March 12: Gross has moved quickly and finalized an entry-level contract beginning this season with the Flames, per Eric Francis of Sportsnet. He will report to Calgary’s NHL roster and will see games down the stretch, Francis adds. It will be a two-year deal for Gross, making him a restricted free agent at the end of next season.
March 11: Calgary native Tyson Gross is one of the top undrafted free agents available coming out of college this season. His hometown Flames are on the shortlist of teams the center is considering signing with, and he will make his decision in the next few days, Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports.
Gross, 23, just wrapped up his junior season with St. Cloud State. Serving as the team’s captain, he doubled his previous career high in goals en route to an 18-23–41 scoring line in 36 games. The 6’3″, 194-lb pivot saw his season end last week, getting swept 2-0 by Minnesota-Duluth in the quarterfinals of the NCHC tournament. They won’t be getting an at-large berth to the national tournament, so Gross ends his career in St. Cloud with 34 goals, 52 assists, and 86 points across 106 games over the last three years.
There’s little reason to believe Gross will replicate those offensive totals at the NHL level, but there’s a chance he can carve out a role as a depth checking center in Calgary or be a higher-end minor-league piece. He was initially draft-eligible back in 2021. He’d played just nine junior ‘A’ games that year due to COVID and was understandably passed over. Even against tougher competition in the USHL in his post-draft year, though, he only managed eight points in 23 games with the Fargo Force. It wasn’t until moving to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders for his DY+2 that he came out of his shell as a playmaker, and he was able to carry that momentum directly into a 20-point freshman season at St. Cloud.
The Flames are in need of some size down the middle in their prospect pool, so their interest in Gross makes sense. Their situation improved somewhat when they acquired the signing rights to 6’2″, 203-lb Jonathan Castagna from the Mammoth in the MacKenzie Weegar deal, and Francis reports the junior center is also open to turning pro with the Flames when his season at Cornell wraps up.
Gross
Sounds pretty underwhelming…..the fLames will be mediocre and irrelevant for years to come as per usual.
Aaaaand who is your team Kael?
If you actually pay attention to hockey in general instead of your team (Oilers is it?)…you’ll see that the Flames are actually working a process to get away from being a mediocre team. First time tearing it down in franchise history. Soooo beware!! 😂
LOL yes, everyone is afraid of an irrelevant franchise which has only ever had one good year…ever….hahahahahaha
Look up some interviews with this kid and his team mates. He is exceptional in the room and a true leader. He is one of, if not the best face off center in the NCAA. He’s from Calgary and he’s a righty. He’s a man too with an NHL frame already, being 6’3” and 200+ pounds. Good 200’ player.
This has potential to be a home run signing by the Flames!
LOL
Not to rain on your parade, but EliteProspects lists him at 6’3″ 193lbs. So not bad size-wise. But a little light for his height. And at 23 already, 24 by next seasons start, getting up their for prospect territory. Surely a good addition to the pool, but probably not something needed yet. He screams a 13th fw for a team coming out of a rebuild situation. or a 3/4 C entering a rebuild. Meanwhile Edmonton keeps signing those types entering the end of their window.
How often does EliteProspects weigh the players? Being in college, I would think he got in enough workouts to be heavier now. If he can become a good 3/4 C with defensive play and above average faceoff? One who has some scoring upside? Signed for free? Take it any day.
Signed for free as in a free pickup. Just costs a slot.
Even SCSU’s website has him listed at 6’3″/195
And they round all their weights to the nearest 5
The start of the season or through the season?
Very curious, because especially the NCAA kids use the gym a lot through the season.
The interview just recently with his coach, says that he’s pushing 205 and growing. Figure by camp he should be pushing 210 maybe?
HS, you’re grasping at straws man. This is an undrafted college free agent. They rarely amount to much. Sure a few do, but most become AHL foder or 13th fw types. See Drake Caguila or Jimmy Vesey.
Of course I am lol. The Flames are rebuilding, so any chance to find a diamond in the rough.
A year ago, the Flames needed centre’s. Big time!
Drafting, trades, and UFA signings? Now the Flames have a crop of centre’s to develop.
6 draft picks (some very high) in first 2 rounds of this years draft.
– 14 picks (some could be very high) in first 2 rounds of the next three drafts {so far}. That is averaging almost 5 picks in the first 2 rounds…for the next 3 years. Think about that for a sec.
Conroy has cornered the market for the next 3 drafts