—— The New York Rangers signed UConn freshman goalie Callum Tung to an entry-level deal.
Tung is a good example of what happens with undrafted players. Could he have used more development at UConn before signing pro? Yeah, I think so. He only played 15 NCAA games this season; last year, he played 38 games in the BCHL. He hasn’t marinated at a high amateur level for very long.
But, he’s a free agent. If an NHL team believes he’d be a target at the end of his sophomore year, and they like the player, they might jump on him a year early before there’s too much competition.
I’ll put it like this … if Tung were a Rangers’ draft pick, he’s 100 percent returning to UConn next season. I’m sure of that.
The signing reminds me of Clay Stevenson, who signed with Washington after one year at Dartmouth in 2022. He was 23 years old (the same age as Tung), had 23 games of NCAA experience, and sat his entire 22-year-old season due to COVID-19 and Dartmouth not participating in the 2020-21 season.
Stevenson signed with the Capitals and played one season in the ECHL. He’s been with their AHL affiliate in Hershey for the last two seasons.
