For many, many players in their early 20s, their competitive hockey career came to a close this weekend.
The NCAA regional playoffs are emotional. With a lose-and-you’re-done format, there’s little room for failure in the most important weekend of your college career. This weekend saw no shortage of excitement, with Boston College, Boston University, the University of Denver and the University of Michigan advancing to the Frozen Four later this month.
Once a team is eliminated, players are eligible to turn pro. That means for many fanbases, the watch is on to see if one of their draft picks will elect to turn pro immediately or remain in college. In some cases, teams will only have a few months to decide before losing their exclusive signing rights, so the clock is ticking.
Lane Hutson, Will Smith, Rutger McGroarty and Cutter Gauthier are among the top names who could turn pro once the Frozen Four is complete. But for these five players below, their ascension to the next level could come within the next few hours, days and weeks:
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 19, University of Minnesota (St. Louis Blues)
After all the hype that Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley got at the University of Minnesota last year, Snuggerud deserves more love this time around. He had 50 points last season and was Minnesota’s best player this season as he had to do a bit more heavy lifting. Snuggerud was left off the scoresheet in the two regional games this weekend but that can’t take away what was an otherwise two-year run at Minnesota – if that’s indeed the end, of course. Minnesota should remain competitive next year so there’s no pressure for Snuggerud to turn pro, but there’s no question he could make the jump to the NHL or AHL next season if that’s in the best interest for everyone involved. He has an excellent shot, works hard and is just always in a scoring position.
Scott Morrow, D, 21, UMass (Carolina Hurricanes)
The Carolina Hurricanes really believe in Morrow, given they made sure he wasn’t included in the Jake Guentzel trade. The third-year UMass had 30 points in 37 games, which is, surprisingly, the lowest of his college career. Only Lane Hutson has more points than Morrow over the three years (Morrow played an extra year, however), but he has shown that his transition and puck possession game are among his best elements. While there’s some doubts that he’ll put up big numbers in the NHL, he’s got the agility to play more than 25 minutes a night and still remain effective.
Jackson Blake, RW, 20, University of North Dakota (Carolina Hurricanes)
Jackson has been one of the NCAA’s best wingers over the past two years. He finished the season with 22 goals and 60 points in 40 games, giving him 102 points in 79 games over two years – good for second behind coveted UFA Collin Graf during that span. All Blake does is produce offense, doing so much in tight spaces while utilizing his quick hands and great hockey IQ. A fourth-round pick by Carolina in 2021, Blake doesn’t have much more to prove in the NCAA from an offensive record and could probably benefit from playing against older, tougher competition in the AHL for a year or two.
Sam Colangelo, RW, 22, Western Michigan University (Anaheim Ducks)
Colangelo’s move from Northeastern to Western Michigan proved to be a success, scoring a career-best 24 goals and 43 points in 38 games. He was excellent in WMU’s 5-4 overtime loss to Michigan State on Friday, scoring once and registering five shots, but it wasn’t enough. A second-round pick in 2020, Colangelo was forced to play some catch-up due to COVID-19 impacting his first year of college, but he has shown he can be a big-game player with pro-level offensive instincts. Colangelo’s smarts and hockey IQ make him a good candidate to earn a spot in Anaheim’s lineup next year, but they’ll have to sign him before Aug. 15, 2024 if they want to retain his rights.
Isaac Howard, LW, 20, Michigan State University, (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Howard turned 20 on Saturday, but the University of Michigan gave him a brutal belated birthday present by eliminating MSU on Sunday. Howard had an excellent year, averaging a point per game in his first season at MSU. He struggled at Minnesota-Duluth last year, but he quickly regained his status as one of Tampa Bay’s most valuable prospects thanks to his dynamic offensive talent this year. Howard has an excellent shot, something he put on display often at the World Juniors en route to a gold with USA. He was a bit more of a playmaker in college, but I do think he has the overall pro skillset that would allow him to thrive in the AHL next year. I think Howard might have the worst odds of turning pro of anyone on this list, but it wouldn’t surprise me, either.
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