2020 Draft: Brisson's skating, hockey IQ make him USHL's top prospect

The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually on Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a preview of the top eligible prospects from the United States Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Brendan Brisson is a projected first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft after being named the United States Hockey League rookie of the year this season.
Brisson (5-foot-11, 179 pounds), a center with Chicago, is No. 20 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, the top spot among USHL players. Brisson was second in the league with 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists) in 45 games in his first full season in the league.
"He's got all the elements there of being a high-end player," Central Scouting's Greg Rajanen said. "He's a really good skater in all directions, and quick in-tight. He makes plays in traffic, has quick hands and a quick release and moves the puck well.
"Most importantly he has high hockey IQ and knows how to slow the game down, which is hard for younger players. When the game is on the line he's the type of player that elevates his game and that's probably what you could say about all the high-end players at every level."

Brisson, who will attend the University of Michigan this season, is the son of NHL player agent Pat Brisson.
"He's been a student of the game for a long time, always paying attention and observing how the professionals were dealing with stuff, being around the business," Pat Brisson said. "He's been working hard, has grown a lot and has gotten physically stronger in the past couple years."
Brisson averaged 1.31 points per game this season. Among USHL rookies in the past 15 seasons to play at least 20 games, only forward Jack Hughes of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2017-18, 2.00) and Tri-City forward Jaden Schwartz (2009-10, 1.38) had a higher average.
Brisson is one of 80 players with USHL ties in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, including a few high school players. There are 16 USHL teams represented in the rankings, including seven teams with five or more players: The NTDP (19), Chicago (nine), Des Moines (six), Lincoln (six), Muskegon (six), Tri-City (six) and Waterloo (five).
To break it down, here are five questions with Rajanen:
Q: In addition to Brisson, Chicago right wing Sam Colangelo (6-1, 205) is a projected first-round selection. Who would you compare him too at the NHL level and what do you like about the No. 31-ranked skater in Central Scouting's final North American list?
"Colangelo is comparable to (Philadelphia Flyers forward) James van Riemsdyk. He came out of Lawrence (Academy, in Groton, Massachusetts), and that's a big jump from prep hockey to the USHL and he really elevated his game. They surrounded him with good, solid players, but he's a big kid who skates well. He has a shooter-first mentality. He can really release a puck quickly with pace and accuracy and can finish, high qualities in the game of hockey. He's got good offensive instincts. He's a little raw at present but has solid work habits so you assume he's going to get better."
Q: Chicago left wing Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (5-8, 172) is No. 211 in the final ranking. He was passed over in the 2019 NHL Draft, but as a 19-year-old this season (he turned 20 on Sept. 16), he was tied for fifth in the USHL with 57 points (26 goals, 31 assists) in 45 games. Was his size the biggest issue for him not getting drafted last season?
"He was a last time draft-eligible so that's why he slipped some for us. He doesn't really have that second gear but is really quick and elusive. He's got a quick release, has high energy for the game and [Chicago] surrounded him with really good puck-moving players, which was good for his game. I see someone who could possibly be taken in the later rounds and that team putting him in their bank of players."
Q: Danil Gushchin (5-8, 165), No. 41 in the final ranking, had a strong season in Muskegon with 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 42 games. He also scored three goals in six games for Russia at the World Junior A Challenge. What are his strengths?
"I don't think size will be an issue with him, personally. He plays bigger than 5-foot-8, is really quick and has a nice burst with the puck. He changes pace with the puck and can really snap it in traffic, which is a huge quality. He finds passing and shooting lanes. At the World Junior A Challenge he was one of the top players in the tournament and he elevated his game for Russia. Maybe one knock on his game in the USHL was his compete, game in and game out, but that's something he'll correct. He has high-end ability and knows how to elevate his game, so I feel he'll be playing in the NHL in the future."
Q: Right-shot center Blake Biondi (6-0, 191), No. 64 in the final ranking, scored 95 points (47 goals, 48 assists) in 31 games for Hermantown High School in Minnesota, and scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 10 USHL games for Sioux City. He was named the 2020 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award-winner as the outstanding senior high school boys hockey player in the state, becoming the first Hermantown player to earn that honor. What's to like about his game?
"He's one of those players who played in the USHL before the season and returned to Hermantown. He's just a strong, power skater. He goes to the net hard. Moving forward his best position might be wing because he just comes off the wing so hard and can really snap the puck in stride. He gets the puck on his stick in transition and he's full speed in a heartbeat. He battles in contact areas, is hungry around the net and was kind of a man among boys during the high school season for Hermantown. He's going to a good school (University of Minnesota Duluth) which bodes well for his development."

Q: Can you give us a player on your radar you feel could be a late-round flier and playing in the NHL within four years?
"I think the guy for me, personally, center Trevor Kuntar (6-0, 197; No. 143) of Youngstown. He had 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 44 games. He's been through the draft once. He's one of those guys who can play on any one of your four lines. He's going to Boston College for 2020-21], is hard to play against, and has competitive speed. In other words, he might not be the fastest with the puck, but when there's a loose puck he gets it because he's so competitive. He doesn't take shifts off and he helps his line win every shift. His coach told me that his teammates hate to play against him in practice because he doesn't take days off and that sounds like a future NHL player for me."
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