The Edmonton Oilers are among several teams interested in one of the top undrafted free agents in college hockey. According to a report from US-based company RG, a number of NHL teams are interested in Cornell University forward Dalton Bancroft, including the Oilers.
MHOCK: CORNELL WINS IT IN OVERTIME.
Dalton Bancroft scores his second goal of the game to win it for the Big Red, as they take down the defending national champions Quinnipiac 3-2 with 1:49 left in overtime. Cornell improves to 10-4-3, while Quinnipiac falls to 15-6-2. pic.twitter.com/xDAoVJtQcI
— ESPN Ithaca (@ESPNIthaca) January 21, 2024
The report also mentioned that the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets are also interested in the 24-year-old.
Bancroft is in the midst of his junior season with the Big Red. The 15th-ranked team just knocked Michigan State out of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, and is scheduled to face Boston University in the Toledo Regional Final on Saturday with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line.
While many have focused on the performances of NHL prospects Ryan Walsh (Boston Bruins) and George Fegaras (Dallas Stars), Bancroft is leading a talented class of undrafted free agents on the Big Red roster as the team tries to continue its Cinderella run this postseason.
Though he didn’t score against the Spartans on Thursday, Bancroft was a clutch player for Cornell during their run to a second straight ECAC Tournament title and has been one of the team’s most consistent scorers all season.
In 35 games, the Madoc, Ontario native has scored a career-high 15 goals to go along with his 11 assists and 26 points, placing him second on the team in scoring behind Walsh. He entered this season after notching a career-best 31 points during the 2023-24 campaign, helping the Big Red win the ECAC Championship as well.
There are many reasons why the Oilers and other franchises around the league will like Bancroft’s game. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing over 200 pounds, he is a strong power forward who uses his size to create opportunities. With a solid shot and some pretty good hands, Bancroft’s game can easily translate to the professional ranks.
Across three seasons in Ithaca so far, he has appeared in 102 games, scoring 36 goals and 42 assists for 78 points.
Prior to joining Cornell, Bancroft was a pretty good player with the Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He earned league MVP honors in 2021-22 after leading the league with 92 points in 54 games.
