San Jose Sharks sign undrafted college free agent Collin Graf to an entry-level deal

A signing out of nowhere, the San Jose Sharks have signed undrafted college-free agent Collin Graf to an entry-level contract. Graf had the freedom of the NHL as one of the most sought-after free agents to come out of the college landscape since the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes so long ago, and he has chosen the San Jose Sharks organization as his new home. This college-educated kid chose San Jose to sign his entry-level contract with. Let that sink in.

Graf was the starman at the University of Quinnipiac, where he helped lead the Bobcats to the National Championship last season. When he had 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points in the 41 games he played. He was a force for the Cats in that season, and he started to gain fans and admirers around the hockey world.

This season, he played in 34 games while wearing the "A" on his sweater as an alternate captain of the Cats. With 22 goals and 27 assists for 49 points, the program had taken a step backward. He was still a great force and started to push for a deal with an NHL team when he graduated after the season.

At 6'1, 200 lbs, Graf is a big man from Lincoln, Massachusetts. Coming through the junior Bruins program, where he even captained them, Graf has shown that he can be a leader as well as a star, and for someone who is just 21 years old, this says a lot about how highly he is thought of. He is the size of a player that could be a great bottom-six player, and that is only if his skill doesn't transition to the NHL.

Now, let's keep our expectations manageable for him. Undrafted college free agents do not tend to be star players. Often spending a lot of time in the AHL, they walk the line between AHL star and NHL player. However, adding Graf to the list of forward prospects like Quentin Musty, Will Smith, Thomas Bordeleau, and William Eklund excites anyone. Hopefully, he can be that star for the Sharks.