By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
The college hockey postseason is upon us. For some teams, their expectations lie beyond their conference tournament. For others, the automatic bid for the conference champion represents their last hope for NCAA Tournament qualification, otherwise it’s the end of the road. Whenever their seasons end, NHL teams swoop in to call up their best prospects or compete to sign the best undrafted players available.
The Boston Bruins are no strangers to the undrafted free agent market and have tapped into it frequently over the last decade to sign both NHL regulars and organizational depth. This year’s class of UDFAs is deep and talented, especially up front. Here are a few names to watch, both within New England and nationally, as their college seasons end, whether next week or in April.
New England Free Agents
Jack Musa – Left Wing – Jr – UMass
Musa came into the season as the only returning forward in UMass’ top six, and has stepped up to shoulder the responsibility of driving the Minutemen’s offense. His 15-18-33 in 30 games leads the team, and is just two points shy of his career high from last season, in ten fewer games.
Musa is a versatile forward who can play center as well as either wing, and has produced in all three roles. He was already on NHL scouts’ radars last spring, and raised his stock further with the U.S. Collegiate Selects team at the Spengler Cup, scoring two goals against pro-level competition: Team Canada and HC Davos, showing that he has at least AHL top-six caliber potential.
UMass has been on a hot streak since the calendar flipped, with a 12-3 record in the second half, and Musa has been a large part of their resurgence into NCAA Tournament contention, with six goals and 10 points in his last six games. He will be a name to watch in the Hockey East Tournament if the Minutemen can play their way into the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year.
Dylan Hryckowian – Right Wing – Jr – Northeastern
Hryckowian has been one of the most consistent forwards in Hockey East over the past few years, recording at least 34 points in each of his three seasons at Northeastern. This year, despite the significant offseason losses of Jack Williams, Alex Campbell, and Cam Lund, Hryckowian has elevated his game to a career-high pace (15-19-34 in 27 games) and leads the Huskies in scoring.
He’s also proven he is more than capable of hanging with the toughest competition, regularly racking up multi-point games and even a hat trick against top-ranked opponents and NCAA Tournament teams like Boston College, Boston University, Maine, Providence, and Quinnipiac. Just last month, Hryckowian recorded a goal and an assist as the Huskies nearly upset BU in the Beanpot.
Hryckowian also comes with a bit of family pedigree that doubles as a pro-level projection. His brother Justin also starred at Northeastern as an undrafted free agent, with the two playing together during the 2023-24 season. After signing with the Dallas Stars in 2024, he recorded 60 points in one AHL season and is now a regular in the Stars lineup, with 19 points in 60 games. A similar development path for his brother may not be out of the question.
Jeremy Wilmer – Left Wing – Jr – Quinnipiac
Prior to a season-ending leg injury in December, Wilmer had garnered interest as one of the top free agents in college hockey. Coming off a 15-26-41 debut season with Quinnipiac after transferring from BU, Wilmer opened his senior campaign with 6-7-13 in 15 games, including multipoint efforts in wins over BC, Maine, and his former Terriers.
His skating and playmaking are undoubtedly his greatest assets, and he’s able to find open ice and create scoring chances off the rush, despite being slightly undersized at 5’8”, 158lbs. Wilmer should command a sFinale market this spring as one of the most productive and experienced free agents available, boasting a resume with 36-86-122 in 128 career games, two Frozen Four appearances, a Hockey East title, and a Cleary Cup. He would be an intriguing addition to start in Providence and potentially play his way into a call-up.
Aleksi Kivioja – Center – So – Providence
If there’s one player in the college free agent pool who embodies Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney’s “Piss and Vinegar” identity, it’s Kivioja. Checking in at 6’5”, 220lbs, he has been a monster on the Friars’ bottom six, playing to his size with a heavy, responsible, north-south game and, recently, a little scoring touch.
Centering the Friars ‘ fourth line, Kivioja has been a key contributor towards Providence’s first Hockey East regular-season title in program history. Since the beginning of the second half, the big Finn has 6-6-12, helping the Friars separate themselves from the rest of the pack with a 14-3 run, including sweeps of Maine, BC, BU, and Vermont.
Should Boston want to further fortify their ranks of hulking power forwards, the organization’s recent track record of maximizing production from forwards like Mark Kastelic, Tanner Jeannot, and Justin Brazeau suggests that Kivioja could be another interesting project to bring into the fold.
National Free Agents
TJ Hughes – Center – Sr – Michigan
Few, if any, upcoming college free agents will have a resume comparable to Hughes. Michigan’s captain has recorded 65-104-169 in 150 games as a Wolverine, won a Big Ten Tournament title, made two Frozen Fours, and is poised to make another run in the coming weeks. To top it all off, he captained the U.S. Collegiate Selects Team at the Spengler Cup in December, posting four assists as the Selects qualified for the Final in their inaugural run.
Hughes was the hottest name on the college free agent market last spring before returning to Ann Arbor, and should be the man of the hour once again this year. His combination of experience, production, and leadership will make him an immediate candidate for a middle-six role in many NHL lineups. Should the Bruins elect to move salary or expiring contracts out at the deadline, Hughes could be an option to fill those roles, but there will be fierce competition for his signature.
Ellis Rickwood – Center – Sr – North Dakota
Rickwood was an underrated transfer portal acquisition for North Dakota last year, and he’s been a big hit in Grand Forks for new Head Coach Dane Jackson. Coming off a breakout 10-25-35 season with Clarkson, where the Golden Knights came agonizingly close to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019, the 6’2”, 205lb centerman fit in like a glove between Dylan James and Bruins prospect Will Zellers.
He’s posted 8-24-32 in 29 games with a 60% faceoff win rate, up from 57.5% the previous year, as the Fighting Hawks recaptured the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions. He’s proven his situational versatility for the Fighting Hawks as well, recording 11 points on the power play and scoring two shorthanded goals. Between his size, vision, and proficiency at the dot, Rickwood has the tools to become an impact bottom-six centerman at the next level.
Matt DiMarsico – Left Wing – Jr – Penn St
DiMarisco is a high-motor offensive driver with a track record of delivering in the clutch. He creates havoc off the Nittany Lions’ relentless forecheck, attacking defenses, forcing turnovers, and creating scoring chances, building an impressive resume of big goals in Hockey Valley.
Through 32 games, he leads the Nittany Lions’ nationally 4th-ranked offense with 17 goals and ranks second in points with a career-high 39, behind only Gavin McKenna. His 17 goals include three hat tricks and a team-leading three-game winners, and he added another two with the U.S. Collegiate Selects Team at the Spengler Cup.
DiMarsico put his name on the map last year during Penn State’s late-season run to its first Frozen Four, scoring five goals in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, including the OT winner against UConn in the regional final. His ceiling may be most likely as an AHL piece, but players who can deliver in the biggest moments, as DiMarsico has, have a way of carving out meaningful careers.
Josh Eernisse – Right Wing – Jr – Michigan
Eernisse doesn’t put up the flashiest numbers in the world, but he’s big, strong, fast, and hits hard. His combination of size (6’2”, 217lbs), speed, and relentless hustle makes him a punishing forechecker and effective penalty killer. Eernisse leads the Wolverines with three shorthanded goals and has recorded 9-7-16 overall in 32 games.
I got to see him earlier this season when I watched Michigan beat Providence 3-1 to clinch an October sweep. On a team comprised of top draft picks and elite talent, Eernisse stole the spotlight for me. He scored two goals on breakaways, once shorthanded, and hounded Friar puck handlers all over the ice all night long.
He has all the tools to become an effective bottom-six to fourth-line wing at the NHL level, something the Bruins organization has plenty of experience developing, with Noel Acciari, Tim Schaller, and Sean Kuraly coming to mind.
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