Category: Free Agent Signing

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.

Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#188 overall), Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ senior center Skyler Brind’Amour(76) has a new college career best 12 goals and 24 points, but still needs 5 more helpers to equal the 17 assists he got as a junior.

The 6’2″ 174 lbs. forward played 2 seasons with Chilliwack Chiefs after dipping his toe in with the USNTDP program, running up 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) in 52 BCHL games in his 2nd frame with the team.

A 23-year old, born in Raleigh, NC, when his dad Rod Brind’Amour(17) was playing for Carolina Hurricanes should produce well once he turns pro, as he’s pretty big and uses that to gain space out there.

He has a season they like in the AHL, a good preseason invite to training camp and looks as though he joins his dad under a 2-way NHL contract from the club he coaches for 2024/2025.

Scoring an easy best 16 goals and 7 assists gets him a 1st look to see what he can do.

In his debut he plays 20 shifts for 15:28 ice time with 1 block, 1 hit and 2 giveaway with a -2 rating in a 4-2 loss, but still gets praise for his play out there.

For his 2nd game, he scores himself a 1st NHL goal, as he was close to the net to stuff one in.

Coming in was one of the best things for his game, as he goes on to score 16 goals and 8 assists through 68 games, which leads to a 1-years extension to stay a Canes for 2025/2026.

San Jose Sharks‘ acquired defenseman Henry Thrun(3) from draft team Anaheim Ducks, where he was selected in the 4th round of 2019 (#101 overall) and after 3 years at Harvard University Crimson, putting up just about equal stats as a sophomore and junior with 7 goals and 25/24 assists, he has decided to sign a 2-year NHL entry level deal to turn pro.

The big 6’2″ 195 lbs. blue liner skated his 1st big league game with his new pro team, getting a tough 4-3 OT win and him picking up a pair of assists in the conquest, earning a 2nd star of the game.

He has always been a good assist guy, twice with 10+, almost 20 when with the USNTDP, when he got drafted.

The 22-year old from Southborough, MA plays to form and will likely do very well for himself.

In his 16th appearance, for the new year 2024, he steps up to score a first big league goal.

He is handily playing himself into a full-time role with the big club and it’s now extended for another 2-year to continue that growth in a Sharks‘ sweater for the big man on d.

In maybe an oddball move, he gets shipped to Toronto Maple Leafs with a year remaining on his low-pay contract and he should shine pretty bright on a team that could really use him to improve.

Colorado Avalanche swooped in on the opening day of unrestricted free agency to grab 4th year defenseman Jack Ahcan(43), who was set to become a group 6 ufa after being under contract for 3 seasons with initial signing club, Boston Bruins after he completed 4 years at St. Cloud State University Falcons.

The small 5’8″ but wide 180 lbs. blue liner will likely head to affiliate Colorado Eagles, as last season he dished out a minor league career best 31 assists and 36 points with Providence Bruins.

We do think the 26-year old from Savage, MN gets some looks from the big club for a recall, as he does have 1 NHL goal in 9 games.

He does score the recall for 2 games with no points and a 0 rating before heading back to the minors, where he was a top scorer with 5 goals and 36 assists in 69 games with a +6 rating to earn another 1-year deal to stay an Avalanche.

10th year defenseman Mathew Bodie(22) re-signs to stay on for a 4th season with ERC Ingolstadt after scoring 4 goals and 21 assists in 40 DEL games with a +30 rating.

He had 1 year stints in both the KHL and SHL after coming over from an AHL year for Syracuse Crunch, while under a Tampa Bay Lightning deal scoring a new best 31 assists, which matched his Union College Dutchmen high as a senior.

Undrafted, the 6′ 175 lbs. blue liner was originally signed to 1-year contracts by New York Rangers for 3 campaigns to start his pro career.

From East St. Paul, MB, the 33-year old has to be happy to still be playing his game.

After a 5th season, serving as assistant captain and still producing points, he decides after 208 DEL games, 287 AHL and 154 NCAA, he decides to retire, but we don’t think he will be too far from hockey.

Boston Bruins have just traded a 7th round pick to obtain the NHL rights for Providence College Friars‘ senior defenseman, 3-time captain Michael Callahan(79).

The Franklin, MA native is essentially coming home if he signs his entry level contract.

He was an Arizona Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in 2018, #142 overall after finishing up his only USHL junior season split between a couple of teams with solid playoff run with Youngstown Phantoms.

The 6’2″ 196 lbs., 22-year old blue liner is a solid prospect, grinding his game the right way in Hockey East before turning pro.

Fresh out of his 4th year at school, he picks up a 2-year entry level deal and will likely report to affiliate Providence Bruins to start, which is basically right next to where he played his college game.

After a decent rookie frame, he finds himself back at Bruins‘ rookie camp and is looking like he will compete for whatever open spot on defense may exist for him to fill is how good he was out there.

He records new league highs for himself with 4 goals and 13 assists and is offered a 1-year deal to continue in a Bruins‘ jersey.

In 35 games with the affiliate, he scores 1 goal and 5 assists with a +1 rating to earn himself a 1st look in the big league.

For his NHL debut, he skates a full slate of 22 shifts for 14:11 of ice time with 1 shot and 2 giveaways and a +1 rating in a big 6-2 win.

He picks up a 1st NHL goal in his 16th game, where he also logs a most amount of 18:11 ice time.

In 17 games, he is looking like he belongs out there, but reassigned in 45 games, he scores 1 goal and 8 assists with a +3 rating to earn a 4th season with the hometown Boston team.

Winnipeg Jets signed Providence College Friars‘ undrafted 4-year star center Parker Ford(25) to a 2-year NHL entry level deal, making the smart move of being the team to offer him a contract.

The 5’9″ 182 lbs. forward had almost identical junior and senior frames scoring 27 and 26 points.

He was a 4-time 10+ assist and 3-times 20+ points with one of those sessions resting at 19 player through college.

The 22-year old from Wakefield, RI native is likely to report to affiliate Manitoba Moose to start, which couldn’t be any better for him.

He gets a 1st AHL goal in his debut.

He gets another 1st goal in his NHL debut almost a couple of years later.

In 8:12 of ice time, he skated 12 shifts with 1 shot, 1 hit, 1 giveaway and 2 takeaways to cap off a debut.

With another 14 goals in his 2nd frame and 3 games up in the big league with a +1 rating, the restricted free agent is signed up to a 2-year 2-way contract to continue as a Jets.

Boston Bruins‘ sign unrestricted free agent center John Farinacci(32) to a 2-year NHL entry level deal after finishing up his 4th year at Harvard University Crimson as senior captain.

He was originally an Arizona Coyotes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft (#76 overall), but went oddly unsigned.

The 6’ 190 lbs. forward from Red Bank, NJ came north for his high school hockey, but played little junior hockey before committing to school.

He is the Crimson coach Ted Donato‘s nephew.

In his 2nd season in the minors, he scores 9 goals and a new best 28 assists to earn himself a 1st recall.

He skates 16 shifts for 10:58 ice time with 1 shot that equaled a 1st NHL goal and 3 hits for his debut, a 5-4 overtime loss.

In his 2nd season in the minors, he matches his 1st year totals with 38 points with a +9 rating and plays a 1st game in the big league to score himself a new deal with the Bruins for 2025/2026, as a restricted free agent.

9th year defenseman Josh Manson(42) signs a new 4-year NHL deal worth $4.5M AAV with Colorado Avalanche after helping them claim the 2022 Stanley Cup in not even his 1st year with the team.

He was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#160 overall) and stayed with them for 8+ years.

The 30-year old, Hinsdale, IL native played 3 seasons, including junior captain at Northeastern University Huskies before signing an entry level contract.

Continuing to do well despite being limited to 48 games due to injury, he signs a 2-year deal to continue in an Avalanche jersey.

12th year center Chris Wagner(14) signs a 1-year deal to return to Colorado Avalanche, which almost certainly has the 32-year old seeing most of his playing time with their affiliate Colorado Eagles.

In his last couple of seasons under contract with Boston Bruins, he spent most of his playing time in the AHL with Providence Bruins.

He was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#122 overall) and mostly stayed with them for 6 years.

The 6’ 195 lbs. forward from Walpole, MA left after 2 years at Colgate University Raiders to turn pro and likely made a pretty good decision.

He of 363 appearances in the minors and 360 NHL games would be an amazing coach going forward.

17 games in the minors with 4 goals and 4 assists and a +3 rating and 10 up in the show for another 1 goal and 1 assist with another +3 rating and he is happily invited to wear an Avalanche jersey for another season.

He spends 28 games with the contract team and 44 on reassignment, where he equals perfectly his best scoring with 12 goals and 19 assists.

Going forward, he almost smartly signs a 2-year minor league deal with Springfield Thunderbirds that will likely just equal good things for his future, especially considering he is still contributing big.