USHL Stock Watch: Luka Radivojevič as advertised for Muskegon
With all USHL teams now at 10 games or more, surprisingly, NHL drafted prospects haven't been leading the charge.
Instead, undrafted and draft-eligible talents have stepped up and taken the reins offensively. Undrafted defenceman Sam Laurila has given the Fargo Force some fantastic performances, chipping in with an unusually high rate on offence. Luka Radivojevic has brought substantial puck-moving ability and distribution skill to the Muskegon Lumberjacks since making the trip across the Atlantic in October.
Stock Rising 📈
Sam Laurila, LD, Fargo Force (2024, Undrafted)
An undrafted defensive defenceman from last year’s NTDP class, Sam Laurila has blossomed into a strong 200-foot blueliner playing more than 23 minutes on most nights for the Fargo Force. While he still doesn't waste much time on puck, he’s integrated an intelligent activations game and more purposeful and deceptive passing decisions in the offensive zone this season, which have helped him reach the summit of defenceman scoring in the league with a goal and 13 points in as many games.
His defensive aggression and strong instincts while defending the rush have helped him keep the puck out of his own net, too. His defensive game remains his bread and butter, and expect the point tally to slow its growth as the year progresses, but the added pace and quick decision-making that have marked his game this year compared to last could very well earn him an NHL draft selection a year after he’d have hoped. Laurila has been the big surprise for Fargo this season and has been integral in their current placement at third in the West.
Andrew O’Neill, C, USNTDP (2025 Draft)
Far from the flashiest player on the NTDP, Andrew O’Neill has a level of pace, efficiency, and consistency that has been rare on his team this season. He’s a mechanically strong skater with a high motor who wastes neither time nor energy, playing with purpose on nearly every shift. His rush game includes a variety of refined habits, ranging from the physical – shielding the puck with his free hand and lowering his shoulder – to the mental – cutting back into space and timing speed shifts well to either get past defenders or slow down to link up with his trailing linemates.
His seven points in twice as many games don’t exactly jump off the page, and he hasn’t shown the dynamism necessary to lead the offensive charge for the program, but he’s played his role effectively. Reliable role players like O’Neill, who bring a dependable and pacy 200-foot game and still have room to develop skill, often rise over the course of their draft campaigns – and O’Neill could be on his way to earning a top-50 NHL Draft selection.
Stock Steady ↔️
Luka Radivojevič, RD, Muskegon Lumberjacks (2025 Draft)
A big-name transfer early in the season, Luka Radivojevič made the switch from Sweden’s J20 to the USHL and has delivered as advertised in his opening performances, recording several assists through six games. The undersized – 5-foot-10, 165-pound – right-shot defenceman’s game revolves around his skill as a distributor and passer. He’s a confident breakout quarterback, can hit precise stretch passes to launch counter-attacks, and controls play on the cycle.
While his passing ability is strong enough to make a serious impact against USHL competition, his NHL projection remains somewhat uncertain. He’s not an exceptional skater and is often outmuscled by junior competition, so his standout skill and intelligence will need to be complemented by additional compensatory skills and habits to make his style effective against professional competition. He may ultimately face a fate similar to Aron Kiviharju’s in the 2024 Draft, but continued performances like those he’s shown for Muskegon so far could alter that trajectory.
Jack Murtagh, LW, USNTDP (2025 Draft)
The NTDP’s best player when he’s been healthy, Jack Murtagh is a strong candidate to rise up draft boards once he returns to playing regular minutes – he only played one game against the University of Michigan since late September. When he’s on the ice, Murtagh has shown shades of Ryan Leonard in his combination of lethal finishing talent, ceaseless intensity, and quick reading of the game.
The late-August birthday is among the program’s youngest 2025-eligible talents and has led the charge offensively with four goals and seven points through five appearances. No other NTDP player with more than a pair of appearances has even hit the point-per-game mark, let alone crossed it.
The goalscoring sparkplug just needs to get and stay healthy. If he can do that, expect to see him in the “riser” section before too long.
Stock Falling 📉
Adam Benák, C, Youngstown Phantoms (2025 Draft)
My preseason 2024-25 USHL MVP favourite has not lived up to the high expectations so far this season. Despite logging over 20 minutes most nights, Benák has struggled to generate offence from anywhere but the periphery, with only two goals and eight points through a dozen games, despite an unrelenting work rate and numerous offensive opportunities.
The 5-foot-7 centre has shown some excellent flashes with the puck on his stick and has decent leverage mechanics, but he’s consistently been pushed to the outside and smothered by USHL defenders. His intensity and moments of dynamism haven’t been enough to break down defences, and he would need to light up the league consistently to have a shot at the first-round selection he was vying for at the start of the season.
Charlie Trethewey, RD, USNTDP (2025 Draft)
A mobile, physically gifted right-shot defenceman with an August birthday is a valuable profile; Charlie Trethewey entered the season as the prospective top name on the NTDP blueline following Logan Hensler’s NCAA commitment. Things haven’t been smooth for the blueliner so far this season, however, with his low panic threshold leading to regular turnovers when pressured on retrievals.
He’s had good flashes of leveraging his mobility and physicality to shut down play in the defensive zone – especially in single-variable scenarios defending the rush. That said, picking up secondary and tertiary threats has been inconsistent, as Trethewey gets caught fixating on the primary threat in front of him. While his tools are strong across the board apart from his handling, his scanning habits, composure under pressure, and decision-making have held him back from both minutes and impactful 200-foot performances for much of this young season.
