Islanders prospect Collin Adams is expected to forego a shot at free agency and will instead sign with New York, reports Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). Having wrapped up his college career, he could have hit the open market on August 16th.
The 22-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Isles (170th overall) back in 2016 and has certainly seen his stock improve considerably over the last two years. After managing just 15 points over his first two seasons combined at the University of North Dakota, Adams saw his output jump to 28 points in his junior year. Despite a season that was shortened a bit further this year, he was even better, notching 14 goals and 20 assists in just 29 games to finish second on the Fighting Hawks in scoring.
With Adams expected to sign, it will be interesting to see if GM Lou Lamoriello agrees to burn the first year of his entry-level deal this season, a move that many NHL teams have done with their college signings in recent weeks. That would allow him to reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2022 as he is limited to signing a two-year entry-level deal regardless of when it begins.