Nicholas Van Tassell

September 2025 – Van Tassell completed his sophomore NCAA season with the University of Massachusetts, scoring two goals and adding two assists in 37 games. The previous year, he had a goal and assist in 24 games.

Van Tassell, clearly, doesn’t possess a high end offensive pedigree, but his frame is already NHL size. He appears primed to be a decent AHL bottom-six player who, if the balls bounce right, could grind his way to an injury call up role at the NHL level, but even if that needle were to be threaded there just doesn’t appear to be fantasy appeal. Despite his big size, and lack of offense, he has received just 30 penalty minutes in 61 NCAA games.

He currently is without an NHL contract, and is committed to return to UMass again in the fall. At present, he is not worth rostering.

April 2025 – Van Tassell had two goals and two assists in 35 games for UMass-Amherst in his sophomore season in 2024-25. Andrew Barrett