Former NCAA players will soon make up a huge percentage of all rookies in the NHL, so who are the most important in the Metropolitan Division for 2026-27?
While the No. 1 pick in this year's draft is not playing in the NHL's Metropolitan Division, the best candidate for the Calder Trophy very much is.
Even among NHL rookies coming from the NCAA, he's not alone.
There are several former college players in the Metropolitan Division alone who could have a big impact on the NHL season, and get themselves into real Rookie of the Year discussions.
Let's break down the top three former NCAA rookies in the Metropolitan Division for 2026-27:
1) Porter Martone, Philadelphia Flyers
Martone gave everyone a full and terrifying preview of the type of power he could unleash for the Philadelphia Flyers in a full season.
After finishing seventh in the NCAA in total scoring (50) and second in goals (25) for Michigan State, he came to the Flyers and basically went nuts, potting four goals and tallying 10 points in nine games while playing 17 minutes a night with a plus-4 rating.
Based on what the Flyers could do this season, there's a real chance their fans are saying: "Who needs Leo Carlsson?" by November.
There's an obvious proof of concept here that basically doesn't exist with any other rookies in the league this season. The NHL is incredibly difficult to adjust to, but unless something goes really wrong, Martone should be the font-runner for the Calder.
2) Cole Hutson, Washington Capitals
Hutson got a lot of opportunity to produce in his 14 games with the Washington Capitals at the end of the year, and put up three goals and 10 points looking nearly as dominant when he was on the ice at Boston University.
There's no reason to think he can't do it again, except that there are some limiting factors. Players like Martone or Gavin McKenna are likely to get a lot of power-play time in their first years out of the NCAA. Will Hutson?
Washington should (rightly) give Jakob Chychrun the bulk of the PP1 time, and that will leave Hutson waiting for that group to come off the ice, which doesn't happen all that often.
Hutson will still likely get over two minutes a night on the man-advantage, but Chychrun will probably get closer to four.
There will still be a ton of runway for Hutson to make a strong impression with the Capitals this season, and he'll be a fun talent to watch.
3) Bradly Nadeau, Carolina Hurricanes
Nadeau, a 2023 first-round pick, spent most of the last two seasons in the AHL after starring for the University of Maine in 2023-24 (19 goals, 46 points in 37 games).
The last two years in the AHL, he's been incredibly productive, racking up 59 goals and 114 points, including a dominant run in the Calder Cup playoffs last year.
He also got a cup of coffee with the Carolina Hurricanes, appearing in 12 games. All that, and he only turned 21 in May.
Obviously the Hurricanes have a stacked forward group with lots of productive players, but some of the guys at the bottom of that roster lack the offensive punch a player like Nadeau provides.
Especially because it looks like Seth Jarvis is going to miss the first month or two of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Easy to see a guy like Nadeau grabbing the brass ring there.
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