With the college regular seasons ending and the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there will be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks; we’ve already seen a handful of players sign. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the goalies that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame
On this list a year ago, Bischel elected to return for his bonus year. The move worked out as he got a second full season as a full-time starter under his belt and while his performance wasn’t quite at the same level as last season, he still finished in the top ten in save percentage for the second straight year. That has him on the NHL radar with Boston among the teams showing early interest.
Cooper Black, Dartmouth
There is a ‘skill’ that Black has that can’t be taught, a 6’8 frame (some sites have him at 6’9). That makes him hard to miss. His sophomore year was an improvement although his numbers with the Big Green (2.60 GAA, .909 SV%) are still a little on the pedestrian side. Still eligible for two more seasons, NHL teams will have to decide if the time is right to try to sign him now or if they should give him another year in college. While he’s still raw in terms of his development, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some teams try to sign Black now.
Ben Kraws, St. Lawrence
Kraws spent his first two seasons at Miami (Ohio) but struggled, leading to a transfer to Arizona State. He had some success there but after losing the starting job to T.J. Semptimphelter (who should garner some pro consideration as well), he transferred again over the summer, this time to the Saints. He posted a respectable .914 SV% as the starter on a team that wasn’t particularly strong and a 6’5, he has the size that should appeal to teams. With the limited overall track record, an entry-level deal could be hard to come by but he should land an AHL deal somewhere.
Cole Moore, Bowling Green
This one is a bit of a long shot as Moore is wrapping up his freshman year with the Falcons. He’s also just 20 which is young for a player to leave college with three seasons of eligibility remaining. However, Moore posted an impressive .918 SV% this season and at 6’5, has the type of size that teams covet. If an entry-level offer is on the table, it’s possible that he takes it although returning for another year or two is the likelier outcome.
Victor Ostman, Maine
Ostman was also noted in the 2023 goalie preview but opted to return for his senior season with the Black Bears. From a numbers standpoint, that might not have been the best decision as his save percentage dipped by nearly 25 points. However, his size and athleticism have impressed in the past and he was on the NHL radar last summer when he was at Vancouver’s development camp. He’s eligible for the bonus year but he’d be entering his age-24 year if he does. Even coming off a down year, the time might be right for Ostman to turn pro.
Ludvig Persson, North Dakota
After a couple of tough years at Miami (Ohio), Persson entered the transfer portal and joined the Fighting Hawks. It’s a move that worked out well as the 24-year-old put up his best numbers since his freshman year. His play slipped in the second half but he was one of the top netminders in the first half of the season which might be enough to get him on the radar for a pro deal.
Zach Stejskal, Minnesota-Duluth
A player who is believed to have had previous NHL interest, Stejskal is coming off a bit of a rough year with a save percentage just below the .900 mark while splitting time with an NHL-drafted prospect. What certainly does appeal to teams is his 6’5 frame but with just 56 games across four college seasons under his belt, the 24-year-old is a bit more of a raw project than several others on this list.
Others To Watch For
Justen Close, Minnesota
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech
Tommy Scarfone, RIT
These goalies have all had showings with save percentages in the top five in Division I over the past couple of years. However, they’re all on the smaller side and as we’ve seen with goaltending in recent years when it comes to draft picks, size matters. Accordingly, they’re not likely to be on the radar of a lot of teams, especially for NHL contracts. But three of them are on the early ballot for Hobey Baker voting and could be strong candidates for at least an AHL deal in the coming weeks.
So Kraws posts a .914 save percentage and it’s “respectable” but Moore’s .918 is impressive? Hahaha
@iron — Sounds like their cutoff was maybe .917, like the venerable Porsche 917 race car from years past. I’d have .900 as respectable, if their conference play was strong enough and their out-of-conference opponents were not doormats.
I mean the guy who posted a 914 is a senior and the the guy who posted a 918 is a true freshman…. so yeah, I think the descriptors are reasonable when you take that into account, Seniors should be better.
This list is a joke right?
Why is the best goalie statistically out of all of them at the bottom in the “ones to watch” list?
Close is the the best goalie hands down out of all of them yet he is listed last and I’m willing to bet it’s because he is more the size of Alex stalock and not some huge giant.
Close has been remarkable since he was a unknown walk-on and took over mid season after Jack lafontaine left to sign for Carolina a few seasons ago.
@I wander off — Looking at Close’s numbers, I’d agree. Apparently, the so-called experts believe that if you are not 6’3″+, then you can’t be a success in the NHL. And to that, people like you and I will remind them of Juuse Saros. They would undoubtedly counter with, “Nobody that size will be as good as Saros ever again.” We could then slam them with that dopey, but appropriate audio clip they use on OverDrive from time to time — “You’re a moron!” A smaller goalie CAN play, and he’s more likely to make saves by design, rather than by accident. Athletic ability and goalie smarts can make up for a lot. Big goalies aren’t a lock — just look at Mikko Koskinen, who, at 6’7″ had a bad case of weak glove hand-itis.
Yeah. The job of a goaltender is not to be huge. The job of a goaltender is to KEEP PUCKS OUT OF THE NET. If he does that, I don’t give a good goddamn if a goalie’s 4’11”.
Sure… Close doesnt teack pucks nearly as well as he needs to and he lets in soft goals, somewhat routinely. Look at Kiernan Drapers goal last night for example. Close is good, but he’s not the best on this list. To your point though, that has nothing to do with his height.