John Mustard
2023-24 Team: Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Date of Birth: August 16, 2006
Place of Birth: Newmarket, Ontario
Height: 6-feet, Weight: 185 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: C/LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: First year eligible
Rankings
THW/Forbes: 45th
THW/Baracchini: 39th
THW/Horn: 42nd
FloHockey/Chris Peters: 39th
NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters): 27th
John Mustard is a high-energy forward who skates incredibly well and produced a ton of offense as a rookie in the USHL this season. Mustard’s skating is clearly his best attribute, allowing him to win races for the puck, put defenders on their heels, and put serious pressure on opponents in transition.
He’s a pretty athletic kid, especially considering he’ll still be 17 at the time of the draft, and that, when combined with his competitiveness, makes him a great play driver at the junior level. Mustard’s shot is also a strength, with the power and quickness to serve him well as an NHLer.
It’s also worth mentioning that Mustard is about a month away from being eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, and is thus one of the youngest players available in this year’s draft. Young players often take a little longer to develop both physically and mentally, since someone like Carter Yakemchuk has had a whole 11 months of extra time to grow and develop his game at this point.
The biggest area for growth with Mustard is his hockey sense. His playmaking lacks consistency and he can chase the puck a little on the forecheck and in his own zone as well. However, Mustard’s finishing talent and pure speed are a potent combo that will make him tough to pass up on early in this year’s Draft.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Mustard scored nearly two-point per game in his local U16 circuit in the 2022-23 season, and then he joined the Waterloo Black Hawks for this past season where he was an integral piece of their offense. In fact, Mustard led the Black Hawks in goals as a rookie and was second on the team in points. His 29 goals and 56 points were the seventh most in the USHL by a U18 player, and he was chosen as the USHL’s Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
Mustard has committed to play for Providence College, a program that’s been well known for its hard-working, no-quit style of play. This feels like an excellent fit for Mustard who projects as an energy forward with some goal scoring potential.
Other THW Draft Profiles
John Mustard – NHL Draft Projection
Mustard was on the rise to start the year as his early production drew a ton of attention. His scoring slowed down a bit through the middle of the season and the hype cooled down accordingly. He picked it back up towards the end of the season, well enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors. I expect Mustard to be drafted in the 30-45 overall range, though a team that believes in his hockey sense more than me could take him even earlier.
Quotables
“A speedy goal scorer who can make plays, Mustard made a good first impression in the USHL last season. A hot start really put Mustard on the map, but the offense cooled as the season progressed and tapered some of the overall expectations.” – Chris Peters, FloHockey
“He’s also shown some skill, a quick release and a hard wrister, and is just a month away from eligibility for the 2025 NHL Draft. His athleticism, skating, competitiveness and well-rounded skill will carry him a long way.“ – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (“2024 NHL Draft ranking: Macklin Celebrini, Ivan Demidov lead Scott Wheeler’s final top 100”, June 3, 2024)
Strengths
- Great skating (especially top speed)
- Tons of finishing talent
- High compete level
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
- Develop his hockey sense in offensive and defensive zones
NHL Potential
Mustard’s skating is strong enough that I expect he’ll see NHL action even if his offense doesn’t pop at the pro level. The likeliest outcome to my eyes is him becoming a high-energy bottom-six forward who scores around 10 goals a year, though some growth in his feel for the game and ability to anticipate play could see him develop into a good offensive depth piece, capable of playing on the second power play and scoring 30+ points a season.
Risk-Reward
Risk – 1/5, Reward – 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 7.5/10, Defense – 4/10
Interviews/Links
2024 NHL Draft: Could Waterloo’s John Mustard Slide Into The First Round?