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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Jaxson Stauber

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The Chicago Blackhawks have landed a coveted NCAA free agent. Providence College’s Jaxson Stauber, an undrafted goaltender, has signed with the team, inking a two-year entry-level contract carrying an $883K cap hit. The signing comes off the heels of the team’s trade of starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild. While it is unlikely that the trade of Fleury had any direct impact on this signing, in a statement Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson emphasized the importance of “making sure there is no drop-off in our goaltender development” for his rebuilding club. As it stands the Blackhawks’ two goalies on their NHL roster combine for under 100 games of NHL experience, so Davidson’s statement indicates that repairing the team’s organizational situation between the pipes will be a priority.

While Stauber was passed over in every NHL draft he was eligible for, that hasn’t stopped him from developing into a viable goaltending prospect in his own right. Stauber is a Hobey Baker nominee this season and his play through two seasons at Providence College has been stellar. In 37 games this season Stauber registered a .921 save percentage, and in 2020-2021 he posted a .916 in 23 games. Stauber also stands six-foot-three, meaning he isn’t tagged with the “undersized” label that has plagued many goaltending prospects across hockey. Should he be able to continue the success he found at Providence College with the Blackhawks organization, it would greatly help a club with far more questions than answers regarding its goaltending situation.

For the Blackhawks, signing Stauber helps add talent to a team in need of some goaltending reinforcements. As previously mentioned, after the trade of Fleury the crease in Chicago is relatively wide open. The current tandem of Delia and Lankinen is unproven and without much recent success. Delia has a .750 save percentage in his 28 minutes of action at the NHL level this season, and Lankinen has a .889 mark through 17 games so far in this campaign. Arvid Soderblom, with a .920 save percentage this season in 23 games for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs has promise, but otherwise, this is potentially one of the best opportunities for quick advancement should Stauber want to reach the NHL as fast as possible. Should he exceed expectations, he could find himself quickly rising through the organizational ranks in net. He could get the chance sooner rather than later, too, as Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago reports that although Stauber’s contract “kicks in next season,” if he chooses to start in Rockford he could be able to under an amateur tryout agreement.

Latest On Canadiens’ Jordan Harris

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With the trade deadline passed, the last-place Montreal Canadiens are now looking ahead to next season. The next possible move in their rebuilding effort is to sign 2018 third-round pick Jordan Harris. The NCAA standout defenseman and Northeastern University captain is nearing the end of his fourth and final collegiate season and new Habs GM Kent Hughes hopes that the next step in his career is to sign with the team that drafted him:

We’ve talked about what the opportunity would be in Montreal for him if he chooses to (sign). He’s an impending free agent if he doesn’t sign with us. Our hope is that he does. We kind of laid out what we’re trying to do with the organization, what our plan is, and how we see him fitting in.

Given the current status of the Canadiens, Hughes is not exaggerating the considerable role that Harris could immediately step into to begin his NHL career. A smooth-skating and productive two-way defender, Harris has all the tools to succeed in the pros and Montreal has no reason not to hand the college star major responsibilities right off the bat if it ensures that he signs with the team. The potential for opportunity will only increase with an inevitable Jeff Petry trade as well; Hughes noted yesterday that he tried to move the veteran blue liner but could not find a fair deal and will circle back in the offseason. Meanwhile, the left-handed Harris prefers to play on his right side and could step directly into Petry’s top-four spot on the right.

Hughes also hopes that personal ties to Harris could add credibility to his promises as he negotiates with the young defenseman. Hughes has known Harris for much of the blue-chip blue liner’s life; Hughes coached Harris at one time and Hughes’ sons, New York Rangers prospect Riley Hughes and potential 2022 first-rounder Jack Hughes, has played with and against him for years, including all three with Northeastern this season.

Of course, it is worth noting that prior to becoming GM in Montreal, Hughes was a Boston-based player agent. Harris not only attended college in Boston, but grew up in nearby Haverhill. If the hometown Bruins come calling, offering up a roster spot of their own on a blue line that should have one or two holes to fill this summer, Harris could opt to wait until August to become a free agent and stay in Boston. If Harris is as close to the Hughes’ boys as his father hopes, it’s also possible that he could be attracted to joining Riley with the Rangers or signing with whichever team drafts Jack. It also entirely possible that Harris merely wants to evaluate all possible options later this summer.

One thing that Montreal can offer Harris that no one else can is a chance to play in the NHL this season and burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Northeastern is the lowest seed in the strongest region of the NCAA Tournament, facing Western Michigan on Friday and, if they advance, the winner of Minnesota-UMass on Sunday. It’s an extremely difficult slate and Harris more likely than not will see his collegiate career come to an end this weekend. The Habs could sign him right away and have him in the lineup next week, a no-brainer if it helps to secure the signing. However, should the Huskies win the region, Harris could be playing through April 9. At that point, it becomes a more difficult decision to allow Harris to play in the NHL this season with just ten games left. It still seems likely that they would do so if it seals the deal, but is yet another variable to consider. The Canadiens want Harris – and for good reason – but this not a done deal just yet.

2022 NCAA Tournament Field Announced

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With conference championship games concluding yesterday, the NCAA postseason is now ready to begin. With all possible data available to the selection committee, the field and regionals have been announced as the road to Boston and the 2022 Frozen Four begins this upcoming week:

Allentown, PA
1. Michigan (Big Ten Champion)
8. Quinnipiac
9. St. Cloud State
16. AIC (Atlantic Champion)

Albany, NY
2. Minnesota State (CCHA Champion)
7. North Dakota
10. Notre Dame
15. Harvard (ECAC Champion)

Worcester, MA
3. Western Michigan
6. Minnesota
11. UMass (Hockey East Champion)
14. Northeastern

Loveland, CO
4. Denver
5. Minnesota Duluth (NCHC Champion)
12. Michigan Tech
13. UMass Lowell

The stage is now set for what should be a very competitive national tournament. Given that only Harvard was a surprise conference champion, taking the ECAC from favorite Quinnipiac and in the process knocking Clarkson from NCAA Tournament contention, the field is essentially the best of the best (plus the Atlantic champ). Ohio State was the odd man out, but Harvard were themselves a fringe top-20 team and are no easy out for Minnesota State, who much rather would have retained the No. 1 seed and a matchup with AIC.

Instead, it is preseason favorite Michigan who enters the tournament where many expected them to be: at the top. While Quinnipiac sat near the top of the NCAA rankings for much of the season and should have the bulk of the fan support in Allentown and St. Cloud was in the National Championship game last season, the path to the Frozen Four looks relatively straightforward for the Wolverines.

The same cannot be said for Western Michigan as they enter what looks to be the most difficult region in Worcester. The Broncos will face Hockey East regular season champion Northeastern in their first match-up and, if they advance, will face either Hockey East tournament champion UMass, the defending National Champion, or Minnesota, a team that had a strong case for a top seed of their own. With two teams with local support and one team with an axe to grind, WMU has a tall task ahead of them to advance to the Frozen Four.

If Minnesota-UMass isn’t the best first round match-up, then that honor belongs to North Dakota-Notre Dame. The selection committee acknowledged that the Irish were bumped down a spot to avoid inter-conference competition in the first round, creating a more difficult battle than they or the Fighting Hawks likely expected. Minnesota State awaits the winner. In the second round, a potential NCHC clash between Denver – the only true home team – and Duluth would be a highlight, though underrated Michigan Tech and UMass Lowell will look to prevent such a game from occurring.

Get your brackets ready, the tournament gets underway on Thursday in Albany and Loveland and Friday in Allentown and Worcester.

New York Rangers Sign Brandon Scanlin

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The New York Rangers have added to their young depth tonight, signing undrafted NCAA defenseman Brandon Scanlin to a two-year, entry-level contract (link). Scanlin’s contract carries an NHL salary of $925K and a minors salary of $80K and expires after next season, when the defenseman will still be a RFA.

Scanlin just finished his third season at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he had 31 points in 38 games. The large defenseman isn’t expected to be a cornerstone prospect for the Rangers, however given his size and ability to produce points for UNO from the backend, he could certainly have a future somewhere in the Rangers’ organization.

It is also worth mentioning that while Scanlin did go undrafted, he is not new to the eyes of the NHL, as he participated in the Boston Bruins’ development camp last summer. Time will tell how Scanlin progresses, but for now he will be able to begin a professional career with an organization that has shown an impressive ability recently to develop talent on the blue line.

Kings Sign Taylor Ward

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The Kings have added to their prospect pool as the team announced that they’ve signed forward Taylor Ward to a one-year, entry-level contract.  The deal is for next season and Ward will join Ontario of the AHL on an ATO agreement for the remainder of this season.

The 22-year-old recently wrapped up his fourth and final season with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.  Through his first three years, he had been fairly consistent offensively, notching between 22 and 27 points but this season, Ward was able to take a big step forward in his production.  In 38 games, he led the Mavericks in scoring with 19 goals and 20 assists and was the only player on the team to score more than 10 goals which likely got the power forward on the NHL radar.

Ward’s cap hit will be $842.5K next season.  That suggests a base salary of $750K plus a maximum $92.5K signing bonus which means there will be at least $82.5K in performance bonuses in the deal as well.

Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2022 Hobey Baker

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With the collegiate hockey season coming to a close, the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been announced. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2014, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher, and Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact but still became NHL regulars after winning from 2016-18.

2019’s winner was University of Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar, who has gone on to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie and is now dominating the league with the Colorado Avalanche. In 2020 the award was given to Scott Perunovich, who is dealing with some unfortunate injury issues to start his career but still looks like a future contributor to the St. Louis Blues blueline.

In 2021, Cole Caufield took home the award after leading the nation in scoring at the University of Wisconsin. Caufield made an immediate impact by helping the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final a few months later and, while struggling early this season, still looks like a key building block for the future.

The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.

Earlier this year, 77 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.

The top-10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization who owns their draft rights in parenthesis:

Matty Beniers, University of Michigan (Seattle Kraken)

Bobby Brink, University of Denver (Philadelphia Flyers)

Luke Hughes, University of Michigan (New Jersey Devils)

Devon Levi, Northeastern University (Buffalo Sabres)

Nathan Smith, Minnesota State University-Mankato (Winnipeg Jets)

Dryden McKay, Minnesota State University-Mankato (undrafted)

Ben Meyers, University of Minnesota (undrafted)

Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)

Bobby Trivigno, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (undrafted)

Brian Halonen, Michigan Technological University (undrafted)

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Declan Carlile

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought in another undrafted talent, this time on defense. PuckPedia reports that Declan Carlile has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, one that will kick in for the 2022-23 season. The contract carries a cap hit of $855K, and ends Carlile’s collegiate career after three seasons at Merrimack. Carlile will report to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season.

Carlile, 21, had an interesting junior career before heading to college, one that took him through the OJHL and USHL, playing for various teams. The 6’2″ defenseman turned in an impressive freshman campaign with Merrimack in 2019-20 but like many others, had a year to forget with the COVID-restricted 2020-21 season. He was back to full strength this year and scored seven goals and 24 points in 35 games, earning a Second All-Star Team bid in Hockey East.

Though he would eventually go undrafted, it’s not like Carlile was a completely under-the-radar prospect. He ranked 176th among North American skaters in 2018 and did get drafted into the OHL by the Oshawa Generals, though decided on the NCAA route instead. Now an effective player at both ends of the rink, he’ll jump into a Lightning organization that is known for polishing the rough edges of a prospect and squeezing NHL minutes out of unexpected places. With a contract in hand, he’ll be the next project for the Tampa Bay development staff.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Alex Vlasic To Entry-Level Deal

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Adding to today’s growing list of NCAA players signing their entry-level contracts, Alex Vlasic has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Per the team, the deal will carry an $824,167 cap hit. Vlasic was drafted by the Blackhawks 43rd overall in the 2019 draft, only just before another of today’s signings, Drew Helleson. 

Vlasic, 20, is perhaps best known for being among the biggest players in his draft class. Standing at six-foot-six, Vlasic’s size has made him an intriguing prospect as he’s developed in the NCAA. There’s not a lot of offense to his game, as he has only 20 points in his 82-game career at Boston University, but his aforementioned size, which is highly coveted and difficult for teams to find, has made it so that lack of offense hasn’t tarnished much of his shine as a top prospect. Just by being as big as he is, Vlasic offers high defensive upside thanks to his reach and potential to be a menace along the boards. He’s the cousin of Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and while that has little bearing on his actual play on the ice it should excite fans who know the connection and remember Vlasic in his prime when he was among the NHL’s most fearsome defensive defenders. Even if Vlasic’s offensive game never comes along, he should be able to carve out an NHL career as a defensive specialist.

Speaking of his potential ability to carve out an NHL career, his doing so could be closer than many would think. Vlasic is heading straight to Chicago to be with the Blackhawks team, according to Bartlett Hockey, Vlasic’s representation. While it is not confirmed if Vlasic will make his NHL debut this soon after signing, the Blackhawks getting him into Chicago and with the team this quickly should signal their excitement over his upside and their confidence that he is ready for the rigors of NHL hockey. Given the uncertainty NHL fanbases often wrestle with when it comes to NCAA prospects and their signability, seeing Vlasic fast-tracked to the NHL like this should relieve and excite a Blackhawks fanbase that looks headed into uncharted waters under new GM Kyle Davidson.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Drew Helleson To Entry-Level Deal

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After acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche yesterday as part of the Josh Manson trade, the Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed defender Drew Helleson to a three-year entry-level contract. Helleson was drafted 47th overall in the 2019 draft by the Avalanche, and he was packaged alongside a 2023 2nd round pick in exchange for Manson, a quality top-four defenseman. His inclusion in such a high-profile trade combined with the team signing him this quickly after acquiring him indicates that Helleson is likely viewed quite highly by the Ducks’ front office.

Helleson’s deal carries a $925,000 average annual value, per CapFriendly. He is paid $832,500 in base salary every season, with a $92,500 signing bonus. His AHL salary is $70,000.

Helleson, who is set to turn 21 later this month, has blossomed this season at Boston College. While he may have been previously characterized as a somewhat one-dimensional, “all-defense” prospect in his draft season, applying that notion to Helleson’s game today would be a mistake. In his second season as an Eagle, Helleson improved his offense significantly, going from six points in 28 games to 15 in 22. This season, Helleson’s offense jumped again, and he posted 25 points in 32 games. While some scouts might still be bearish on the odds of that offense translating to the NHL level, it is clear that Helleson’s game has an added offensive dimension to it that was not apparent when he was drafted.

For the Ducks, signing Helleson may add an immediate boost to their defense as they reel from the departure of Manson, a staple on their blue line since he established himself as an NHL regular in the 2015-16 season. While Helleson may start his professional career with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, an NHL debut should not be too far away. Helleson was selected by Team USA to play in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he had one assist in three games, indicating that his game is polished enough to compete with some of the world’s best talent outside of the NHL. For a Ducks blueline that already features high-end young talent such as Jamie Drysdale and may yet lose more established NHL-ers as the deadline nears, (such as Hampus Lindholm) signing Helleson to his entry-level deal is a move that could bear fruit sooner rather than later.

Boston Bruins Sign Marc McLaughlin

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The Boston Bruins have signed Boston College Eagles captain Marc McLaughlin to a two-year entry-level contract. The contract carries an $883,750 per year cap hit. McLaughlin, 22, is an undrafted player who has grown from being a light-scoring bottom-sixer at Boston College to among their best players. He is from North Billerica, Massachusetts, and now he gets to continue his hockey career in his home state as a Bruin.

On the ice, McLaughlin is a six-foot, 210-pound center. As previously mentioned, McLaughlin has grown in role for Boston College. He had 20 points over 73 games in his first two seasons as an Eagle, playing in a lesser offensive role than he was perhaps used to. At the USHL level, he captained the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders as a point-per-game player before arriving at Boston College. In his third year in the NCAA McLaughlin settled into a larger role and posted 24 points in 24 games, while also becoming the team’s captain. This season he had 21 goals and 32 points in 33 games and also appeared in two games at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, representing Team USA.

For the Bruins, McLaughlin is an interesting prospect and a signing that should be celebrated by their fans. He’s grown into an impact player at Boston College, a program that faces stiff competition as a member of the Hockey East conference. McLaughlin has a leadership element to his game, as evidenced by the “C” he’s had sewn to his sweater for the Eagles and the RoughRiders. And in a fact that should excite the ever-rivalrous Bruins faithful,  Boston’s offer won out over “20-plus” competing offers from other NHL clubs, according to Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal. As an undrafted player whose only cost to the team is taking up one of their maximum of fifty contract slots, (alongside his minimal cap hit) he’s essentially found money for an organization that routinely extracts top talent from college free agency.

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