It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo.
On the agenda today is Casey Mutryn. The Massachusetts product put up solid numbers this season, raising his stock thanks to a projectable style of play.
Who is Casey Mutryn?
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Mutryn | Right Wing | Right | 6’3″ / 191cm | 203lbs / 92kg | USA | TWC Rank #36 / CS NA Rank #24 |
Mutryn developed within the Massachusetts prep program throughout his youth. A fantastic year scoring well over a point per game earned him an invitation to join the USNTDP, which is where he’s been playing for the past two seasons. Now standing at 6’3″, 203lbs, Mutryn already offers a stature that NHL teams will love.
Mutryn’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | D-3 | USHS-Prep | St. Sebastian’s School | 27 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 0.78 |
| 2023-24 | D-2 | USHS-Prep | St. Sebastian’s School | 27 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 1.56 |
| 2024-25 | D-1 | NTDP | U.S. National U17 Team | 46 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 0.70 |
| NTDP | U.S. National U18 Team | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.25 | ||
| USHL | USNTDP Juniors | 33 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 0.52 | ||
| 2025-26 | D+0 | NTDP | U.S. National U17 Team | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| NTDP | U.S. National U18 Team | 62 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 0.74 | ||
| USHL | USNTDP Juniors | 25 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 0.64 |
Mutryn started off his USNTDP career pretty well. Across his whole 2024-25 season, he accumulated 54 points in 99 games. Most of his production struggles came in his time with the U18 team, underlining possibilities he was not quite ready or not served a strong role to succeed. However, the goal scoring was shining through the year, with a solid total mark of 30 goals.
On to his draft year, you can see improvement in just his production. He only suited up for 1 game with the U17 team this season, and the rest was spent with the higher levels. In 87 total games, Mutryn would produce 25 goals and 62 points, a sizeable step up in overall production while the goal totals stayed relatively the same. His 46 points with the U18 team placed him fifth in team scoring as well.
It will be interesting to see where Mutryn plays next season, as he is committed to Boston College in 2027-28, not 2026-27. Likely sparks a return to USNTDP, but it’s not incredibly common for drafted players to do so.
Mutryn’s strengths
Effort
The main allure to Mutryn’s game has to be the effort he puts in from shift to shift. It’s very rare to come across a shift where Mutryn isn’t trying to get involved. He keeps his feet moving, looking for space to slip into or a battle to engage in. Frequently, he’s the guy in front of the net battling to tip, screen, or cash in on a rebound. If his team doesn’t have control of the puck, he has his head up searching for the puck, ready to hunt. When he spots the carrier, he continues to hunt the puck with determination.
In the defensive end, you can spot Mutryn playing along the boards, trying to strip opponents of the puck, and getting into lanes to remove passing and shooting opportunities. His physical presence is a bonus as he has moments of pushing guys to the ice and adding pressure that forces rushed plays.
Smarts
The other aspect in which Mutryn shines is how he processes the ice at both ends. Offensively, he knows his role as the power forward and suits it incredibly well. Whether it be drives to the net or trying to distract a defender, Mutryn understands how to generate impact even without the puck in the offensive zone. His feet are active as he tries to get into open space to receive a pass. Smartly, he can cause a defender to engage in physical play, which removes the influence that the defender once had, giving his teammate time to create a play.
When we work our way down to the other end of the ice, Mutryn brings good patience in his defence. He’s not mindlessly skating, trying to find a battle that isn’t there or block a lane that doesn’t need the extra support. He knows his position and keeps it steady, ready to pounce if the offence comes his direction.
Mutryn’s areas of improvement
Offensive ceiling
When it comes to Mutryn’s game, I question how much offence will come from him. He serves his role as disruptor and net-front presence quite well, but away from that, I don’t know if there’s much else to be desired. There are certainly some flashes of a good drag-and-release or solid playmaking, but it’s not consistent enough to be really intrigued by it. Mutryn isn’t going to be the guy who cycles the puck or controls the pace of the offence. He’s definitely more of a complementary piece on a line, which is definitely fine, but he leaves you wanting a bit more individually.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | None |
| Realistic pick range | 28-42 |
| NHL timeline | 2-3 years |
| Fit with the Flames | Meh fit |
I don’t know if there’s much of a fit between Mutryn and the Flames. Mutryn is a right-shot forward, which is a need for the Flames, but past that, there’s not anything else. Although he’s a very projectable player, Mutryn’s ceiling is relatively low and looks to be at best a middle-six guy. With how many forward prospects the Flames have, I don’t really think it’s worth their time to draft a low-ceiling, high-floor pick within the late first or early second round.
Summary
If a team is looking for an incredibly projectable pick, they don’t need to look much further than Casey Mutryn. The power forward right wing finds success due to his high-octane effort and smart sense at both ends of the ice. Mutryn is great at what he does, playing net-front, creeping into holes in the defence, and bringing a physical presence. Those aspects make him very likely to be at least a bottom-six guy. However, the individual offensive skill lowers his ceiling, and I find it a bit difficult to project him to be much more than a high-energy, middle-six winger.