Penn State’s season may have ended in a 3-1 loss to Ohio State on Thursday at the Big 10 tournament in Detroit, but it could be just the beginning of a long career for Casey Bailey.
The third-year forward led the NCAA’s Nittany Lions in scoring with 22 goals and 18 assists in 36 games this year. His season has caught the eyes of scouts and insiders, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating that NHL interest may sway Bailey from playing out his final season of eligibility.
The Anchorage, Alaska native recorded six shots to go along with his minus-two rating against Ohio State. Over the course of the year, Bailey accumulated 205 shots, 89 more than the next closest teammate.
This is the time of year when NHL teams sniff around for undrafted talent. This past weekend during Hockey Night in Canada’s “Headlines” segment, Damien Cox reported there was a “fierce” battle among NHL teams to acquire the talents of Austin Matthews from the United States National Development Program.
