According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, the Columbus Blue Jackets have gotten off to an early start Thursday morning. The team has signed college free agent Samuel Vigneault to a two-year entry-level contract. The 6’5″ center played at Clarkson University for the past three seasons, scoring 36 points in 39 games this year.
Vigneault (who has no relation to New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault) is a big, playmaking center that always looks for his teammates first, and can work the half wall on the powerplay. Even at 200-lbs, he hasn’t really filled out yet and should put on weight as he matures. With it, his physical game should improve, though he can already use solid body positioning to protect the puck.
Like many college-aged prospects, Vigneault has trouble staying consistent in his own end. He can get caught flat-footed and doesn’t have the instant acceleration of some of the other top prospects. The good thing though, is that he is usually playing with the puck at the other end of the rink, finding open teammates all over the ice.
The deal will most likely begin in 2017-18, and Vigneault may report to Cleveland on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season. If he does, he’d be joining a team in the thick of a playoff race as last year’s Calder Cup champions currently sit five points back of the Iowa Wild. With just eight games remaining, it will be tough for them to jump into the postseason this year.