NHL teams won’t start signing NCAA free agents until the end of the college season months from now, but it’s not too soon to look at some of the players in the running for contracts.
Every weekend, NHL scouts are watching undrafted players during what is regarded by many evaluators as a so-so year for college free agents.
Although it’s exceedingly rare to find a top pair defenseman, a top six forward or a No. 1 goalie on the college free agent market, there are good players available for teams looking to fill a specific positional need or build organizational depth.
In alphabetical order, here are 10 undrafted NCAA players on the radar of NHL scouts.
Parker Ford, Providence College
Ford, a 5-9 center with a motor that never slows down, plays in all situations.
He had 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 38 games last season. He had five points (two goals, three assists) in a sweep of UMass two weekends ago.
Ford played for the United States at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.
TJ Hughes, Michigan
A 21-year-old freshman, Hughes led the Alberta Junior Hockey League in goals last season with 66 in 61 games for the Brooks Bandits. He’s third on Michigan with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 12 games.
Hughes was committed to Atlantic Hockey’s Robert Morris University and Mercyhurst before ending up at Michigan.
Riese Gaber, North Dakota
Gaber, the top available free agent in the eyes of many scouts, was a standout at the Boston Bruins development camp in July. The wing is 5-foot-8 but he has put up points wherever he has played.
He led North Dakota in goals (15) and points (37) last season as a sophomore and was a finalist for NCHC Player of the Year.
After scoring 34 goals in 47 games for Dubuque in 2019-20, Gaber was named USHL forward of the year and player of the year.
Justin Hryckowian, Northeastern
Hryckowian went to development camp with the Washington Capitals last offseason after making the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. His hockey IQ is his biggest asset. Hryckowian has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 12 games this season. He won 21 of 32 face-offs against Boston College last Saturday.
Justin Lee, Denver
Lee grew up on his family’s farm in Manitoba. He is a shutdown defenseman who played an important role for the reigning NCAA national champions with a collegiate career-high 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) and a plus-23 rating in 38 games as a junior last season. He is the team captain this season.
Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State
Livingstone is a mobile, right-shot defenseman with good size at 6-3. He earned CCHA defenseman of the year honors last season with 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 44 games. This season, he has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 10 games.
Ryan McAllister, Western Michigan
A 20-year-old freshman, McAllister is second in the NCAA with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 13 games. He led the AJHL in scoring last season with 139 points (57 goals, 82 assists) in 60 games for Brooks.
Hunter McKown, Colorado College
McKown leads Colorado College with seven goals in 12 games, all on the power play. He has good size (6-1, 194) and can beat goalies from distance with his wicked shot.
A San Jose native, McKown played for the United States at the 2022 World Junior Championship. He led Colorado College in goals as a sophomore last season with 13 in 35 games.
Jason Polin, Western Michigan
Scoring hat tricks in back-to-back games, like Polin did against Miami University on Nov. 4 and 5, is sure to attract attention from scouts. The senior wing scored 16 goals in 38 games last season. He already has nine in 13 games this season.
Wilmer Skoog, Boston University
The senior center from Sweden, has good size (6-2) and a quick stick. He led Boston with 15 goals last season.
After recovering from a broken collarbone sustained at the Vegas Golden Knights development camp in July, Skoog scored his first goal of the season Friday on a lacrosse move. It’s the fourth time in his college career that he pulled off the move for a goal.
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