Category: Free Agent Signing

14Dec

Grant Hutton (7)

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New York Islanders‘ undrafted, 3rd year defenseman Grant Hutton(7) is getting first looks at the NHL, appearing in his debut games.

He skated 19/20 shifts for 13/14 minutes of ice with a few shots on net.

The 6’3″ 209 lbs. blue liner spent four years at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks, getting 14 assists as a junior and senior and serving as captain in his final year.

He has 98 AHL games, all with affiliate Bridgeport Islanders.

The 26-year old is set to become a restricted free agent for the last time in his pro career at the end of the current frame.

Due to injuries with the parent club he could be receiving a bit longer of a look than what was originally thought.

After 6 years with the same organization, recording 1st NHL goal along the way and 2 assists in 13 games last season with a +1 rating and 29 games in the minors, he has decided at 30-years old to stop playing pro hockey.

He has yet to announce anything, but you have to wonder, considering where he has played for so long.

11Dec

Zach Sanford (12)

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 6th year left wing Zach Sanford(12) was recently acquired as they head towards playoffs from Ottawa Senators, where he scored 9 goals and 8 assists in 62 games.

Since arriving he has 3 assists in 15 appearances.

The 6’4″ 203 lbs. Washington Capitals‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#61 overall) was probably most known for his time spent with St. Louis Blues, where he won the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship his 1st year with the club.

He has played a total of 286 NHL games, scoring 47 goals and 47 assists.

The former 2-year Boston College Eagles‘ forward left after putting up very close to point-per-game numbers.

At 27-years old, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session.

He only managed 4 assists in 18 games with his new club, so was left unsigned.

It didn’t take long into being unsigned for him to pick up a 1-year 1-way deal with Nashville Predators for 2022/2023 at the league minimum to see if he can reconnect with the scoring sheet.

He contributes nicely when called, but mostly serves as a veteran to help the kids with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, where his numbers are good, then his playoff points additional.

For 2023/2024, he signs a new very short money deal on the 2-way with Arizona Coyotes, but with his size and strength may make the $800,000 AAV the deal is good for.

He was picked up off waivers by Chicago Blackhawks and in 18 games had 4 assists, then subsequently signed for the 2024/2025.

Opting out of maybe signing a minor league deal, he jumps for a new target, coming to terms with HC Lugano for 2025/2026 in NL.

He explodes scoring in Switzerland with 9 goals and 17 assists in 30 games with a +12 rating and re-ups to stay for another 3 seasons through 2027/2028 at HC Lugano.

11Dec

Trevor Kuntar (15)

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Boston Bruins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2020 draft (#89 overall), Boston College Eagles‘ junior center Trevor Kuntar(15) will leave a year of college on the table to sign a 2-year NHL entry level deal.

The 6′ 196 lbs. forward recorded a college career best 13 goals and 16 assists in 34 games with a +5 rating as a junior.

He was a more than a point-per-game player in his 2nd season with Youngstown Phantoms, getting 53 points in 44 USHL games.

The 21-year old may report to and help affiliate Providence Bruins go for a Calder Cup, but will most definitely compete in camp 2023 for a roster spot.

He goes into restricted free agency unqualified, so able to look for a contract as an unrestricted free agent and signs a 1-year AHL deal with Rochester Americans for 2025/2026.

In 24 games this season, he has a team high 9 goals and 13 points, so gets offered a 1-year contract with parent club, Buffalo Sabres worth $775K AAV.

We expect an NHL recall soon.

10Dec

Chris Brown (11)

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11th year center Chris Brown(11) takes 4 seasons with Nurnberg Tigers and trades it in to return to Iserlohn Roosters, the team he started with overseas, for 2022/2023.

The 6’3″ 214 lbs. forward was originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#36 overall) and was in their system for only about a year and a half before being traded to Washington Capitals. , where he arguably had his best success, but still only played 23 NHL games with 2 goals, 1 assist and a +1 rating.

He’s a 3-time 10+ goal scorer and 20+ assist guy in DEL.

The 31-year old former 3-year University Of Michigan Wolverines from Flower Mound, TX keeps on ticking very nicely.

For 2023/2024, he will start a new adventure at now 32-years old and head to Slovak Extraliga to suit up for HC Slovan Bratislava.

He scores kind of big in Austria with 14 goals in 24 games and decides to head back to Germany and signs with Schwenninger Wild Wings.

After 7 seasons in the same league, he looks to switch things up a bit and signs with Fehervar AV19 of IceHL and comes away with 21 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.

For 2025/2026, he late was going to retire, but decides to come play hockey a little closer to home and agrees to terms with Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL.

08Dec

Zane McIntyre (30)

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9th year net minder Zane McIntyre(30) signs for a 3rd straight season 2023/2024 in Minnesota Wild system after 34 AHL games with a 16-12-5 record, 2.87 GAA and .899 SV% last season.

He was in the cage for 37 the year before that with even better numbers.

Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#165 overall), he left a year at University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on the table before turning pro.

Although he hasn’t played an NHL game since his 2nd season, he’s always been under a contract to a big league club.

At 30-years old from Grand Forks, ND, he has to be smiling how things have worked out.

Dispatched almost exclusively to affiliate Iowa Wild, he struggles on a not so good team.

He is going to head back overseas, but looks for far more success, signing a 1-year deal with Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2024/2025.

In 28 games, he posts a good record, but decides at 33-years old to head closer to home for his next hockey and signs a 1st ECHL contract with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026.

He gets into 5 starts, but ultimately decides and maybe gets wooed back overseas to join Stavanger Oilers of the Eliteserien league.

06Dec

Steven Oleksy (4)

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11th year defenseman Steven Oleksy(4) elected not to play last season, but returns for 2021/2022 and re-signs with Toledo Walleye, a team he was with for 36 ECHL games (1 goal, 14 assists) in 2019/2020 before leaving for a 1st visit overseas to Black Wingz Linz of EBEL.

At 35-years old, the former 3-year Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ blue liner doesn’t really need to do it for the paycheck.

He’s had quite the interesting career journey starting through a series of minor league deals that even took him to the ill-fated IHL with Port Huron Icehawks as a rookie, but it was time spent with Idaho Steelheads that got him noticed, initially by Bridgeport Sound Tigers to sign him to an AHL deal, then his first NHL contract.

Washington Capitals signed him and for the first two seasons, he play games and contribute all the way to 7 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

The solid 6′ 190 lbs. d-man has signed 4 big league deals including 1 one-way deal and would also love it if you bought his coffee, The Elite Coffee Co.

He would get traded midseason to Orlando Solar Bears and finished up decently strong with 1 goal and 6 assists in 28 games.

The Chesterfield Township, MI native seemed to like his hockey experience in Florida and has elected to return for 2022/2023.

He steps back off for a few seasons, but likes the itch and signs at age 39 with local Jacksonville Icemen, where in 1 game, he has no points, but is a +1 rating.

02Dec

Mike Matheson (8)

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8th year defenseman Mike Matheson(8) just got rolling with new team, Montreal Canadiens after missing the early part of 2022/2023 with an abdominal muscle strain and scored a goal in his debut.

The 6’2″ 193 lbs. blue liner was traded from 2-year club, Pittsburgh Penguins, where he scored a career NHL best 11 goals and 20 assists with a +12 rating in 74 games, then added another 6 points (1-5) in 7 playoff matchups.

He has played a bit of an eye popping 420 games in the big league.

Originally a 1st round pick in the 2012 draft by Florida Panthers (#23 overall), he played 3 years at Boston College Eagles and left after scoring a college career high 22 assists.

The 28-year old from Pointe-Claire, QC is likely to continue to putting up excellent points and remains signed through 2025/2026 on his 8-year deal.

With his contract up at the end of the current frame and him connecting for 4 goals and 11 assists in 24 games with a +12 rating, he is re-upped for another 5-year term for $6.M AAV to stay a Canadiens.

26Nov

Brendan Smith (2)

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12th year veteran, unrestricted free agent defenseman Brendan Smith(2) signs a new deal with Carolina Hurricanes for 2021/2022.

He’ll definitely help solidify the blue line for his new club.

The 6’2′ 200 lbs. d-man has a hefty 526 NHL games experience, scoring 29 goals and 81 assists.

Originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#27 overall), he played the first 7 years of his pro career in their system.

He’s almost oddly, quietly skated for New York Rangers the last four years and sort of no surprise he didn’t continue.

The 32-year old, former University Of Wisconsin Badgers, who put up a huge 15 goals and 37 assists in 42 Big10 games, has to be happy just playing and could split for some overseas looks before retiring.

Heading into 2022/2023, he records 4 goals and 4 assists in 65 games with a +6 rating, then adds 4 more points in 14 playoff contests.

His accountability gets him a new 2-year deal with New Jersey Devils worth $1.1M AAV and at the very least will help stabilize their blue line.

After 2 seasons with the same team, he moves to sign with Dallas Stars for 2024/2025.

He appears in only 32 games for 1 goal and 2 assists, which isn’t likely enough even for the now 36-year old, who signs a pto to hopefully join Columbus Blue Jackets for 2025/2026.

He plays 11 AHL games with affiliate Cleveland Monsters and is rewarded for his work with a 1-year contract.

20Nov

Michael Garteig (34)

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8th year goaltender Michael Garteig(34) signs on for a 2nd DEL season with ERC Ingolstadt after appearing in 42 games, posting a 25-15 record with a 2.22 GAA and .914 SV%.

A bit oddly, it’s the 1st time he has signed twice with a team.

The undrafted 6’1″ 190 lbs. net minder originally signed a 1-year NHL entry level deal with Vancouver Canucks after an outstanding 4-year run at Quinnipiac University Bobcats.

For his 3rd season he signed an ECHL contract to tend net for Newfoundland Growlers, a team on the other end of Canada from where he was born, Prince George, BC.

With a 23-14-6 record in the regular frame, then 16-6-1 in the playoffs, he backstopped the team to the 2019 Kelly Cup Championship.

He left a storybook career at BCHL juniors with awards in his name, so it’s almost mystical to see the 31-year old settle down for a 1st time.

After spending a 4th season with the same club, he moves on to rivals, Augsburger Panther in 2025/2026.

16Nov

Luke Witkowski (4)

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10th year defenseman Luke Witkowski(4) returns to Springfield Thunderbirds, where he played 16 regular season games, then 17 in the playoffs after a trade from Detroit Red Wings sent him to St. Louis Blues‘ system.

The sizable 6’2″ 209 lbs. blue liner doesn’t exactly score a lot of points in his 324 AHL games, but does have a nice +38 rating for accountability.

In 132 NHL games, the former Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2008 draft (#160 overall) has 2 goals and 11 assists.

He was a senior captain at Western Michigan University Broncos and 3-time lead guy for Syracuse Crunch.

The 32-year old from Holland, MI is likely smiling with each big contracts he still gets.

For 2023/2024, he has made the decision to try something completely new and heads to Finland to join Tappara and will play his games in Liiga.

Switzerland was good enough fun for the now 34-year old, but will elevate his game a little by signing in the SHL with Skelleftea AIK for 2024/2025.

He waits a minute after skating 25 regular season, then 11 in the playoffs to sign with rivals, Brynas IF for 2025/2026.