Category: Free Agent Signing

University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior defenseman Drew Bavaro(24) signs a 1-year NHL entry level deal with Boston Bruins after playing his high school and 1st round of college hockey in the local market.

The 6’1″ 202 lbs. blue liner played 2 years at Bentley University Falcons before transferring after his sophomore frame.

From Brandenton, FL, the 23-year old scored a college best 10 goals and 10 assists last season.

It is reported he will sign an ato with affiliate Providence Bruins and join the AHL team.

Drew Bavaro (22)

Brown University Bears‘ senior captain Luke Krys(2) enters the transport portal and comes out on the other side, maybe a little unsuspectingly hooking up with inner state rival Providence College Friars for 2023/2024.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward had a college best 14 assists and 16 points last season.

He will definitely be more challenged in Hockey East play.

Almost oddly, the Ringefield, CT native only played some juniors during the 2020/2021 campaign, when the ECAC didn’t play and hooked up with Muskegon Lumberjacks for 5 USHL games, while attending school.

We could easily see the 22-year old play himself onto some decent pro teams radar to pick up a contract after he finishes.

And it occurs, he plays a college best 35 games, gets a new high 6 goals and 17 points with a +2 rating and parlays that into a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Dallas Stars that will see him report to affiliate Texas Stars first.

6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.

It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.

Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.

In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.

He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.

The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.

After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.

Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.

He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.

10th year defenseman Matt Tennyson(7) has appeared in NHL games now 9 of 10 years playing professional hockey, as he just gets his first summons from new 2-year contract club, Nashville Predators.

In his 2021/2022 debut, he skated 18 shifts for 12:50 of total ice time, with one assist, 2 penalty minutes, 2 hits, 1 giveaway and left a 5-2 win a +1 rating, which he followed up with a 2 assist appearance, giving him 3 helpers and a +2 since his return.

He has appeared in 168 games in the big league.

The 6’2″ 203 lbs. blue liner spent 3 years at Western Michigan University Broncos before signing his entry level deal with San Jose Sharks, where he stayed in the system for 4 campaigns.

He has also played 335 AHL games to his credit, and had a healthy 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 games prior to his recall.

The 31-year old probably has a little smile on his face that he still gets to do this.

For 2022/2023, he signs a minor league deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds, putting him pretty close to where he started his pro career in San Jose Sharks and close to home.

He will be an awesome leader here.

No doubt, he shines in his new role and scores a career high 18 assists, helping take his young squad all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.

He decides to wait a long while before making a new decision, where to turn next and at 33-years old he will test the waters overseas, signing with HC Lugano of NL for the remainder of the 2024.

9th year defenseman Kevin Gravel(5) has got to be feeling the same way he did when he was a rookie with Manchester Monarchs making an unlikely AHL run to capture the 2015 Calder Cup trophy.

The now 31-year old is locked in with his team, Milwaukee Admirals in a Western Conference battle to head to the Finals.

He has contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in 9 games with a +4 rating.

The 6’4″ 203 lbs. blue liner is signed on a 2-year 2-way deal to Nashville Predators and skated 23 games with them this past season.

He has played 132 NHL games and 332 in the lower league.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in 2010 (#148 overall), he initially was on a minor league contract, when helping his team to the title, but quickly upped on a 2-year entry level deal heading into the next frame.

The St. Cloud State University Huskies‘ 4-year d-man exploded in his senior year with 10 goals, seemingly out of nowhere.

He’s got another year left on his current deal, so he should settle in nicely.

Playing super well as team captain for the affiliate, Admirals with great plus numbers, despite maybe not scoring huge points earns him 2 more seasons at nice little pay bump to stay.

UMass Minutemen 2021 Championship goaltender Matt Murray(32) decided to extend his year of eligibility to spend a 5th season in the crease for his team.

He played a college career high 34 starts for a 21-12-2 record.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. net minder won a 2016 AJHL title as a 2nd year junior player and committed to school from there.

He would add a campaign of USHL, playing a monster amount of games (52) for Fargo Force.

The undrafted 24-year old from St. Albert, AB finishes up school and looks for a contract, signing with Texas Stars.

A week later he gets his 1st AHL start posting a 3-2 win with 20 saves.

He’s going to be a good person to have on your team.

In 6 starts, he posts a 5-1 record with a 1.68 GAA and .948 SV%, then does even better in a pair of playoff appearances.

It’s an absolute no brainer for him to be brought back on a 2-year minor league deal and his play will almost undoubtedly put him on Dallas Stars‘ radar.

Happy Halloween: 10/31-2022 he scores himself a 1-year NHL contract for 2022/2023 that will likely be just the start.

To cap off a successful run for 1st place in the minors, the big club brings him up for his 1st start and he gets a 5-2 win on a limited use 19 saves against Chicago Blackhawks to start March.

He gets himself a nice new 1-year, 2-way deal to continue in Texas for 2023/2024.

After an 8-4-1 start in Cedar Park, he scores himself a 1st call up for the new year and posts a 4-0 shutout win for himself.

Washington Capitals‘ must had their eyes on goalie Clay Stevenson(33) previous to him putting up solid numbers in a losing record effort (6-14-2) with 2.70 GAA and .922 SV%.

The undrafted net minder was signed to a 2-year NHL entry level contract through 2023/2024.

It’s very likely they saw the big 6’4″ 194 lbs. back stop put up a 1.77 GAA and .936 SV% on a 30-2-2 record for Coquitlam Express, giving him best all around numbers in the BCHL.

The 23-year old from Drayton Valley, AB is likely ready to start.

As he puts up a 1.70 GAA and .934 SV% with 4 shutouts in 13 appearances for affiliate Hershey Bears, he is rewarded as a restricted free agent, who’s entry level contract is up at the end of the current frame, with a new 3-year $2.325M deal to stick around.

Calgary Flames‘ 6th year defenseman Andy Welinski(45) has been spending time in 2021/2022 with affiliate Stockton Heat, putting up 2 goals with 12 assists and a +11 rating, helping a very good team win.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner could easily score himself an NHL recall.

He played 14 games last season for a 2nd time for original entry level contract club Anaheim Ducks and maybe didn’t get any points, but was a nice +4 rating.

The former University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs averaged 6 goals and 10+ assists a season.

He also won the 2012 USHL Clark Cup Championship with Green Bay Gamblers before heading to school, so has that in his hockey pedigree.

At 28-years old, he only taking small bites off the apple for contracts and that just could be the way it plays out for him.

For 2022/2023, he signs a new 1-year, lucrative 2-way deal with New York Rangers, but will likely spend the majority of his time working with the youngsters for affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.

He was a very solid plus player through regular season and playoffs.

Although he never appeared with the main club, he becomes a piece of trade bait at the deadline and is shipped to Chicago Blackhawks, where he could actually play in a game or two.

After 8 games with Utica Comets, he is waived and not long after, for a first time signs overseas with Lowen Frankfort of DEL to continue.

10th year center Travis Oleksuk(13) didn’t last long in the EIHL with Sheffield Steelers (5 games, 2 assists) and has decided to return to IceHL, where he has basically spent the last 5 seasons since coming over from a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack, signing with rivals Villacher SV.

He spent 2 years with HC Bolzano Foxes and 3 to Graz99ers and won the 2018 EBEL Championship with his initial club.

The 6′ 200 lbs. forward signed an entry level deal with San Jose Sharks to start his pro career after 4 years at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, including a breakout campaign as a senior assistant captain with 21 goals and 32 assists with a +24 rating.

It would not be outlandish to just see the 32-year old retire and then coach in the Austria pro league.

Well, apparently he’s not done yet, after putting up 8 goals and 11 assists in 30 games, he decides to head to Germany3 and signs with Starbulls Rosenheim for 2022/2023.

After scoring quite well, almost to the tune of point-per-game numbers, he waits and finally signs with rivals, Hannover Scorpions and will likely continue to do well.

5th year center Adam Johnson(47) gets a new start with Lehigh Valley Phantoms, as he is dished from a 2nd stint for Ontario Reign after a slow start.

He signed with the team last season upon returning from Malmo Redhawks, where he scored 7 goals and 5 assists in 21 SHL games before getting released.

In 14 AHL games in 2020/2021, the 6′ 175 lbs. forward  had 6 goals and 5 assists, so can produce.

Undrafted, he agreed on a 2-year entry level deal with Pittsburgh Penguins, spending most of his time scoring very productively for affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but in his appearances over a pair of campaigns managed 2 assists in his first 6  games, then grabbed a 1st NHL goal and an assist in his next 7.

The 27-year old, former 2-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ sophomore scoring sensation from Hibbing, MN can still produce, but definitely needs to re-energize those jets.

He will take an alright season at the 2nd highest level to a new deal across the pond for 2022/2023 with Augsburger Panther and will likely do pretty well in Germany highest hockey, DEL.

7 goals and 15 assists in 45 games isn’t too shabby, but a -20 rating needs to be addressed, so he heads off to sign a new 1-year deal with Nottingham Panthers for 2023/2024 that should see him do quite well in the EIHL.

Our hearts are literally on our sleeves and sticks outside for a tribute to the hardest skater there is. Rest well. we are crying.