NCAA Stock Watch: Michael Hage, Zeev Buium already outplaying draft position

As we anticipate (or endure) the cold weather bound to inundate the Northern and Eastern United States, it also signals an important silver lining — the start of the NCAA hockey season! 

Already off to a stirring start, powerhouse schools like the University of Denver, Boston College, and the University of Minnesota are benefitting from stars being stars. 

Headlined by some of the best and brightest from the past years' first-rounds, 2025 draft-eligible players are also embarking on their collegiate careers, finding their way in an older, stronger, and faster environment. 

While it’s still very early, some fans and organizations are seeing instant returns from the 2024 NHL Draft. 

Stock Rising 📈

Michael Hage, C, University of Michigan (Montréal Canadiens)

Off to a story-book start to his NCAA career, Michael Hage has taken college hockey by storm, walking into the University of Michigan as the school's No. 1 centre. The dynamic Mississauga product is no stranger to point production. Fourth in USHL scoring last season, Hage punished the Minnesota State University (Mankato), quickly racking up four points across his first two NCAA games. Beyond that, he went on a four-game goal streak, including an OT winner against Arizona State, adding another in an exhibition match against the USNDPT on October 25th.

Hage’s game is built to dominate at the NCAA level. In transition, he’s a deft handler, always ready to turnstile a defender who pushes too aggressively. He proactively sets up his handles, protects the puck in his hip pocket, and fully drags pucks across his body while in motion, even upping his pace to create separation. Variable changes in pace disrupt gaps, and using an independent upper and lower body means he can hide his intentions, feathering pucks through deft pass seams, even completing hard-to-connect layers. He draws attackers, opens space for others, pushes great ideas, and supports his teammates incredibly well. 

Crafty off the half-wall, Hage rolls off of passes, pushing the higher-end off-puck pace and threatening to score off the handle and wrist shot. Possessing a whippy release, he changes angles, curls and drags around static defenders, and always looks to attack downhill. 

While the Wolverines need their depth to enter the fray, Hage has already become a star for the program, proving his top-six upside is still very much a reality. 

Zeev Buium, D, University of Denver (Minnesota Wild)

When Zeev Buium slipped to the Minnesota Wild as the 12th pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, there was a level of bewilderment across Elite Prospects’ Scouting staff, who ranked the Californian much higher in our final rankings. 

Coming off a commanding 50-point season for the NCAA Champions University of Denver, Buium already proved he was one of the better players across College hockey. He has been just as commanding as a sophomore, collecting ten assists across eight games. 

Buium's brilliance off the offensive blueline has only grown this season. A level more deceptive, Buium’s use of feints, cutbacks, spin-offs, and board-to-middle movement has meant constant advantage creation across his minutes. Always looking to attack downhill, the former USNTDP defender looks even more confident, breaking down high pressure with handles, drawing defenders, and working a small area game, only to pop passes to wide-open teammates supporting his carries. He finds the smallest of seams, funnels everything to the inside, and frankly, he’s been unlucky not to score this season. While he could stand to simplify his game at some level, his activations are causing night terrors for opposing defensive cores.

Even on the other side of the puck, Buium’s aggressiveness is standing out. He uses his skating to challenge everything early, swinging on puck carriers off the entry and flashing higher-end stick work. There is even a level of proactive contact across his game, building out his two-way profile. Don’t be surprised if you see more highlight reel plays from the 2005-born defender -- he’s poised to break out even more at this point, staying in line with our original top-pairing, special-teams heavy projection.

Matthew Wood, LW/C, University of Minnesota (Nashville Predators)

In April of this year, the University of Minnesota scored a sizable coup when it secured the commitment of transfer portal star Matthew Wood. 

Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators with the 15th-overall selection in the 2023 NHL Entry draft, Wood’s NCAA career has been limited, playing on an offensively anemic University of Connecticut squad. Seeing a dip in production in his Sophomore year, Wood was in tough when it came to a supporting cast. Chase Bradley, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick, was second in team scoring last season with just 22 points across 31 games.

Now a significant part of a loaded Gophers team, it’s not much of a surprise that he’s exceeding expectations. He scored 13 points across seven games; the only other times he’s played with this much talent was internationally with Team Canada.

Wood’s profile has always been intriguing, but with higher-end talent around him, it’s realized. A hulking 6-foot-4, 205-pound forward, there isn’t much recourse to stop him physically. He’s bison-like down low, bulling his way through pressure, winning pucks with ease. When he plants his edges, he can operate in high-danger areas with immunity.

This blends incredibly well with his soft skill, which are high-end enough to create constant advantages. Wood is daring, activating his hands to walk through defenders with low-paced but thoughtful handles, and he possesses a wicked, powerful release that he drags around threats. His playmaking has stood out the most, blending deception with his eyes, working pucks through non-obvious seams, often out of a fake, loaded-up shooting posture. He still isn’t the fleetest of foot, but he’s added a more robust second gear, able to up his pace situationally.

With teammates like Connor Kurth, Brody Lamb, Jimmy Clark, Oliver Moore, Jimmy Snuggerud and the next player on this list, the opportunities are endless for the Nanaimo product before he likely finds a place in the NHL as a top-six forward. 

Sam Rinzel, D, University of Minnesota (Chicago Blackhawks)

Coming off a learning-filled freshman season with the Gophers, Sam Rinzel has hit his stride developmentally and becoming one of the most imposing threats one can encounter off the blueline. 

The Big-Ten Conference First Start of the Week, Rinzel, like most of the University of Minnesota, has been nothing but challenging to play against at the onset of the season. With four goals and nine points across eight games this season, the Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick leads all Gophers in ice time per InStat Hockey.

Rinzel has developed into an all-encompassing defender. Standing at 6-foot-5, 190-pounds, he’s enormous, possesses a ridiculous reach, and has been nasty physically at times to start his year. He’s aggressive and uber-disruptive around the crease, playing a more proactive game than he ever has at previous levels. 

Rinzel's offensive habits have taken a considerable step. He occasionally incorporates feints off the blueline, working powerful side-to-side movement to abuse the momentum of pressure pushers. A willing activator, he joins the rush at every opportunity, looking for shot opportunities as a trailer or driving the middle to open up space. The Chaska High product's downhill shooting has been the biggest asset for the Gophers this season, unleashing heavy catch-and-release wristers past opposing goaltenders. 

Considering his profile as a right-hand shooter, his value cannot be understated. He’s set to be a big part of the Blackhawks rebuild, potentially as a top-four defender. 

Honourable Mentions: Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers), Connor Kurth (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jack Devine (Florida Panthers), Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders), Aydar Suniev (Calgary Flames), Aiden Fink (Nashville Predators).

Stock Steady ↔️

James Hagens, C, Boston College (2025 NHL Draft)

Exiting his USNTDP career fifth in overall points with 187, James Hagens was one of the best players ever to don the UTDP crest. His proactiveness, processing and tools meant he always had defenders on their heels, creating advantages through his high-end motor, slick handles, impossible pass receptions, and precise shooting. A deceptive attacker, his details are endless, incorporating fakes, baiting overreactions, and protecting at his hip, all while flexing speed and variable changes in pace to disrupt the flow of play. A true dual-threat attacker, he’s impossible to handle.

That is why it’s no surprise that he’s seen success at the NCAA level with Boston College. With ten points across six games, he’s tied for first in scoring on a talent-filled Eagles squad, operating as the youngest player on his team.

At some level, the start of the season has been an adjustment period for Hagens. The 5-foot-10 centre has been timid across his minutes, unable to fully access the higher-end motor that was so prevalent at lower levels. Nevertheless, don’t get it twisted; the current Elite Prospects’ No. 1 ranked player for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft still flashes brilliance at the collegiate level. 

Explosive in transition, his off-puck timing, anticipation, and physical skill have stood out. He’s quickly activating into pass lanes, fights, and wins on the inside, and defensively, Hagens has been disruptive, reading and reacting to passes, intercepting feeds and working into counterattacks. He operates quickly on-puck, often finding the best option instantly, focusing on funnelling play to the inside. His crossovers are a major advantage-creator, building speed and catching pucks in full flight, which causes instant backpedalling. 

While other higher-end quantities like Michael Misa, Roger McQueen, and Porter Martone have ripped up their respective leagues, Hagens has done nothing to relinquish the No. 1 spot this upcoming draft. Considering he’s playing with high-end talent such as Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, he is on the precipice of an even greater breakout offensively -- one that may have the hockey world buzzing until next June. 

Stock Falling 📉

Logan Hensler, D, University of Wisconsin (2025 NHL Draft)

Digging into Logan Hensler’s draft-minus-one tape was an experience. The 6-foot-2, right-hand shot defender was very much a projection, but his game was scattered and susceptible to physicality. While he was disruptive and engaged, he was missing details, and the bigger offensive and transitional flashes were less frequent than you would want. Out of this entire draft class, he was one of the more intriguing players rolling into the 2024-25 season, purely from a development standpoint. 

Unfortunately, the jump to NCAA hockey has been rocky from a defensive point of view. Hensler is still one of the more engaged players on the ice, using higher-end stick work and effort to create stops. His issues come in the form of his play reading. Hensler’s lack of scanning, situational awareness, and puck-fixation has let him down across his minutes. It has led to poor positioning, unchecked secondary threats, and compounding errors during hectic moments in his own zone. Physically, he’s at a disadvantage with his current build, losing his footing, giving up the inside, and struggling to seal threats on the perimeter. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Wisconsin as a whole, with the school only winning one of six games this season. It's not the best environment to learn in.

Offensively, despite only having two points this season, there are positives. Hensler has been breaking out the puck well, often in motion and off the backhand. Occasionally, he’s even carrying the puck end-to-end, slipping and funnelling pucks to the inside. He’s not an all-encompassing threat from the blueline and in, but he’s far from a net-negative, incorporating some daring downhill attacks, even with some hope plays sprinkled throughout his minutes.

The qualifier here is that Hensler’s profile remains robust. He was Elite Prospects' 16th-ranked prospect for the NHL Draft -- his upside is enormous, requiring imagination more than anything. Right-shot defenders do not last long in any NHL Draft, and his trajectory can only go up from this point. It’s also a bit unfair to dig into his game too much, being just 18 years old in an environment dominated by men. Still, Hensler has a ways to go before exerting his will against collegiate opponents.