Flames Sign Austin Carroll to ELC

If I had told you that the second person signed from the 2014 NHL Draft class by the Calgary Flames would be the last guy chosen, you probably wouldn’t have believed me.

But it’s happened.

The Flames announced today the signing of 2014 seventh round pick Austin Carroll to an entry-level contract, presumably for three years. The deal begins next season. (The first player signed was Sam Bennett, by the way.)

Carroll, 21, has spent the past four seasons with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. In that tenure, he’s progressed from 0.32 points-per-game as a 17/18 year old, to 0.63 (at 18/19), to 0.81 (at 19/20) to this season’s 1.12 points per game (at 20/21). It’s basically what you would hope for from a prospect in his situation – he’s physically and mentally maturing and figuring out how to excel at the major-junior level. He led Victoria in scoring this past season as an over-age player.

Now he’ll get a chance to do so at the professional level in the Flames organization. It also helps that he’s big, he’s a right-handed shot and he’s shown the ability to put the puck in the net (granted, as an older player).

Carroll and the Victoria Royals open their WHL opening round series on Friday against the Prince George Cougars.