July 7, 2010
By Inside College Hockey

Two more players decided Tuesday to eschew their remaining college eligibility, as WIsconsin defenseman Ryan McDonagh and Michigan State forward Corey Tropp signed with the National Hockey League clubs that own their rights.

McDonagh and the New York Rangers agreed to a reported three-year deal worth $2.4 million. He’s the fourth Wisconsin underclassman to leave for the professional ranks this offseason and the second Badger in a week to leave State Street for Broadway—forward Derek Stepan came to terms on a similar deal with the Blueshirts. McDonagh, who scored 14 goals and added 32 assists in three seasons with the Badgers, was originally drafted by Montreal with the 12th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft; his rights were traded to the Rangers last summer as part of the deal that sent Scott Gomez to the Canadiens.

Tropp, meanwhile, signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres reportedly worth $1.76 million. In three seasons at Michigan State, the Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., native scored 29 goals and 41 assists in 100 career games. Tropp, who was drafted in the third round of the 2007 draft, is the third Spartan underclassman to sign an NHL contract during the offseason, joining defenseman Jeff Petry (Edmonton) and forward Andrew Rowe (Philadelphia).