Teams are dropping like flies in collegiate hockey and NHL general managers are circling like vultures. Yesterday we provided an in-depth look into some of the lower profile defenders that might be within the Canucks reach. I wouldn’t be doing justice to the group as a whole if I left forwards out of the picture, though. I can’t stress enough that they should play a part in the Canucks approach to the collegiate market.

There’s some room in the stable for a few more forwards at the front. That’s a selling point the Canucks can market. Their farm franchise, the Utica Comets, will be in need of warm bodies as early as next season and that’s a point worth driving home. Put that on the front of the brochure. 

Let’s look at a few players that might fit the bill, on the other side of the jump.

Just to clarify before we jump in, Oksanen could’ve and likely should’ve been included in the ‘high profile’ free agents piece from last week, but ultimately was bumped to allow some players that I know the Canucks have been scouting to make that cut. So, Oksanen is the by far the most well known of today’s cases.

The young Finn started his NCAA career as a defenceman but was converted to left wing in his junior year and exploded offensively. Playing alongside future Buffalo Sabres forwards Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues, he scored 25 goals in 40 games. Given that both Eichel and Rodrigues turned pro in the summer, there was some concern that Oksanen may see a drop off but has maintained a PPG pace this season. He does seem to possess the whole package with good skating, puck moving and shooting abilities. He already has NHL size measuring in at 6’3″ and 207 lbs. Whoever signs the big Finn, may want to convert him back to defenceman, but given the success he has see on the wing, I would suspect he will carve out a career as a winger.

When looking at comparables, as expected Oksanen rates extremely well with 22.1% of his comparables going onto becoming NHL regulars. That is the same success rate as a late second round pick. Given the current market and cap, adding a free prospect of that value is fantastic. Oksanen will likely garner a lot of interest from NHL teams at the conclusion of the Boston University’s season, and hopefully the Canucks are one of those teams in the running.

Image: Buffalo News

The right winger from Canisius College has improved his point total every season, concluding with 42 points in 39 games in his senior year. Cuddemi does have NHL size at 6’1″, but will need to add some further strength and have a more consistent effort level to have a shot at the NHL level. But there is no question that he has the speed and acceleration to make it. He also possesses a good release and accurate shot.

When looking at comparables, Cuddemi’s comparables come in at 15.0%. So, any team that does sign Cuddemi would provide value equal to a third round pick. Given that Brandon Tanev had a comparable rate of 2.8% – it can be a bit perplexing that as many as twelve teams are tripping over themselves to sign him, where Cuddemi doesn’t seem to be a part of the conversation.

Gustafsson is someone who caught my immediately when digging into this market. The 22-year-old Swede plays a more robust game then you would expect. He would rather take the puck through people rather than go around them. Which is something the Canucks could use more of. In his junior year with Merrimack, the 6’4″ centre is a good skater for his size that isn’t a slouch in the defensive zone. He may never develop into a top 6 player, but being a good bottom six centre is entirely possible. He does have the option to return for his senior year, but teams like the Canucks should try and convince him otherwise.

If the Canucks are able to sign Gustafsson, it’s a fair assumption that he would be able to take a top 6 six centre spot with the Comets next season.

When looking at comparables, 13.6% went on to become NHL regulars. Given that, I feel Gustafsson is a worthwhile gamble that teams should be looking into. Gustafsson is still reasonably young, as he doesn’t turn 23 until the fall.

Coming in at 6’4″ and 220 lbs, Denham is another big body that likes to us his size to create time and space for himself and his defenceman. Denham is also very good on the forecheck to create turnovers as he is able to skate well for his size. There are some concerns about Denham matching up against high end talent as his school, Robert Morris, had a fairly easy schedule this season. But Denham did score in both games against Michigan this year. Ideally, there would be a larger sample size to verify those concerns.

In Denham’s case, 15.0% of comparables went onto becoming NHL regulars but as I suggested above there is some concern about competition level. Stats and numbers never paint the full picture and Denham is a perfect example of this, so if I was an NHL team I would get some scouts out to see him in person. That can either confirm or debunk of the positive comparable measurement here.

Teammate of Ethan Prow, who we profiled yesterday, Benik is a fast-skating centre who can really shoot the puck. There are some concerns about his size, as he is only 5’10” and 175 lbs, but putting up 19 goals and 38 points in 34 games isn’t something to be ignored. He has the two-way game and offensive abilities that are good enough to translate to the next level. Whether he can carry that all the way to the NHL is to be seen. If he was a few inches taller and add more weight, he could easily project into a good fourth line centre.

When looking at the comparables, only 6.6% went on to become NHL regulars but once again that rates higher than some of the ‘high profile’ free agents out there. I would suspect a team will take a flyer on him.

All of the aforementioned players come with a risk, but as you can see there is less risk in others. Based on the information it’s clear that it is better to target players who are in their junior year rather than in their senior year. Being over a PPG game player in your junior season is a much more impressive feat.

The NCAA isn’t the only place where teams look to add free agents. Every year there are CHL players who somehow go undrafted then become free agent targets, so tomorrow we will look at some of the available defencemen on the CHL market.