Florida Panthers‘ 7th year, Swedish-born defenseman Ludwig Bystrom(17) posted a career high 4 goals and 23 assists for 27 points in 57 AHL games splitting his time between Texas Stars and Springfield Thunderbirds.
An early season trade sent him from draft club Dallas Stars (round 2 in 2012, #46 overall) to the sunshine state, where he somewhat exploded on the stat sheet.
The 6′ 175 lbs. blue liner also had a +4 rating on a team that failed to make the playoffs.
He recently signed a 1-year extension to stay on and looks to make some inroads in his first training camp with his new club.
The soon-to-be 24-year old started his pro career with three years in the SHL for MODO and Farjestad BK and may still be a little shy of making the transition to the big league over here but he’s definitely heading in the right direction and grabbing some attention along the way.
7th year center Michael Chaput(21) seemingly gets a new lease as an off-season trade sends him from his team of the last pair of seasons, Vancouver Canucks to Chicago Blackhawks but was left unqualified heading into the new season.
On the opening day of unrestricted free agency, he was scooped up by Montreal Canadiens on a 2-year, 2-way deal, which should give him more time up in the big league.
He was on a one-way deal in 2017/2018 after playing his first, almost full season (minus 10 AHL games) in the NHL (68 games) scoring 4 goals and 5 assists.
In his final year in Columbus Blue Jackets‘ system, he would skate 8 games with the parent club but spent most of his time playing for affiliate Cleveland Monsters, where he would record a career high 29 assists and tying 45 points before helping them win the 2016 Calder Cup Championship.
He was almost oddly not given a qualifying offer to continue but was scooped up quickly on the opening day of unrestricted free agency.
The recently turned 26-year old still needs to be signed but it seems likely he’ll agree to a new 1-year two-way contract.
New York Islanders‘ 3rd round pick in the 2013 draft (#70 overall) goaltender Eamon McAdam(34) enters his restricted free agent contract season looking to continue to up his game but will now have to shine for his new club Toronto Maple Leafs‘ as he was recently traded.
The 6’3″ 198 lbs. net minder split time between a pair of affiliates, playing 29 ECHL games with Worcester Railers (13-10-4, 2.83 GAA, .910 SV%) and 9 AHL contests for Bridgeport Sound Tigers (5-2, 2.77 GAA, .903 SV%).
He’s actually outpacing marks he put up in three years at Penn State University and two years for Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL.
There was also a 9-game stint in the NAHL with Austin Bruins as he headed into juniors but has consistently put up better numbers since turning pro, although it was likely his performance in the WJAC U19 that helped his selection position.
No doubt the 24-year will need to take it up a level and play a full campaign with Toronto Marlies to stay on the new big club’s radar.
He’ll also need a new mask.
4th year defenseman Aaron Harstad(44) takes a decent season with Idaho Steelheads posting a career high 11 assists and tying 13 points, +13 rating, 88 shots and 53 penalty minutes over to Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen for 2018/2019.
He has played 115 ECHL games with a +31 rating.
Originally a Winnipeg Jets‘ 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#187 overall), he never signed directly with the club but instead was on an ato after four years at Colorado College, then agreed to an AHL contract with affiliate Manitoba Moose for his rookie campaign.
The 6’3″ 220 lbs. 26-year old blue liner can be counted on to defend the zone, if not put up big numbers on the score sheet, but over in Denmark’s top league may surpass stats he posted in his 2nd season with Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL (7-14-21).
Undrafted rookie defenseman Josh McArdle(24) signs for his first pro year with hometown Rockford IceHogs.
He was basically there for the start as the team was launched in the old United Hockey League.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. blue liner was likely in one of the inaugural learn to skate programs, then continued through his entire youth hockey development until he was ready to leave for Tri-City Storm.
He played two seasons in the USHL before maybe making a bit of an odd move heading up to BCHL to continue juniors with Nanaimo Clippers., which maybe helped better set up heading off to 4 years at Brown University.
Never quite the biggest point-getter, he plays more of a stay at home style and signed with Worcester Railers after his final campaign at college playing 10 ECHL games recording 2 assists with a -2 rating.
The 24-year old is likely to feel tickled skating the hometown ice for a first time come October.
6th year net minder Kristers Gudlevskis(50) has decided it’s best to head back home to play for Dinamo Riga, the team he’d played three years of stellar junior hockey with.
He did actually play a pair of KHL contests for the team in the year before coming to North America.
The big frame goalie was set to become a group 6 unrestricted free agent after guarding the cage for Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season, while under a 1-year deal with New York Islanders after a trade sent him over, but didn’t see anytime in the big league.
He had a 12-16 record with three shutouts and a 2.83 GAA and .897 SV% on a non-playoff team in 37 AHL games.
In his four seasons with Tampa Bay Lightning, he received looks on three separate occasions and leaves with a 1-0 record, 1.37 GAA and .947 SV%.
We are putting money on the soon to be 26-year old having an amazing campaign in Russia’s top hockey and being given a new contract to return for some more NHL action.
Undrafted 6th year center Shane Bakker(79) signs on for another season with Manchester Storm.
In 48 EIHL games he scored 3 goals and 13 assists as the team’s assistant captain and accumulated a new high 128 penalty minutes but was only involved in 4 fighting majors.
The extra large 6’4″ 208 lbs. forward started his pro career with 3 campaigns for Wheeling Nailers after spending 5 years at Carleton University.
He decided next to move on signing with Atlanta Gladiators but was loaned up for a third straight season to affiliate Providence Bruins to start 2015/2016 with 2 AHL games before returning and tied his 18 point output he posted as a rookie.
Not exactly the biggest point getter has played 176 ECHL games and is always an intimidating player out there.
The 30-year old could have found a very decent hockey home to settle and will likely continue to find success in the United Kingdom’s top league.
12th year veteran center Mike Angelidis(10) decides he’s spent enough time on pro ice for now as just passes his 33rd birthday.
His last season will be documented overseas, as he joined HC Bolzano Foxes and helped them win the 2018 EBEL Championship chipping in 4 goals and 6 assists in 18 playoff games.
He adds that to the fairytale 2012 Calder Cup Championship win for Norfolk Admirals.
The decently-sized, always rugged forward will leave the game with 14 NHL, 681 AHL, 240 OHL games and 5 team captains and even 24 ECHL games with Florida Everblades to his credit and will be missed.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ undrafted 5th year group 6 unrestricted free agent center Patrick Brown(24) signs a 3rd one-year extension to stay on as captain of affiliate Charlotte Checkers, a spot he’s held for the last two seasons.
He was an assistant in the prior campaign.
The hard skating 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward recorded a career high 20 assists in 68 AHL games with a +18 rating, 117 shots on net and 4 power play goals.
He’s played 28 NHL games scoring a goal and an assist but failed to appear with the big club last season.
The former Boston College Eagle was never much of a point getter through 4 years but has learn how to connect quite decently since turning pro.
At 26-years old he will definitely need to step it up as he’s done in each successive run but could also get a longer look with the parent club.
8th year right wing Shawn Szydlowski(27) has spent 5 seasons in a Fort Wayne Komets‘ uniform, in 2017/2018 posted a career and league high 79 points in 64 games and was voted MVP.
He has only played 6 contests with one other team, Atlanta Gladiators, as a rookie.
The 6′ 198 lbs. forward also has 80 AHL games to his credit and even spent the majority of his sophomore campaign in the Central Hockey League with Fort Worth Brahmas as he was working to establish his game.
Through 302 ECHL games he has scored 131 goals and 192 assists for 323 points with an unprecedented +115 rating.
The still young 27-year old has decided it’s finally time to embark on a new journey signing for 2018/2019 with Frisk Asker in GET-ligaen.
There’s little doubt that he’ll detonate the Norway pro league and could very well boost himself into a higher level of hockey overseas.
