Another college goaltender has turned pro, as Magnus Chrona signs his two-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2023-24, meaning he won’t burn the first season immediately.
Sharks’ general manager Mike Grier released a statement:
Magnus has had an impressive and productive college career with the University of Denver, highlighted by a National Championship in 2022. He brings size and athleticism to the crease, along with a strong compete level. We are happy to have him and excited to watch his game develop.
Chrona, 22, was actually a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018, but the Sharks acquired his rights in 2021 in a deal that sent Fredrik Claesson east. The Swedish goaltender played four years at DU, meaning he could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer, had he waited until the middle of August to sign.
Instead, he’ll stay with a Sharks organization that is rather thin at the goaltending position. Veterans James Reimer and Aaron Dell will be unrestricted free agents this summer and seem unlikely candidates to return, while Eetu Makiniemi and Strauss Mann are both scheduled to become RFAs. Kaapo Kahkonen, the only other goalie signed for next season, is coming off his worst statistical season in North America and is also a UFA in 2024.
For a big, athletic goaltender like Chrona, significant playing time could be available in the minor leagues to help him continue his development and grow into a professional netminder. Whether that turns into a valuable NHL asset remains to be seen, but he is certainly worth the low risk of an ELC.