The United States Hockey League has officially shed its reputation as an “inferior” league in comparison to the CHL leagues. With a number of blue-chip NHL prospects such as Scott Mayfield, JT Miller, Tyler Biggs, and Jack Campbell coming through the league, the USHL has firmly planted its self as a legitimate producer of big name prospects. The USHL’s preseason showcase event, the USHL Fall Classic just wrapped up this past weekend and after viewing all of the prospects the league has to display this year, here’s ten players you should keep your eye on heading into the 2012 NHL Draft.

Jacob Trouba D USNTDP

Trouba is a physical presence on the ice, standing at 6’2”, 191 pounds. He uses his size to his advantage and can knock most, if not all USHL forwards off the puck as they bring it into the zone. Trouba skates with a solid, wide base which gives him great balance as he makes plays. He is very agile on his feet and he doesn’t get caught out of position very often. In addition to his defensive skills, Trouba is one of the best offensively skilled defenseman in this year’s draft class. He has remarkably soft hands for a defenseman which allows him to create scoring opportunities for not only himself but his teammates as well. Overall he was very impressive in the Fall Classic, playing very consistently. He was wearing the “C” for the USNTDP and it was obvious the team looks to him as a leader. Jacob Trouba is a very well rounded prospect and for that reason, I expect him to go very high in the 2012 Draft.

Jordan Schmaltz D Sioux City Musketeers

Schmaltz is an incredible offensive talent coming out of the USHL. Standing at 6’2”, 175 pounds, he’s already got the size that NHL teams are looking for. Bulking up would not hurt Schmaltz’s draft stock at all, but physicality is not what his game is about. Schmaltz led USHL defensemen in scoring in his rookie season in the league, not something that’s easy to do. His shot is unparalleled in the 2012 class, and his offensive skills will only continue to improve this coming season. In the Fall Classic, Schmatlz was fairly inconsistent, but it was preseason play. He took a few unnecessary penalties and gave up a two-on-one that led to a goal. That said, Schmaltz’s stock can only rise as he improves not only his offensive game, but his physical skill set as well.

Zemgus Girgensons F Dubuque Fighting Saints

Girgensons is a lethal offensive talent out of Riga, Latvia. He was an integral part of the Fighting Saints’ Clark Cup run, finishing third on the team in scoring during the regular season. He has incredible vision and very soft hands. He can see plays well before they develop which is remarkable for a player of his age. He has the ability to make nice touch passes across the zone which set up his teammates for great opportunities. Girgensons is set up to stay in the US and play collegiate hockey at Vermont after he’s done at Dubuque. In a limited viewing at the Fall Classic, Girgensons looked very good and even looked a little bigger than last season. He was suspended for a check from behind in a game against the Tri-City Storm. If he keeps playing at this rate, Girgensons could be the first Latvian ever to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Mike Matheson D Dubuque Fighting Saints

Matheson is an interesting prospect, as a Quebec native, he bypassed the Major Junior route and committed to Boston College. Matheson was very impressive the Fall Classic. He is definitely an offensive minded player and you can see it. It’s almost like he sees an opposing forward coming at him and he is already thinking about how to get the puck away from him and start an offensive opportunity for the Fighting Saints. He has great hands that allow him to keep possession of the puck at the blue line for long periods of time. He will certainly rack up the points quarterbacking Dubuque’s prolific power play.

AJ Michaelson F Waterloo Black Hawks

Michaelson looked very impressive at the Fall Classic. I had my doubts about him being able to make the jump from high school hockey into juniors and make an impact, but he put all doubts to rest last week. Michaelson can flat out fly. He was easily one of the fastest skaters at the showcase. He scored two very pretty goals during the week, showing off that he’s more than just fast, he’s got a shot as well. Playing with other guys like 2013 eligible Taylor Cammarata, Michaelson has a very good chance to lead the Black Hawks in scoring this year while increasing his draft stock.

Nicolas Kerdiles F USNTDP

Kerdiles was extremely impressive in all viewings last season. He is a natural goal scorer and he showed that off last season, picking up 20 points in 32 games last season. His shot from the outside is deadly, consistently beating goalies top shelf because of his uncanny ability to pick his corners and beat goalies with his lighting quick shot. He is a scoring machine, but he seems to shy away from contact at times, dropping his rank a bit. During the Fall Classic, he was very visible on the ice, especially picking up two goals in a game against Sioux City. If he starts battling for the puck in front of the net and in the corners, his stock will rise exponentially.

Adam Chlapik F Omaha Lancers

Chlapik, a 6’0”, 185 pound center out of Prague, Czechoslovakia, is another foreign player playing in the USHL that has a good chance to be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2012 Draft. I absolutely love Chlapik’s compete level. He is always fore checking and getting dirty in the corners and in front of the net. He’s not afraid to battle big defenseman in front of the net and he screens the goalie well despite his height. He is a power forward who loves contact and his offensive abilities are only a bonus with Chlapik. He was very impressive during the Fall Classic showing off his compete level and picking up three assists throughout the week. He is certainly an interesting prospect to watch as the 2011 season begins.

Brian Cooper D Fargo Force

Cooper is an undersized offensive defenseman coming out of the Fargo Force program. He is extremely talented with the puck, quarterbacking Fargo’s power play for the past two seasons. He has a great shot from the point and he is a very smart player with the puck. He can see passing lanes very clearly and has the touch to get the puck deep for his forwards to make chances. The only thing that is holding Cooper’s value back as a defenseman is his size. Cooper stands at only 5’9”, 180 pounds, which is less than ideal for a defenseman. He had a rough Fall Classic, ending up with a -3 for the week. It is only the preseason however, and I fully expect Cooper’s play to be top-notch throughout the rest of the season.

Colin Olson G USNTDP

Olson played the majority of the USNTDP’s U17 squad last season. He shone in this starting role. Olson plays with great form and his large frame takes up a lot of the net. He is a conservative goalie in the way he plays in the paint rather than go out and challenge but his height allows him to let the shots come to him. A second solid season in a row would go a long way in establishing Olson as one of the elite goaltenders in the 2012 NHL Draft class.

Patrick Sieloff D USNTDP

Sieloff, a 6’0”,173 pound defenseman out of Ann Arbor, Michigan spent last year with the NTDP, playing in his hometown. Sieloff flew under the radar most of the year, but towards the end of the year, he really started to get talked about and he is continuously skyrocketing up 2012 draft lists. He plays a very controlled defensive game, nothing too flashy. Another solid season in the USHL will go very far in getting Sieloff drafted in the first two rounds of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Tags: 2012 NHL Draft, 2012 nhl draft prospects, Adam Chaplik, AJ Michaelson, Brian Cooper, Colin Olson, Jacob Trouba, Jordan Schmaltz, Mike Matheson, Nicolas Kerdiles, Patrick Sieloff, Zemgus Girgensons