[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (It's All There Edition):

Here's a player who I think will surprise with how early he is taken in the Draft. LW Kristian Epperson has had a miserable year in the NTDP, failing to live up to the hype he generated in a starring role for two years at Shattuck St.Mary's between 2020-2022, or even his output from 2022-23 in the NTDP. During his time at Shattuck, he was considered one of the USA's best players for his age group, and in 2022-23 for the USNTDP Juniors against USHL competition, he was 6th on the team with 29 points in 39 games- eclipsing fellow 2024 draft-eligibles such as Christian Humphreys, Max Plante, Austin Baker, Lucas Van Vliet, and Teddy Stiga. This season, he could only muster 11 points in 32 games for the USNTDP Juniors, with a meager total of 16 points in 42 games on the NTDP's U18 Team. Not only did he fail to show progression in this, his draft year, but his points-per game dropped from 0.74 down to 0.38 against USHL competition. At one point this year, he was even demoted to the U-17 team, where he also didn't set the world on fire, with 7 points in 14 games. Nobody in the hockey world seems to be able to explain his fall from grace, but it's been said that the Development Program has been trying to turn him into a checker, as he's playing behind some elite talent on the team, and that he needs to be put in situations where he can produce offense, as that's his game. He has definitely been playing in the team's bottom-6, but I can't honestly say if he earned that with sub-par play, or if he's been miscast for some reason, such as not meshing properly with a coach, injury, etc.

Epperson might not be putting it all together this year, but he's got the full array of tools at his disposal, other than the fact that he measures only 5'11", and 183lbs. There's plenty of finesse in his game, wrapped up in a crusty outer shell. The first main pillar of his game is his skating, which is effortless and fluid, with supreme edges to dodge attackers and explosive acceleration. To enhance his speed, he plays with pace and high-energy, and the second pillar of his game, his work-ethic, which has been praised since his days at Shattuck. The third pillar of his game is his main offensive weapon, his bullet of a wrister that he can use to pick corners with, that comes with a quick, deceptive release. He has a goal-scorer's built-in ability to find, or create open space to unleash and will drive the net to pick up garbage, or to beat the goalie 1-on-1. His ability to see the ice is pillar number four, and though he leans towards shooting, he has shown slick playmaking ability and high IQ combined with skillful passing. He's patient and poised, and will wait for the right play to unfold rather than throw the puck away or try to force the wrong play, and can spot teammates in high-danger. Epperson has excellent puck-skill, and it's almost impossible to strip him of possession with how hard he is on the biscuit- he can slip through checks along the boards even when being pinned.

While Epperson isn't the most physical player, his game has plenty of pushback and his 46 PIM says he's no gentleman. He goes to the dirty areas without fear and battles hard, and shows high effort and tenacity on the forecheck to force turnovers. He hounds puck-carriers in all 3 zones, and does all the little things for his team that don't show up on the scoresheet- he's details-oriented, wins battles, and retrieves loose pucks. That brings me to the fifth pillar of his profile, which is his stellar defensive play- he has keen awareness in his own zone, and smart positioning. He tracks down pucks, eliminates threats, and gets the play going the other way by moving the puck out of the zone quickly and efficiently. He relieves pressure by breaking up plays with his anticipation, and can cover multiple attackers at one time, sometimes delivering hard hits to get the job done. Epperson can take on a number of roles on any line, and the coaches in the NTDP trust him with penalty-killing duties.

While I can't say exactly what happened this season, I think there will be plenty of teams that are still interested in taking him, knowing him for the player that he is- and there will be plenty of teams that regret not taking him sooner. Some say he would have been better off as an everyday USHL player, rather than making the NTDP, and perhaps he would have looked better in the CHL (The OHL's Saginaw Spirit drafted him in the 2022 Priority Selection Draft in Round 5, 84th overall). Epperson needs to get bigger and stronger, as he can sometimes get pushed around, and he has to find his old offensive swagger, but he has time to work on his game as he's committed to the University of Michigan for 2025-26. A team could concievably pick him as low as the third round, but I would guess 4th, or 5th round.