SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks snared one of the top available free agents out of college hockey, announcing Thursday that they’ve signed high-scoring forward Collin Graf to an entry-level contract.
The contract will begin immediately for the 2023-24 season. The first year of the three-year deal is burned right away, although it was not immediately clear when Graf, 21, would join the team.
Graf had 22 goals and 49 points in 34 games to lead Quinnipiac University in scoring and was named a Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top 10 finalist for the second year in a row.
“Graf has excelled at the collegiate level, finishing as a Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist for the last two seasons,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement.
“His on-ice awareness allows him to process the game at a high level and is a unique player with a quality 200-foot game who excels in the offensive zone. We are excited to have him join the organization.”
Graf was named ECAC Player of the Year and the conference’s Gladiator Best Defensive Forward. He registered 12 multi-point games on the season and tallied an assist in Quinnipiac’s NCAA Quarterfinal contest, an overtime loss against top-ranked Boston College.
Per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, Graf had Zoom calls with six NHL teams two weeks ago to help him narrow down his choice. While the Sharks are in a rebuild and are not expected to be a playoff-contending team for some time, they can offer the opportunity to play at the NHL level with the roster in flux.
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