Northeastern University Huskies‘ center Dylan Hryckowian(14) scores a new best 22 assists and 37 points in 30 games last season with a +4 rating that the team his brother Justin skated his 1st full season with Dallas Stars come knocking to sign the undrafted player to a 2-year NHL entry level deal through 2027/2028 and to leave a year at school on the table.
He was in their development camp last season.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward starts with affiliate Texas Stars and through 12 AHL games, he 3 goals and 3 assists with a +2 rating as they head into playoffs.
From L’lle-Bizard, QC, the 21-year old did just 1 USHL junior frame, exploding scoring before school.
With 3 goals and 5 assists in the 1st 8 games of the new frame, he is an easy recall to join his brother for a 1st NHL recall.
In 10:03 of ice time, skating 13 and 1 shot on net in a 6-3 victory, it’s a pretty sweet start.
11th year defenseman Adam Clendening(16) signs a 1st minor league contract to continue as a potential prospect in a system, signing a 1-year AHL deal with the first team he ever skated pro hockey games for, Rockford Icehogs.
The 6′ 194 lbs. Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 (#36 overall) has definitely played a good batch of NHL games with maybe little fanfare, earning 4 goals and 20 assists with a healthy +11 rating in 90 games.
He has a goal and 7 assists in 13 games this season.
The former Boston University Terriers‘ could definitely put up the points in college, as he was good for 29 assists as a sophomore before he turned pro.
It would be little surprise to see the 30-year old branch out and head overseas next season.
Before he goes anywhere, he finds himself involved in a minor league deal that sends him to Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of 2023.
He has 3 times hit 30 assists in the minors and we feel he will make a fourth this frame.
Rounding out last season with 29 assists, as we thought, he makes a bit of a late decision to join Ilves for 2023/2204, signing a 1-year deal to skate in Liiga.
He does very well there and takes it to 2 years in the KHL, where he also records points, but something is pulling at him to return, so he re-ups on a pto with a team he has lots of experience with, Cleveland Monsters in 2026/2027.
Dartmouth College Big Green sophomore goaltender Cooper Black(31) puts up some college career best numbers with a 13-8-8 record with a 2.58 GAA and .910 SV%, including 2 shutouts.
The absolute giant 6’9″ 240 lbs. undrafted backstop signs a 2-year entry level contract with Florida Panthers, starting next season, but will join the team on a pto for the playoffs.
From Alpena, MI, he did 2 NAHL campaigns with almost identical stats, but played on a better team to start.
The 22-year old was complete shutdown as a senior USHS-MI.
He reports to affiliate Charlotte Checkers on a pto to start.
Last season he appears in 42 games with a 25-13-4 record and is doing well this year to earn a 1st NHL recall.
In his debut, he loses in a shutout unfortunately, but we doubt the tallest goaltender in history to appear in a game is done.
12th year right wing Steve Moses(12) returned to the 1st place he skated after graduating University Of New Hampshire Wildcats, Liiga to play for HPK last season.
He skated 2 seasons with long-time club Jokerit in the league, then moved onto the KHL with them, offering up mostly good results in 6 different campaigns with the team.
The 33-year old from Leominster, MA is headed to a new place for 2023/2024, signing a 1-year deal with HC Kometa Brno of Czechia Extraliga, which should work out well for him.
He gets himself 20 goals and 13 assists in 52 games, so does pretty well in the league, but instead of returning, opts to sign to a rival, inking with BK Mlada Boleslav for 2024/2025.
After 21 games with 9 goals and 3 assists, he is asked to return for 2025/2026 and accepts.
For 2026/2027, the 37-year old returns from a successful stint in Czechia and signs with the local to him, Worcester Railers.
After a super strong showing for EHC Munchen, scoring 4 goals and 16 assists in only 26 DEL games with a +18 rating, 6th year defenseman Ethan Prow(12) nets a 1-year NHL deal from Buffalo Sabres for 2021/2022.
It’s the 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner’s first big league deal after 220 AHL games, with his best season coming in his 3rd for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, scoring a crazy 18 goals and 32 assists.
He originally left for Germany’s top league with a +32 plus/minus.
The former St. Cloud State University Huskies‘ d-man scored 30 assists to go along with 8 goals and a +29 as a senior.
It’s likely he’s destined for reasignment to affiliate Rochester Americans, but the 28-year old could be ready for a look in the show.
And he does some scoring business in the minors to merit a first game in the show, in which the now 29-year old scores a 1st NHL goal on a 1st shot.
For his 9th season, he simply returns to where he’s been playing his hockey for a 1-year deal with the Amerks.
After 4 years playing hockey in the same place, he for a 1st time jumps to an overseas opportunity, signing with Grizzlys Wolfsburg in DEL for 2025/2026.
He has a pretty good season in Germany and will up in for 2026/2027 and join Liiga, signing with Assat for 2026/2027.
New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#100 overall), 7th year left wing Miles Wood(11) signs to stay on for 2022/2023 avoiding arbitration after suffering hip surgery last season that left him almost completely off the calendar, skating only 3 NHL games.
As a 2nd year player, he posted a career best 19 goals and 32 points to earn himself a 4-year extension.
The 6’2″ 194 lbs. power forward only spent one season at Boston College Eagles before turning pro.
He didn’t even play junior hockey, going straight from USHS-Prep to college.
The 27-year old may only have signed on for a year, but we fully expect him healthy and picking up his hard-hitting style game right where he left off.
After rebounding with a decent 13 goals, 14 assists in 76 games frame in the same jersey for the 1st 8 years of his career, the unrestricted free agent makes a big change and signs a 6-year deal with Colorado Avalanche through 2028/2029.
He would play 2 seasons before he was traded to Columbus Blue Jackets.
In 54 games, he gets 8 goals and 6 assists, but for 2026/2027 is involved in another trade, a big one to Toronto Maple Leafs.
11th year left wing Matt Nieto(83) signs a new 2-year NHL deal with Pittsburgh Penguins through 2024/2025 for $900,000 AAV.
He was originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#47 overall), he skated almost 4 years for them before getting traded to Colorado Avalanche, where he spent close to the next 4 and then would return to the Sharks.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward did 3 years at Boston University Terriers after 2 campaigns with the USNTDP.
From Long Beach, CA, at 30-years old, he’s still ticking and could still be worth 10+ goals, 20+ assists.
He split time, playing a few AHL games, as he did in the beginning of his pro career, but after sitting out last season decides to retire after 705 NHL games played
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th year defenseman Mark Friedman(95) re-ups for another two years after scoring a goal and 4 assists in 26 NHL games with a +1 rating.
The 5’10” 192 lbs. blue liner has appeared in big league games for the last 4 seasons, but seems to have arrived in the current session.
He scored 2 goals and an assist in 5 games, when he arrived via the waiver wire from Philadelphia Flyers.
The Bowling Green State University Falcons blue liner left a year on the table after scoring college career best 8 goals, 18 assist and 26 points.
It looks like the 26-year old is in a good spot with his new team.
He picks up 20+ games in the big league 2 years in a row, but gets himself traded in sort of a minor deal to Vancouver Canucks, where he could find a spot on d with the big club.
In 5 games, he had no points, but got 1 goal and 5 assists in 20 games with a +4 rating for affiliate Abbotsford Canucks.
He finds himself traded to Nashville Predators to help shore up their zone, but initially he will head to Milwaukee Admirals.
In 21 games, he comes away with 2 goals and 11 assists with a +11 rating, which in turn he will take to a new opportunity in his 9th season to go skate for Rogle BK of the SHL for 2025/2026.
He scores 3 goals and 12 assists in 47 games with a +7 rating to get a new deal and stay Rogle BK for a 2nd year, 2026/2027.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 9th year, Boston, MA native, played his college hockey at Boston University Terriers and for draft team (3rd round, 2012, #85 overall), Boston Bruins‘ 8 year defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk(48) is playing his hockey away from home for the 1st time since heading to USNTDP for juniors.
The 5’11” 174 lbs. blue liner even did his high school hockey at Belmont Hill.
He just hit 30-years old and 4 times has had 20+ assist seasons, so we think he will blend in well with his new club.
In a full slate of 82 NHL games, he scores 1 goal and a new high 39 assists, 40 points and signs a pto to find space on Chicago Blackhawks‘ blue line for 2025/2026, which we think he will be successful in his pitch.
He scores 12 assists in 69 games, but the now 32-year old is an unrestricted free agent and Buffalo Sabres offer him a 1-year deal.
New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2018 draft (#11 overall), 5th year right wing Oliver Wahlstrom(24) signs a conservative 1-year 1-way deal to stick for 2023/2024, as a restricted free agent.
The fairly stocky 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has twice scored 10+ goals.
He only spent 1 year at Boston College Eagles after exploding his 2nd frame with USNTDP.
The 23-year old from Portland, ME definitely needs to step up his game.
He re-signs to spend a 6th year in the Isles‘ system, 2024/2025.
In 27 games, he has 2 goals and 2 assists and is put on waivers, knowing he will get picked up and skate for another team for the 1st time in his pro career.
A somewhat struggling Boston Bruins reaches out to welcome him back to where he attend on year of post-school.
He’s not a big scorer with 1 goal and 1 assist in 16 games and is basically a point-per-game guy in the AHL, which gains him a new minor league deal for 2025/2026 with San Jose Barracuda.
He take scoring to a new level with new bests 24 goals and 18 assists and almost surprisingly for a 1st time looks elsewhere to play in 2026/2027 and signs with Djurgardens IF of SHL and should do well.
