Future Watch: Kennedy and Cruikshank break down the 2026-27 NCAA season

The Hockey News’ Future Watch Show turns its attention to college hockey in a new episode that previews the 2026-27 NCAA season. Host Ryan Kennedy is joined by Eric Cruikshank and guest analyst Frank Zawrazky for a wide-ranging discussion on how the upcoming year could unfold and which players might emerge on the NHL radar.

Reacting to rankings and spotlighting freshman classes

The show opens with the trio reacting to USA Hockey’s pre-season rankings poll for NCAA Division I. The early list provides a framework to talk about which programs already have national expectations attached to them and where there might be room for surprises. From there, the conversation shifts to freshman classes, with the analysts outlining which incoming groups they feel could have the biggest impact this season.

Boston University becomes a focal point when the panel tackles the idea of bounce-back candidates. The question is whether BU can regroup after a disappointing campaign and re-establish itself in the national picture with the help of its incoming talent and returning core.

Hobey Baker chatter and sleeper programs

Midway through the episode, the focus turns to individual awards as the panel offers early thoughts on the Hobey Baker race. Rather than drilling into numbers, they talk about the types of players who typically rise in the voting and what kind of opportunity and usage those candidates will need to separate themselves over a full schedule.

Attention then shifts back to team projections, with the group debating which programs look most likely to contend for the NCAA title and which ones are being overlooked. The discussion highlights so-called sleeper schools that may not appear near the top of pre-season polls but could ride a mature roster or a strong freshman class into the national conversation.

Tie-in to Kennedy’s Prospect Watch column

To close the episode, Kennedy previews his weekly Prospect Watch column, which will continue to track draft-eligible talent and NHL-affiliated prospects throughout the season. With the NCAA schedule about to ramp up, the show positions college hockey as a key stage for the next wave of stars, and offers listeners a roadmap on where to focus as the 2026-27 campaign gets underway.