The Arizona Coyotes have signed goaltender Merrick Madsen to his two-year entry-level contract, now that Harvard’s season has come to an end. The 22-year old goaltender could have become an unrestricted free agent in August, but will get into the Coyotes organization right away.
Madsen’s draft rights were acquired by the Coyotes as part of the Nick Cousins trade last June, after originally being selected by the Philadelphia Flyers. His deal is likely scheduled to start in the 2018-19 season, though there is a chance he could get into some AHL action on an amateur tryout.
In Madsen, the Coyotes are adding a prototypical NHL goaltending prospect. Standing 6’5″ 190-lbs, Madsen has the length and flexibility to succeed at the next level, though he’ll have to continue to refine his game in the minor leagues. With a .918 save percentage this season for Harvard, he was the backbone of the Ryan Donato-led squad that unfortunately was not selected for the NCAA tournament. That was actually his lowest full-season mark during his time as the starter, which included a .931 mark as a sophomore in 2015-16. It’s not a sure thing that Madsen ever makes the NHL, but with the future in goal still unclear for Arizona, adding a prospect of his caliber is still a step in the right direction.