Its that time of year. The NCAA hockey season has come to a close and conference tournaments are in full swing. NHL teams are now salivating at the chance to sign the top undrafted college free agents as their teams play their final games of the season.
These prospects don’t always have an impact at the NHL level, but the chances of finding a diamond in the rough ala players like Matt Read, Danny DeKeyser, Chris Kunitz, Andy McDonald, Dustin Penner, Tyler Bozak, Matt Gilroy, Cory Conacher, Jason Garrison, Ben Scrivens, Torey Krug, Christian Folin, and others who have been uncovered in recent years is always a chance that NHL teams seem willing to take. At worst they give out an Entry Level contract, pay a player to play for their minor league club for a couple years, and then let them go. At best they get a player who can contribute at the NHL level, for a relatively low cap hit, without using a draft pick, or trading other assets. These players are low risk/big reward and so the competition to sign them will be fierce.
With that said, who are the top Free Agents available? I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by last name for ease of reference. I will be handling this over the weekend in four parts, with 10 players in each part.
2015 College Hockey Free Agents: Part 2
Daniel Doremus, Centre, Denver Pioneers, Senior (5’11” 194 lbs)
Signed an ATO with the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Affiliate) April 6th
The 23-year-old centre has put up 10 goals and 28 points in 34 games so far this season for Denver. He is a gritty player, he skates well and gets in quickly on the forecheck creating turnovers. He also gets to the front of the net, where he creates havoc and has decent hands to finish plays. He has good balance and protects the puck well in the cycle. Doremus also has a solid defensive game. He likely will have to be a grinder if he has any chance to be an NHL player, as the high end offense just isn’t there, but if he develops he may be able to chip in from time to time on a third or fourth line.
Spiro Goulakos, Defence, Colgate Red Raiders, Senior (6’2″ 190 lbs)
Goulakos has a great story. he missed half of his sophomore season in a battle with Hodgskin’s Lymphoma. Now with the cancer in remission, he has played two solid seasons on the Red Raiders blue line. Goulakos is an outstanding skater who has great agility and mobility and uses his good speed and edgework to cover a lot of ice. He shows very good offensive ability, with great puck control, outstanding passing and vision, and a hard, accurate slap shot. The 25-year-old defenceman has 2 goals and 13 assists in 22 games for the Red Raiders this season.
Andrew Gladiuk, Right Wing, Bentley Falcons, Junior (6’1″ 190 lbs)
The 21-year-old put up 19 goals and 39 points in 34 games. Gladiuk has a strong wrist shot and excellent release. He is a natural sniper who finds soft spots in the defence and can finish plays. He also has decent vision and passing skills. Gladiuk is a decent skater and this helps him to score points in the transition game and off the rush. Questions as to the quality of opposition in the Atlantic Hockey Conference will be raised here. He attended the Vancouver Canucks prospect and development camp last summer.
Hampus Gustafsson, Centre, Merrimack Warriors, Sophomore (6’4″ 205 lbs)
The 21-year-old Swede plays a straight-line power forward game, scoring 25 points in 36 games. He has a good skating stride, and generates decent speed; but is much more willing to bowl over a defender to get to the net, then to try and stickhandle around him. He punishes defencemen on the forecheck. He can also effectively use his size and balance to shield the puck on the forecheck and grind out a possession game. Gustafsson has good defensive skills, including strong positioning; a long, active stick and good face-off skills. That two-way game, coupled with his size will certainly have NHL teams making offers, and he will need to choose between going pro and returning for his junior season at Merrimack.
Shane Hanna, Defence, Michigan Tech Huskies, Sophomore (5’11 194 lbs)
A 20-year-old defenceman out of British Columbia, Shane Hanna has been an important part of generating the Huskies transition game for the last two years. He is a good skater and stickhandler who can avoid forecheckers and get the puck out of danger in his own end. He also makes a very good first pass. Hanna is not afraid to join the rush, and has the speed to get back defensively when he does. Hanna can quarterback the powerplay with those passing skills, and the fact that he has a good slapshot and one timer. His agility allows him to walk the line and open up passing and shooting lanes. Defensively he is tough to beat on the rush, but his size can be an issue in defending big forwards on the cycle. Hanna attended the Winnipeg Jets prospect camp last summer.
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Goaltender, Minnesota-Duluth Buldogs, Freshman (6’2″ 185 lbs)
The 21-year-old Finnish born goaltender played in 32 games this year and had a .917 save percentage and was named to the NCHC all rookie team. While he is likely to stay in school for at least another year, he could get some interest given his decent size, and strong butterfly technique. He has quick legs and takes away the bottom of the net. Kaskisuo makes the most of his size by playing at the top of the crease and challenging shooters. He also has a quick glove hand. Kaskisuo could use some work on his rebound control, though this is often an issue for young goalkeepers.
Tanner Kero, Centre, Michigan Tech Huskies, Senior (5’11 181 lbs)
Signed a two-year ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks, Apr 2nd
The 22-year-old is enjoying an excellent final season with the Huskies, with 18 goals and 43 points so far on the year. He won the WCHA scoring title, was named WCHA player of the year, WCHA student-athlete of the year, and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker award. Kero has a ton of offensive skills at his disposal , but his best assest is a high hockey IQ as he seems to almost always make the right decision in the offensive zone. He has the vision and passing skills to be a playmaker, but also has the soft hands in tight, and quick release further out to be a goal scorer. Add in a good stride, and decent speed, and Kero is a threat nearly every time he touches the ice.
Justin Kloos, Centre/Right Wing, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Sophomore (5’9″ 179 lbs)
The 21-year-old has carried his scoring prowess from the USHL right into the Golden Gophers lineup, putting up 29 points in 34 games so far this season. Kloos might be undersized but more and more undersized players are succeeding in the NHL now. A common theme amongst those who do is their outstanding skating, and Kloos might be one of the fastest players in college hockey. His speed must be respected or he can blow past a defender on the rush and cut to the net. As defenders back off he can take the extra room to take a wrist shot with his quick release, or use the passing lane to set up a linemate. The big question for Kloos will be how much his lack of size will limit his two way game, but he’s an industrious worker who may be able to overcome that limitation.
Ty Loney, Left Wing, Denver Pioners, Senior (6’4″ 207 lbs)
Signed an ATO with the Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay Affiliate) April 5th, 2015
The son of former NHLer Troy Loney, Ty Loney looks like a potential power forward. He has the size and coming into the season he looked like a potential top free agent after putting up three straight seasons of 20 or more points. However, the 23-year-old struggled with injuries as a senior, and never seemed to find his game as he has just 11 points in 29 games. He could be a possible reclamation project here, as he looks like a power forward when he is playing his best. He has the powerful stride and good balance to fight through checks, drive the net, and win battles on the boards. It will be intriguing to see if he gets a two-way NHL/AHL entry level deal or an AHL only tryout.
Dylan Margonari, Left Wing, Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks, Junior (6’1″ 190 lbs)
Margonari has great speed and skating ability. He uses this to be a physical presence in all three zones, as he’s physical on the forecheck, back checks effectively, works in all three zones. His quickness and ability to win battles allows him to retrieve pucks for his linemates. He is a grinder on his line, and not a big offensive contributor with just 15 points in 30 games this season. Margonari shows good positioning, and a willingness to use his body to block shots. He’s also a good penalty killer. If he’s to make the jump to the next level it will be his strong work ethic and solid defensive fundamentals that get him there.
