Michigan State hockey had a huge weekend at the 2026 NHL Draft with nine Spartans getting selected and six going in the first 33 picks.
The Spartans’ 2026-27 roster is going to be loaded with NHL draft picks and they actually broke the record for most first-rounders on one team after having five selected in round one on Friday. Chase Reid, Nikita Klepov, Ethan Belchetz, Jack Hextall, and Tommy Bleyl. Four of those guys are projected to join the roster this year which already has five former first-rounders.
Michigan State did lose plenty of talent this offseason, however.
Guys like Porter Martone, Charlie Stramel, and Trey Augustine all moved on and there was also some “surprise” attrition from guys who were buried on the depth chart.
One of those guys was Austin Baker who was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He’s since transferred to Miami (OH) but he’s going to be headed to the Red Wings’ development camp on Monday which runs through Thursday. This is a good opportunity for him to make a strong impression on the organization while also learning from professionals.
Baker had a quiet freshman season at Michigan State in 2025-26, recording one assist in 14 games. He’ll now be trying to stick in the Red Wings’ organization.
The 2026-27 Michigan State roster has no shortage of draftees
As mentioned earlier, Michigan State will have nine first-round picks on the upcoming roster, but everywhere you look, there’s a former draft pick.
Just take a look at who’s currently on the 2026-27 roster outside of the incoming freshmen who have been drafted already:
- Cayden Lindstrom
- Eric Nilson
- Shane Vansaghi
- Anthony Romani
- Ryker Lee
- Matt Lahey
- Cullen Potter
- Joshua Ravensbergen
- Patrick Geary
- Sean Barnhill
That’s 10 former draft picks on the roster even before the incoming freshman class adds about five more. A roster with 15 draftees should be an early favorite to make the Frozen Four and contend for a national title. The excitement level in East Lansing surrounding Adam Nightingale’s program is sky-high.
Having nine first-round picks gives the Spartans nearly two full lines of players who have been NHL teams’ top picks. That’s insane to think about.
Not many programs can lose a former NHL draft pick (Baker) and add nine more in one class. The job that Nightingale is doing is incredible and Spartan fans are hoping he stick around for a long time.
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