By now you know Denver’s hockey team lost not one, not two, not three but four of its best players early to NHL contracts this week.

Why leave now? It’s simple economics. The sooner a player signs his first contract, the closer he is to his second. In the cases of all four players, if they play even a game you can bet the next couple of weeks will count as a “season” on their entry-level contracts, meaning they’re a year closer to their next contract, when the average value will climb from the high six figures into seven figures if they stick in the League.

Factor in that each of the four had demonstrated a readiness for the next level of competition, and there you have it.

Let’s take a look at the departure of each and what it means for the Pioneers. We’ll go in alphabetical order.

Henrik Borgström

The rundown: The sophomore sensation left Monday for a three-year entry level contract with the Florida Panthers, who drafted him in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Borgström, 20, scored 95 points, including 45 goals, in his two seasons at DU. His 52 points and

23 goals lead the Pioneers this season and have him as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Not only was a he first-team All-NCHC pick, but he was the league’s player of the year.

What it means: The Pioneers lose one of their two most exciting players and their top-line center. Borgström was a threat to break open a game at any time and had stretches of absolute dominance. Simply put, he was a player other teams had to account for at all times, and he easily was one of the most gifted players in NCAA hockey.

NHL future: Florida GM Dale Tallon has gone on the record as saying Borgström will be an integral part of the Panthers’ core of young stars going forward. That could begin Wednesday night in a game at Toronto. He will wear No. 95.

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Dylan Gambrell

The rundown: Need a center for a high-scoring top line? Gambrell can do that. Need a shutdown center? He can do that as well. The point being, Gambrell, 21, can play any role a team needs, and do it with speed and a very high hockey IQ. He piled up 132 points in three seasons and was remarkably consistent – 47, 42 and 43 points – regardless of his linemates. Not only did he center Boston Bruin Danton Heinen and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Trevor Moore as a

freshman, he was the middleman when Jarid Lukosevicius had his three-goal NCAA final. Of late, he centered Colin Staub and Logan O’Connor on DU’s shutdown line. It’s no wonder than an NHL scout I trust implicitly told me that he felt Gambrell, a 2016 second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, was the most pro ready player on the Pioneers the past two seasons. Not only did he win a national championship at DU but he won a Clark Cup in junior for the same coach – Jim Montgomery.

What it means: Often overshadowed, Gambrell was one of the Pioneers’ most important players because of his versatility as well as his skill set. He will be missed because he was strong in every situation.

NHL future: He did not play Tuesday night when the Sharks visited St. Louis. San Jose plays division leaders Nashville and Vegas next, and it will be interesting to see if he gets in the lineup, particularly with the return of Joe Thornton imminent. He will wear No. 14 for the Sharks.

MORE: Go one-on-one with Gambrell

Blake Hillman

The rundown: Never a big scorer at any level, the defenseman earns his keep by defending, securing the puck and transitioning it out of the zone. Like Gambrell – his former Dubuque (USHL) teammate – he was taken in his third year of eligibility in the NHL Entry Draft, by Chicago in round 6 in 2016. Hillman, 22, scored clutch goals for the

Pioneers, including the 2016 NCAA tournament. He went from a third-pairing defender his first two seasons to DU’s top pair this season, where he mentored another Blackhawks pick, Ian Mitchell. He signed a two-year deal.

What it means: Coupled with the graduations of Tariq Hammond and Adam Plant, the DU defense loses nearly all of its veteran presence and a strong shutdown element. He was one of the more vocal Pioneers on what was a relatively quiet team, and that component also will be missed.

NHL future: He is with the Blackhawks, who next play Thursday, but he told me he’s unsure if he will get a game this season or not. He will wear No. 55 if he does. His steady defensive game and ability to move the puck would be a welcome addition to a Hawks blue line that has been among the league’s worst this season.

MORE: Go one-on-one with Hillman

Troy Terry

The rundown: Roommate Jarid Lukosevicius never missed an opportunity to call him American Hero Troy Terry, and who are we to argue with Luko? Terry, 20, has always seemed to operate ahead of schedule. A fifth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2015, he was the youngest player taken in that draft. The Highlands Ranch native played his 18U season for the U.S. National Team Development Program on a team with Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk,

among others. His numbers improved every season at Denver, going from 22 to 45 to 48 points. A 22-goal scorer last season, he racked up 34 assists this season and demonstrated greater strength protecting the puck and playing on the penalty kill. Simply put, he keeps getting better at something every season. Of course the rest of the world knows him as the shootout hero for Team USA at the 2017 World Junior Championships and the leading assist man for the U.S. at the 2018 Olympics. He signed a three-year contract.

What it means: Easily the Pioneers’ most popular player because of his local boy does good backstory, it’s easy to forget how important he was to the Pioneers’ attack. He and Borgström were a dynamic tandem this season, and Terry had games in which he took over. He will go down as one of DU’s most iconic players.

NHL future: He made his NHL debut Tuesday for the Ducks at Vancouver and did not look out of place. His passing instincts should be a good match when he’s on a line with high-skill teammates. He is wearing No. 61, which interestingly enough was the number Corey Perry wore at the beginning of his career.

MORE: Go one-on-one with Terry

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