Connor Davis had 44 points in 31 games for Salisbury this past season. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)

In 2022, six players were picked by NHL teams straight from New England prep hockey.

St. Mark’s defenseman Michael Fisher (Westboro, Mass.) was the first to go, taken in the third round by the San Jose Sharks. Ben MacDonald (Weston, Mass.) was picked shortly after, as the Seattle Kraken nabbed the Nobles forward late in the third round.

St. Sebastian’s forward Michael Callow (Boston, Mass.) was taken by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round. The Colorado Avalanche took Milton Academy defenseman Chris Romaine (Boston, Mass.) late in the sixth round. The Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance on Belmont Hill forward James Fisher (Burlington, Mass.) in the seventh. The Detroit Red Wings did the same for Brennan Ali as the draft wrapped up.

Since then, only three players in two years have been plucked from prep. Dexter Southfield defenseman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) and Taft goalie Rudy Guimond were snatched up in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) followed in their footsteps in 2024, being taken in the sixth round, too.

So, what’s the deal with prep hockey and NHL Draft prospects?

There’s been a big change in the last few years: More prospects are opting to play their first year of NHL Draft eligibility in junior hockey. This often leaves late-blooming players as the remaining NHL Draft prospects in prep.

This year’s NHL Draft will get underway this Friday, beginning with the first round. Rounds 2-7 will be on Saturday, which is when prep hockey fans should keep their eyes open.

I made a ranking of the top 10 NHL Draft prospects from prep hockey shortly after the season ended. From talking to NHL scouts since then, it’s clear that only three of those 10 have a legitimate chance of being picked.

AWARDS: Handing out the boys and girls prep awards from this past winter

We published our ranking of New Englanders on Monday and will have storylines to watch for the draft later in the week.

For now, let’s look at the chances these three prep players have of being selected on Saturday.