2024 College Free Agency Preview: Defensemen
With the college regular seasons ending and the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there will be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks; we’ve already seen a handful of players sign. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the defensemen that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks. Our look at the goaltenders can be found here.
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State
The decision to return for his senior year was a good one for Anhorn as the 25-year-old had his best season offensively, notching 31 points in 35 games. His overall upside isn’t perceived to be the highest but if a team is looking for a playable depth option that doesn’t need a lot of time in the minors to get ready, this could be it as his aggressive defensive game should work in the pros. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get his feet wet right away down the stretch.
Jacob Bengtsson, Boston College
After a good junior season at Lake Superior State, Bengtsson entered the transfer portal and transferred to Boston College where he’s on a much stronger team and still managed to play fairly big minutes. He has been on the NHL radar for a couple of years now and this might be the right time for him to make the jump over playing the bonus year next season. That said, his profile is more of a depth defender than one that projects to play in an NHL top six.
Zach Bookman, Merrimack
The 21-year-old might have the highest ceiling of any blueliner in this group. Bookman averaged nearly a point per game this season for the Warriors and is only two years removed from averaging nearly two points per game in the AJHL. However, he’s on the smaller side at 5’10 and, while improving, is still a bit raw in his own end. There could be enough interest to warrant a contract now but if Bookman goes back for another season, he could be among the top free agents (at any position) in next year’s college free agent class.
Aiden Hansen-Bukata, RIT
After a couple of quiet seasons to start his college career, Hansen-Bukata broke out offensively last season with 32 points in 37 games. This year, he didn’t beat those numbers but produced at a similar rate which should help generate some interest. More of an offensive threat than a defensive one, the 24-year-old might have to settle for an AHL deal for his first professional contract.
Colton Huard, New Hampshire
A lot of blueliners on this list are of the smaller variety but Huard is one of the exceptions, standing 6’3. While he doesn’t score much, he has an above-average shot from the back end which will be appealing to NHL teams. His defensive game is still raw, however, so while he’ll be on the NHL radar again as he was a year ago, a return for his senior year is a realistic possibility.
Tim Lovell, Arizona State
His decision to transfer from Boston College following the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season to the Sun Devils was a wise one for the 22-year-old. Since then, he has gone from a role player to one of the top scorers among all NCAA defensemen. Another player who is more known for his offensive play than his defensive skill set, Lovell could benefit from the bonus year to continue to improve in his own end. But there’s no denying that his offensive skills will be intriguing to teams now.
Others To Watch For
Boston Buckberger, Denver
Gianfranco Cassaro, RIT
Brandon Chabrier, Maine
Evan Murr, Minnesota State
John Prokop, Union
These players have all shown offensive upside but in most cases, they’re likely to return for another college season. Cassaro as a five-year player is the exception but despite leading all NCAA defenders in goals this season, he may be a stronger candidate for an AHL deal than an NHL one.
Blue Jackets Assign David Jiricek To AHL, Recall James Malatesta
David Jiricek‘s stint with the Blue Jackets was short-lived. Two days after being recalled under emergency conditions, the team announced that they assigned the blueliner back to AHL Cleveland while bringing up forward James Malatesta. Malatesta’s recall is on an emergency basis and thus won’t count against their post-deadline recall limit.
Jiricek has split this season between Columbus and Cleveland with a small majority of his games coming at the NHL level. He has played in 36 games with the Blue Jackets so far, collecting nine points and 39 blocked shots while logging a little under 15 minutes a night. In the minors, meanwhile, the 20-year-old has been much more productive, collecting seven goals and ten assists in 24 games.
Jiricek has now officially burned the first year of his entry-level contract but there is still a milestone to watch for. If he’s on the active roster for 40 games, he would accrue a season of service time toward UFA eligibility. Accordingly, the Blue Jackets haven’t brought him up much lately; his two-day recall from earlier this week was his first in nearly two months. It wouldn’t be surprising to see his NHL action be limited down the stretch for that reason.
As for Malatesta, he’s in his first full professional campaign after wrapping up his junior career on a high note, winning Memorial Cup MVP with QMJHL Quebec. The 20-year-old leads the Monsters in penalty minutes with 79 through 53 games so far while chipping in with a dozen goals and nine helpers. It’s unclear which forward’s availability is in question for their game tonight against Vegas which created the emergency conditions for Malatesta to be recalled.
East Notes: Bertuzzi, Marino, Biondi
Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi is listed as a game-time decision for their game tonight against Edmonton due to illness, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Bertuzzi will ultimately decide at game time if he will be good enough to go. Bertuzzi wasn’t able to secure a long-term deal last summer, ultimately settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the hopes of having a big year to improve his value. However, the 29-year-old has had a quiet first season with Toronto, notching 15 goals and 19 assists in 67 games, his lowest point-per-game average since his rookie year back in 2017-18.
More from the East:
- The Devils are expected to welcome defenseman John Marino back to the lineup tonight, relays team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury. Marino has fared better in his second season with New Jersey, putting up 23 points in 65 games so far while logging over 21 minutes a night. Based on the morning skate, they won’t waste any time putting him back into a key role as he’s projected to play on the top pairing versus Ottawa.
- Canadiens prospect Blake Biondi has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, reports Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 (109th overall) and has spent the last four seasons at Minnesota-Duluth. Biondi had 19 points in 34 games this season and could have become a free agent in mid-August if he hadn’t signed an entry-level deal with Montreal by then. Instead, he’ll push that deadline back by a year and play his bonus season at a new school in the hopes of finishing up strong.
Central Notes: Hakanpaa, Bowness, Hodgson
Originally, Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. However, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters yesterday including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the blueliner isn’t skating and won’t be available in the near future as he has been undergoing tests to determine his status. It’s the second time that the 31-year-old has been injured this season as he had an upper-body issue last month. Hakanpaa doesn’t put up many points as he has just 12 in 64 games but leads the team in hits (196) with nearly twice as many as Mason Marchment who sits second (100) while he’s second on the team in blocks with 123 behind only Esa Lindell (133).
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Jets head coach Rick Bowness will not return to the team this weekend as Postmedia’s Scott Billeck relays that Bowness remains in Winnipeg while recovering from a minor medical procedure. Scott Arniel will continue to serve as the interim bench boss for their games against the Islanders and Capitals.
- Center Cody Hodgson has inked a second PTO deal with the Predators’ AHL affiliate, per the AHL’s transactions log. Hodgson was forced into early retirement following the 2015-16 season due to malignant hyperthermia but has recovered well enough to attempt a comeback which started in January. So far, the 34-year-old has done quite well in limited action, notching six goals and two assists in 12 games. This second PTO is a 25-game one which would easily take Hodgson through the rest of the season.
Golden Knights Have Discussed Extension With Jonathan Marchessault
Back in August, Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault noted that there had yet to be any discussions about a possible contract extension. However, his agent Pat Brisson told Mark Anderson of the Associated Press that there have been several discussions throughout the year. However, a decision on re-signing or testing the open market is unlikely to come before the end of the season.
The 33-year-old is in the middle of one of his best seasons, setting a career high in goals with 38 along with 22 assists; his 60 points are the third most of his career. This continues what has been a recent trend for Marchessault after putting up 66 and 57 points in his previous two campaigns, two of the highest point totals of his career. At an age where a lot of players start to see their production slow down, his has gone up which bodes well for his next deal.
Brisson declined to get into specifics about what type of money or term he’d be seeking for Marchessault’s next deal while GM Kelly McCrimmon declined to comment. That said, it stands to reason that the veteran will be seeking a fair-sized raise on his current $5MM AAV along with a multi-year agreement.
As things stand, Marchessault is tied for third in scoring among pending unrestricted free agents heading into Friday’s action. He’s behind Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos while being tied with Carolina’s Jake Guentzel. All in all, pretty good company to be in.
An original Golden Knight, Vegas would certainly love to keep Marchessault around. However, that’s a task that will be easier said than done. After adding Tomas Hertl at the trade deadline, they have nearly $78MM in commitments to 16 players for next season, per CapFriendly. Even if we suppose that they can fully utilize Robin Lehner’s $5MM on LTIR which isn’t a given with the technicalities involved with LTIR, that only gives them around $14.7MM to work with in the summer and several players to sign to fill out their roster.
Marchessault isn’t their only pending UFA of note either. Chandler Stephenson, one of the better bargains in recent seasons, is also on an expiring deal and is primed to potentially double (if not more than double) his current $2.75MM price tag. They’ll likely want to take a run at extending Noah Hanifin as well which would be expensive with a price point likely to push past the $7MM mark on a long-term agreement. Anthony Mantha, William Carrier, and Alec Martinez need to be re-signed or replaced as well.
It’s safe to say there isn’t enough money to go around to keep their current team intact; some veterans will be departing in July. We’ll find out by then if Marchessault will be one of them.
Metropolitan Notes: Nedeljkovic, Blue Jackets, Devils
Heading into the trade deadline, many expected that the Penguins would move pending UFA goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. However, they instead moved third-stringer Magnus Hellberg. Nedeljkovic told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that there weren’t any discussions about a contract extension before the deadline but that he’d be very happy to return for next season if Pittsburgh showed interest. After spending a good chunk of last season in the minors, the 28-year-old inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Penguins last summer and has done relatively well, posting a 2.98 GAA and a .904 SV% in 24 appearances. At a minimum, even if he doesn’t wind up staying with Pittsburgh, Nedeljkovic should be able to land a raise in the coming months.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Blue Jackets have made a very deep preliminary list of candidates for their vacant GM position. In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun indicated that the team has between 30 and 40 candidates on their initial list and more could be added depending on how things go early in the playoffs. Columbus has been without a GM since Jarmo Kekalainen was fired five weeks ago with John Davidson serving in an interim capacity since then.
- The frequent shuffling of Max Willman and Tyler Wotherspoon continues. A day after sending them back to AHL Utica, the Devils have recalled both players today, per the AHL’s transactions log. Both recalls are once again on an emergency basis. The reason for New Jersey sending them down between games could have to do with their waiver exemption; once they play in ten games or are on the NHL roster for 30 days, they’d have to clear to return to the Comets. By papering them down here and there, they can delay getting to that point with both players.
Atlantic Notes: Senators Coaching Search, Murray, Maroon
The search for Ottawa’s next coach is well underway with D.J. Smith being let go back in mid-December and Jacques Martin serving in the interim role until the end of the season. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch suggests that long-time Senators center Chris Kelly is someone they may want to speak to. Kelly, who spent parts of eight seasons in Ottawa and also served as a development coach with them, is currently an assistant in Boston. Among the names speculated to also be under consideration are AHL Toronto’s Jon Gruden, recently-fired veteran bench bosses Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, and Craig Berube, along with Philadelphia associate coach Brad Shaw. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sens wait until deeper into the offseason to see who else might also become available so it may take a while yet for them to find their next head coach.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray faced shots briefly before practice today as he continues to work his way back from hip surgery, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the entire season and when he had the procedure done in October, it came with a recovery timeline of six to eight months. We’re five months into that timeline so Murray still has a long way to go before being cleared to play. With Toronto’s cap situation, they wouldn’t be able to afford to activate him until the playoffs anyway.
- Bruins winger Pat Maroon skated for the first time yesterday as he continues his rehab from back surgery, relays Steve Conroy of The Boston Globe. He underwent the procedure six weeks ago but is still a ways from returning; head coach Jim Montgomery termed Maroon as still being week-to-week. Boston picked up the 35-year-old at the trade deadline from Minnesota after Maroon put up 16 points and 71 hits in 49 games before the surgery.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The trade deadline has come and gone with some surprising moves made as teams looked to load up for the stretch run. That stretch run now features several teams trying to jockey for a Wild Card spot or try to position themselves better in their respective divisions.
With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again. Our last mailbag was done in three segments. The first focused solely on the Central Division and included discussions on who could afford Juuse Saros’ next contract and the asking price to get him plus thoughts on Winnipeg’s back end and if the time was right for Arizona to move Clayton Keller. The second featured some thoughts on two proposed trade targets for New Jersey, the Rangers’ center situation, and plenty of trade deadline discussion. Meanwhile, the third covered the idea of a coaching change in Washington, thoughts on a proposed rule change, and more trade deadline speculation.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Snapshots: Brind’Amour, Sergachev, Fontaine, U Sports
While most teams prefer not to have their head coach in the last year of their contract, the Hurricanes have now done so twice when it comes to Rod Brind’Amour who is once again on an expiring deal. Despite that, GM Don Waddell told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that a lot of the legwork might already be done, saying they’ve “agreed on everything”. They sat down before the trade deadline but haven’t crossed paths much since then with Waddell on the road at one point and now Carolina is just wrapping up a road trip. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, a new contract for Brind’Amour is completed.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev announced on Instagram that he has resumed skating as he works his way back from a leg injury sustained last month. After he underwent surgery, head coach Jon Cooper indicated that the blueliner was at least out for the rest of the regular season and likely a good chunk of the playoffs so Sergachev is still a long way from being able to return but the fact he’s back on the ice already is certainly an encouraging sign for Tampa Bay.
- Predators prospect Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Nashville back in 2020 (202nd overall) and has been a capable producer in his four seasons at Northeastern, capped off by a 27-point showing this past season. He’ll now try to beat that with another school for his fifth and final college campaign.
- While we often talk about college free agents and undrafted CHL free agents at this time of year, there is another group of prospects that could sign deals in the coming days, from U Sports, Canada’s collegiate level. Edmonton was first out of the gate with their signing of Connor Ungar. 49 Sports’ Ben Steiner provides an overview of some of the players that could ink pro deals in the coming days and weeks including several players who were drafted but ultimately didn’t sign with the team that picked them.
Rangers Among Teams Interested In Collin Graf
Quinnipiac winger Collin Graf attracted interest from NHL teams last year but opted to return to college for his junior season. Once that campaign comes to an end, he’ll be highly coveted once again. It appears the Rangers will be among them as Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports that New York is interested in signing Graf.
The 21-year-old put up 21 goals and 38 assists in 41 games at Quinnipiac last season and has produced at a similar level this year. However, injuries cost him a few games earlier in the year so Graf’s point total won’t be quite as high this season. That said, Graf sits tenth in NCAA scoring this year, collecting 22 goals along with 26 helpers through 31 games so far.
Graf won’t officially become available to sign until his season with the Bobcats comes to an end which could still be the better part of a month away depending on how far they go in the Frozen Four tournament. Worth noting, he has attended development camps previously with Nashville and Florida; it stands to reason that those two teams will also be in on him if he decides to turn pro and eschew playing his senior year.