University of Minnesota forward Hudson Fasching could be skating in a Buffalo Sabres uniform by the end of the week, reports John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
Fasching has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, but may forgo that year in favor of turning pro. His junior season came to an end Saturday when the Gophers lost the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan. That sealed their fate outside the NCAA tournament.
He comes out of this season as one of the Sabres’ highest ranked prospects, scoring 20 goals and 38 points in 37 games this season.
There are contract trade offs in both directions for the Sabres. If they sign Fasching now, and bring him straight into the NHL — likely part of the talks that gets him interested in making the jump — they’ll burn a contract year toward unrestricted free agency in their nine remaining games.
If they wait until after his senior year, he can only sign to a two-year entry-level deal, instead of the three-year deal he’d sign now. But that’s part of the trade off they’re probably willing to take in order to bring him into the fold now and have him entering the summer knowing the challenges of NHL play
The 6-foot-2 winger came to the organization as a part of a trade with the Los Angeles Kings last season that brought in Fasching and 25-year-old winger Nicolas Deslauriers. The Sabres gave up defenseman Brayden McNabb, 25-year-old ECHLer Jonathan Parker and two 2nd round draft picks.
RELATED: Gophers Prove They’re Dynasty With 4th National Championship