Binghamton Devils‘ undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jacob McDonald(23) is having some kind of career year with 12 goals and 20 assists in 42 AHL games.
His tallies are first in the league for his position and 2nd overall in points.
He’s in the 2nd year of a two-year deal with the team, signed near the end of 2016/2017 after a mid-season loan up from Toledo Walleye of the ECHL that obviously stuck.
The 6′ 208 lbs. d-man was chosen to be in the 2018 AHL All Star game and had a solid showing with an impressive tricky shoot out goal that should easily put him on the radar of an NHL team.
A former Waterloo Blackhawks standout before heading to four years at Cornell University there’s little doubt he’s starting to blossom, big.
At 24-years old he’s definitely on track for a 2-year entry level contract.
Not bad for a player who started as a rookie with a season for the ill-fated Elmira Jackals.
He would score his 1st NHL deal the following season and played full campaigns at least 3 times.
For 2026/2027, the now 33-year old gets a 1-year deal from Washington Capitals.
University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate defenseman Logan Britt(29) had a college career best 7 goals last season.
He came over to likely prove his game even further from a pair of years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers that followed 2 with Quinnipiac University Bobcats.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played a full docket of games in each frame and had 18 assists as a junior, playing Atlantic Hockey.
From Crystal Lake, IL, he signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits and got 1 assist in 5 games and equaled his mark in the playoffs, as they push.
Sort of a no-brainer to bring him back for his rookie season, 2024/2025 in a Rabbits‘ jersey.
Just before the new season starts, he finds himself involved in a trade that sends him to Reading Royals, where he should continue to do ECHL well.
Signed with Orlando Solar Bears for 2025/2026 and scored a new best 18 assists, 20 points.
For 2026/2027, he decides to leave and signs in the IceHL with Pioneers Vorarlberg.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ junior left wing Nick Rheaume(26) transferred from UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks, where he had a college best 9 goals and 4 assists last season and has 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 games in the current frame.
The 6’3″ 195 lbs. forward did 2 BCHL seasons, scoring really well in his 2nd after attending Cushing Academy USHS-Prep.
From Sherbrooke, QC, the 22-year old continues to play Hockey East.
Undrafted, he decides to leave a year on the table to sign with Toronto Marlies for his rookie frame, 2025/2026.
He would spend the entire season with affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones, scoring pretty nicely, but as a free agent able to sign anywhere for 2026/2027 and Iowa Wild agree to terms with him.
Vancouver Canucks‘ 7th round pick in the 2019 draft (#195 overall), senior left wing Aidan McDonough(25) signs his 2-year entry level deal after finishing up 4 years at Northeastern University Huskies, including his last as team captain, scoring 1 point off his junior career high with a college best 18 assists, 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists).
He could join the parent club immediately.
The 6’3″ 190 lbs. is big on his skates and plays an effective power forward style.
In the only year of USHL junior hockey he skated, he scored 21 goals and 21 assists for Cedar Rapids Roughriders.
The 23-year old from Milton, MA has a bright future ahead of him and we bet he’ll be playing for it.
He does join the big league immediately with 6 games and gets a 1st NHL goal, but is reassigned for his entire rookie frame to affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 11 goals and 8 assists with a +2 rating.
Almost oddly maybe, he isn’t given a qualifying offer and signs an AHL deal for 2024/2025 with Charlotte Checkers that should heed great results.
He is a point-per-game player with his new club, but is a free agent and signs for 1-year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where we think he will play under the parent’s club radar.
In 65 games, he scores 23 goals and 21 assists with a +18 rating, then adds another 8 points in the playoffs.
Buffalo Sabres are paying attention and sign him to a 1-year 2-way contract for 2026/2027 that we think could score a recall.
Lindenwood University Lions‘ senior captain, left wing Drew Kuzma(20) wasn’t the biggest college hockey scorer, doing best as a sophomore with 4 goals and 6 assists in 25 games.
Upon completion of the indie tournament, the big 6’6″ 218 lbs. forward signs a 1st pro deal with Greensboro Gargoyles.
From St. Albert, AB, the 23-year old did his juniors in the SJHL before college and has scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 13 ECHL games with a +1 on a non-playoff team.
He will need a new deal for 2026/2027.
His play grabs the attention of Iowa Wild, who sign him to a 1-year AHL deal.
8th year, undrafted center Allan McPherson(9) wins his 1st league title, the 2021 Slovakian Extraliga Championship, recording a Playoffs Most Points nod for the 20 he got with HKM Zvolen to a new league contract with rivals HC Kosice for 2021/2022.
He averaged 10+ goals and 15+ assists through 150 NCAA Division 1 Atlantic Hockey games with Clarkson University Golden Knights and was a point-per-game guy in three years of the CCHL.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward was also scored big in the ECHL with 134 points through 128 games with a +35 rating.
He’s easily as prolific where he currently is and there’s little doubt the 30-year old will not be for his new club.
Well, he is taking 4 seasons of putting away points for Hannover Scorpions, twice as captain for the Germany3 team and as a 35-year old will take it up a notch to skate with EC Bad Nauheim of DEL2 in 2026/2027.
Ohio State University Buckeyes‘ graduate defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata(29) had a 3rd straight season of outstanding assists that captured the eye of Syracuse Crunch upon finishing up tournament play.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward signs for his rookie season with Utah Grizzlies.
From Vancouver, BC, we see the former 4-year RIT Tigers‘ 24-year old as getting loaned up and may stick.
As a rookie, he posts a massive 40 assists campaign and even gets a helper on loan to Colorado Eagles.
For 2026/2027, he signs overseas with Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL.
Minnesota Wild 4th round pick in the 2017 draft (#116 overall) center Bryce Misley(18) must have jumped at the opportunity to sign his first deal, an ato with affiliate Iowa Wild to show a little of what he’s able to produce after coming off a piss poor COVID busted 2020/2021 University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ NCAA Hockey East schedule of only 14 games.
In 9 AHL games, the 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward has a goal and 2 assists with a multipoint spread.
While not scoring big numbers through 4 years of college, the Calgary, AB native did hit the score sheet hard as a point-per-game producer through 2 seasons of junior hockey with Oakville Blades of the OJHL (45-56 in 99).
The 21-year old has yet to sign his entry level deal and ends up inking a 1-year minor league deal to stay in the system.
He is reassigned down to affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, but unfortunately was a bit of an abysmal -29 rating on a team that struggled.
For 2022/2023, he has decided to split the scene and sign with Asiago of IceHL and should find his scoring elevates nicely.
He posts 9 goals and 30 assists in 49 games to earn himself another 2-year deal to continue.
In his time, he does pretty well on the scoresheet, but definitely could up his on-ice accountability, but will head next to skate for the “hometown” Italian team in the league, HC Bozen-Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.
He gets 9 goals in 48 games and is asked to return a 2nd year with the Foxes, 2026/2027.
Washington Capitals‘ 4th year center Shane Gersich(29) grabs another one-year, two-way deal to stick around in the prospect system.
The University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 3-year forward has consistently put up respectable numbers for affiliate Hershey Bears.
He started his pro career with 3 NHL games fresh off his junior year at school, grabbed an assist and even skated a pair of playoff appearances en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship.
The 24-year old has to be fairly happy with the way things are turning out for this 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#134 overall).
For 2022/2023, he re-signs on a minor league deal to stay where he is after recording a career high 14 goals and 20 assists with a +4 rating.
After a 5th season where he’s been and a brand new 2023 Calder Cup Trophy to bear, he decides to look on and signs a 1-year deal with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, where he should do very well.
We pretty much thought what has occurred would, he takes a good frame in Sweden’s tier 2 league, scoring 19 goals and 13 assists in 48 games to a higher level of hockey next, signing with Iserlohn Roosters of DEL for 2024/2025.
He does ok with 16 goals and 21 assists in 51 games, but decides to look for another opportunity and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.
After putting up some pretty amazing scoring numbers, he decides to sign with rivals, Vienna Capitals for 2026/2027.
Augustus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior defenseman Charlie Risk(44) will take his game to France2 and signs with Mont Blanc for 2023/2024.
He had a college hockey best 5 goals last season, but had his best totals as a junior with 19 assists and 23 points.
The 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner from Medicine Hat, AB did a couple of junior seasons up north with some decent results.
At 24-years old, he may be ready for the next pro adventure and should do ok where he is heading.
He scores 1 goal and 10 assists in 23 games and decides to return to hockey a little closer to home, signing with Huntsville Havoc for 2024/2025.
With 5 goals and 33 assists in 53 games with a +3 rating, he earns the eyes of Maine Mariners, who sign him to a 2-way ECHL deal for 2025/2026.
He is reassigned back down and scores 3 assists in 5 SPHL games with a +7 rating and he eyes a new opportunity for maybe some better hockey overseas he wants to explore and signs with SC Riessersee of Germany3.
Returning to the Havoc mid-season, in 8 games he has 3 assists and we expect that to grow almost immediately and even still possibly play for a loan up.
He would score pretty decently, but for 2026/2027, he is off again, this time the NIHL and signs with Basingstoke Bison.
