College Free Agents
April 2, 2024
By Bob Trask
At this time of the year there is always speculation about NCAA free agents who are legitimate pro prospects. Signing these free agents allows teams to add to their prospect pipeline without using a draft choice and because these players are older, NHL general managers will often have a better idea of the floor and/or ceiling. A handful of the top NCAA free agents are still involved in playoffs so the final destination for these players will remain unknown for a while. Some will make it directly to the NHL, others will require development in the minor pros before making the jump and still others will never make it to the NHL. But signing these players eats into the 50-contract limit and once that limit is reached, teams would be unable to offer contracts to unsigned draftees before July 1. It’s a bit of a chess game. Four teams are already at 49 contracts and five more are at 48 contracts. One way around it would be if the player was willing to sign an amateur tryout (ATO) with the AHL affiliate of an NHL team and then sign an NHL contract on or after July 1. For the record, the Canadiens have 45 players under NHL contract but may want to sign Lane Hutson, Luke Tuch, Jared Davidson, Cedrick Guindon and one or more of their European prospects. Of that group, only Davidson and Guindon require contracts before June 1 for the Canadiens to retain their rights. Will Gorton and Hughes be active in the college free-agent market? Time will tell. – Trask