By Jacob Messing

There have been plenty of surprises nearly a week into the 2018 NHL Playoffs—most notably the Vegas Golden Knights’ sweep of the Los Angeles Kings—but the prominence of former college hockey players shouldn’t be one of them.

The NCAA has become a noteworthy resource for NHL talent in recent years, be it high-end draft picks honing their skills or undrafted players who prove to be late bloomers ready for the next level.

All 16 teams participating in the first round of the NHL playoffs have important NCAA alumni playing this spring, from go-to scorers to top defensemen and starting goaltenders.

Players From Everywhere

A total of 332 players have suited up this postseason, and 109 of them have played at least a single year of college hockey. That accounts for 32.8 percent of all NHL players still fighting for the Stanley Cup.

Those 109 players come from a total of 32 colleges, 15 of which institutions are represented by three or more alumni. The University of Michigan and Boston University led all programs with nine representatives each.

First of many... now he's scored a goal in the Olympics, the NCAA tournament and the Stanley Cup Playoffs all in a span of just over eight weeks nbd. #ProudToBU https://t.co/trjTG4hb2q

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) April 16, 2018

In the NHL, 109 players spread across the field of 16 teams results in a rough average of seven players per team. Teams including San Jose, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia are only represented by three players, while Boston, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh each sit with double digits.

The Eastern Conference has seen 59 of 167 players come from the NCAA, while the West is close behind with 50 of 165 players. The 109 players are made up of 67 forwards, 37 defenseman, and five goaltenders.

Thomas Vanek, Christian Folin, and Erik Haula are the only three former collegians who hail from outside Canada or the United States. They’ve been key parts for their teams early on, but certainly haven’t been the only ones.

Playoff Performances

With representing nearly a third of all players this postseason, former NCAA athletes have been all over the scoresheet.

College alumni have recorded 43 of the 147 total goals scored through 23 postseason games. That is roughly 29 percent of all offense and an average of 1.86 goals per game this spring—significant production when defenses are supposed to buckle down.

Those alumni have also contributed 70 assists, which is about 27 percent of the 260 (3.04 per game) the NHL has awarded players.

If you’re still following the math, 407 collective points (147 G, 260 A) have been earned this postseason and 113 have come from former college athletes. That means the near-one-third group of playoff participants has been in on roughly 27 percent of goals these playoffs.

In other words, they’re doing their jobs.

Given the varying amount of alumni on each NHL roster, some teams have had more offensive production than others. Pittsburgh’s 11 alumni have combined for five goals and 19 of its 37 total points, 51 percent of its offense this spring.

New Jersey, tied with Boston for the most alumni with 12, has gotten five goals and 10 points from the former collegians, which has accounted for 50 percent of its 20 total points earned. Take away two former NCAA goaltenders in Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid and it’s even more impressive.

On the other end of the spectrum is Philadelphia, which has gotten just one point from its three alumni. To be fair, one of those three players is goaltender Brian Elliott.

Don’t miss the next group of former college athletes when the action starts back up tonight.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.