Two Must-Watch Prospects For Every Big Ten Team

Penn State

99 F Evan Barratt

The heart and soul of this Penn State team, Barratt centers what could be the top line in college hockey this year alongside Liam Folkes and Alex Limoges. They will be terrifying if he can take his game to another level.

99 F Aarne Talvitie

One of the top forwards for the nation’s top offense before heading off to World Juniors (where he captained the Finns to gold), soon finding himself on the shelf for the rest of the season. Making a switch to center this season could be the X-factor the Nittany Lions need to sustain success into the spring.

Notre Dame

96 G Cale Morris

The best defensive team in the conference returned their best defensive piece, 2019 Big Ten tournament MVP will be key for a run at a title.

97 F Michael Graham

Casey Mittelstadt’s old linemate at Eden Prairie (MNHS) was tied for the team-lead in goals with 12 as a freshman, look for Graham to build on that in his second year.

Ohio State

97 F Gustaf Westlund

Senior forward Tanner Laczynski (PHI) is a given, but I’m really watching Westlund, a talented, swift-skating Swedish sophomore who can and will need to improve on a 0.76 PPG pace in the wake of the Buckeyes losing some serious firepower up front.

01 D Layton Ahac

Vegas’ 3rd-round pick this summer had a strong finish to his career in the BCHL with a point-per-game in the playoffs.

Wisconsin

01 F Alex Turcotte

With mixed-results for young players heading to college hockey as of late, the 5th-overall pick should be the exception that proves the rule — his dominant, well-rounded game down the middle will help his Badgers eat opposing defenses alive.

01 F Cole Caufield

“Goal” Caufield has fourteen NHL teams to prove wrong this season in the Big Ten as Habs fans eagerly follow the progress of their first-round pick in Madison.

Michigan

01 D Cam York

01 F Johnny Beecher

Beecher’s draft stock floated among the best of the rest on a stacked NTDP team, but he still went in the first round. Look for him to showcase the athleticism and offensive upside that made this Upstate NY native a highly-touted prospect in his age group since before he was a bantam.

Minnesota

99 F Sammy Walker

Named captain as a sophomore in Bob Motzko’s second year as head coach, for good reason. The Edina product stepped into the Big Ten out of high school hockey and terrorized goaltenders as a freshman.

00 F Blake McLaughlin

Anaheim’s 3rd-round pick in 2018 can make glittering passes or rifle it in himself with ease.

Michigan State

98 F Patrick Khodorenko

The NTDP product’s ability to both create and finish is going to have to kick into over-drive without an NHL-caliber playmaker in Taro Hirose centering him this year.

98 F Mitchell Lewandowski

Back-to-back 34 point seasons for this junior forward can give Spartan fans hope despite their last-place finish last season.