sinclair, D

Round 5, Pick 70: TJ Hale, F

Round 6, Pick 85: Gavin Holland, D

Round 6, Pick 88: Kase Kamzik, F

Round 8, Pick 115: Parker Stockseth, G

Round 9, Pick 130: Dylan Dean, F

Round 10, Pick 145: Travis Poliski, F

In the Phase II portion, the Sioux City Musketeers traded down from the No. 10 to the No. 12 spot in the order, recouping the No. 15 and No. 20 overall picks from the Chicago Steel.

With their first pick, the Muskies selected defenseman Easton Hewson. The 18-year-old, listed at 6-foot-2 and 183 pounds, is committed to Minnesota State (Mankato) and spent the last two seasons with the AJHL's Calgary Canucks. The left-shot defenseman posted 29 points on six goals and 23 assists. He has shown improvement each year, and Sioux City feels that he has not yet reached his full potential.

"Really skilled for his size," Clark said of the pick. "He has some range in his skating. A little bit on the raw side, but the upside on the player is extremely large."

Following the Hewson selection, Sioux City drafted a forward with the acquired No. 15 pick, taking Connor Arsenault. The left-shot forward, listed at 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, is committed to Cornell University and spent the last two seasons at St. Andrew's College. This past year, Arsenault captained the team and scored 41 goals and 74 points.

"I love Connor's 200-foot game down the middle," Clark said. "Really feel like he fits not only our identity but the Western Conference identity that is the USHL. He plays a strong two-way game, has good stick skills, and gets up and down the ice very well. He just has the ability to kind of penetrate and play on the inside offensively. He will be very good inside the face-off circle and on the defensive side of things as well."

Using the No. 20 overall pick, Sioux City added much-needed experience along the blueline in former NTDP defenseman Sam Laurila. The 17-year-old, listed at 6-foot and 187 pounds, is committed to playing collegiate hockey for North Dakota.

Laurila tallied three goals and 11 points for the NTDP U18 team last season. He is also ranked No. 148 among North American skaters by Central Scouting for the 2024 NHL Draft. Should he go undrafted this year, a strong season with the Musketeers could see him be selected as a re-entry candidate in 2025.

Primarily known as a defensive defenseman to this point, Laurila will have the opportunity to be a big part of Sioux City's power play that has been among the best in the USHL over the last few seasons.

"We felt like we got arguably the best player in the draft in Phase II when he had fallen in the second round," Clark said of Laurila. "Sam's a really talented player and has two years of experience playing in the league. He's a young man who's a very gifted puck-mover, sees the ice extremely well, has good stick skills, and we feel like he could come in and be a power-play, No. 1 defenseman for our group. Especially his experience in the league and things like that, he could really be an impactful player and be one of the top defensemen in the league this year."

Here is a look at the Sioux City Musketeers' entire 2024 USHL Phase II Draft class:

Round 1, Pick 12: Easton Hewson, D

Round 1, Pick 15: Connor Arsenault, F

Round 2, Pick 20: Sam Laurila, D

Round 3, Pick 37: Andreas Straka, F

Round 5, Pick 70: Tyler Roccas, D

Round 5, Pick 76: Kieren Dervin, F

Round 6, Pick 88: Luke Garry, F

Round 7, Pick 102: Ethan Phillips, G

Round 8, Pick 117: Tyler Dysart, F

Round 9, Pick 132: Oscar Pantzare, D

Round 10, Pick 147: Anthony Allain-Samake, D