The Flames had made it known that they wanted to sign top prospect Matt Coronato and they have gotten their wish as they announced that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike reports (Twitter links) that the contract carries a base salary of $925K in each season, has $850K in Schedule A bonuses in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and that the agreement begins this season.
The 20-year-old was a first-round pick by Calgary back in 2021 (13th overall) and he has had two productive seasons with Harvard since then. This season, Coronato had 20 goals and 16 assists in 36 games, good for third on the Crimson in scoring behind Montreal prospect Sean Farrell and Kings prospect Alex Laferriere which helped him earn a spot on the Second Team All-ECAC roster.
Coronato’s output was basically identical to a year ago when he also potted 36 points in 34 games with 18 goals and 18 assists. That performance was good enough to earn him Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2021-22. He becomes the third Harvard player to turn pro this weekend joining Farrell and Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun.
With the contract starting now, Coronato will not be eligible to play in the minors this season so instead, he’ll immediately join the Flames. Calgary is four points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference so it will be interesting to see if they turn to the youngster to see if he can provide a spark offensively or if they’ll keep him in the press box for the time being.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that the two sides were nearing a deal while Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to say the contract was finalized.