College Free Agents

[Patrick Jane]

College hockey is in the postseason portion of its schedule with conference tournaments underway and, soon thereafter, the 2015 NCAA Tournament. That also means teams are seeing their seasons come to an end and, for those players who are not draft-eligible and still free agents, it's a chance to sign professional contracts.

Every season, a number of undrafted college free agents draw the attention of NHL teams, and some end up getting contracts. Here are a few names to watch:

Matt O'Connor, Boston University (goalie) -- When the Terriers were struggling mightily last season, O'Connor was still putting up pretty strong numbers, with a .920 save percentage in 22 games. This season, with an influx of young talent, O'Connor has seen his record improve, currently at 20-3-4, with a .928 save percentage. At 6-foot-6, he's got the frame of an NHL goaltender, and a pretty calm on- and off-ice demeanor.

Evan Rodrigues, Boston University (forward) -- Rodrigues would probably be the first to admit he's been a major beneficiary of playing on the top line in college hockey. The senior forward has played next to 2012 NHL Draft pick Danny O'Regan (fifth round, San Jose Sharks), and soon-to-be top two pick in the 2015 draft and super-prospect Jack Eichel.

Rodrigues' numbers have spiked this season. He's set career-highs in goals (18), assists (36) and points (54). The only player in the country with more points than Rodrigues is his linemate, Eichel. Rodrigues' numbers alone will earn him some attention, but he is a good skater and a skilled forward with good hands and a quick release.

Grayson Downing, University of New Hampshire (forward) -- A talented offensive player, Downing can play at each end of the ice. He's been a consistent performer for the Wildcats, scoring at least 10 goals in each of his four seasons. This year he's up to 21, including an overtime-winner Friday in Game 1 of New Hampshire's Hockey East Quarterfinal series against Providence. He knows how to finish around the goal and has an NHL-caliber shot.

Austin Czarnik, Miami (forward) -- Playing on one of the best teams in the nation this season, Czarnik hasn't put the puck in the net as much (seven goals) as past seasons, but his 32 assists are sixth in the country. Czarnik is another player who has produced four effective years: He had at least 37 points in each of his first three seasons, and is currently at 40, with the potential for as many as five more games. Czarnik is on the small side at 5-foot-8 but is incredibly quick and a playmaker who sees the ice well. He fits the mold of the new smaller, quicker NHL forward.

Tom Parisi, Providence (defenseman) -- A strong skater who plays against plenty of top-end forwards in Hockey East, Parisi has made strides in his junior season, when many college hockey players take the next step. He has set career-highs in assists (13) and points (16) this season, showing some offensive growth. He's not a flashy defenseman but always seems to make the right first-pass exiting the zone and rarely makes the big mistake.

Kenney Morrison, Western Michigan (defenseman) -- Possibly the most-coveted free-agent defenseman, Morrison came back for his junior season despite getting some NHL attention after his sophomore year. He plays a ton of minutes and has pretty good quickness to go along with a bigger frame. He's been a weapon on the power play with one of the heaviest shots in college hockey. His season is over, so he'll receive a lot of attention from NHL teams.

Others to watch: Casey Bailey, Penn State (forward); Hampus Gustafsson, Merrimack (forward);Clay Witt, Northeastern (goalie); Daniel Ciampini, Union (forward); Matt Garbowsky, Rochester (forward)

[hatedkid666]

Parisi, Morrison and o'connor would be unrealistic. So maybe one of them

[Odd.]

Parisi, Morrison and o'connor would be unrealistic. So maybe one of them

Maybe none of them.

We need space to sign other guys like Subban, McNally, Kenins, Baertschi, etc.

[Tortorella's Rant]

Meh..

[VegasCanuck]

Maybe none of them.

We need space to sign other guys like Subban, McNally, Kenins, Baertschi, etc.

Not until summer, and their contracts won't kick in until after July 1.

[gmen81]

Downing scored 3 of the 5 goals UNH had in its best of 3 series win against Providence. UNH had been struggling all year, but have put together a pretty good run. They will need to come out of Hockey East if they want any chance of making it to the NCAA tournament.

[Heretic]

Hmnnnnnnnnnn.....I wonder where he's going? My guess is the Oilers....

Report: Highly sought after free-agent narrows his choice down to four teams.

CANUCKS, NHL NEWS, OILERS, RANGERS, SENATORS ON APRIL 28, 2015

One of the most highly touted free-agent prospects has almost made up his mind about where he would like to spend his future.

Boston University goaltender Matt O’ Connor has narrowed his choices for an NHL team down to four. Those teams are the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers, the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers.

According to Sportsnet, O’Connor, 23 is set to wrap up his interviews tomorrow in Manhattan. The 6’5 netminder met with new Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli on Monday, and he’ll be in New York on Wednesday, where Glen Sather and the Rangers will try and woo the Toronto native.

O’ Connor backstopped Boston University Terriers to the NCAA Championship game, where they lost a 4-3 decision to Providence. In that game, O’ Connor mishandled a long shot, giving up a crucial goal and eventually falling by a score of 4-3 to the Providence Friars. Despite that momentary lapse, O’ Connor put up very solid numbers throughout his collegiate career. In 35 games with BU in 2014-2015 he recorded a G.A.A of 2.18 and a Save Percentage of .927.

The New York Rangers are already very solid in goal with starter Henrik Lundqvist signed through the year 2021. Backup Cam Talbot will be an unrestricted free agent after next season and will likely find a home elsewhere, gven his excellent play for the Rangers this season.

The Vancouver Canucks already have two capable goaltender in Ryan Miller and Eddie Lack, but with Miller sustaining an injury before the playoffs the team elected to go with Lack. Lack did not play as well as the team needed and the Canucks were eliminated by the Calgary Flames in six games.

It seems very likely that the Ottawa Senators will re-sign backup goaltender Andrew Hammond, who sparkled down the stretch and managed to carry his team to the playoffs. However, should Hammond opt to go the route of free-agency, the Sens also have Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson under contract. They also have a pair of prospect goaltenders in Chris Driedger and 6-foot-4 Swede Marcus Hogberg waiting in the wings. At the moment they look stacked in goal.

The Edmonton Oilers are an obvious choice as they are currently searching for a goalie to play ahead of Ben Scrivens for next season, but their options are very limited. Barring the Oilers pulling off a trade for Cam Talbot or Kings backup Martin Jones, it is likely they will end up signing an older goaltender to a shorter contract. They do not have a ton of depth in goal and the idea of playing sooner rather than later may sway O’ Connor Edmonton’s way.

O’ Connor should announce his decision in the shortly. Where do you think he should sign?

http://www.hockeyfeed.com/report-highly-sought-after-free-agent-narrows-his-choice-down-to-four-teams/

[Bobby_Lu1ngo]

Justin schultz round 2. Bet he goes to edmonton. Would be good for them as they could focus on defense in this draft after their mcdavid pick. They are not far away in edmonton. We are hooped.