Top free agents who can sign in NHL playing in NCAA Tournament

The NCAA men's hockey begins Thursday with 16 teams dreaming of winning the national championship.

But after teams are eliminated and seasons end, undrafted players become free to sign contracts with any NHL team.
The NCAA is scouted heavily because college free agents are acquisitions that don't require the use of NHL draft picks or prospects. Another advantage is college players tend to be older and further along in their development than younger prospects from junior leagues in North America.
College free agents who are capable of making an immediate impact in the NHL are few and far between, but several good prospects can be had each spring.
One of the better undrafted players of the past decade is Torey Krug, now with the St. Louis Blues. The defenseman signed with the Boston Bruins out of Michigan State in 2012, played one season with Providence of the American Hockey League and made his NHL debut with Boston in 2012-13.
Here are 10 free agents who could be available by the time the four regionals are decided Sunday (in alphabetical order):
Nick Blankenburg, D, Michigan
The 23-year-old senior is the captain of Michigan's star-studded squad. He is small (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) but skates well and has a good stick. Blankenburg has scored 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 35 games this season.
Michigan (29-9-1) plays American International (22-12-3) in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Friday.
Brandon Bussi, G, Western Michigan
The junior has the size (6-5, 220) NHL teams prefer in goal. After being out most of last season with an injury, he has bounced back strong this season. The 23-year-old is 25-11-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and four shutouts.
Western Michigan (25-11-1) faces Northeastern (25-12-1) in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Friday.
Ryan Fanti, G, Minnesota Duluth
Fanti made a total of 55 saves in shutting out Denver and Western Michigan last weekend, helping Duluth win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff championship. The 22-year-old junior (6-3, 195) is 19-11-4 with a 1.87 GAA, .926 save percentage and four shutouts.
Minnesota Duluth (21-15-4) plays Michigan Tech (21-12-3) in Loveland, Colorado, on Thursday.
Ethen Frank, F, Western Michigan
A grad student in his fifth NCAA season, the 24-year-old leads all Division I players in goals with 26, including 10 on the power play, in 36 games.
Surprisingly, Frank (5-11, 185) was not chosen as one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in Division I hockey.
Riese Gaber, F, North Dakota
A sophomore, Gaber is small (5-8, 160) but the 22-year-old has posted big numbers all season, leading his team in scoring with 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 33 games.
North Dakota (24-13-1) faces Notre Dame (27-11-0) in Albany, New York, on Thursday.
Jake Livingstone, D, Minnesota State
A sophomore, Livingstone is a right-shot defenseman with size (6-3, 201) and a good stick. The 22-year-old has scored 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists) in 40 games.
Minnesota State (35-5-0) will play Harvard (21-10-3) in Albany on Thursday.
Dryden McKay, G, Minnesota State
A four-year standout at Minnesota State, the 24-year-old (6-0, 184) holds the NCAA career record for shutouts with 33 and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
He is tied for third in the country with a .934 save percentage and is the leader in wins with a 35-4-0 record. His 1.27 GAA is second.
McKay's parents named him after Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden, who his father idolized. McKay wears No. 29, as Dryden did for the Montreal Canadiens.
Ben Meyers, F, Minnesota
Meyers is considered by many to be top college free agent this year. A junior, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year after scoring an NCAA career-high 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 31 games.
The 23-year-old (5-11, 200) scored four points (two goals, two assists) in four games for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. The Minnesota captain was a standout at Boston Bruins development camp in August.
Minnesota (24-12-0) faces Massachusetts (22-12-2) in Worcester on Friday.
Zach Metsa, D, Quinnipiac
The senior (5-9, 180) was named Best Defensive Defenseman in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. The 23-year-old contributes in the offensive zone, too, leading his team with 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 40 games.
Quinnipiac (31-6-3) plays St. Cloud State (18-14-4) in Allentown on Friday.
Bobby Trivigno, F, Massachusetts
After winning the NCAA National Championship and earning Frozen Four MVP honors a year ago, Trivigno could have signed an NHL contract and skipped his senior season. Instead, he stayed in school and is near the top of the list of undrafted college players this season, as well as being one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.
The 23-year-old scored 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 36 games this season.
Trivigno, undersized (5-8, 162) but with a nonstop motor, was named Hockey East Player of the Year for the second straight season. He's the first repeat winner since goalie Connor Hellebuyck, now with the Winnipeg Jets, did it with UMass Lowell in 2013 and 2014.