6:50pm: The Ducks have made it official, signing Terry to a three-year entry-level contract. He’ll join the Ducks this season, and could play for them in the playoffs.
2:21pm: The run on top NCAA producers is on after the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and the Anaheim Ducks aren’t ones to be left behind. Darren Dreger or TSN reports that the Ducks are expected to sign University of Denver standout Troy Terry either today or tomorrow. Denver was eliminated by Ohio State yesterday, but it wasn’t certain that Terry would forego his senior season to turn pro. That decision has apparently been made, meaning the Ducks will be able to add the talented forward without worrying about him possibly testing free agency next summer.
Terry, 20, was a fifth-round pick of the Ducks back in 2015 but has developed into an NHL-ready forward over the past few seasons. After scoring the gold medal-winning goal in the World Juniors, recording 45 points for Denver and taking home the National Championship, Terry returned to DU for his junior year and was selected to the 2018 US Olympic squad as one of their few college-aged players. Though Team USA didn’t bring home a medal, Terry recorded five points and looked like one of the more dangerous players in the tournament.
The Ducks have a few high-end forward prospects, but lucking out on one like Terry in the fifth round gives their system a huge boost. The young center might still have some work to do to become an impact player in the NHL, but the fact that he could potentially skip the AHL entirely and be a full-time player on their squad in 2018-19 is an impressive feat. If he does sign today and join the club, look for him to get into some action down the stretch and even give them an extra boost for the playoffs.