Category: Free Agent Signing

01Nov

Danny Kristo (79)

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9th year right wing Danny Kristo(79) has not really lasted long with many teams after his 76 NL games spent with SC Rapperswill-Jona Lakers, scoring 46 points.

He’s definitely managed to score pretty well, whether he was in the KHL, DEL or SHL, but maybe has found a niche with Rytiri Kladno, where he has 3 goals and 7 assists in 34 Tipsport Extraliga games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. Montreal Canadiens‘ 2008 2nd round draft pick (#56 overall) forward is a three time 20+ goal scorer in the AHL.

You have to think the former two-time 26 assist, senior assistant captain at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 32-year is happy to still be playing for decent enough money.

He will head to his 7th country for pro hockey in 2022/2023, signing a 1-year deal with HK Dukla Michelovce, which should be some very decent games to jump into after finishing up in Sweden’s tier 2 last frame.

After starting the frame with 6 games in Slovakia, he decides to move on, signing with Sheffield Steelers for the remainder of the season.

He will strike well in the EIHL.

And he did, through 47 games, he posted 12 goals and 18 assists with a +7 rating, then came alive more in 4 playoff matchups, striking for 2 goals and 3 assists.

For 2023/2024, he pulls the traitor move and takes his numbers to a rival, Coventry Blaze.

He would have a similar scoring season and considers 11 years to be a good term, so decides it’s time to leave the ice to a yet named next step, but could easily transition into coaching in a second.

271 AHL games and 157 at NCAA Divison 1 were mosts.

31Oct

Matt Benning (5)

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8th year defenseman Matt Benning(5) skates his 400th NHL game for new club San Jose Sharks, where he seems to have found his footing for assists and is dangerously close to surpassing his career high of 15 as a sophomore skater.

He currently has 13 helpers in 35 appearances.

The 6’1″ 203 lbs. blue liner was originally a Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2012 draft (#175 overall), but was dished to Edmonton Oilers before so much as getting out of his debut training camp.

Born in St. Albert, AB, he comes from a hockey family and studied 3 years at Northeastern University Huskies before deciding to turn pro.

The 28-year old signed a 4-year $1.25M AAV deal that runs through 2026, but he may have landed at a nice team for him to be and continue with.

7 games into the new season with 3rd year team, he is traded to Toronto Maple Leafs.

If he can remain healthy and rebound his game, he should adjust well to the style of his new team and contribute.

29Oct

Kodie Curran (5)

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8th year defenseman Kodie Curran(5) takes 2-years under contract to Anaheim Ducks, worth $1M per season and the only NHL contract he has ever signed to a new adventure with Metallurg Magnitogorsk for 2022/2023.

After starting his pro career with Hartford Wolf Pack following 4 years at University Of Calgary Dinos, he struck decently quickly for an assist in a pair of AHL games, but was only retained for 18 games as a rookie before being dispatched to affiliate Greensville Swamp Rabbits.

The 6’2″ 201 lbs. blue liner would leave for his 1st away contract with Esbjerg Energy and helped them to win the 2016 Metal Ligaen Championship.

He next joined Storhamar as team captain and yet again saw his club ascend to the 2017 Norway Championship and he easily came away with MVP awards.

The Calgary, AB native would be awarded a new deal with Rogle BK and once again blow up a league with assists for the next 2 SHL sessions, which easily got him the look from the highest league.

At 32-years old, he has to be pretty happy to be still playing hockey at such a high level.

He plays a career high 65 games last season for Dinamo Minsk, scoring 20 assists.

For 2024/2025, he takes off for the easier to play NL and signs with HC Ambria-Piotta.

He may have been on a tryout and after 11 games with 1 goal and 3 assists, he becomes official.

10Oct

Andrej Sustr (2)

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10th year Czechia-born defenseman Andrej Sustr(2) hasn’t been home since an appearance in Czechia3 in 2008/2009, but signs for 2024/2025 in Czech Extraliga with the league powerhouse HC Dynamo Pardibuce.

The absolute huge 6’8″ 225 lbs. blue liner has 362 NHL games to his credit and is known for his large bruising presence.

He came over early after youth hockey back home and did 2 seasons of junior hockey before moving onto to 3 at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.

Almost oddly he took off the season before COVID infected to play for Kunlun Red Star for 2 frames in the KHL before returning.

The 33-year old will be missed, but this has to be the right thing for him to do for his hockey career.

07Oct

Jeremy Swayman (1)

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Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2017 draft, goaltender Jeremy Swayman(1) signed a three-year entry deal just as COVID was shutting down the world and left three seasons at University Of Maine behind for a chance to play pro.

It almost seemed when the 22-year old signed that he would be assuming starting duties with affiliate Providence Bruins, when 2021 finally gotten moving, and there he was on opening night, in net.

The big 6’3 201 lbs. Hobey Baker Award finalist last season for his outstanding 18-5 mark won his debut 4-1 leaving with a 1.00 GAA and .963 SV% and has gone 7-1 in 8 starts with a 1.88 GAA and .932 SV%.

He only lost his first game recently.

This is easily only the beginning for the Anchorage, AK native, who has consistently put up jaw dropping stats.

A restricted free agent, heading into his 4th season with the team and his contract time is up, so elects to go to arbitration for a 1-year deal 2023/2024 for 3.475M AAV, which is a nice pay bump for the Bruins‘ net minder, who owns a 2.24 GAA and .920 SV% in 88 appearances.

After a bit of a holdout, which could cost him the season opener for 2024/2025, he signs a new 8-year, $8.25M AAV NHL deal to stay where he’s at.

06Oct

Michael Mersch (28)

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8th year center Michael Mersch(28) accepts a two-year AHL contract from Rochester Americans to stay with the club he skated for last season.

The 6’2″ 215 lbs. power forward has almost oddly only played 17 NHL games with draft club Los Angeles Kings (4th round 2010, #111 overall), scoring a goal and 2 assists with a +1 rating.

As a rookie, he was a huge part of then affiliate Manchester Monarchs almost fantasy-like run that ended capturing the 2015 Calder Cup trophy and him getting the nod for most playoff points (22).

The former 4-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ had three 30 point campaigns in college and currently holds 4-40+ marks as a pro.

His only other big league contract was with Dallas Stars, leaving initial team as a UFA to sign the 2-year, one-way deal.

It would be easy to see the 28-year old leave North American hockey for his next venture before he decides to retire.

Even before the 2nd year of his contract has started, he gets himself extended for yet another year through 2023/2024 to not go anywhere and stay on as captain for the Amerks.

Not quite sure why he never got more than a handful of games in the highest league of hockey, but 597 games in the lower league later, at 31-years old he’s hanging up those skates and has yet to name where he lands next to offer someone a great experience.

06Oct

Keith Kincaid (30)

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12th year net minder Keith Kincaid(30) signed a 2-year unrestricted free agent deal with Boston Bruins smack in the middle of 2022/2023 offseason.

He was with New York Rangers/Hartford Wolf Pack for the 2 prior campaigns.

Undrafted, he arrived as a pro after an outstanding 2nd session at Union College Bobcats, where he posted a 1.99 GAA and .920 SV% with a 25-10-3 record, then signed an entry level deal with New Jersey Devils and stayed in the system for 8 years before moving on.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs. goalie has appeared in 167 NHL games with a winning record and very decent stats.

At 33-years old, he easily is showing no signs of stopping.

For 2023/2024, he circles back to the team, where it all started New Jersey Devils, but mostly will be on loan to Utica Comets, but could compete for a spot that looks to be opening.

He actually ends up on loan, starting 24 games to Chicago Wolves and for 2024/2025 signs with Charlotte Checkers that should be a good landing spot for the 35-year old.

03Oct

Aaron Dell (30)

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Undrafted goaltender Aaron Dell(30) has put up some kind of career in his so far 9 years of net tending time.

After 3 strong seasons at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, he signed a first contract with Allen Americans, where he won the 2013 Central Hockey League Championship and was voted Most Outstanding Goalie.

Next up, he moved leagues agreeing to terms with Utah Grizzlies and again, put up some solid numbers 19-7-3 with a 2.14 GAA and .920 SV% in 29 ECHL games, including a pair of shutouts, then got some impressive playoff numbers.

This pair of years earned him a one-way contract with San Jose Sharks for 2014/2015.

He would split time in his first campaign between leagues, but was impressive in 26 starts for a 15-8-2 record with a 2.06 GAA and .927 SV%, 4 blankings.

The Airdrie, AB native quickly re-upped for another year and followed the team to their new home San Jose Barracuda.

He started a career high 40 AHL games and received some recalls, but no time in net.

That would happen in 2016/2017 and he hasn’t looked back, having played a career 114 games, posting a winning record.

We’re thinking the 32-year old finds some more rock star to help a struggling Buffalo Sabres on his one-year, two-way deal.

For 2024/2025, his 13th season in net, he circles back to sign a 1-year deal with the Barracuda.

30Sep

Andrew Peeke (52)

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6th year defenseman Andrew Peeke(52) will spend a 1st full season, 2024/2025 with the team he was traded to late last season, Boston Bruins.

The 6’3″ 216 lbs. blue liner was originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round 2016 draft pick (#34 overall) and skated  some 218 NHL games with them.

He played 3 years at University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he had 21 assists in the season before he signed his entry level deal.

From Parkland, FL, the 26-year old could easily put up career highs next season with his new team.

29Sep

Chris Wideman (6)

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11th year defenseman Chris Wideman(6) re-ups with Montreal Canadiens for another two years after recording a career high 23 assists in 2020/2021 for a last place club.

He signed a one-year deal upon his other new high point mark, 9 goals and 32 assists for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in his sole year away in the KHL, where he was named tops in his position.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner definitely knows how to run up the totals on helpers, as he did in 2nd and 3rd years under contract to draft team Ottawa Senators (4th round 2009 #100 overall) with affiliate Binghamton Senators, hitting 42.

He also reached 20 twice as a junior and senior at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.

This should be the 32-year old’s 6th full season playing in the NHL and he’s worked hard for every second.

After not playing any games last season, the now 34-year old decides to retire and has yet to announce where he will land next, but is assuredly going some place good to help out a team.

He hangs up those skates after 291 games in the big league and 280 in the AHL, 59 in Russia during the COVID swing and 143 NCAA Division 1.

No word in hockey where he may land next, but until then will help his wife with the beauty salons they opened together, which will keep him plenty busy.