Ranking the Top 10 NHL Prospects That Played College Hockey During the 2023-24 Season
We prepared you for the men's NCAA Tournament earlier this week. Now that the field of 16 teams is getting whittled down to the teams that will head to St. Paul for the Frozen Four, it's only fair if we bust out some rankings.
No, we won't rank teams, they're handling that themselves. We will rank out the top players in college hockey who have been (or in some cases about to be) drafted into the NHL. Sure, they have the Hobey Baker Award for the best men's player in college hockey, but what's more official than us ranking players instead?
These players have been among the top producers in the country all season long and even though you might think we have an overwhelming bias towards Boston, rest assured that we do not, that's just how things worked this season.
We've got 10 players to slot into place here. Air your grievances in the comments, won't you?
10. Zeev Buium, Denver University
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Drafted: Eligible for 2024 NHL Draft
It can be tough for defensemen in college hockey to make a big splash. Guys like Cale Makar and Owen Power were special players and worthy of all of their hype. In Zeev Buium's case, as a freshman who just turned 18 in December, he's showing he can not just hang with the older players, he can also thrive.
Buium has 48 points in 39 games with at least one more t against Cornell in the Sioux Falls regional final. Buium will be one of many outstanding defensemen to be available in the 2024 NHL Draft, but what he's shown in his first season with Denver is a player capable of moving the puck with ease, making opposing defenders uncomfortable with his movements and a player who can set up his teammates for goals often.
9. Jackson Blake, University of North Dakota
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Drafted: 2021 4th round (109 overall) by Carolina
Jackson Blake, son of NHL veteran Jason Blake, built on a great freshman season at North Dakota with an effort this year that made him one of the top scorers in the nation.
Blake finished the year with 60 points in 40 games including 22 goals. Blake helped lead the Fighting Hawks in scoring by a wide margin, but his presence and ability to set up teammates allowed him to spread the wealth in a way that made North Dakota a deep-scoring team.
But it was Blake's efforts at the top of the roster that drove North Dakota to an NCHC regular season title and into the NCAA Tournament. Even though they were upset by Michigan, it takes nothing away from how good Blake was this season. With his all-around ability, the Carolina Hurricanes must be absolutely tickled they grabbed him in the 2021 draft.
8. Massimo Rizzo, Denver University
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Drafted: 2019 7th Round (216th overall) by Carolina (rights traded to Philadelphia in 2023)
What's been amazing about Denver's run into the NCAA Tournament and the regional final is they've gotten there without their most potent scorer, Massimo Rizzo.
Rizzo has been out of action since February 3 for the Pioneers with a lower-body injury, but in 28 games this season, he put up 44 points including 10 goals (1.57 points per game). Rizzo's playmaking ability shined this season given his 34 assists and along with Jack Devine and Zeev Buium he was the spark plug for that dynamic offensive unit.
Denver was pushed to the limits in their opening-round matchup against UMass without Rizzo. It would be a shame if the Pioneers got ousted without their top-point producer back in the lineup.
Rizzo has improved each season he's been at Denver, but his junior year this season was shaping up to be his best by far. When Denver's season comes to an end, it will be very interesting to see if the Philadelphia Flyers can sign him. They acquired his draft rights last summer from Carolina who selected him with the second-to-last pick in the 2019 draft.
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7. Jack Devine, Denver University
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Drafted: 2022 7th Round (221 overall) by Florida
What's been so impressive about Jack Devine this season is he's playing like a man possessed every time he's on the ice. That kind of performance has led him to be one of the elite goal-scorers in the nation.
Devine's posted 27 goals so far and with at least one more game to go, he could add to it. But after the Pioneers lost Massimo Rizzo in February, Devine has taken charge of their attack and beefed up his overall play. Watching him take control of every shift in multiple overtimes against UMass was deeply impressive, especially because of how long that game went.
But Devine helped Denver to win the NCHC tournament and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and he's a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist because of that. Being fourth in the country in scoring probably helped make that case, too.
6. Rutger McGroarty, University of Michigan
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Drafted: 2022 1st Round (14th overall) by Winnipeg
Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska and having one of the best names in hockey, Rutger McGroarty has made more of a name for himself by piling up points for the Wolverines.
McGroarty overcame injury this year to play for the United States at the World Junior Championships and to lead Michigan in scoring. He went from being a point-per-game player a year ago with 39 in 39 games to over 1.5 points per game this year with 52 in 34 games so far and yet another tilt with Michigan State awaiting them in the Maryland Hills regional final.
McGroarty has helped make the Winnipeg Jets penchant for taking big-time point producers from Michigan look smart with the way he's played over two seasons. If he gets to team up with Kyle Connor soon, fans up north should learn the Michigan fight song as a token of appreciation.
5. Ryan Leonard, Boston College
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Drafted: 2023 1st Round (8th overall) by Washington
The Boston College Eagles have been one of the country's best teams because they've got the top talent in all of college hockey. Freshman Ryan Leonard landed there with a host of other 2023 NHL first-round picks and immediately showed why the Capitals took him in the top 10.
Leonard's 29 goals are third-most in the NCAAs and his 58 points are fifth most. He uses skill and physical play to drive opponents mad and if he's not laying a big hit he's scoring goals with high-end flair.
As good as Leonard is, he can sometimes get lost in the mix with the rest of the top BC talent, but goal scorers make their own headlines and Leonard more than accomplishes that. Whenever it's Leonard's time to turn pro, he'll become an instant favorite in Washington by being one of the hardest players to contain and face off against.
4. Gabe Perreault, Boston College
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Drafted: 2023 1st Round (23rd overall) by the New York Rangers
The numerous goal scorers that dot the Boston College roster require having an outstanding setup man to make sure they can make the scoreboard short circuit. With Gabe Perreault, they've got one that excels at creating offense.
Perreault is second in the country in assists with 39, trailing only his teammate Will Smith, but while Smith also piles up goals, Perreault is the premier passer on the team using his high-end skill to create plays and find openings all over the ice.
Even though assists make up the bulk of his points, any time he has shot the puck he's been able to be efficient at scoring. He's put home 18 goals on 82 shots so far this season good for 22 percent shooting.
Perreault was an elite scorer with the USA National Team Development Program and he's shown that it's all carried over into college. It's just what the Rangers needed: another player who can help create offense out of nowhere.
3. Cutter Gauthier, Boston College
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Drafted: 2022 1st Round (5th overall) by Philadelphia (rights traded to Anaheim)
Watching Cutter Gauthier's highlights this season has been a treat and a sign that the Philadelphia Flyers' loss will certainly be the Anaheim Ducks' gain.
Gauthier's mix of size, speed, skill and power to drive the net and create goals makes him an all-around menace for opponents across college hockey. Gauthier has 37 goals this season, tops in the NCAA and his 62 points have him second in the country.
At 6'2" 201 pounds, Gauthier is a handful for almost everyone to deal with in college hockey and with that kind of size he'll be a problem in the NHL, too. Players sometimes have to grow into their size coming out of college or juniors, but Gauthier is virtually already there and with the skills to match.
If Boston College heads to the Frozen Four and wins a national championship, he'll be leading the charge to make it happen.
2. Will Smith, Boston College
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Drafted: 2023 1st Round (4th overall) by San Jose
The kind of season Will Smith is having with Boston College this year is incredible. He's leading the country in scoring and the Eagles have, arguably, the best team in the country. Smith, surrounded by a load of talent, has been the best of them all this season and his intense competitiveness plays a major role in that.
Smith's scored 23 goals and his 45 assists are the most in the NCAA. With 68 points and at least one more game to play this season, Smith has been a force to be reckoned with.
Looking ahead to his pro career and what he can do for the San Jose Sharks is help drag them out of the doldrums they're currently mired in while rebuilding. Smith's style of play and overall talent will be the exact thing they've been waiting for in San Jose since the days of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
Smith has been outstanding and has to be considered a favorite to win the Hobey Baker Award.
1. Macklin Celebrini, Boston University
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Drafted: Eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft
Bold take: Macklin Celebrini will be the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft in June and it'll be well-earned.
Celebrini has been lights-out incredible for Boston University this season. He's top-three in the country in scoring with 61 points and his 32 goals are second only to Boston College's Cutter Gauthier. He's come as advertised this season and all the hype around him is deserved.
While the Terriers haven't been as deep of a team as they've been in the past, Celebrini's efforts have helped revive the BU-BC rivalry and given BU the ultimate weapon in the battle. His all-around skill, speed, and offensive smarts all while at the age of 17 (he turns 18 in mid-June) make what he's doing that much more impressive.
Watching a player that age and that skilled doing what he's doing already is truly unreal and whoever gets to draft him first, be it San Jose, Chicago, or someone else deeper in the lottery, they're going to get a supremely gifted player.
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