On Saturday, the University of Denver won the Frozen Four, beating Boston College 2-0. Now, their reloading begins. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald notes that Devils prospect Samu Salminen has officially transferred to Denver, a move first reported earlier this month by PHR’s Gabriel Foley (Twitter link).
The 21-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021, going 68th overall. He had a strong showing in Jokerit’s junior program, averaging over a point per game in 2021-22 before making the jump to UConn for the 2022-23 campaign.
In his freshman year, Salminen recorded nine goals and eight assists in 27 games, solid production for a first-year player. However, he was only able to match that this season, notching seven goals and ten helpers in 35 contests, resulting in the decision to try his hand elsewhere.
That Salminen wound up with Denver shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. On top of the fact they’re now the reigning champions, he actually originally committed there in 2022 before reportedly running into difficulty with their admissions, resulting in the decision to join UConn instead. Two years later, Salminen now lands as his originally intended destination.