Category: Free Agent Signing

28Aug

Jeff Malott (39)

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We need to congratulate former Cornell University Big Red‘ captain Jeff Malott(39) on scoring a one-year two-way NHL deal from Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022 after potting 14 goals and 6 assists, including 1 game-winner and 4 on the power-play in 34 AHL games with affiliate Manitoba Moose.

The big 6’3″ 204 lbs. left wing may just play his way onto the parents’ club radar as a sophomore skater and is easily headed in the right direction.

He’ll remember the date: 3/20-2022. He makes his big league debut skating a conservative 8 shifts for 4:06 ice time with 3 hits and 2 penalty minutes in a 6-4 victory.

Nice start.

After blowing out his rookie season scoring with 23 goals and 18 assists in 62 games with a +11 rating, then getting another tally in 5 playoff games, earns the 25-year old a new 2-year deal to stay.

He would score a career high 30 assists and 52 points in 70 games and signs a new 2-year deal with Los Angeles Kings, who could give him his 1st looks in the big league.

After 58 games with 3 goals and 6 assists, he is an unrestricted free agent and signs a 3-year deal to join Anaheim Ducks.

28Aug

Jacob Bryson (18)

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2017 draft (#99 overall) defenseman Jacob Bryson(18) is making himself at home in his career high 48th NHL game, scoring an exact from his rookie campaign, one goal and 8 assists.

The small 5’9″ 179 lbs. blue liner is set to become a restricted free agent and should likely settle on a multi-year deal to stay.

He put up solid numbers as a rookie with affiliate Rochester Americans, scoring 4 goals and 23 assists in 61 AHL games with a +8 rating.

The former 3-year Providence College Friars was twice a 20+ assist guy.

From London, ON, he is listed as having done one year in the USHS-Prep before heading to a season of USHL.

There’s little doubt the 24-year old has a lot to smile about.

After a trade sends him to a new team for a 1st time, the unrestricted free agent signs for 2026/2027 with Detroit Red Wings.

24Aug

Max Dorrington (43)

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St. Lawrence University Saints‘ senior defenseman Max Dorrington(43) takes on a year of eligibility and will head to play some Atlantic Hockey for 2024/2025, joining Sacred Heart University Pioneers, as a graduate.

The 6’3″ 220 lbs. forward scored less as a senior, then he did as a junior or sophomore, but he’s very big and takes up a lot of space out there, which we think will add up to scoring with his new college club.

From North Reading, MA, the 22-year old, former Cushing Academy USHS-Prep standout, we think will play himself on pro signing radar next season.

He does score a college best 12 goals and 10 assists in 38 games with a +4 rating to sign a 1st pro deal with Bridgeport Islanders, who are far off a playoff hunt.

In 7 games, he records 1 assist and signs a 1-year deal with parent club New York Islanders for 2025/2026, as an unrestricted free agent.

He scores 7 goals and 14 assists with ECHL affiliate Worcester Railers last season.

Basically a free agent, he signs with Savannah Ghost Pirates for 2026/2027.

23Aug

Jeremy Welsh (15)

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14th year center Jeremy Welsh(15) stays put for 2025/2026, after scoring virtually point-per-game numbers in Erste Liga last season after signing with CSM Corona Brasov.

The 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward has played 27 NHL with 3 clubs, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist.

He did 4 years in DEL, 2 in the EIHL before coming here.

The 37-year old, former 3-year Union College Dutchmen goal scoring machine still grooves right along.

He continues to raise his scoring and signs on for a 3rd frame with Brasov.

22Aug

John Farinacci (26)

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Boston Bruins‘ sign unrestricted free agent center John Farinacci(26) to a 2-year NHL entry level deal after finishing up his 4th year at Harvard University Crimson as senior captain.

He was originally an Arizona Coyotes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft (#76 overall), but went oddly unsigned.

The 6’ 190 lbs. forward from Red Bank, NJ came north for his high school hockey, but played little junior hockey before committing to school.

He is the Crimson coach Ted Donato‘s nephew.

In his 2nd season in the minors, he scores 9 goals and a new best 28 assists to earn himself a 1st recall.

He skates 16 shifts for 10:58 ice time with 1 shot that equaled a 1st NHL goal and 3 hits for his debut, a 5-4 overtime loss.

In his 2nd season in the minors, he matches his 1st year totals with 38 points with a +9 rating and plays a 1st game in the big league to score himself a new deal with the Bruins for 2025/2026, as a restricted free agent.

The restricted free agent going into 2026/2027 isn’t re-upped, so signs a 1-year AHL deal with Milwaukee Admirals that we know is under the radar of the parent club.

19Aug

Ross Colton (79)

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Former 2-year University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ rookie center Ross Colton(79) pocketed the only goal, the game-winner in game 5, to help Tampa Bay Lightning win their 2nd straight Stanley Cup Championship.

The 6′ 191 lbs. forward had 4 goals and 2 assists through 23 NHL Playoff contests with a +4 rating, while playing only an average of just over 10 minutes per appearance.

He also had 4 tallies to win games throughout the 2020/2021 season.

The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent for the first time in his pro career and will likely expect a nice, healthy increased pay day for his next likely long-term contract.

As his contract is set to expire, off a season where he scored 16 goals and 16 assists, he gets dished to Colorado Avalanche, as he’s set to make too much money for his original club to be able to afford and grabs a nifty 4 year $4M AAV deal to step it up with his new club.

After 3 years productive in the system, he gets traded to Nashville Predators f0r 2026/2027.

09Aug

Cam Johnson (33)

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4th year goaltender Cam Johnson(33) split his playing time between the AHL with Cleveland Monsters and ECHL for Florida Everblades, while under NHL contract for a 2nd season to parent club, Columbus Blue Jackets.

He started most of the season in the lower league, but played most of the latter part with the direct affiliate.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. net minder was loaned down when the upper team’s year was up, he joined them to backstop their playoff run.

He would finish with a 15-2-1 mark and 1.90 GAA and .933 SV% on the way to being declared MVP of the 2022 Kelly Cup Champions.

The 27-year old from Troy, MI, who also won the 2016 NCAA Division 1 Championship with University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, needs a new contract for 2022/2023, but this seems like almost a 2-year lockup.

An unrestricted free agent, he wasn’t retained, but fairly quickly into free agency signs a 1-year deal with Charlotte Checkers, which seems like it will be a perfect fit.

After guiding the Everblades to a 2nd straight Kelly Cup and grabbing MVP honors, he is rewarded with a 1-year deal with parent club Charlotte Checkers for 2023/2024.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs with Springfield Thunderbirds and hopes to become their #1 net minder, returning him specifically to the league for the 1st time in a few seasons.

He is reassigned and plays a crazy 47 games with a league best 1.92 GAA and .921 SV% and a 37-6-4 record to win MVP.

For 2025/2026, he re-signs with the Thunderbirds and we shall see.

He wins another Kelly Cup in 2026 and signs with the new parent club, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2026/2027.

05Aug

Danton Heinen (43)

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6th year left wing Danton Heinen(43) doesn’t find the right fit with Anaheim Ducks, who he was traded to late in 2019/2020 to by long time club Boston Bruins and signed for another year after producing 3 goals and an assist in 9 NHL games to start.

He seemed to mostly struggle on a non-winning team and wasn’t qualified to receive another deal.

Last year was easily an anomaly for the 6’1″ 188 lbs. forward, who signed a 1-year deal for $1.1 AAV a little late into free agency with Pittsburgh Penguins for 2021/2022.

The still only 26-year old, 2-year University Of Denver standout should be able to excel with the talent around him in PA.

For 2023/2024, as an unrestricted free agent looking for a new home, he accepts a training camp invite from his old haunt in Boston.

He comes into town, takes nothing for granted, works hard to gain notice and nets himself a 1-year contract worth $775 AAV.

Coming away with 36 points in 72 games with a +16 rating is all good and Vancouver Canucks swoop in, offering a 2-year deal at $2.25 AAV to move coasts.

After 51 games, he is traded back to Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the new season, he is reassigned to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for some games in the current frame, but is recalled to trade to Columbus Blue Jackets.

After 33 games with 5 goals, 5 assists and a +6 rating, he gets an invite back to stay a Blue Jackets for 2026/2027.

05Aug

Hunter Shepard (30)

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Hershey Bears jumped fairly quickly to sign undrafted, former University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ 2-time NCAA Champion, captain, goaltender Hunter Shepard(30) to a deal for 2020/2021.

The fairly large 6’1″ 210 lbs. net minder was reassigned to affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, where he has played 14 ECHL games, recording a 6’5-2 record with a 2.84 GAA and .915 SV% on a club headed to the postseason, as there was little room in the crease above for the young goalie.

He has gotten his opportunity to shine though in 2 AHL appearances delivering a pair of wins, including a debut shut out for a .50 GAA and .983 SV%.

The one-time NAHL Goaltender Of The Year in 2016, right before committing to college, the 25-year old has always seemed to work hard for any credit but has to have Washington Capitals step in and offer him an NHL entry level deal, as he is firmly on their radar.

For his efforts backstopping the Bears to a 12th Calder Cup Championship, he is rewarded with a 2-year, 2-way deal that is worth some handsome money wherever he throws on those pads.

He gets to start a 1st game, as the big club is out to a bit of a wobbly start and gets the W in a 6-4 contest, stopping 18 of 22 shots to potentially get a 2nd nod in another night.

His 2-1-1 record wasn’t bad, although maybe his numbers could have improved, but for a 2nd straight season with the affiliate, he posts a 27-4-3 record with a 1.76 GAA and .929 SV% to earn himself the Baz Bastien Award as the AHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender and will once again look to push his club deep in the playoffs.

He’s all set with a 2-year contract through 2024/2025, so can continue to concentrate on winning.

Very successful in his time, as an unrestricted free agent, he signs a 1-year, 2-way deal with Ottawa Senators.

He is mostly tending net for affiliate Belleville Senators, but does see action in 1 big league game and finds himself traded to Montreal Canadiens, where he will likely report to Laval Rocket.

For 2026/2027, he decides to leave for a 1st time and accepts a deal with Barys Astana of the KHL.

03Aug

John Marino (5)

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New Jersey Devils‘ 4th year defenseman John Marino(5) was involved in a trade that sent him to the team from 3-year club Pittsburgh Penguins, where he twice notched 20+ assists, with a career high 24 last season.

The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner is on the hook for another 5-years for the 6-year deal he signed a year and a half ago worth an average of $4.4M AAV through 2026/2027.

Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#154 overall), but somewhat oddly traded before he ever got started.

The North Easton, MA native spent 3 years at nearby Harvard University Crimson, amassing an amazing +/- numbers before turning pro.

6th year d-man becomes the #1 for the new Utah Hockey Club, who pick him up for some draft options and he gets a 3-year deal moving forward.

Rebranded Utah Mammoth for his 2nd season, he pots some 32 assists in 80 games with a monster +42 rating.

He signs a new to start when his current deal ends in 2027/2028 8-year $6.75M AAV deal to stay.