Of the three players that were named as a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist earlier today, only one of them is an undrafted player in center Jordan Kawaguchi. The 22-year-old recently told Postmedia’s Steve Ewen that he has had interest from a “handful” of NHL teams but that he is still considering returning to North Dakota for his senior year as well.
Kawaguchi’s third season was certainly his best as he easily surpassed his career highs across the board with 15 goals and 30 assists in 33 games. His 45 points made him the second-leading scorer in the NCAA behind only Jack Dugan, a fifth-round pick of Vegas back in 2017.
So with that type of production, why aren’t more teams going after him? He’s listed at just 5’9 which will scare some teams away while his skating isn’t at that top level for a smaller player. Kawaguchi’s playmaking will be his calling card at the next level but evidently, not every team is sold on that just yet.
That could be part of the reason that Kawaguchi is considering staying at North Dakota for his final season. A repeat or improved performance with a chance to work a bit more on his skating could certainly help garner more interest than he has now. Of course, it could also backfire as it’s hard to top a season that made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
If he does decide to go the professional route, Kawaguchi would be forced to either sign a two-year, entry-level deal that begins next season or hold out hope that the NHL resumes play and allows him to burn the first year right away. Alternatively, he could agree to terms on both types of deals as a handful of players have done in recent days but with only a small group of teams showing interest, does he have the leverage to command that? It probably won’t be too much longer before we find out.
only a handful?
Sounds like someone that Barb Underhill could turn into a stud
Bet he would like to be in Vancouver since his home is in Abbotsford British Columbia , Canada , cousin is Devin Setoguchi
Now there’s a name that has flown into obscurity!!!
teh leafs??? Are teh leafs involved????!!??
@windmill – Msg from “Kyle D.” – SSSHHHH! He’s trying to get some of these guys before Lou!
Well mikenowo stated back to North Dakota for him so will have to wait til 21-22 to see who chooses him , may give Leafs some time to see who maybe sent packing hopefully at end of this season before they sign any more prospects do like possible prospects just signed will both be on the back end , since maybe moving out some players few on defense come to mind , to get younger and minimal salary, Dubas has his handsfull with a few contracts to work on , really needed ! and down road who they will protect in Expansion Draft down the dirt road? Stay well , while under social distancing.
Currently, 18 out of the 31 teams have at least one guy 5’9″ or under. So, those teams wouldn’t necessarily shy away from the “undersized” tag. That means they’re less than impressed with the skating and play making ability. @bigdaddyt is spot-on suggesting Miss Barb Underhill could be the answer for him, at least with regards to the skating. If she can’t get him back on the rails, nobody can. If the skating can improve by leaps and bounds, the play making may follow.
This from the article itself, and on the player’s twitter account: “The 22-year-old Kawaguchi has confirmed he’ll be returning to North Dakota in the fall for his senior season despite attracting free-agent interest from multiple NHL clubs. Kawaguchi didn’t name names, only saying that he had inquiries from a ‘handful’ of clubs.”
Thanks to the update from @mikenowo1. The article does, in fact, state most NHL teams *are* sold on his playmaking (sorry, Brian), but the skating needs some work. The old “a handful of teams were interested” stuff always comes across as bit of SpinZone, though…