Toggle sidebar

Speculation: Undrafted FA Thread (NCAA/CHL/Euro) II

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
One guy I'm interested to see how it plays out is Tyler Wall, he was a 6th round pick of NYR but since they are loaded in net there has been some talk that the Senior will chose not to sign with them and instead become a UFA on August 15th. He plays in the Hockey East and has had good numbers for UMass-Lowell (Hainsey's team back in the day).

Now we clearly need a backup to Price but if McNiven isn't brought back and we don't know what the plan is there but if not they will need a 5th goalie as well. They have LaCouvee but his AHL contract is up this season.

One of the big names that will surely get a NHL contract when Notre Dame's season is over is Cale Morris. Maybe Evans could put in a word with him though his numbers have not improved after his outstanding Sophmore year.

Some others of interest,

Dryden McKay - he's only a Sophmore but he'll be 23 and is coming off a great year, might want to take that NHL contract now instead of waiting to see if he can get better offers. He plays in the weak WCHA and I haven't seen him but his numbers are impressive.

Matthew Galajda - he's a Junior but also turns 23 before next season. He plays in front of a well coached Cornell team but in the little i've seen from him I thought he was of interest.

Tommy Nappier - another Junior he turns 22 at the end of the season. No clue if he would leave Ohio St or not, if I'm not mistaken there were rumored NHL teams trying to sign him last year after he put up very impressive numbers. He had another strong year so I got to think NHL teams will be calling.

John Lethemon - I'm not sure about him, i've know NHL teams are interested in him as he's had a big year at Michigan St but I worry a bit as his numbers in the past were not good and this year his team played a great defensive game so I don't know if he benefited more from that or not.

Hunter Shepard - I thought he was crazy to return to UMD for his Senior year after a flat out amazing season last year where he put up sick numbers and helped UMD win back to back National Championships. The guy knows how to win so some team will sign him for sure.

Micheal Lackey - I don't know much about him as he was at Havard but transferred to Providence. I don't know why he left a starting job at Havard but in the little I saw of him I was impressed. Might be someone to keep an eye on. We had his backup Gabe Mollot-Hill at camp, I actually like him as well but he was never able to steal a starting job first from former Hab prospect Hayden Hawkey and then Lackey this year. I assume he'll be their starter next year perhaps.

Devin Cooley - I don't think he will turn pro, a teammate of Hab prospect Stapley's at Denver, he's huge at 6'5 but I believe he was injured for much of the year. Someone to keep an eye on.
 


I was really hoping we might land him, he's got decent pro upside. Him and Khodorenko were on the top on my NCAA FA list.
 
Last edited:
Wild sign Mitchell Chaffee, a good pickup as I would have liked to see us go after him.
 
I get these are difficult times, but every other team is still business as usual, so what exactly is Bozovin doing?

Why are we not going after the very best free agents available? So we sign our own pick Ylonen and that's it?
 
EXPOS123 said:
I get these are difficult times, but every other team is still business as usual, so what exactly is Bozovin doing?

Why are we not going after the very best free agents available? So we sign our own pick Ylonen and that's it?
Click to expand...
The Habs almost never get these college guys. It’s not even worth dreaming about. Most want to stay in the states.
 
EXPOS123 said:
I get these are difficult times, but every other team is still business as usual, so what exactly is Bozovin doing?

Why are we not going after the very best free agents available? So we sign our own pick Ylonen and that's it?
Click to expand...
Well to be fair, he's supposedly in on Okulov and we still have to determine whether these college Free Agents are actually any better than the CHL guys we might not sign which bears merit as a question given how successful they usually are.
 
EXPOS123 said:
I get these are difficult times, but every other team is still business as usual, so what exactly is Bozovin doing?

Why are we not going after the very best free agents available? So we sign our own pick Ylonen and that's it?
Click to expand...

there's not much room for them, we don't have an ECHL team and Laval should be packed. You have Ylonen, Teasdale, Hillis, plus who ever else they want to add. The blueline is full with Brook, Fleury, Leskinen plus vets. At some point they need a backup goalie unless they plan on it being Lindgren again, if so then Primeau needs a backup.

also on TSN they talked about some NCAA FA's were holding out on signing hoping that the NHL would have a playoffs so they can sign and burn a year off their ELC like Poehling did last year. Now that it's looking less likely that will happen, perhaps more FA's are saying to just sign now.

But when you have 14 picks in the draft this year, 28 picks over the last 3 years, you have to be careful about locking up contracts for 3 years as there are only so many spots on the 50 so I wouldn't expect the Habs to be in on too many of these guys this year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Per Sjoblom and Vachon23
montreal said:
there's not much room for them, we don't have an ECHL team and Laval should be packed. You have Ylonen, Teasdale, Hillis, plus who ever else they want to add. The blueline is full with Brook, Fleury, Leskinen plus vets. At some point they need a backup goalie unless they plan on it being Lindgren again, if so then Primeau needs a backup.

also on TSN they talked about some NCAA FA's were holding out on signing hoping that the NHL would have a playoffs so they can sign and burn a year off their ELC like Poehling did last year. Now that it's looking less likely that will happen, perhaps more FA's are saying to just sign now.

But when you have 14 picks in the draft this year, 28 picks over the last 3 years, you have to be careful about locking up contracts for 3 years as there are only so many spots on the 50 so I wouldn't expect the Habs to be in on too many of these guys this year.
Click to expand...
Tomas Tatahhh said:
Well to be fair, he's supposedly in on Okulov and we still have to determine whether these college Free Agents are actually any better than the CHL guys we might not sign which bears merit as a question given how successful they usually are.
Click to expand...
Would Okulov be the smallest goalie in the l eaugue if he ends up coming?
 
Treb said:
Halak is the smallest goalie in the NHL right now I think.
Click to expand...

5'10 is damn, damn small for a goalie right now, and to have success as a 5'10 goalie, you got to have some elite qualities.

Always thought Halak saw through things...

images
 
  • Like
Reactions: Per Sjoblom
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom