Classic Doug Wilson.

Instead of signing a retread veteran off the free agent pile, Doug Wilson has dipped into the college free agent pool and signed the former 7th round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes, Benn Ferriero to a two year, $1.27M deal worth $635k a season.

Who the hell is Benn Ferriero? Well, I just spent the last few moments trying to figure it out myself. Here is the limited amount of info that I know.

– In his four year college career, Ferriero totaled 165 games, 64 goals, 75 assists and 194 PIM’s.
– He scored the game winning goal vs. Notre Dame in the Frozen Four consolation game.
– He never signed with Phoenix in 2006, making him a UFA this summer.
– HockeyFuture.com describes Ferriero as “a tenacious, fiercly competitive forward who plays equally well at both ends of the ice. He has shown the willingness to go to and take punishment in front of the net to create scoring opportunities.”

The Sharks past success with college forwards who were drafted jumping in and making an impact should be noted. Joe Pavelski played 16 games in the AHL before becoming a Sharks regular in 2006. Torrey Mitchell played 11 games for Worcester in 2006-07 before shocking everyone and claiming a roster spot in 2007. So, keep an eye on the new guy , he could be one to watch at the Sharks Rookie Camp in two weeks.