Lucas Van Vliet

May 2026 — Van Vliet had the best freshman season in St. Thomas Division I history. He closed the year scoring 14 goals and recording 35 points. At one point, his 29 points sat second in the nation among all freshmen. He earned CCHA Rookie of the Week three times, a program record, and tied a program mark with four game-winning goals while logging heavy penalty-kill minutes. He is a shooter first, with quick weight shifts, outside speed, a release he can fire off the catch, and a knack for getting open as short-side support inside the slot. He also plays a 200-foot game and forechecks with weight, which is why he was trusted shorthanded as a first-year. The fantasy projection is a middle-six scoring winger if the development keeps trending, with the offense already ahead of where most seventh-round picks sit at this age. The next gains are in playmaking and in handling tougher matchups as opponents key on his line. A sophomore year at St. Thomas with another step in points-per-game, ideally past 1.2, would put him firmly on the radar as more than a depth flier. Andrew Epps