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2024 College Free Agency Preview: Goaltenders

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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 goalies 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.

Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame

On this list a year ago, Bischel elected to return for his bonus year.  The move worked out as he got a second full season as a full-time starter under his belt and while his performance wasn’t quite at the same level as last season, he still finished in the top ten in save percentage for the second straight year.  That has him on the NHL radar with Boston among the teams showing early interest.

Cooper Black, Dartmouth

There is a ‘skill’ that Black has that can’t be taught, a 6’8 frame (some sites have him at 6’9).  That makes him hard to miss.  His sophomore year was an improvement although his numbers with the Big Green (2.60 GAA, .909 SV%) are still a little on the pedestrian side.  Still eligible for two more seasons, NHL teams will have to decide if the time is right to try to sign him now or if they should give him another year in college.  While he’s still raw in terms of his development, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some teams try to sign Black now.

Ben Kraws, St. Lawrence

Kraws spent his first two seasons at Miami (Ohio) but struggled, leading to a transfer to Arizona State.  He had some success there but after losing the starting job to T.J. Semptimphelter (who should garner some pro consideration as well), he transferred again over the summer, this time to the Saints.  He posted a respectable .914 SV% as the starter on a team that wasn’t particularly strong and a 6’5, he has the size that should appeal to teams.  With the limited overall track record, an entry-level deal could be hard to come by but he should land an AHL deal somewhere.

Cole Moore, Bowling Green

This one is a bit of a long shot as Moore is wrapping up his freshman year with the Falcons.  He’s also just 20 which is young for a player to leave college with three seasons of eligibility remaining.  However, Moore posted an impressive .918 SV% this season and at 6’5, has the type of size that teams covet.  If an entry-level offer is on the table, it’s possible that he takes it although returning for another year or two is the likelier outcome.

Victor Ostman, Maine

Ostman was also noted in the 2023 goalie preview but opted to return for his senior season with the Black Bears.  From a numbers standpoint, that might not have been the best decision as his save percentage dipped by nearly 25 points.  However, his size and athleticism have impressed in the past and he was on the NHL radar last summer when he was at Vancouver’s development camp.  He’s eligible for the bonus year but he’d be entering his age-24 year if he does.  Even coming off a down year, the time might be right for Ostman to turn pro.

Ludvig Persson, North Dakota

After a couple of tough years at Miami (Ohio), Persson entered the transfer portal and joined the Fighting Hawks.  It’s a move that worked out well as the 24-year-old put up his best numbers since his freshman year.  His play slipped in the second half but he was one of the top netminders in the first half of the season which might be enough to get him on the radar for a pro deal.

Zach Stejskal, Minnesota-Duluth

A player who is believed to have had previous NHL interest, Stejskal is coming off a bit of a rough year with a save percentage just below the .900 mark while splitting time with an NHL-drafted prospect.  What certainly does appeal to teams is his 6’5 frame but with just 56 games across four college seasons under his belt, the 24-year-old is a bit more of a raw project than several others on this list.

Others To Watch For

Justen Close, Minnesota
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech
Tommy Scarfone, RIT

These goalies have all had showings with save percentages in the top five in Division I over the past couple of years.  However, they’re all on the smaller side and as we’ve seen with goaltending in recent years when it comes to draft picks, size matters.  Accordingly, they’re not likely to be on the radar of a lot of teams, especially for NHL contracts.  But three of them are on the early ballot for Hobey Baker voting and could be strong candidates for at least an AHL deal in the coming weeks.

Snapshots: Bruins, Perry, Johnson

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The NCAA free agency frenzy has kicked off and the Boston Bruins could be in the mix for one of the top names, with the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter sharing that the team is interested in Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel. Bischel has been with the Fighting Irish for the last five seasons, confidently taking over the team’s starting role over the last two. And he’s been tremendous with the opportunity, posting 16 wins and a .931 save percentage in 37 games last season and 15 wins and a .924 in 36 games this year. He managed his high marks while facing an average of 33 shots against each game this season. The performances have earned Bischel plenty of recognition, getting named a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season, after winning the award last year.

Goaltending has been a major sore spot for countless teams this year and any team in need of goaltending depth is likely trying to find out their chances of signing Bischel. That could make it hard for Boston – who already boasts fantastic depth with Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman, and Brandon Bussi – to find an advantage in negotiations. But Bischel’s addition could be aptly timed, with Boston also entertaining trading Ullmark around the Trade Deadline. How NCAA free agency negotiations play out could go a long way toward determining what the Bruins want to do next.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL, NHLPA, Chicago Blackhawks, and Corey Perry have reached a settlement relating to Perry’s termination from the Blackhawks on November 29th, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Rather than have Perry file a grievance with the league, the two sides agreed to a financial settlement. Perry signed with the Edmonton Oilers on January 22nd and has since scored five goals and seven points in 20 games with the Canadian club. This settlement marks a success in the Player’s Association’s protection of guaranteed contracts.
  • Chicago Blackhawks forward Reese Johnson has entered concussion protocol and didn’t practice with the team on Thursday, per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. Johnson has been a routine depth forward for Chicago, scoring five points in 42 games. It’s his second season of full-time NHL action, after posting four goals and six points in 57 games last year. Rookie Landon Slaggert is set to make his NHL debut in Johnson’s absence, joining Chicago after the conclusion of Notre Dame’s season.

Jacob Truscott Won’t Sign With Canucks, Set To Become UFA This Summer

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We’re still a few weeks away from the first round of college free agency that will happen as NCAA seasons come to an end but there is some news on the second round which comes in mid-August.  CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal recently reported on Sportsnet 650 (audio link) that defenseman Jacob Truscott will not sign with the Canucks and will instead hit the open market in the summer.

The 21-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in 2020 (144th overall) and is in his fourth and final season at Michigan.  Last season was his best offensively in terms of points per game when he put up 16 points in 23 games playing alongside Luke Hughes on their top pairing before suffering a season-ending leg injury.  This season, Truscott’s numbers are down a bit although the captain still has 13 points in 30 games so far.

This may be a case of the numbers game quashing a chance for Truscott to join Vancouver.  The team has been aggressive in signing college free agents lately headlined by blueliners Akito Hirose and Cole McWard while blueline prospect Elias Pettersson is set to turn pro next season along with Kirill Kudryavtsev, limiting Truscott’s opportunities if he was to sign with the Canucks.

If Truscott is amenable to signing with another team and not hitting the open market, it’s possible that Vancouver could use his signing rights in a trade to get some sort of return.  Otherwise, he’ll become a free agent on August 16th.

East Notes: Chabot, Peca, Spicer

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Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is currently on LTIR with a leg injury but is eligible to return for their game tomorrow against Toronto.  While that won’t happen, it appears he won’t be out much longer as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the 26-year-old has resumed skating and could be on target to return at some point on their upcoming Western Canadian road trip which gets underway a week from today.  Injuries have limited Chabot to just nine games this season which has been a huge blow to a back end that has certainly struggled so far which played a role in last week’s decision to make a coaching change and bring back Jacques Martin on an interim basis.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Larry Brooks of the New York Post examines (subscription link) the impact that Michael Peca has had on the Rangers’ coaching staff. He has been assigned to work on the power play and faceoffs this season and New York reached the break leading the league in both categories, checking in at 31.1% and 54.8% respectively.  Accordingly, Brooks wonders if the long-time NHL center might attract consideration for a head coaching job this summer.  This is his first season behind an NHL bench while he has two years as an assistant with AHL Rochester as well.
  • Bruins prospect Cole Spicer’s season has come to an early end but not because of injury. The 2022 fourth-rounder has been ruled academically ineligible to play the second half of the year, reports Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune.   Spicer is in his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was moved onto their top line early in the season.  After putting up six points in 32 games in 2022-23, the 19-year-old had a better showing in the first half of this season, notching five goals and four assists in 17 appearances.

Minor Transactions: Spengler Cup Edition

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The World Junior Hockey Championship isn’t the only tournament that takes place at this time of year.  The Spengler Cup, the oldest invitational hockey tournament in the world, also gets underway on December 26th, running through the 31st.  While most of the participants are club teams across various international leagues, Canada gets to send a team as well.  Most of their players also play overseas but a handful of NHL teams have loaned players out for this event.  We’ve already covered Aaron Dell (Carolina) and Nicolas Beaudin (Montreal) but here are the other NHL-affiliated players who have been loaned; the full roster (which features several former NHL players) can be found here.

  • Penguins defenseman Ty Smith has been loaned by AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It has been a disappointing year for the 23-year-old in the sense that he passed through waivers unclaimed.  However, he has been quite productive in the minors so far, collecting 22 points in 27 games.
  • The Senators have loaned out blueliner Dillon Heatherington from AHL Belleville. The 28-year-old has played in 24 games so far in the minors, picking up two goals and two assists.  Heatherington, a pending unrestricted free agent, got into three games with Ottawa last season.
  • Jets goalie Thomas Milic has been added to the roster from ECHL Norfolk. The first-year pro had a standout performance at the World Juniors and with WHL Seattle last season, resulting in him being drafted in his final year of eligibility.  While he has four games with AHL Manitoba this season, he has spent most of the year with the Admirals, posting a 2.44 GAA and .910 SV% in 14 games.
  • While not a direct loan from an NHL affiliate, the Flyers will also have a prospect in this event as forward Massimo Rizzo will be suiting up. The 22-year-old is in his junior year at the University of Denver and leads all Division I players with 31 points in 18 games.  He’s the only NCAA player suiting up for Canada in the event.

Minor Transactions: 12/08/23

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It’s a busy day around the world of sports, hockey included. Not only are sports fans everywhere likely captivated by the free agency of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, a process that is being diligently covered by our friends at MLB Trade Rumors, but there is also player movement activity across the many leagues of pro hockey to pay attention to. Trade rumors are flying around a few quality NHL defensemen, and the waiver wire is active as well. As always, we’ll keep track of notable player movement from minor and overseas leagues here.

  • Former Philadelphia Flyer Jackson Cates, the brother of Flyers center Noah Cates, has been released from his tryout agreement with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. The 26-year-old University of Minnesota-Duluth product signed with the Flyers as a college free agent and ended up playing in 20 total games for the club across three seasons. He spent more time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, including a 65-game slate with the team last year in which he managed 23 points. The Flyers elected not to re-sign Cates for 2023-24, resulting in him latching on with the Islanders on tryout agreements. After 12 games in Bridgeport Cates has only managed one point, though, and that point came all the way back on October 14th. Now he’ll likely have to look for opportunities elsewhere to continue his professional career.
  • Former Moncton Wildcats captain Nicholas Welsh has transferred from Liiga’s JYP Jyväskylä to the Augsburg Panthers of the German DEL. The 26-year-old offensive defenseman is no stranger to the DEL. He played for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers from 2021 to 2023 before electing to sign in Liiga over the summer. His 22-game run with JYP did not go well, as he managed just three points in that span and saw his ice time decline sharply from the start of the year. He’s likely to find more success with Augsburg, who are in need of defensive reinforcements after an injury to veteran David Warsofsky. Welsh last played in North America in 2020-21, when he got into 17 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
  • 28-year-old Adam Brodecki, a veteran of over 300 SHL games, has signed a short-term contract with the SHL’s Frölunda HC. Brodecki spent last season with Rytíři Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, scoring 20 points in 45 games, but lingered on the free agent market before signing a short-term deal with the Växjö Lakers, helping them as injury issues struck their forward corps. Now, Brodecki will get the chance to represent Frölunda as they are set to lose a few players to Sweden’s World Juniors squad.
  • Former WHL star Jaedon Descheneau has signed a one-year deal with the DEL’s Berlin Polar Bears, according to a team announcement. The five-foot-eight former St. Louis Blues prospect heads to Germany for a second tour of duty there, as he also spent 2018-19 as a top offensive player for Düsseldorfer EG. Although began his pro career in North America, Descheneau left the AHL/ECHL circuit after just one season. He bounced from California to Switzerland, then to Germany, then Sweden, then to Finland, and now is headed back to Germany. Along the way Descheneau has generally been a productive offensive player, although he has struggled with injuries and inconsistency over the last two years. With Berlin currently sat at the top of the DEL table, they add a talented scorer in Descheneau.
  • Former WHL champion Reece Harsch, a six-foot-four right-shot defenseman, has elected to leave the EIHL’s Fife Flyers in the midst of a second campaign there. The former Seattle Thunderbirds blueliner began his pro career in 2021-22, skating in five AHL games for the Abbotsford Canucks and seven ECHL games for the Toledo Walleye. The then-23-year-old would that summer depart for Scotland, where he would play in 50 games for the Flyers. Now, after 10 games this year with Fife, Harsch has decided to leave the club and potentially look elsewhere to continue his young professional career.
  • 2022 Seattle Kraken fourth-round pick Tyson Jugnauth has decided to leave the University of Wisconsin Badgers, the number-six team in men’s college hockey, in order to join the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. The Winterhawks acquired Jugnauth’s WHL playing rights via trade earlier this week, trading four draft picks to be able to add the player. Jugnauth had seen his role decline as a sophomore after his 15-point freshman campaign, and for the team’s last game, he was listed as a seventh-defenseman. As an offensive player who prioritizes speed and puck-carrying ability, Jugnauth’s development would be best served by having stability in terms of role and who his defensive partner is. That’s not something he was finding at Wisconsin, so he’s elected to join the Winterhawks rather than remain with the Badgers.

Cole Eiserman Decommits From University Of Minnesota, Joins Boston University

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1:55 p.m.: Later Wednesday, Eiserman announced on his Instagram page that he’s committed to Boston University, opening up the possibility for Celebrini and Eiserman to be linemates at the college level should Celebrini stick around for a second season. The move surely vaults an already strong BU team into the national championship conversation for each of the next two seasons.

1:20 p.m.: American-born left-winger Cole Eiserman won’t be playing college hockey at the University of Minnesota starting in 2024-25, per Evan Marinofsky of the New England Hockey Journal. The presumptive second-overall pick in next year’s 2024 NHL Draft has de-committed from the school and plans to join a university closer to his Massachusetts home.

Eiserman is already off to a hot start this season, leading the U.S. National Development Program’s U18 squad with five goals and eight points through four games. Across major public scout rankings early in the 2023-24 league year, he is the consensus second-overall choice behind Canadian forward Macklin Celebrini, who will suit up for Boston University this season despite not turning 18 until after the collegiate season is over in June.

After recording 86 points in 50 games with the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2022-23, Celebrini could be one-and-done at the collegiate level with a strong freshman season. The same could be said for Eiserman, although he will spend at least one season after his draft year playing in college – initially expected to be with Minnesota. He’s taken a more slow-burn approach to his development.

That approach has paid massive dividends thus far for Eiserman, who’s racked up video-game goal totals in nearly every level he’s played. He scored 26 goals in just 20 games for the U18 team last season and scored 43 goals and 72 points in 40 games across a larger sample size for the U17 squad as well.

It’s been the same story internationally, too. Eiserman represented the US at both the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge and the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship, notching 12 goals in seven games at the former and nine goals in seven games at the latter. In fact, Eiserman has scored over a goal per game in every league and tournament he’s played in dating back to 2020-21 when his publically available stats began.

That all lines up to make this a consequential loss for Minnesota, who unexpectedly lost star pivot Logan Cooley this summer as he turned pro with the Arizona Coyotes. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by Chicago Blackhawks 2023 first-round pick Oliver Moore, but he’s a risk to turn pro after one season as well. It’s also an extremely consequential move for the NCAA’s Hockey East conference, which will likely gain Eiserman’s superstar talent for the 2024-25 season.

West Notes: Krug, Smith, Mitchell

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Blues defenseman Torey Krug has already vetoed one trade this summer, a move that would have sent him to Philadelphia.  With a $6.5MM price tag for four more years, his contract won’t be an easy one to trade.  However, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic believes (subscription link) that there is a pathway to an in-season swap for the 32-year-old.  If Krug can get back to being a quality power play quarterback, that could bolster his market and the potential awkwardness of being with a team that clearly tried to trade him could create a potential opportunity for a move.  Krug had 19 points with the man advantage last season – more than half his point total – but when he was with Boston, he was closer to 30 power play points in his final seasons with the team.  Returning to that type of production would undoubtedly help Krug’s trade value.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Sharks prospect Will Smith isn’t likely to play out his four years of college eligibility as the team will want the fourth-overall pick to turn pro by then. Speaking with Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino suggests that the decisions of fellow freshmen Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault – both first-rounders as well – could ultimately influence Smith’s decision.  If those two decide to turn pro after the college season ends, Smith could follow suit.  But if they’re leaning toward staying, Smith could do the same since Boston College could still be a viable threat for an NCAA title with that core up front.
  • After spending three seasons captaining Chicago’s AHL team in Rockford, veteran winger Garrett Mitchell announced his retirement on Twitter. The 31-year-old made a single NHL appearance back in 2017 but made nearly 600 appearances in the AHL including playoffs over parts of 13 seasons which qualified him for veteran status in that league; teams can only dress a handful of those players each game.  Mitchell was limited to just 24 games with the IceHogs last year where he had 46 penalty minutes.

Robert Mastrosimone Signs AHL Contract With Toronto

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One of the more intriguing names that saw his exclusive rights expire on August 15th, Robert Mastrosimone, has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, per a team release. It’s a fairly surprising outcome for the young forward, as many theorized that he may be in line for a two-way NHL contract after his impressive season at Arizona State University last year.

In 2019, Mastrosimone capped off a solid 2018-19 season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel by being drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Having already committed to Boston University for his collegiate career at the time, the Red Wings initially thought it would be the best step forward for his development.

Unfortunately for Mastrosimone, his situation did not pan out well in Boston. Over the next three seasons, playing in 83 games for the Terriers, Mastrosimone would only score 21 goals and 29 assists overall, with his best season coming during his Junior year in 2021-22. Without much of a path forward in Boston, Detroit seemingly underwhelmed by his development, Mastrosimone would take his talents to Arizona State University to cap off his collegiate career.

In 38 games for the Sun Devils during the 2022-23 NCAA season, Mastrosimone scored 11 goals and 31 assists, showing off his true skill level with new access to more playing time. As the season came to its conclusion, there was no word on Mastrosimone’s future with Detroit until March. Towards the end of the year, in speaking with reporters, head coach of Arizona State, Greg Powers said, “He’s playing the waiting game and seeing what’s going to be available as a free agent. There’s a lot of teams that are interested in him, but it doesn’t look like Detroit is going to happen. It’s just a waiting game, but he has the option to come back. It’s a good option and he’s open to it”.

Now, moving forward for Mastrosimone, he will have the opportunity to prove his worth at the AHL level next season, potentially earning a two-way NHL contract if his development shows promise. Over the past several years, largely due to their cap situation, the Maple Leafs have been one of the better teams in bringing in young, cheap talent to fill out the bottom of their roster.

Oilers Prospect Shane Lachance Commits To Boston University

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Boston University has added another NHL-drafted prospect to the mix as they announced (Twitter link) that Oilers prospect Shane Lachance will be suiting up for them next season.

The 19-year-old was drafted by Edmonton back in the sixth round in 2021, going 186th overall.  He spent that season with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the NCDC before moving to Youngstown of the USHL in 2021-22.

Lachance is coming off a strong season with the Phantoms where he helped lead them to a Clark Cup title.  In 62 games last season, Lachance, the son of former NHL blueliner Scott Lachance, picked up 33 goals and 21 assists while also chipping in with three goals and three helpers in nine playoff contests.

With this commitment, Edmonton is set to hold Lachance’s NHL rights through the 2026-27 season, giving the Oilers plenty of time to evaluate his development.  He becomes the third NHL-drafted forward to join the Terriers for the upcoming season, joining Jack Hughes (Los Angeles) and Jack Harvey (Tampa Bay).

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