Amid all the Jimmy Vesey discussion, the New York Rangers have signed another NCAA standout. According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, John Gilmour, a defenseman out of Providence College has agreed to a two-year deal with the club.
Gilmour, 23, was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2013 but, like Vesey, decided to play four years in college and became a free agent. He was part of the 2015 national champions after defeating Jack Eichel-led Boston University in the final.
Playing in 141 games over his four years, Gilmour scored 65 points including 23 goals. We recently profiled Gilmour when we listed him at #3 on our list of top college free agents, behind just Vesey and Thomas DiPauli, the latter of which was reported earlier today to be in talks with six different teams.
[Related: New York Rangers’ Depth Chart]
The Rangers weren’t going to wait around to dip their toes into the college ranks, and with Gilmour add a young, mobile defenseman to a group that isn’t seen as such. Gilmour will try to crack the roster this year, but may have trouble because of the big deals sitting on their blueline.