Cornell University Big Red junior right wing Dalton Bancroft(49) leaves a year on the table to sign a 1-year NHL entry level contract, as an unrestricted free agent with Boston Bruins.
The pretty big 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward scored a college best 15 goals last season and had 19 assists as a sophomore.
From Madoc, ON, the 24-year old did 5 years of juniors before heading to school.
5th year center John Stevens(16) has maybe started to find his footing with new team Abbottsford Canucks, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists in 22 AHL games.
He signed a one-year, two-way NHL deal with parent club, Vancouver Canucks after producing well for former affiliate Utica Comets in the weird 2020/2021 frame.
The 6’3″ 204 lbs. forward had his best season as a rookie with 19 points in 66 games for Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under a 2-year entry level deal to New York Islanders.
He was a 3-time 20+ point player and once, as a junior 30+ for Northeastern University Huskies was maybe some of his highs, but we think the 27-year old is ready to start connecting at a higher clip.
We think the 27-year old scores an oddball recall in 2022 for his chance at the big league.
He may have not grabbed that recall, but he did run up a career best 19 goals and 24 assists with a +11 rating to secure a 2nd season under a major contract for the now 28-year old.
While he didn’t score a recall for his 6 goals and 13 assists in 43 games last season, he was still steady as she goes per usual on his playing style with a +5 rating to earn himself a 2-year minor league deal going forward.
After 4 seasons with Abbotsford Canucks and to win the 2025 Calder Cup, he is finally after 8 pro seasons heading off to try something new, signing in Liiga with Kiekko-Espoo for 2025/2026.
9th year defenseman Josh Jacobs(41) helps Chicago Wolves win the 2022 AHL Calder Cup, while under contract to Carolina Hurricanes and moves along to sign a new deal for 2022/2023 with 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche, but will likely skate for affiliate Colorado Eagles.
The fairly sizable 6’2″ 220 lbs. blue liner had an interesting climb from 2 USHL seasons for Indiana Ice, including a 2014 Clark Cup Championship, followed by a year at home state Michigan State University Spartans, but traded that to skate a campaign further up north in the OHL with Sarnia Sting.
An unrestricted free agent, he signed a 3-year NHL entry level deal with New Jersey Devils to start his pro career and stayed in that system for 5 years.
He is very successful with his new club, hitting for 4 goals and 6 assists in 43 AHL games with a +10 ratings, then put up another 4 points in 7 matchups through the playoffs.
For 2023/2024, he scores himself a 1-year 2-way contract with St. Louis Blues that could heed some playing time, but mostly will skate the line for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds.
He wasn’t able to add to his 341 games in the league due to an injury that sidelined him for the entire frame.
For 2024/2025, Laval Rocket takes a chance and signs him to a 1-year deal.
He only appears in 24 games, but scores 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating and gets another 1-year deal to stay a Rocket for 2025/2026.
Providence Bruins‘ undrafted 4th year right wing Wayne Simpson(21) is having himself a career year and that’s after only being with the team on a pto to start.
Signed to an spc one month in, he already has 7 goals and 11 assists with a +10 rating in 22 AHL games, which is only one tally off his season high set last year with Portland Pirates and may even eclipse the 28 helpers he dished in 2015/2016.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward was a solid performer on the stat sheet in his final three years at Union College grabbing 30+ points per campaign and a pair of NCAA/ECAC Championships in 2012 and 2013.
He started his pro career with two seasons for South Carolina Stingrays playing 131 ECHL games, scoring 22 goals as a rookie and a best 39 assists, 55 points as a sophomore skater and a +19 rating.
In an almost unprecedented move, when postseason rolled around he blew the lid off the score sheet grabbing a league high 25 assists, 38 points and +20 rating losing the 2015 Kelly Cup Championship in game 7.
At 27-years old a guy that’s had to continuously prove himself and earn every inch he’s got looks to just be getting started and may even play his way into a first big league contract for 2017/2018.
After a 6th season with ERC Ingolstadt of continued scoring and some 276 games in DEL, he decides at age 35, it’s time to adopt a new role.
7th year defenseman Ian McCoshen(3) is off trying something new this season, playing on a 1-year deal in Finland’s top league, Liiga for Assat.
In 23 games, the 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner has 3 goals and 11 assists with a +4 rating.
He was always decent with scoring in the AHL, where he played some 242 games, but was a more accountable +15 rating.
The oddball Anaheim, CA native also has 60 games NHL experience, all with draft club Florida Panthers, round 2, 2013 (#31 overall).
A former 3-year Boston College Eagles, he left a year on the table, to sign his entry level deal.
At just 27-years old, he’s likely just getting started over there.
He takes a very decent frame in Finnish hockey to another stop overseas and skate Czechia Tipsport Extraliga with Bili Tygri Liberec doing well enough to be wanted back for another season and he’s still not yet 30.
Just like that he gets a better deal from a KHL club to play with Kunlun Redstar for 2024/2025 instead.
He takes some ok scoring, but a terrible +/- to a new contract for 2025/2026 with rivals, Barys Astana.
9th year right wing Rocco Grimaldi(28) was unable to chase down an NHL deal for 2022/2023, so has decided to sign a 1-year AHL deal with San Diego Gulls to keep his game going.
The small 5’6″ 160 lbs. forward surpasses the 300 games played mark in the league this season and is already on top of scoring with 6 goals and 11 assists in 15 games.
He once scored 30+ goals, once 20+ and 3 times 10+ and also struck for 10 goals in 2 seasons in the upper league and also had 21 assists in his best showing for Nashville Predators, where he spent 4 campaigns.
The 29-year old, 3-year University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks may not be done, but we’re a little surprised the Anaheim, CA native hasn’t left for some overseas action in say Sweden, instead of playing kind of close to home.
After putting up point-per-game numbers for his current out of playoff contention team, he gets a trade to Rockford Icehogs, who are in a battle for the last spot in their division.
For his 10th season 2023/2024, he signs a 1-year contract with Chicago Wolves, which should be a lot of fun for him.
Despite running up point-per-game numbers with 73 of them, he signs only a pto with Cleveland Monsters for 2024/2025.
Well, after 6 goals and 17 assists in 15 games, as the team leading scorer, they grace the 31-year old with a 1-year contract.
In 66 games, he records a career high 41 assists, but will take his game elsewhere for a 1st time in his pro career, signing a 1-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg for 2025/2026.
11 year defenseman Chad Ruhwedel(5) finds himself in a new uniform for the 1st time in 8 seasons.
He has been with Pittsburgh Penguins, but was just moved for a 4th round draft pick to New York Rangers, who saw use for him as they look to make a deep run in the playoffs.
The 5’11” 182 lbs. blue liner originally made his debut under NHL contract with Buffalo Sabres, getting his feet wet with a few games.
He did 3 seasons at UMass Lowell Riverhawks after 2 USHL stints for Sioux Falls Stampede.
From all places, San Diego, CA, the 33-year old’s best season was post-COVID, when he notched 4 goals and 9 assists and he also won the 2017, when he 1st moved to his 2nd team.
He plays 5 games in a Blueshirts‘ jersey and they want him to return for a full frame in 2024/2025.
For a 2nd straight season, he plays 5 games with the big club and records an assist.
He is really strong with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 3 goals and 15 assists in 50 games with a +12 rating.
Well, let’s see: 369 NHL games, 261 in the AHL and 12 pro seasons with 1 Stanley Cup is a good run and the 35 year old is ready to find something new to do with his ice time.
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.
Arizona State University Sun Devils‘ senior defenseman Ty Murchison(4) may not score all that much with twice having 7 point seasons as his college high, but left school a very accountable +17 rating to sign a 2-year NHL entry level deal with draft team (5th round, 2021, #158 overall) Philadelphia Flyers.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner signed an ato to join affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the end of school, scoring a 1 AHL goal and 1 assist in 4 games with a +2 rating.
From Corona, CA, the 22-year old followed a good path through LA Kings‘ youth program to a 2 years of USNTDP before college.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ junior defenseman Trey Taylor(2) finishes up last season with a college best 9 goals and 20 assists in 39 games with a +2 rating that catches the attention of Dallas Stars, who sign the unrestricted free agent to a 2-year NHL entry level deal.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner did 1 outstanding USHL session before school.
From Richmond, BC, the 24-year old scored
