Breaking: Canucks and Sens each sign NCAA award winning goaltenders

In two separate transactions today the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators have each beefed up their goaltending position considerably.

First up, the Canucks inked Clarkson netminder and Hobey Baker Award nominee Jake Kielly to a two year, entry-level contract.

"Jake has had an outstanding collegiate career at Clarkson," said Canucks general manager Jim Benning in the team’s press release. "We're excited to have him join our organization as he'll add further depth to the goaltending position."

Read below for the full press release  courtesy of the Canucks’ website:

Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has signed goaltender Jake Kielly to a two-year entry-level contract.

"Jake has had an outstanding collegiate career at Clarkson," said Benning. "We're excited to have him join our organization as he'll add further depth to the goaltending position."

Kielly, 22, started in 39 games for the Clarkson University Golden Knights, posting a record of 26-11-2 along with a .929 save percentage and 1.91 GAA. His win total ranks second in the nation, his five shutouts on the season ranks tied for fifth, his GAA ranks fifth (min. 30 GP) and his save percentage ranks fourth (min. 30 GP). The 6-2, 201-pound goaltender is a finalist for the 2019 Mike Richter Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men's hockey and is the Clarkson Hobey Baker nominee. He was also recently named a member of the ECAC All-Conference Second Team and was a finalist for the ECAC Goaltender of the Year Award.

In three seasons with Clarkson, the Eden Prairie, MN, native has posted a record of 64-37-13, which ranks fifth in the school's all-time wins list. Kielly also leads all active NCAA goaltenders in career shutouts with 16. Prior to his collegiate career, Kielly appeared in 37 regular season games and 11 playoff games for the USHL Tri-City Storm in 2015.16, helping lead the team to the Clark Cup Championship.

Not to be outdone, Senators GM Pierre Dorion went out and signed Arizona State’s Joey Daccord to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Read below for the Senators’ full press release:

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators (@Senators) announced today that the club has signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a two-year entry-level contract. Daccord will join the Senators tomorrow and remain with the NHL club for the duration of the season.

Daccord, 22, recently concluded his junior season with the NCAA's Arizona State Sun Devils, seeing his collegiate playing career come to an end with a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac on Saturday. The 6-3, 205 pound native of North Andover, Mass., posted a 21-12-1 record this past season with a 2.36 goal-against average and .926 save percentage while earning seven shutout victories.

Named one of the five finalists for the Mike Richter Award, annually awarded to the most outstanding goaltender in college hockey, Daccord is also a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award, in recognition of the nation's top player. He leaves Arizona State having set career highs in games (34), wins (21), goals-against-average (2.36), save percentage (.926) and shutouts (seven) in 2018-19.

Daccord was Ottawa's seventh-round pick, (199th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.