2026 College Free Agency Preview: Forwards
The NCAA tournament has been set 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.
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.
Forwards
Hank Cleaves (Dartmouth) – Two years ago, Cleaves wasn’t generating much attention in the BCHL. However, big centers tend to stand out and big centers who average well over a point per game in their sophomore year really catch the attention of the scouts. Given that he’s still a sophomore, there’s a legitimate chance that he stays for one more year. However, he should get considerable NHL interest and that might be enough to get him to make the jump.
Matthew DiMarsico (Penn State) – Generally speaking, a lot of the players who sign in college free agency are likely to be role players and not necessarily core producers. Some will look for size, some for skill, and others will prioritize smarts. DiMarsico certainly checks the latter category and as a player in the top 20 in NCAA scoring this season as a junior, the skill is there as well. There’s a high floor to work with which should appeal to some teams.
Josh Eernisse (Western Michigan) – After being limited to just one goal in his junior year, Eernisse has hovered closer to the half-point-per-game mark. That’s not why he’s on this list, however. He’s a big, physical winger with a responsible defensive game. That profile is one that would fit on some NHL fourth lines down the road.
T.J. Hughes (Michigan) – A player who has been on this list before, there is no option for Hughes to stay in college any longer. He has been one of the more skilled players in the NCAA level in recent years and it has resulted in him averaging well over a point per game for two of the last three seasons. There’s a question as to whether he can play an offensive role in the NHL but even if not, a productive AHL player would still be a worthwhile addition in free agency.
Aleksi Kivioja (Providence) – This is more of a projectable signing than some of the others on this list. Kivioja hasn’t been a top offensive producer even going back to his junior days in Finland. However, he has shown some strides this season with the Friars in that regard. He’s also a physical six-foot-five center. His ceiling might not be too high but there should be teams that see his frame and style and think there’s some fourth-line potential. Staying one more year and honing his offensive game is a viable option, however.
Jack Musa (UMass) – Viewed as a strong playmaker, Musa has also shown some scoring potential over the last couple of seasons. While he’s on the smaller side, he’s a strong enough skater and does well in transition which are elements that scouts will appreciate. He still has one more year of eligibility but after boosting his stock this season, making the jump now would make sense. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal recently reported (Twitter link) that Musa will decide very soon about turning pro or not.
Nathan Pilling (St. Thomas) – More of a speculative add on this list, the ability to go from the CHL to the NCAA has worked well for Pilling. As a 21-year-old freshman, he put up 15 goals and 14 assists in 38 games this season, suggesting that his breakout final season with WHL Seattle wasn’t a one-off. Given that he’s a six-foot-four center who won over 53% of his draws this year, he should be on some radars now. Players don’t often turn pro after one year of college but Pilling is a candidate to do so.
Ellis Rickwood (North Dakota) – While his offensive production hasn’t been quite as high compared to his final season at Clarkson, Rickwood has been a top performer on a team loaded with NHL prospects. He has a pro frame already with a reasonable two-way game and has won over 60% of his faceoffs this season. Rickwood isn’t known as a strong skater, however, which could scare off some suitors but there’s a fourth-line NHL profile if a team thinks they can improve that facet of his game.
Hayden Stavroff (Dartmouth) – One of the youngest players in this group (he’s only 21), Stavroff showed some offensive upside in the BCHL and had a decent freshman year. This season, all he did was lead all of Division I in goals with 29 in just 34 games, a number higher than his point total (22) a year ago. Some teams might want to wait to see if this type of performance is repeatable but it wouldn’t be shocking if enough believe in his scoring ability to sign him now.
Jack Stockfish (Holy Cross) – One of a few players on this list who also appeared on last year’s version, Stockfish ultimately decided to stay in school over turning pro last season. He didn’t really boost or hurt his stock but the same elements that made him appealing a year ago are still there – he’s big, a center, and has shown enough offensive upside to make him intriguing.
J.J. Wiebusch (Penn State) – After playing big minutes in his freshman year last season, the influx of talent this year hasn’t affected Wiebusch’s output as he has been hovering around the point per game mark. He’s a strong enough skater to keep pace in the pros and brings enough skill and compete to the table to have a chance to fit as a bottom-six forward. The question is if he’ll opt to stay for one more year and try to up his production again to give himself a stronger market next spring. If not, he’ll draw some interest in the coming weeks.
Snapshots: Winterton, Pilling, Jarry
The Seattle Kraken announced today that forward Ryan Winterton has taken a temporary leave of absence to attend to a family matter. The Kraken did not provide further detail and requested that the privacy of Winterton and his family be respected. As is always the case with situations like these, what happens on the ice is secondary. With that said, Winterton’s absence does have lineup implications for a Kraken team that is still under pressure to chase down a playoff spot.
Winterton had missed Seattle’s last two games with an illness. Before then, he had been on one of the stronger runs of his young NHL career. He scored a goal and an assist in Seattle’s 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers on March 15, and had a solid five points in his last 11 games playing largely in a bottom-six capacity. When he was last in the lineup, Winterton occupied a fourth-line left wing spot, skating alongside Ben Meyers and Jacob Melanson. 21-year-old Jani Nyman, who has 18 goals and 27 points in just 29 AHL games this season, was placed into that fourth-line role with Winterton sidelined.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- The Minnesota Wild have interest in signing NCAA free agent center Nathan Pilling of the University of St. Thomas, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported today. Pilling, who turns 22 in June, ended his first campaign of college hockey with 15 goals and 29 points in 38 games. The Calgary native, who was a point-per-game pivot in his final campaign in the WHL, has previously been tied to two NHL teams. He attended the development camp of the San Jose Sharks in 2024, and the Ottawa Senators in 2025. Pilling was ranked as the No. 5 NCAA free agent by the team at Elite Prospects, with the outlet projecting him as a “potential bottom-6 checker” with “versatile upside.”
- Veteran netminder Tristan Jarry will return to the crease for the Edmonton Oilers at some point during the team’s upcoming two-game road trip, head coach Kris Knoblauch told the media today. Jarry hasn’t made a start since surrendering seven goals in a loss to the Dallas Stars, which was on March 12. The 30-year-old began the season with a strong 14 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting a .909 save percentage and 9-3-1 record. He’s struggled mightily since his trade to Edmonton, though, putting up a grisly .855 save percentage and 4.17 goals-against average in 15 games. With the Oilers looking to build momentum and lock down a playoff spot in a wide-open Pacific Division, they’ll be hoping Jarry can rediscover some of the form he had at the start of the season.
West Notes: Nabokov, Sumpf, Pilling
Last season was a banner one for 21-year-old netminder Ilya Nabokov. He took home three pieces of hardware as the Kontinental Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year, Playoff MVP and champion with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. His stellar .930 SV% in 43 games of KHL regular-season action made him the first goalie off the board in this summer’s draft despite his age, going at No. 38 to the Avalanche.
Colorado may have hoped Nabokov, who’s entering the final season of his contract with Metallurg, would be available to them as soon as 2025-26. That seems unlikely, however, as Metallurg general manager Sergei Gomolyako said the team is working on a one-year extension for Nabokov to keep him in Russia for another season (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now).
His strong performance in a top professional league so early in his career indicates he’ll likely be an NHL option whenever he comes from his home country. As a player drafted out of a Russian league, the Avalanche hold Nabokov’s signing rights indefinitely. They don’t risk losing him to free agency if they wait too long to sign an entry-level contract.
Other updates from the Western Conference:
- The Sharks are set to invite a pair of centers to next month’s Rookie Faceoff in Los Angeles on amateur tryouts, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. The first is 19-year-old German pivot Julius Sumpf, who’s been passed over for selection in the past two NHL drafts. Sumpf, who hails from Munich, came over to North America last season to suit up in junior hockey for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. He fit in seamlessly, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 60 games. He also posted three points in five games for Germany at the 2024 World Juniors, earning some consideration from NHL teams as a potential overage pick earlier this summer, but it didn’t come to fruition. Sumpf has a good two-way game and good size at 6’2″ and 185 lbs, but he’ll likely need to bulk up a bit to make a mark in the pros.
- Joining Sumpf is 20-year-old Calgary native Nathan Pilling. Pilling, who stands at 6’3″ and 205 lbs, has played a somewhat limited role for the last three years in the Western Hockey League. He split last season between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Seattle Thunderbirds, putting up his best offensive totals yet with 18 goals, 14 assists and 32 points in 56 games. He’s a much lower-ceiling option offensively than Sumpf should he end up parlaying his ATO into an entry-level contract, but he does have a more well-rounded physical game.