St. Louis Blues Sign Prospect

The St. Louis Blues have signed Matt Kessel to a two-year, entry-level contract. It will begin during the 2022-23 campaign.

Although Kessel's ELC doesn't kick in until next season, he will be getting his first taste of professional hockey this year with the team's AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 21-year-old has signed a tryout contract for this year, so he will be able to finish the season there.

Kessel was selected by the Blues with the 150th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Michigan-native put together a very good collegiate career with UMass-Amherst. This season was another strong campaign for the defenseman, too, as he had six goals and 11 assists in 37 contests. However, his best season came the year before. In 29 games in 2020-21, he had 10 goals and 13 helpers.

It's always good news when a team signs one of their collegiate prospects. Had they waited until his senior season, they would have run the risk of losing him as an unrestricted free agent. Yet, they now do not have to worry about that, and they have officially added another strong defensive prospect to their system. 

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