NCAA

With the college playoffs underway, we’re starting to see a few free agents that were eliminated early sign with NHL teams.  Many more players will become available in the coming weeks and quite a few will sign shortly thereafter.

With that in mind, here is a closer look at some of the goaltenders that could be of interest to teams in the coming weeks.  All of these players are undrafted (and are too old to be drafted this year making them eligible for free agency) and unless they’re in their senior season, they could opt to return to their schools for the 2018-19 campaign.

Tanner Jaillet (Denver)

The 24-year-old has had two straight stellar seasons to wrap up his college career and ranked sixth overall in goals against average (1.90) this year.  However, at a time where teams are coveting bigger goalies more and more often, Jaillet’s smaller stature will work against him.  His performance is certainly more than worthy enough of an entry-level deal but how many teams will be willing to take a chance on a sub-six foot goalie?

Jake Kielly (Clarkson)

Last season wasn’t a great one for Kielly but he managed to lock down the starting job as a freshman which is noteworthy in itself.  This year was a much better one as he ranked fourth in GAA on a much-improved Clarkson squad.  He’s one of the younger goalies on this list (21) and unlike Jaillet, has the size that teams will covet.  As one of the top netminders in the NCAA this season, there’s a case to be made that there wouldn’t be much benefit to him returning for his junior campaign.

Hayden Lavigne (Michigan)

Lavigne is the lone holdover from our list last year.  At that time, he was just a freshman but was already garnering NHL interest despite being in a three-player timesharing situation.  He’s now the undisputed starter but his first year in that role didn’t go great with a 2.79 GAA and a .910 SV%.  The fact he had interest last season gets him on this list but it seems likely that he will stick around for another year with Michigan.

Cale Morris (Notre Dame)

Morris is the top prize among goaltenders in this free agent class.  He posted spectacular numbers this season (1.93 GAA, .946 SV% in 32 games) on one of the top collegiate squads.  What is particularly impressive is that he accomplished this after playing just one period of one game last season in his freshman year.  Despite the limited body of work over his two collegiate campaigns, the 21-year-old should have no shortage of offers if he decides to turn pro now.

Sean Romeo (Ohio State)

Romeo has taken a bit of a unique path to get where he is today.  He lost the starting job at the University of Maine in his sophomore season in 2015-16 and dropped down to third on the depth chart.  He decided to redshirt and transfer to Ohio State, a decision that has paid dividends as not only did he lock down the starting spot, he thrived.  It will be interesting to see if that results in some NHL attention or if teams will want to see if he can repeat that success in his senior year instead.

Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth)

Shepard just completed his first year as a starter (after seeing only 93 minutes of action in his rookie season) and turned some heads along the way, posting a strong 1.92 GAA with a .927 SV%, numbers that are quite similar to Jaillet’s.  He also picked up eight shutouts which ranked tied for second overall.  He still has two years of eligibility remaining so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him return for his junior year but it wouldn’t be surprising if a couple of NHL teams at least kicked the tires on getting him to turn pro.

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Defensemen

With the college playoffs starting to get underway, we’re starting to see a few free agents that were eliminated early sign with NHL teams.  Many more players will become available in the coming weeks and quite a few will sign shortly thereafter.

With that in mind, here is a closer look at some of the forwards that could be of interest to teams in the coming weeks.  All of these players are undrafted (and are too old to be drafted this year making them eligible for free agency) and unless they’re in their senior season, they could opt to return to their schools for the 2018-19 campaign.

Brady Ferguson (Robert Morris)

Ferguson opted to return for his senior season after finishing fifth in NCAA scoring last season with 58 points in 38 games.  The decision may not have been the best one as his final college campaign wasn’t quite as productive with just 43 points in 38 contests.  That may lessen his market a little bit but he should still have several suitors in the coming weeks.

Robby Jackson (St. Cloud)

Jackson has gone from being a supporting cast player to a top threat on the Huskies this season.  His point production nearly doubled from his sophomore campaign and at only 20 years of age, he is also one of the younger free agents and will be eligible for a three-year entry-level deal (most players on this list are only able to sign two-year pacts).  However, some teams may be scared away due to his smallish stature as he stands just 5’9.

Mason Jobst (Ohio State)

Like Ferguson, Jobst was among the top NCAA scorers last year (seventh) as a sophomore but opted to return instead of turning pro.  While he still put up more than a point-per-game this season (41 points in 36 games), he still came up well shy of the 55 he put up last year.  At 5’8, his size will be a concern to some teams as well.  However, while it may seem like a good idea to go back for a senior campaign and boost his stock, Jobst is already 24; accordingly, going back to school and dominating players several years younger than him likely won’t draw much more attention to him than there already is.

Ryan Kuffner (Princeton)

Kuffner has been one of the top goal scorers in all of college hockey this season and had been hovering near the goal-per-game mark.  The junior forward is willing to battle around the net as well which should also help endear him to scouts.  He certainly benefits from having one of the top playmakers in the NCAA on his line (more on that player shortly) but Kuffner should still draw plenty of interest in the near future.

Sheldon Rempal (Clarkson)

The sophomore winger became a go-to scorer this season, boosting his goal total from 11 to 21 despite playing in four fewer games.  While he has shown a knack for scoring in tight at the college level, there will justifiably be some questions as to whether or not he can play that style in the pros as he, like several others on this list, is undersized.  Rempal could stand to fill out his frame a bit more and that’s easier to do at the college level than in the minor leagues so he could stick around for another year.

Max Veronneau (Princeton)

The junior playmaking winger ranked second in the NCAA in regular season scoring with 52 points in 36 games and is believed to be drawing plenty of interest already; Chris Peters of ESPN reports (Insider required) that he is the most sought-after forward in college free agency.  However, he adds that he appears to be leaning towards returning for his senior season.

Sebastian Vidmar (Union)

The Swedish winger also saw his production dip from his sophomore campaign (understandable considering the team lost both Mike Vecchione and Spencer Foo, two of the top four scorers in the NCAA last year) although he still managed to post 30 points (10-20-30) in 36 contests to sit third in team scoring.  He’s more of a playmaker than some of the others on this list but also has pro size.  Vidmar turns 24 on Tuesday so it may not make much sense for him to return for his senior year so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him opt to turn pro.

With the college playoffs starting to get underway, we’re starting to see a few free agents that were eliminated early sign with NHL teams.  Many more players will become available in the coming weeks and quite a few will sign shortly thereafter.

With that in mind, here is a closer look at some of the defensemen that could be of interest to teams in the coming weeks.  Zach Whitecloud would have been a prominent name on this list but he has already signed with Vegas.  All of these players are undrafted (and are too old to be drafted this year making them eligible for free agency) and unless they’re in their senior season, they could opt to return to their schools for the 2018-19 campaign.

Daniel Brickley (Minnesota State)

The 22-year-old eschewed NHL interest last year and he should have plenty of suitors once again.  Brickley has been flirting with the point-per-game mark for the second straight year and at 6’3, has the size that many teams will covet.  He lacks the top-end mobility that is becoming more and more coveted around the league but that won’t scare away any suitors.  On top of that, he is the reigning WCHA defensive player of the year.  Not surprisingly, he is viewed by many as the top NCAA free agent available this year and 30 teams have already been in contact with his advisor.

Jordan Gross (Notre Dame)

Last year, we speculated that he could be a candidate to return for his senior year given that an immediate NHL spot wasn’t on the horizon.  That is indeed the route that the undersized Gross took and his final college campaign hasn’t been as strong as his junior year.  However, his skating skills are still quite strong which should get him a look.  He won’t be someone that teams will look to burn the first year of his entry-level deal this season, however.

Tariq Hammond (Denver)

A lot of players on this list are known for their offensive abilities but Hammond is not one of those.  He is more of a pure stay-at-home defender but has the mobility to skate his way out of trouble, even after undergoing multiple ankle surgeries over the offseason which cost him playing time out of the gate this year.  He may not sign in the weeks to come but should land an entry-level deal before next season.

Grant Hutton (Miami (Ohio))

Hutton has really taken a big step forward this season and has become a real threat from the point with a career-best ten goals.  The right-shot defender has also logged tough minutes defensively and has a decent all-around game.  He is eligible to return for one more year but he should receive enough pro interest that allows him to find a fit he likes to forego his senior season.

Brogan Rafferty (Quinnipiac)

Rafferty actually drew NHL interest after his freshman campaign but chose to stick around.  He has improved in his sophomore campaign so it’s likely that he will draw some attention again this time around.  However, his overall game isn’t as refined as some of the other players on this list so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him remain at the NCAA level for another year.

Alec Rauhauser (Bowling Green State)

The sophomore has burst onto the scene with a very strong offensive repertoire that has allowed him to however around the point-per-game mark this season.  That alone will get the attention of some teams although it’s worth noting that his play in his own end needs some work.  It may be better for him to stick around for another year and become more of a two-way option as a result.

Jimmy Schuldt (St. Cloud)

Schuldt received a lot of NHL interest last year but chose to stick around for his junior campaign.  Suffice to say, that was a smart decision.  He has blossomed offensively into one of the better point producers on the back end at the college level and could be in line for a Hobey Baker nomination.  He is someone that teams may be willing to burn the first year of his entry-level deal now but the Huskies appear to be headed for a lengthy postseason run.