Six Players with Stars Ties Named in NHL Central Scouting's Mid-Term Rankings
Published on January 21, 2019 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
Three current Stars, three affiliate players ranked by NHL Central Scouting for upcoming NHL DraftLincoln, NE-NHL Central Scouting has released its mid-term rankings for the 2019 NHL Draft. Six players with Stars ties are among those receiving draft recognition.
Ranked highest for Lincoln is leading scorer Shane Pinto. The North Dakota commitment clocked in as the 36th ranked North American skater. Pinto had previously been assessed a C grade in each of the prior two Central Scouting watch lists. Through 30 games, Pinto has recorded 17 goals and 14 assists for the Stars. From November into January, the rookie maintained a 12-game scoring streak. In December, Pinto helped Team USA win gold at the World-Jr. A Challenge. Previously he performed in the 2018 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in mid-September.
The second-highest rated Lincoln skater is one of their newest. Defenseman Hunter Skinner joined the Stars through a trade with the Muskegon Lumberjacks last week. Central Scouting has him ranked 112th among North American skaters. Skinner came to Lincoln with three goals and eight assists in 24 contests. In the three games since, he's added three more assists. Like Pinto, Skinner attended the 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects game. The right-shot defenseman is committed to Western Michigan University.
Stars goalie Samuel Hlavaj is the second-ranked goalie in the international pool of netminders. The big-bodied goaltender joined the Stars at the beginning of January and has flashed stretches of dominance in between the pipes for Lincoln. His past play in Slovakia earned him a place on their World Junior Championship team, where Hlavaj flashed his potential in the 2019 tournament. His best performance came in a 2-1 loss to Team USA in which he made 32 saves on 34 shots.
Stars affiliate forward Garrett Pinoniemi continues to gain attention for his strong play for Team Northeast and Holy Family Catholic High School. Over the course of 21 games with Northeast, Pinoniemi scored seven goals and 28 points this season. He has added another 19 tallies and 31 helpers through 17 games with Holy Family Catholic. Already ranked by Central Scouting as a C prospect, Pinoniemi is committed to St. Cloud State University. The Minnesota native attended the 2018 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game where he played against Shane Pinto. Pinoniemi clocks in just behind Hunter Skinner in North American skater rankings at 116.
Arlo Merritt, another Stars affiliate forward, was placed 130th in the North American skater rankings. A 2017 Phase I Draft pick, Merritt is currently playing for Kimball Union Academy, and is committed to Ohio State.
Alex Aslanidis is an '01 born goalie affiliated with the Stars. The New Jersey native has split time between the Avon Old Farms School, the Mid-Fairfield Rangers, and the USNTDP this season. Aslanidis, a 2017 Stars draft pick, is committed to playing his college hockey at Providence. Central Scouting has him ranked 20th among North American goalies.
The Stars saw a team-record six players selected in the 2018 NHL Draft, the most of any USHL team in last year's draft:
- Paul Cotter (F) - 115th overall - 4th Round -Vegas Golden Knights
- Alex Green (D) - 121st overall - 4th Round - Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jack Gorniak (F) - 123rd overall - 4th Round - Montreal Canadiens
- Josiah Slavin (F) - 193rd overall - 7th Round - Chicago Blackhawks
- Christian Krygier (D) - 196th overall - 7th Round - New York Islanders
- Cole Krygier (D) - 201st overall - 7th Round - Florida Panthers
The 2019 NHL Draft will take place on June 21st in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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