Waterloo Black Hawks forward John Mustard has emerged as a fringe first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft
John Mustard hears the outside noise. He sees the pre-draft rankings. The interest in the Waterloo Black Hawks forward from scouts and NHL clubs has steadily increased as the season has unfolded.
Mustard remains focused on the things he can control. He has become quite good at taking things one day at a time.
The Providence commit is the USHL's top-scoring rookie, netting 28 goals and 55 points in 58 games after making the jump from the North Jersey Avalanche 16U team last year. There, he led the team in goals (56) and assists (61), and his 117 points were the fifth-most in the league.
However, he flew under the radar, entering his first USHL campaign. Mustard was an eighth-round pick in the 2022 USHL Futures Draft. He did not have the pressure of being a high-profile tender signing. Added, he was a 6th/7th round projection on Central Scouting's preliminary watch list in October.
The young forward had no expectations set out for himself coming into the year. Mustard was also not locked into a particular role for Waterloo. He was allowed to play freely and let the chips fall where they may.
"It was good to just earn my own playing time and earn my way up the lineup," said Mustard in an interview on Wednesday.
Still, the 17-year-old came into the league with a strong internal drive to perform well. The Black Hawks coaching staff could see that Mustard's skill set and determination would set him up for a big rookie season.
Mustard best describes himself as a "dynamic energy forward," possessing strong suits in his skating ability and shot.
"He's got a natural goal-scorers touch," Waterloo head coach Matt Smaby said of Mustard. "He has the ability to find the back of the net with very little time and space. He has the ability to create something out of nothing and to do all those things at a high level of speed."
The young forward could not have asked for a better start to the 2023-24 season. He tallied six goals and 10 points in the first month of the season, including a two-goal performance against Dubuque to close out October.
While the early-season success provided reassurance that Mustard could play in this league, nothing had changed in his mindset regarding what he wanted to accomplish in the 2023-24 season.
However, those first ten games set the tone for his 2024 Draft-eligible season.
Mustard finished the first half with 15 goals and 30 points in 27 games, earning a well-deserved invitation to the Chipotle All-American Game.
The purpose of the showcase is for the hundreds of scouts in attendance to get a first-hand look at the top draft-eligible talent in the USHL and NTDP. It's safe to say that NHL club's interest in Mustard was at an all-time high after his dazzling overtime winner.
"It was a wonderful experience," he said. "So many good players there. Just getting that overtime-winner was a pretty cool feeling. It was nice to go there and have that experience."
Central Scouting also took notice. The forward was elevated to a second-round projection in January's mid-term rankings.
Mustard returned to the Black Hawks for the second half and potted a four-goal night to open the month of February. However, over the next 14 games, the forward only found the back of the net once.
It was the first time in his rookie season that Mustard had faced real adversity. As a player with a internal desire to score goals, frustration set in as the games stacked up.
"Absolutely, there was frustration," said Smaby. "(He) is a natural goal-scorer. When you are that, there is a drive to score, and when it's not going in, it can be tough."
He leaned on his coaches for advice, who reassured him that he would soon break out of his slump. Mustard also viewed the goal-scoring drought as an effective learning moment.
"It was mainly putting it back in perspective," the Black Hawks forward said of his drought. "It was good to change that direction of frustration into trying to make myself work harder, earn it more, and just simplify my game."
Since then, the 17-year-old has caught fire again. Mustard has goals in five of his last seven games. His contributions helped Waterloo secure its third consecutive postseason berth.
Mustard could slide into the first round with a strong playoff performance. The forward has no shortage of raw tools that any NHL club would love to add to their prospect pipeline.
"There sure seems to be a lot of interest out there," said Smaby. "I've kind of gone through (the draft process) over my last three years. I think every year, we've had guys that have gotten drafted. It's a little bit different with (Mustard) just in regards to the amount of stuff going on and people around and people watching and calling and asking questions.
"It's a really exciting thing for him and something that he will have earned, but the work begins from that point moving forward. I think he's had a great season and put in a ton of work."
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