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While Jimmy Vesey is still being wined and dined across the NHL as he makes his decision, the first player that became an unsigned free agent on August 16th has signed with an NHL team.
Mark Divver of the Providence Journal is reporting that Providence outgoing senior defenseman John Gilmour has agreed to a two-year contract with the New York Rangers.
Word is free agent defenseman John Gilmour (@johngilmour93) of Providence College has agreed to 2-year NHL deal with New York Rangers.
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) August 17, 2016
Gilmour tallied a 9-14-23 scoring line in his final season with the Friars. The Calgary Flames drafted Gilmour in the 7th round of the 2013 NHL Draft, but opted not to offer Gilmour an NHL contract after his senior season.
We ranked Gilmour as the 80th-best NHL prospect in the NCAA last season, with this scouting report:
In his first three seasons at Providence, Gilmour showed flashes of offensive talent including a heavy shot to go along with very strong skating ability. But in his final season, Gilmour has been extremely effective on Providence's power play, scoring 16 of his 23 points with the man advantage. Gilmour has the makings of a strong two-way defenseman at the NHL level as a second or third pairing defenseman that is able to skate with anybody and provide the occasional offensive punch.