On Campus: NHL prospects who can help teams reach NCAA Tournament

The postseason is fast approaching in NCAA men's hockey.

After conference tournaments are completed, 16 teams will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, with regionals to be played in Fargo, North Dakota; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Bridgeport, Connecticut, beginning March 23. The four regional winners will move on to the Frozen Four at Amalie Arena in Tampa starting April 6.
To earn an at-large invitation to the tournament, teams on the bubble in the PairWise rankings have their work cut out for them in the next few weeks. They will be looking to their top players to lead the way.
Here are 10 NHL prospects who are potential difference-makers for teams with uncertain NCAA Tournament chances.
Ryan Bischel, University of Notre Dame
The undrafted senior goaltender has been the MVP to this point for his low-scoring team (2.34 goals per game, 52nd in nation).
He leads the country with 1,015 saves in 32 games, and his .930 save percentage is third. Bischel has a 2.42 goals-against average and four shutouts.
Bischel is one of nine semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is given annually to the goalie voted the best in college hockey.
Notre Dame (14-14-4) can't afford many more losses. Teams that finish below .500 are not eligible to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Alex Jefferies, Merrimack University
Jefferies, a junior forward who went straight to Hockey East from prep school (at Connecticut's Frederick Gunn School), is the most dangerous offensive player on his team. He has 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games for Merrimack (18-12-1).
Jefferies was selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Cole Krygier, Michigan State University
After totaling 10 goals in his first four seasons, Krygier already has equaled that number in 34 games this season as a graduate student. He is tied for third in the country in goals by a defenseman and leads the Big Ten at the position.
Krygier was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round (No. 201) by the Florida Panthers in the 2018 NHL Draft. His father, Todd, was a forward who played 543 NHL games for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Like Notre Dame, Michigan State (16-16-2) is at .500 and can't afford to finish with more losses than wins if it hopes to earn an at-large bid to the tournament.
Simon Latkoczy, University of Nebraska Omaha
An undrafted goalie from Slovakia, Latkoczy has put up impressive numbers as a freshman for the Mavericks (17-10-3). He is 9-2-1 in 14 games with the best save percentage (.935) and the second-best GAA (1.77) in the country.
Nick Leivermann, University of Notre Dame
Leivermann is the Notre Dame captain and its top-scoring defenseman, with 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 24 games. The graduate student was picked by the Colorado Avalanche in the seventh round (No. 187) of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Devon Levi, Northeastern University
After a midseason slump, Northeastern (15-10-5) is back in the NCAA Tournament picture thanks in large part to the play of Levi.
After earning MVP honors when his team won the Beanpot tournament in Boston on Feb. 13, Levi made 42 saves in a 3-0 win at University of Vermont on Saturday for his fifth shutout of the season. His .933 save percentage is second in the country.
Levi is a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, which he won last season.
The junior was selected by the Panthers in the seventh round (No. 220) of the 2020 draft. His rights were traded to the Buffalo Sabres.
Aidan McDonough, Northeastern University
When his team needs a big goal, senior captain McDonough often delivers. He scored the only goal in the shootout in the Beanpot title win against Harvard University.
The forward has 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) in 29 games and leads Hockey East in goals.
McDonough was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round (No. 195) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Travis Mitchell, Cornell University
A senior defenseman, the Cornell captain is a free agent who is receiving attention from NHL scouts. He attended development camps with the Boston Bruins (2021) and the St. Louis Blues (2022).
A solid two-way player, he has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 27 games for the Big Red (16-9-2).
His father, Jeffrey, was a forward who played seven NHL games with the Dallas Stars in 1997-98.
Jonathan Tychonick, University of Nebraska Omaha
Tychonick is an offensive defenseman who has 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 28 games.
The grad student was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round (No. 48) of the 2018 draft. Tychonick played two seasons at North Dakota before transferring.
Matthew Wood, University of Connecticut
Wood, who turned 18 on Feb. 6, is the youngest player in college hockey. He leads Connecicut (17-10-3) with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games.
A right wing with a hard shot and a lethal release, he was the eighth-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft.