After impressing so far in his first taste of professional hockey, Hunter Skinner has earned himself an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season, with Skinner signing an AHL contract for the remainder of 2020-21.
The 19-year-old defenseman has played in 26 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL this season as he waited for the OHL to return to play, but hasn’t looked like he needs any more junior seasoning. In those 26 appearances, Skinner has seven goals and 17 points, holding his own against players sometimes more than a decade his senior. He currently ranks third among all ECHL defensemen in goals.
Not bad for a fourth-round pick in 2019, who needed just one year with the London Knights of the OHL to really take his game to a new level. The 6’2″ defenseman was also part of this year’s Team USA at the World Juniors, winning gold (though he played just one game).
There is certainly work to be done, but Skinner took another strong step in his development this season and should be a full-time member of the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2020-21.