The Nashville Predators announced they have signed Boston University defenseman David Farrance to two-year entry-level deal. The four-year collegiate blueliner was a two-time Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist. He is expected to report to Nashville and begin his quarantine/testing protocol.
The 21-year-old Farrance was a third-round pick of the Predators in 2017 and has been one of their top prospects since. He chose, however, to play out his four-year career with Boston University, and could have chosen to become a free-agent, but instead opted to sign his entry level deal now after his college career ended Saturday. Farrance, who served as an alternate captain in his senior year, didn’t get too much playing time as the team played in just 11 regular season games and likely is eager to play more now at the pro level.
Farrance, 6-foot, 190-pounds, has had an impressive career as a Terrier, scoring 26 goals and 62 assists in 113 games and was more than a point-per-game player his final two years, both in which he was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. In the 11 games he played this year, Farrance scored five goals and 16 points. He was also named to the Hockey East first team all-star as well as a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, which is awarded to the best American-born Division I player in New England.
Farrance is well known for his dynamic skating ability as well as his offensive prowess and could make a quick impact with Nashville if the team chooses to bring him in right away. If the team does opt to move Mattias Ekholm at the trade deadline, Farrance could step right into the lineup, although he may need some time adjusting to the pro level with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
With the Preds now in a playoff spot and Ekholm having one more year left on a very affordable deal, I see no reason for Poile to move him this year. He can always do so next year if need be.
It’s hard to really gauge how good this team is really, these last 8 games they look good but will they be able to keep this going? It’s so hard to say cause they’ve been so inconsistent… I still expect them to make a move just might be a little bit different than everyone expects… Eeli Tolvanen looks like the real deal, the PP has looked better and with Kunin back it seems they have found another gear
The Preds are really where probably a dozen or so other teams are at in that they’re not going to win a Stanley Cup but are also not so far away that they have to tear it down and do a rebuild, which quite frankly hasn’t been a good strategy for very many teams anyway.
The Preds, in my view, have two players from the 2017 Cup finalist team that they haven’t replaced and that’s a Mike Fisher heart and soul, do everything center and a top 6 power winger like James Neal. Their top two lines are soft and can’t match up with top teams in the league. The D is fine and Saros can be very good, but what separates them from a team like Carolina or Tampa is the top two lines.
Speaking of the Canes, Poile could’ve helped his cause by selecting Seth Jarvis and the Russian kid the Canes took in the first and second rounds in the last draft. Poile’s inability to draft high end forwards has always been his undoing.