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With the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey regular season coming to a close, it’s time for struggling or rebuilding teams to try and land a potential NHL-ready prospect who previously went undrafted but has since proved his worth in college.
Now, some may say these types of players never pan out, and if they were any good, they would have been drafted years ago, but I would argue that some guys are just late bloomers. And, if they are excelling in the NCAA now, where most teams highly touted draft picks go to continue their development anyway, then why wouldn’t you think that these guys could turn pro?
So, with us keeping that in mind, let me give you one undrafted collegiate player in each position who I think could leave college today and turn pro, whether it be in the NHL or AHL.
Center- TJ Hughes- University of Michigan
TJ, who stands at 5’11 and 185 pounds, is now a junior at the Univ. of Michigan. But it was hard for me to believe that this player was not drafted before joining the Wolverines, considering before ever stepping on campus, Hughes had a season in which he and his teammates not only won the AJHL Championship but the Centennial Cup as well for the Brooks Bandits. Where during the regular season, TJ posted an astounding 66 goals and 61 assists, which resulted in 121 points in 60 games played. If you do the math, that averages out to be a 2.11 points-per-game average (P.P.G.). He continued with that success in the playoffs that same year, netting 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 11 games played, which still equates to him amassing over two points per game. Then, in the Centennial Cup, he led his team to victory over some stiff competition, scoring six goals and six assists for 12 points in only six games played.
I guess teams thought he was just another undersized center and that he wouldn’t be able to produce in an actual league, right? WRONG!
Throughout the last three seasons playing for the Wolverines, Hughes has been able to compile 47 goals and 75 assists for 122 points in 116 games played and has managed to maintain a faceoff win percentage of 58%.
For this reason, it was believed that this proven point producer would have signed a deal with an NHL club after last season, but he did not, nor did he after attending the Tampa Bay Lightning Developmental Camp last summer.
I don’t know what this guy has to do to prove himself any more than he already has, but I am sure whoever smartens up and signs this offensive dynamo will not regret it.
Wing-Quinn Hutson-Boston University
You may have heard of Quinn’s younger brothers, 21-year-old Lane Hutson, who was taken in the 2nd round of the 2022 Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, and 18-year-old Cole Hutson, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 2nd round of last years draft, but I’m here to tell you Ouinn is no slouch.
In fact, he currently holds the highest point-per-game (P.P.G.) average this season of anybody in the NCAA, with him netting 1.44 P.P.G.
I know what you’re thinking. “Man, his production probably just spiked this season because Cole arrived on campus this year to play with him.” And you would be wrong because, over the last three years, Quinn has managed to rifle in 53 goals and 57 assists for 110 points in 111 games played. And, while that’s most undoubtedly impressive, the fact that he has managed to play night in and night out against some of the best teams in the nation and still be a plus player every year is even more notable, seeing that he has been able to maintain a +49 for the entirety of his colligate career.
Now, I’ll give you the fact that Quinn (who is 23) may not have been gifted with the type of elite talents his younger brothers have, but I can’t deny the fact that he has a high hockey IQ and exerts himself on every shift. And a lot of times, that’s all a coach wants because you can teach a guy a lot of things on the ice, but you can’t teach them hustle and determination.
Defense-C.J. Foley-Dartmouth College
C.J. is a 21-year-old right-hand shooting defenseman who stands at 5’11 and 174 pounds. He is a puck-moving, offensive defenseman who, if I had to give you a comparison, I would say he is a poor man’s (or, in this case, team’s) Seamus Casey.
I say this because, like Casey, Foley is a phenomenal stick handler who has been known to break a few guys’ ankles when bringing the puck all the way up the ice.
This season, Foley has managed to amass 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 30 games played, as well as maintaining a +16 average on the season. But if teams want him, they better sign him quickly because he did attend the Florida Panthers developmental camp this past summer and impressed while he was there.
Goalie-Albin Boija-Maine
Last but not least, we look at a Swedish prospect who plays perhaps the most challenging position to gauge a player’s future worth, and that’s goaltending. Very few teams can honestly say that they have found their franchise goaltender and been able to keep him for the better part of a decade. It’s just facts. Goaltenders are like running backs or cornerbacks in the NFL. Once you find one, you better start looking for the next one! Because, a good one is rare, and teams tend to overplay them, which leads to injuries. Or if they can stay healthy, teams will just end up losing them in free agency to another desperate team that is willing to throw an insane amount of money their way.
So, my recommendation would be for any prospecting team in need of a netminder to take a good long look at Albin Boija, a 21-year-old goalie who plays for the Maine Black Bears. Because this season, this 6’1, 181-pound guardian of the blue paint has managed to post a minuscule 1.77 goals-against-average and a .929 save percentage with four shutouts and 20 wins on the season to boot.
Some may have thought a goalie having this type of season to be a fluke, but this came after his freshman year, where in 18 games, he was able to post a 2.01 G.A.A. and a .919SV%. So, he’s only gaining more confidence and experience playing the North American-style game.
Guys, this kid is young, and he is good. Therefore, it would only benefit an NHL team to stake claim to him by signing him to an entry-level contract so that they can just sit back and watch him continue to progress.
So, there you have it: one NCAA undrafted free agent from every position who should have NHL executives actively filling their voicemail boxes as soon as the final game horn sounds on their seasons.
