Canes sign Jeremy Welsh

[KaniacFever]

This was released late last night. Sounds like he's going to play Saturday then be sent to Charlotte:

RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Jeremy Welsh to an entry-level contract. The one-year deal will pay Welsh $832,500 on the NHL level and $70,000 on the AHL level, along with a signing bonus of $92,500. He will join the Hurricanes in Ft. Lauderdale for the team’s final game of the 2011-12 NHL season.

“Of all of the college free agents available, we identified Jeremy as the one who most fit our organizational needs,” said Francis. “He provides another big body for us down the middle, and is a player who has shown character and leadership at the college level, in addition to scoring ability.”

Welsh, 23, recorded 27 goals, 17 assists (44 points) and 47 penalty minutes in 40 games for Union College of ECAC Hockey in 2011-12, ranking first on the team and fourth in the NCAA in goals (27). The Bayfield, Ont., native had nine points (5g, 4a) in eight postseason games for the Dutchmen, including a five-game goal-scoring streak to lead Union to its first ECAC Hockey Championship and first Frozen Four berth in school history. For his efforts, Welsh (6’3”, 210 lbs.) was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for March, Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Championship and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional in Bridgeport, CT.

Welsh completes his three-year collegiate career with 100 points (53g, 47a) in 119 games for Union. Prior to college, he played for the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, totaling 36 goals and 47 assists (83 points) in 49 regular-season games in 2008-09. In 2007-08, he helped lead the Blades to the Buckland Cup title, Dudley Hewitt Cup championship and Ontario Hockey Association championship. He also participated in the Royal Bank Cup, where he was voted best forward.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=626215&navid=DL|CAR|home

[LeslieK]

Per Branecky, he can't go to Charlotte. I think because of this

Teams may also add signed draft choices and players signed to amateur tryout contracts, provided that their respective junior or college seasons are complete.

He was undrafted & was signed to a 2-way contract by CH. Could the Checkers at this point sign him to an ATO?

According to another tweet MSmithCanes, this is the reason...

@MSmithCanes
Welsh not being eligible to go to CLT has to do with Canes being able to return just 4 players after trade deadline. They've reached limit.

[IceSun]

So, he's coming straight to the Canes tomorrow night...

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/...ainst-panthers

[MoBigRed]

So a 1-year deal, with next year presumably being the year. So how does tomorrow night fit in? A 'bonus' game pro-rated in? He plays tomorrow for free? Or is this the year, but his pay will be pro-rated down to 1 game? Or does his year start now, meaning he's signed through the first 81 games next year?

I know, that's silly. But seriously, anyone have any idea how that works?

[SoCalcaniac]

I know there are several college caveats when signing a UFA out of college, but I don't believe he's "burning" anything. With the allotment in CLT maxed If I'm recalling correctly, we can have him here as a UFA college player for the one game and it not counting against. Was it CHI or BOS last year who had guys come from the Frozen Four in similar situations? I'll have to go back and look.

The key for him is he gets this sign on bonus and a glimpse of the Canes. I'd presume we won't play 7 D- or someone on the forward lines gets a rest, so he gets a chance to get in a game....

[IceSun]

Nodl is supposed to be back too, so who knows?

[toastmasterbone]

I've been trying to get a bead on the guy for most of the morning. One of the hockey boards (HF?) had a bunch of fans hoping to get him on their squad as an unsigned free agent, especially after the NCAA run for the Dutchmen. It almost sounds to me that he's a bigger version of the (ton of) smallish secondary forwards we've got. It appears he could play a nice power forward roll, but since he's already 23 (was he getting a masters?), I wonder if can still develop much more. Muller has already said that "I want to see him play, and I'm sure he'll get some good ice time." (SI article)

Some videos: HERE, where Union wins the ECAC hockey championship. At 1:07 of the video, Welsh scores on an end-to-end. Very nice.

Union beats UMass-Lowell to advance to the Frozen Four, HERE. Includes Grosenick's insane save that you may have already seen. Shows Welsh destroying someone along the boards at 0:44 seconds. Also, see him give away a puck for a score at 1:18.

Really bad intro to a home-made viddy, HERE (skip to 1:27 to get to where the hockey starts and the fluff stops), but when the highlights finally start, you can watch Welsh with a crazy water-bottle shot wrister at 1:42; and our newest dude pushing back the D with some nice danglin' before unloading it top-shelf at 2:48.

[Caniac4life]

From what I've read from other message boards, playing tomorrow night burns his ELC and he'll be RFA this off-season. But don't quote me on that.

Since posting links to other message boards are frowned on, I won't post a link to the discussion but I will say it didn't come from those two boards that are considered for laughs and entertainment purposes only.



Edit:

A few links of the signing:

http://www.dailygazette.com/videos/2012/apr/06/1049/


http://www.dailygazette.com/videos/2012/apr/06/1048/

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/77...canes-48-hours

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=626167

[nccanes]

I don't think linking to other boards is frowned upon. Or it's been so long since it's been an issue that I can't even recall it.

I guess due to his age, he doesn't have to get a standard 3 year ELC?

[KaniacFever]

From my understanding this contract is for tomorrow night only. So in layman terms we are paying him $100,000 to play tomorrow. But by signing him we now hold his rights, if I understood that part correctly.

So we'll need to sign him to a contract for next season if we want him. And since this out of the norm for us, i'm pretty sure the org wants him next season. I wouldn't be surprised if a deal wasn't already made.

I loved his comments about how signing here was a no brainer as he can learn from Francis and Brind'amour. Good having these guys in the org, eh.

[superdave]

I thought a player had to play 10 games or so for it to count as a year towards his entry level deal. Like how the Canes kept Murphy around and then sent him back to the juniors.

[Caniac4life]

Originally Posted by KaniacFever

From my understanding this contract is for tomorrow night only. So in layman terms we are paying him $100,000 to play tomorrow. But by signing him we now hold his rights, if I understood that part correctly.

So we'll need to sign him to a contract for next season if we want him. And since this out of the norm for us, i'm pretty sure the org wants him next season. I wouldn't be surprised if a deal wasn't already made.

I loved his comments about how signing here was a no brainer as he can learn from Francis and Brind'amour. Good having these guys in the org, eh.

Agree about his comments about joining the Canes. I welcome him to game 82. Show what ya got big fella.

[caniac97]

Originally Posted by superdave

I thought a player had to play 10 games or so for it to count as a year towards his entry level deal. Like how the Canes kept Murphy around and then sent him back to the juniors.

As I understand it, any of these guys signed after the trade deadline if they play they burn that first year of the ELC which is why it isn't a common practice to do this. My thought is that it was the only way to get a look see without losing him.

[e2ipiand1]

With Karmanos re-signing Gleason and Ruutu during the season and now signing Welsh for one game, I can't wait to see what happens during silly season. Karmanos hasn't been this aggresive since he tried to steal Fedorov from the Wings.

[SoCalcaniac]

Originally Posted by superdave

I thought a player had to play 10 games or so for it to count as a year towards his entry level deal. Like how the Canes kept Murphy around and then sent him back to the juniors.

That's for junior aged players not college players. Different situation. kF got it right, went to the CBA earlier today to look it up; he p,ayec this "season" on that contract & now he's an RFA & Canes hold his rights, (age/ games played requirements in CBA) and we'd just tender the qualifying offer, since he has no arbitration rights yet, & off they go.

Thais the fun of reading thru the CBA.

[TheBigKahuna]

HE seems to posses the combination of size AND skill that the Canes roster is currently missing. Not a bad first game.

[nccanes]

So, someone help me here. Does Welsh become one of the top prospects expected to make the NHL roster next fall? I'm just curious because of all the hullabaloo and him saying he was coming to Raleigh a few days to check it out, etc.


Between the Checkers tailspin with all the Forward talent they supposedly have, and this signing.... I'm really curious what happens with the names we've heard for so long that have been 'developing' in CLT.

[MoBigRed]

There are a lot of FAs in Charlotte this summer... i wouldn't be surprised to see a fairly large-scale turnover there.

[andyt]

Originally Posted by MoBigRed

There are a lot of FAs in Charlotte this summer... i wouldn't be surprised to see a fairly large-scale turnover there.

Forwards
Boychuk
Dadonov
Bowman
Terry
Lalonde-McNicoll
Sutter
Soryal
Durno
Pistilli
Blanchard
Samson

Dmen
Krueger
Roy
Sanguinetti
Lawson

Goalies
Peters
Murphy

[SoCalcaniac]

Plus, with the horrific free fall that has CLT looking like a non-playoff team, they may cut loose quite a few guys.

[MoBigRed]

Stat of the day - Welsh ended the season with the same number of penalty minutes as Jamie McBain.

[KaniacFever]

This has been making it's rounds across twitter. Pretty funny.

Originally Posted by capgeek

#Canes Jeremy Welsh will be the answer to a trivia question some day. Technically, his cap hit is $17,945,000, highest in #NHL history.

[caveman]

Well, he did have 2 more shots on goal than all of our goaltenders combined so...

Also: 1/3 of the hits as Kaberle had in 29 games

On the salary cap thing, Luke at the N&O has a bit longer version:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/...es-signee.html

[ontheboards]

$97K for 15 minutes work-- I'll take it...

[caniac97]

Originally Posted by ontheboards

$97K for 15 minutes work-- I'll take it...

don't forget the signing bonus, he got all of that!!