The NHL Entry Draft is over, and that means teams’ development camps are either starting this week or will start soon. So let’s take a look at how DU prospects – present and of the recent past – stack up in the respective organizations that hold their draft rights, have signed them or invited them to summer camps.

C Henrik Borgstrom, Florida Panthers

Overview: The fabulous Fin lived up to the hype, scoring a team-best 22 goals among his 43 points and dazzling fans, teammates and coaches with his array of stick handling magic. He again packed his magic mitts for this year’s development camp. A first-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2016, he’s also the team’s top-rated prospect by The Hockey News.

What’s next: Ordinarily, Borgstrom would be an automatic to sign with the pro team. However, he has said he will return for his sophomore year at school, and coach Jim Montgomery has made the point several times this year that while Borgstrom is ready from a talent standpoint his physical and personal maturity are works in progress. It would be nothing short of shocking if this isn’t his final college season, however.

D Will Butcher, Colorado Avalanche

Overview: From a fantastic Fin to a fantastic finish. Butcher couldn’t do much more than what he accomplished during his senior season – winning an NCAA title as DU’s captain and scoring a career-high 37 points en route to winning the Hobey Baker Award and USA Hockey’s player of the year honor. He was dominant night-in and night out.

What’s next: After passing on signing on Butcher last offseason, the Avalanche reportedly made him a cursory offer this spring. Butcher hasn’t signed it, and I get a strong sense he’s going to bide his time until Aug. 15, when he can become an unrestricted free agent. He would be a wonderful fit on a puck-possession team like Chicago or Pittsburgh.

G Evan Cowley, Florida Panthers

Overview: The senior was an ideal complement to Tanner Jaillet in the Pioneers’ championship season. Cowley, a fourth-round pick in 2013, allowed just eight goals in 11 appearances and had otherworldly numbers of 1.13 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. Though he didn’t play as much as he’d have liked, he was clutch when he was stationed between the pipes, he went out with an NCAA championship and has an opportunity to play pro hockey.

What’s next: Cowley has signed an AHL contract with Springfield.

F Dylan Gambrell, San Jose Sharks

Overview: It says something about the junior-to-be that he lost both linemates from 2015-16 to the American Hockey League, suffered an arm injury the caused him to miss four games and still scored 42 points, just five off his freshman total. He can play anywhere in the top two lines – and frequently did – showing acumen on the wing, at center and on the point on power plays. He’s also defensively responsible and an underrated skater.

What’s next: Gambrell is the DU player whose summer situation bears the closest watching. A second-round pick of the Sharks in 2016, who then opened a lot of eyes at the team’s development camp last summer, he is the Pioneers player considered the most “pro ready” according to two NHL amateur scouts I spoke with during the season. Given San Jose might lose Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau or both, and given Gambrell will be 21 in August and was rated the Sharks’ No. 6 overall prospect (and fourth forward), he will be tempting for San Jose to sign.

D Blake Hillman, Chicago Blackhawks

Overview: A sixth-round pick last summer, Hillman emerged as an every-situation defender this season even though his point total decreased slightly. With the graduations of Butcher and Matt VanVoorhis, he will be counted on in all situations again next season.

What’s next: His combination of skating, size and skill should allow him to play beyond college, but that time does not appear to be here yet.

G Tanner Jaillet, New York Islanders

Overview: The Islanders invited the senior-to-be to their prospect camp, and why wouldn’t they? All he did was lead Division I win wins (28), finish third in goals-against average (1.83) and tie for seventh in save percentage (.929) en route to winning the Mike Richter Award and an NCAA title.

What’s next: Jaillet returns to school to try to help the Pioneers win back-to-back titles, something they’re quite good at. I have never gotten the sense from talking to him that he wants to do anything but win at DU and finish his degree before he goes on to pro hockey.

D Ian Mitchell, Chicago Blackhawks

Overview: A second-round pick last weekend, the incoming freshman brings the skill set we’ve come to expect of Montgomery-era defensive recruits – they can skate, they can handle the puck, they can distribute it and they can shoot it. Mitchell had 37 points (eight goals) for Spruce Grove of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

What’s next:  I would expect he will play regularly for the Pioneers from Day 1. They have two defensive spots open, and he would seem to be a good fit with one of the Pioneers’ returning upperclassmen – either Hillman, captain Tariq Hammond or alternate captain Adam Plant.

F Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks

Overview: The DU junior-to-be is coming off a season for the ages. His 45 points led the team and more than doubled his freshman output. He helped Team USA win the World Junior Championship in compelling fashion and then helped the Pioneers win their eighth NCAA title. A fifth-round pick of the Ducks two years ago, he was their third-rated forward prospect, according to The Hockey News, behind 2016 first-round picks Max Jones and Sam Steel. Terry not only was a power-play force, he played important minutes in defensive and penalty-killing situations, demonstrating his game is becoming more well-rounded.

What’s next: Terry was selected an alternate captain for the coming season and is largely expected to return to DU for his junior season. The Ducks have signed several of their major junior prospects, as well as 30-goal scorer Patrick Eaves, so there would seem to be no rush to bring Terry, who is still just 19, into the organization just yet.

©Chris Bayee 2017