Penguins looking to add marquee undrafted free agent in Collin Graf

Will top NCAA player choose Pittsburgh?

The Pittsburgh Penguins, like just about everyone else in the NHL, want Collin Graf to join their team. Michael Russo reported that 25 teams pursued the Quinnipiac star forward.

Graf has been all over the place — he’s a Boston native who reportedly was close to signing with Detroit last year before deciding to push off the pros and stay in school for 2023-24. He’s been linked to the Rangers, and has attended Nashville’s prospect camps as an invited undrafted player. It’s been said Graf may be looking to stay in the east, and that the Bruins, Rangers and Penguins are among those who would like to be in the running to add Graf.

Graf is a good story of a player who blossomed post-draft into a talented scorer at the NCAA level.

The NHL has a long history of players who weren’t drafted but were highly sought after free agents. Artemi Panarin, Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Marchessault, Yanni Gourde, Alex Iafallo, Tyler Bozak and Evan Rodrigues are among these types of players whose stock improved in the year’s following the draft to become notable young free agents.

The Penguins have a history of making something out of this type too, you don’t have to look far to see Drew O’Connor setting career-highs and playing on Sidney Crosby’s line currently. Over the years from Conor Sheary to Zach Aston-Reese, Ben Lovejoy and Casey DeSmith, there’s no shortage of players in this mold who have gone onto have successful pro careers despite being undrafted and signed by Pittsburgh as free agents.

With Graf’s profile, teams will hope for a Marchessault or T. Johnson type that could be 50+ point scorers, but there’s value even if Graf is a future Iafallo type or has the future of a Rodrigues or Bozak. Of course, on the other side of the coin examples from Jimmy Vesey to Danny Dekeyser also show that sometimes the hot “late blooming” free agent prospect doesn’t always have a star turn in the cards for a huge impact player either. But it costs nothing to look and take a shot at the “found money” of adding a high-end late developer.

There’s a reason 25+ teams want Graf, he’s 21 and presumably NHL ready as soon as right now. He’s been a top scorer in the college ranks for the last two seasons and represents a free prospect and a really good chance of contributing in the near future.

At this point, the Pens (and all the rest of the teams involved) are sitting around waiting to see where they stand, in this case the player holds all the cards. All teams can only offer identical entry level contracts, so the question won’t be about money but simply what direction Graf wants to go to start his journey. If he wants to stay at home in Boston, he can do that. If he has dreamed of playing under the bright lights of NYC, that’s an option too. The Penguins will undoubtedly be hoping his interests could be swayed by playing with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and having an easier path to the NHL than stacked teams currently at the top of the conference like the Bruins and Rangers are.

In the next day or two, we might find out. Graf would be a massive add to the Pens’ still shallow pool of young talent and could be a key factor in the future...But just where he wants his future to unfold remains to be decided.