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Golden Knights prospect Jack Dugan named finalist for Hobey Baker Award

Vegas Golden Knights prospect forward Jack Dugan has been named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the NCAA’s top player.

Dugan, the 21-year-old sophomore playing at Providence, led the nation in scoring with 52 points (10 goals, 42 assists) in 34 games. The Friars finished the season outside the top-20 but were receiving votes.

He is the eighth player in program history to be named a finalist and the first since 1991-92.

The Golden Knights selected Dugan in the fifth round (No. 142 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and has developed into one of Vegas’ top prospects. He’s shown tendencies of being a 200-foot player with reliable offensive skills and playmaking ability.

Dugan has yet to sign his entry-level contract; doing so with forfeit his NCAA eligibility. But given his success the past two seasons, it might be a foregone conclusion that Dugan will sign his ELC sooner rather than later. His 91 points in 75 games leads the NCAA in that span.

And if Dugan were to sign his ELC, should the NHL season resume from its coronavirus pause, the forward would be eligible to play for the Golden Knights during the regular season and playoffs. Try and figure out that logjam if Vegas felt he was ready to contribute in that capacity.

Here’s the full list of Hobey finalists:

Morgan Barron, Cornell

Jason Cotton, Sacred Heart

Jack Dugan, Providence

David Farrance, Boston University

Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota

John Leonard, UMass

Dryden McKay, Minnesota State

Marc Michaelis, Minnesota State

Scott Perunovich, UMD

Jeremy Swayman, Maine