While the 2026 NHL Entry Draft is quickly approaching, this year’s NCAA hockey championship will be awarded in just a few days. We’re down to just four college teams remaining in the hunt, with the semifinals set to be played Thursday in Las Vegas.
The Kings will be well represented too. Denver University features three LA prospects — forwards James Reeder, Kristian Epperson, and Brendan McMorrow. We looked a little deeper into their situation in an article here earlier this week:
Could there be another future Kings prospect among the other three schools competing in Vegas? Usually, the top teams at the Frozen Four are veteran-laden, resulting in draft-eligible players to be few and far between. However, below is a list of three potential prospects who aim to cement their draft stock in the coming days. Keep an eye on them once the games begin (Wisconsin vs. North Dakota at 2pm and Denver vs. Michigan at 5:30pm)
Players are listed alphabetically by last name.
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, Defense
6-foot-0, 185 lbs, Shoots: L
The son of Kings consultant Manon Rheaume is approaching his second go at the draft, as he was not selected last year. That disappointment didn’t hinder him, however, as he returned to Michigan and also earned a spot with Team USA at the most recent World Junior Championships in Minnesota. There was measurable offensive growth during his regular season too, as the blueliner doubled his production with 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in 39 games. The Wolverines will now look to eliminate Denver with the help of this second-year rearguard. Come June, he’s likely a late round pick by one of the NHL’s 32 clubs.
Adam Valentini, Forward
5-foot-11, 185 lbs, Shoots: L
Rheaume-Mullen’s teammate is also aiming to help unseat Denver on Thursday and advance to the national championship. A few more eyes will be on Valentini, as independent scouting reports on average slate him as a second rounder. The skilled forward tied for third in Team Canada’s scoring at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky tournament, and his 26 points (11 G, 15 A) in 39 games put him seventh on a powerhouse Michigan team. Not bad for a freshman.
Keaton Verhoeff, Defense
6-foot-4, 212 lbs, Shoots: R
Unless the Kings win the lottery, North Dakota’s star defenseman is expected to go in the top-five of this year’s Draft. Verhoeff migrated to collegiate hockey from the WHL’s Victoria Royals along with teammate Cole Reschny once a new agreement was in place. Scouts paid a lot of attention as Verhoeff adjusted to playing against bigger and stronger competition, and he scored 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 35 games. Another huge honor for the young blueliner came when he was added to Canada’s World Junior team, an opportunity almost always afforded to D+1 and D+2 players — not 17-year-old undrafted hopefuls.
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