12th year right wing Corey Tropp(12) is off to a good start in his 2nd season overseas, this year with Vienna Capitals of IceHL after a good, short stint with Straubing Tigers (8-11-19 in 27 DEL games with a +6 rating).
He could easily see career high totals in this Austria-based league.
The super-solid 6′ 192 lbs. power forward twice hit the 20 goal mark and 2 times had 30+ assists in the AHL.
Originally a Buffalo Sabres’ 3rd round pick in the 2007 (#89 overall), he’s skated 149 NHL games,
He was a full-time fixture in the league for a pair of seasons, first with draft club, then a fairly successful run with Columbus Blue Jackets for most of two sessions.
The 3-year Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior assistant captain, 32-year old is likely just enjoying his hockey at this point.
12th year center Rob Bordson(29) was going to spend a 2nd season close to home, even agreeing to terms, but decided a better deal was out there he needed to grab, signing a 1-year deal with Stavenger Oilers of Fjordkraftligaen for 2021/2022.
He came home to skate last year with Kansas City Mavericks and came one point shy of his best league totals, tying a 17 goal high.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward only did better in his 1st campaign away for DEL, getting 8 goals and 30 assists for Fischtown Pinguins with a +10 rating.
He has played 380 AHL games and 106 in the ECHL with more than point-per-game numbers.
The 33-year old, former 3-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ skater is probably just still enjoying the game to stick with it.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Ryker Killins(44) decides to go exploring for his new contract, signing a 1-year deal with Esbjerg Energy for 2021/2022.
In 2 ECHL seasons, he’s basically managed to tie his 21 points, but whereas he had a dismal plus/minus with Rapid City Rush, he pulled that up very nicely for Jacksonville Icemen to a +4 on good scoring.
The small 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner managed a few games loaned up to Tuscon Roadrunners as a rookie but didn’t connect.
He was probably most impressive in the pros after completing his 4th year at Ferris State University Bulldogs to sign an ato to South Carolina Stingrays and immediately he got to work, floating 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 games with a +7.
We suspect the 25-year old from Wawa, ON destroys Denmark’s top league, Metal Ligean.
3rd year defenseman Jake Massie(34) signs a 1-year AHL deal with Hershey Bears for 2021/2022 after spending all of last season with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, scoring 3 goals and 8 assists with a +3 rating in 51 ECHL games, while under the 2nd year of his entry level deal with Florida Panthers.
The 6’1″ 179 lbs. blue liner was originally drafted by Carolina Hurricanes in the 6th round of 2015 (#156 overall), but went unsigned after a trade sent his rights to Chicago Blackhawks.
This all basically happened before he was to start his first year of juniors with Omaha Lancers, which is also when he committed to University Of Vermont Catamounts, where he spent the following three years.
The 24-year old will likely do better in his 2nd run of the farm league for the majors.
Rookie center Patrick Kramer(14) signs a 1-year deal with Jacksonville Icemen for 2021/2022 to get his pro career going.
The fairly big 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward was a big scorer at Boston College High, but dropped off in one campaign of juniors with Youngstown Phantoms and wasn’t a huge point-producer through 4 years at Merrimack College Warriors.
We think the ECHL signing of the 24-year old means they think he will be able to connect with the scoresheet in the league.
Undrafted rookie center Andy Brink(18) signs a 1-year ECHL deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2021/2022 after taking last season off post graduating from Boston University Terriers after transferring from 4 years at Brown University Bears.
The 6′ 201 lbs., Hamilton, NY native played most of his junior hockey with Junior Bruins, first in the EJHL, then switch leagues for two campaigns, where in the first he helped them win 2014 USPHL Premiere, then went on to detonating the scoresheet with 29 goals and 41 assists in 50 games before heading to college.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 27-year old, who didn’t connect much through ECAC or Hockey East play, take scoring up a notch as a pro.
Undrafted, 2nd year defenseman Jordan Schneider(12) re-signs to stay with Indy Fuel, who he was with for 12 ECHL games last season, scoring two goals and two assists after a quick trade from initial contract club Orlando Solar Bears in his rookie run.
The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. blue liner played 5 seasons of junior hockey, winning the 2013 OJHL Championship with St. Michaels Buzzers before leaving for two campaigns for Langley Rivermen of the BCHL, where he very close to averaged 20 assists a frame.
He attended four years at Clarkson University Golden Knights, amassing a very reliable +25 rating.
It would be little surprise to see the son of former 1200+ NHL games’ dad, Mathieu Schneider, start to excel in his 2nd go in the league.
Undrafted rookie goaltender Corbin Kaczperski(33) signs a 1-year ECHL contract with Worcester Railers for 2021/2022 upon completing a transfer portal season at University Of Denver Pioneers, where he went after four years at Yale University Bulldogs, but didn’t play as a freshmen, so was likely given eligibility.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. net minder was a 1-year junior hockey star with Lone Star Brahmas, posting a 1.98 GAA and .912 SV% in 39 NAHL starts and led to his first college’s discovery.
He will likely serve as back-up in his first year of pro hockey, but no doubt will learn a lot about the game from who he is pair with in central MA.
We fully expect the 25-year old to shine every opportunity he’s given.
Big 6’4″ 214 lbs. net minder Michael Lackey(31) heads from a bit of an off-season with Orlando Solar Bears to a new ECHL 1-year deal with Indy Fuel for 2021/2022.
The former Providence College Friars backstop put up some amazing numbers in his one season after coming over as a portal transfer from Harvard University Crimson.
His 16-12-6 record was decent enough, but a 2.18 GAA and .922 SV% with 2 shutouts are solid.
He was maybe a tiny bit inconsistent coming up through the USNTDP program.
The 24-year old Washington, D.C. native should be able to get right back into it with his new club.
Springfield, MA native 2nd year defenseman Jake Ryczek(2) has definitely had an interesting little run prior to turning pro in 2019/2020 with Indy Fuel, but was traded recently a little closer to home to Adirondack Thunder for 2021/2022.
He was going to return to Indiana for 2020/2021 after a pretty successful rookie run, but the team ultimately shuttered, so he decided to not try to pursue a contract elsewhere.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner played 3 campaigns of junior hockey, ultimately landing with Waterloo Blackhawks, where he scored a best 8 goals and 21 assists with a +29 rating before heading to Providence College Friars.
That last all of 5 Hockey East games before he decided to split for Halifax Mooseheads, where he kind of produced some pretty big points for a couple of QMJHL sessions.
The 23-year old did well as a rookie with 4 goals, 17 assists and a +6 rating in 46 ECHL games, and we kind of expect him to take those numbers up and maybe even earn a loan up.
