Top Potential UFA NCAA Prospects

[Killerjas]

Thoughts on Dryden McKay and Adam Scheel?

 

[Johnny Danger]

McKay is amazing, but he's even smaller than Strauss Mann. He's 5-11 ... i think he'll get an AHL contract.

Adam Scheel will get a contract. He's just 21, he's playing with north dakota and he's 6-3. All the big guys with great performanced in the last years got contracts: Mat Robson, John Lethemon, Andrew Shortridge, etc

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Alex Limoges, Penn State

Was just checking out the Nittany Lions to see how Aarne Talvitie was doing and noticed their leading scorer isn't drafted. Looks like he has decent size and is originally from Virginia but I don't know much about him.

 

[Johnny Danger]

what's your opinion on Brannon McManus and Mareks Mitens? They're not the college frontrunners for an NHL contract, but had strong seasons

 

[wingerdinger]

having watched a lot of Quinipiac of late, I'd scoop up Ethan De Jong. He's a pest with soft hands that isnt afraid to go to hard parts of the ice to get rewarded. He also kills penalties. Ethan De Jong at eliteprospects.com

 

[Bonin21]

what's your opinion on Brannon McManus

He is not an NHLer. He could make a good career in the AHL (and maybe see a handful of games as an injury fill in) or Europe.

 

[Brodeur]

One guy that I'm always impressed with when I watch Notre Dame is Alex Steeves. Was originally supposed to be drafted in 2018 (I know we at McKeen's had him ranked in the fourth round). And has improved every year in college so far. As a junior, he's now the Fighting Irish's best player.

Briefly mentioned by Darren Dreger during today's Insider Trading. Dreger noted that Steeves could stay another year and finish his degree before turning pro.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Mason Snell, D, Penn State

Sophomore scored both goals last night in 5-2 loss to Notre Dame. Is he worth following?

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

Seems like the prized pieces of this year's class are Steeves, Kawaguchi (related to Vicky? ), Farrance and Kiersted.

Not sure about the potential of any of them, but I hope the Rangers make a splash!

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Nick Blankenburg, D, Jr Michigan

Undersized and overshadowed by underclassmen like Owen Power.

But has he ever been in a development camp and does he have pro potential?

 

[Brodeur]

Matt Kiersted is the Top NCAA Free Agent Target

Hockey News article with some of the usual names, although I did enjoy finding out that Trevin Kozlowski is from my hometown.

 

[BKarchitect]

I like Steeves a lot, I was always curious as to why he didn't get drafted after excelling in the USHL. He's not big but he's strong and tenacious for his size and he's got a heavy shot along with good quickness and wheels. He's not one of these typical undersized finesse guys who excel in college with good brains and playmaking but lacks footspeed or has a muffin shot that don't translate well to the pros. I think he can be a swiss-army third liner who can play on second-unit special teams.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Emil Zetterquist, G, St. Lawrence

Swedish junior had a .926 save percentage for an average St. Lawrence team but backstopped the Saints to a playoff championship (admittedly in a three-team "tournament").

 

[wingerdinger]

Emil Zetterquist, G, St. Lawrence

Swedish junior had a .926 save percentage for an average St. Lawrence team but backstopped the Saints to a playoff championship (admittedly in a three-team "tournament").

Played on by far the worse team in the conference. He out duelled our own petruzzelli yesterday. He's 6'1 athletic and tracks the puck well at that level. Which doesnt seem to be the type of goalie the wings like. We tend to draft size in net.

Doubt that we could carry two rookie 'tenders down in Gr, so don't think we'd sign him and petruzzelli. Definitely think theres something to zetterquist it'd be a savvy move.

 

[Bonin21]

Emil Zetterquist, G, St. Lawrence

Swedish junior had a .926 save percentage for an average St. Lawrence team but backstopped the Saints to a playoff championship (admittedly in a three-team "tournament").

And then they had one covid case and now there season is over...

 

[Johnny Danger]

of course, Emil Zetterquist had a great season. but with all we've seen from the last years, i doubt he'll get a NHL (!) contract ... there has been no performance the years before. he doesn't have typical NHL-size. so i think Emil Zetterquist will return for another year. maybe then ... or he'll sign an AHL-contract now.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

of course, Emil Zetterquist had a great season. but with all we've seen from the last years, i doubt he'll get a NHL (!) contract ... there has been no performance the years before. he doesn't have typical NHL-size. so i think Emil Zetterquist will return for another year. maybe then ... or he'll sign an AHL-contract now.

Any thoughts about David Jankowski?

 

[verbalkint47]

Matt Kiersted is the Top NCAA Free Agent Target

Hockey News article with some of the usual names, although I did enjoy finding out that Trevin Kozlowski is from my hometown.

Do you know if Kozlowski is free to play pro next year or if he still has commitments to Army?

 

[Brodeur]

Do you know if Kozlowski is free to play pro next year or if he still has commitments to Army?

After reading up on Kozlowski, I looked up Army's last pro caliber goalie Parker Gahagen. I remembered Gahagen had ELCs offer(s) that he never signed because he owed Army two years of service after graduation; Apparently Army made that policy change during Gahagen's senior year which caught him off guard. I asked/tweeted Ryan Kennedy who said he thought Army has since relaxed its policy but I'm not 100% sure. Gahagen graduated while Kozlowski is finishing his junior year, so I don't know if there would be any difference in commitment there.

We'll see if all the AHL/ECHL teams resume business in 2021-22, it seemed like a bad time to be a free agent college goalie last offseason.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Anyone know much about Jackson Pierson?

Kid hopped straight from prep into Hockey East and has done well statistically on a bad team. Every report cites athleticism. Not super old.

He could (and almost definitely will) go back to school but just a guy that’s always intrigued me from afar. Was curious if anyone had followed him more closely.

 

[verbalkint47]

After reading up on Kozlowski, I looked up Army's last pro caliber goalie Parker Gahagen. I remembered Gahagen had ELCs offer(s) that he never signed because he owed Army two years of service after graduation; Apparently Army made that policy change during Gahagen's senior year which caught him off guard. I asked/tweeted Ryan Kennedy who said he thought Army has since relaxed its policy but I'm not 100% sure. Gahagen graduated while Kozlowski is finishing his junior year, so I don't know if there would be any difference in commitment there.

We'll see if all the AHL/ECHL teams resume business in 2021-22, it seemed like a bad time to be a free agent college goalie last offseason.

Thanks dude.

He would be an interesting option for the Kings. Their goalie pipeline has quantity, not sure about quality. Should be an easy sell for Rob Blake. Not just because of the Valencia/LA connection. Can point to Cal Petersen and LA's track record of developing goalies. Quick's contract is also up in a couple years so there's a clear development path to the NHL.

 

[Brodeur]

Thanks dude.

He would be an interesting option for the Kings. Their goalie pipeline has quantity, not sure about quality. Should be an easy sell for Rob Blake. Not just because of the Valencia/LA connection. Can point to Cal Petersen and LA's track record of developing goalies. Quick's contract is also up in a couple years so there's a clear development path to the NHL.

Would be great to see a Santa Clarita guy with a SoCal team. LA might have a crowded crease in the minors soon, they'll still have Villalta/Ingham under contract next year plus possibly David Hrenek and/or Lukas Parik to sign after this season.

 

[jfb392]

After reading up on Kozlowski, I looked up Army's last pro caliber goalie Parker Gahagen. I remembered Gahagen had ELCs offer(s) that he never signed because he owed Army two years of service after graduation; Apparently Army made that policy change during Gahagen's senior year which caught him off guard. I asked/tweeted Ryan Kennedy who said he thought Army has since relaxed its policy but I'm not 100% sure. Gahagen graduated while Kozlowski is finishing his junior year, so I don't know if there would be any difference in commitment there.

We'll see if all the AHL/ECHL teams resume business in 2021-22, it seemed like a bad time to be a free agent college goalie last offseason.

Service academy players can now sign professional contracts, but they must graduate, per this DoD memo.

This means that a player like Kozlowski must graduate as a commissioned officer before signing a contract.
It looks like he could have red-shirted but did not, so he’ll likely graduate from the academy this summer.
If he left before graduation, he’d be on the hook for his entire education, like any other cadet that leaves after the summer of their sophomore year but before graduation.
Shane Starrett opted to take advantage of sophomore year rule when he signed with the Oilers prior to the DoD policy change.

 

[LeafChief]

Is Farrance going UFA for sure?

 

[Johnny Danger]

Any thoughts about David Jankowski?

to be honest, i don't know much about him. But when we look at the last years, St. Lawrence isn't the first adress when it comes to potential free agents signing in the NHL. Jankowskis 12 pts in 15 games are "nice", but nothing that will get him into the NHL. way too low performance for a kind of "unusual" team in terms NHL-output.

in the last 30 years, Rich Peverley, Brendan Bollig and Eric Lacroix have been the most popular/succesful players from St. Lawrence ...