By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Last week, we looked at five undrafted forwards in college hockey to watch this season; now we’ll shift our attention to the blueline. While Boston addressed its need for right-shot defensemen at the NHL level over the summer and added to the prospect pool at the draft, it still needs organizational depth. Only a handful of defensemen in Providence are signed beyond this season, and 2026 seventh-round pick Cullen McCrate (the organization’s only right-shot defenseman drafted in the last five years) is still years from a pro contract.
Fortunately, the college free agent market gives the Bruins a chance to restock their pipeline with more pro-ready players to fill those gaps. While their effort to address the position last spring ultimately went up in smoke when Will Gilson signed with the Milwaukee Admirals after his amateur tryout in Providence, plenty of defensemen are still available for Boston to monitor this season.
CJ Foley – Dartmouth – Foley was one of the top defensemen I highlighted last spring, and I like him even more after he returned to Dartmouth and was named captain this year. He has been a key figure in the Big Green program’s resurgence, recording 19-55-74 through 100 career games, making an ECAC All-Star team in each of his three seasons in Hanover, NH, and winning the ECAC championship last March for their first NCAA tournament bid since 1980.
Foley attended Bruins development camp in 2025, so he’s on the organization’s radar to some degree, but his invitation to Utah’s camp this past summer suggests they’re not the only ones keen on the Hanover, MA native. For a team that needs more right-shot blueliners, adding a local kid who brings offense and leadership seems too good to pass up.
Ben Robertson – Michigan – Michigan assistant coach Matt Deschamps described Robertson as a defenseman who “can think on both sides of the puck,” and he’s another repeat nomination from last spring. He hit the ground running with the Wolverines last fall, transferring in after two years at Cornell and finishing as the highest-scoring defenseman (1-21-22 in 40 games) for the nation’s top team en route to a Frozen Four berth. Ahead of his senior season in Ann Arbor, Robertson was named an alternate captain.
Robertson attended Bruins development camp in 2025 alongside his former Cornell teammates Ryan Walsh, Boston’s sixth-round pick from 2023, and Dalton Bancroft, whom the Bruins signed as a free agent. Robertson didn’t return to Bruins camp over the summer, so nothing is guaranteed, but with Walsh also due for a contract at the end of the season, a Cornell reunion in Providence could be in the cards.
Michael Neumeier – Western Michigan – The only 2026 Bruins development camp invite on this list, Neumeier hit the portal this past offseason and transferred to Western Michigan after two seasons at Colgate. Neumeier recorded 15-28-43 in 72 games over his tenure with the Raiders, earning ECAC Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman. He finished his sophomore year as the second most heavily deployed defenseman in the nation with exactly 27 minutes per game, trailing Northeastern’s Vinny Borgesi by 11 seconds.
In joining a national championship-winning program, Neumeier gets a step up in competition and a bigger platform for pro scouts. His attendance at development camp showed Boston already had its eyes on him, and he’ll surely be on their radar playing alongside Bruins prospect Cole Spicer in Kalamazoo this season.
Evan Murr – Minnesota – Murr hits multiple beats from the players above. He was one of my preferred “under the radar” prospects in the spring, coming off his second consecutive CCHA Defenseman of the Year award as a junior at Minnesota State, and transferred to Minnesota over the offseason, where he’ll team up with Bruins prospect Beckett Hendrickson.
Murr recorded 23-60-83 in 116 games with the Mavericks and will get to show his game on a larger stage in the Big Ten as a senior for a rebuilding Gophers team under new head coach Brett Larson. A big season in Minneapolis could make him one of the top right-shot defensemen on the market, and Boston should be watching closely as they keep their eyes on Hendrickson.
Alex Pineau – Northeastern – The only one of the five who is playing in Boston this year, Pineau transferred to Northeastern after three seasons at Brown. He spent most of his 93 career games with the Bears wearing a letter on his chest, served as an assistant captain as a sophomore, and was named team captain last season.
Pineau has been one of the nation’s most prolific shutdown defensemen over the past two seasons, finishing second (27:33) and fifth (25:49) in ice time among all skaters over that span. He was named a finalist for ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman in his sophomore year, leading the conference with 84 blocked shots. Big (6’3″, 205lbs), durable, and right-handed, Pineau would be a sturdy addition to the Bruins’ defensive pipeline. With Northeastern bouncing all around town, there will be plenty of opportunities to catch him in person this year.
Leave a Reply