American forward Jack Murtagh brings pace and goal-scoring ability to 2025 draft class

Every year, USA Hockey’s National Development Program ends up being chock full of high-end talent for the annual NHL Draft. In the past five years, we’ve seen six top five selections produced from the USNDP.

While this year’s crop is a bit leaner from USA Hockey’s group, there’s still value to be had. Case in point? Forward Jack Murtagh, one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class and someone with a lot of potential and versatility to offer.

Scouting report

A product of the Albany suburb of East Greenbush, New York, Murtagh is an August 2007 birthday. He’s very young relative to this draft class and if he was born three weeks later, he would’ve been eligible for the 2026 draft instead. He’s a left shot forward that plays centre and the wing, and is listed at 6’1″ and 198 pounds.

Murtagh played prep school hockey in New York state, then joined the National Development Program for 2023-24. He spent last season with the National Under-17 Team and this past season with the National Under-18 Team. This past season, he played primarily on the wing, usually on the right side.

Back in March, Dobber Prospects’ Luke Sweeney provided this assessment as part of their mid-season rankings (Murtagh was ranked 34th):

Murtagh plays an uncomplicated game and—in an especially weak year for the NTDP—that was enough to make him a first rounder in our last ranking. Murtagh is a straight-lines puck carrier and shooter who plays with a lot of pace and intensity. With his profile, Murtagh could likely find his way into an NHL bottom six.

In May, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis had this scouting report of Murtagh:

Murtagh is a skilled puck handler who can absolutely fire a shot and is a bit of a workhorse, too. I think he’s a good skater and has the hockey sense you’re looking for in a second or third-liner. I’ve been impressed in most of my viewings this year, and he’s one of the primary reasons to watch the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He’s speedy, works hard and when you put it all together, he’s a difficult player to contain. I think he can become a middle-six forward.

There’s a bit of a difference of opinion between the two assessments – and they were written two months apart, so that could be part of it – but there’s a lot to like about Murtagh’s performance this season, his potential and his youth.

The numbers

Murtagh had 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points over 56 games with the National Under-18 Team. In just their games against USHL teams, he had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points over 24 games.

In overall play, he was tied for third in points (behind Cole McKinney and William Moore) and fourth in goals (behind Richard Gallant, McKinney and Moore).

Murtagh was a bronze medallist with Team USA, but he was relatively quiet offensively, tying for sixth on the team with six points over seven games.

Availability and fit

On public draft rankings, Murtagh usually shows up in the late first round or early in the second round. We’ve seen him show up as early as 21st on one or two rankings, but most of them have him between 28th and 32nd, or spilling into the early second round.

Murtagh’s skill-set fits in with what the Flames have tried to build up within their system: pace, details, and goal-scoring ability. He would be a pretty ideal fit if he was more of a regular centre with the Under-18 Team or if he was a right shot. That said, he still has a lot of strong traits and we don’t think the Flames would avoid taking him if he was the best player available late in the first round.

After all, the last time they took a New York-born winger, Matt Coronato in 2020, it turned out pretty well. (Murtagh’s not nearly as impressive as a goal-scorer as Coronato was, but you can get why he’d be tempting.)