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Flyers Sign Free Agent Matt Read From Bemidji State |
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A Closer Look at the East Regional - Yale, Union, MN-Duluth, Air Force
A Closer Look at the West Regional - Boston College, Michigan, Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado College
As you may have heard, the Flyers signed a college hockey free agent yesterday - Matt Read (pronounced REED) a senior from Bemidji State University.
He's a point per game player and has been over the course of his college career earning 143 points in 144 games. He's a playmaker, a leader, the go-to guy for the Beavers and despite being only 5'10 and 185 pounds, he has no problem going to the dirty areas and is a real pain in the rear to play against.
Read helped lead BSU to the Frozen Four as a sophomore and helped get them to the conference semifinals in their first season in the WCHA. He plays in every situation and Flyer fans are going to love his work ethic. He will give everything he has and when he doesn't have anything left, he'll find more.
Like Matt Gilroy - then of Boston University and now of the New York Rangers - Read will turn 25 over the summer and is therefore not bound by the rules of a standard rookie contract. He will sign an ATO and report to Adirondiak for the next two weeks as they finish out their season and then next year his three year deal worth 2.7 million will start. Here's the kicker - it's a one-way deal, meaning he gets paid the same no matter where he plays within the organization.
Some of you have asked me why a team would go after college free agents as hard as the Flyers do and the simple answer is to replenish the pipeline. The longer answer is when you have a team like the Flyers who expects to go deep in the playoffs every year and subsequently earn a late first-round pick, they'd rather take their chances with someone who's already further along in their development and with a clearer picture of the type of player/person they're getting than an unproven 18 year old. It's because they are so good at the college free agent game (under relatively new GM Paul Holmgren) that they are willing to trade their draft picks so often.
There are more college free agents to be had this year and you can be sure the Flyers will sign a few more before the summer is over.
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I'm on my way to Boston for the Regionals this weekend, but I'll be back later today with a look at the Northeast Bracket featuring Miami, Merrimack, Notre Dame and New Hampshire.
Julie
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@JulieRobenhymer
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