Six college free agents the Flyers could target with the NCAA season winding down

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and free agency doesn’t open up until July 1, but that doesn’t mean teams can’t bolster their rosters in the interim. One way to do that is by signing NCAA players, both drafted and undrafted, whose seasons are coming to an end.

The Flyers have already gotten to work, signing 2024 fifth-round pick Noah Powell from Arizona State on Wednesday, and an entry-level contract for 2023 fourth-rounder Cole Knuble (Notre Dame) is expected to be next on the docket.

But what about the undrafted free agents departing the college ranks?

» READ MORE: Resetting the Flyers’ future: Which prospects beyond Porter Martone and draft picks are on the way?

While many are quick to dismiss college free agents and point to the small percentage of them who actually become needle-movers, there have been plenty of success stories over the years. Hall of Famers Adam Oates (RPI), Joe Mullen (Boston College), and Ed Belfour (North Dakota) were all initially signed as undrafted college free agents. San Jose’s Collin Graf (Quinnipiac), Colorado’s Sam Malinski (Cornell), and Carolina’s Brandon Bussi (Western Michigan) are more recent examples of impactful finds from this player pool.

So will the Flyers, who signed forward Karsen Dorwart as an undrafted college player last year, go back to the well? Here are five players who might pique their interest.

While St. Cloud State’s Tyson Gross was No. 1 on my target list before he signed with Calgary on Thursday, Cleaves was right behind him. A 6-foot-5, 205-pound center who moves well and has impressive passing vision, Cleaves has had a breakout season with 14 goals and 35 points in 30 games for the No. 12 Big Green. He will have plenty of suitors once Dartmouth’s season ends, and if things break, he profiles as someone with third-line center potential.

Another big center (6-4, 225), Stockfish was a point-per-game player this year for Holy Cross, albeit in a lesser conference. Stockfish is known for his 200-foot play and transition ability, but his offensive ceiling seems rather limited. The Flyers like big centers and Stockfish will surely get a chance somewhere. Holy Cross plays Bentley on Friday and Saturday night, so Stockfish could be available as soon as Sunday.

With the addition of David Jiříček at the deadline, the Flyers seem to have a pretty good plan on the right side of their blueline with Jiříček, Jamie Drysdale, and Oliver Bonk. But they could still use another body on the left, and Livanavage has established himself as one of the top puck-movers in college hockey.

Livanavage, 21, is a bit undersized at 5-11, 190 pounds, but more and more, NHL teams are betting on smaller blueliners with the type of skill and play-driving ability that Livanavage possesses. Emil Andrae’s days with the organization seem numbered, and Livanavage could be a dynamic offensive defenseman worth gambling on.

Nobody has been more productive in college hockey over the past four years than Hughes — no relation to Jack, Quinn, and Luke — who has 170 points during that span, which is 26 more than any player. Hughes, who is Michigan’s captain and has 18 goals and 48 points in 35 games this season, is a skilled center and playmaker who probably needs to crack an NHL team’s top-six to make it. He has average size (6 feet, 183 pounds), but the creativity, stickhandling, and scoring production will be enticing to NHL teams.

Flyers president Keith Jones’ affinity for his alma mater is well documented, and Michaels, not Alex Bump, was the Frozen Four’s MVP last year when the Broncos won their first-ever NCAA title. Michaels, who has posted a 12-13-25 line this season after tallying 18 goals and 36 points last season, is just a hockey player, and someone WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler calls a “fierce competitor” and “natural leader.”

With good size at 6-2, 185 pounds and some offensive ability and grit, Michaels is the type of worker bee who has a chance to carve out a role in an NHL team’s bottom six.

You can never have enough goaltending depth, and the massive 6-5, 230-pound Lundgren is a tantalizing proposition given his size, technical ability, and durability. The 23-year-old Swede has played every one of Merrimack’s 2,092 minutes this season and has posted a .914 save percentage in a premier conference in Hockey East. With Sam Ersson’s future in doubt, the Flyers might be in the market for another young goaltender to pair with Carson Bjarnason, especially as they wait on Yegor Zavragin.

Others to consider: Mac Gadowsky, D, Penn State; Aleksi Kivioja, C, Providence; Grant Slukynsky, C, Western Michigan; Vinny Borgesi, D, Northeastern; Ellis Rickwood, C, North Dakota.