NCAA notebook: Borgesi of Northeastern among top undrafted defensemen to watch

Each weekend, NHL scouts are in college rinks looking for undrafted players who can help their teams or provide organizational depth.

Uncovering a top defenseman on the college free agent market is a challenge to be sure, but that doesn't discourage teams from looking.

Michigan State alum Torey Krug, who played 13 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues, was an example of an impact college free agent.

Nate Schmidt of the Utah Mammoth, a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers last season, Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets are notable defensemen currently in the NHL as undrafted college players. Schmidt played at the University of Minnesota, Tanev at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Pionk at the University of Minnesota Duluth before turning pro.

Undrafted NCAA defensemen are the focus this week. Forwards were covered Nov. 6, and goalies will be the focus in two weeks.

Here are 10 defensemen who are on the radar of NHL scouts this season (in alphabetical order).

Vincent Borgesi, Northeastern University

Borgesi (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) has seven points (two goals, five assists and leads NCAA players in time on ice with an average of 26:52 in 10 games.

The 21-year-old senior right-handed shot was selected to play for the United States Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup in December.

Borgesi attended Panthers development camp during the offseason.

Ben Dexheimer, University of Wisconsin

Dexheimer (5-10, 179) had a goal and two assists in a 6-1 win at the University of Michigan on Nov. 8, and the senior captain has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 12 games this season.

The 23-year-old right-handed shot attended development camp with the Jets in July.

CJ Foley, Dartmouth University

Foley (5-11, 180) has five points (one goal, four assists) and the 21-year-old junior leads Dartmouth in average time on ice (23:14) in six games.

He was voted the Ivy League Player of the Year last season after he had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games, and ECAC coaches made Foley the only unanimous choice for this season’s Preseason All-ECAC team.

The right-handed shot attended Boston Bruins development camp during the offseason.

Mac Gadowsky, Penn State University

Gadowsky (6-3, 190) played two seasons at Army before transferring this season to Penn State, where his father, Guy Gadowsky, is coach. Mac has five points, all assists, in 14 games. He was selected to play for the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup in December, a team that will be coached by Guy Gadowsky.

The 23-year-old left-handed shot was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last season when he led NCAA defensemen in goals (16) and was third in points (42) in 38 games.

Gadowsky attended Nashville Predators development camp in July.

Brandon Holt, University of Maine

Holt (5-11, 180) has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 10 games, including a goal 43 seconds into overtime in a 5-4 win against Boston University on Oct. 31. The senior captain also leads Maine with an average ice time of 20:30.

The 24-year-old left-handed shot was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team last season after he had 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 34 games.

Jake Livanavage, University of North Dakota

Livanavage (5-10, 185) has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 12 games this season. He was named to the NCHC First All-Star Team last season after he had 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 38 games.

The 21-year-old left-shot junior was chosen to play for the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup in December.

Livanavage went to development camp with the Detroit Red Wings during the offseason.

Evan Murr, Minnesota State University

Murr (6-foot, 183) has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 12 games this season. That includes five points (two goals, three assists) in a two-game weekend sweep of Lake Superior State on Nov. 14-15.

He was the CCHA Defenseman of the Year last season after he had 27 points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 39 games, and he was a unanimous selection for the Preseason All-CCHA team for 2025-26.

The 22-year-old right-shot junior attended Calgary Flames development camp in 2024.

Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, University of Connecticut

Gustafsson Nyberg's size (6-6, 205) and reach are selling points for scouts.

The 22-year-old left-handed shot is a physical defender who plays on his team's top pair and has four points, all assists, in 12 games this season.

The junior is in his second season at UConn after playing at Northern Michigan University as a freshman.

Gustafsson Nyberg attended Red Wings development camp during the offseason.

Alex Pineau, Brown University

Pineau (6-3, 205) doesn't have a point in six games this season but the junior captain's best attribute is his competitiveness.

The 22-year-old right-handed shot was a finalist for ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman and was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team last season after he had 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 32 games.

Ben Robertson, University of Michigan

Robertson (6-1, 197) has 12 assists in 14 games in his first season at Michigan after playing his first two seasons at Cornell University. The 21-year-old left-handed shot is a solid two-way defender who leads Michigan with a plus-13 rating and an average ice time of 19:14 per game.

The junior attended Bruins development camp during the offseason.