Another young prospect has landed an NHL deal, as the St. Louis Blues have signed Will Cranley to a three-year entry-level contract. That contract will start in 2022-23, while Cranley will continue to play with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL for the rest of this season. Per CapFriendly, the terms of the $842K AAV contract are as follows:
2022-23: $750,000 base, $75,000 signing bonus
2023-24: $775,000 base, $75,000 signing bonus
2024-25: $775,000 base, $75,000 signing bonus
Selected 163rd overall in 2020, Cranley actually made his professional debut with the Utica Comets last season when the OHL was shut down due to COVID restrictions. He stopped 21 of 23 shots in a losing effort, but that performance is obviously encouraging enough to help his case when it came to earning an NHL contract.
It’s the junior level that has actually proven more difficult for the 6’5″ netminder, who has a career .878 save percentage in 66 games for Ottawa so far. That number has actually gone down this season with his .872 save percentage 2021-22, and Cranley has lost 21 of his 34 appearances.
Still, goaltenders with a frame like his don’t come around every day, and the Blues must obviously believe that their development staff can coax the best out of him at the next level. There’s a lot of work to do, but it can start in earnest next season when he jumps full-time to the professional level.