After winning an NCAA Division 1 Championship as a UMass Minutemen senior, undrafted center Philip Lagunov(17) will exercise another year of eligibility to head to a graduate program at University Of Vermont Catamounts.
The 6′ 188 lbs. power forward isn’t exactly the biggest scorer, but does have 16 goals and 22 assists with a +8 in 129 games, and did just earn himself the Hockey East The Top Play Of The 2020/2021 Season (in the link).
He was a pretty exceptional scorer in his year and a half of junior hockey with close-to-home Burlington Cougars where he was a point-per-game player (78) in 74 OJHL contests.
The 22-year old will definitely add some needed energy to his new school’s hockey program.
After 5 years of pro hockey, including the last three overseas, defenseman Paul Geiger(33) decides to head off into the sunset on a career that concludes with a season in Austria’s IceHL for Fehervar AV19.
He finishes with decent enough scoring but we’re mostly looking at his +20 rating of accountability through his time across the way.
The very sizable 6’3″ 210 lbs. blue liner completed 4 years at Clarkson University Golden Knights, serving as team captain for his last two.
He was signed to a pair of AHL deals, including 9 games for Albany Devils, as school was wrapping up.
The Canadian native played almost equal time in the lower league, ECHL and really took scoring onto a new level for himself with South Carolina Stingrays, where he struck for 12 goals and 23 assists.
Undrafted, senior defenseman Brady Ferner(6) is heading closer to home for his final year of college.
The 5’10” 190 lbs. forward spent the last three seasons playing for RPI Engineers, but through the portal transfer will go to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for 2021/2022.
He played most of his 4 years of junior hockey for nearby Sioux City Musketeers and even served as a volunteer assistant coach/captain in his final USHL season.
The Dakota Dunes, SD native will be right at home in his new school and looking to make an impact in NCHC style play.
Undrafted, right wing Kevin O’Neil(17) had no hockey to play last season as Yale University Bulldogs shut down their program due to COVID, but he still continued with his studies to graduate and will continue with the extra season on ice after entering the transfer portal to University Of Connecticut Huskies.
The 5’11” 180 lbs. forward was a decent scorer for his now old school, twice potting 5 goals, 10+ assists and 15+ points, but was on another level through his junior/senior, as captain, years at Albany Academy, scoring 41 goals and 79 assists in 63 USHS-Prep games.
He also did well split for a couple of squads for his one year of junior hockey, getting 14 goals and 21 assists in 57 USHL games.
The 23-year old, Latham, NY native will do in the tougher to play, Hockey East.
Undrafted, senior goaltender Evan DeBrouwer(60) decides to head east through the transfer portal, leaving three seasons with Arizona State University Sun Devils for Bentley University Falcons.
The very big 6’3″ 190 lbs. net minder was solid as a sophomore, posting a 19-11-3 record with a 2.52 GAA, .915 SV% and 4 shutouts in 34 games.
He played a massive amount of games in Canadian juniors, agreeing to attend college in his 2nd BCHL campaign for Prince George Spruce Kings, when he started 45 games, going 26-14 with 3 blankings, a 2.24 GAA and .920 SV%.
The 24-year old, Bleinham, ON native will have to step up his game on a young team, but as he did through school in Canada, can definitely be a difference maker.
Undrafted 5th year defenseman Rob Hamilton(42) trades in almost three seasons for Stockton Heat to a new two-year deal with Colorado Eagles.
He hasn’t always been the biggest scorer, but has definitely shown flashes.
The solid 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner had 4 goals and 14 assists just a season ago, and previously put up career highs 7 tallies and 22 helpers in his first year in California.
He was signed up from starting his 2nd campaign in the ECHL, wracking up some points.
The solid and steady d-man maybe has it in him again to effectively hit the score sheet, but his AHL +19 has the best accountability to bring him aboard.
At 27-years old, the former four year University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ graduate did put up 10 goals and 11 assists as a senior.
The Calgary, AB native is definitely a very well-rounded player, who definitely may catch the sight of the parent Avalanche.
Undrafted defenseman Chase Blackmun(5) decides to finish college closer to home entering the transfer portal to head from three years at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks to Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The 6′ 200 lbs. blue liner was pretty consistent chipping in an average of 5 tallies and 10 or so assists except for last seasons on and off schedule.
He initially committed after an exceptionally strong senior year as captain at Hudson High, then did his single season at juniors with Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, where he had 21 assists in 55 USHL games.
We’d be little surprised to see this 22-year old turn pro once it’s all said and done.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2018 draft (#42 overall) center Jack Drury(72) arrives back from his first pro experience, a 2021 SHL Championship with Vaxjo Lakers.
The 21-year old good goal scoring forward picks up a nice three year NHL entry level deal to start in the system and there’s little doubt he’s big league bound.
Former four year, UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ senior captain Charles Levesque(12) will take his game overseas to France’s Lique Magnus, joining Cergy-Pontoise Jokers for 2021/2022.
Not exactly always the biggest scorer in college hockey, he was at least decently efficient, pocketing 6 goals and 6 assists in just 20 games with a +11 rating in his final session.
The Ontario native was a very prolific scorer in a pair of junior seasons in the CCHL, grabbing a total of 48 goals and 87 assists for 135 points in 119 games.
At 5’10” 175 lbs., we think the 23-year old will come back to life scoring in his new league and move up and on from there.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ undrafted, starting goalie of the 2020/2021 frame, Connor Murphy(31) decides to move on entering the transfer portal and comes out on the other side for his junior year to guard cage for the closer to home Union College.
The very big 6’4″ 201 lbs. net minder didn’t exactly have the greatness campaign in the pandemic protocol season at 9-9-3 in 21 NCAA Division 1 Hockey East games but what we found most impressive was his very decently low GAA at 2.72 and .910 SV%.
He also posted a pair of shutouts.
It’s seemingly was a bit of an up and down ride through youth hockey teams to a split first year of juniors in the NAHL and USPHL/NCDC of mixed results before heading north to the CCHL to hook up with Carleton Place Canadiens, where he found his footing to commit to college.
He had a league best 2.07 GAA, .917 SV% with a 31-8-7 record.
The 22-year old, Hudson Falls, NY native shifts hockey to roughly an hour from where he grew up, but switches division to ECAC and will still be awesome.
