Penguins set to lose two prospects’ exclusive rights today, barring signings
Pittsburgh might be moving on without two low-level prospects
The Penguins have until 5pm today (June 1) to sign defenders Thimo Nickl and Nolan Collins or will lose their rights, per CapFriendly.
The unofficial start to the off-season calendar has always been the June 1, Must Sign By date.
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 30, 2024
Below is this years list of players that must be signed to an ELC by 5pm ET on Saturday, June 1, otherwise the team will lose their exclusive signing rights.https://t.co/nXfmDT1fO4 pic.twitter.com/VwClxOUHXC
Nickl, 22, was acquired by Pittsburgh in a March 2023 trade for forward Judd Caulfield. Nickl played 66 games in the ECHL with Wheeling during the 2023-24 season and capped his year off by representing Austria at the World Championships. Back in February there was some lost-in-translation-y indication that Nickl has already committed to play 2024-25 in his native Austria. Considering that he couldn’t crack the AHL lineup, his NHL prospects look dim at best with CapFriendly also having registered him as moving on from North America next season.
Collins, 20, was a Pittsburgh sixth round draft pick in 2022. He’s played the last three seasons with Sudbury (OHL) with his 6’4” and 210 pound frame oft-cited as his most intriguing features. Given that the current hockey operations staff did not draft Collins, it’s unknown if he will be joining the Pens’ organization as a pro. And probably not a good sign that he’s gone this close to the deadline without inking a contract.
Those two should be the only prospects at risk of coming off the Pens’ reserve list this year. CapFriendly still lists Chase Yoder as an August 15th expiration, but Yoder has agreed to stay at Providence for a fifth bonus COVID year of eligibility in 2024-25. Since he won’t be leaving the NCAA ranks should extend the length of time the Pens have to sign him up to 2025.