Previewing The 2023 College Free Agent Market: Goaltenders
With the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there should be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings (and this year is no exception) but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the goalies that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks. This pool of players isn’t as deep as the skaters but there should be a few netminders at least who will put pen to paper on a contract. The forward preview can be found here while the defense preview is here.
Cooper Black, Dartmouth
It’s probably a bit early for Black to be on this list, especially since he’s coming off only his freshman season, one that didn’t exactly go too well with just five wins and a .899 SV% in 30 appearances. However, the 21-year-old is listed at 6’8 and that might be on the small side. That type of size should be enticing enough for some teams to kick the tires on him this season although the smarter move for him is probably to stay for at least one more year.
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame
His senior season was a strong one, posting a .931 SV% for the Fighting Irish which was good for second in Division I behind only Devon Levi, a Buffalo prospect. This was Bischel’s only season as a true starter so he doesn’t quite have the full track record that some other free agent netminders have but he’ll be 24 in July and going back for the bonus season likely doesn’t make sense. He’s a bit undersized for the position at 6’1 so it’s possible that he might have to settle for an AHL deal to start.
Gustavs Davis-Grigals, UMass-Lowell
Davis-Grigals opted to transfer from Alaska-Fairbanks before this season and the move worked out well for him as he put up better numbers (a 2.05 GAA and a .924 SV%) with the River Hawks in a stronger program. The 24-year-old also has some international experience with his native Latvia. An NHL contract might be difficult to come by but there should be some interest in him on a minor league deal.
Victor Ostman, Maine
The decision for Ostman to come to North America back in 2019 has worked out well as one good USHL season and three quality college seasons later, the 22-year-old sits at the top of the class at his position. He posted a .918 SV% in 33 games this year with the Black Bears along with five shutouts and at 6’4, he has the size that teams covet. Will Ostman become the next to come from what has been a bit of a goalie factory in Maine that has also graduated Jimmy Howard, Ben Bishop, and Jeremy Swayman over the last two decades?
Luke Pavicich, UMass
Pavicich just completed his sophomore season and his first as a starter after getting into just four games in his freshman year. The 20-year-old did well in his expanded role, putting up a .920 SV% despite the Minutemen having a losing record. Again, this might be a bit early for him as his entry-level deal would be three years but an NHL team might want to get him into their system now over running the risk of Pavicich improving his market a year from now.
T.J. Semptimphelter, Arizona State
Another netminder who opted to use the transfer portal last offseason, Semptimphelter opted to leave a strong situation with Northeastern (who had Levi between the pipes) in search of more playing time. He found that with the Sun Devils, getting into all but three games this season while posting a respectable .913 SV%. Semptimphelter doesn’t turn 21 until May and again, this might be a year early for him unless there’s a team that’s convinced of his upside and is okay with a long development curve in the minors.
Others To Watch For
Justen Close, Minnesota
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech
These three goalies all had stellar showings this season with save percentages in the top five in Division I. So why are they listed here as a group? They’re all on the smaller side. There are very few small goalies in the NHL and netminders that are small in stature typically wind up with a minor league deal to start. Perets and Pietila are Hobey Baker Award finalists but as we saw with last year’s winner in Dryden McKay, even that isn’t automatically enough to earn an entry-level deal. Will one buck the trend and land an NHL agreement?
Injury Updates: Comrie, Guhle, Sharks
There should soon be a logjam between the pipes in Buffalo for the stretch run. Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News relays that goaltender Eric Comrie has resumed skating and is expected to return soon from his lower-body injury. The 27-year-old has had a rough first season with the Sabres, posting a 3.95 GAA with a .877 SV% in 17 starts. When cleared, he’ll join Craig Anderson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as available options for Buffalo (Luukkonen wasn’t papered down at the deadline and thus is ineligible to play there again this season). Those three will also soon be joined by top prospect Devon Levi who is still waiting for his immigration paperwork to be finalized to allow him to officially join the team.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Following their victory last night over Tampa Bay, the Canadiens announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a high ankle sprain. Despite dealing with injuries off and on, it was still a quality rookie campaign for the 21-year-old who had 18 points in 44 games while averaging over 20 minutes a night on a young Montreal back end. The team also noted that surgery will not be required.
- The Sharks could get a pair of veterans back on their current road trip which runs through Saturday as Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now notes (Twitter link) that blueliners Radim Simek (concussion) and Jacob MacDonald (upper body) are close to returning from their respective injuries. Neither player logs heavy minutes on the back end but their returns would allow Nikolai Knyzhov and Derrick Pouliot to return to the minors to try to help their farm team push for a play-in spot in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, Peng adds that Jonah Gadjovich isn’t close to returning; the winger has been out week-to-week for the last five weeks with an upper-body injury.
League Updates: Boyle, Ekman-Larsson, IIHF
The NHL Network will be adding a new face as they announce former player Brian Boyle will be joining the staff. Although he did suit up last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boyle is now officially retired from the NHL.
Over his 14-year career, Boyle was originally drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the famous 2003 NHL Draft. He then would go on to play seasons for the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers, before finishing up with the Penguins. In 871 career games, Boyle scored 141 goals and 252 points overall.
In August 2017, shortly before training camp would open up for the Devils, Boyle discovered that he had been struck with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer. Boyle would return to hockey, playing the rest of the season in New Jersey, and being rewarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the season. Thankfully, just over a year later, Boyle announced that his cancer was in remission, and he went on to play for another three years.
Other notes:
- Patrick Johnston of The Province wrote an article today explaining that Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will likely not return to the ice this year. Suffering a sprained ankle in the team’s February 15th game against the Rangers, Ekman-Larsson has not played since. After being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson was on pace to have his best season in point production since 2018-19, but he will now be unable to eclipse that. Playing in Vancouver this year, Ekman-Larsson will finish with two goals and 22 assists, with a -24 +/-.
- The IIHF has announced that Russia and Belarus will not be included in any international competitions for the 2023-24 season. This will mark the second official suspension of both teams, making the initial call in February of 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many pundits are speculating about when the eventual suspensions will stop, or if there is another solution possible altogether, as the war does not seem close to slowing down as of now.
West Notes: Peterson, Vilardi, Imama, Kelemen
After being included in a minor league swap at the trade deadline, Jacob Peterson only managed to play a single game with the Dallas Stars this year. After being shipped to the San Jose Sharks, he has only played for their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, but will now get his first call-up with the organization.
In his second full season in North America, Peterson has fared much better in the minor leagues this year. In 44 games for Dallas’ AHL affiliate Texas Stars, Peterson put up 13 goals and 13 assists. Since being acquired by San Jose, he has suited up in eight games for the Barracuda, scoring a single goal and also putting up five assists.
It is no secret that the Sharks are in full-on tank mode, so players like Peterson should be seeing more time down the stretch. GM Mike Grier will likely be using the rest of the year as a test run to see what they’ll be able to build around going forward in San Jose.
Other notes:
- After crashing into the boards in the third period during the Los Angeles Kings’ route against the Calgary Flames Monday night, forward Gabriel Vilardi did not return for the rest of the game. This morning, Kevin Weekes of ESPN gave an update on his status moving forward, but nothing definitive was given. The Kings do not play again until this Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, so the hope there is that Vilardi will be ready for that game. In what should be regarded as his breakout season, the young Kings forward has amassed 23 goals and 18 assists through 61 games this year, good for seventh on the team in total scoring.
- Continuing their trend of making an emergency call-up seemingly every day, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forwards Milos Kelemen and Bokondji Imama from their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Both players have managed a handful of games in the NHL this season, Kelemen playing in three, and Imama playing in four. They have both equally been unable to score any points for the Coyotes so far this season.
Atlantic Notes: Savage, Brodie, Mandolese, McMann
According to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, Red Wings’ prospect Redmond Savage is transferring to Michigan State University. Drafted 114th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Savage will take his talents closer to where he will eventually be playing.
Throughout his 67 regular season games played for Miami University (Ohio), Savage was able to put up 13 goals and 17 assists over his 2-year span. More famously, on the world stage, Savage was included on the roster of the United States World Junior team, playing in both tournaments this year and last. Throughout his 12 tournament games, Savage scored nine points for the United States team.
Since joining the Big Ten Conference before the 2013-14 NCAA season, the Spartans have only managed to earn a winning season one time in 2015. However, for the first time under new head coach Adam Nightingale, the Spartans won their quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame but eventually lost to the University of Minnesota in this year’s Big Ten tournament.
Other notes:
- From Mark Masters of TSN, after sitting out of yesterday’s game against the New York Islanders, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, says that defenseman T.J. Brodie will be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. After handily losing to the Islanders on Tuesday, Brodie should be a welcomed return to the Maple Leafs against a surging Panthers team. Although his point production is down this season, Brodie has still been keen on his defensive aspects of the game, including being one of the better shot blockers in the league.
- After netminder Dylan Ferguson became ill before yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Ottawa Senators re-called Kevin Mandolese from their AHL affiliate Belleville Senators. Today, the Senators announced that they have returned Mandolese back to Belleville. With the Senators dealing with injuries between the pipes, Mandolese has started in three games this year, going 2-1-0 with a .916 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.
- Furthermore, on the Maple Leafs, David Alter of Sports Illustrated passes on a message from Keefe, announcing that forward Bobby McMann has re-aggravated a knee injury and will not play tomorrow night against the Panthers. McMann has been recalled a couple of times this year on an emergency loan, getting into ten games with the Maple Leafs, and producing one assist overall. Playing for the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, McMann has been an incredibly valuable forward, playing in 30 games, and scoring 21 goals over that span.
Jon McDonald Expected To Join Detroit Red Wings Organization
According to a report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Detroit Red Wings are expected to sign college free agent defenseman Jon McDonald to a contract. It’s unclear at this time whether McDonald will be signing an NHL or AHL contract, and no financial details have been reported.
The move marks a return home for the 24-year-old McDonald, who was born in Livonia, Mich., and played youth hockey in Detroit. McDonald just completed his fifth season at UMass-Lowell, recording 20 points in 35 games while serving as captain during his final campaign.
McDonald is the second captain from UMass-Lowell to sign a contract today, joining now-Edmonton Oilers prospect Carl Berglund.
A left-shot defenseman, McDonald stands at 6’0″ and 181 pounds. While he never put up any notable scoring numbers in junior hockey with the USHL’s Fargo Force, McDonald’s point totals steadily increased throughout his time in college. He enters the pro ranks as a much more well-rounded player.
Weekes had reported earlier Wednesday that interest was heating up in McDonald’s services.
Columbus Blue Jackets Reassign Daniil Tarasov
The Columbus Blue Jackets have returned netminder Daniil Tarasov to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, according to an announcement from the team.
The transaction indicates that starting netminder Elvis Merzlikins is likely ready to return to the team. Merzlikins has been away from the team for two weeks on personal leave, returning home to Latvia to be with his grandmother as she deals with an illness.
Tarasov’s most recent stint with the big club didn’t go particularly well. The 23-year-old netminder did register two wins in four appearances but posted just a .840 save percentage. It hasn’t been a great showing for Tarasov in the NHL overall this season, as he has a 4-11-1 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.91 goals-against average on the year. The numbers are a step back from the strong showing he had in three starts last year, posting a .937 save percentage.
His AHL numbers have been equally concerning. In nine games with Cleveland, his action limited in part due to preseason injuries and multiple recalls to Columbus, he has a .871 save percentage and 4.07 goals-against average.
Goaltenders do take longer to develop, and there’s still plenty of time left on the track for Tarasov, who was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Still, the team undoubtedly hopes for a strong showing down the stretch in Cleveland from the young netminder.
USA Hockey Names David Quinn Head Coach For Men’s World Championship
USA Hockey has named San Jose Sharks bench boss David Quinn as their head coach for the upcoming 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship, according to a release from the organization.
This is the second straight season that USA Hockey has named Quinn as their coach for the tournament, and it adds to his extensive experience coaching the US at international events. Quinn guided the U.S. to a fourth-place finish in last year’s tournament, losing the bronze medal game to Czechia by a score of 8-4.
Joining Quinn as adds to the men’s team front office are New York Rangers assistant general manager Ryan Martin and Calgary Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy, who will both assist with player personnel. Martin was the general manager of last year’s team, while this is Conroy’s first managerial experience with the national organization.
The tournament is set to take place between May 12 and May 28 in both Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia. Potential high-end players from non-playoff teams that could appear on the USA roster are Clayton Keller, Quinn Hughes, Johnny Gaudreau, J.T. Miller, and Trevor Zegras.
Chris Clark, the current general manager of the U.S. men’s team, gave the following statement:
“It’s great to have David coaching our team again this year. He knows the player pool extremely well and understands the dynamics involved in preparing a team to win a gold medal on the world stage.
Injury Notes: Hall, Avalanche, Rangers
With the playoffs beginning in just a handful of weeks, it appears an important piece of the Boston Bruins lineup is gearing up for a return from injury. Winger Taylor Hall was practicing in a non-contact jersey this morning, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.
The skilled winger has been out of action since the end of February with a knee injury, and the Bruins are currently using his $6MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve to stay cap compliant down the stretch. If Hall is ready to return before the start of the playoffs, April 17, Boston would need to operate with an extremely trim roster to stay compliant before the end of the regular season. That likely won’t matter much for their success, with the President’s Trophy all but clinched.
- While Erik Johnson had already returned to skating in a normal jersey at Colorado Avalanche practice, two other injured players joined him today — Cale Makar and Darren Helm, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Helm, who’s appeared in just five games this year as he’s been sidelined with multiple injuries, is set to rejoin the lineup tonight, says The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Makar had missed the team’s last game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
- Ryan Lindgren and Tyler Motte both had maintenance days for the New York Rangers today, per Larry Books of The New York Post. Lindgren is fresh off returning from an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury, and the team is likely going to ease him back into a normal game and practice routine with health for the playoffs at the top of everyone’s mind. Motte missed two games with an upper-body injury earlier in the month but has skated in seven straight contests since then, looking no worse for wear with three goals and an assist.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Carl Berglund
The Edmonton Oilers have announced the signing of Swedish forward Carl Berglund to a two-year entry level contract. Berglund spent the year playing his senior NCAA season with UMass Lowell where he had 12 goals and 15 assists in 36 games. His two-year deal will cover the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons; however, Berglund will report to Edmonton’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors after signing an AHL amateur tryout agreement to cover the remainder of this season.
Should Berglund make the Oilers in either of the next two seasons he will have a cap hit of $925K, however should he play in the AHL he would make a salary of $80K. Each season will also see him collect a signing bonus of $92.5K as part of his entry level deal. Not bad for a player who went undrafted just a few years ago.
For his NCAA career Berglund has amassed 36 goals and 53 assists in 114 career games with UMass Lowell. Prior to his college career, the 23-year-old scored 16 points in 37 USHL games and won a Clark Cup with the Sioux Falls Stampede.
Berglund is a late bloomer and could be an interesting prospect for the Oilers farm system. He has good size at 6’2″ and 207 pounds, is good off the rush, and can play center as well as on the wing. It is a good signing for Edmonton as they are able to bring in a young player without having to use any draft capital.