The top player to watch in the Hockey East this season is Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson. After a phenomenal freshman year where he posted 14 goals and 34 assists for 48 points, Hutson led all NCAA defensemen and rookies in ppg at 1.23. His offensive and defensive style, along with his playmaking ability, earned him the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Hockey East, the Tim Taylor Award, and AHCA East First-Team All-American honors. Hutson was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals and comes back as a sophomore and is expected to have a dominant year.
Boston College forward James Hagens slots in right behind him after a stellar freshman season. Hagens registered 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points (37 games) finishing second on his team in assists while being a +21. This made him a selection of the Hockey East All-Rookie Team due to his well-rounded play and was the 7th overall selection by the Boston Bruins in the 2025 NHL Draft. The departure of Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perrault leaves Hagens ready to play an even larger role this year.
Boston University sniper Cole Eiserman, lived up to his reputation as one of college hockey’s purest goal scorers as just a Freshman. Eiserman scored 25 goals and 11 assists in 36 points (39 games) which reflect natural scoring talent that had made him worth picking in the first round of the 2024 draft by the Islanders. His ability to change games with one release makes him a constant threat, and BU will again rely on him heavily.
At Northeastern, senior defenseman Vinny Borgesi comes into the spotlight as one of the most dependable blue-liners in the Hockey East. There is no doubt that his numbers do not jump off the page, however, his consistent two-way play makes Borgesi a pillar of the Huskies back end. His versatility gives him the capability to play under any circumstances and be able to log hard minutes and his consistency will significantly contribute to Northeastern having an opportunity to compete this season.
Drew Fortescue, also with Boston College, gives the Eagles a reliable two-way presence on defense. He is a 2023 third-round pick of the New York Rangers and played in 36 games last year. Scoring 11 assists and a +28, which was second in the whole of Hockey East and seventh in the country. The fact that he is a reliable defender with increased puck handling ability makes him an anchor on the BC back-end heading into his junior year.
Transferring to Boston University this year from North Dakota, forward Sacha Boisvert brings impressive skill to the Terriers’ lineup. The 6 ‘2 center and Blackhawks prospect from Quebec, was named NCHC Rookie of the Year after leading freshman in the NCHC in points. After posting 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 37 games, he earned Rookie of the Month honors twice. At BU, he’ll be another key piece to an already stacked forward group. He is expected to play a top-six role and contribute immediately on the power play.
Josh Nadeau will now be the Black Bears driving force on offense at Maine. He scored 29 points in 37 games with 10 goals, 19 assists and a +12 in his sophomore year. As an undrafted player, Nadeau is highly energetic and can always seem to find vital goals at the right time creating him to be one of the most significant players in Hockey East, not in the powerhouse programs. Nadeau will be without linemate Harrison Scott and Taylor Makar, who have signed professional contracts.
Between the pipes at UMass is 6 ‘7 junior goaltender Michael Hrabal, a native of Praha, Czechia. Drafted in the second round by the Arizona Coyotes in 2023, Hrabal immediately stepped into the spotlight as a true freshman starter for the Minutemen. While his early collegiate numbers were solid, two years of experience allowed him to fix his mistakes and improve his consistency. He was the only goalie in the conference last year to play more than 35 games. Entering his junior season, Hrabal is expected to be the backbone for UMass, and his steady development makes him one of Hockey East’s most intriguing breakout candidates.
Ryan Conmy joins Boston College after two strong years at New Hampshire, where he put up over 30 points in each of his first two college seasons. As a freshman, he posted 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 34 games, and followed that up with 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points as a sophomore. Conmy was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round in 2023 and he has shown his ability to create points and be a reliable two-way player. At BC, he won’t need to carry the offense the way he often did at UNH, but his combination of grit and scoring touch make him a valuable addition to a lineup already loaded with skill.
Rounding out the top ten is Boston University goaltender Mikhail Yegorov. As a freshman, he appeared in 18 games and posted an 11–6–1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, numbers that immediately put him on the radar as one of Hockey East’s most promising young netminders. Drafted in the second round by the New Jersey Devils, Yegorov came to BU after a mid-season transfer from the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and made a seamless transition to the college game. His calm, composed style in net and ability to track pucks through traffic have already drawn NHL attention, and with another year of experience, he’s expected to take on a bigger role for the Terriers. Although he is still a young player, his potential cannot be ignored and BU will rely on him to save them as they push to make another postseason run.