College free agency has already started for some players while some of the more notable ones will become available in the coming weeks once their Frozen Four tournament comes to an end. One of the players in that category is Michigan State forward Karsen Dorwart. He’s expected to have several suitors with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that several teams feel the Flyers are expected to strongly pursue Dorwart’s services.
The 22-year-old is in his junior year with the Spartans, one that has seen him take a bit of a step back offensively. After putting up 15 goals and 19 assists in 38 games last season, Dorwart has 11 goals and 16 helpers in 33 games so far. Despite the drop in output, he’s still second on the team in scoring behind Tampa Bay winger Isaac Howard.
Dorwart was viewed as one of the top college free agents available last year with Friedman noting that the Maple Leafs nearly landed him at that time before he decided to remain in school. With that in mind, it seems likely that Toronto will take a run at trying to sign him again as well. Dorwart is among the top options available again this year so it’s likely he’ll be able to secure a contract that allows him to play down the stretch this season (he won’t be playoff-eligible, however) and burn one of the two years of his entry-level deal in the process.