Undrafted free agent center Luke Haymes will likely be one of the players to sign NHL contracts after their NCAA season is over, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.
“A few teams are starting to ask about when they can talk to him, and I think it’s some of the heavy hitters,” Friedman said. “I think Toronto’s one of them… I assume Ottawa’s around there, too.”
Haymes, 21, found his way onto our college free agent preview last year but returned to Dartmouth College for his junior season. Injuries have limited him to 12 of the Big Green’s 23 games, during which time he has seven goals and three assists for 10 points and a minus-one rating.
Most of his stock comes from last season’s breakout performance. As a sophomore, the Ottawa native led the team in scoring with 18-18–36 in 31 showings, earning himself a spot on the ECAC’s First All-Star Team and the All-Ivy League First Team in the process.
The 6’1″ pivot has 62 points in 73 collegiate games to date, making the jump to NCAA play relatively early in his development. He played just one season of high-level junior hockey with the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the British Columbia Hockey League in 2021-22, recording 49 points in 52 games there. A consistent offensive producer, he’s not close to seeing NHL minutes but has pro-ready size and, depending on how he finishes the season, will be a candidate for an NHL commitment as he transitions to AHL play.
Regarding his potential suitors, the Maple Leafs have a more robust recent history of dipping into the NCAA market for undrafted free agents. 23-year-old Jacob Quillan, of Quinnipiac championship-winning goal fame, signed his entry-level contract with Toronto coming from the Bobcats last April. He’s spent most of the season in the AHL but made his NHL debut against the Senators last month. Alex Steeves was also plucked out of Notre Dame in 2021 and has since become one of the most prolific scorers in Toronto Marlies history, posting 95-100–195 in 224 career AHL appearances.