A Carolina Hurricanes prospect is staying in Sweden one more year after being loaned by the team. The Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers signed a prospect to an entry-level deal, and we take a look at a player who really came into his own this past season for our Prospect of the Day.
Hurricanes Prospect Sellgren Stays in Sweden
The Hurricanes announced that they have loaned defenseman Jepser Sellgren to Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The 22-year-old was drafted in the sixth round, 166th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden spent this past season playing for Lulea HF of the SHL. In 47 games, he managed to score 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points to go along with 18 penalty minutes. He also represented his country where, in four games, he collected an assist and two penalty minutes.
With the Hurricanes having such good depth on the back end, they are in no rush to bring Sellgren to the NHL. He will be able to develop at his own pace and when he is ready, he will make his way overseas.
Sabres Sign Murray to Entry-Level Deal
On Friday, the Sabres announced that they have signed prospect Brett Murray to a two-year, entry-level contract. The native of Bolton, Ontario was drafted in the fourth round, 99th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft.
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Murray spent this past season playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 55 games, he scored 9 goals and added 15 assists for 24 points to go along with 10 penalty minutes.
“Brett acclimated very well to the AHL and showed continued improvement throughout the season,” said general manger Kevyn Adams. “He has a unique blend of size and scoring ability and we’re excited to see his development continue.”
Murray has a real chance to make an impact for the Sabres soon as they seriously lack players that make a consistent impact on the scoresheet.
Rangers Sign Barron to Entry-Level Contract
On Friday, the Rangers announced that they signed center Morgan Barron to a three-year, entry-level deal. He was originally drafted in the sixth round, 174th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia-native spent the past season playing for Cornell University of the NCAA. In 29 games, he managed to score 14 goals and added 18 assists for 32 points. Over the course of his collegiate career, he managed to collect 84 points in 98 games.
Although the Rangers have solid players at center, adding another to the system is always a good thing. While Barron will need more time to develop, he adds another solid option to the Rangers’ system.
Prospect of the Day – Luke Evangelista
For our Prospect of the Day, we take a look at London Knights right-winger Luke Evangelista. The native of Oakville, Ontario is currently ranked 58th amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
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Evangelista had a coming out party this past season. In 62 games, he scored 23 goals and added 38 assists for 61 points to go along with 12 penalty minutes. That is a massive difference from the two assists that he collected in 27 games last season.
Our own Andrew Forbes thinks although Evangelista lacks size, his skating ability allows him to be an effective player when he is on the ice.
“Size, not being his strongest attribute, Evangelista uses his skating ability to beat defenders along the outside and draws the attention opening up the ice and opportunities for his linemates on a regular basis. While he was able to pot 23 goals in the 2019-20 campaign, his obvious strong suit came on the playmaking side of things.”
Although he will most likely have to wait until the second day of the draft to hear his name called, Evangelista is a really intriguing prospect. His ability to make plays under pressure does not fall on blind eyes. He will certainly be a great addition to the team that calls his name on draft day.
My name is Mathieu Sheridan. I am a writer here at THW who covers the OHL and prospects in general.
