With the college season nearing an end there are a plethora of undrafted players who are currently hitting the free agency market. Sometimes these signings are successful like Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers and sometimes they don't quite measure up to expectations like Justin Schultz and the Oilers.
Late last night the Penguins dipped their fins into the free agency waters and landed a skilled defenseman who has shown some offensive ability in his college career at St. Cloud State. In fact he led the nation in scoring as a defenseman.
I am a casual observer of college hockey. I attend a few RIT games each year but that is about the extent of it. The NHL stuff takes most of my time. Others in the blogosphere are much more in tune with the prospect scene and one of those people is Jesse Marshall of The Pens Blog. These are his immediate thoughts about the signing
Gonna do a write up on Ethan Prow here shortly, suffice to say this is a fantastic get for the Penguins. Absolutely fantastic.
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) March 29, 2016
But I'll say this: you'd be hard pressed to find a dman in NCAA hockey over the last few years that can snipe like Prow can. Just lethal.
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) March 29, 2016
And here is the piece he just published
NEW PENSBLOG: Scouting Report - Ethan Prow is a steal for Jim Rutherford, Penguins. (With GIF's!) https://t.co/GtMIzVaGH9
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) March 29, 2016
Encouraging words. Even if it doesn't pan out the Penguins haven't invested anything here so this is one of those nice low risk moves teams should be making.
Pittsburgh is also rumored to be interested in Czech player Daniel Pribyl
PIT, NSH, CGY amongst at least half dozen teams interested in UFA Daniel Pribyl, a 23-yr-old, 6-3 skilled F who plays for Sparta Praha.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) March 28, 2016
Pribyl is 23 years old and has played exclusively in the Czech Republic to this point
Here is some contractual information regarding the Penguins, or any team, pursuing Pribyl:
For those discussing Daniel Pribyl. He's eligible to sign a 2-year ELC. A right handed fwd averaging a point pt./gm. in the Czech league.
— Wolfram Ott (@WolframOtt) March 28, 2016
In other big college free agent news Harvard forward Jimmy Vesey has declined to sign with the Nashville Predators and will be exercising his option to become a UFA on August 15th. He is a skilled left winger with top six potential which is exactly the kind of player the Penguins should be looking for. There will be plenty of competition for Vesey's services and Pittsburgh is probably not going to be one of the front runners to get him, but they should try.
Pittsburgh's selling point would be placing Vesey with Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin which isn't a bad way to go about things. However, it appears the early speculation has Toronto (family ties) and Boston (where he lives and went to school) as the early front runners for his services.
Personally I applaud the decision made by Vesey to become a free agent. The way the NHL's current system is set up does not allow young players and ownership over where they play. I can't fault a young player for taking advantage of a situation where they can own their future career path.
I think the Nashville Predators have a right to be upset and at the same time I think that can be true without criticizing Vesey's decision. The fact of the matter is this is a business and the young Harvard grad made a good business decision, go figure. Nashville seems to be upset that Vesey gave a verbal agreement to join the team but people can change their minds. NHL GM's screw over players all the time but you don't hear them reference things like that when the players get the upper hand for a change. Teams bail on draft picks all the time.
the nashville predators have rejected 71 of their own draft picks up to but not including jimmy vesey's draft class
— Indignant Otter (@Puckologist) March 29, 2016
Vesey's situation is also no different than a player committing to a long term deal with a team and then having that GM trade them away shortly thereafter. There is a reason all these no trade clauses exist and it is because GM's have no problem moving on from players at a moments notice. In this case the player had no problem moving on from the team.
In the words of the great Omar Little: "It's all in the game."
Pittsburgh plays the Buffalo Sabres tonight who will be without Evander Kane. Pittsburgh will continue to be without the services of Brian Dumoulin
Coach Sullivan on Brian Dumoulin: “He is making progress and is day-to-day at this point."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 29, 2016
The day to day diagnosis is nice to see but if Dumoulin does indeed have a concussion it is tough to put a time table on that sort of thing.
Matt Murray will start in goal.
Red Wings take on the Canadiens tonight with the Islanders facing off against the Hurricanes. Pittsburgh has a three point lead on the Islanders and a five point lead on the Red Wings. A win over Buffalo will make sure those two teams cannot close the gap.
****
Brand new Hockey Hurts Podcast discusses the Jimmy Vesey situation plus the excellence of Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. You can find thathere
You can support the podcast here
Thanks for reading!