NHL Central Scouting released its Players to Watch list for the 2027 NHL Draft on Monday. Included on the list were Merrimack recruits Ilya Nikitins and Gavin Clark.
Both palyers were assigned “W” grades, projecting them as late-round picks.
Nikitins is a goaltender who is in his first season for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. The Latvian native had a 2.85 GAA and .910 save percentage in the NAHL last season for the Philadelphia Rebels. Through four games with the Stampede, he has a 3.03 GAA and .899 save percentage.
Clark is also in his firs tseason with the Stampede after spending last season in the WHL. The California native has six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games this season. He committed during the 2024-25 season when he burst onto the radar of many NCAA teams after scoring 59 points in 53 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U program.
Here is this week’s full recruit report, with updated statistics on all players currently committed to the Warriors:
