Top 10 Current NHL Players That Came From The NCAA in the Past Decade

College Hockey has gotten so much more competitive over the last decade and it is moving many players on to the National Hockey League.

Twenty years ago, if you looked at an NHL roster you probably wouldn't have seen many NCAA products on each team, but in the year 2023, college hockey is a phenomenal path to the National Hockey League. 

Nine players in this year's NHL Draft have either played or will be playing NCAA hockey. There is no denying the fact that the game is growing in the United States. 

I spoke with Mike Grinnell, the Producer of the Spittin Chiclets podcast about this topic on this week's episode of The Blue Crew, and we debated Cale Makar and Jack Eichel. 

Some honorable mentions that didn't crack the top ten just yet, but easily could have are Tage Thompson (UConn), Dylan Larkin (Michigan), Jeremy Swayman (Maine), Jake Oettinger (BU), Brady Tkachuk (BU), Zach Werenski (Michigan). 

Coming up with a top ten list was a difficult task because there are so many talented players that come to mind in today's game. I will be ranking what is in my opinion, the top ten NHL players that came out of college in the past decade. Let's start with the number ten. 

After spending three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Jake Guentzel had a seamless transition into the National Hockey League and is now one of the league's most prolific goal scorers.  

Guentzel's scoring touch started back in college as he tallied 40 goals and 79 assists for a total of 119 points in 108 games during his NCAA career. 

The 28-year-old has had quite the NHL career thus far, as he enters his eighth season, all with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has reached the 40-goal mark in the regular season twice, but more importantly, he has been an elite playoff performer. In his first postseason back in 2017, Guentzel was arguably the most impressive player on the Penguins tallying 13 goals in 25 games, helping them capture their back-to-back Stanley Cup Championship. 

Thus far in his NHL career, he has scored 197 goals, adding 217 assists for 414 points in 453 games. 

Guentzel might not be as flashy as some of the other players on this list, but that guy can flat-out put the puck in the back of the net. Playing with Sidney Crosby certainly makes that a bit easier, but Guentzel is a hell of a player. 

Speaking of scoring goals, there aren't many better at it than Kyle Connor. 

He didn't spend as many years in the NCAA as college hockey fans would have liked, but Connor made the most of his time in Ann Arbor. In one season, he tallied 35 goals and 36 assists for 71 points in 38 games, the guy was an absolute machine. 

No discredit to Jimmy Vesey, but it's kind of wild that he won the Hobey Baker that year over Kyle Connor considering the fact that Connor had 25 more points than him, but that's an argument for a different day. 

Since entering the NHL in 2016-17, Connor has lit up some of the best goaltenders in the world. He has been a consistent 30+ goal scorer, including a 47-goal season in 2021-22. In his first seven seasons, Connor has scored at least 30 goals in five of them, he has a knack for it. 

In his career, Connor has scored 209 goals with 215 assists for 424 points in 466 games played.

What makes his production even more impressive is the teams that he has been on in Winnipeg. He has arguably been the most important player on the Jets' roster for the past four seasons and is without a doubt their go-to guy. 

Sticking with the Michigan Wolverine theme, Quinn Hughes spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, helping them get to the Frozen Four in 2018. Hughes was one of college hockey's most elite defensemen during his two-year stint. He was a Hobey Baker finalist in 2019, and in his career, he tallied 10 goals with 52 assists for 62 points in 69 games played.

Even though Hughes has only played in four full seasons in the National Hockey League, he has established himself as one of the league's top-skating defensemen. This past season, he had a very quiet 76 points in 78 games played, but he wasn't talked about as much as he should have been due to the Vancouver Canucks being an absolute mess. He finished tied for 2nd in scoring amongst defensemen with Josh Morrissey, but what was most impressive was that he finished as a +15 on a team that was -22. 

In his NHL career, Hughes has recorded 26 goals with 215 assists for 241 points in 283 games. 

Ranking him above Guentzel and Connor was definitely a tough call to make, but I believe that the potential for the 23-year-old is through the roof and I am confident that he will be a Norris trophy winner in the next three seasons. Hughes' game has continued to progress each season in his first four years on a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs in the last three years. 

The accolades might not be there just yet, but they will be soon for Quinn Hughes. 

Connor Hellebuyck is arguably the best American-born goaltender in the National Hockey League right now. Hellebuyck helped put the UMass-Lowell program on the map during his time as a Riverhawk. In fact, he actually won the inaugural Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's best goaltender in 2014 when he led all college goalies with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. He also recorded six shutouts in that season in a total of 29 games. 

Hellebuyck continued to win awards when he got to the National Hockey League as he took home the 2020 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best netminder. In that season, he finished second in wins with 31, first in shutouts with six. and seventh in save percentage skating to .922%. Although his future in Winnipeg might be up for questioning right now, he has been the backbone of the Jets since entering the NHL in 2015-16. 

Thus far in his NHL career, Hellebuyck has earned 238 wins while skating to a 2.66 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in 445 career games played. 

The 30-year-old is still searching for his first Stanley Cup, but I have no doubt in my mind that he will win one someday. 

If you ask me, Clayton Keller might be the most underrated player in the NHL right now after the season he had in Arizona.

I had the opportunity to play against Keller when I was a freshman at UMass-Amherst and let me tell you firsthand, this guy was unbelievable in college. He only spent one year at Boston University where he put up 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 31 games. I personally think if he went back for his sophomore season, he could have competed for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's best player, but it's very hard to say no to the NHL when they come calling. 

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Keller reminds me so much of a prime Patrick Kane, who happened to be his role model growing up. The eyes aren't necessarily on Keller as much as they should be, due to the fact that he has been playing in Arizona, but the Coyotes might be a sneaky solid team this coming season. 

He is entering his seventh full season, and in his career thus far he has scored 133 goals, and 209 assists for 342 points in 442 total games. 

This past season, he had a breakout year, tallying 37 goals and 49 assists for 86 points in 82 games. 

Keller is an elite playmaker with unbelievable hockey sense and is going to be a fun guy to watch for years to come as he enters his prime. 

The Boston University Terriers have produced so many talented players over the years, but I have so many incredible things to say about Charlie McAvoy. I've had the honor of knowing Charlie since he was about 16 years old and I am trying to put the bias aside, but if I were starting an NHL team today, he might be the first defenseman that I would take. 

During McAvoy's time at BU, he scored eight goals, while adding 43 assists for 51 points in 75 total games. Even though he wasn't known for his scoring touch, he scored one of the biggest goals for the program in his sophomore season, a double overtime winner against North Dakota in a packed barn in Fargo. 

McAvoy's introduction to the NHL is quite a wild one. After finishing his season at BU, he was thrown into the fire for his NHL debut as he suited up for Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs on the right side of Zdeno Chara. I mean, what a cool way to make a debut. 

Since entering the NHL, McAvoy has been the perfect representation of a Boston Bruin. He plays a strong, physical game, while also adding some offensive ability. His numbers might not be as impressive as some of the other defensemen in the league, but he plays with that chip on his shoulder that every team would love to have. 

Entering his seventh NHL season, McAvoy has potted 41 goals with 189 assists for 230 points in 380 games. 

In my opinion, now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, I think McAvoy would be the perfect candidate to don the "C" for the Bruins.

He is a guy that can do a little bit of everything and will be taking on a much bigger leadership role this season for the Bruins. 

Johnny Gaudreau, better known as "Johnny Hockey" is one of the most exciting players to come out of the NCAA not only in the last decade but also in history.

As a freshman, Gaudreau helped lead the 2012 Boston College Eagles to their fifth National Championship in program history. He also did in style, scoring one of the nastiest goals in the National Championship game against Ferris State in Tampa Bay. 

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During his time at BC, Gaudreau scored 78 goals, adding 97 assists for 175 points in 119 total games played. The guy tore up college hockey and won the 2014 Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA, putting up 36 goals, 44 assists for 80 points in 40 games that season. That is ABSURD. 

Johnny Hockey has been an absolute scoring machine since his first full NHL season in 2014-15. Despite having a rough first season with the Columbus Blue Jackets after spending eight years in Calgary, he still managed to put up 74 points in 80 games on one of the worst teams in the league. This was after he had a career year, tallying 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points in 82 games with the Flames in the 2021-22 season. 

Gaudreau will put up points on whatever team he's on and with whoever he plays with. Even though he is one of the smaller players in the league, he is incredibly shifty and has a strong vision in the offensive zone. 

He is coming up on a full decade in the NHL and to this point, he has put up 231 goals with 452 assists for 683 points in 682 games played. 

I can't say I'm confident that he will win a Stanley Cup in his career, but I can say that he is an absolute joy to watch and I'm excited to see what he and the Blue Jackets can do this season. 

To those that weren't familiar with Adam Fox before his time as a Ranger, it might be a surprise how quickly he has succeeded in the NHL, but for people like myself that have known him since he was young, he has exceeded expectations at almost every level of the game. 

I don't think there is a smarter blue liner in the National Hockey League than Fox and there is a reason that he chose to go to Harvard University. In his three years with the Crimson, he reached a Frozen Four, won the Walter Brown Award as the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and he was one of the runner-ups for the Hobey Baker Award in 2019. 

In college, Fox put up some crazy numbers for a defenseman, scoring 21 goals with 95 assists for 116 points in 97 games played. He might be the best player to ever come out of Harvard when it's all said and done.

Since entering the NHL, Fox has impressed many people with his vision and overall hockey IQ. He has a gift that can't be taught. 

Aside from Cale Makar, I believe that Fox is the best power-play quarterback in the league. The two of them have been going head-to-head since college and they are constantly being compared when in reality they play two very different styles. 

In his first four NHL seasons, Fox has taken home a Norris Trophy and has been nominated twice already. He has tallied 36 goals with 199 assists for 235 points in 285 games. 

Fox hasn't even entered his prime yet and he has already added some accolades to his resume. The 25-year-old will continue to improve while getting bigger, faster, and stronger while continuing to produce points for the Rangers. 

Jack Eichel is one of three players ever to win the Hobey Baker Award as a freshman. According to Mike Grinnell, "Eichel his freshman year at BU, it was the most dominant performance of hockey I've ever seen." 

That year, Eichel put up 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points in 40 games, but unfortunately, BU fell short in the National Championship losing 4-3 to the Providence Friars. 

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Everyone knows how Eichel's career went in Buffalo, but it was great to see him on top of the hockey world this year winning the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in his first-ever postseason appearance. 

He is entering his ninth NHL season and has put up 180 goals with 266 assists for 446 points in 476 games. 

Eichel has faced a ton of adversity throughout his career but has shown his resilience as well as his overall humility after proving many of his doubters wrong. 

Eichel is undoubtedly one of the NHL's most elite centers and his skating ability is truly what separates him from the pack. His stride is effortless, but he has also found new competitiveness in his first two seasons with the Golden Knights. He lead the entire 2023 postseason in scoring, tallying a total of 26 points in 22 games and I will not be surprised to see him back on the NHL's biggest stage again in his career. 

Cale Makar has basically already won every possible thing a player could dream of in the game of hockey and he is only 24 years old. Makar is one of the main reasons for the massive turnaround of the UMass Hockey program and if he stays on this current path he could go down as the greatest defenseman to ever play the game. 

UMass head coach, Greg Carvel, called him the "McDavid of the blue line" and the comparison couldn't be more spot on. Going back to college for a sophomore season was huge for Makar's development. That was the year he truly took off as he took home the 2019 Hobey Baker Award after making the National Championship game, unfortunately falling short to Minnesota-Duluth. 

In his two years at UMass, he posted 21 goals with 49 assists for 70 points in 71 games. Similar to McAvoy, Makar was thrown into the fire as well, making his NHL debut in Game 3 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Makar fashion, he scored in the first period of his NHL debut, in the playoffs. He was built for the big moments. 

Entering his fifth NHL season, Makar has tallied 65 goals with 181 assists for 246 points in 238 games. Averaging over a point per game as a defenseman is absolutely insane and what makes it crazier is that he is nowhere near his peak. 

What makes Makar so elite is his explosiveness. He has another gear that most players can't find and when you mix that with his overall work ethic, it's very dangerous. 

He also happens to be one of the most humble people that you will ever meet. We're talking about a guy that is only 24 and has won the Hobey Baker, the Calder Trophy, the Conn Smythe, and the cherry on top, the Stanley Cup. 

I couldn't be more excited to continue watching him play and there is no doubt that he is the best player to come out of the NCAA in the last decade and possibly ever. 

Some former NCAA players that will make some noise this season that I am super excited to watch are Matt Beniers (Michigan), Cole Caufield (Wisconsin), Matt Boldy (Boston College), Matthew Knies (Minnesota), Logan Cooley (Minnesota), Adam Fantilli (Michigan), and Luke Hughes (Michigan). 

It's an exciting time to be a college hockey fan and it's great seeing the game grow thanks to all of these players.