Category: Free Agent Signing

23Oct

Adam Clendening (44)

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11th year defenseman Adam Clendening(44) signs a 1st minor league contract to continue as a potential prospect in a system, signing a 1-year AHL deal with the first team he ever skated pro hockey games for, Rockford Icehogs.

The 6′ 194 lbs. Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 (#36 overall) has definitely played a good batch of NHL games with maybe little fanfare, earning 4 goals and 20 assists with a healthy +11 rating in 90 games.

He has a goal and 7 assists in 13 games this season.

The former Boston University Terriers‘ could definitely put up the points in college, as he was good for 29 assists as a sophomore before he turned pro.

It would be little surprise to see the 30-year old branch out and head overseas next season.

Before he goes anywhere, he finds himself involved in a minor league deal that sends him to Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of 2023.

He has 3 times hit 30 assists in the minors and we feel he will make a fourth this frame.

Rounding out last season with 29 assists, as we thought, he makes a bit of a late decision to join Ilves for 2023/2204, signing a 1-year deal to skate in Liiga.

20Oct

Aaron Ness (27)

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10th year defenseman Aaron Ness(27) was in Boston Bruins‘ training camp, but signs for 2021/2022 with affiliate Providence Bruins to stay in the system.

It’s his 1st minor league deal.

The 5’10” 184 lbs. blue liner has played an outstanding 557 AHL games, scoring 45 goals and 222 assists with an overall +7 rating.

He’s appeared in 72 NHL games in 7 seasons with 3 different teams, scoring just a goal and 6 assists.

We do believe the 31-year old, former 3-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to continue his hockey overseas next, just to be able to say he did it as a pro.

Looks like we guessed wrong, as he signs for 2022/2023 with the team he had a 50 assist campaign for a few years ago, Hershey Bears and the recently turned 32-year old should be able to help them find their playoff punch again.

He’s riding a good playoff run with the team after getting 5 goals and 14 assists in 69 games with a +14 rating during the regular season, but has yet to add anything in the playoffs.

No worries says this minor league club as they would like him to stay in Chocolatetown for at least another 2 more years.

For a 7th season, he will stay a Bears, 2024/2025.

18Oct

Paul Thompson (15)

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11th year right wing Paul Thompson(15) signed a 1-year contract to join Bridgeport Islanders for 2021/2022, but has only skated 4 games with them (1 goal), while mostly being reassigned to affiliate Worcester Railers.

In 10 ECHL games, his first since 1 in 2011, he has 2 goals and 3 assists.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. forward has 610 AHL games to his credit, scoring a healthy 174 goals and 165 assists.

He also has appeared in 24 NHL games with two different clubs, grabbing 3 assists.

The 33-year old, former 4-year University Of New Hampshire Wildcats top scorer as a junior and senior from close by Derry, NH is probably just happy to be pulling down deals from elite teams.

For 2022/2023, he returns to southern CT for a 2nd season.

12 years, 697 games in the minors and 24 in the show with 3 assists is quite enough, so we await to see what team he may have skated for previously to pick him up as an assistant coach.

09Oct

Mark Louis (4)

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12th year defenseman Mark Louis(4) elects to return on a 1-year ECHL deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2023/2024.

The very big 6’4″ 224 lbs. blue liner has spent most of the last 6 years with Cardiff Devils of the EIHL, spare one he went to Slovak Extraliga.

He played 5 years of WHL before heading to St. Francis Xavier University Aigles Bleus, but left midway through his 4th year to sign with Portland Pirates of the AHL.

The Ponoka, AB native signed a 1-year NHL deal to join the parent club Arizona Coyotes after skating with them during that season’s playoff run.

At 36-years old, you have to wonder what he is thinking for his next move, but we do think could easily slide back across the pond and become an assistant coach with his long time club.

09Oct

Buddy Robinson (53)

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 9th year 6’6″ 232 lbs. power forward Buddy Robinson(53) receives the call-up from the parent club and scores a 1st NHL goal with his new club, giving him single tallies with three different teams.

In all, he’s skated 26 games in the big league with the three goals and one assist to his credit and a +3 rating.

He played 9 games in his 2nd year under contract with Calgary Flames, but was mostly utilized on their taxi squad for 2020/2021.

The former 2-year Lake Superior State University Lakers has a total of 477 AHL games recorded featuring some stellar stats at 118 goals and 136 assists with a +72 rating.

At 30-years old, the Bellmawr, NJ native has done quite well for himself, if he ever took a minute to look back on things.

His photo is of his rookie season 2013/2014 with original contract club Ottawa Senators‘ affiliate Binghamton Senators and we also love how he got to play against his younger brother Eric Robinson of Columbus Blue Jackets recently.

A little bit into unrestricted free agency and he picks up a new deal for 2022/2023 with Chicago Blackhawks, a team that could definitely use him, if he can stick in the highest league.

He played a career high 35 games last season, scoring a goal and best 5 assists with a +2 rating on a non-playoff team.

For his 11th season, after 9 more games in the big league, he will embark on something new and heads to the KHL to sign a 1-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk  for 2023/2024 and will likely do really well there.

08Oct

Matt Lorito (18)

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7th year right wing Matt Lorito(18) decides it’s time to venture off for some new kind of hockey, signing with Djurgardens IF for 2021/2022.

An unrestricted free agent coming off his 2-year deal with New York Islanders, he agreed to terms with San Diego Gulls to play last season.

He arrived after four super strong (47-59 in 118 ECAC games) years, including as senior captain, from Brown University Bears to Albany Devils and immediately picked up 3 goals and 9 assists in 11 AHL games on an ato.

The 5’9″ 171 lbs. forward was immediately signed to a one-year minor league deal and put up a session (18-36-54 with a +16 in 71) that caught the attention of Detroit Red Wings to award him a first NHL contract.

We’re a little unsure how he did it, but the 31-year old former 2017 Calder Cup Champion signed 2 very good major league contracts that will definitely help him enjoy his time in Sweden’s top hockey, SHL.

After getting a couple of goals and 4 assists in 14 games, he gets a new offer from the KHL to join Dinamo Riga and jumps.

In his time playing Russian style hockey he was able to connect for 3 goals and 4 assists in 17 games, but was a little unpolished -9 rating, so was released and the former R.I. heads up the road to Connecticut, signing with Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of the season.

His prowess to put up points in the minors is documented and he comes away with 8 goals and 10 assists in 30 games, but looks overseas again to sign a 1-year with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of DEL, where he signs late and appears in only 18 games with 2 goals and 3 assists, but gets 2 goals and 1 assist in 10 playoff games, so holds his own.

8 years is good for the now 33-year old from Oakville, ON to call it a career on.

He’s pocketed a good education and has been hired to be a pro scout for Pittsburgh Penguins starting 2023/2024.

08Oct

Brandon DeFazio (26)

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12th year left wing Brandon DeFazio(26) retires after a successful 3rd DEL season, 1st for Schwenninger Wild Wings and will become an amateur scout in the organization he signed his 1st pro contract with after 4 years at Clarkson University Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins.

He signed his 1st contract with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but would go on to sign NHL deals for the next 4 frames before inking with Texas Stars for his best AHL season, scoring 22 goals and 25 assists.

The 6’2″ 198 lbs. forward would transition over to a pair of KHL campaigns with Kunlun Red Star before heading 1st to Czechia Extraliga, but ultimately Germany.

An Oakville, ON native, the 34-year old will be perfect in his new role.

05Oct

Corban Knight (9)

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10th year center Corban Knight(9) signs to stay on for a 3rd season with Avangard Omsk Hawks.

Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#135 overall), he eventually signed an entry level deal with Calgary Flames after completing 4 successful years at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

He would next sign with the team that selected him and play a career high 20 NHL games, scoring 2 goals and 5 assists.

For the 6’2″ 195 lbs. forward final big league contract, he agreed to terms with Philadelphia Flyers and appeared in 23 games before deciding to next leave for the KHL.

The 32-year old from Oliver, BC put up a career best 30 assists and 48 points last season and raised the 2021 Gagarin Cup with his current club and also was credited with the most points in a session by a foreigner.

He didn’t match his totals from the previous campaign, but 15 goals and 19 assists through 58 games with a +14 rating, then adding another 10 points (5-5) in 14 playoff matchups, and easily he would be in good standing.

For 2023/2024, he decides to embark on something different and signs for 1-year with SC Bern of NL.

He should do really well in Switzerland’s top hockey.

30Sep

Cory Schneider (35)

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15th year goaltender Cory Schneider(35) earns a 2nd straight contract with New York Islanders to continue to help out the younger net minders in the system and also possibly earn some time in the cage with the big club.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 1st round pick in the 2004 draft (#26 overall), he definitely had 6 strong seasons with the team and once posted both league best GAA and most shutouts.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder decided to go exploring for a lucrative deal and landed on a handsome 7-year deal with New Jersey Devils, where once again, he basically put up stellar numbers, but ended as the team began shifting gears and was put on unqualified waivers to buy out the remaining two years of the deal.

And that’s where the 35-year old, former 3-year Boston College Eagles‘ standout goalie has landed himself on a pair of one year deals at the league minimum, but that’s hardly the cause at this point.

He re-ups for a 3rd season on the Isle.

410 NHL games and 224 AHL is quite enough to wrap it up for the decade and a half net minder, who leaves the game at 37-years old with some impressive marks.

It’s almost silly to say, it will be interesting to see where he pops up next.

29Sep

Kevin Shattenkirk (12)

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14th year defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk(12) signs a 1-year deal worth just $1.05M with Boston Bruins as an unrestricted free agent, which brings him back “home” to where he played his 3 years of college hockey at Boston University Terriers.

The 6′ 207 lbs. blue liner was originally a Colorado Avalanche 1st round pick in 2017 (#14 overall), but played only half a season there before being traded to St. Louis Blues.

He stayed with them for 7 campaigns scoring 10+ goals 3 times, 30+ assists 5 and 40+ points on 5 occasions.

The 34-year old from New Rochelle, NY did 2 years at the USNTDP before college and playing on his new team could get him back into the 20+ point range, as he did 4 of the last 5 sessions.