Case McCarthy

ANALYSIS
Spending this past season playing for the loaded U18 USNTDP team, McCarthy spent the entire year battling for minutes on a crowded blue line. Although you could make an argument he was the fifth-best defensive prospect on his own team, he still has a chance to develop into an NHL regular. McCarthy tends to keep things simple and he can be deployed in a variety of roles. On a club full of potential future stars, the fact McCarthy could complement those players without having the puck on his stick gives him legitimate value moving forward. The addition of McCarthy isn't going to improve New Jersey's prospect pool all that much, but he makes for excellent depth as he gets set to head off to Boston University this fall.