Six NCAA Free Agents the Devils Should Pine For
With college hockey coming to a close, the Devils should have these six players on their radars.
The NCAA season has, for the most part, come to an end, with all but the Frozen Four completed. With that in mind, there are a good bunch of NCAAers who are, or should be, looking for NHL gigs.
I’ve spent more time scouting the NCAA than any other league — for those who don’t know, I also write for Dobber Prospects, where I cover both the Devils’ prospect pool and the NCAA as a whole, writing feature articles on the latter for them once a month. I’ve gotten a pretty good gauge of the players I’d like to see in the Devils’ pipeline, so let’s talk about them:
T.J. Hughes (C)
23 Years Old | 5’11 | 185 Pounds — 36 Games Played | 15 Goals | 23 Assists | 38 Total Points — University of Michigan
T.J. Hughes is one of college hockey’s top free agents and is likely garnering the most traction from teams of anyone on this list. He was the University of Michigan’s top and most important forward, playing in all situations with excellent results to boot.
Hughes’ best asset is his brain. When watching him, you can see that the game just seems to slow down (for him) when he has possession of the puck. He never seems to make the wrong play, with constant knowledge of where the play is going and where his teammates are. He’s always one step ahead.
He’s also a hard-working center. Hughes involves himself in forechecks and board battles as much as he can and comes out with the puck more often than I’ve seen any other player. Combine that with his smarts and knack for understanding space and time, and you have yourself a do-it-all bottom-sixer.
The moral of the story with Hughes is that he just does the little things right all the time, and that all adds up to a well-polished product every game. This isn’t to say that his raw skills aren’t tantalizing, either — I actually think his shot is better than he gets credit for, and his ability to get it off quickly right after receiving a pass can’t be understated. Because he also has such a strong sense of where his teammates and opponents are, Hughes is able to find plays that otherwise wouldn’t occur, having a deliberate and zippy release on passes as well.
By all accounts, the Devils should be all over him. I wrote yesterday about the Devils’ general need for a fourth-line center, and though I’m not sure he’ll be ready for NHL action next season (he might need some time to adjust to pro hockey’s pace in the AHL), could be the long-term solution at 4C afterwards.
Plus, who doesn’t want a guy with that last name? The Devils should aim to collect ‘em all.
Jack Stockfish (C)
22 Years Old | 6’4 | 216 Pounds — 36 Games Played | 15 Goals | 12 Assists | 27 Total Points — College of the Holy Cross
We all know that Tom Fitzgerald is a bit of a size and grit queen, to the point where it’s negatively affected the Devils’ scoring aptitude this season, and they likely need massive, sweeping changes across the lineup because of it. With that said, Jack Stockfish might be the best of both worlds in terms of grit and skill.
At 6’4, 216 pounds, Stockfish is incredibly strong on and off the puck. He fends off stick checks like nobody’s business, cycling and cycling and cycling with the puck on his stick when everything is clicking for him. His ability to fend off a pressuring defender with one arm while maintaining puck possession with the other is unmatched at this level.
What makes him appealing, too, is that he knows how to play off of that niche ability. Stockfish can draw multiple defenders into him at a time, all the while shielding the puck away from them and giving his teammates the time and space they need to get to open ice. From there, he can muscle passes to them or, at some points, use them as bait to get a shot off.
Stockfish’s hands are solid enough, too, especially in tight space. He’s unsurprisingly strong in board battles, using both his brute strength and deking abilities to get him out of tough positions. The problems with his game generally lie in his hockey sense — I know I just pumped Stockfish’s tires regarding his ability to playdrive when executing high-strength moves, but he largely lacks in that facet of his game when he isn’t in that situation. His vision is so-so at best, and I feel like he stagnates a good amount in the offensive zone when he doesn’t have possession.
His defensive game is solid, though, and would be playable in the NHL. Stockfish protects the middle of the ice pretty well, and when play tightens up, he crease-clears as well as any forward I’ve seen. His positioning in the defensive zone is certainly a strength.
I’m not sold on Stockfish’s NHL likelihood, though the framework for a fourth-line center is definitely there. On top of his physicality, he does possess some good skill, particularly in extending puck possessions. His on-puck strength is some of the best I’ve seen from NCAA players, and his stickhandling abilities, particularly for a big man, are pretty good. With a bit more refinement in his playmaking and shooting, he’s certainly a player who could carve a role for himself at the NHL level.
Joshua Eernisse (RW)
23 Years Old | 6’3 | 205 Pounds — 36 Games Played | 1 Goal | 10 Assists | 11 Total Points — University of Michigan
If the Devils are in search of their Miles Wood replacement, look no further than Joshua Eernisse. His box score certainly won’t wow you — his 11 points in 36 games is pretty abysmal all things considering — but his skillset should garner some looks from NHL clubs anyway.
I’ve written about the Devils’ need for speed in the bottom six before, and Eernisse would be a phenomenal addition if that’s the goal. Put simply, he’s a near one-dimensional player. He’s not much of a shooter, nor is he much of a playmaker, but he is arguably the fastest and most powerful skater available. He’s a heat-seeking missile, too, imposing his physicality on defenders with relentless force when playing dump-and-chase hockey.
From an offensive standpoint, I don’t have much else to say about Eernisse. He isn’t much of a skill guy, but he skates like the wind, has an incessant motor, and forechecks extremely well because of both of those things.
This does bleed into his defensive game, though — he’s one of the better defensive forwards I’ve scouted. Eernisse’s positioning in the defensive zone is excellent, and he doesn’t hesitate to jump into board battles, quickly breaking out the other way once he regains possession (which he does often, considering his hardworking nature).
All in all, while Eernisse’s skill limits his ceiling — his shot is subpar, his puck control generally lacks any refinement, and his playmaking chops are middling — his floor is that of a fourth-line energy winger. He’s going to have a long career playing 10 minutes every night.
Michael Hagens (LHD)
20 Years Old | 5’11 | 187 Pounds — 37 Games Played | 1 Goal | 7 Assists | 8 Total Points — Boston College
I know; the Devils scarcely need more defensemen in their pipeline. Consider, though, James Hagens’ brother, Michael, who was ranked as a should-be third-or-fourth-rounder in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by outlets like Elite Prospects, FC Hockey, and my friend Craig Button. For good reason, too — (Michael) Hagens is a pretty well-balanced, skilled defenseman who has had quietly strong results this season despite the limited box score.
To be fair to his production, he was largely deployed as a sixth or seventh defenseman with BC, so it’s no surprise that he was only able to put up just over 0.2 points per game.
With that in mind, though, he was actually quite good in the time that he did play, leveraging his strong skating ability into superb transitional work. He’s explosive and smooth on his feet, being able to get around defending neutral zoners with his legs alone. This strong skating ability showed up in his defensive work, too, being able to stop zone entries quite well and being able to force plays to the outside by gluing himself to cycling forwards’ hips in the defensive zone.
His hands, for a defenseman, are quite good, too. Hagens has a solid repertoire of dekes to pull out when he is the puck carrier in the neutral zone. His smarts are top-notch, which you would expect of a player with this last name. He has a better-than-average ability to get pucks to dangerous areas of the ice, using his slipperiness to evade body checks along the walls or bouncing off of them outright before sliding a pass to the slot from the wall.
There really isn’t much not to like about his game, honestly.
While I do think that Hagens is likely going to finish his college career — he has three years left — before making the decision to jump to the NHL, I’m planting the seed now so as to keep him on your radars. If it turns out that he becomes one of college’s best defensemen, don’t be surprised. Nor should you be if he turns into a mainstay middle-pairing, two-way defenseman down the line.
Quinn Hutson (RW)
23 Years Old | 5’11 | 170 Pounds — 36 Games Played | 23 Goals | 27 Assists | 50 Total Points — Boston University
For the next bloodline player on this list, I imagine there will be some interest in Quinn Hutson from NHL teams once Boston University’s Frozen Four is over, be it by elimination or victory. The eldest Hutson brother has had a superb NCAA season, finishing 9th in the league in scoring.
Hutson excels in transition, with that easily being the clear best part of his game. While not the fleetest of foot, he has some explosion to his skating and has the edgework you’d expect out of someone with his name, being able to dance around defenders in transition with ease.
Once in the offensive zone, there are some concerns with his vision and playmaking chops. I don’t think he is that great a passer, despite what the scoresheet says. He has a tendency to get blinders on certain plays, passing to locations where there is coverage when he shouldn’t or taking a shot when there’s an open teammate, etc.
His shot, though, is electric. Hutson is able to corral difficult passes like it’s nothing and get off a rapid, accurate, deceptive shot in a split second after receiving the pass. By all means, he has an NHL-level shot with NHL-level mechanics in that regard.
As you’d also expect out of a Hutson brother, the size and physicality just aren’t there, which might stymy his ability to get into the NHL. He rarely involves himself on the forecheck and loses nearly every board battle he gets pressed into. That will need to change.
Still, the scoring simply cannot be ignored. It’s largely the best indicator of NHL success, which is why valuing NHLe models on draft day is often the best way to go. Hutson is no exception to this rule, and being one of the most prolific scorers in college hockey, particularly if he returns to the NCAA and does the same next year, will make him extremely sought after by big league clubs.
The Devils do have the advantage of him being a Boston University product, too, with Jay Pandolfo being the head coach there as well as Shane LaChance (their captain) and Mikhail Yegorov being members of the team. Perhaps those connections make him more inclined to sign in New Jersey once his collegiate career comes to a close.
Dylan Hryckowian (RW)
20 Years Old | 5’10 | 170 Pounds — 36 Games Played | 17 Goals | 19 Assists | 36 Total Points — Northeastern University
Aside from his awesome last name — one I’d love to see Ken Daneyko pronouncing as part of the play-by-play — Dylan Hrywckowian has had a strong campaign as Northeastern University’s third-leading scorer. For the second straight season, he’s produced at exactly a point per game, though he’s elevated his goal scoring (17 this season vs. seven last).
The most apparent part of Hryckowian’s game is his non-stop nature. He never runs out of energy, involving himself in every play offensively and defensively and being hard on every puck. His motor is incessant, and he’s simply annoying to play against.
His straight-line speed is phenomenal, too, with excellent explosion off his first step to boot. Hryckowian wouldn’t be able to play his type of game without those two factors. His edges are generally pretty weak, though, with poor technique that might hold him back in small-area hockey against pro competition. Though, I’m sure the same was said about his brother Justin, and look at where he’s at (point-per-game in the AHL with the Texas Stars).
Hryckowian is able to make plays at his full speed, too, making him all the more threatening. His shot is at its best when he is firing it off in stride, with deception that can beat goaltenders clean. He has strong vision with the puck on his stick, being hyperaware of where his teammates and defenders are before finding them with quick, hard passes (which he also executes in stride). He isn’t the biggest player, but he plays like someone ten inches taller than he is, and it’s a ton of fun to watch.
Plus, his brother, Justin, took a similar path — Justin played three seasons of NCAA hockey (captaining Northeastern last season), turning into a well-beyond point-per-game player by his last year before signing a deal with the Dallas Stars. Since then, he’s absolutely lit up the AHL, scoring 56 points in 59 games this season so far and looking the part of yet another steal for the Stars. Oh, and their playstyles are exactly the same. I, for one, would want to capitalize on that. If (Dylan) Hryckowian does stay in college, which I would gauge as likely, he’s going to become one of the most desirable free agents out there.
If it were up to me, the Devils would be signing all of these guys. I think they’re all skilled, useful players who bring elements to the pipeline that otherwise aren’t there. Hughes and Stockfish both profile as future bottom-six centers, which the Devils need within their pool; Eernisse will have an NHL career making an impact on a fourth-line as a high-energy, defense-first player who can chip in physically and with his speed; Hagens will be a bottom-four, two-way defenseman at the NHL level, even if he isn’t in a rush to leave the NCAA just yet; Hutson knows how to score and could be a late-blooming third-line scoring winger; and Hryckowian is a detail-oriented player who does everything right and will have an impactful NHL career because of it.
I assume some of these guys will appear on this list next season (Hryckowian still has two years left in the NCAA, Huston has one, and Hagens has three), but if they opt to nix their college careers to play hockey professionally, I’d be more than happy to give them a long, hard look.