There has been another development in the Will Butcher sweepstakes.
It’s expected the college free agent defenseman will announce on Sunday the NHL team he has decided to sign with. A number of teams have been reported to be in the mix, including the Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Have any teams emerged as the frontrunners?
Hearing it's 50/50 between #NJDevils and #Lakings for @DU_Hockey free agent Will Butcher
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 25, 2017
UFA D Will Butcher is traveling to New Jersey today to meet w #Devils & #LAKings among top choices, I learned at @DU_Hockey pro camp this AM
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) August 25, 2017
Now, when it comes to the top ’50/50' news, there are other reports on Twitter right now indicating this is *not* necessarily the case.
Just FYI....Will Butcher is meeting with the Devils and Kings today but that does NOT mean those are his final two choices. Several in play.
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) August 25, 2017
The Devils recently lost center Alex Kerfoot -- a Hobey Baker Award finalist this past season -- after he decided not to sign in New Jersey, instead choosing to go to free agency on Aug. 15 and eventually inking a deal with the Colorado Avalanche.
On a related note, Brandon Dubinsky had some, well, interesting things to say via Twitter about college free agent sweepstakes in the NHL. He’s ... not a fan.
Good news: Sunday will soon be here.