The Arizona Coyotes have dipped into the free agent prospect market once again, this time signing Nate Sucese to a one-year entry-level contract. Sucese recently completed his senior season with Penn State and was an unrestricted free agent.
The 23-year old forward finished 17th among all NCAA players in scoring this season with 38 points, another outstanding output for one of college hockey’s most consistent offensive performers. Sucese recorded at least 29 points in each of his four seasons at Penn State, using his blazing speed to regularly get around defenders. The 5’9″ winger follows teammate Brandon Biro (Buffalo) in earning an NHL contract this spring, after going undrafted out of the USHL.
Sucese will actually leave Penn State as the school’s all-time goals leader, though it’s hard to know if that nose for the net will carry over to the professional ranks. The Coyotes obviously hope it will, but many of the college signings at this time of year are more about organizational depth than anything else. Perhaps Sucese has what it takes to climb all the way to the NHL, but he’ll likely have to prove himself with the Tucson Roadrunners first.