Florida Panthers Sign Zachary Uens
The Florida Panthers have convinced another college draft pick to turn pro, signing Zachary Uens to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2022-23 and ends his college career after three years at Merrimack–just like teammate Declan Carlile who signed with the rival Tampa Bay Lightning earlier today. Panthers general manager Bill Zito released a statement on his newest prospect:
Zachary is a dynamic and skilled defenseman who excels at moving the puck. He showcased his competitiveness during his three seasons at Merrimack and we’re looking forward to his continued growth and development taking place within the Panthers organization.
Uens, 20, was the 105th overall pick in 2020, after originally going undrafted in 2019. The young defenseman put up 19 points in 34 games for Merrimack this season, becoming–just like Carlile–a nominee for the Hobey Baker. While he’s not expected to make the Top-Ten Finalists list that will be revealed later today, Uens has taken the next step in his hockey career by joining the Panthers organization.
He’ll likely now head to the Charlotte Checkers on an amateur tryout, where his career at the professional level will continue. Whether he can continue to develop is the question now, as there are still quite a few steps before he’ll be contributing to the Panthers’ blueline. Still, he’s joining a franchise that has proven over the last few years to have an eye for spotting overlooked talent, and perhaps he’ll be the next one to make a big splash after running mostly under the radar to this point.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Declan Carlile
The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought in another undrafted talent, this time on defense. PuckPedia reports that Declan Carlile has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, one that will kick in for the 2022-23 season. The contract carries a cap hit of $855K, and ends Carlile’s collegiate career after three seasons at Merrimack. Carlile will report to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season.
Carlile, 21, had an interesting junior career before heading to college, one that took him through the OJHL and USHL, playing for various teams. The 6’2″ defenseman turned in an impressive freshman campaign with Merrimack in 2019-20 but like many others, had a year to forget with the COVID-restricted 2020-21 season. He was back to full strength this year and scored seven goals and 24 points in 35 games, earning a Second All-Star Team bid in Hockey East.
Though he would eventually go undrafted, it’s not like Carlile was a completely under-the-radar prospect. He ranked 176th among North American skaters in 2018 and did get drafted into the OHL by the Oshawa Generals, though decided on the NCAA route instead. Now an effective player at both ends of the rink, he’ll jump into a Lightning organization that is known for polishing the rough edges of a prospect and squeezing NHL minutes out of unexpected places. With a contract in hand, he’ll be the next project for the Tampa Bay development staff.