On Campus: Coyotes prospect Cooley leads freshmen to watch this season

The 2022-23 NCAA freshmen class is loaded with talent, with many players already drafted by NHL teams and others who will be drafted or sign free-agent contracts when their seasons end.

A record 349 players who played college hockey skated in the NHL in 2021-22, according to College Hockey Inc.
More are on the way.
Here are 10 freshmen to watch this season (in alphabetical order):

Jackson Blake, University of North Dakota

Blake, a talented playmaker, has eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games.
The 19-year-old was chosen by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (No. 109) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
His father, Jason Blake, played 871 NHL games for four teams.

Logan Cooley, University of Minnesota

The Arizona Coyotes selected Cooley with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft behind Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal Canadiens) and Simon Nemec (New Jersey Devils).
Am 18-year-old center with an impressive arsenal of offensive tools, he has seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight games.
"Anytime you can build through the middle with someone who can play on your top two lines, you're making everybody to the left and right of him better," Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said. "For us, he adds speed, something that we don't have. If he can add 10 pounds of muscle on his frame (5-foot-10, 174 pounds), which we think he can, he's got the skill, he's got the speed and he can be dynamic in the middle of the ice."
Cooley is expected to be a go-to player for the United States at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning Dec. 26.

Jaroslav Chmelar, Providence College

Chmelar is a big forward (6-4, 198) who plays a rugged, straight-line game. He has five points (four goals, one assist) in seven games for Providence.
He was chosen by the New York Rangers in the fifth round (No. 144) of the 2021 draft.
The 19-year-old had one goal in three games for Czechia in the 2022 World Junior Championship in August.

Adam Fantilli, Michigan

Fantilli, a center who played for Chicago of the USHL last season, is projected to be among the top picks in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old is off to a tremendous start at Michigan, leading the NCAA in scoring with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in eight games.
"His coach (Brandon Naurato) is already putting him into every situation as if he's their best player, and he pretty much is," said David Gregory, senior manager of NHL Central Scouting, which ranks Fantilli as an A prospect.
"He's adapted well, because he's a good skater, to the pace of play in college and is having an impact already. He's deadly on the power play because he's got great vision."

Cutter Gauthier, Boston College

Gauthier has size (6-2, 189) and a big upside.
He played wing for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team last season but is being used at center at Boston College.
The 18-year-old was the No. 5 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 draft. He has three points (two goals, one assist) in three games.

Lane Hutson, Boston University

Hutson's flashy offensive skill was on display when he tied the game with 2:09 left in the third period and his spectacular unassisted goal at 2:29 of overtime lifted Boston to a 2-1 victory against UMass Lowell on Saturday.
On Monday, Hutson was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week.
The 18-year-old defenseman is undersized (5-8, 148) but his skating is dynamic.
He was selected by the Canadiens in the second round (No. 62) of the 2022 draft.

Ryan McAllister, Western Michigan

McAllister dominated the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season with a league-leading 139 points (57 goals, 82 assists) in 60 games for the Brooks Bandits.
Undrafted, the 20-year-old has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in nine games for Western Michigan. He had five points (two goals, three assists) in two games against Michigan last weekend.

Rutger McGroarty, Michigan

McGroarty (6-0, 200) had a hat trick in a 6-5 win Saturday. The 18-year-old forward has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in eight games.
He was chosen by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 14 pick in the 2022 draft.

Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota

The 18-year-old forward (6-1, 186) leads Minnesota with six goals and had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win against Ohio State on Saturday. He has nine points through six games.
Snuggerud was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No. 23) of the 2022 draft.

Matthew Wood, Connecticut

NHL scouts are flocking to UConn to watch Wood, who is rated as a possible first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
A right wing with size (6-3, 190) and a lightning release, the forward is drawing comparisons to Buffalo Sabres forward and UConn alum Tage Thompson, a first-round pick (No. 26) by the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft. He has eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine games for the Huskies.
Wood, who will turn 18 on Feb. 6, is the youngest player in Division I. He led the British Columbia Hockey League last season with 85 points (40 goals, 45 assists) in 46 games for Victoria.