With his college career set to come to an end over the next few weeks, Canucks prospect Aidan McDonough would soon be facing a choice. He could sign with the team that drafted him or wait a few months and hit unrestricted free agency in mid-August. It appears he’ll be choosing the former as CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports (audio link) that McDonough will be signing with Vancouver once his college campaign comes to an end. McDonough’s advisor Glen Giovanucci confirmed the report to Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston.
The 23-year-old was a seventh-round pick by the Canucks back in 2019 (195th overall) but has certainly outperformed his draft stock, quickly becoming a key producer at Northeastern. McDonough reached the 20-goal mark and surpassed the point-per-game plateau for the second year in a row with his 20 goals and 18 assists in 33 games leading the Huskies in scoring. Over his four-year college career, he’s averaging just over a point per game with 124 in 123 appearances.
At his age, McDonough is only eligible for a two-year, entry-level contract. Dhaliwal notes that if McDonough’s season ends early enough, the first of those campaigns will be burned in 2022-23, allowing him to join Vancouver for the final few games this season to begin his pro career while setting him up to hit restricted free agency in 2024.