The first four weekends of college hockey have wrapped up, and we're already seeing stars and teams break out. There has been fantastic action across the conferences, and now the Ivy League teams will start playing this upcoming weekend. We're going to take a look at how some of the top NHL prospects have fared thus far, focusing on the Big Ten, NCHC and Hockey East conferences.
Big Ten
Michael Hage, F, Michigan: Hage battled injuries last season but still managed 34 points through 33 games. The Canadiens prospect (2024 first-round pick) has taken his game to the next level as a sophomore, putting himself firmly in the Hobey Baker conversation after starting the year with six goals and eight assists through eight games.
Adam Valentini, F, Michigan: Valentini's decision to go to college hockey instead of the WHL was widely questioned because of his smaller stature (5-foot-9, 187 pounds) and Michigan's stacked lineup. Valentini hasn't been relegated to the bottom six like expected, though. Instead, he's a borderline top-six player while handling power-play minutes. He's holding his own with three goals and five assists through eight games, showing some sandpaper in his game as well. The Ontario product is eligible for the draft in 2026.
Henry Mews, D, Michigan: Mews is a superb playmaker with an incredible hockey IQ. The 2024 third-round pick already quarterbacks the Wolverines' top power-play unit, where five of his seven assists have come through eight games. Mews needs to continue
The first four weekends of college hockey have wrapped up, and we're already seeing stars and teams break out. There has been fantastic action across the conferences, and now the Ivy League teams will start playing this upcoming weekend. We're going to take a look at how some of the top NHL prospects have fared thus far, focusing on the Big Ten, NCHC and Hockey East conferences.
Big Ten
Michael Hage, F, Michigan: Hage battled injuries last season but still managed 34 points through 33 games. The Canadiens prospect (2024 first-round pick) has taken his game to the next level as a sophomore, putting himself firmly in the Hobey Baker conversation after starting the year with six goals and eight assists through eight games.
Adam Valentini, F, Michigan: Valentini's decision to go to college hockey instead of the WHL was widely questioned because of his smaller stature (5-foot-9, 187 pounds) and Michigan's stacked lineup. Valentini hasn't been relegated to the bottom six like expected, though. Instead, he's a borderline top-six player while handling power-play minutes. He's holding his own with three goals and five assists through eight games, showing some sandpaper in his game as well. The Ontario product is eligible for the draft in 2026.
Henry Mews, D, Michigan: Mews is a superb playmaker with an incredible hockey IQ. The 2024 third-round pick already quarterbacks the Wolverines' top power-play unit, where five of his seven assists have come through eight games. Mews needs to continue to prove himself defensively once the team gets into Big Ten play, but he looks like a steal at his draft spot for the Flames.
Jack Ivankovic, G, Michigan: Ivankovic is the youngest goalie in college hockey at 18 years old. The 2025 second-round pick (Predators) doesn't show it, however, as he has a .937 save percentage, a 1.38 GAA, a 7-1-0 record and two shutouts to start his career. Michigan's elite defense certainly helps the cause, but his performances have been convincing against tough competition.
Luke Osburn, D Wisconsin: Osburn is a remarkably smooth skater with excellent hands for a defenseman. A 2024 fourth-round pick (Sabres), Osburn is only a month older than sophomore teammate Logan Hensler, a first-round pick in this year's draft. Osburn has already earned the trust of the coaching staff, averaging 22:33 of ice time in the series against Minnesota State compared to Hensler's 16:53 mark.
Porter Martone, F Michigan State: The 2025 first-round pick (Flyers) leads the No. 1-ranked Spartans with nine points through six games, and he has been physically imposing despite being one of the youngest players on the ice. His development is right where we'd like to see it, especially with the team's tough opening schedule.
Trey Augustine, Michigan State: Augustine is 4-1-0, including a road sweep of Boston University. The 2023 second-round pick (Red Wings) looks like a man on a mission once again with a .923 save percentage and a 1.78 GAA through four games.
Gavin McKenna, F, Penn State: McKenna has shown remarkable flashes as a playmaker while playing top-line minutes, and his game-winning goal against Arizona State on opening weekend was legendary. However, he has not been a world beater despite the expectations. The 17-year-old is a gifted skater who has produced 10 points through eight games, but it'd be nice to see a higher motor once the Nittany Lions enter Big Ten play. I think he'll still be one of the top players in college hockey by the end of the year, but he's far from Macklin Celebrini's tier at this time.
Charlie Cerrato, F, Penn State: Cerrato is 20 years old and was just drafted in the second round (Hurricanes) last summer, but he's already proving the other teams made a mistake by passing him up (multiple times). The Maryland product leads the nation with 17 points through eight games, and while they have faced some weaker competition, six of those points were in two games against Arizona State.
Jackson Smith, D Penn State: Smith missed the first two games with an illness, but he has been fantastic since returning to the lineup, posting seven points in six games while skating on the top pairing and averaging a team-high 21:26 of ice time. His defensive abilities have translated to college hockey so far, but Big Ten play starting this weekend will be a far bigger test. The Blue Jackets should be pleased with his immediate dominance in college.
NCHC
Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota: The race is on for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, as it's seemingly between Verhoeff and Gavin McKenna. Verhoeff has started the season with three goals and an assist through the first six games while skating on the second pairing. His size and skating looks world-class for the college ranks, and this top-prospect battle is just getting started.
Max Plante, F, Minnesota Duluth: The Bulldogs are off to a scorching start after sweeping Minnesota last weekend, and Plante's improvements since his freshman year deserve much of the credit. The 2024 second-round pick (Red Wings) scored nine goals and 28 points last season, and he already has seven goals and 14 points through eight games. The Bulldogs face North Dakota this weekend.
Adam Gajan, G, Minnesota Duluth: The Blackhawks took Gajan at No. 35 in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he was an unassuming prospect for the last two years. However, he has dominated this season, posting a .938 save percentage and a 1.25 GAA through eight games. Gajan is worth keeping an eye on if he maintains this level of play this year.
Eric Pohlkamp, D, Denver: Pohlkamp leads the Pioneers in both goals (four) and points (seven) despite playing on the blue line, firing a whopping 28 shots on net through six games. The 2023 fifth-round pick (Sharks) has stepped right into the Zeev Buium role with 24:36 of ice time per game. He's not the offensive talent that Buium is, but his trajectory is worth monitoring this year.
Cruz Lucius, F, Arizona State: Lucius leads the Sun Devils with six goals through six games, and although we'd like to see his playmaking abilities shine more, it's an intriguing development for the senior that has shown a strong scoring touch during his college career. The Penguins' prospect is worth keeping an eye on as they enter NCHC play.
Hockey East
Cole Eiserman, F, Boston University: Eiserman left last Saturday's game with a lower-body injury and was spotted on crutches afterwards. The 2024 first-round pick (Islanders) was off to a blistering start with a team-high six goals -- the next-best on the team has three goals -- and two assists through the first seven games. This is a critical season for Eiserman's development, so his injury is worth keeping tabs on.
Cole Hutson, D, Boston University: The Capitals prospect is tied for the team lead with eight points while firing 30 shots on net through seven games. Hutson is handling an iron man role with 25:24 of ice time per game. If he keeps this up, he should be in the Hobey Baker conversation.
Mikhail Yegorov, G, Boston University: Yegorov is off to a tough start by his standards with a .902 save percentage and a 3.09 GAA this season. The Terriers are the youngest team in college hockey, so there have been some defensive lapses, but we should expect the Devils prospect to bounce back soon after he posted a .927 save percentage as a freshman.
Joey Muldowney, F, UConn: Muldowney leads the Huskies with five goals and 20:44 of ice time per game, but he has yet to notch an assist. While the 2022 sixth-round pick has an NHL-caliber shot, the rest of his game will need to improve since he measures in at just 5-foot-9, 160 pounds. Danny O'Regan is a common comparison of a small-statured Sharks player who scored at a high rate in college and the AHL but never could keep a role in the big leagues.
Roger McQueen, F, Providence: The 2025 first-round pick (Ducks) got off to a slow start but has produced an assist in each of the last three games while playing in a middle-six role. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward was a superb goal scorer in the WHL, so it seems like only a matter of time before he lights the lamp at the college level.
James Hagens, F, Boston College: The Golden Eagles are having a down year, but Hagens leads the team in goals (three) and points (six) through five games. The Bruins' first-round pick averaged a point per game last season, and now he's Boston College's No. 1 center, so we'll look for him to take his game to the next level in November.
Vaclav Nestrasil, F, UMass: Nestrasil was taken in the first round by the Blackhawks in this year's draft, and the 6-foot-5 forward has fit right in at the college level with six goals -- tied for the team high -- and three assists through the first seven games. Three of his goals were against Stonehill -- a low-end program -- but his production is convincing nonetheless.
Justin Poirier, F, Maine: Poirier -- a fifth-round pick by the Hurricanes -- leads Maine with five goals through six games, including a hat trick in his first college game. The 5-foot-7 forward has adjusted well to the physicality of college hockey, but he'll need to continue to prove a well-rounded game at this level.
ECAC
Ethan Wyttenbach, F, Quinnipiac: The 2025 fifth-round pick (Flames) is tied for the team lead with eight points and sits second with four goals through eight games. As an 18-year-old freshman averaging 14:49 of ice time, it's intriguing that he's producing so quickly, but we'd like to see him handle more ice time and tougher defensive matchups before putting him firmly on the radar.
