Phantoms sign Asher Baron for 2027-28 season

Youngstown locked up Asher Baron for the 2027-28 season, signing him to a USHL Standard Player Development Agreement and putting another name from its draft board into the long-term pipeline before he ever touches the Phantoms’ roster.

The move came after Youngstown selected Baron with the 105th pick in the 2026 Phase I USHL Draft, a sequence that shows exactly how SPDAs are being used across the league. Rather than waiting for a player to arrive and then sorting out a future path later, clubs can secure a commitment well ahead of the season they expect to use the player, giving the organization a clearer hold on its recruiting class and giving the player a defined development lane.

Youngstown announced the signing on its social channels, including X, Facebook and Instagram, and the club’s earlier draft post listed Baron as a defenseman. The signing post called him a forward. That position split is worth noting, because it suggests the Phantoms see a player whose role can still be shaped as his game develops over the next two years.

Elite Prospects listed the transaction as confirmed on July 18, 2026, and said Baron officially joined the Phantoms from Omaha Mastery 15U AAA. That detail fits the modern USHL path: draft the player, establish the development agreement, and keep the rights and relationship intact while he continues in youth hockey.

Baron’s public profile on Hudl lists him with the Pittsburgh Predators’ 2010 AAA team, defense, Pittsburgh, Pa., jersey No. 20, and a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. Those are the kinds of traits that tend to get attention early in junior hockey, especially for a player with enough size to project into multiple roles and enough runway to add strength before a 2027-28 arrival.

The Phantoms’ approach also tracks with the USHL’s broader player-development model, which the league introduced this spring as a way to strengthen support standards around education, training and player growth. Youngstown is not just adding a name; it is betting early on a player it believes can be molded into a future piece, and it is doing it far in advance of the season when Baron will be expected to help.