Before we get into the full roster breakdown for the 2026-27 season, I’d like to first go over the departures and new arrivals to the Michigan hockey team. We say goodbye to five players who were regulars in the lineup over the last few years, and welcome in a strong recruiting class of CHL talent.
The Departures
The Wolverines are graduating five notable players from last year’s roster: forwards T.J. Hughes, Kienan Draper, and Josh Eernisse, alongside defensemen Luca Fantilli and Tyler Duke. Hughes, Draper, and Fantilli spent all four collegiate years at Michigan, while Eernisse and Duke transferred in at the start of their sophomore season. Meanwhile, two players are moving on in search of better opportunities through the transfer portal: defensemen Matthew Mania and Hunter Hady.
Aging Out
The most notable departure of the bunch is T.J. Hughes. He was the team captain and relied upon in all situations. His 22 goals and 35 assists were both second-best on the team last season, and his 57 points led the team. The incoming class and returning forwards will need to replace his 1.425 points per game. Luckily, I don’t see that being too much of an issue. Hughes enjoyed success with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL after leaving Michigan. He continued his strong point production to finish the regular season and into the playoffs.
Depth forwards Kienan Draper and Josh Eernisse were solid role players, but not the most productive. Draper finished the season with 5 goals and 13 assists, and Eernisse tallied 11 goals and 9 assists. Last season, both players achieved career highs in points during their time at Michigan. What we will miss from this duo is their tenacity on the forecheck and their willingness to battle for the team. They were two of the Wolverines’ most physical players—never shying away from battles and always jumping into scrums. College hockey is a big, physical league still, and players like Draper and Eernisse still have a purpose. Having players that can fill this role will be key for long runs into the NCAA tournament. Eernisse has signed an ELC with Columbus and is likely to play in the AHL or ECHL next season. Draper signed with Grand Rapids in the AHL and will look to develop further there.
The Wolverines lose two minute-eaters on the blue line in Tyler Duke and Luca Fantilli. Neither player was flashy by any means, nor did they create much offensively, but they were steady defensive presences. Duke and Fantilli were among the team leaders in +/- last season, finishing +27 and +29, respectively. Both players have signed AHL contracts to continue their careers. Fantilli signed with the Charlotte Checkers, and Duke signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. I don’t anticipate these departures to be detrimental for the team this coming season, with returning players being able to slot in and incoming freshmen most likely taking big roles on the blue line.
Transfers
The transfer window sees Matthew Mania go to RIT and Hunter Hady go to Arizona State. Mania didn’t get a lot of ice time last season, playing in 15 games and recording one point. Hady was left out of the lineup even more, appearing in only two games, but making the most of it with matching Mania’s single-point output. Both these transfers seem to be a result of a lack of ice time. Losing Mania and Hady doesn’t bother me at all—even if Matthew Mania is one of the better names out there.
One other player I’d like to touch on is Christian Humphreys, who isn’t technically a transfer since he hasn’t played a game for the Maize and Blue since the 24-25 season, but is returning to college hockey with a new team.
During his time at Michigan, he had only one point in 10 games played. Halfway through the 24-25 season, he left Michigan to play for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. There, he would get more ice time to help his development. He finished that year with 33 points in 28 games. Last season, he played in Kitchener again and had a good year, putting up 85 points in 63 games.
This season, Humphreys will be suiting up for in-conference rivals Minnesota. I wonder if he even considered a return to Ann Arbor. But with so many offensive core players returning to Michigan, he probably knew he wouldn’t get the minutes he wanted. Being a little older and coming off a solid year in Kitchener could set him up for a good season in Minnesota. Let’s just hope this one doesn’t come back to haunt us.
Arrivals
Now we get into the exciting stuff. Seven incoming freshmen will be calling Yost Ice Arena home for the 2026-27 season. The Wolverines are benefiting from the recent rule change allowing Canadian Hockey League players to transfer to college hockey. All seven new additions are former CHL players. Three of them were high picks in their respective draft years. The crown jewel of this freshman class is defenseman Landon DuPont. Along with him come defensemen Brandt Harper and Cam Reid, and forwards J.P. Hurlbert, Jack Nesbitt, Kieren Dervin, and Nic Sima.
The New Forwards
J.P. Hurlbert was drafted 23rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to be an offensive threat for Michigan. He’s coming off a year in which he put up 42 goals and 55 assists in 68 games for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. Scouting reports show him having a high-caliber shot and good offensive instincts. Look for him to be slotted into one of the top lines. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fill the hole left by T.J. Hughes on the top power play unit as well.
Jack Nesbitt was drafted 12th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Not as offensively gifted as Hurlbert, but he was still a point-per-game player for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL last season with 25 goals and 33 assists in 55 games. He’s a big body, listed at 6’5″ and 185 lbs. I expect him to fill out his frame more while at Michigan, as the college schedule allows for more time in the gym than CHL schedules. This will help him develop into an even more formidable power forward. Scouts report Nesbitt as having good defensive sense and being a physical player who will throw his body around on the forecheck. I see him being a bottom-six forward for now.
Kieren Dervin doesn’t have quite the same pedigree as the previous two players. He was drafted in the 3rd round, 65th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs and had 17 goals and 25 assists in 53 games. The scouting report on Dervin highlights his skating and mobility, along with notable playmaking ability. He strikes me as a player who will see bottom-line minutes this season, and could push for more opportunity next season when top-line spots open up.
Nic Sima is a 21-year-old undrafted player aging out of the OHL, where he spent the last five seasons playing for the North Bay Battalion, Saginaw Spirit, and Ottawa 67’s. Over those years, he saw his point totals increase, culminating in a 44-point season split between Saginaw and Ottawa. Sima is said to be a player who will get pucks deep, drive back defenders, and crash the net to create offense for others and pick up any scraps. Scouts also highlight his tenacity on the backcheck and ability to provide good defensive support. Sima should be a good replacement for Eernisse and Draper, who shared similar traits.
Revamping the Blueline
Brandt Harper spent three years in the USHL before playing last season with the North Bay Battalion in the OHL, where he had 22 points in 57 games. Nothing really notable stands out about Harper. He will likely be competing to crack the lineup this season.
Cam Reid was drafted 21st overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season as the captain of the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL and was just shy of being a point-per-game player with 15 goals and 41 assists in 57 games. Reid should be able to bring offensive upside to a defense core that lacked it last season. According to scouting reports, he has exceptional skating ability that helps him create off the rush, keep up pressure in the offensive zone, and escape forecheckers for clean breakouts. Along with his high skill, he also brings a winning pedigree, having won a U17 World Hockey Championship Gold Medal, OHL Championship, Memorial Cup, and Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal. Reid should be slotted into a top-4 defense role and see some power play time as well.
Last, but certainly not least, we have Landon DuPont. He comes to Michigan as a 17-year-old and is expected by many to be the top pick at the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. DuPont is only the second player, and first defenseman, to be given exceptional status in the WHL, allowing him to play in the league as a 15-year-old. Last season, he played for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, where he accumulated 18 goals and 55 assists in 63 games and was an outstanding +59. He possesses all the tools to be an elite-level defenseman. The Wolverines haven’t had a player like this since Quinn Hughes left in 2019, and DuPont could potentially be even more impactful. Expect him to be involved in all situations and be a key piece to Michigan’s success this season. Enjoy each shift he takes, because he’s likely to be here only one season.
That wraps up the player movement for this offseason. Still to come before the season I’ll look at the roster as a whole and go over the expectations I have for the team. Be sure to subscribe and follow on social so you don’t miss a post and can join in the discussion throughout the season.
*All player information and scouting reports courtesy of Elite Prospects.*