Speculation: 2024 NCAA/Europe/Juniors Free Agents

[Djp]

Reminder...2020 drafted players who are in NCAA and not graduating can opt for the 30 day,_ june 1. Those graduating have until aug 15 th o sign with rights to holder.

Are you considering sd kr for of these candidates,?

 

[Chainshot]

Oskari Laaksonen was never able to crack the NHL lineups for Buffalo or Dallas in three AHL seasons.

Now in the SHL he is averaging over 21 minutes of ice time and is putting up decent offensive numbers for Orebro; he was also picked to play for Finland in the Europe Trophy Tournament.

He turns 25 this summer so his window may be closing.

Has he figured out that he has to make contact with another human when defending yet? That kid was hip to social distancing before there was social distancing requirements.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Has he figured out that he has to make contact with another human when defending yet? That kid was hip to social distancing before there was social distancing requirements.

Have never seen him play but can think of a number of forwards who had that same issue early in their career. As they matured and gained a better understanding of positioning they became effective players. New Jersey's Jesper Bratt may be the most drastic example.

 

[Saxon Eric]

 

[Saxon Eric]

 

[Brodeur]

Just an FYI, ELC length is determined by the CBA by age and that's determined as:

9.2 Age of Players. As used in this Article, "age," including "First SPC Signing Age," means a Player's age on September 15 of the calendar year in which he signs an SPC, regardless of his actual age on the date he signs such SPC.

Collin Graf (September 21) would be an edge case and would still be 21 if/when he signs in a few weeks. Unfortunately for him, that's the difference between a 3 year ELC and a 2 year ELC if he had been born a week earlier.

21 years old: 3 year ELC - Collin Graf + CHL undrafted free agents
22-23 years old: 2 year ELC - Jacob Quillan, Jakub Rychlovsky
24 years old: 1 year ELC - Riese Gaber

25+ year old North American (trained): not required to sign ELC - old examples like Matt Gilroy and Matt Read
25-28 year old European (trained): 1 year ELC - Maxim Tsyplakov, Oscar Eklind

Some of the NCAA guys might have the leverage to get an ELC that gets registered for the current season. Since they're not teenagers, the slide rule doesn't apply and they'd burn the first year even if they don't play in 10 NHL games. Most guys will get an AHL ATO and have their ELCs start in 2024-25.

 

[uncleben]

Just an FYI, ELC length is determined by the CBA by age and that's determined as:



Collin Graf (September 21) would be an edge case and would still be 21 if/when he signs in a few weeks. Unfortunately for him, that's the difference between a 3 year ELC and a 2 year ELC if he had been born a week earlier.

21 years old: 3 year ELC - Collin Graf + CHL undrafted free agents
22-23 years old: 2 year ELC - Jacob Quillan, Jakub Rychlovsky
24 years old: 1 year ELC - Riese Gaber

25+ year old North American (trained): not required to sign ELC - old examples like Matt Gilroy and Matt Read
25-28 year old European (trained): 1 year ELC - Maxim Tsyplakov, Oscar Eklind

Some of the NCAA guys might have the leverage to get an ELC that gets registered for the current season. Since they're not teenagers, the slide rule doesn't apply and they'd burn the first year even if they don't play in 10 NHL games. Most guys will get an AHL ATO and have their ELCs start in 2024-25.

Small tweak to that!

22 is a unique situation
Graf would count as a 22 year old, as '"age 22" means a Player reaching his twenty-second birthday by December 31in the calendar year of the Entry Draft.', so it ignores that September 15 cut off

 

[Brodeur]

Small tweak to that!

22 is a unique situation
Graf would count as a 22 year old, as '"age 22" means a Player reaching his twenty-second birthday by December 31in the calendar year of the Entry Draft.', so it ignores that September 15 cut off

Whenever I need a headache, I'll read the CBA. Entry level section mentions September 15 but other sections refer to December 31.

I'll see if I can dig up a late birthday example just to be sure.



Edit: First example I could find was Alex Iafallo (December 21, 1993). He signed a two year ELC with LA in April 2017 since he was still 23 by September 15, 2017. If he had been 24, he would have gotten a 1 year ELC.

Edit #2:



A couple weeks before Iafallo, Philly signed Mike Vecchione (February 1993) to a 1 year ELC.

 

[uncleben]

Whenever I need a headache, I'll read the CBA. Entry level section mentions September 15 but other sections refer to December 31.

I'll see if I can dig up a late birthday example just to be sure.

You know what, I take back what I said

I think you're right - the Entry Level section of the CBA overrides that "Age of 22" rule I quoted

 

[Saxon Eric]

 

[Sticktape]

KHL regular season is over. Any chance some signings happen?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

KHL regular season is over. Any chance some signings happen?

Think it's more likely that drafted players come over on ATO deals to get AHL looks but it is worth watching.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Frederik Nissen Dichow, the former Canadiens' prospect from Denmark, has shown some development with HV71 after being acquiired from Frolunda.

A big goalie who turned 23 in March, it will be interesting to see where he lands next season.

 

[Ciao]

One goal, nine assists in four years of college hockey.

Yeah, break out the signing bonuses.

Here comes the next Adam Fox.

If he grows a bit more he'll be as tall as Curtis Douglas.

 

[Brodeur]

Reading through the annual THN Future Watch. They listed RW Collin Graf, C Jacob Quillan, LD Tim Lovell, C Lleyton Roed, RW Riese Gaber, C Luke Grainger, G Ludvig Persson, and G Cooper Black as guys with NHL interest.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Ben Kraws of St. Lawrence is an intriguing goaltending prospect and the definition of a late bloomer; in his fifth year of college hockey but "only" 23-years-old (turns 24 in August).

First gained attention playing for the USA in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka tournament but has been a nomad before this big season with St. Lawrence.

Was in development camp with the Coyotes in 2022 while at Arizona State.

 

[Czechboy]

Czechs recently had Szturc and Ivan sign deals. That is very encouraging.

Note I'm talking about 2 way type contracts to bring guys over and don't think anyone will be in the NHL next October.

Tomas Suchanek has to be signed by someone, right????

Small D but Tichachek could get himself signed as well. He may also be the number suspecct in the Jagr bobblehead thefts! He was in Pittsburgh all week.

Overagers from the very good U20 team include Becher, Rymon, Melovsky and Cibulka.

From Europe: Najman, Rychlovksky and Metalarsky.

I probably missed a few as well. Last year it was Stezka and Smejkal. Smejkal seems to be miscast and Stezka is improving. Extraliga seems to be a nice AHL feeder league unfortunately.

 

[Guttersniped]

Ben Kraws of St. Lawrence is an intriguing goaltending prospect and the definition of a late bloomer; in his fifth year of college hockey but "only" 23-years-old (turns 24 in August).

First gained attention playing for the USA in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka tournament but has been a nomad before this big season with St. Lawrence.

Was in development camp with the Coyotes in 2022 while at Arizona State.

Ben Kraws was #8 of the 9 goalies on Elite Prospects’ EPRinkside 2024 NCAA Free Agency Guide.

Five years and three college programs after leaving the USHL, St. Lawrence University’s Ben Kraws will be attempting to turn pro. A big 6-foot-5 goaltender that plays with conservative depth, Kraws is another one that NHL teams may look at simply due to his impressive size.

His post-integration has come a long way since leaving Arizona State, both in terms of tighter seals and using his posts better as a hinge to stay on angle. He’s still a bit slow transitioning out of reverse-VH to a standing position, but that’s almost expected with his size, and he still takes up a ton of net even while still down in the butterfly.

His movements around the crease need to speed up, clearly, as he attempts to move into a pro career. His conservative depth keeps routes fairly short around the crease, but some counter-rotation adds to the struggle of getting his frame to move side-to-side.

Kraws started his collegiate career young, so even after five years, he is still turning pro at just 23. He is raw, but he has a couple of years to figure it out – and an NHL team should come knocking to give him that opportunity.

The EP Rinkside 2024 NCAA Free Agency Guide

J.D. Burke, Mitch Brown, Greg Balloch, and Ryan Lambert team up to break down the top college free agents in the 2023-24 NHL season.

eprinkside.com

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Ben Kraws was #8 of the 9 goalies on Elite Prospects’ EPRinkside 2024 NCAA Free Agency Guide.

View attachment 836880

The EP Rinkside 2024 NCAA Free Agency Guide

J.D. Burke, Mitch Brown, Greg Balloch, and Ryan Lambert team up to break down the top college free agents in the 2023-24 NHL season.

eprinkside.com

Saw him and Dartmouth's Cooper Black play this season. Black at 6'8" and on skates dwarfs the net.

 

[Guttersniped]

Saw him and Dartmouth's Cooper Black play this season. Black at 6'8" and on skates dwarfs the net.

And Cooper Black is #2 on that list.

Cooper Black is as big as goaltenders get. Listed at 6-foot-8, Black is an intimidating presence every time he steps onto the ice. Emerging as a name to watch with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL in 2021-22, he has continued to build on that season with two very good years with Dartmouth College.

Black plays a quick, compact style that many bigger goaltenders aren’t capable of pulling off. He keeps his stance very narrow, even while following the play, which prevents him from opening up too much and creating holes. This narrow stance also gives him excellent access to his edges, allowing him to change directions with his lower half quicker than you’d expect from a massive goalie.

Black is still a bit raw and suffers from some youthful exuberance at times. Like many other large goaltenders, he has a tendency to overuse reverse-VH. He is also a bit overaggressive with his pushes and takes himself out of the frame of the net more often than you’d like to see. Even with those issues, many goalie development coaches would love to work with him in their system.

Curious who hits the market, I assume Black doesn’t but who knows.

I listed FA goalies who’ve gotten ELCs since 2015 earlier in the thread. In 2023 there was just 1*(Perets) but in 2022 there was 5 (Bussi, Fanti, Mann, Stevenson and Stauber), so it can vary quite a bit.
*Gustav Grigals got a ELC from Nashville this March after getting a AHL deal in 2023.

For 2024:
Ryan Bischel (#1, 24, 6’1”, 190), Blake Pietila (#5, 24, 6’0” 174) and Ben Kraws (#8, 23, 6’5” 194) are definitely done after 5 years.

Victor Östman (#3, 23, 6’4” 205), Kyle McClellan (#4, 24, 6’1” 185), Ludvig Persson (#6, 24, 6’1” 183) and Zach Stejskal (#7, 24, 6’5” 218) have all played in the NCAA for 4 years.

Cooper Black (#2, 22, 6’8” 223) has played for 2 years. Cole Moore (#9, 20, 6’5” 201) has played for 1.

TJ Semptimphelter (NR, 21, 6’1” 190) and Luke Pavicich (NR, 21, 6’3” 194) have played for 3 years.

 

[Saxon Eric]

The 2021-22 season Stejskal was diagnosed with testicular cancer and was successfully treated but has kinda been playing catchup since then
I thought he was the best goalie at Bruins Development Camp in 21

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Small D but Tichachek could get himself signed as well. He may also be the number suspecct in the Jagr bobblehead thefts! He was in Pittsburgh all week.

I believe he's still draft-eligible. One last time.

He'll be picked up one way or the other.

 

[Czechboy]

I believe he's still draft-eligible. One last time.

He'll be picked up one way or the other.

He is and that is true.. might pull a Domink Simon and be drafted by the Pen's.

Curious how it ends for him and if he ever cracks an NHL roster.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

And Cooper Black is #2 on that list.

View attachment 836892


Curious who hits the market, I assume Black doesn’t but who knows.

I listed FA goalies who’ve gotten ELCs since 2015 earlier in the thread. In 2023 there was just 1*(Perets) but in 2022 there was 5 (Bussi, Fanti, Mann, Stevenson and Stauber), so it can vary quite a bit.
*Gustav Grigals got a ELC from Nashville this March after getting a AHL deal in 2023.

For 2024:
Ryan Bischel (#1, 24, 6’1”, 190), Blake Pietila (#5, 24, 6’0” 174) and Ben Kraws (#8, 23, 6’5” 194) are definitely done after 5 years.

Victor Östman (#3, 23, 6’4” 205), Kyle McClellan (#4, 24, 6’1” 185), Ludvig Persson (#6, 24, 6’1” 183) and Zach Stejskal (#7, 24, 6’5” 218) have all played in the NCAA for 4 years.

Cooper Black (#2, 22, 6’8” 223) has played for 2 years. Cole Moore (#9, 20, 6’5” 201) has played for 1.

TJ Semptimphelter (NR, 21, 6’1” 190) and Luke Pavicich (NR, 21, 6’3” 194) have played for 3 years.

Semptimphelter is a local guy from nearby Pennsylvania who played at the Lawrenceville School. He was at Northeastern behind Devon Levi (having notable games in the Beanpot Tournament when Levi was away with Team Canada) before transferring to ASU (starting ahead of Kraws and Devils' draft pick Cole Brady).

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

And Cooper Black is #2 on that list.

View attachment 836892


Curious who hits the market, I assume Black doesn’t but who knows.

I listed FA goalies who’ve gotten ELCs since 2015 earlier in the thread. In 2023 there was just 1*(Perets) but in 2022 there was 5 (Bussi, Fanti, Mann, Stevenson and Stauber), so it can vary quite a bit.
*Gustav Grigals got a ELC from Nashville this March after getting a AHL deal in 2023.

For 2024:
Ryan Bischel (#1, 24, 6’1”, 190), Blake Pietila (#5, 24, 6’0” 174) and Ben Kraws (#8, 23, 6’5” 194) are definitely done after 5 years.

Victor Östman (#3, 23, 6’4” 205), Kyle McClellan (#4, 24, 6’1” 185), Ludvig Persson (#6, 24, 6’1” 183) and Zach Stejskal (#7, 24, 6’5” 218) have all played in the NCAA for 4 years.

Cooper Black (#2, 22, 6’8” 223) has played for 2 years. Cole Moore (#9, 20, 6’5” 201) has played for 1.

TJ Semptimphelter (NR, 21, 6’1” 190) and Luke Pavicich (NR, 21, 6’3” 194) have played for 3 years.

Not sure of the long term implications for Ostman's pro potential, but freshman goalie Albin Boija started for Maine in their Hockey East playoff game against UNH tonight.