The month of March has come to an end and, as usual, college signings were plentiful throughout the NHL. Some of those moves are included in our key stories.
Avs Sign Three: One team that was particularly active on the college free agent front was Colorado. They made a trio of moves, signing winger Jason Polin to a one-year deal, defenseman Sam Malinski to a two-year contract, and center Ondrej Pavel to a two-year pact. Polin was the leading goal-getter in the NCAA this season, scoring 30 goals in 39 games with Western Michigan which drew him considerable interest on the open market. Malinski also had interest from multiple teams after a four-year stint at Cornell where he finished strong with 26 points in 34 contests. Meanwhile, Pavel had a bit of a down year at Minnesota State University, seeing his production dip to just 15 points after putting up 22 in his sophomore year. The Avalanche have moved several draft picks and these signings are a chance to replenish their prospect pool.
Livingstone To Nashville: This year’s college free agent class isn’t the strongest but one player that stood out was defenseman Jake Livingstone. He received interest from numerous teams and ultimately chose to sign with Nashville who allowed him to burn his one-year, entry-level contract this season, paving the way for him to potentially play down the stretch. The 23-year-old had a standout campaign with Minnesota State, picking up 35 points in 39 games, putting him tied for third among NCAA blueliners in scoring. Because it’s a one-year deal that was signed late in the season, Livingstone is actually carrying a cap hit of over $2MM down the stretch for the Predators. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer and won’t be capped by the entry-level system at that time.
Four For Chytil: Rangers center Filip Chytil has had a breakout season and was rewarded for his efforts as the team signed him to a four-year contract extension that carries a cap hit of $4.4375MM. The deal, which begins next season, does not carry any sort of trade protection and gives New York an extra two years of team control. Chytil entered this season having put up two straight 22-point seasons after two straight 23-point campaigns. However, his output has nearly doubled in 2022-23 as he entered play Sunday with 22 goals and 21 assists in 68 games despite still averaging less than 14 minutes a night. If this is the beginning of Chytil being able to take on a bigger role offensively, this deal could become a team-friendly contract fairly quickly.
Hobey Baker Finalists: Still with college hockey, the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award were revealed. They are Michigan center Adam Fantilli (draft-eligible), Minnesota winger Matthew Knies (Maple Leafs), and Minnesota center Logan Cooley (Coyotes). Fantilli leads all NCAA scorers this season with 64 points in just 35 games in his freshman year and is widely expected to go second overall at the draft in June. Knies, meanwhile, had a strong sophomore campaign with 41 points in 38 games and there’s a strong likelihood that he’ll be foregoing the rest of his college eligibility to turn pro with Toronto once the Frozen Four comes to an end next week. As for Cooley, the third-overall pick last year is second in scoring this season with 57 points in 37 games in what has been a dominant freshman year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign with Arizona before too long as well.
Knyzhov Rewarded: It has been a tough couple of years for Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov. He missed all of last season with a groin injury, then suffered a torn Achilles while training for this season. However, he was able to return to San Jose’s lineup last month and has gotten into nine games so far. He was rewarded for his efforts to get back with a two-year extension that begins next season and carries a $1.25MM AAV. It’s a move that carries a bit of risk for San Jose given Knyzhov’s history but he was a regular on their back end back in 2020-21 and if he can once again lock down a full-time spot, he should be able to live up to the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.