Big Hype Prospects: Gadowsky, Boija, Hutson, Borgesi
College hockey has drawn into the center focus of the hockey world. The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament kicked off on Thursday, and plenty of players are calculating their next moves by entering the transfer portal or signing pro deals. That attention has lifted up the top athletes across the college world, giving us another reason to borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospects series to share four names to watch with the season coming to an end.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Mac Gadowsky, LD, Army / U.S. Military Academy (NCAA, Atlantic Hockey America, NHL Free Agent)
38 GP – 16 G – 26 A – 42 TP – 6 PIM – +5
The final 10 Hobey Baker Finalists were revealed on March 19th. The list contains star NHL prospects like Zeev Buium and Ryan Leonard – but no name stands off the list quite like Army star Mac Gadowsky. Gadowsky was unstoppable this year, showing brazen confidence on the puck and the energy to make an all-three-zones impact on every single shift. He drove hard on and off of the puck and used his stocky six-foot-three, 185-pound frame to force opponents into tireless, gritty hockey. Gadowsky led all collegiate defensemen in goals scored, largely on the back of his ability to generate dangerous shots from the perimeter after leading the fast break. The sophomore defender found his way to 42 points this season – second among all defenders behind freshman star Cole Hutson – a significant stride forward from his 23 points in 28 games last year. Gadowsky’s motor and grit have been clear for a while, but his scoring was shielded through two years in the NAHL before he moved to Army. He’s broken out in full this year, and looks like a strong bet to earn college’s MVP title after emerging as Army’s top option.
Albin Boija, G, University of Maine (NCAA, Hockey East, NHL Free Agent)
36 GP – 23-7-6 record – .930 Sv% – 1.76 GAA
While Gadowsky sits at the center of Hobey Baker attention, star Maine goaltender Albin Boija will be close to the top of the list of snubs. He was a consistent impact for the Black Bears, working his way to the fifth-highest save percentage in the country while playing in the sixth-most games. The sophomore Boija grabbed firm control of Maine’s starter’s crease early in the season and never faltered enough to earn question. It was a performance that many expected from the 21-year-old netminder, after he posted a dazzling .916 in 18 games as Maine’s backup last season. Boija played behind Seattle Kraken draft pick Victor Ostman last season – and far outperformed the latter’s .892 save percentage. Boija’s breakout year was built on flashes of great athleticism and locked-in movements throughout the entire season. His movements and puck-tracking looked to be at a pro level through his high points this season, but he’s rumored to be headed for a return to college next year, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. That news will be thrilling news for Maine, who gets back one of the hottest goaltenders across college, and gives Boija a chance to chase the MVP title with another dazzling year.
Quinn Hutson, F, Boston University (NCAA, Hockey East, NHL Free Agent)
34 GP – 21 G – 26 A – 47 TP – 29 PIM – +20
The Boston University Terriers ended the regular season with the most goals in their conference. At the core of their offense has been the Hutson brothers – Washington Capitals star prospect Cole, and emerging junior Quinn Hutson. Quinn has been a top scorer throughout his junior hockey career, netting a whopping 115 points in 104 games in the USHL before moving to BU in 2022-23. He’s grown in every season since, with 29 points as a freshman and 36 points as a sophomore. Both of those totals came narrowly below a point-per-game pace – a mark that Hutson blew out of the water with 21 goals and 47 points in 34 games this season. He’s shown an increased ability to create in the dangerous areas of the ice, getting pucks on net quickly in the slot and using short passes to open space with teammates. He’s not abundantly fast or strong, but plays a well-rounded game with a sharp eye for the net. Those traits, backed by a hard-nosed drive on the forecheck, will be enough to make Hutson a top pro free agent when the Terriers’ season ends.
Vinny Borgesi, RD, Northeastern University (NCAA, Hockey East, NHL Free Agent)
32 GP – 5 G – 17 A – 22 TP – 16 PIM – +1
Five-foot-eight defenseman Vincent Borgesi has been easily overlooked across his juniors career. His scoring hasn’t jumped off the page dating back to his days in the USHL – and his 22 points this season fell just shy of the 28 points he totaled in 34 games last year. But Borgesi’s confidence on and off of the puck has grown exponentially over his three years at Northeastern University. He’s found new ways to use his bulky, 175-pound frame – engaging opponents in the corners and low-slot with far more effectiveness than in year’s past. Borgesi has added those traits while maintaining his quick and snappy abilities on the puck, sparking fast breakouts and seamlessly joining the rush. He was a key driver for the Huskies this season, and offers under-the-radar upside as a puck-mover capable of holding his own away from the puck. Borgesi won’t jump off the page in the same way as his Hockey East peers, but he’ll remain a key name to watch for minor-league squads looking to bolster their ranks before the playoffs.
Predators Place Marc Del Gaizo, Kieffer Bellows On Waivers
March 27: Bellows and Del Gaizo cleared waivers, Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game reports. Both remain on Nashville’s roster for now.
March 26: The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo and left-winger Kieffer Bellows on waivers per PuckPedia. Del Gaizo has been with the NHL club since late February, while Bellows was called up on March 7th.
Serving as the Predators’ de facto defense call-up, Del Gaizo has split the season between the major and minor league rosters. He’s recorded eight points and 17 penalty minutes in 35 NHL games this season, making this year Del Gaizo’s formal rookie season after playing in nine games, and netting three points, in the NHL last year. He’s also added eight goals, 12 points, and 16 penalty minutes in 30 AHL games this season. That mark sits as a slight downtick from the 34 points he scored in 60 AHL games last year, and the 31 points he scored in 71 games of the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old defender has found a niche as a stout defender away from the puck, though his menial scoring wasn’t enough to earn an everyday spot this season.
Bellows hasn’t found his NHL scoring this season either, with just three points in 13 games this season. He’s been far more productive in the minors, where his 14 goals and 29 points in 41 games ranks sixth on the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring. Bellows’ 54 penalty minutes also ranks fifth on the squad. He’s playing through his first season with the Predators organization after posting an impressive 27 goals and 49 points in 52 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last season. The Canadian stint was part of what’s turning into a journeyman career for Bellows, who’s played with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Predators within the last four seasons.
Both players seem likely to clear waivers and head back to the minor leagues, but their status will be important to watch. Should either player be claimed, they would be ineligible to be recalled to the NHL for the rest of the seasons. Both players are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, which could mean they’ve played their last NHL games of the year – should another team want to bolster their minor-league lineups ahead of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Utah Recalls Kailer Yamamoto
The Utah Hockey Club has recalled depth winger Kailer Yamamoto. Yamamoto made the Utah roster out of training camp but was cleared through waivers and assigned to the minor leagues on October 26th. This is his first call-up since that transaction, giving him another chance to find NHL ice time on the one-year, two-way, league-minimum deal he signed in Utah this summer.
Yamamoto has been a driving force for the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners this season. He leads the team in scoring with 51 points in 51 games played – making him one of just 17 AHLers scoring at or above a point-per-game pace, among players with at least 20 games played. Yamamoto spent the last four seasons in an everyday NHL role, split across tenures with the Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken. He had a career year in the 2021-22 campaign, when he potted 20 goals and 41 points in 81 games – a career-high in all scoring categories and games played.
But Yamamoto couldn’t find a way to make his scoring stick, and struggled to work out of a bottom-line rotation with his team’s extra forwards. He fell to 25 points in 58 games in the 2022-23 season, then managed just 16 points in 59 games with Seattle last year. A move to Utah was meant to serve as a spark, but after three pointless games to start the NHL season – Yamamoto was shipped back to the minors for his first AHL games since 2019-20.
Yamamoto’s call-up is purely for depth reasons, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports – meaning Utah isn’t facing any additional injuries or absences. That could make it tough for Yamamoto to work his way into the lineup. If he does, it will likely come over bottom-six winger Matias Maccelli, who has just one point in his last 10 games. Maccelli is the only Utah forward without multiple points in their latest 10 appearances.
Avalanche Sign Isak Posch, Cooper Gay To Two-Year Deals
The Colorado Avalanche have joined in on the college free agent market by signing St. Cloud State University goaltender Isak Posch and University of St. Thomas forward Cooper Gay to two-year, entry-level contracts. Both deals are set to start next season. Neither player has been added to a minor league roster yet.
Posch will turn pro after completing his sophomore season at St. Cloud. He served as an oft-used backup in his freshman season and posted a meager 5-6-2 record and .901 save percentage in 14 games. But with his feet wet with college ice, Posch was able to win out the clear-cut starting role and post a much stronger statline this season. He ended the year with a .923 save percentage – the 11th-highest in the country among goalies with at least 20 games – and a strong 12-10-0 record.
Posch moved to America ahead of the 2021-22 season, after growing up through the IF Bjorkloven and Leksands IF systems in Sweden. He posted a dismal 9-23-3 record and .872 save percentage with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede in his first North American season – getting little support from a then-struggling Stampede defense. That prompted a move to the NAHL for the 2022-23 campaign, where Posch managed a much improved statline, with a 25-13-2 record and .926 save percentage. He entered college with that performance behind his sails, and found a way to continue the strong play into the next step. Posch will join a crowded goalie room in the Colorado organization – and likely faces a battle with players like Trent Miner and Adam Scheel for AHL ice time next season.
Gay will join the Avalanche organization after completing his junior year at St. Thomas. The six-foot-four, 210-pound winger was initially slow-going at the college flight, netting just seven points in 30 games of his freshman campaign. But he found his role as a bruiser on the boards and in the slot last season, helping push him to 12 goals and 21 points in 29 games as a sophomore. Gay built on those numbers this year, with 19 goals and 30 points in 35 games. He also served as one of St. Thomas’ alternate captain this year.
Gay grew up through Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in Minnesota, and spent seasons with the NAHL’s Minnesota Magicians and St. Cloud Norsemen, as well as the USHL’s Fargo Force. He wasn’t much of a scorer at the juniors level – totaling just 13 points in 40 NAHL games and 14 points in 51 USHL games. But he’s come along in recent years, as he continues to find comfort in his lumbering frame. While Posch will have a battle for ice time, Gay’s sturdy frame could give him a clear path to top-nine minutes in the minor leagues. With continued strong scoring, his nitch as a physical, net-front presence could even earn Gay NHL attention in the years to come.
Canucks’ Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander Out At Least Four Games
The Vancouver Canucks will be without star centerman Elias Pettersson and top-six winger Nils Hoglander for the remaining four games of their current road-trip per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Both players missed Vancouver’s team practice on Sunday after each leaving Saturday night’s game with injury. Pettersson exited with roughly five minutes left in the second period. He didn’t appear to sustain an injury, though none of his final five shifts lasted longer than 30 seconds. Hoglander exited with under two minutes left in the second and also didn’t appear injured, though he did get in a choppy stick battle in his final shift. Both players are out with undisclosed injuries.
The Canucks were two games into their second six-game road trip of the season. Pettersson and Hoglander were both pivotal pieces of the lineup in the road trip’s kickoff game against St. Louis on Thursday. Pettersson led all forwards with 20 minutes of ice time and recorded two assists, while Hoglander scored one assist in 17 minutes of ice time. Neither scored in their limited action on Saturday, and Vancouver will now be forced to fill two glaring holes in their top-six.
Rookie Aatu Räty is expected to earn an immediate promotion to the lineup. Räty hasn’t played since January 31st, which was itself a one-off start after not receiving routine NHL minutes since December. He’s appeared in 21 NHL games in total this season, netting just four points split evenly. Räty has been far more productive in the minor leagues, where he leads the Abbotsford Canucks in both total and point-per-game scoring with 39 points in 41 games. The Canucks recalled Räty ahead of Saturday’s game, and he’ll now have a golden chance at hardy minutes with Vancouver away from home for another week.
The Canucks are also carrying rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who has rotated into the NHL lineup throughout March. He’s managed seven appearances and one assist through the month, bringing his season-long totals up to four points in 18 NHL Games. Lekkerimaki has also scored 19 goals and 28 points in 32 AHL games this year. He’s received as little as nine minutes of ice time through his recent stretch in the top flight, though Hoglander’s absence should break open at least a third-line role. Räty and Lekkerimaki could also be beneficiaries of the large chunk of power-play minutes that both Pettersson and Hoglander leave behind.
This will be a great chance for Vancouver’s top prospects to show they can shine. The Canucks will need all the support they can get, as they find themselves five points away from a Western Conference Wild Card with two games in hand. They’ve posted a menial 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games – not enough to get ahead the red-hot, 8-1-1 St. Louis Blues or the productive 5-2-3 record of the Calgary Flames. Even with opportunity at hand, it’s hard to imagine the rookies will live up to Pettersson’s 45 points in 64 games this season, which leads all Canucks forwards. Hoglander’s 21 points in 66 games, and gritty middle-six role, will likely be a bit more acheivable to match.
Devils Recall Nolan Foote
The New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Nolan Foote from the minor leagues. New Jersey opted not to practice on Friday, keeping reporters from clearly seeing who Foote could be filling in for. Both Ondrej Palat and Curtis Lazar are questionable for Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators due to undisclosed injuries. Both forwards sat out of the team’s Thursday loss to the Calgary Flames.
While it’s unclear if he’ll step into the lineup, this recall is nonetheless good news for Foote. It’s just his second call-up of the season, after he spent 10 days on the NHL roster in November. Foote stepped into two NHL games on that stint but didn’t manage any scoring. He’s been far more productive in the minors, where he leads the Utica Comets in scoring with 39 points in 53 games. He’s also second on the team with 18 goals, behind Brian Halonen‘s 21 goals. The performance has been a welcome return to form for Foote, after he missed all but eight games of the 2023-24 season with injury. Prior to that, Foote had scored 37 points in 55 AHL games in the 2022-23 campaign. He’s lapped those totals this year, and could now get a chance at hardy NHL minutes.
Foote has appeared in 25 NHL games across the last five seasons. He started off hot, with six points in his first 13 career games. But he’s added just two points since then. On the back of an improved groove in the minors, this recall could be a chance to get back onto an NHL scoresheet. Palat’s absence could open up third-line minutes, while Lazar vacates a fourth-line role. It’s likely New Jersey will allocate the bulk of minutes, and special team roles, to players like Daniel Sprong and Erik Haula. That likely leaves a minute, fourth-line role for Foote, should he be the preferred lineup choice. The Devils also have centerman Justin Dowling on the NHL roster and available to cover injuries.
Red Wings’ Erik Gustafsson Out Long-Term, Elmer Söderblom Day-To-Day
The Detroit Red Wings continue to receive bad news from their blue-line. Head coach Todd McLellan shared that veteran defender Erik Gustafsson will be out long-term with an undisclosed injury. McLellan didn’t provide a specific timeline for Gustafsson’s absence, though he’s been significantly downgraded after only being designated as out day-to-day on Thursday. Rookie forward Elmer Söderblom will also be out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, and remains day-to-day.
Gustafsson appeared to suffer his injury in the third period of Detroit’s Tuesday loss to the Washington Capitals after a collision with Capitals forward Lars Eller sent him crashing into the boards. No specifics of Gustafsson’s injury have been revealed, though his awkward fall into the boards could suggest knee or ankle related issues.
In response to these injuries, Detroit has recalled forwards Austin Watson and Brogan Rafferty under emergency conditions.
Now, it seems Gustafsson’s scary crash will indeed result in a long-term absence. He’s been leaned on heavily down the stretch, and even played upwards of 20 minutes a night in Detroit’s second-half. Gustafsson ranks third on the Detroit blue-line in scoring with 18 points in 60 games. He’s also posted a team-worst minus-19. Both statlines are a downtick from Gustafsson’s 31 points and plus-three in 76 games with the New York Rangers last season; which was itself a step down from 42 points and a plus-nine in the 2022-23 season.
Detroit will need to fill vacancies on the second pair and second powerplay unit with Gustafsson out. That latter hole has opened the door for rookie Simon Edvinsson to finally earn consistent powerplay ice time. Edvinsson has 25 points in 64 games this season. He also ranks third on the blue-line in blocks (118) and hits (66) behind Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot. Edvinsson is known for his puck control and passing ability – and racking up impacts away from the puck has helped earn him a chance at special teams minutes.
Who fills Gustafsson’s even-strength role is less clear. Rookie Albert Johansson seems like the best candidate to step into a bigger role, after playing over 21 minutes of action in each of his last two games. Johansson has eight points and a minus-seven in 47 games this year. He’s also tallied 76 blocked shots and 49 hits – stats that rank first and third on the Red Wings’ blue-line on a per-game basis. If not Johansson, Detroit is likely to award bigger minutes to Chiarot and William Lagesson. Chiarot has 11 points in 67 games, while Lagesson hasn’t yet scored through two appearances.
While the Red Wings rush to fill Gustafsson’s openings, rookie Söderblom will focus on not losing his momentum. He has nine points in 22 games this season – one more point in one more game than he totaled in his first taste of the NHL in 2022-23. He’s been a sizeable addition to the Red Wings lineup, both in height and impact – giving the Wings a hint of the success that the New York Rangers have found in players like Adam Edstrom. Söderblom still has a path to pave before he’s an everyday piece of the lineup, but a strong return from injury could do the work for him.
The Red Wings bear with these injuries while sitting on the fringe of a hotly-contested playoff race. Five different teams have between 70 and 74 points in the Eastern Conference. Detroit sits on the low-end, while the Montreal Canadiens have hold of the second Wild Card spot on the other end. Properly filling Gustafsson’s void, and seeing the return of an impactful bottom-six piece like Söderblom, could heavily sway Detroit’s playoffs hopes as they approach their final 14 games of the season.
Canucks Sign Aku Koskenvuo To Entry-Level Contract
The Vancouver Canucks have signed collegiate goaltender Aku Koskenvuo to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal comes after Koskenvuo’s junior year at Harvard University came to an end on Sunday. He was a strong goaltender until the very end of his collegiate career, making 47 saves on 49 shots in Harvard’s final game of the season. It was his fourth-consecutive start and second-consecutive overtime appearance. Koskenvuo made 138 saves on 147 shots in his last four games of the season.
Koskenvuo earned Harvard’s starting role through the latter half of this season, after spending his freshman year as the third-string and last season splitting starts. He climbed to the full-time role on the back of an 8-9-1 record, .902 save percentage, and 2.81 goals-against-average in 20 games this season. The stat line was a slight lateral step from his sophomore totals last year, when Koskenvuo managed a 5-6-4 record, .910 Sv%, and 2.95 GAA.
The Canucks drafted Koskenvuo in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after his first full season in Finland’s U20 SM-sarja. In what was a shortened 2020-21 season, Koskenvuo posted a .893 Sv% and 2.92 GAA in 13 games with HIFK’s U20 club. He followed it up with a .897 Sv% and 2.79 GAA in 27 U20 games in 2021-22. Through the mix, Koskenvuo also served as a go-to option for Team Finland’s international juniors clubs. He recorded a .874 Sv% and 3-3-0 record in six games of the 2021 World U18 Championship; but cratered at the 2023 World Junior Championships with a .842 Sv% an 4.47 GAA en route to an 0-2-0 record.
Koskenvuo will join a crowded goalie room in the Canucks organization. He’ll spar for minutes with players like Arturs Silovs, Nikita Tolopilo, and Ty Young at the AHL level. Tolopilo has served as the starter for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and has a .896 Sv% and 2.74 GAA in 30 appearances. Young leads the minor squad in save percentage, with a .905 in just nine AHL appearances.
Penguins Prospect Ville Koivunen Breaking Out In Second Half
The NHL season has not gone according to plan for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have the third-oldest lineup in the league, but land in the bottom-10 of the standings with just 13 games left on the schedule. Staff and fans alike have started to turn their attention towards the future, evidenced by the team’s sale of Anthony Beauvillier, Luke Schenn, and Cody Glass for future assets at this year’s Trade Deadline. The moves have trained a bright spotlight on the Penguins’ deep prospect pool – and lucky for hopeful fans, wing prospect Ville Koivunen has shined.
Koivunen has been one of the hockey world’s hottest players in 2025. Playing for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has amassed 31 points in 31 games since the calendar turned over. That hot streak gives Koivunen 53 points in 58 games this season – most among any AHL rookie and fifth in the league as a whole. No other rookie ranks in the top 15 of scoring. Koviunen has blossomed into a star producer, on the back of a confidence that seems to grow every single game.
The Penguins certainly knew to have high hopes for Koivunen. He was the primary future asset in the 2024 Trade Deadline move that sent star scorer Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Pittsburgh also acquired NHL winger Michael Bunting, fellow prospects Vasiliy Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius, and a second-round draft pick in the trade. But with Bunting traded to the Predators one year later and Lucius missing the season to injury – it has been up to Koivunen and Ponomarev to prove general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t blunder in dealing away his 40-goal scorer.
That’s certainly a lofty bill to place on a 21-year-old forward. But Koivunen has answered the bell and then some. He’s found his AHL spark after spending the last three seasons dominating ice time with the Liiga’s Karpat, part of Finland’s top pro league. Koivunen scored 29 points in 53 games of his rookie Liiga season in 2021-22. That mark set him as the 20th-highest scoring U19 player in Liiga history behind a list full of NHL talent – including Joel Armia, Sami Vatanen, and Artturi Lehkonen directly ahead of him. Koivunen nearly matched that total again in the next year, netting 28 points in 52 games. But his struggle to cross the 30-point threshold was matched by just one goal in 12 AHL games at the end of the season.
Koivunen returned to the Liiga at the start of last season, with many holding their breath around his long-term scoring upside. Even as he started to find his footing at a pro level – netting 14 points in 20 games to start the season – fans still held back. But Koivunen’s wheels only got faster. He went on a spree of multi-point games through February and March of the 2023-24 season, ultimately ending the year with 56 points in 59 games – the most of any U22 Liiga player since 2000.
A breakout in Finland wasn’t going to be convincing on it’s own – but Koivunen is now nearly lapping his totals in the AHL. His ability as a spot shooter and fast-break scorer defined his draft-year excitement. He earned attention as a first-round candidate in the 2021 class, and ultimately fell to the Carolina Hurricanes with the 51st overall selection. Those defining traits have continued to grow in the years since – Koivunen has become a great sniper, with the ability to pick corners while flat-footed or moving at full speed. But, more excitingly, Koivunen has gone to lengths to round out his style. He’s become far more physical and confident when driving into space. And he’s found his poise as a playmaker – taking the time to slow down when entering the zone, and using strong stickhandling and skating to get the puck into a passing lane.
There are certainly long strides between Koivunen and the NHL. But he’s become a lethal asset in the offensive zone. His shot can’t be left alone, but his ability to connect with his teammates is what has sparked a near point-per-game season. That ability held strong in the difficult move from Liiga to AHL, and should it hold through to the NHL – it’d be hard to think Koivunen couldn’t continue to dominate the scoresheet next on a top-six NHL line. After years of finding his footing, growing his role, and adapting his skills to a pro scene – Koivunen has fully broken out. He’s scoring at a point-per-game pace since the start of 2025, with no signs of slowing down as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton approaches a confident playoff bid. Koivunen hasn’t yet received the first in-season NHL call-up of his career – and at this rate, it appears he’ll be in the minors through the end of the season. But with a strong playoff performance, he could enter Pittsburgh’s 2025-26 training camp with his sails at full mast.
Big Hype Prospects: Fowler, McKenna, Lardis, Frondell
Mid-March is rolling around and hockey seasons are entering their waning point. Many college seasons are already concluded, while plenty of players in junior hockey are beginning to prepare for long playoff runs or springtime international hockey. It’s the final wave of action before the season comes to an end, so let’s take the chance to once again borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to bring you four of the hottest U21 players in hockey.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA Hockey East, ’23 Montreal Canadiens)
32 GP – 24-5-2 – 0.941 Sv% – 1.62 GAA
Another season is coming to its end, which means it’s time for Jacob Fowler to receive his annual flowers. He’s won MVP awards and (or) championship rings in every single season of his junior hockey journey, and this year proved no exception. Fowler posted an incredibly .941 save percentage this season, the second highest in all of college behind 24-year-old junior Alex Tracy (.944). That masterclass performance was recognized on Thursday when Fowler unanimously won the Hockey East goalie of the year award. He beat out fantastic competition, namely Maine’s brick wall Albin Boija. The 20-year-old Fowler took a major stride forward from his 32-6-1 record and .926 Sv% last season – which was itself a continuation of the pair of above-.920 seasons he posted in the USHL. Fowler now holds the record for U17 save percentage in the USHL, won the USHL playoff MVP in a 2023 championship run, and now just matched Connor Hellebuyck‘s save percentage in his age-20 season. Fowler is cool, calm, collected – and above all else – amazingly consistent. He’s proven to be a star at Boston College, and likely won’t be long from trying to do the same in the NHL.
Gavin McKenna, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL, 2026 NHL Draft)
53 GP – 34 G – 80 A – 114 TP – 17 PIM – +51
This is now Gavin McKenna‘s third mention in our big hype prospects series – but there is simply no other player worth such acclaim. McKenna has continued to show his superstardom, dazzling even without standout centerman and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha. He extended his active scoring streak to 37 games on Friday, tying thee Sidney Crosby for the second-longest point streak among CHL players since 2000-01. He’s only behind Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who stretched his streak to 65 games. McKenna has taken to a more prominent center role this season, to great effect. It’s pushed him to be more physical, or find even niftier ways to beat defenders. He’s slick on the puck and makes incredibly intelligent plays – capable of beating defenders with some of the simplest, but most effective, punch stops and quick cuts. There’s been no doubt that McKenna was going to be the first-overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft – but his performance this season, and namely this calendar year, have cemented that fact in a way that hasn’t been rivaled since Rasmus Dahlin, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid. McKenna is thee clear-cut star of his age group – and still has a year of junior (or collegiate) hockey to find yet another gear to his game.
Nick Lardis, LW/C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL, ’23 Chicago Blackhawks)
63 GP – 71 G – 44 A – 115 TP – 16 PIM – +20
Continuing the conversation of record-setting seasons is Blackhawks wing prospect Nick Lardis, who sits just one goal back from all-time heights. His 71 goals this season are the second-highest in the OHL since 2000 – and just one back from what former exceptional status superstar John Tavares managed in the 2006-07 season. Lardis has taken an incredible stride forward after potting 29 goals and 50 points in 37 games last year; and 25 goals and 46 points in 33 games of 2022-23. He’s developed a knack for the scoring imbalance, finding more goals than assists on the back of great positioning around the net, hard-nosed puck battles, and a killer wrist shot. Lardis simply can’t be left alone in the lower two-thirds of the offensive zone – which has proven a major challenge considering defenders also have to monitor teammate and fellow Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker. The mix of Vanacker’s nifty hands and ability to control space, and Lardis’ hot-shot scoring, has been simply too much to bear for OHL defenses. With both players in their pipeline, Chicago has a real chance to ensure that their chemistry remains overwhelming for NHL opponents as well.
Anton Frondell, RW/C, Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan, 2025 NHL Draft)
29 GP – 11 G – 14 A – 25 TP – 16 PIM – +11
Health has been the obstacle for star 2025 NHL Draft prospect Anton Frondell. He’s missed big chunks of games in October, November, December, and February of this season – intercut with spot starts. But when he’s healthy, there may be no international talent that rivals Frondell in this draft class. He has a simply jaw-dropping 14 points in his last eight games in the HA – Sweden’s second-tier pros. That scoring includes a four-point night and a three-point night in what is a very competitive, and often low-scoring, pro league. Finally, with his feet and his health under him, Frondell’s offense is exploding. He may be dancing a little too late for the crowd, but his ability to control the puck and work through space on the boards is incredible. Frondell has a powerful frame and drives hard to the slot – or steps back for hard wrist shots when defenders block his lanes. He’s a lethal threat north of the red line, with the positioning and grit to stay effective on the defensive side as well. Frondell will – or, should – be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. If he keeps up this recent performance, that number could rise north of top-five. The World U18 Championships will be his best chance to prove his worth to NHL brass. That tournament begins on April 23rd.