The Penguins are one of the teams looking to sign Dartmouth forward Drew O'Connor, according to a report by Rhode Island-based reporter Mark Divver.
O'Connor is a sophomore but is looking to turn pro next season, according to Divver. College players lose their NCAA eligibility when they sign a professional contract, so if O'Connor does sign this summer he will turn pro next season.
O'Connor, who turns 22 this summer, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-handed shot. He played exclusively wing as a freshman, but has spent some time at center this season.
“Center is totally different geography on the ice, but he jumped in with no problem,” Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet told Valley News. “He’s got an incredibly long reach, and he surprises people by poke-checking the puck or stealing a pass.”
O'Connor leads Dartmouth in scoring with 21 goals and 12 assists in 31 games. As a freshman, he finished No. 2 on Dartmouth with 17 goals and nine assists in 34 games.
“The thing that always jumped out about (O'Connor) was that he had a great vision of the ice,” Gaudet told TheDartmouth.com last season. “He’s a really smart hockey player, and hockey sense is a huge part of the game.”
O'Connor's linemate last season, senior Carl Hesler, praised other aspects of O'Connor's game.
“He can move extremely well for his size and is very skilled,” Hesler told TheDartmouth.com. “He has excellent hands and a great shot. I love playing with him because he has confidence in his game and makes plays. He has the intangibles as well as he is competitive and works extremely hard. It feels like I’m playing with an upperclassman, not a freshman.”
O'Connor attended the Bruins' development camp this past summer, so they are also expected to be one of the teams in on him.
Dartmouth alumni who have gone on to play for the Penguins include Tanner Glass, Nick Johnson, Lee Stempniak, and Ben Lovejoy.
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