FanHouse Matt Gilroy

The hottest free agent in the NHL over the last week has never played a second of professional hockey.

Since Boston University won the NCAA men's hockey championship Saturday, it's been time for senior defenseman Matt Gilroy -- the 2009 Hobey Baker Award winner -- to start fielding offers from interested NHL teams. Gilroy wasted little time, deciding Friday to sign with the New York Rangers.

WASHINGTON -- Colby Cohen saw it before anyone in the building.

Toronto Maple Leafs grand poobah Brian Burke is not wasting time. He hopes it doesn't end up looking like he's wasting money.

Earlier this week, Burke signed Notre Dame star Christian Hanson, who is likely to make his NHL debut Friday at Philadelphia. He's back at it, this time grabbing a player regarded as the top underclassman free agent in college hockey. University of Denver sophomore Tyler Bozak missed a good chunk of the 2008-2009 season with a bad knee, but he had already established himself as a hot commodity on the open market. When the Pioneers' season ended last week, the calls started coming in.