Nycz's skating 'second-best' to Makar, college coach says

The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics is taking place this week at KeyBank Center and LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo. The combine will allow NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and provide physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. NHL.com will bring you all the sights and stories.

BUFFALO -- Landon Nycz's silky-smooth stride can take him far. Add the chip that is always on his shoulder, and the potential path is even greater.

Those two assets are just part of what makes the University of Massachusetts defenseman an interesting prospect ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.

"His skating is elite," UMass coach Greg Carvel said.

Carvel has seen it before. For two seasons, he had Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar under his tutelage at UMass. He says Nycz is "second-best" to the 2022 Stanley Cup champion and two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner.

"His feet catch everybody's attention," Carvel said. "But he's very driven. He's a quiet kid, serious kid. I think coming in as a younger player, it was a lot -- for anybody. He had a lot of eyes on him this year. Give him a lot of credit; he learned a lot. I think he's set up to have an exceptional sophomore year at UMass."

Nycz, No. 55 on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters, describes himself as a two-way defenseman who uses his feet to create offense and defend.

His mobility has been a part of him for as long as he can remember, but he also continues to work on it regularly. It's part of a work ethic that was instilled in him early by his father, Brian, a former college athlete himself as a quarterback at Central Michigan.

"It drives me to get up every day," Nycz said. "Whatever it is, doesn't take much for me, but just get up every day and work, no matter what it is. Just have that chip on your shoulder, Gets you through a lot."

Nycz was the third-youngest defenseman in Division I hockey this season. And though he was only 17 years old when he stepped on campus, his maturity, focus and drive allowed him to earn a place in the Minutemen lineup, a rare feat for players his age at that level.

"He had no problem keeping up with the pace and handling pressure," said David Gregory, Central Scouting's associate director. "He competes hard, so that's another asset that's going to really help him. And as he adapts and understands the game at the higher levels more, I think he's going to be a really effective player.

"I think he'll be a pretty dominant player next year in the NCAA."

Nycz had three points (one goal, two assists) in 35 games as a freshman, scoring his lone goal in his second game. It took him some time to adjust to the speed and pace of college hockey, after two seasons split between the Waterloo Black Hawks and Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League.

He got used to it after a month but really started to feel comfortable around Christmas. It showed as he earned more ice time, including on special teams, helping to boost his confidence.

"He was getting chances, high-danger chances, but just not hitting the net," Carvel said. "He didn't get a lot of points this year, but you can see that when he's got the puck on his stick, he knows what he should be doing with it, and does a good job executing."

Nycz (6-foot-2, 201 pounds) said the defensive side of his game has taken the biggest strides, learning how to buckle down on the details. He also wants to take the next step as a physical presence, something Carvel believes he's fully capable of.

"The last third of the year, I started seeing him be more committed to being a physical defender, as well as just using his stick and his feet," Carvel said. "I think you're going to see big improvements and the offensive numbers are going to jump. You're going to see him be a much more physical presence on the ice, which you need to be at the next level. …

"He's got all the pieces, and I know he's ready to do that next year."

Nycz started skating when he was two and a half years old and began playing hockey when he was about "five or six." He played center until switching to defense when he was 12.

The possibility of pursuing hockey as a career didn't hit him until three years later.

"I think it's everyone's dream to probably play in NHL, but I didn't really put it into perspective until I was probably about 15 when I started playing in the USHL," Nycz said. "I kind of realized this is something special."

A Detroit native, he grew up a Red Wings fan. But these days, he likes to emulate the likes of Makar's defense partner in Colorado, Devon Toews, and Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens.

"Those are really good comparisons by him," Gregory said. "Both those guys have developed their game to not only be excellent defensive defensemen and that kind of defenseman that's going to support the whole team transition to offense, and then every once in a while, you're going to see them jump into being part of the attack and contributing offensively as well."

With a year of experience under his belt, Nycz heads into the summer with the opportunity to add more strength as he prepares for his sophomore season.

"He's a low-maintenance kid in that I don't need to worry about him," Carvel said. "I know he's doing everything that we ask him to do and probably more, and that's very comforting for a coach. … This is a kid that knows where he wants to get to, and he does everything in his power to get there."