Rangers sign forward Josh Nicholls to entry level deal

The Rangers have signed forward Josh Nicholls –20 years old– to an entry-level deal, confirmed by Seth Rothman of Inside Hockey (side note: A great follow if you aren’t already). Nicholls is Rangers’ prospect Shane McColgan’s teammate with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. The 6’2, 185 lb winger was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 7th round in 2010, but they let his rights expire last year.

This year with Saskatoon, Nicholls has 41 goals and 73 points in 65 games. Nicholls’ deal will be a three-year entry-level deal. Pension Plan Puppets (Leafs blog) notes that Nicholls also suffered a knee injury, which may have played into why the Leafs didn’t tender a contract.