13th year left wing Alexandre Picard(81) gets the bump up to the best league overseas, the KHL signing a one-year deal with Amur Khabarovsk after a solid season in the Czech Extraliga for HK Hradec Kralove, where he put up some impressive numbers (7-13-20 in 25 games and another 5 in the playoffs).
This came after 4 seasons in Switzerland top league NLA mostly with Geneve-Servette, where he won a pair of 2014 & 2015 Spengler Cups.
The fairly sizable and feisty forward was the most penalized player in the Swiss league in 2013/2014 but has always kept the focus on scoring too.
The recently turned 32-year old still seems to have a lot of time left to impress.
East Coast Wizards‘ forward Trent Pitser(3) finds the back of the net on a wicked wrister to open up scoring for the home team on a 7-2 win over tough to beat Vermont Lumberjacks in EHL action.
Undrafted 4th year defenseman Nolan Descoteaux(4) signs with Indy Fuel after a career high scoring with Alaska Aces, where he grabbed 10 goals and 20 assists in 60 ECHL games.
He started his third season with home state club Allen Americans but was waived after 2 appearances and claimed.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner won the 2015 Kelly Cup as a rookie with the team and returned for 24 contests the next campaign but bounced around between four squads before again returning.
He’s had more success on the stat sheet since turning pro than he did in four years at Rochester Institute Of Technology but did win the 2014 NCAA/AHA Championship.
The 27-year old should do well with his new squad but it might take some extra effort to pass last year’s marks.
Fourth year right wing Robin Kovacs(96) opts out of the final two years of his entry level deal, although he still may get some of the money, heading back to the homeland joining Lulea HF of the SHL.
After attending New York Rangers‘ training camp, he was a 3rd round pick in 2015 (#62 overall), and being an early cut, refused to report to Hartford Wolf Pack, where he spent all of last season scoring two goals and 10 assists in 72 AHL games.
There’s little doubt this lanky 6′ 178 lbs. forward has some abilities and is likely they’ll come to life sooner than later.
He’s already had great success in the tier 2 Allsvenskan with AIK but with what he flashed in the minor league last year, he’s ready for the big boy show in Sweden.
Undrafted 10th year center Peter MacArthur(16) scored a new career high and team best 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points in 63 ECHL games with two season home team Adirondack Thunder.
He’s taking his show on the road signing a one-year deal with Allen Americans for 2017/2018.
It will be his 11th team, including three overseas from 2012-2016.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward has played 190 AHL games and 150 in the lower league, where he’s a point-per-game guy.
At 32-years old he could be looking at moves that make sense for any post-hockey plans but as he’s still dotting the score sheet so heavily, he may just stick with it.
6th year center Brendan Shinnimin(39) goes from half a season in Russia and took a little time to find a new job skating for Vaxjo Lakers HC of the SHL in 2017/2018.
He initially left signing a one-year deal with Switzerland’s SCL Tigers but lasted only 12 NLA games (2 goals, 7 assists) before mid-campaign deciding to try his hand at the KHL, where he joined Barys Astana playing 17 contests (2 goals, 4 assists) before adding another tally in 10 playoff appearances.
The now 26-year old, former WHL sniper, should do well in Sweden’s top league and may just settle nicely there.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Mason Marchment(20) looks determined to make his mark as a sophomore skater.
The big 6’4″ 204 lbs. power forward spent most of his rookie season with Orlando Solar Bears playing 35 ECHL goals scoring 14 goals and 6 assists, then added another 5 points in 7 playoff match-ups, while only appearing in 9 AHL games with contract club Toronto Marlies.
In a pair of contests to start 2017/2018 he already posted his first tally, a game-winner and is moving around the ice like a man possessed.
He only spent two years in the OHL with three different teams before deciding to turn pro.
The 22-year old sure looks like he ready to arrive and contribute, and if he can make that happen will likely receive a look from a big league club.
Undrafted 2nd year center Daniel Moynihan(12) takes a successful 1st season run with Alaska Aces scoring 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points to lead all rookies on the team into a new contract with Utica Comets for 2017/2018.
He also held down a tidy +7 rating on a non-playoff squad.
The sturdy built 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward was a more than point per game guy in his last pair of campaigns in the QMJHL.
At just 21-years old, the Boston native might settle in nice at the next level and grab some offense, but if not he could be reassigned to affiliate Kalamazoo Wings and continue to tear.
He also just spent some time in Vancouver Canucks‘ training camp.
Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#103 overall) right wing Justin Auger(79) received his NHL debut early in the 2017/2018 season.
The enormous 6’6″ 232 lbs. skated 11 shifts for 8:15 of total ice time and had one play break-up in a 5-1 win.
He has spent all of his time previously with affiliates Ontario Reign and helped farm club Manchester Monarchs win the 2015 Calder Cup.
Credited with 202 AHL games on his resume, he has 43 goals and 42 assists with a +30 rating.
Never exactly a big scorer through three years of junior hockey with Guelph Storm, he did manage to win the 2014 OHL Championship before deciding to turn pro.
The 23-year old is likely a strong fourth line guy that can help protect the team but rarely mixes it up with fighting majors.
He mostly just needs to lean into an opposing player with intimidating size.
Undrafted rookie net minder Jack Flinn(40) has decided to head to college joining Queens University for 2017/2018 as goalie coach after spending his rookie season under AHL contract with Ontario Reign, where he appeared in 5 games.
He also had 13 ECHL starts on reassignment to Manchester Monarchs but seemed to struggle some in both leagues.
The absolutely huge 6’8″ 223 lbs. net minder had similar marks through 4 years of the OHL but was able to step it up pretty big in two years of playoffs with Owen Sound Attack and Mississauga Steelheads.
Even if the 21-year old finishes up a degree and return at a later date, he’ll be much more ready to go for a sophomore run at the pros.
