7th year left wing Evan Bloodoff(10) has decided it’s time to take his game elsewhere, signing with Fife Flyers of the EIHL for 2017/2018.
After a bit of an uneasy season, where he was traded from league frontrunners Florida Everglades to another formidable club Reading Royals, his 9 goals and 11 assists in 45 ECHL games were down from some of his best marks.
The decently enough sized forward had three 20+ goal campaigns from 2012-2014 and he’s always had 10+ assists in each frame.
As a former Kelowna Rockets‘ assistant captain when they won the 2009 WHL Championship, the 26-year old should be able to get his game fully back on track in England, then move up the European hockey ladder from there.
5th year defenseman Darren Dietz(44) goes unqualified for a 2nd time in his pro career as Washington Capitals decide to not re-up after he played 39 AHL games with affiliate Hershey Bears before being involved in a minor league deal that sent him to Texas Stars for the remainder of the calendar.
Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#138 overall), the fairly sizable 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner played three years in the system and even appear in 113 games with the big club in his third season scoring his first NHL goal and 4 assists but was not retained.
Could be they feared he would get more money than they were willing to offer, so released him.
For 2017/2018, the former Saskatoon Blades‘ d-man, who scored a WHL league leading 24 goals in 2012/2013 agreed to a one-year deal with Barys Astana of the KHL, where he should excel nicely.
12th year center Gilbert Brule(19) takes a career best scoring season (18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points) with a couple of KHL squads to a fourth, new team in the league, Traktor Chelyabinsk for 2017/2018.
The 30-year old may not eclipse what he was able to produce last campaign but has seemingly found a good place to play through his final years on ice.
Ottawa Senators‘ 6th year center Jean-Gabriel Pageau(44) gets a brand new 3-year deal that keeps him with his 2011 draft team through 2020.
The small forward is coming off a similar one-way but less lucrative 2-year agreement, where he twice skated the full schedule of 82 NHL games.
He was less explosive on the score sheet last season (12-21-33) than he was in his career best year (so far) 2015/2016 when he pocketed 19 goals, 24 assists for 43 points.
Two important factors may have influenced the restricted free agent’s new deal: he put up a team high 8 goals in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff contests and is a very accountable combined +32 over 251 games.
The 24-year old split most of his time during his first three campaigns between the big club and affiliate Binghamton Senators but at this point is probably not looking back.
Undrafted 5th year defenseman Tyler Elbrecht(4) re-signs to return to Kansas City Mavericks, the team he was originally under contract with before trades sent him to Manchester Monarchs(16 ECHL games) and a very short stint with Cincinnati Cyclones(2).
He actually posted his best career stats with the team scoring 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points, adding another 2 goals and 4 assists (6-18-24) with 13 fighting majors.
The big 6’4″ 210 lbs. blue liner has never really posted offense numbers in 4 years at Minnesota State University Mankato, two as team captain, or in US juniors through a pair of seasons in the NAHL and one in the USHL.
He actually won back-to-back championships, first the 2008 Clark Cup with Omaha Lancers then the 2009 Robertson Cup skating for St. Louis Bandits.
The 28-year old plays a tough as nails style and might not even look out of place at a higher level of hockey but he’s likely headed overseas next or the Edwardsville, IL native may just ride it out.
4th year center Ryan Rupert(20) was left unqualified by Ottawa Senators making him an unrestricted free agent heading into 2017/2018.
The small 5’9″ 190 lbs. pivot has signed a one-year deal to join Indy Fuel, where he’ll join his twin brother, who was with the team last season.
They have been on a number of squads together.
Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2012 draft (#157 overall) he has 3 years ECHL experience on reassignment, most recently skating 29 games to Wichita Thunder, where he scored 9 goals and 12 assists.
In 149 AHL games for Binghamton Senators and Toronto Marlies, he has 31 goals and 28 assists with an highly accountable +18 rating.
The two-time OHL Champion with London Knights, 2012/2013 was a very decent point-getter through four years of junior hockey but what really stands out is his +65 plus/minus.
As a still super-young 23-year old he may play a full season at double A, looking for a loan to the higher level but we expect him to seek better competition overseas before too long.
4th year center Mike Zalewski(14) was not given a qualifying offer by Vancouver Canucks as his one-year extension was expiring.
He leaves North American pro hockey with 2 NHL assists and will join Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2017/2018.
The very decently sized forward didn’t have a spectacular scoring season like he did in his previous campaign, where he was re-upped midseason by the big club but despite only 18 points in 54 AHL games he was a +11 on a non-playoff team.
The still young 25-year old’s game should go to a new level in Germany.
6th year defenseman Nikita Nesterov(89) was surprisingly left unqualified after a trade sent him from draft team Tampa Bay Lightning to Montreal Canadiens.
He finished 2016/2017 scoring a career high 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 48 NHL games.
It was his first full year in the big league after playing a best 57 games in the previous campaign but also spent 10 games with affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
He skated almost equal time between the two leagues in his 2nd year.
For 2017/2018 the 24-year old heads back home to the KHL signing with HC CSKA Moskva.
It’s a bit of a wonder why he was released after such a good showing, other than he may have been able to command more money than they were willing to give him.
Tampa Bay Lightning 7th year left wing Ondrej Palat(18) was just rewarded bigger than he probably ever dreamt back in Czech Republic before turning pro.
The #208 draft pick from 2011 is consistently good for 50-60 points with a somewhat mind boggling +86 rating over his 4+ NHL seasons.
He earns himself a new $5+M per 5-year deal to continue with the only team he knows.
At 26-years old he could even be just getting started, getting stronger and be more of a scoring laser out there on a team that’s full of those type weapons.
No doubt, he’s consistently fun to watch.
After a 13-year career defenseman Bruno Gervais(5) calls it a career.
He spent the last pair of seasons with Eisbaren Berlin of DEL.
The former New York Islanders‘ 6th round pick in the 2003 (#182 overall) played 419 NHL games.
He last played 39 contests for Philadelphia Flyers after the lockout thaw of 2012/2013.
It was his sixth full season exclusively skating in the big league.
No word as to what the 32-year old will do after hanging up his skates but the Longueuil, Quebec-native would be a great asset to any club.
