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Three NCAA Free Agents the Rangers should target

By Conor Power

LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 30: Danny O'Regan #65 of the Hartford Wolf Pack skates against the Laval Rocket during the third period at Place Bell on October 30, 2019 in Laval, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 30: Danny O'Regan #65 of the Hartford Wolf Pack skates against the Laval Rocket during the third period at Place Bell on October 30, 2019 in Laval, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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ALBANY, NY – MARCH 24: Jake Livingstone #23 of the Minnesota State Mavericks skates against the Harvard Crimson during the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey East Regional game at the MVP Arena on March 24, 2022, in Albany, New York. The Mavericks won 4-3. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
ALBANY, NY – MARCH 24: Jake Livingstone #23 of the Minnesota State Mavericks skates against the Harvard Crimson during the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey East Regional game at the MVP Arena on March 24, 2022, in Albany, New York. The Mavericks won 4-3. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Jake Livingstone

Start off with one of the most admired players in the NCAA. Jake Livingstone has been chased for years but each summer he disappointed admirers by returning to Minnesota State. He’s got a lot to like but he’s also shown he is capable of performing now. There’s not too much upside so you are more or less trying to take this player at what he is now as opposed to buying for the future, but it is what it is.

At 23 years old, this is a player who is 6’3, 205 lbs, and capable of skating well. There are a lot of tools here to make a good third-pairing defenseman that could perhaps come in and replace someone like Niko Mikkola if the Rangers decide that they want to try to fill out the back end with entry-level deals. However, you should not mistake Livingstone being the size of a fridge for him only being a physical defenseman.

For Minnesota State this season, Livingstone recorded 8 goals and 27 assists for 35 points to help the Mavericks in their pursuit of a National Title that inevitably fell short. Livingstone has an ability offensively to get pucks through and create scoring chances from the blue line, and if he can do that in the big leagues, there is a chance for someone to find great value in a player that went undrafted.

Something I chose not to mention until now is that Jake Livingstone is a right-handed defenseman. He plays the 2nd most important position in the sport and has extra value because good right-shot blueliners do not grow on trees. If you are able to land a solid player like this who could fill in on the 3rd pairing in the long run, be ultra-physical, and impact games with his size and strength for free, you’re doing something right.

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