NHL
Today we look at this year’s class of free agents coming out of the CHL, NCAA and major European leagues.
It’s a weak free-agent crop. There is no Collin Graf in college who every NHL team will want to sign or a Maxim Tsyplakov overseas that I feel could step into an NHL lineup right away. This is also the first year doing this ranking since CHL players were permitted to play college hockey. For that reason, you will see very few CHL players listed as a lot of the bubble candidates are opting to go to school. Karsen Dorwart at Michigan State is the closest thing in this crop. I expect he will play NHL games this spring for whichever team signs him and will get a look at camp next fall.
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While I spent many hours on this article, I do not cover the free-agent world as extensively as I do the NHL Draft or drafted NHL prospects. I therefore cannot claim to have a comprehensive scope of the free-agent world. There will be numerous players who sign that I don’t have listed here, but excluding them isn’t necessarily a commentary on the players; I may simply have never gotten around to watching them.
Dorwart has been one of the better forwards in the Big Ten for the last two seasons. He will intrigue teams as a college free agent because aside from his offense he has good athletic traits. Dorwart is a strong skater with decent size who should be able to hold his own in one-on-one battles versus men. He’s been a solid two-way forward at the college level, but I don’t think he’s a true standout at either end. He has the skill, but he’s not dynamic and I wouldn’t call his compete level super high either.
Leppanen is having a monster season in Liiga. The defenseman is over a point per game and could score 20 goals. He is 26 years old so there is reason to be skeptical about how much his offense is going to be real in North America, but his sharp development is interesting. He’s a good skater with decent hockey sense and a big point shot. His defending and compete aren’t massive selling points, though.
Aimurzin has been a top scoring forward in the KHL this season, displaying significant progression in his 22-year-old season. He’s not blazing fast, but Aimurzin is a good enough skater for the top levels. He has strong puck skills, offensive IQ and a great finishing touch. He’s not overly physical and like a lot of shooters, he drifts to the outside a bit too much. His one-timer is legit, though, so I don’t hate that part of his game because he does give a decent effort level. His average frame will be the bigger concern for NHL teams.
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Eernisse’s skill and scoring won’t get you excited; he has one goal in 32 games this season. Teams are interested in him though because he is a big, fast and highly competitive winger. He is very physical, attacks the net and has the potential to be an effective penalty killer as a pro. If he has even a little puck game he could be successful versus men. I suspect he will go back to school for one more year though to try to develop some more offense.
Stockfish has enough tools to make him interesting as a pro prospect. He’s a big center who skates well for his size. He shows the ability to create in transition due to his speed and hands. Stockfish has been a decent two-way player in college even if he hasn’t posted major scoring numbers. Trying to project his skill to higher levels is a bit more difficult due to the conference he plays in, but he has a puncher’s chance.
Zajicek is having a huge season in the top Czech league as the clear best goaltender. He’s small by NHL standards, but his quickness and smarts give him a legit chance to play games in the league. He has the side-to-side athleticism to make difficult saves, but what I like about Zajicek’s game is he often doesn’t need to do that. He squares up a lot of pucks and anticipates the play at a high level, playing bigger than his size with his angles and reads.
McLinskey was one of the top forwards in the country in 2024. He didn’t quite back up the numbers this season but he’s still a potential sign for an NHL team. He’s a big winger with good puck skills and creativity. McLinskey is also a solid perimeter shooter. His foot speed is a question, though, for the higher levels.
Veremyev is a big, physical winger with intriguing athleticism for the pro level. He moves quite well for his size and can bully his way to the net to create offense. Aesthetically he looks like a prospect, but the puck play and sense in his game is a question. Veremyev hasn’t scored much in college and it’ll be a question for him as he advances levels.
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Kuzmin has played limited minutes on a top offense in SKA. The 21-year-old has shown good flashes, though, in the KHL and with the Russian national team. He’s a very good skater with the skill and offensive IQ to create chances at higher levels. Kuzmin is a strong passer and shooter. The only downside in his game is his frame, as at 5-foot-10 it’s questionable if he’s dynamic enough to play in the NHL even if he does have talent.
Shabanov has been one of the top scorers in the KHL this season as a 24-year-old. He’s an excellent skater with the speed and edgework of an NHL player. He has good puck skills and offensive sense and makes a lot of plays at full speed. Shabanov is also a mid-range shooting threat who can score goals versus good goaltenders. The issue with him will come down to size. He’s about 5-foot-8 and while talented, it’s debatable whether it’s the special variety of talent you need at his size to make it to the top league.
Thompson took off this season at OSU following a transfer from Alaska-Anchorage. He’s a big, heavy center with strong puck skills and good finishing ability. His skating stride is quite heavy and will be a significant issue against men. I see flashes of strong sense and playmaking, but if that aspect is more consistent I could buy him becoming a bottom-six NHL player.
Prokop has been a top defenseman in the ECAC for the past two seasons. He’s a very good athlete with the size/skating combo of an NHL defender. He’s not a super instinctive puck-mover, but Prokop has skill and has shown quite a bit of offense at the college level. Defensively he’s just OK and he’s not super physical, but his mobility and length give him a real chance to be a useful two-way pro.
Another top defenseman in the ECAC over the past few years, Taylor is an awkward but powerful skater who will be able to close on pros and skate pucks up ice. He flashes impressive puck skills and offensive touch, but I don’t see him as a true puck-mover in the NHL. He defends well due to his athleticism but I’d like to see him be a bit meaner. He may be a tweener for the top level, but the traits are good enough in combination to give him a real chance to play games.
Beck was a 2020 pick by St. Louis who didn’t stand out during his time at Clarkson. As a fifth-year transfer at ASU, he’s been a lot better. He’s intriguing due to his size and the amount of offense he’s shown this season while being a strong college defender. Beck’s skating has been and remains a major red flag, though, and there are significant questions on how his game will translate to the pros.
Williams was a top player in Hockey East this season. He’s not that big, but he has the footspeed of an NHL forward which gives him some hope as a pro prospect. The offense in Williams’ game has developed well since his junior days. He’s not a high-end skill type, but he makes plays and can create chances with tempo. He also has a very good shot and can score from range.
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Valis has had a big season in Prince George in his overage season. He has the typical points profile of a top overage player in the CHL, but what makes him interesting for the pro game is his athleticism. He has decent size and skates like a legit NHL player, which combined with the fact he has some skill could give him a chance to play games. I’m not completely sold on his hockey sense or compete level though for the higher levels.
Boija has been a top goalie in college hockey this season. He has the quickness, sense and technique for the higher levels, but his barely 6-foot-1 frame is why he went undrafted. He’s a major long shot due to his size but the rest of his talent could earn him a contract.
Steen was a Bruins pick in 2016 and has 60 NHL games of experience. His first stint in North America didn’t go well, and he was in tough at times to crack competitive Boston lineups. He’s been a top player in the SHL since going back and could be set to give it a second go at the NHL. Steen is a hardworking winger who gets to the net to score. He has decent speed and skill, although for a smaller forward he isn’t dynamic, which led to the AHL/NHL tweener status he found in his first go-around.
(Photo of Karsen Dorwart: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman

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