Undrafted 4th year defenseman Arvin Atwal(20) scores a 1-year deal with Milwaukee Admirals after putting up a career high 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points with a massive +44 rating, then adding another 3 assists in 11 Kelly Cup Playoff games.
The 6′ 198 lbs. blue liner played 4 seasons in the WHL finishing up with a solid 11 goals and 39 assists with a +22 rating for Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Almost ironically he could end up right where he’s had a lot of success for the last three years with Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL but could also stay up as he’s struck for a couple goals and an assist in 12 AHL as a rookie and grabbed 2 assists in three games last campaign.
At just 23-years old he may be eyeing good play to secure a solid spot overseas next season.
Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Jagger Dirk(8) takes a decent rookie season signed by Utica Comets in the offseason, where he played 9 AHL games (1 assist) but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Kalamazoo Wings to a new, 1-year deal with Dundee Stars of the EIHL.
He played four seasons of juniors with Kootenay Ice, twice compiling 30+ assist campaigns and winning the 2011 WHL Championship as a rookie player.
The 6′ 198 lbs. blue liner followed that up with agreeing to attend St. Francis Xavier University, where he won Defenseman Of The Year as a senior.
Upon completing four years, he signed an ato to join Binghamton Devils.
In 7 games he had one assist with a +1 rating.
The 26-year old should be able to elevate his game nicely in the United Kingdom’s top league.
Undrafted 3rd year right wing Wade Murphy(15) takes a career high 9 ECHL goals in a split session with Maine Mariners and Kalamazoo Wings over to GET Ligaen signing for 2019/2020 with Narvik Hockey.
The 6′ 190 lbs. forward was never much of a scorer until his senior year at Arizona State University, when he potted 9 goals and 11 assists in 31 games.
He was a very solid scorer through his last two seasons of juniors with Penticton Vees and Victoria Grizzlies (69 goals/112 assists-181 points in 172 games) and won the 2012 BCHL Championship.
The 25-year old will likely do well in Norway’s top league and increase his offensive output to a new level to gain notice from better leagues overseas.
8th year center Marek Hrivik(15) takes half a season’s numbers (28 games – 8 goals, 7 assists) for Vityaz Podolsk in the KHL to a new deal for 2019/2020 with Leksands IF of the SHL.
The former 2010 QMJHL Champion in his first campaign coming over from Slovakia played only three years of junior hockey before turning pro.
He spent 5 years in New York Rangers‘ prospect system before becoming a group 6 unrestricted free agent and signed with Calgary Flames.
In only 32 games with affiliate Stockton Heat he potted almost a point-per-game 11 goals and 19 assists but wasn’t retained and decided to head closer to home and landed in Russia.
The 27-year old, who played only 24 NHL games, should do very well in Sweden’s top league.
Undrafted rookie right wing Lewis Zerter-Goosage(18) takes an ato with Hartford Wolf Pack scoring a pair of goals with a +1 rating after his fourth season as captain of Harvard University to a new 1-year AHL deal with the team for 2019/2020.
He’s a 3-time 10+ goal scorer and twice 10+ assists with a college career high 18 goals last campaign.
The Montreal, Quebec native also had a productive one year in junior hockey with Penctiton Vees of the BCHL grabbing another 18 goals and 28 assists.
At 6’2″ 195 lbs. he has power forward size and it would be little surprise to see the 24-year old get another training camp invite from New York Rangers and easily could impress on a 2nd look.
10th year defenseman Chris Summers(55) spreads his wings and takes off to DEL signing a one-year deal with Nurnberg Ice Tigers.
He was coming off a 2-year deal with Pittsburgh Penguins but spent all his time with affiliate Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins, scoring an career high 13 assists and 16 points last season.
At 31-years old now, the veteran of 507 AHL games is likely just playing it out until he feels like it’s a good time to stop.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Kevin Dufour(10) takes a pair of solid ECHL seasons over to the EIHL for 2019/2020 signing a one-year deal with Dundee Stars.
He split 2018/2019 with Indy Fuel and Manchester Monarchs scoring a new career high 24 goals and 41 points, then adding another 10 points (7-3) in 11 ECHL Kelly Cup playoff games.
The 6′ 190 lbs. forward was a pretty big scorer through 4 years at Bowling Green State University reaching 10+ goals in his final three campaigns.
At 27, it’s likely a safe move to test the overseas hockey waters in the United Kingdom to start but we fully expect him to excel and move on to higher leagues over there.
3rd year right wing JJ Piccinich(14) scores himself a one-year AHL deal with San Antonio Rampage after helping lead first year team Newfoundland Growlers to the 2019 ECHL Kelly Cup Championship.
Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 4th round pick in the 2014 draft (#103 overall), he was never signed but did ink a 2-year stay with affiliate Toronto Marlies.
He played his entire rookie season with Orlando Solar Bears scoring a career best 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points but only played 6 games (1 assist) in the higher league as a sophomore skater.
The New Jersey-born player took a somewhat odd path to turning pro starting with a pair of years in the USHL with Youngstown Phantoms before heading to Boston University.
He stayed in college only one year before accepting terms from a 2012 draft by London Knights to head north for his continued development.
No doubt he did pretty well winning the 2016 OHL Championship and the Memorial Cup in his first year.
He would become team captain the following season.
The 23-year old, who plays an almost by the book power forward style game, could be just getting started.
11th year right wing Brandon Yip(18) takes a career best 21 goals and 36 points as team captain for Kunlun Red Star to a 2nd KHL season.
It will be his third year with the club.
The veteran of a somewhat oddly small 174 NHL games has seemingly found his stride as a 34-year old playing in Russia’s top league.
Undrafted 3rd year center Elgin Pearce(46) takes a 2nd 20+ goals and assists ECHL season to the EIHL signing a one-year deal with Dundee Stars for 2019/2020.
He was under contract with an AHL team but skated only 5 games for Texas Stars scoring a goal, while spending most of 2018/2019 on reassignment to affiliate Idaho Steelheads.
The 6′ 183 lbs. forward initially came to Manitoba Moose after 4 years at University Of Calgary, where he received lots of accolades, and extended with them as a rookie but appeared in only 7 games (1-1-2) and really turning it up for affiliate Jacksonville Icemen (23-27-50).
This scoring mirrored his output after a trade sent him to Medicine Hat Tigers for his final season from three year team Kootenay Ice, where he won the 2011 WHL Championship.
Through juniors, then college, it’s little surprise the now 27-year old has decided to explore (and should do quite well).
