Category: Free Agent Signing

24Sep

Matt Grzelcyk (48)

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 9th year, Boston, MA native, played his college hockey at Boston University Terriers and for draft team (3rd round, 2012, #85 overall), Boston Bruins‘ 8 year defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk(48) is playing his hockey away from home for the 1st time since heading to USNTDP for juniors.

The 5’11” 174 lbs. blue liner even did his high school hockey at Belmont Hill.

He just hit 30-years old and 4 times has had 20+ assist seasons, so we think he will blend in well with his new club.

In a full slate of 82 NHL games, he scores 1 goal and a new high 39 assists, 40 points and signs a pto to find space on Chicago Blackhawks‘ blue line for 2025/2026, which we think he will be successful in his pitch.

21Sep

Oliver Wahlstrom (26)

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New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2018 draft (#11 overall), 5th year right wing Oliver Wahlstrom(26) signs a conservative 1-year 1-way deal to stick for 2023/2024, as a restricted free agent.

The fairly stocky 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has twice scored 10+ goals.

He only spent 1 year at Boston College Eagles after exploding his 2nd frame with USNTDP.

The 23-year old from Portland, ME definitely needs to step up his game.

He re-signs to spend a 6th year in the Isles‘ system, 2024/2025.

In 27 games, he has 2 goals and 2 assists and is put on waivers, knowing he will get picked up and skate for another team for the 1st time in his pro career.

A somewhat struggling Boston Bruins reaches out to welcome him back to where he attend on year of post-school.

He’s not a big scorer with 1 goal and 1 assist in 16 games and is basically a point-per-game guy in the AHL, which gains him a new minor league deal for 2025/2026 with San Jose Barracuda.

21Sep

Christian Felton (2)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ senior defenseman Christian Felton(2) is looking like he is ready to set up a collegiate career best season, already 1 goal and 1 assist in 11 games.

He had 2 goals and 4 assists as highs last season.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. blue liner from Medina, OH is maybe leaning in a little looking for scoring opportunities.

Transferring after 1 year at Bentley University Falcons, the 23-year old seems to have found his style in Hockey East play.

In his senior year, he would score new college bests 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points, which he takes to a 1st pro contract, a 1-year NHL entry level deal with Vancouver Canucks.

He appears in only 13 games with affiliate Abbotsford Canucks and 7 in the ECHL before the injury bug takes him off his game.

For 2025/2026, he signs with Utah Grizzlies and should do really well.

 

18Sep

Spencer Knight (30)

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Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft (#13 overall) goaltending wizard Spencer Knight(30) signs his 3-year entry level deal after only a 2 season stay with Boston College Eagles. where he went a phenomenal 39-12-3 record with a 2.05 GAA and .931 SV%, including 8 shutouts.

The fairly sizable 6’3″ 192 lbs. net minder has a collection of awards but maybe none better than the recent 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal earning.

He will turn just 20-years old soon but more importantly, now signed, where does he go?

The openings seem slim at the AHL, where the parent club is only riding along as their affiliate shut down operations during the pandemic, so maybe he’ll simply be an add to the taxi squad with the main group and go from there.

Before his entry level contract is up, they solidify him to stay with the Litter Cats going forward on a 3-year deal worth $4.5M AAV.

He plays a continuous workload of games with stellar results, but looking for a little more up front, he is traded to Chicago Blackhawks to start their rebuilding process and he starts with a 5-1 win to stake that claim.

In 15 games, he runs a 5-8-2 record and he is the future of their net minding, signing to a 3-year deal for worth $5.83M AAV to be a Blackhawks for the long run.

 

16Sep

Brady Keeper (25)

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Vancouver Canucks have picked up unrestricted free agent Brady Keeper(25) as his one-year extension to stay in Florida Panthers‘ system was up.

And even though the undrafted, 6’2″ 196 lbs. blue liner has only ever skated 2 NHL games, he is given a 2-year one-way deal to come play zone in the big league.

He originally came from three seasons of juniors in the MJHL for OCN Blizzard, serving as captain in his final session, before committing to University Of Maine Black Bears.

The Cross Lake, MB native played one full AHL campaign for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, earning 6 goals and 18 assists in 61 games.

He was loaned last season to Syracuse Crunch, where he figured into 11 games, scoring a goal and 2 assists.

They must see something in the 25-year old that looks ready to step it up full-time and it just may work.

He wouldn’t actually figure into any games for 2021/2022 after breaking 2 major bones in his leg, but returned for the next frame, contributing 1 goal and 5 assists in 35 games.

For 2023/2024, he has options and signs with Montreal Canadiens, but really is on a high-priced minor league deal with affiliate  Laval Rocket.

He only figures into 22 games last season, but his accountability is good.

For 2024/2025, he signs with HK Poprad of Slovak Extraliga, which should provide the challenge the 28-year old needs.

Instead of reporting to his new, overseas team, he elected to sit last year out and returns in 2025/2026 to sign with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL.

Injuries continue to nag him, as he tries to move towards a comeback, but it turns out to be too much and he needs to hang up the skates, having 2 goals in 4 NHL games.

Something is nagging him and he signs for 2025/2026 with South Carolina Stingrays.

13Sep

Jackson Cates (63)

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Philadelphia Flyers undrafted free agent signing, center Jackson Cates(63) signed a two-year entry level contract after completing his third season at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, where he scored a college career high 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 28 games with a +8 rating.

He was a freshman when the college team won their 2nd straight NCAA Championship in 2019.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward played a pair of junior hockey seasons with the famed Waterloo Blackhawks and his 33 goals and 30 assists in year 2 got him voted USHL Forward Of The Year award.

He’s skated roughly 15 shifts for roughly 10 minutes of ice time a night, grabbing a first assist but is a -3 rating with 7 shots on net.

The 23-year old may be just getting started with his big league debut.

He would appear in 11 games, getting his first NHL goal and as a restricted free agent, finally gets his 1-year extension to continue to build.

A group 6 UFA upon exiting last season, he signs a pto with New York Islanders that we feel if doesn’t turn into a deal with the big club, will get him under terms with affiliate Bridgeport Islanders upon reporting to their camp.

He was actually never signed and then released after only 1 goal in 12 games to be offered the same look from Rockford IceHogs, where he scored 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 AHL games to earn a full contract for 2023/2024.

11 goals and 14 assists through 50 games with a -1 rating, gets him another look for 2024/2025 in an Icehogs‘ uni.

After a 64 game season, scoring decently, then contributing a little for the playoffs, he is retained on a new 1-year minor league deal to stay in Rockford.

12Sep

Kieffer Bellows (20)

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New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2016 draft (#19 overall), left wing Kieffer Bellows(20) signs a 1-year deal as a restricted free agent to stay.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward play the entire 2020/2021 session up with the big club, but only skated 14 games, scoring 3 goals, so was either a healthy scratch or reassigned to the taxi squad.

As a 2nd year player, he would score an AHL best 22 goals and 9 assists for 31 points for affiliate Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers).

The former Edina High School, MN native was selected to head to Boston University Terriers and went onto 2 very successful USHL seasons before heading to college, but only lasted there for one year before deciding to split for Portland Winterhawks.

In 56 WHL games, he scored 41 goals and 33 assists with a +40 rating.

The 23-year old is son of former NHL player of 1188 games, Brian Bellows.

He would end up playing his 1st full frame in the big league, skating a healthy 45 games, scoring a not so bad 6 goals and 13 assists that would lead to his new 1-year, 1-way deal worth a tidy $1.2M AAV.

For 2022/2023, he would start on the roster, but it was decided to waive with the intention of reporting to the minors, but Philadelphia Flyers didn’t let him sit long and pulled him in.

He’s played 3 games with his new team, and although all loses, he’s kept it simple in his 10+ minutes of play and is only a -1.

We think the now 24-year old finds his footing, sticks and starts to make an impression.

He actually doesn’t really find his footing with 3 goals through 27 games.

For 2023/2024, he signed a pto with Toronto Marlies, is scoring big, not looking back and gets a deal for the current season.

Nashville Predators see something for their weighted 2024/2025 lineup that may start with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, but could get a call up for the 1st time in a couple of frames.

He takes some solid regular season play and point-per-game playoff looks to something new on his pro hockey playing career, a deal overseas with Brynas IF of the SHL, which should heed good results for him.

11Sep

Tanner Kero (64)

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Dallas Stars re-signed 7th year center Tanner Kero(64) to a two-year two-way NHL contract through 2022/2023.

The former Michigan Tech captain put up some good numbers through his 4-year college career, but nothing like he did, when he was a senior captain and popped in 20 goals and 26 assists in 41 NCAA WCHA games.

He’s already a veteran of 111 total appearances with initial signing club Chicago Blackhawks and 39 games in 2020/2021 with current team, scoring 3 goals and 7 assists to earn his new deal.

The 28-year old has played 248 AHL games, and must be smiling but has worked hard to achieve all he has.

He spends the entire frame with affiliate, Texas Stars, but scores well through the playoffs.

Not re-signed to continue, he inks a minor league deal with Colorado Eagles.

For 2024/2025, he has likely made the best decision and agrees to terms with HV71 of the SHL, where we think he will find new life.

He throws up a decent frame in Sweden, but decides to head for Germany next and signs with Kolner Haie of DEL.

07Sep

Brandon Yip (18)

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12th year right wing Brandon Yip(18) re-ups with Kunlun Red Star after taking a single COVID volatile season away, skating for Jukurit of Liiga.

It will be his 4th season with the team he served as team captain for the last couple years.

The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward has played 174 NHL games, 103 in the AHL, 163 so far in the KHL, and a 2015 DEL Championship with Adler Mannheim, when he first arrived overseas.

He’s always been a decent scorer in these leagues but as a junior in the BCHL, he twice equaled more than point-per-game  totals in the 2 years with Coquitlam Express.

The Maple Ridge, BC native would take his game to Boston University Terriers next and strike for 22 assists as a rookie and put up 43 points (20-23) in 47 Hockey East games as a senior and help the team win the 2009 NCAA Championship.

You have to wonder if the 36-year old has it anywhere in his mind to retire soon.

He just can’t stop and returns for a 5th overall season with the China-based, Russia-league club.

Staying on as 2nd year captain, he only appears in 8 games for 2 assists.

After 347 KHL games and 7 years in the league for the newly named Shanghai Dragons, he at age 40 says it’s time to find something else for his ice time.

05Sep

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.