Hockey’s March Madness: NHL teams chasing top undrafted NCAA free agents for 2025
The Frozen Four is just a few weeks away. College hockey season is winding down. That means it’s March Madness – the hockey version – with NHL teams battling to sign undrafted college free agents.
Even if many or most of these prospects do not end up becoming NHL players, getting in the game is a worthy gamble for teams, particularly those with deep pockets and few other young assets in their prospect timeline. It’s a relatively inexpensive shot at mining a diamond in the rough. You never know – you might sign a 24-year-old Matt Read from Bemidji State who can give you 24 goals as an NHL rookie. One of last year’s undrafted free agents, Collin Graf out of Quinnipiac, netted his first career multi-goal game for the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Here are seven undrafted college free agents to watch:
Top Undrafted College Free Agents for 2025
Carter King
Forward, Denver
Scoop: He may well be King of the Class of undrafted free agents for 2025. The two-time NCAA national champion at Denver is also team captain. King checks so many boxes – and what he might lack in size (5-foot-10), he makes up for in compete, character and class. King is a consistent scorer, setting a new career-high in goals (18) at Denver, where he’s also been nominated for NCHC defensive forward of the year. It sounds like the Calgary Flames are one team interested in the Calgary kid. He’s already 23, so he could only sign a one-year, entry-level deal.
Gleb Veremyev
Forward, Colorado College
Scoop: The points aren’t going to jump off the page for Veremyev, but scouts see the potential with his NHL-sized frame (6-foot-4) and attention to detail. His offensive production has been nearly cut in half this season, down from 28 points to 16 this year. The 21-year-old New Jersey native reminds scouts of David Steckel, a faceoff specialist who wins a ton of draws. Veremyev still has NCAA eligibility remaining as a junior, so no need to jump just yet.
Caleb MacDonald
Left Defense, North Dakota
Scoop: MacDonald is in his sophomore season at North Dakota after transferring in from Alaska-Fairbanks. The 22-year-old Cambridge, Ont., native is getting looks from NHL teams with his pro-ready size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and ability. He’s big, he’s tough, he blocks shots, but his footwork needs work. He’s been on the plus side of the ledger in a big way for North Dakota defensively. There’s some thought that MacDonald isn’t quite ready for the pro game just yet, but a team may be able to lure him out of the NCAA as a late bloomer. Two years ago, he was playing in the AJHL as a point-per-game overager.
Luke Haymes
Center, Dartmouth
Scoop: A junior for the Big Green, Haymes attended development camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, where he impressed observers with his scoring ability. The Ottawa native has really come out of nowhere to burst onto the scene. It’s been a tough year for Haymes, missing time due to injury, but Elite Prospects says he is producing at the college level like a Top 64-drafted prospect. He has poise and a nose for the net, racking up 39 goals over three collegiate seasons so far.
John Prokop
Left Defense, Union College
Scoop: Prokop makes things happen for the Garnet Chargers. If you give the 6-foot-3 defender time and space, he’ll make you pay – as a power play quarterback equally capable of dishing the perfect pass as he is pounding the puck on net. Prokop is already 23, he turns 24 in May, so he is older, and may not necessarily fit the definition of a prospect in some teams’ eyes. But he’s been nominated for the Hobey Baker and last year was a second-team NCAA (East) All-American.
Sam Stange and Zach Urdahl
Forwards, Nebraska-Omaha
Scoop: Strange and Urdahl are No. 1 and No. 3 in scoring for Omaha this season and both seniors have turned heads with their speed and shots. They’re also both 6-foot-1 and both 23 years old. Stange was drafted by the Red Wings in 2020 in the fourth round (97th overall), but he is a free agent as he was not signed by Detroit by last August’s deadline. That came after a seven-game season at Wisconsin that saw him transfer to Omaha. Urdahl also played at Wisconsin before arriving in Omaha, where his production has shot up to become a double-digit goal producer in consecutive years.
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POST SPONSORED BY bet365
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