2024 college free-agency preview: Defensemen

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 who are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

Here is an overview of some of the defensemen who 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.  Our look at the goaltenders can be found here.

Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State

The decision to return for his senior year was a good one for Anhorn as the 25-year-old had his best season offensively, notching 31 points in 35 games.  His overall upside isn’t perceived to be the highest but if a team is looking for a playable depth option that doesn’t need a lot of time in the minors to get ready, this could be it as his aggressive defensive game should work in the pros.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get his feet wet right away down the stretch.

Jacob Bengtsson, Boston College

After a good junior season at Lake Superior State, Bengtsson entered the transfer portal and transferred to Boston College where he’s on a much stronger team and still managed to play fairly big minutes.  He has been on the NHL radar for a couple of years now and this might be the right time for him to make the jump over playing the bonus year next season.  That said, his profile is more of a depth defender than one that projects to play in an NHL top six.

Zach Bookman, Merrimack

The 21-year-old might have the highest ceiling of any blueliner in this group.  Bookman averaged nearly a point per game this season for the Warriors and is only two years removed from averaging nearly two points per game in the AJHL.  However, he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and, while improving, is still a bit raw in his own end.  There could be enough interest to warrant a contract now, but if Bookman goes back for another season, he could be among the top free agents (at any position) in next year’s college free-agent class.

Aiden Hansen-Bukata, RIT

After a couple of quiet seasons to start his college career, Hansen-Bukata broke out offensively last season with 32 points in 37 games.  This year, he didn’t beat those numbers but produced at a similar rate which should help generate some interest.  More of an offensive threat than a defensive one, the 24-year-old might have to settle for an AHL deal for his first professional contract.

Colton Huard, New Hampshire

A lot of blueliners on this list are of the smaller variety but Huard is one of the exceptions, standing 6-foot-3.  While he doesn’t score much, he has an above-average shot from the back end which will be appealing to NHL teams.  His defensive game is still raw, however, so while he’ll be on the NHL radar again as he was a year ago, a return for his senior year is a realistic possibility.

Tim Lovell, Arizona State

His decision to transfer from Boston College following the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season to the Sun Devils was a wise one.  Since then, the 22-year-old has gone from a role player to one of the top scorers among all NCAA defensemen.  Another player who is more known for his offensive play than his defensive skill set, Lovell could benefit from the bonus year to continue to improve in his own end.  But there’s no denying that his offensive skills will be intriguing to teams now.

Others to watch for

Boston Buckberger, Denver
Gianfranco Cassaro, RIT
Brandon Chabrier, Maine
Evan Murr, Minnesota State
John Prokop, Union

These players have all shown offensive upside, but in most cases, they’re likely to return for another college season.  Cassaro as a five-year player is the exception but despite leading all NCAA defenders in goals this season, he may be a stronger candidate for an AHL deal than an NHL one.