Wednesday, September 9, 2015
10 NHL Prospects to Watch
As rookie tournaments get underway this week, here are 10 former NCAA stars worth watching.
There are dozens of former college stars taking part in NHL rookie camps that get underway this week, with 27 of the league’s 30 teams fielding a team of prospects for a rookie tournament or a matchup with another team.
Many of those players were on NCAA rosters just a year ago, and are now looking to make an impression in their first full pro season. Some will be squarely in the spotlight, like No. 2 overall pick Jack Eichel (Buffalo), first-rounder Dylan Larkin (Detroit) and heralded free agent signee Mike Reilly (Minnesota).
We’ll be following all of their progress, of course, but here are 10 we’re particularly curious to keep an eye on as the puck drops:
Riley Barber, Washington/Miami
Three seasons with 15+ goals have Barber, a sixth-round pick, looking like a steal for the Capitals. His pro career will likely begin with the Hershey Bears but a good showing in Estero, Fla., could earn him a call-up down the road.
Noteable: 20 NCAA schools will be represented on the four rosters in Estero, Fla. (Washington, Florida, Nashville, Tampa Bay).
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg/UMass Lowell
The lone second-year pro on this list, Hellebuyck’s impressive rookie AHL season has established him as perhaps the top goaltending prospect not in the NHL. His next step comes against the other three Western Canadian teams in Penticton, B.C.
Noteable: Three former All-Hockey East goaltenders will be in action in Penticton, with Jon Gillies (Calgary/Providence) and Clay Witt (Vancouver/Northeastern) joining Hellebuyck.
Zach Hyman, Toronto/Michigan
Originally a Florida draft pick, Hyman’s rights were traded to his hometown Maple Leafs following a breakthrough senior season. He will head to London, Ont., for his first taste of pro hockey.
Noteable: Former Michigan teammates Mac Bennett (Montreal) and Alex Guptill (Ottawa) will also be in the London tournament.
Michael Paliotta, Columbus/Vermont
Paliotta made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks in April but was acquired by Columbus as part of the Brandon Saad trade. A two-way star with the Catamounts, he could face his former franchise at the prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
Noteable: Another Hockey East alum, Oleg Yevenko (Massachusetts), joins Paliotta on the Columbus blueline as a camp invitee.
Zach Palmquist, Minnesota/Minnesota State
Former Minnesota star Mike Reilly will get a lot of attention at Wild camp, but Palmquist is another local product who also signed as a free agent. An All-American last season – like Reilly – Palmquist nearly cracked 100 points for his Maverick career (96).
Noteable: The eight teams in Traverse City feature 26 players who played NCAA hockey last season, led by Chicago (7) and Minnesota (6).
Colton Parayko, St. Louis/Alaska
Three years at Alaska prepped the 6-foot-5 Parayko well for the jump to pro hockey. He had 7 points in 17 games with the Chicago Wolves last year following the Nanooks’ season.
Noteable: Another three-year NCAA star, Jordan Schmaltz of North Dakota, joins Parayko on the Blues’ blueline. Both figure to push for playing time in St. Louis this season.
Matthew Peca, Tampa Bay/Quinnipiac
Peca can be overshadowed in Tampa’s deep prospect pool – he wasn’t listed among the team’s top 10 prospects by The Hockey News – but an impressive four-year Quinnipiac career suggests he is closer to the NHL than some might think.
Noteable: Peca seems a good bet to follow Bryce Van Brabant and become the second former Bobcat to reach the NHL.
Chris Rumble and Matthew Zay, Ottawa/Canisius and Mercyhurst
These two former Atlantic Hockey stars both earned invitations to the Senators’ rookie camp, where they will head to London, Ont., for a tournament. Rumble, who beat cancer prior to his Golden Griffins career, was a first-team all-conference selection in 2014-15. Zay was the year before, and finished his Laker career with 128 points – eighth nationally among last year’s seniors.
Noteable: Rumble and Zay will play in front of Boston University alum Matt O’Connor, who will see his first action as a pro in London.
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina/Colorado College
Former Boston College star Noah Hanifin will miss Carolina’s prospect tournament but Slavin is another top defense prospect who will help fill the void. He earned first-team All-NCHC honors last season as a sophomore at CC.
Noteable: UNH alum Brett Pesce is another first-year pro on the Carolina blueline.