Jake Livanavage

The NCAA tournament is down to four teams and those who aren’t participating have seen their seasons come to an end.  With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at some of the free agents that could be drawing attention from NHL teams in the coming weeks.  After looking at the forwards separately, the focus is on goaltenders and defensemen here.

As always, 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 be signing NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.

Goaltenders

Several of the top options from this class have already signed (Josh Kotai, Max Lundgren, and Alex Tracy) but a couple of others could still land NHL deals.

Jan Spunar (North Dakota) – There has been an uptick in younger free agent signings in this year’s free agent class which bodes well for Spunar who is just wrapping up his freshman season.  The 21-year-old had a quiet showing in the USHL in 2024-25 but has taken over the starting role on a team with Final Four hopes.  His stock is definitely up but there’s a case to make that staying for one more year might be the better long-term approach.  But with goaltending in high demand across the league right now, teams might want to start working with him now.

Lawton Zacher (Northeastern) – Some goalies draw attention for their raw tools but need a lot of work to refine them.  Zacher is largely the opposite of that as he’s more technically sound and used that to post a breakout season after transferring from Brown University over the offseason.  He still has one year of eligibility remaining but if he decides to turn pro, he won’t be lacking for suitors as Elite Prospects’ Ryan Lambert notes that there are already teams vying for his services.

Defensemen

Boston Buckberger (Denver) – Buckberger was on this list last year and frankly, last year’s write-up would largely still apply.  He is a quality consistent offensive blueliner, ranging between 27 and 30 points in each of his first three seasons.  Even with a good defensive game though, his smaller stature will likely limit his interest.  He’s worthy of a professional contract and after three years of near-identical player, there might not be big upside in returning for his senior season; his stock now is probably around where it’d be in 2027.

Tyler Dunbar (Union) – After two very quiet seasons at Colorado College, Dunbar entered the transfer portal last spring and the move has unlocked his game.  He had a breakout year offensively with 32 points in 37 games while bringing a lot of physicality to the table.  Staying one more year and doubling down on being that type of impactful piece could help his market in the long run but if there’s NHL interest now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make the jump to the pros now.

Viking Gustafsson Nyberg (UConn) – A lot of players on this list are here for their offensive game with the thought that parts of it will translate to the pros.  Gustafsson Nyberg has all of one goal over two seasons.  No, he’s here for being more of a throwback defender, big, tough, and physical.  Those are elements that teams will covet on a third pairing.  That said, if he thinks one more year in college would help his development offensively, that might be the better route for him in the long run.

Jake Livanavage (North Dakota) – Another returnee from last year’s list, the same elements are largely in play.  Good offense (at least 25 points in his three NCAA seasons), strong skating, and undersized to the point where some teams will likely shy away.  That said, Livanavage more than held his own against pros at the Spengler Cup back from December which will help his cause.  He has one year of eligibility left but this may be the right time for him to turn professional.

Evan Murr (Minnesota State Mankato) – Another player in the steady but undersized category, Murr has picked up the pace offensively in recent weeks at the perfect time.  He had 30 points this season, a tick higher than his first two NCAA campaigns.  Murr is also in that category of not having much more to prove so although he has another year of eligibility remaining, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him forego that.

Isaiah Norlin (Colgate) – There are some parallels to Dunbar.  He had a very quiet first year with the University of Nebraska-Omaha last season, then went to the transfer portal, and things took off from there.  Norlin finished in a tie for the team lead in scoring and at six-foot-six and a right shot, he has elements that teams will covet.  He’s a late-bloomer but that shouldn’t deter teams from taking a flyer on him.

Senior Options: There is one player who exhausted his eligibility and warrants at least a quick mention. Ben Dexheimer (Wisconsin) fits into the category of being a little undersized but reliable piece. He may not ultimately land NHL contracts but is likely to land a pro deal in the coming weeks.