Top NCAA free agent Graf signs with Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have signed Quinnipiac University forward Collin Graf, considered the top NCAA free agent this season.

The Sharks signed him to an entry level deal that will begin immediately in the 2023-24 season.

“His on-ice awareness allows him to process the game at a high level, and is a unique player with a quality 200-foot game who excels in the offensive zone. We are excited to have him join the organization,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said.

An NHL source said Graf’s camp liked the opportunity to compete for a spot in the NHL with the Sharks in training camp while burning a year of his entry-level deal this season.

Graf, 21, is known for his creative playmaking ability. He led the Bobcats with 49 points in 34 games, including 22 goals. He was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for two straight seasons at Quinnipiac, the honor given to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player. Graf helped the Bobcats win the NCAA national championship in the 2022-23 season as a sophomore, scoring a third-period, game-tying goal with 2:47 remaining in regulation to force overtime.

He started his college hockey career at Union College in 2021-22.

Graf was never drafted by an NHL team. After the Bobcats were eliminated by Boston College in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Div. I men’s hockey tournament, Graf’s attention turned toward continuing his career in the NHL as a college free agent.

Among the teams interested in signing Graf were the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and the Nashville Predators, with whom he attended development camp last summer. But in the end, the Sharks won out.

Graf should have some immediate chances to play in San Jose. The Sharks are last in the NHL with a .284 points percentage and a minus-133 goal differential. They have eight games remaining on their schedule.