Huge 2nd year right wing Matt Schmalz(25) signs a one-year deal with Wichita Thunder for 2018/2019 after notching 40 points (23-17) for Manchester Monarchs as a rookie with a +14 rating in 59 ECHL games.
The 6’6″ 209 lbs. forward also played a pair of games with Ontario Reign getting a goal and an assist after he completed his fourth campaign in the OHL.
Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2015 draft (#134 overall), he was left unsigned and decided to play an over-age year in juniors for Owen Sound Attack but did eventually sign an AHL agreement before being reassigned for the beginning of his pro career.
It seems if the 22-year old can get off to a good start with his new club that he’ll be loaned up to the higher league and could turn it into a possible NHL contract.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th year 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#44 overall) goaltender Tristan Jarry(35) gets a new 2-year deal to stay as he entered his first restricted free agency.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. net minder actually played more NHL games at 23 than he did with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he tended for 16.
His marks are similar in the two leagues: (N 14-6 2.77 GAA .905 SV% AHL 9-5-2 3.05 GAA .901 SV%).
He was a monster in junior hockey with Edmonton Oil Kings winning two 2012 & 2014 WHL Championships, 2014 Memorial Cup, twice posted league best GAA and 1st Team All-Star and once best SV%.
The 23-year old is signed two-way in the first year of his new contract and one-way in the second.
He will challenge for the starter job at the upcoming training camp.
Belfast Giants‘ 9th year left wing Blair Riley(25) agrees to stay on for a third straight season and 2nd as team captain.
He scored a career high 43 assists and 57 points in 53 EIHL games in 2017/2018, which is a lot off the hook for the tough guy on ice to be an awesome set up guy.
At 32-years old, the former Nanaimo Clippers high scorer in 2005/2006 (41 goals, 38 assists) is likely to stay put and likely to sign on to work for the team when he’s had enough of the ice.
Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th year Finnish-born defenseman Alex Lintuniemi(10) re-ups for another season in the prospect system after scoring a career high 4 goals and 20 assists for 24 points in 64 games for affiliate Ontario Reign.
The 6’2″ 214 lbs. blue liner has worked his way up as he started as a rookie skating for Manchester Monarchs playing 38 ECHL games grabbing a goal and 17 assists.
He also appeared in 4 games in the last year of their AHL existence after finishing up his second season for Ottawa 67’s.
Most of his junior hockey was played close to home with HIFK and Jokerit.
He even played 11 games in the tier 2 Mestis for Kiekko Vantaa getting a goal and 2 assists before coming to North America.
The soon-to-be 23-year old stepped it up to score a new deal but will have to continue to stay on.
Dallas Stars‘ 10th year center Erik Condra(11) picks himself up a 1-year two-way deal on the opening day of unrestricted free agency after spending the last three years in Tampa Bay Lightning‘s system and the last two serving as captain of affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
Always a consistent performer/pest, he came alive mostly last season in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs scoring 5 assists in 7 games with a +2 rating.
He’s played 238 AHL games scoring 52 goals and 106 assists with a +26 and 366 NHL games grabbing 39 goals and 59 assists with an impressive +18 plus/minus.
The just turned 32-year old will likely be reassigned to start with farm club Texas Stars but it would be no surprise to see the parent club summons his agitating presence.
Florida Panthers‘ 4th year defenseman Jacob MacDonald(23) got scooped on the 2nd day of unrestricted free agency after a career year for lowly Binghamton Devils scoring a league best for d-men 55 points and 20 goals including 11 on the power play through 75 AHL games.
It’s maybe a little surprising he had to wait a day to pick up an NHL deal.
The 25-year old picked up a nice 2-year two-way contract that will likely have him heading towards affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, which will cause him to come full circle in his early career as he skated a single game for then Springfield Falcons fresh out of four years at Cornell University.
Look for him to have a strong training camp to get on the uppers radar for an early recall, especially if he starts strong with his new club in the minors.
5th year Finnish-born left wing Henri Ikonen(48) signs on for a 2nd season with Jokerit after scoring a modest 4 goals and 9 assists in 35 KHL games with a +9 rating.
Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2013 draft (#154 overall) he spent three campaigns playing for affiliate Syracuse Crunch (sans 3 stray ECHL games for Greenville Swamp Rabbits) appearing in 180 AHL games grabbing 14 goals and 29 assists but was not given a qualifying offer to stay on as his entry level deal expired.
The 6′ 196 lbs. forward played most of his junior hockey close to home for KalPa and even appeared in 8 Liiga games as a 17-year old before leaving to join Kingston Frontenacs for two very productive point per OHL game seasons.
He also won gold at the U20 2014 WJC.
At 24-years old seems poised for a breakout scoring run but it may not occur in the top Russian league.
Undrafted 13th year Hungarian-born right wing Gergo Nagy(13) decides to head home signing a one-year deal with Ferencvaros TC of Erste Liga for 2018/2019 after spending most of last season with Quad City Mallards.
Through 44 ECHL games he scored 11 goals and 13 assists with a -18 rating on a non-playoff club.
The sizable 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward has been playing pro hockey, starting in his country’s top league since he was a 17-years old.
He’s amassed 568 pro games through 6 different leagues, including a pair of 56 point campaigns in North America, 1st with Quad City in the last run of the Central Hockey League and Kalamazoo Wings.
He was actually signed by Chicago Wolves twice and played 2 AHL games on his first loan, then to start 2014/2015 for 6 games, 2 assists with a +2 rating before being reassigned.
The 28-year old will likely stay close to home at this point and start to put up big numbers for at least the next few seasons and maybe even bounce up to EBEL.
8th year center Michael Latta(46) was on his first two-way deal since signing his entry level contract in 2010/2011.
He played 17 NHL games to start 2013/2014 and grabbed a first big league goal but was reassigned to the minors as of mid-December.
The feisty forward had a solid next training camp and once again was on the opening night roster but this time he stuck, and made it last for a couple seasons, 96 games in the big league scoring 3 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating in mostly a fourth line role, 118 penalty minutes and 16 fighting majors.
Heading into 2016/2017 as a restricted free agent he was left unqualified but was signed quickly by Los Angeles Kings.
He was traded midseason to Chicago Blackhawks but spent the entire campaign with affiliates.
Again not qualified, it didn’t take long for Arizona Coyotes to have a look but they also dished him after a couple of months to New Jersey Devils‘ system, where he finished out pretty strongly with Binghamton Devils.
The 27-year has decided heading into 2018/2019 it’s time to try a new path and signs with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL.
It will be interesting to see if he is able to have success in Russian but our guess is he will.
6th year center Colin Jacobs(18) takes a career tying 14 goals, new best 17 assists and 31 points with a +11 rating in a split campaign for Atlanta Gladiators and Toledo Walleye to signing with Wichita Thunder for 2018/2019.
Originally a Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#107 overall) stayed in the system but skated equal time for AHL farm club Rochester Americans and ECHL affiliate Elmira Jackals.
The 6’2″ 206 lbs. forward was not given a qualifying offer once his three year entry level deal was up.
He signed his first minor league deal with Atlanta but after getting off to a super-hot start was sidelined with a season ending shoulder injury.
At 26-years old could definitely use one more successful campaign before the former Seattle Thunderbirds/Prince George Cougars‘ star possibly decides to pursue new opportunities overseas.
