By Warren Kozireski–(USA Photo of Farabee) —
Cicero native Joel Farabee, Albany’s Tyler Madden, Rye product Adam Samuelsson and East Aurora’s Gabriel Blanchard are among the top 220 North American Skaters eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to be held in Dallas June 22-23.
Farabee, with the U.S. National Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan, has played 43 games with 11 remaining in the regular season. The 5’11” 162 lb. left wing had 22 goals with 27 assists—about equal to his season total from last season.
The Boston University commit played 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with the Selects Hockey Academy 16U team in the USPHL before being accepted into the national program.
The projected first round selection (rated 11th in the NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings) is a dynamic offensive player with speed as you might expect with his size.
Madden was rated #49 at midterm and the Northeastern University commit is toiling for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL after being traded earlier this season from Central Illinois after 18 games.
Madden is the son of former 11-plus year NHLer and three-time Stanley Cup champion John Madden, an undrafted University of Michigan Wolverine, who spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils and is now head coach of the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League.
The 5’11”, 152 lb. center is also known for his speed and was chosen as part of the World Junior A Challenge.
Samuelsson is the son of former NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson as you can tell from his 6’5”, 240 lb. frame. The defenseman was ranked 66th among North American skaters at midterm and is a Boston College recuit.
He is a teammate of Farabee’s with the U.S. National Development Program where he had four goals with 14 assists and 49 penalty minutes though the first 43 games this season. As with many bigger players, his skating is a question mark and may push him into the fourth round or later.
Blanchard is a defenseman from East Aurora playing this season with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers in the New England Prep league. His junior rights are owned by Waterloo in the USHL, but has made no commitments as of this writing.
He played in the Buffalo area for Bishop-Timon and the Buffalo Regals 16U squads.
At 6’0” and 181 lb. he was ranked 215th among North American skaters at midterm, which puts him in the late (five-through-seven) rounds at best.
Final rankings for the draft are expected in April.
