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Collin Graf

Sharks Sign Collin Graf To Entry-Level Contract

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3:21 p.m.: PuckPedia has the full details of Graf’s contract, which expires in 2026 and will make him a 10.2c RFA, meaning he’s ineligible to sign an offer sheet. The deal carries a $942K cap hit and breaks down as follows:

2023-24: $830K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $25K bonus for 5+ games played
2024-25/2025-26: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $500K Schedule A performance bonus

11:57 a.m.: The San Jose Sharks have won the Collin Graf sweepstakes, signing the top free agent to his entry-level contract on Thursday per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). Johnston adds that the deal begins immediately, opening the door for Graf to make his first NHL appearance before the year’s end. San Jose has eight games left in their season and sit confidently at the bottom of the standings, making now a great time to test out young players.

Graf earns a move to the NHL after a tremendous collegiate career. He kicked it off with one year at Union College, moving to D1 hockey straight out of the USPHL-NCDC – a rare and challenging jump to make. But he handled it in stride, scoring 22 points in 37 games as a freshman but missing the postseason. Perhaps inspired by their run to a regional championship, Graf decided to transfer to Qunnipiac in the summer of 2022. And to say he found a new layer to his game would be an understatement. Graf flourished under the guidance of legendary NCAA coach Rand Pecknold, exploding for 21 goals and 59 points in 41 games last season. He followed it up with an even higher scoring rate this season, netting 22 goals and 49 points in just 34 games. His career 1.44 points-per-game rate is the third-highest in Qunnipiac history, and the most any Cougar has scored since Chris Cerrella’s collegiate career ended in 2001.

Graf earns his keep on the back of a phenomenal shot, and fantastic awareness in the offensive zone. While not the most eloquent skater, he’s shown a great understanding of how to slide into the danger areas of the ice and exploit open space. The strong offensive toolset makes him a must-watch for defenders, often leaving teammates open and giving Graf a chance to use a passing ability that’s nearly as good as his shot. Keeping up with the tempo of play wasn’t always easy for Graf, and likely represents his biggest barrier in transitioning to the pro scene. But with an open role on a terrible team, it seems the sky is the limit for the red-hot Graf.

College Notes: Graf, Schlaine, Bradley, Basse, Grainger

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Winger Collin Graf is widely expected to sign his first professional contract in the coming days.  Regarded as one of the top college free agents available, most of the league had made inquiries and he’s in the process of whittling down his list.  To that end, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers are no longer in the mix for the 21-year-old.  Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Michael Russo adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are believed to still have a chance at signing him.  Graf is coming off another strong season at Quinnipiac where he recorded 22 goals and 27 assists in 34 games.  Wherever he signs, it’s quite likely he burns the first season of his entry-level deal this year; he’d be eligible to play down the stretch in the regular season but not in the playoffs.

Other news from around the college ranks:

  • Devils prospect Artem Schlaine has entered the transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick by New Jersey back in 2020 (130th overall) and has spent four seasons in college, two with the University of Connecticut and the last two with Northern Michigan University.  Schlaine had a bit of a down year offensively compared to a year ago but still had 23 points in 27 games this season, good for second on the Wildcats in scoring.  The transfer means New Jersey should retain his rights for one more summer.
  • Red Wings prospect Chase Bradley is looking to test free agency this summer, Divver reports in a separate tweet. The 22-year-old was a seventh-rounder back in 2020 and while he has only played three years of college, he’s four years removed from being drafted and thus can leave school to test the open market.  Bradley had 11 goals and 11 assists with the University of Connecticut this season in his junior year.
  • Blackhawks goalie prospect Dominic Basse has transferred to St. Lawrence, the school announced (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a sixth-rounder of Chicago in 2019, going 167th overall.  Basse played his first two years at Colorado College before spending the last two at St. Cloud State.  Last season, Basse posted a 2.75 GAA with a .896 SV% in 25 games and with Ben Kraws turning pro and signing with Dallas, he should have a shot at a heavy workload for his final collegiate campaign.
  • San Jose’s AHL affiliate announced the signing of Luke Grainger to a tryout agreement. The 24-year-old had a very successful senior year with Western Michigan, posting 14 points and 34 assists in 38 games, leading some to wonder if he’d get an NHL contract.  It doesn’t appear that will be coming just yet and while he’s on the Sharks’ affiliate, they don’t hold his NHL rights with this signing.

College Hockey Notes: Salminen, Graf, Sergeyev

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New Jersey Devils forward prospect Samu Salminen is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now (Web link). Salminen has spent the last two seasons at the University of Connecticut, joining the school after six years in Jokerit’s youth program. Salminen has scored 17 points in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, playing in 27 games last year and 35 this year. He’s managed the scoring while serving in UConn’s middle six, averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time this season.

The Devils drafted Salminen in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a strong year with Jokerit’s U20 club. He’s praised as a smooth-moving playmaker, with the ability to fill his role in the middle lane of the ice, making an impact from slot to slot. And while he’s continued to show strong puck skills at UConn, Salminen could improve how he works into dangerous areas of the ice. He’ll look to build those skills as he adjusts to a new offense.

Salminen was originally committed to the University of Denver, swapping his commitment just a couple of months before his debut with UConn after reportedly facing challenges with Denver’s admissions. No schools have been linked to Salminen now that he’s returned to the open market, but it’s hard not to think previous connections could drive a move out West.

Other notes out of the NCAA:

  • The Boston Bruins are reportedly not in on prolific winger Collin Graf, says NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). Graf is now on the open market after a strong collegiate career, managing 130 points across 112 collegiate games. The Bruins are always popular names in NCAA free agency – already signing Drew Bavaro, Ryan Bischel, Riley Duran, and Jaxon Nelson this Spring. But they’ll stray away from leading-scorer Graf, who is receiving plenty of interest from the rest of the league – with Divver adding that Graf has narrowed his list to six teams. He’s expected to sign in the coming days.
  • Top Calgary Flames goalie prospect Arsenii Sergeyev has entered the transfer portal and quickly decided on a new school – confirming a move from UConn to Pennsylvania State University through a social media post (Twitter link). Sergeyev will hope to step into Penn State’s starting role, after splitting starts in both of his seasons with UConn. He’s been fantastic in his underclassmen starts, managing 19 wins and a .913 save percentage in 35 appearances. It’s a continuation of Sergeyev’s strong USHL career, where he posted 30 wins and a .913 save percentage in 43 games. The Flames drafted Sergeyev in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft. His early return has been incredibly positive, though Calgary will hold their breath as he moves to a highly competitive Big Ten conference.

Rangers Among Teams Interested In Collin Graf

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Quinnipiac winger Collin Graf attracted interest from NHL teams last year but opted to return to college for his junior season.  Once that campaign comes to an end, he’ll be highly coveted once again.  It appears the Rangers will be among them as Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports that New York is interested in signing Graf.

The 21-year-old put up 21 goals and 38 assists in 41 games at Quinnipiac last season and has produced at a similar level this year.  However, injuries cost him a few games earlier in the year so Graf’s point total won’t be quite as high this season.  That said, Graf sits tenth in NCAA scoring this year, collecting 22 goals along with 26 helpers through 31 games so far.

Graf won’t officially become available to sign until his season with the Bobcats comes to an end which could still be the better part of a month away depending on how far they go in the Frozen Four tournament.  Worth noting, he has attended development camps previously with Nashville and Florida; it stands to reason that those two teams will also be in on him if he decides to turn pro and eschew playing his senior year.

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