With the 16-team NCAA tournament now set, we know which teams are still playing and those whose seasons are done. In the latter category, their players can now start signing professional contracts; we’ve seen several over the past week with more to come.
It appears that one of those is forward Riley Thompson. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Flyers have signed the 23-year-old to a one-year, entry-level deal for next season with a $1.025MM cap charge. However, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall relays (Twitter link) that while the team believes they have a serious chance to sign him, no contract is formally in place yet.
Thompson has spent the last two seasons at Ohio State University after playing at the University of Alaska-Anchorage in his freshman year. He had one season of eligibility remaining that he appears to be foregoing. His sophomore year proved to be the most productive of the three, when he tallied 17 goals and 16 assists in 40 games. This season, Thompson’s output dipped to 13 goals and 14 helpers in 37 appearances.
Assuming Thompson ultimately does sign (be it with the Flyers or elsewhere), it will likely be accompanied by an AHL deal for the remainder of this season. This will allow him to get his feet wet at the professional level and start to make his case for a full-time assignment to that level in 2026-27.