Following impressive showings at the 2016 Prospects Challenge the New Jersey Devils have signed forward Blake Speers and defenseman Colton White to three-year entry-level contracts.
Speers, a 3rd round pick in 2015, is coming off an impressive 2015-16 campaign where he led the Soo Greyhounds with 74 points in 68 games while also serving as the team's captain. He followed that up with 10 points in 12 playoff games before tallying four (three goals, one assist) in two games at the prospect tournament in Buffalo.
White also had a strong season for the Greyhounds. He led the blue line in goals with nine, finished 2nd in points with 35 and logged big minutes in all situations while appearing in all 80 regular season/playoff games.
White figures to be a defense-first guy at the next level but he makes a good first pass and his offensive game is improving so perhaps he'll be able to chip in that way as well.
Speers and White will return to the Greyhounds this season where they'll both play key roles on what should be a middle-to-upper tier team.
Barring poor seasons they will both likely turn pro and be full timers in Albany during the 2017-18 season.