8th year defenseman Kevin Gravel(25) was no stranger to an AHL contract, having signed his first pro deal with Manchester Monarchs in 2014/2015 that led to a 2015 Calder Cup trophy before agreeing to 2-year entry deal with parent club Los Angeles Kings.
He inked another last season with a club, Bakersfield Condors, he spent 5 games with on loan from Edmonton Oilers and appeared in 37 games, getting a goal and 7 assists, then adding another pair of helpers in 6 playoff contests.
The former, 4 year, senior captain at St. Cloud State University Huskies has caught the eye of Calgary Flames, who put him under contract for 2021/2022, and the veteran could see significant time in the show on a team that has some needs to fill.
Undrafted, 6th year, third time unrestricted free agent net minder Alex Lyon(34) moves on for a first time in his pro career from a Philadelphia Flyers‘ contract.
He signs a 1-year 2-way NHL deal with Carolina Hurricanes, that will likely see him spending much time guarding the cage for affiliate Chicago Wolves.
After 3 outstanding campaigns for Yale University Bulldogs, he signed and stayed with his original club for 5 years, putting up a 75-54-22 record with 2.75 GAA and .913 SV% in the AHL.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs., 28-year old goalie will likely do very well for his new club.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jon Lizotte(55) takes a pair of pretty decent minor league deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a new one-year, two-way deal with Minnesota Wild, that will no doubt see him reassigned to affiliate Iowa Wild.
The 6′ 210 lbs. blue liner had a career high 19 assists as a rookie and a +16 rating.
He managed 3 goals and 6 assists in a shortened 32 AHL in 2020/2021 weirdo season.
The former St. Cloud State University Huskies‘ d-man left with a mammoth +47 rating through 4 years and was also rock solid through 2 seasons of the NAHL for Minot Minotauros.
We think his first major contract club sees the 26-year old, Grand Forks, ND native as starting to arrive.
Undrafted 6th year center Trevor Moore(12) has played NHL games with Los Angeles Kings ever since he was picked up in a trade after the middle of 2019/2020.
In the chaos season of 2020/2021, he recorded a career high 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 56 games, with two on the power play and a pair of short-handers.
For his efforts the 5’10” 185 lbs. forward gets a new 2-year, one-way deal to continue progress.
The former University Of Denver Pioneers‘ three year standout, twice scoring 44 points in a frame, signed his entry level contract with Toronto Maple Leafs, and spent his first two campaigns for affiliate Toronto Marlies, scoring points (25-41).
At 26-years old, the Thousand Oaks, CA native is working his climb.
Undrafted 8th year Boston Bruins‘ defenseman Kevin Miller(86) has finally decided one more injury is just one too many to carry on and decided to rightfully retire at age 33.
You got to know that his head likely still would love to play, but his body is starting to say, um, no way.
The very sturdy 6’2″ 210 lbs. blue liner skated a massive 352 NHL games, scoring 13 goals and 58 assists with a jaw-dropping +79 rating throughout his career.
A leader in the locker room type player, he was twice captain of his University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ hockey club.
The Los Angeles, CA native will probably just go all Holllywood on us in his retirement.
Chicago Blackhawks‘ undrafted rookie left wing Mike Hardman(86) scores a 1st NHL goal in his 5th game.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has skated roughly 17 shifts for 10+ minutes per outing.
Signed to a two year entry level deal through 2021/2022, he wasted no time getting situated, joining the taxi squad with the big club instead of heading to Rockford Icehogs to start his pro career.
He’s been with them for just over a month before getting his opportunity to show what the power pivot could do coming off only his 2nd campaign at Boston College Eagles, where he scored 10 goals and 9 assists in a COVID shortened 24 NCAA Division 1 Hockey East game schedule.
The 22-year Hanover, MA native is just getting started, obviously.
While undrafted goalie, Michael Houser(32) didn’t go the college route after a single campaign with Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL 2008/2009, and went the route of junior hockey joining London Knights of the OHL for three seasons before signing his only big league contract to Florida Panthers for 2012-2015.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. net minder has mostly signed AHL deals with different clubs but somehow has always seemed to circle back to Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, where he’s appeared in a jaw-dropping 149 games for the double A club.
He scored his first major contract in 6 years with Buffalo Sabres after being voted Goaltender Of The Year in 2019/2020 with the Cyclones while under contract to their affiliate Rochester Americans, and maybe would have returned to the team, if they hadn’t needed to opt out due to the COVID restrictions of 2020/2021.
Although he didn’t start a minor league game this season, he was summoned to the taxi squad and for a team that just about couldn’t sink any lower, the 28-years old, Youngstown, OH native scores his first NHL start, wins it with a third period comeback, gets the nod in net for a 2nd straight game and picks up a 2nd victory in the shootout.
This is 2020/2021’s best hockey story right here.
San Jose Sharks‘ undrafted free agent signing, defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk(50) scores a first NHL game in his rookie season with affiliate San Jose Barracuda.
Both clubs are deep in a playoff hunt.
He skated 14 shifts for 8:34 total ice.
In 29 AHL games he has a goal and 6 assists.
The 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner spent 4 years at Arizona State University Sun Devils with the last two as team captain, and scored a college career best 26 assists and 37 points as a senior before COVID shut down any playoff hopes.
He was the first player from the college ever to be signed to a big league contract as an unrestricted free agent and at 23-years old seems to be at the right place at the right time.
Philadelphia Flyers sign undrafted center Jackson Cates(20) to a two-year entry level contract leaving a year at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on the table.
The 6′ 190 lbs. forward had his highest point totals as a junior, scoring all new highs 11 goals, 16 assists for 27 points with a +8 rating.
He was part of the 2nd straight NCAA Division 1 Championship as a rookie in 2018/2019.
That came off an outstanding 2nd frame with Waterloo Blackhawks, where he struck for 33 goals and 30 assists and was named USHL Forward Of The Year.
The Minnesota native will start immediately but we’ll see if he reports to affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms to play games or is brought up as a taxi squad member for the big club.
Boston College Eagles‘ undrafted junior center, captain Marc McLaughlin(25) had the game-winner in a recent 6-2 drubbing over Northeastern University Huskies.
He’s looking good at getting those, as he’s credited with 5 game-winning tallies, along with 3 shorthanders, a power play and an overall 10 goals and 14 assists in 23 NCAA games with a +16 rating heading into tournament action.
No doubt the 6′ 205 lbs. North Billerica, MA native gets some looks as an unrestricted free agent once his college career is up.
