University of Connecticut Athletics
Three Huskies in Final NHL Central Scouting Rankings
4/10/2020 11:54:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
STORRS, Conn. - NHL Central Scouting released their final set of rankings this week and three Huskies made the list. Rising sophomores Yan Kuznetsov (Murmansk, Russia) and Jake Flynn (Bridgewater, Mass.) and incoming freshman Nick Capone (East Haven, Conn.) were all among the players listed in the final ranking of North American skaters for the 2020 NHL Draft.
Central Scouting on Wednesday revealed its final list of the top North American skaters and goalies, and top International skaters and goalies. The date and location of the draft remains in question because of the coronavirus. It had been scheduled for Bell Centre in Montreal on June 26-27 but was postponed March 25.
Kuznetsov and Flynn wrapped up their rookie seasons in Storrs. Kuznetsov, a 6-4 defenseman, ranked 36th on the list and was the second youngest player in all of NCAA Division I hockey this season. He played in all 34 games as a rookie and collected 11 points on the year, scoring twice with nine assists. He earned the team's Thomas J. Jacquard Award for the team's top rookie. Flynn, a 6-0 defenseman, ranked 122nd on the final list. He played in 30 games as a rookie and had nine points on two goals and seven assists along with 15 blocked shots on the season. He finished tied for 12th among all Hockey East rookie defensemen in scoring.
Capone, a 6-2 forward, will join the Huskies this coming fall and was ranked 126th on the list. He is coming off a season playing with Tri-City Storm of the USHL where he posted 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists in 34 games. Prior to joining Tri-City, he played two seasons with The Salisbury School in 2017-18 and 2018-19 where in 57 games he scored 33 goals with 43 assists.
