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Penguins Sign Tristan Broz

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After helping lead the University of Denver to the NCAA title, Pittsburgh prospect Tristan Broz has decided the time is right to turn pro.  The Penguins announced that they’ve inked the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins in 2024-25.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 21-year-old was a second-round pick by the Penguins back in 2021, going 58th overall after a strong season with USHL Fargo.  He made the jump to the college ranks the following year but had a very quiet freshman season at the University of Minnesota, resulting in Broz entering the transfer portal after that campaign came to an end.

The decision to transfer worked out quite well as Broz had a strong first year in Denver, collecting 10 goals and 18 assists.  He then improved on that again this past season, tallying 16 goals and 24 helpers in 34 games, finishing fourth on the Pioneers in scoring.  He scored a pair of overtime winners in the tournament, landing a spot on the All-Tournament Team for his efforts.

While Pittsburgh’s season has ended with the Penguins not qualifying for the playoffs, Broz’s year hasn’t ended just yet.  He has joined AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an amateur tryout agreement and will be eligible to suit up for them down the stretch.  The Baby Pens sit third in the Atlantic Division on the penultimate day of the AHL’s regular season and have already clinched a playoff spot.

Seamus Casey Undecided On Turning Pro

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This is the time of year when many college players will elect to forego the remainder of their college eligibility and sign their first professional contract.  Plenty have done so already, some of which have already made their NHL debuts.  One player who hasn’t made a decision at this time is Devils prospect Seamus Casey.  Speaking with reporters today during his end-of-season press conference (video link), GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated that Casey hasn’t made a firm decision yet on his future but believes he might be inclined to sign with New Jersey:

If I was a betting man, I would say he’s probably leaning toward turning pro but with that being said, we talked to him right before the National Championship weekend, he wasn’t sure, there wasn’t any pressure from us.  To me, if you forfeit the rest of your college career, you need to be more than two feet in the water. You have to jump right in and you have to really want this. Any hesitations, then it may not work. So we’re going to give him all the time he needs.

The 20-year-old was a second-round pick by the Devils back in 2022 (46th overall) and recently wrapped up his sophomore year at Michigan.  It was certainly a strong one as Casey had seven goals and 38 assists in 40 games, good for third-most among NCAA blueliners behind draft-eligible Zeev Buium and Lane Hutson.  Casey also took part in the World Juniors for the second straight year, collecting six assists in as many contests.

If Casey decides to stay in college, he’ll be remaining with a team that will be missing some key pieces as Frank Nazar, Gavin Brindley, and Dylan Duke have all elected to turn pro.  That said, the core isn’t entirely gone as Rutger McGroarty is still there while undrafted forward T.J. Hughes – one of their top scorers this season – still has two years of eligibility remaining.

On the other hand, if Casey turns pro now, there might not be a spot for him on New Jersey’s roster to start next season.  Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are two players on their entry-level deals on the back end already while they’ll also be welcoming back Dougie Hamilton from injury.  Accordingly, if the choice is between playing in the AHL or staying in college, Casey could determine it’s better to do the latter.

With the deadline for registering a contract that burns a year this season now having passed earlier today, there’s no rush for Casey to make a decision, especially since New Jersey’s AHL team is in tough to make the playoffs.  Accordingly, it may take a while yet before the blueliner decides on his future.

Devils Prospect Samu Salminen Transfers To University Of Denver

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On Saturday, the University of Denver won the Frozen Four, beating Boston College 2-0.  Now, their reloading begins.  Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald notes that Devils prospect Samu Salminen has officially transferred to Denver, a move first reported earlier this month by PHR’s Gabriel Foley (Twitter link).

The 21-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021, going 68th overall.  He had a strong showing in Jokerit’s junior program, averaging over a point per game in 2021-22 before making the jump to UConn for the 2022-23 campaign.

In his freshman year, Salminen recorded nine goals and eight assists in 27 games, solid production for a first-year player.  However, he was only able to match that this season, notching seven goals and ten helpers in 35 contests, resulting in the decision to try his hand elsewhere.

That Salminen wound up with Denver shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.  On top of the fact they’re now the reigning champions, he actually originally committed there in 2022 before reportedly running into difficulty with their admissions, resulting in the decision to join UConn instead.  Two years later, Salminen now lands as his originally intended destination.

College Notes: Croteau, Doyle, Copponi, All-American Teams

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Canadiens prospect Emmett Croteau has entered the transfer portal, relays Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.  The 20-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Montreal in 2022, going 162nd overall.  Croteau recently finished his freshman year at Clarkson but only suited up six times and struggled, posting a save percentage of just .835.  With Clarkson adding Ethan Langenegger – a fifth-year transfer – via the portal, playing time for Croteau wasn’t going to be coming next season so he’ll try his luck at landing a better opportunity elsewhere.

Other news from the college ranks:

  • Kings prospect Braden Doyle has entered the transfer portal, relays Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. It’s the second time he’ll be on the move as he went from Boston University to Northeastern in 2022.  The 22-year-old blueliner was a sixth-round pick back in 2019 (157th overall) but was limited to just 13 games this season where he had just one goal.
  • Oilers prospect Matt Copponi is transferring to Boston University, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old middleman had a strong showing this season at Merrimack, picking up 32 points in 30 games.  Edmonton drafted Copponi last summer, selecting him 216th overall after Copponi’s sophomore campaign and now he’ll have a chance to play at one of the more prominent college hockey programs next season.
  • On Friday, the American Hockey Coaches Association announced the All-American First and Second Teams, featuring 25 players in total (the Second Team East had six skaters and a goalie). Montreal’s Lane Hutson was the only player to land on a First Team for the second straight year while San Jose’s Collin Graf and Philadelphia’s Massimo Rizzo, who made Second Teams, landed on one of the teams for the second straight year.

Blues Sign Dylan Peterson

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With Boston University being eliminated from the Frozen Four on Thursday, some of their players are electing to turn pro.  The latest of these is Dylan Peterson as the Blues announced late Friday that they’ve signed the center to a two-year, entry-level deal.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 22-year-old was a third-round pick by St. Louis back in 2020, going 86th overall after spending the previous season with the U.S. National Team Development Program.  He had a very limited role in his first two years with the Terriers, collecting just 22 points in 45 games and then followed that up with 18 in 39 appearances in his junior year.  At that point, it wasn’t a certainty that the Blues would be looking to sign Peterson.

However, he saved his best performance for last as Peterson upped his output to 20 points in 35 contests this season which certainly helped his case for getting a contract.  A 6’4 middleman, Peterson will begin his professional career next season, likely starting with AHL Springfield, and will look to work his way up the depth chart from there.

Maple Leafs To Sign Cade Webber

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Cade Webber’s college season came to an end on Thursday when Boston University was eliminated by Denver in the Frozen Four semi-finals.  However, his 2023-24 campaign hasn’t come to an end just yet as Joe Smith of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner will be signing an entry-level deal with Toronto and joining the team for its upcoming road trip.

The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Carolina back in 2019, going 99th overall.  However, he informed the team earlier in the season that he was leaning toward not signing with them and would test free agency in mid-August.  That resulted in them flipping him to the Maple Leafs back in March in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Webber is a throwback defensive defenseman; he scored just once in his four-year collegiate career and had just six assists this season.  He led the NCAA in blocks with 137 this year, 35 ahead of second place and at 6’6, has the size and reach to be disruptive and effective in the defensive zone.

Since Webber was on Toronto’s reserve list at the trade deadline, he is eligible to play for them in the playoffs.  However, with their defensive depth, it seems rather unlikely that he would.  Instead, he’ll likely serve as a Black Ace and burn the first of what will be a two-year, entry-level deal in the process.

At the moment, Toronto has just $547K in cap space, per CapFriendly.  While the terms of Webber’s deal aren’t known yet, it can’t be lower than $775K so they’ll have to make a roster move to free up the cap room to add him.  The easiest path to do that would be to paper winger Nicholas Robertson back to AHL Toronto for the final few days of the regular season, then recall him for the postseason.

Macklin Celebrini Wins Hobey Baker Award

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While Thursday night was a disappointing one for Macklin Celebrini as his Boston University team was eliminated in the Frozen Four semi-finals, Friday was a better one for the 17-year-old.  After being named the NCAA’s top rookie earlier in the day, it was also announced (Twitter link) that he won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.

Celebrini is considered the consensus number one selection for the upcoming draft in June and is coming off a dominant freshman campaign with the Terriers.  He played in 38 games this season, recording 32 goals and 32 assists, good for third in NCAA scoring.  Those numbers are impressive for anyone let alone a player who was the youngest in Division I as Celebrini was.

An all-around offensive threat, Celebrini was a franchise center for Boston University this season and profiles as one in the NHL.  While he told Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link) that he’s not against coming back for a sophomore year, that would certainly be a surprising outcome.  Instead, it’s expected that he’ll be suiting up for whoever selects him with the top pick two and a half months from now.

Celebrini beat out two other forwards who were finalists for the award, Boston College’s Cutter Gauthier, who Anaheim acquired in a midseason swap, and the University of North Dakota’s Jackson Blake, who signed his entry-level deal with Carolina earlier this week.

Celebrini is the fourth player from Boston University to win this award, joining Jack Eichel (2015), Matt Gilroy (2009) and Chris Drury (1998).

Metro Notes: Oshie, Shea, Lucius

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Tom Gulitti of NHL.com is reporting that veteran Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie told reporters today that he felt good and will be joining the club on their upcoming road trip. Oshie has been dealing with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since March 30th. The six-time 20-goal scorer has been limited to just 47 games this season as he has dealt with injury concerns for nearly half the year.

The 37-year-old Oshie has been dealing with back issues through much of the season and has used the service of a chiropractor on several occasions to relieve some of the pain and allow him to play. When he has played, he’s been limited offensively as he has just 11 goals and 11 assists this season.

The Capitals are in Detroit tomorrow night to take on the Red Wings and although Oshie is travelling with the team, Washington head coach Spencer Carbery wouldn’t commit to an answer regarding Oshie’s availability for tomorrow night’s game.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Post-Gazette Sports reporter Matt Vensel tweeted that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea is in Buffalo dealing with an immigration issue as the Penguins head north of the border to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening. Pittsburgh is hoping that Shea will be available by gametime as the Penguins look to continue their surge towards an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Shea has been playing his best hockey of the season as of late, finding a home on the Penguins’ bottom pairing. He scored his first NHL goal on Thursday night in a 4-1 win over Washington.
  • Mark Divver of NHL.com tweeted that Penguins prospect Cruz Lucius has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will likely land at Arizona State. The 20-year-old spent last season at the University of Wisconsin and led the Badgers in scoring with 13 goals and 21 assists in 36 games. Lucius becomes the fifth Badgers player to enter the transfer portal and it caps off an eventful few months as the former fourth-round pick was traded at the NHL trade deadline as part of the Carolina Hurricanes package to acquire forward Jake Guentzel from the Penguins.

College Transfer Updates: Pohlkamp, Benoit, Makar, Kukkonen

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As college seasons have largely wound up aside from the four teams participating in the Frozen Four next week, activity in the transfer portal has picked up.  Here’s a rundown of the recent transfer news involving NHL prospects, via Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

  • Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp has transferred from Bemidji State to the University of Denver. The 20-year-old defenseman was a fifth-round pick last June, going 132nd overall after a strong season offensively with Cedar Rapids of the USHL.  Pohlkamp had a productive freshman year for a blueliner, notching 11 goals and 13 assists in 32 games for the Beavers and will now join Denver, a program that has three of the top 15 blueline scorers in Division I.  Two of those could be turning pro soon which would open up a spot for Pohlkamp to play a prominent role.
  • Wild blueliner Nate Benoit is looking for a new school as he has entered the transfer portal. Drafted in the sixth round in 2021 (182nd overall), Benoit only made his college debut this season with the University of North Dakota but was limited to just 19 games and just 8:31 per night.  The 21-year-old will undoubtedly be looking to find a program where he can play a more prominent role.
  • After three years at UMass, Avalanche forward Taylor Makar is off to the University of Maine. The 23-year-old, who is Cale’s brother, was Colorado’s seventh-round pick in 2021 (210th overall) but hasn’t had much success so far at the NCAA level and tallied just four goals and five assists in 36 games this season.
  • After Kyle Kukkonen’s sophomore year at Michigan State didn’t go anywhere near as well as his freshman campaign, he has transferred to Wisconsin. The Ducks drafted the 21-year-old in the sixth round in 2021 (162nd overall) and things were looking up last year when he had 18 goals and nine assists in 39 games.  However, the center was limited to just a goal and 11 helpers in 27 contests this season, leading to the change of scenery.

Canucks Notes: Joshua, Silovs, Garland, Gardner

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The Canucks have nine players eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer and they won’t be able to afford bringing them all back so they’ll have to prioritize who they want to try to keep around.  To that end, team president Jim Rutherford told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre that forward Dakota Joshua is one of their priorities to keep around.  The 27-year-old is in the midst of a breakout year that has seen him set new career highs offensively, notching 15 goals and 13 assists in 57 games along with 221 hits.  A late-bloomer who wasn’t even a full-time regular until last season, Joshua has been a nice bargain for Vancouver, playing on a deal with an AAV of just $825K.  It will likely take three times that amount or more to keep him around for 2024-25 and beyond.

More from Vancouver:

  • One way they could try to save money to keep their UFAs around would be to spend less on their backup goalie position. Thomas Drance of The Athletic outlines (subscription link) how Vancouver could deploy Arturs Silovs next season, either as the outright second-stringer to Thatcher Demko or by shuffling him back and forth between AHL Abbotsford to take advantage of his waiver exemption.  Silovs is a pending RFA whose next contract shouldn’t be much higher than the minimum salary while current backup Casey DeSmith is a pending UFA and is likely heading for a raise on his $1.8MM AAV.
  • Conor Garland is still a long way from retirement but the 28-year-old is already thinking ahead to his post-playing days. In an interview with Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma, Garland indicated that he wants to “coach more than anything” and has coached at some tournaments in past summers.  He has bounced back relatively well this season after being prominently featured in trade speculation, notching 16 goals and 24 assists through 76 games, numbers that are close to last year’s despite a dip in playing time to 14:19 per night.
  • Prospect Daimon Gardner has entered the NCAA transfer portal, reports Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). The 20-year-old center was a fourth-round pick by Vancouver back in 2022 (112th overall) after a dominant showing at the high school level.  He averaged over a point per game in 2022-23 in the USHL before making the jump to college this season.  However, his role was quite limited with Clarkson as he had just a goal and five assists in 29 appearances, resulting in him landing in the portal.

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