With the NCAA tournament in full force, we’ve seen an influx of collegiate signings in recent days which is likely to continue over the next couple of weeks. Generally speaking, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
We’re changing things up a bit in our annual preview this time around. Earlier this week, Gabriel Foley took a closer look at the most prominent players from this year’s class. Meanwhile, we’ll break down the rest of the class in two separate columns, one for forwards and one for goaltenders and defensemen. We’ll start with the forwards.
As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.
Dalton Bancroft (Cornell)
A player who was on this list last year, Bancroft’s stock has dipped a bit this season after a much-improved sophomore season. Even so, he finished second on the Big Red in scoring while setting a new career-best in goals with 15. Bancroft’s size and skill set profile him as a physical fourth liner and with him having some power play success in the past, he should have some interest from teams looking to add some extra depth.
Josh Eernisse (Michigan)
It’s believed Eernisse had some NHL interest last year but he opted to return to the Wolverines with the hope that he could land a bigger role and have a better season. That didn’t happen as he wound up scoring just once in 36 games. Nonetheless, his size, physicality, and speed will make him appealing to teams looking to add a fourth-line energy player. That said, coming off a down year, he might be better off going back for his senior season and trying to boost his stock.
Christian Fitzgerald (Wisconsin)
Like Eernisse, Fitzgerald transferred to a more prominent program after his freshman year and has seen his production decline since then. Nonetheless, a 16-goal showing two years ago should have him on the radar for some teams but at this point, an AHL deal might be all he could land, making him a realistic candidate to return to the Badgers next season.
T.J. Hughes (Michigan)
Hughes has been a prominent scorer over his three years with the Wolverines,…
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