The Avalanche will have some extra defensive depth in the near future. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Colorado has agreed to sign top prospect Cale Makar as soon as his college season comes to an end. Makar’s University of Massachusetts Minutemen have reached the Frozen Four with the semi-finals going on Thursday and the final game on Saturday so they’ll be without him for the first couple of games of the first round at the very least. Despite not having any pro action under his belt, it’s like that the Avs will put Makar into their lineup as soon as he puts pen to paper on that new deal. His contract will be a three-year, entry-level pact with the base salary being capped at $925K (which includes signing bonus money).
Other news from the college ranks:
- St. Cloud forward Robby Jackson has agreed to a two-year AHL deal with San Antonio, affiliate of St. Louis, reports Jake Jensen of The Athletic (Twitter link). While the Rampage hasn’t announced the deal, he has been added to their roster on the AHL’s website while it’s noted that he’s not on a tryout contract, suggesting that the first year will be burned this season. The 21-year-old wrapped up his college career by averaging over a point per game for the second straight year and finished third on the Huskies in scoring.
- The Kings have added Bowling Green defender Connor McDonald on an amateur tryout agreement, their AHL team in Ontario announced. The undrafted 23-year-old was a steady stay-at-home player over four seasons with the Falcons. His 161 career games played are the fifth most in Bowling Green history among blueliners.
Just curious, why is Makar eligible for the postseason and Jimmy Schuldt isn’t. Is it because he was drafted and essentially part of the organization already?