Ncaa Frozen Four: A Chance For Blackhawks Scouts To Observe Keaton Verhoeff

The Chicago Blackhawks had three players participate in the NCAA Tournament, but none of them reached the Frozen Four. John Mustard, Julius Sumpf, and Providence were eliminated by Quinnipiac during their Regional Semi-Final, and Adam Gajan's Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs were defeated by Michigan in their Regional Final.  

Gajan, a goaltender, played a key role in stopping Gavin McKenna from advancing further in the tournament. Now, McKenna is next in line to be the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft. 

Scott Powers of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Mustard is going to return to Providence for another year in 2026-27. He then speculated that he could sign and get in some NHL games at the end of the same season. Sumpf's future is still to be determined. 

Blackhawks forward prospect John Mustard plans to return to Providence for his junior season. There was a chance he would turn pro after his college season ended. I imagine he's a candidate to sign late next season and play in some NHL games.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 8, 2026

As for Gajan, he signed with the Blackhawks shortly after his season ended in a somewhat surprising transaction. He is going to play in the AHL for a while in an attempt to earn his first NHL look. 

Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Denver remain and will play their semi-final games on Thursday. 

Wisconsin will battle North Dakota at 4 PM CT while Michigan takes on Denver at 7:30. These games will take place at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. 

With no Blackhawks involved, scouts will have their eyes focused on other things. The most important player for them to keep an eye on is Keaton Verhoeff of North Dakota. He is the only player on any of the four teams projected to be a top-five draft pick, which is where the Blackhawks are likely to end up. 

Potential decisions made with some of their current defensemen will influence whether or not a skilled right-shot blue-liner will be high on their draft board, but this is a chance to watch him on the biggest stage. Kyle Davidson and his staff need to leave no stone unturned.  

Although his backwards skating could use some work, he moves well for a player of his stature (6'4", 212 lbs). He has an accurate shot (wrist or slap) and has a high-end hockey IQ that allows him to make smart decisions with the puck. 

When Verhoeff reaches the NHL, it may not be long before he is able to quarterback a top power play unit. The Blackhawks have a few "solid" players who can do so, but they have had better success with five forwards for a reason. A defenseman like Verhoeff may allow them to have success with a more traditional top unit. 

If North Dakota finds a way to beat Wisconsin, which is a wonderful story in their own right, that likely means that Verhoeff played over 20 minutes, used his puck skills to his advantage, and played well enough when forced to defend. 

Like most offensive defensemen at this age, Verhoeff does have some work to do in his own end, especially on the rush. The pro game will teach him how to take the defensive side of the game to create offense with his skillset, in other words, "playing the right way". 

The winner of this North Dakota vs Wisconsin will play the winner of the high-octane Michigan squad and this Denver team, which is on the precipice of becoming a college hockey dynasty.

Blackhawks scouts must also be watching to see which other players show something, in case the chance to draft or sign them comes along. Collin Graf was undrafted back when Quinnipiac won the National Championship, and the San Jose Sharks nabbed him. Now he is a 20-goal scorer in the NHL. Is another version of Graf out there? The Frozen Four will give insight into that on the big stage. 

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