• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
The U.S. NTDP program celebrated Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day with USHL matinees against Muskegon for the Under-17 team and Youngstown for the Under-18 team. All that action led to a pair of players making this top-performances list, which is limited to three players on an otherwise quiet Monday.
Had this list been expanded to five, it would have included Muskegon's Matej Pekar, who starred in an 8-5 loss to the Under-17's. Although he didn't make the cut, Pekar is a player who will definitely be drafted in June. The Czech import, a Nebraska-Omaha recruit, is a 6-foot left wing, which makes him tempting to scouts. With six goals and 29 points in 30 games, Pekar leads all USHL rookies. He didn't make the list for Monday, but he will almost certainly be here before the season ends.
The third player on this list played in Monday's only major-junior game. Check out the full, all-American trio here:
JOEL FARABEE -- Farabee scored two goals and added an assist in the U.S. Under-18 team's 7-1 rout at Youngstown on Monday. After helping set up the eventual game-winner for a 2-1 lead at 8:24 of the first period, Farabee tallied twice on the power play in the second. His first goal, scored at 14:14, made it 4-1, and his second, at 19:42, took the lead to 5-1. Farabee, a Boston University recruit, has eight goals and 18 points in 11 USHL games this season, including a five-game scoring streak that has seen him score three goals and four assists. His 1.64 points-per-game average ranks third in the USHL, and his 20 assists in 32 overall games top the Under-18 team. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
ISAAC JOHNSON -- Passed over in last year's draft when he was in the USHL, Johnson made the leap to major-junior with the Tri-City Americans and is flourishing in the WHL. He continued to raise his stock on Monday with a goal and two assists in Tri-City's 6-5 loss at Everett, earning No. 2 star honors. All of Johnson's points came in the second period, and all pulled the Americans into a tie. His first was the lone assist on a goal at 2:21, making it 2-2. His second was a primary helper on a 3-3 tying goal at 11:51. His third was his 11th goal of the season at 16:16 to make it 4-4. Johnson now has 26 points in 39 games. That's only two points shy of the 28 he posted in 47 USHL games last season. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
OLIVER WAHLSTROM -- One of the best pure snipers in the draft pool, Wahlstrom continued to score for the U.S. Under-18 team on Monday with two goals and an assist in the 7-1 win at Youngstown. The game's No. 1 star scored the opening goal at 1:03 of the first period and made it 3-1 at 8:09 of the second. Six minutes later, he took the initial shot on a power-play rebound goal for a 4-1 lead at 14:14. Wahlstrom has 10 goals in 11 USHL games this season, including back-to-back two-goal games. The Harvard recruit has 23 goals in 32 games for the Under-18 team -- just three goals shy of Josh Norris' team-leading 27 over 61 games in 2016-17. He's also Team USA's Leading scorer with 39 points. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)