The Vancouver Canucks signed undrafted free agent goalie Jake Kielly to a two-year entry-level contract. The first year of the contract is burned this year, so the deal will expire at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season.
#Canucks sign goaltender Jake Kielly (@J_Kielly1). The 22-year-old started 39 games for Clarkson University Golden Knights this season, going 26-11-2. His win total ranked second in the nation. https://t.co/xuYXNZDzDs
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 1, 2019
Jake Kielly Signs With The Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks get an interesting, young goaltending prospect coming off an ECAC championship with Clarkson University. Kielly spent the past three years playing with Clarkson as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. He put up a 64-37-13 record in 114 games played for Clarkson.
Last season, Kielly played in 39 games for the Clarkson Golden Knights. He gathered a 26-11-2 record with a 1.91 goals-against average and .929 save percentage and five shutouts.
Clarkson was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship by Notre Dame.
What This Means for The Canucks
Certainly, this is an interesting sign for the Canucks. They already have two solid young goalies in current NHL backup Thatcher Demko in addition to top prospect Michael DiPietro. Kielly’s signing could end up being a smart move in terms of asset management. Demko or DiPietro could become expendable based on their future play. Kielly could serve as a sort of insurance policy if that situation arises.
It is definitely a turnaround for this team. At one point this season they had to recall DiPietro from Juniors to compensate for injuries at the position. They now find themselves with no shortage of goaltending depth should injuries arise again next season. The young Canucks seem primed to take another step forward in the rebuilding process. They are providing all the support they can to their young core of players. Prospects like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, and Quinn Hughes are crucial to the Canucks’ long-term success.
