Cutter Gauthier decided he was going to return to college for another season rather than jump to the NHL. I know a lot of fans were upset about the 19-year-old wanting to return to Boston College, but the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft will continue to develop and gain confidence in the NCAA. In fact, a lot of the college players coming to the NHL are more NHL ready than draft picks from juniors. Noah Cates is a great example of a player developing in the NCAA.
The college game has become very similar to that of the NHL.