As we expected, Dominic Toninato is the first NCAA free agent off the board. The young forward has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. It was clear for a while that Toninato was not going to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the team had given him permission to talk to other teams even before hitting the open market today. The 23-year old will be signing a two-year entry-level contract.
Drafted in the fifth-round by Toronto five years ago, Toninato has grown into a top two-way forward that could step right into Colorado’s lineup in 2017-18. He was named the NCHC top defensive forward and had 29 points in his senior season, captaining the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs to the National Championship game.
He joins several Bulldogs in making the jump to professional hockey this summer, including Neal Pionk (Rangers), Brenden Kotyk (Rangers) Alex Iafallo (Kings) and Adam Johnson (Penguins).