Not every top player in the NCAA tournament has to be a first-round pick or a potential first-rounder. Take Michigan's Gavin Brindley, who went in the second round in 2023 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, for instance.
Sure, Brindley could have (should have?) been a first-rounder last year, but other teams sleeping at the wheel worked in the Jackets' favor and how he has picked up his game at Michigan this season has been impressive given the talent it lost a year ago.
At 5'9", 170 pounds, he's not going to intimidate opponents with his size, but when you watch him handle the puck and weave in and out and between defenders on the way to the net, it's a good reason to shadow him on the ice.
Brindley has 51 points and 24 goals this season, making him ninth in the country in scoring and tied for fifth in goals.
Smaller players often thrive in college hockey, such as Paul Kariya, Martin St. Louis, Brian Gionta, or Johnny Gaudreau. With Brindley and Rutger McGroarty, Michigan has the offensive weapons to make it a threat no matter where it was seeded in the tournament.
North Dakota could have its hands full trying to contain them.
