University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ Swedish-born, junior goaltender Axel Mangbo(50) leaves a year on the table and signs back home in Hockeyettan with Karlskrona HK for his rookie season, 2026/2027.
The 6’3″ 190 lbs. played his youth hockey and some juniors back home before coming over for 2 USHL frames prior to school.
We look for the 23-year old to stand out in this league.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ senior captain, Ryan Richardson(6) scored a college best 11 goals and 19 assists in 38 games with a +15 rating last season, which he takes to a 1st contract with new ECHL team Greensboro Gargoyles for 2025/2026.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward from Stittsville, ON did 2 years of northern junior hockey before 1 at the USHL before college.
The 24-year old should find a good game of scoring.
In 61 games, he grabs 12 goals and 6 assists, which has him looking elsewhere for 2026/2027 and signs with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL.
3rd year center J.D. Dudek(18) returned to these shores after spending 2020/2021 overseas with Bodens HF doing quite well with 7 goals and 4 assists in 16 HockeyEttan games with a +7 rating and re-signed to Worcester Railers, who he spent 27 ECHL games with as a rookie (2-10-12).
Originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#152 overall), he signed an ato with affiliate Binghamton Devils upon graduating 4 years at Boston College Eagles, but that’s about how far it went.
The Auburn, NH native was quickly dished to Allen Americans after 1 game back in central MA.
Soon to be turning 26, he has to have his eye on what might be more possible for his playing career overseas.
He would get 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating in 62 games last season and decides maybe return as thought, signing for 2022/2023 with Tranas AIF, where once again he should put up strong numbers in Sweden’s tier 3 league.
After 14 games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists with a +2 rating, he decides to head elsewhere, joining Coventry Blaze for the remainder of 2022/2023.
He walks away from last season with 9 goals and 8 assists in 29 games with a +5, which is favorable enough to score 2023/2024 to once again play in the EIHL.
After almost 2 seasons with the English team, he decides to head back home and signs with the Railers once again for a hopeful improved outcome.
He does decently in his time back close to home, but maybe misses the overseas action more and is a better payday for him to join Manchester Storm for 2025/2026.
In 53 games, he scores 14 goals and 10 assists, then adds another 2 points in the playoffs to secure an invite back for 2026/2027 as a Storm.
3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.
After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.
From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.
After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.
Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.
He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.
For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.
He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.
Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.
A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.
He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.
After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.
As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.
In 16 games with his new team, he has 1 goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating, but finds himself traded to a Cincinnati Cyclones, who maybe need him to score for them a bit more.
In 29 games, he gets 2 goals and 5 assists, but is a -9 rating, so gets waived then re-adopted for a 3rd time by Worcester Railers.
He did score league best here.
In 9 games, he picks up 1 goal and 5 assists with a +1 rating that easily gets him a contract to return for 2026/2027 and be a Railers.
After four solid seasons at Union College, scoring a collegiate career best 20 assists and 29 points in a COVID stopped 2019/2020, undrafted right wing Anthony Rinaldi(21) signed his first pro career with Kansas City Mavericks but after just 5 ECHL games with no points found the mix just didn’t fit and was traded to Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
The 6′ 188 lbs. forward has found his nitch with the new club, scoring 6 goals and 5 assists in 30 games with a +2 as a rookie.
We think the 25-year old native of Pierrefonds, QC can put up numbers like he did in two years of juniors, first in the BCHL (22-16-38), then the OJHL (38-35-72) for Kingston Voyageurs as assistant captain.
Coming off a rookie campaign scoring 7 goals and 6 assists in 43 games with a +1 rating looks like numbers that can be increased thinks Greenville Swamp Rabbits, who re-ups him for a 2nd, full 2021/2022.
After a 2nd solid frame in the league, he decided to leave for an opportunity to sign for 1-year with Les Jokers De Cergy Pontoise of Ligue Magnus for 2022/2023 and recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 33 games, then added 7 points in 8 playoff matchups.
He’s moving over for 2023/2024 to the EIHL and agrees to terms with Dundee Stars, which should see him produce well.
After a first good season overseas, scoring a tidy 16 goals and 21 assists, he will take his game next to Germany3, where he signs with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.
He had returned for most of 2025/2026, signing with the new Greensboro Gargoyles, but gets himself a late season trade to maybe help South Carolina Stingrays‘ playoff push.
In 8 games, he scores 5 goals and 4 assists and Allen Americans are watching and sign him for 2026/2027.
Former University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ senior captain, defenseman Will MacKinnon(27) signs a 1st pro deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms after graduating, but is mostly reassigned to affiliate Reading Royals.
The 5’11” 201 lbs. blue liner played two seasons of junior hockey, including one for the USNTDP.
At just turning 22-years old, the college graduate is still very young and although may have never been the biggest scorer may just find his ECHL game to be a stay-at-home style d-man.
In 17 games, he managed 1 assist with a +2 rating to be re-signed and stay in Pennsylvania for his rookie season.
He stayed in their system for a couple seasons before heading to Utica Comets.
Late in the season, he was traded to Cleveland Monsters, who wanted him for future considerations.
They re-sign him for 2025/2026 to stay a Monsters.
After spending most of the season with affiliate Toledo Walleye, he decides to move on and signs in the IceHL with EC-KAC for 2026/2027.
Plymouth State University Panthers‘ senior assistant captain defenseman Rider McCallum(55) turns pro after scoring pretty well through college, signing an ato with Greensboro Gargoyles.
The 6’1″ 174 lbs. forward had 2 successful AJHL junior frames before school.
From Langley, BC, the 24-year old has 1 assist in 5 ECHL games.
For 2026/2027, he elects to try something different, signing in the new Japanese hockey league, XHL with Tokyo Wilds.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ graduate right wing Connor Caponi(22) signs a 1st pro contract with Cardiff Devils for 2025/2026.
In 6 EIHL games, he has 1 assist.
The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward had a best scoring season in college as a junior with 5 goals and 9 assists in 44 games with a +4 rating.
From Brookefield, WI, we expect the 25-year old picks up scoring as he gets situated.
In 35 games, he picks up 3 assists and gets a 1st league goal in the playoffs, but for 2026/2027, he elects to return and signs a 1-year ECHL deal with Atlanta Gladiators.
5th year right wing Jeremy Bracco(97) is off to a hot start with his new club overseas, Krefeld Pinguine. scoring 6 goals and 11 assists in 15 DEL games.
He had 17 points (2-15) last season with KalPa in just 24 Liiga games.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward was originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd round pick in 2015 (#61 overall) and spent his 1st 3 pro years in their system, playing for affiliate Toronto Marlies. but somehow amassing 145 points in 169 AHL games isn’t good enough to score a qualifying offer.
He was signed to play with Carolina Hurricanes last season, but when he was to be sent to the minors, entertained and accepted a more lucrative offer and was released on unconditional waivers to Finland.
It seems likely that if the still young 24-year old, former 5-game Boston College Eagle (3 assists), who quickly left for a pair of very solid OHL campaigns before turning pro will get pick up by an NHL team for a one-way contract if he keeps scoring big.
He may not be making his way to the big league in North America quite yet, but does take it up another level overseas, joining Bary Nur-Sultan of the KHL after putting up a career 2nd best 40 assists in Germany’s top hockey.
We do think the Freeport, NY native and 2018 Calder Cup Champion will return.
He starts his 2nd year with the team after 14 goals and 26 assists last season, but records only 1 goal in 6 games and maybe they get nervous and deal him to HC Sochi.
We do believe he will do just fine.
In 33 games, he scores 8 goals and 7 assists that he will take with him to his new league, Slovak Extraliga, where he signs with HKM Zvolen for 2024/2025.
He almost oddball takes 7 assists in 6 games to a new deal with HC Innsbruck and will head over to IceHL for his next hockey.
Scoring pretty well in Austria, he wants to head back to the tougher Slovakia and signs with HK Poprad.
Once again, putting up points is not a problem and he notches 8 assists in 5 games, then 3 goals and 1 helper through 6 in the playoffs, so he’s an easy re-sign to return with Poprad.
After 9 games with 1 goal and 4 assists, he decides to head for DEL2 and signs with Eisbaren Regensburg, where we know he will score well.
He comes away with 14 goals and 24 assists in 37 games, then another 9 points in the playoffs to earn another deal to return to Eisbaren.
Trois Rivieres Lions‘ 2nd year defenseman Jacob Paquette(6) had his breakthrough last season with pro bests 17 assists, 21 points and a +36 rating, then another 5 points in the playoffs to a 2025 Kelly Cup Championship.
For 2026/2027, the 6’3″ 210 lbs. blue liner is headed overseas, signing with Dragons de Rouen of Ligue Magnus.
From Ottawa, ON, the 21-year old did 4 years OHL before joining Queens University Gaels.
