Borgesi, Holt among top undrafted defensemen to watch in NCAA hockey

Undrafted NCAA defensemen who can grow into front-line roles at the NHL level are hard to find, but there are a handful scattered across the League.

Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a good example. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks on May 31, 2010, after one season at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

He has since played 812 NHL games for Vancouver, the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and this season the Toronto Maple Leafs, after signing a six-year contract contract July 1.

Others playing significant roles in the League include Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets (University of Minnesota Duluth), Sean Walker of the Carolina Hurricanes (Bowling Green University) and Zach Whitecloud of the Vegas Golden Knights (Bemidji State University).

Signing a solid free agent allows a team to acquire an asset without having to trade draft picks or players. That's why NHL scouts are out watching college games in search of undrafted players worthy of either an NHL or American Hockey League contract.

Here are 10 undrafted NCAA defensemen, in alphabetical order, who are on the radar of NHL scouts this season.

Vinny Borgesi, Northeastern University

The 20-year-old is a dynamic offensive defenseman who is on the ice for an average of nearly 30 minutes per game (29:02).

A junior, Borgesi (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in seven games.

He attended development camp with the Golden Knights in 2023.

David Breazeale, University of Maine

The senior captain has been front and center in the revival of Maine's fortunes under coach Ben Barr.

A two-way defenseman with size (6-3, 215), the 24-year-old leads the Black Bears in average ice time (21:34).

Breazeale went to 2024 development camp with the Detroit Red Wings.

CJ Foley, Dartmouth University

The 20-year-old sophomore is at his best in the offensive zone. He has six points (one goal and five assists) in six games, including a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win at Quinnipiac University on Nov. 8.

He earned ECAC and Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors last season, when he had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 32 games.

Foley (5-11, 180) attended development camp with the Florida Panthers in July.

Brandon Holt, University of Maine

The junior, an important part of Maine's power play, earned Hockey East Defender of the Month for October.

He has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 11 games. He is tied with the University of Denver's Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild) and Eric Pohlkamp (San Jose Sharks) for the lead in points among defensemen in the NCAA and tied for the Black Bears lead at plus-10.

The 23-year-old attended development camp with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023 and the Anaheim Ducks in 2024.

Colton Huard, University of New Hampshire

The 23-year-old has NHL size (6-4, 225) and is at his best when he plays a simple game, defending aggressively and making a good first pass.

He had a career-high 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 36 games as a junior last season.

His father, Bill, was a rugged forward who played 223 NHL games for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques, Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

Huard attended development camp with the Chicago Blackhawks (2022) and St. Louis Blues (2023).

Jake Livanavage, University of North Dakota

The 20-year-old is a point producer who plays a prominent role offensively.

The sophomore was named National Collegiate Hockey Conference Defenseman of the Week after he had five assists in a sweep of Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 8 and 9.

He has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in nine games. Last season, Livanavage had 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in 40 games.

A native of Phoenix, he attended development camp with the Coyotes in 2022.

Caleb MacDonald, University of North Dakota

The big sophomore (6-3, 224) had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and was plus-13 last season at University of Alaska-Fairbanks before transferring to North Dakota.

Averaging more 20 minutes per game (21:55), the 21-year-old scored his only goal this season against Boston University on Oct. 26.

Michael Mastrodomenico, University of Notre Dame

A solidly built (6-0, 210), right-shot defenseman, Mastrodomenico has a developing offensive game.

After he had seven points (one goal, six assists) in 33 games as a junior last season, he already has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 10 games this season, including a goal and an assist in an 8-3 loss to Michigan State University on Nov. 15.

The 20-year-old attended 2024 development camp with the Bruins.

John Prokop, Union College

The sophomore had a breakout season in 2023-24, leading Union with 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 36 games.

He was named to the ECAC First All-Star Team and was an American Hockey Coaches Association Second Team All-American.

This season, Prokop has nine points (four goals, five assists) and is plus-7 in 11 games. The 23-year-old attended 2024 development camp with the Golden Knights.

Ben Robertson, Cornell University

The 20-year-old sophomore earned ECAC Hockey All-Rookie and Third Team honors after a strong freshman season (23 points; five goals, 18 assists in 35 games).

Robertson went to development camp with the Jets in July.