This is regarded as no better than an average year for college free agents playing in New England.
In good years and bad, NHL teams invest a significant amount of time and money scouring the NCAA ranks, from Maine to Arizona State and everywhere in between, for undrafted players deserving of an NHL or AHL contract.
They are, obviously, looking first and foremost for players who can help the NHL club at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later. But scouts also are on the lookout for players who can provide organizational depth or fill a particular positional need.
Realistically, it’s nearly impossible to find a college free agent who can make an immediate impact at the NHL level. It just doesn’t happen.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t good players available.
Sprinkled around the NHL are notable free agents who are natives of New England and played college hockey here.
After putting in time in the AHL, Garnet Hathaway (Kennebunkport, Maine) of Brown and the Boston Bruins and Noel Acciari (Johnston, R.I.) of Providence College and the Toronto Maple Leafs have established themselves as the type of bottom-six forwards that NHL teams covet.
Conor Sheary (Melrose, Mass.) of the Washington Capitals, who played four years at UMass, was a valuable contributor for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup teams in 2016 and 2017, but not before serving an apprenticeship in the AHL.
Then there’s the University of New Hampshire’s Trevor van Riemsdyk, now with the Washington Capitals. He played only eight AHL games in 2015 before joining the Chicago Blackhawks and winning a Stanley Cup ring. He’s been in the NHL ever since.
But he’s an outlier.
The prize of last season’s free agent class in New England was Bobby Trivigno. MVP of the Frozen Four for national champ UMass in 2021, he was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as a senior. In April he signed an NHL contract with the New York Rangers.
He was 12th in scoring for the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, with seven goals and 23 points in 50 games. If he’s going to make it to the NHL — and don’t bet against him — it’s going to take time.
So keep that in mind when mulling over this year’s crop. There are good players, but no difference-makers.
Here’s a look at 15 New England college players who could soon make an impact in the NHL:
Carl Berglund, UMass Lowell
The River Hawks’ senior captain is a solid all-around center with good size at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds. He’s an ideal fit in Lowell’s heavy style and led the team in scoring. On March 22, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
Ben Brar, Merrimack
At 6-foot-2, Brar is an abrasive winger who’s not afraid to cross the line with a hit. He scored a career-high 14 goals in the regular season. Earlier this month, it was reported that he would return for a fifth season. Had he opted to go pro, he could've gotten an AHL/ECHL contract.
Lynden Breen, Maine
There were times this season when Breen, a junior, carried the Black Bears on his back. He had 36 points in 36 games and only five players in the country scored more than his 21 goals. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Breen obviously is undersized for the pro game. While he plans to stay at Maine, there would be interest if he did want to turn pro.
Matt Brown, Boston University
The senior winger is an offense driver and point producer for the Hockey East champions. He’s not physically imposing at 5-foot-9, but he’s strong on his skates at 190 pounds and has soft hands and a good scoring touch. He recently signed a PTO with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ethan de Jong, Quinnipiac
De Jong, a grad student, had AHL offers after last season. He will this year, too, after putting up 17-19-36 in 36 games in the regular season.
Parker Ford, Providence College
Other players are bigger, stronger and faster, but Ford’s effort and energy as a 200-foot center is second to none. In PC’s Hockey East playoff win at Northeastern, he scored a goal, registered 12 hits and was involved in nine scoring chances. Ford (Wakefield, R.I.) had an NHL offer a year ago but opted to return for his senior year at PC, where he was captain this season. On March 25, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Collin Graf, Quinnipiac
Rand Pecknold and his staff hit the jackpot in the transfer portal by landing Graf (Lincoln, Mass.), who came over from Union after Rick Bennett departed last season. Graf (Lincoln, Mass.), who bypassed high school and prep hockey to play for the Junior Bruins, has had a breakout season as a sophomore. As of March 28, he was third in the country in points with 20-36-56 in 39 games. Only Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and Minnesota’s Logan Cooley had more. He's staying at Quinnipiac, but if he did leave school, he would have NHL offers.
Justin Hryckowian, Northeastern
Hryckowian played at Salisbury before joining the Huskies, where he’s been an excellent three-zone player in his two seasons. This year he was second on the team with 15-21-36 in 35 games, was plus-21, won 58.7 of his faceoffs and was named Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward. He’s been named NU’s captain for 2023-24, but if he changes his mind and decides to leave school, he’ll have offers from NHL teams.
Luke Krys, Brown
Krys (Ridgefield, Conn.), a senior captain, played big minutes on defense in all situations while providing leadership for the Bears. A Salisbury alum, he will join Providence College as a grad transfer to hone his pro potential. His father Mark and brother Chad played at BU. Krys received plenty of attention from NHL scouts and if he decides to turn pro he’ll have offers for sure.
Mike Lombardi, Quinnipiac
Lombardi (Barrington, R.I.) was a member of a NEPSAC Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 championship team at Kimball Union in 2017. A grad student, he’s been an important player on a Quinnipiac squad that has been near the top in the national polls all season. It’s not because of his speed and skill, but for how hard he works and how much he cares.
“In a lot of ways, he’s the heart and soul of our team. We have a saying: You can’t fake passion. For him, it comes naturally. He loves the game,” says teammate Zach Metsa.
Lombardi recently signed an amateur tryout with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners.
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac
In his fifth NCAA season, Metsa is the most decorated defenseman in the ECAC over the last couple of seasons. He does it all for the Bobcats at both ends of the ice. He was rewarded with a two-year contract with the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
Victor Ostman, Maine
The 6-foot-4 junior from Sweden faded late but had a strong year overall for the surprising Black Bears with a .918 save percentage, 2.21 goals-against average and a 14-12-2 record. He will come back for his senior year, but could’ve landed an NHL contract had he opted to leave.
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac
While scouts are quick to point out that Perets, a sophomore, plays for a team that gives up very few chances, his career stats are mind-boggling. As of March 15, he was 52-8-5 with 20 shutouts, a .934 save percentage and a goals-against average of 1.35. Recently, the Carolina Hurricanes signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Ryan Siedem, Harvard
Siedem, a senior, plays a steady all-around game on defense, where he was on the Crimson’s top pairing with Henry Thrun. Siedem, who played a year at Avon Old Farms before joining the NTDP, is right-handed and teams are always looking for righties. While he entered the transfer portal on April 5, he’s a lock for an AHL contract and it wouldn’t be a shock if he gets an NHL deal if he decided to go that route.
Wilmer Skoog, Boston University
Skoog started slow due to an injury at Vegas Golden Knights development camp last summer but turned in a solid season. Scouts question his skating, but he has size at 6-foot-2, a good stick and soft hands, recording four “Michigans” during his time as a Terrier. He signed a one-year AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday.
