Landon Nycz
2025-26 Team: UMass Minutemen (Hockey East)
Date of Birth: Oct. 4, 2007
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 201 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible
Rankings
Landon Nycz is a first-year eligible defenseman who plays a mobile game with impressive skating abilities. He has great size at 6-foot-2 and moves well for a player of his frame, and plays a physical game. He breaks pucks out cleanly and plays a disciplined style that avoids unnecessary risks while remaining physical.
Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide
His freshman season at UMass was solid but quiet on the scoresheet, finishing with three points. He scored one goal in the second game of the season against Northern Michigan, and that remains his only goal to date. However, he still put up plenty of shots on the season, firing 45 on net, and isn’t afraid to shoot it through screens.
His scoring drought has continued since then, but he contributed in other areas. By the end of the season, he averaged 14:23 of ice time per game and often slotted in as the seventh defenseman, mostly sheltered from the toughest competition in the important games.
Nycz is hard on the backcheck and shows good compete when tracking down pucks. At times, he pinches a little aggressively, but his speed allows him to recover and get back into position. He finished the season with 16 blocked shots, only one penalty for a total of two penalty minutes, and appeared in 35 games. His discipline and reliability were noticeable for a young defenseman adjusting to the pace of the Hockey East.
His role and ice time will definitely increase next season, so the upside is there, especially since he’s in one of the best conferences in college hockey that shouldn’t have another down year.
NHL Draft Projection
Nycz projects to be selected somewhere in the early rounds as a part of an elite NCAA draft class.
A reasonable range is early second round at the high end and late third round at the low end in my book.
Other THW Profiles
Quotables
“When watching Nycz, his mobility is the first thing that stands out…Defensively, he’s solid, but it felt like he was often sheltered from tougher opponents. In flashes, Nycz has the athletic ability to be a difference-maker.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“There are clear reasons to like the 6’2” left-shot defenseman, the biggest being his skating. He’s a remarkably fluid mover with excellent edgework and four-directional mobility. His stride is smooth and effortless, allowing him to close space quickly and transition pucks up ice with control. When given time and space, his stretch passing can be highly accurate. He’s capable of threading a pass off the boards or hitting a teammate in stride from his own end.” – Dobber Prospects
“Despite an offense-leaning profile, Nycz isn’t your typical Power Play QB. When I’ve seen him on the PP, he was positioned as a shot option on his off-side rather than as a quarterback at the top. His approach was heavy on shooting rather than distribution.” – Dobber Prospects
Strengths
- Mobility
- Passing
- Speed
- Back-Checking
- Wrist Shot
- Physicality
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
- Rush Defense
- Defensive Positioning
- Shooting Accuracy
- Two-Way Game
NHL Potential
Nycz has the raw potential to become an everyday defenseman at the NHL level, but he still has to prove it next season. His ice time will definitely increase, but the signs of a future NHLer were there his freshman season. Exactly what type of professional role that will be remains to be seen.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk – 3/5, Reward – 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 6.5/10, Defense – 7/10
Landon Nycz Statistics
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