Michigan State University Spartans‘ undrafted junior left wing Karsen Dorwart(23) leaves a year on the table and signs a 2-year unrestricted free agent NHL entry level deal with Philadelphia Flyers.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward has skated 3 games with his newly signed team, but has yet to score.
He had 20+ points in as a freshman and over 30 in his next 2 seasons with a +20 as a senior.
The Sherwood, OR native did 1 campaign of juniors before college.
Only 22-years old, he should do well with the big club or be reassigned for a little development.
9th year center Cody Kunyk(37) returns to Karpat after a year away in the KHL that actually grabbed hold scoring come playoff time for Barys Nur-Sultan.
The undrafted 5’11” 194 lbs. forward has skated 5 seasons in Liiga, Finland’s top hockey and tossed off a league best 39 assists in 2019/2020.
He signed a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning upon graduating University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks with 20+ goals and assists as a senior and even played 1 NHL game fresh out of school.
The Sherwood Park, AB native skated the AHL his rookie season for affiliate Syracuse Crunch, but left for Denmark’s Metal Ligaen in the next session, running up decent points for Gentofte Stars.
At 32-years old, he still seems to be connecting and is wanted for what he brings, so there’s little reason to put down the skates.
He would move along after a 5th strong year playing Finnish hockey to Germany and signed with Lowen Frankfort in 2023/2024, where he would come away with a pro best 17 goals and some decent point totals, but signs with rivals Augsburger Panther for 2024/2025 and should have continued success.
After a successful 1st season with the team, he re-signs to return a Panther for 2025/2026.
University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ freshman defenseman Caleb MacDonald(9) will take a 31 games 1st season, scoring 4 goals and 10 assist with a +13 rating to the transfer portal and he will play hockey just a little closer to home, committing to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for 2024/2025.
The 6’4″ 220 lbs. forward from Cambridge, ON played 3 years of juniors up north, but really connected in his 2nd AJHL session with Whitecourt Wolverines, where he had 50 assists in his 2nd frame before school.
We are thinking the undrafted 21-year old puts himself on some radar.
After one season in the midwest, playing college hockey, he captures the attention of Columbus Blue Jackets, who offer him a 2-year NHL entry level deal to leave a couple of years of school on the table.
2nd year USNTDP center captain Rutger McGroarty(2) is readying himself with some solid stats to commit to University Of Michigan Wolverines for 2022/2023.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. power forward has put-up point-per-game numbers this season.
It’s an easy call to say this 17-year old is going to be selected high in the draft with no reservations.
He was selected at #14 in 2022 by Winnipeg Jets, but as he started gaining ground at college, last season posting 36 assists in 36 games, he was indicting he would never sign with his draft club.
His wish is granted as Pittsburgh Penguins step in to offer the yet unsigned protege a new avenue and sign him to a 3-year entry level deal, leaving 2 years of school on the table.
He debuts on opening night, skating 16 shifts for 10:12 of ice with 1 shot and 2 hits and his feet are wet in a 6-3 victory.
In his 5th game, he pops in a 1st NHL goal and an assist for a multi-point effort, plus he skated almost a team best 18:28.
Ohio State University Buckeyes‘ junior defenseman Damien Carfagna(93) is undrafted and signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Edmonton Oilers after scoring a college best 7 goals and 21 assists with a +16 rating.
The 5’11” 168 lbs. blue liner came over after a freshman year at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.
He did 2 seasons of junior hockey before school and won the USHL Clark Cup Championship in his 2nd.
From Wood Ridge, NJ, the 22-year old may report to the affiliate to start, but he is going.
13rd year left wing Jason Zucker(16) signed a 1-year deal with Buffalo Sabres for 2024/2025 after a similar contract last season with Arizona Coyotes that yielded some ok results on a far from playoff team.
The always looked smaller than 5’11” 192 lbs. forward has 3 times scored 20+ goals and once 30+ and had an exact same ratio in assists.
From Newport Beach, CA, he did only 2 sessions at University Of Denver Pioneers, as he ran up 45 and 46 points to quickly move on.
He made all the right moves, playing his way through the USNTDP on up.
On a decent scoring team, his point production escalates to 18 goals and 26 assists to net him a new 2-year deal to stick in a Sabres‘ jersey and help out with the younger guys for a nice $4.75AAV.
Almost unreal, 18th year center Jon Matsumoto(11) will do a 2nd DEL2 season with Krefeld Pinguine after scoring 10 goals and 13 assists in 30 games last season.
He had previously played 9 years in the upper German league, DEL and twice won the Championship back-to-back with EHC Munchen.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward was a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2006 NHL draft (#79 overall) and spent his 1st 3 years with the team after leaving Bowling Green University Falcons with a year on the table.
From Ottawa, ON, the 37-year old may hit 20 years as a pro barely blinking.
Exploding for point-per-game numbers in the current frame (20-30-50), he is signed to stay a 3rd year to hopefully build a new championship for the Pinguine,.
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.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2014 draft (#207 overall), 4th year center Jake Evans(71) gets a new 3-year deal to continue his progress with the Le-Bleu-Blanc-Rogue.
He skated a career high 47 NHL games last seasons, scoring 3 goals and 10 assists with a +2 rating to earn his new $1.7M AAV deal .
The former University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward was a big scorer as senior team captain (46 points in 40 games) and also reached the 40-point mark as a junior.
He was also a point-per-game player in two years of juniors for St. Michael’s Buzzers and won the 2013 OJHL Championship in his first campaign there.
The 25-year old hopes to be just getting started.
This season he is flirting with career high numbers and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session, so the only team he’s ever suited up for offers him 4-years at $2.8M AAV to stay and he will continue to wear the Canadiens‘ colors.
7th year left wing Anders Bjork(10) signs an AHL deal with Rockford Icehogs for 2023/2024, you have to wonder if it’s under the radar of Chicago Blackhawks, who obtained him close to the trade deadline last season and he came through with a tidy 2 goals and 6 assists in 13 NHL games with a +4 rating.
The former Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#146 overall) has skated 225 games in the big league.
He was with them for 3.5 years before getting traded to Buffalo Sabres, where he stayed for roughly 2 years, but was bumped down for most of last campaign.
The 3-year University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish from Mequon, WI scored of 21 goals and 31 assists in 39 games as a junior left 1 year on the table, but where he is could even return online to finish up.
He’s still just 27-years old.
Unrestricted free agent, he late signs with Milwaukee Admirals, where he definitely should start helping them.
