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 6’8″ 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.
12th year center Nick Shore(23) swaps close to 2 years, scoring good numbers with HV71 for 1 at Linkoping HC 2024/2025.
The 3rd round Los Angeles Kings‘ draft pick in the 2011 draft (#82 overall)
He initially left North American hockey after his 3rd straight year in the NHL and left for 1 year in the KHL.
Wooed back for another spin in the biggest league, taking his total up to 299 games, he didn’t really put up the numbers and next found the net on multiple occasions in Slovakia Extraliga, but swapped that quickly for hockey in Switzerland, signing with EV Zug.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward would help his team win the 2021 NL Championship.
He returned to Russia, but the former 3-year University Of Denver Pioneers went back before switching to Sweden, where he stays.
The 31-year old from Denver, CO has made a neat little journey out of playing pro hockey for himself.
Undrafted 4th year center Ryan Schmelzer(26) signs a new 1-year AHL deal with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after spending the last three seasons skating for Binghamton Devils.
In 133 games he wracked up 23 goals and 32 assists.
The former four-year Canisius College Golden Griffiths standout got 40 goals and 66 assists in 143 NCAA Atlantic Hockey games with a quite massive +43.
Almost oddly, the Buffalo, NY native skated all his junior hockey at home for Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Canadian OJHL and was a point per game player.
The 6’2″ 187 lbs. forward should be right at home playing his style for a new club, seeing as his team from New York went belly up after 2020/2021.
In 2021/2022, he becomes team captain and posts a new career best 18 goals and 32 points with a +6 rating, then comes away with another 2 points in 5 playoff games gets him a new deal to stay and keep grabbing points.
The word determination is definitely in his vocabulary, as he records a career high 29 assists and 35 points in his 2nd frame with the team and then goes on last season to score another 18 goals, adds new best 34 assists and 52 points with a +14 rating to earn himself a 2-year NHL deal with parent club, New Jersey Devils.
Ohio State University Buckeyes‘ junior center Cam Thiesing(15) signs a 2-year 2-way NHL contract with NY Islanders and an undrafted, unrestricted free agent, leaving a year of school on the table.
He had 15 goals as a sophomore and 17 assists in his freshman year, but also scored well with 9 goals and 7 assists in 31 games last season.
The 6′ 183 lbs. forward did 3 years junior hockey and in his 2nd USHL with Green Bay Gamblers was very close to a point-per-game scorer.
From Franklin, TN, they obviously see something in the 23-year olds game they want now.
Edmonton Oilers‘ 12th year center Brad Malone(17) gets re-upped on a new 2-year deal worth some tidy sums regardless of where he plays.
He has served as captain of affiliate Bakersfield Condors for the past couple seasons and looks to return for that role in 2022/2023.
The 6’2″ 217 lbs. forward was actually playing under an AHL deal last season, when he was signed initially to come aboard.
He almost quietly has 207 NHL games to his credit, even appearing in 8 games last season with a goal and an assist, and 462 in the minors.
At 33-years old, the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, Miramichi, NB native must have a huge smile on his face.
After a 4th season of being team captain, he decides his ice time is up and announces his retirement, but you can bet he won’t be traveling too far away from the game.
10th year center Ryan Dzingel(80) waits until almost the end of the 2023/2024 season to sign, but does with Henderson Silver Knights and has 4 goals and 1 assist in 12 AHL games.
He played 22 games last season for Chicago Wolves.
The former Ottawa Senators‘ draft pick 3 times scored 20+ goals, twice 20+ assists.
He did 3 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes, serving as captain as a sophomore and junior year assistant.
From Wheaton, IL, the 32-year old spent the majority of 7 years in the NHL, so has done well and is playing out his string mostly it seems.
He should be a good player to have around for playoffs.
7th year center Matthew Peca(63) signs a new 1-year, 2-way deal with St. Louis Blues for 2021/2022 after coming off one season for Ottawa Senators, which saw him play in 5 games with one assist.
Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#201 overall), the twice 10+ goals and 2-time 20+ assist Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ player has skated 78 NHL games.
The small 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward is likely to start with new affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, but could easily score some more looks in the show for the 28-year old.
After putting up some decent stats for the farm club, the Petawawa, ON native scores a recall to his new team and has an additional assist (6-15) in now 81 games.
Coming off his former deal, which saw him re-sign for 2-years, but receive no further looks despite posting some continued impressive AHL numbers.
For his next step he signs a 2-year minor league deal to stay in western Massachusetts.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ junior goal scorer Jacob Quillan(16) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving a year at school on the table.
Undrafted, he had a college best 29 assists and 46 points in 39 games with a +17 rating last season.
The Dartmouth, NS native did only 1 more than point-per-20-game BCHL COVID-busted season for Penticton Vees.
He’s ready at 22-years old for the next step.
St. Lawrence University Saints‘ graduate net minder Ben Kraws(33) transferred into his 3rd school, following 2 years at Arizona State University Sun Devils after 2 with Miami University Ohio Redhawks.
The very sizable 6’5″ 201 lbs. goalie had 2 decent USHL frames in juniors for Sioux City Musketeers and started 49 games and was shutout in the playoffs for his 2nd year.
From Cranbury, NJ, the 25-year old will be an interesting watch to see what might transpire next.
His finishes up a spectacular run to the ECAC Finals, where they are beat, but cap off a fantastic season to elevate him for his 1-year NHL entry level contract with Dallas Stars.
7th year right wing Zach Hyman(18) leaves his home for the last 6 years with Toronto Maple Leafs to sign a new 5-year deal as an unrestricted free agent with Edmonton Oilers, worth an estimated $5.5 AAV.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. power forward has twice scored 21 goals (2018-2020) and two times 15 in 345 NHL games with a mammoth +72 rating.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#123 overall), he was traded before ever officially wearing a jersey.
The former 4-year University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ forward was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a senior, when he scored a cool 22 goals and 32 assists in 37 Big Ten games with a +24 rating.
He’s already 29-years old, although it seems like it was yesterday, when he donned a Toronto Marlies‘ jersey.
His goal scoring ascends to a career high 51 this season and in the process he pots his 200th overall tally.
Next season will be his 10th in the league and now 31-years old shows zero signs of stopping.
The Oilers‘ jersey fits well.
