The Michigan Hockey team recently released its seven-member class of 2030, though it is highly unlikely they all remain in four years. No, that is not a dig at the transfer portal or the modern landscape of college athletics, but a testament to the talent at head coach Brandon Naurato’s disposal.
Here are the new guys and how they can fit in.
Key cog
D Landon DuPont
The most coveted prize in Naurato’s class and perhaps all of college hockey (and soon to be the NHL), DuPont is already regarded as the top 2027 draft prospect
and carries enormous expectations heading into his freshman campaign. A sleek, puck-moving, point-producing, right-shot defenseman, he will fill the massive void the 2025-26 team had on the right side of the blue line and should be in play for top pairing minutes right away.
His skating and mobility were major pluses at his previous stops, namely the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. With a talented bunch of forwards ahead of him, he should be allowed to focus on his two-way game rather than solely making plays in the neutral and offensive zones. And considering a solid returning core led by Ben Robertson, Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, Asher Barnett and Drew Schock, DuPont should have some freedom to play his game and integrate with the Wolverines’ up-tempo attack.
Give DuPont time to adjust to the college game — Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, a similarly hyped freshman, did not light the nation on fire right away — but especially after returning from what will be his first World Juniors for Canada, DuPont has the tools to become a major contributor.
Major contributors
D Cam Reid
Staying on the back end, Reid has already donned the Maple Leaf at World Juniors and brings more offensive dynamism as a defenseman. He does not boast quite the gaudy stats of DuPont, but 29 goals and 110 points across his final 124 OHL contests suggest a nice transition to the NCAA.
Reid’s left shot does complicate the pairings a little bit; does he start on his off-side, or can one of the aforementioned returners carry that load early in the season? Regardless of where and with whom Reid plays, the Nashville Predators’ 21st overall selection in the 2025 draft plays a steady defensive game and should fit right into this system, which — along with Jack Ivankovic in net last year — seemed to take a step toward a more mature style.
At 6-foot and 194 pounds, Reid is not necessarily going to overwhelm older, stronger opposing forwards with his size. However, he already has a good hockey IQ and can excel with better competition pushing him toward his potential.
F Jack Nesbitt
After Michael Hage on the top line, there is an opening for someone to emerge as the 2C for the Wolverines. Perhaps that will be Nesbitt, the 12th overall pick in the 2025 draft to the Philadelphia Flyers, an over-a-point-per-game player in 2024-25 and 2025-26 for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires who possesses strong defensive instincts, too.
At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Nesbitt brings some much-needed beef that could come in handy during postseason play as the game tightens and it is necessary to score from the ugly areas. Nesbitt could pair nicely with someone like Malcolm Spence, another big body who thrives on the forecheck, or even a Nick Moldenhauer on a checking, middle-six line.
Nesbitt is not going to blow by defensemen or wow anyone with his skating. Yet, the rest of his profile reads well, and while some of his game may go unnoticed, he should be an invaluable asset to this forward group.
F J.P. Hurlbert
Adding to Naurato’s embarrassment of riches is Hurlbert, who went 23rd overall to the Detroit Red Wings in June’s draft.
Hurlbert’s offensive game — where he will likely play on the wing — revolves around goal scoring. He netted 42 in 68 games for the Kamloops Blazers out of the WHL in 2025-26, and with all the playmakers and excellent passers around him, he should get plenty of use out of his howitzer right-handed shot.
He has plenty of tricks in his bag; Hurlbert does not only rip slap shots or pin wristers. He will be hard-pressed for top power play minutes given Hage and Jayden Perron’s occupation of the left flank (and likely DuPont quarterbacking). But his shot is that good he could at least give Naurato and his staff another good problem.
Fringe lineup
D Brandt Harper, F Kieren Dervin, F Nic Sima
Dervin, a crafty third-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks last year, has a chance to earn bottom-six minutes. Neither Harper nor Sima have been drafted, but it feels like the latter has greater odds of seeing the ice as a checking forward.
The problem: Who comes out of the lineup? All three are probably going to see some healthy scratches; the defense already has a fantastic seven (do not forget about Henry Mews’ return to health) and the offense is simply loaded.
Depth is still crucial, and there is no reason Dervin, in particular, could not become a big part of Naurato’s puzzle. But 2026-27 is probably just too soon.
