( Photo Credit: Miami University Athletics )

By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz

While most of the attention for Bruins college prospects is understandably focused on the Northeast, others across the country also deserve some recognition, even if they aren’t on the biggest brand-name teams. Buried deep in southwest Ohio, Bruins draft pick Casper Nassen is a rising sophomore with Miami University, and his freshman performance was a small bright spot in an otherwise dreadful year for the RedHawks.

Nassen’s 6-4-10 stat line in 34 games tied him for second on the team in goalscoring and sixth in points, and led all skaters with four power play goals. He started his college hockey career strong, scoring six points in his first eight games and quickly establishing himself as a potent force on the power play, which helped Miami open up the year with a 3-3-2 record. But once the special teams momentum stalled, so did Nassen’s production, and the RedHawks came to a screeching halt as a whole.

After their promising start, Miami would endure a 23-game losing streak and only salvage a single point over the rest of the season – a shootout loss to Minnesota-Duluth on March 1st, in which Nassen scored the only RedHawk goal. They finished the year with a 3-28-3 record, winless in conference play, and ranked 63rd out of 64 teams in the Pairwise rankings. At different stretches throughout the year, Nassen went 11 and 10 games without a point, though he found the scoresheet against both Denver and Western Michigan, the reigning and eventual National Champions.

Drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Nassen is a big wing (6’4”) with a big shot. He posted 16-15-31 in 41 games with Frolunda HC’s J20 team in the Swedish junior leagues during the 2023-24 season, before making the move to North America to join the RedHawks, a move that Dobber Prospects described as better suited for his size and style of play. Black n’ Gold colleague Tom Calautti had this to say about the Swede after watching him at Bruins Development Camp this past June:

Nassen’s calling card is the fact that he can absolutely rip pucks from wherever he stands on the ice. Whether in transition or completely flat-footed, he has the ability to fire it from anywhere. Nassen has the size Bruins executives salivate over, but needs to improve his skating and add a bit of bite to his game. He has an opportunity to take the reins at Miami (Ohio) next season, and will need to do so to become a more prominent prospect.

Nassen’s sophomore year should look nothing like his first. Miami has drastically overhauled its roster with 25 new players, including 19 freshmen. Nassen is one of only 12 returners from the 2024-25 season, and the highest-scoring forward in that group, potentially setting him up for top-line minutes on the wing. The return of Head Coach Anthony Noreen should also lead Nassen to retain his position on the power play to start the new season and quickly put his freshman year scoring totals in range.