Category: Minor League Deal

7th year defenseman Nolan Zajac(44) leaves a pair of seasons in the SHL for a new European adventure in 2022/2023, joining DEL‘s Grizzlys Wolfsburg.

He spent only a pair of seasons mostly in the ECHL scoring pretty big after graduating University Of Denver twice ascending to 20+ assists before deciding to head overseas.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner maybe started a little low in Sweden’s tier 2 Allsvenskan, where he detonated the scoresheet for most assists and most points by a d-man for IK Oskarshamn.

With his new German team, he manages 8 goals and 25 assists in 48 games with a +14 rating, then adds another 7 assists in a playoff run to earn himself another year to stay put.

After 2 good frames with the same team, he looks elsewhere to rivals Augsburger Panthers f0r 2024/2025.

He continues to move along for 2025/2026, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves, but maybe with only 3 assists in 17 games, he looks for a little more and leaves for Bruleurs De Loups of Ligue Magnus.

University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves‘ graduate center Tanner Edwards(91) already has a college best scoring with just 2 goals and 4 assists in 15 games to go along with a +3 rating is doing nicely.

The 6’1″ 170 lbs. returns home to play a year of eligibility and only ever appeared in 21 games through 4 years at Minnesota State University Mavericks.

He is easily being used and is excelling in all game situations.

The 24-year old does look great out there with his new club and has to have a smile on his face every game.

He plays a new high, by a mile 31 games, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists, then signs a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

Waived close to the calendar year, he is quickly scooped by Toledo Walleye.

He gets into 1 ECHL game with his new team and South Carolina Stingrays come seeking his duties in a trade for future considerations.

Great side story, his dad, Jeff actually played for the team in the late 90’s.

After 8 games with no points, he gets moved to Adirondack Thunder, where in his debut he scores for a very nice start.

RPI Engineers‘ junior portal transfer from Northeastern University, left wing T.J. Walsh(13) has easily made the best hockey decision to switch up schools and join the ECAC.

The 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward has already blown the lid off his previous scoring, tying his college career high 2 goals and new best by lots 8 assists with a +2 rating in 15 games.

He only managed to light up scoring in his final year of juniors at Des Moines Buccaneers, getting 17 goals and 32 assists in 53 USHL games before hitting school.

The Shrewsbury, MA native did have one almost earth shattering session for Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA, grabbing more than goal per game totals, 71 goals and 65 assists in 66 games.

Now that the switch is made and the season is off and running with the results he’s seeing, you got to think there’s a little smile on his face for 2021/2022.

In his senior year, he scored a new college best 7 goals, but his 15 assists as a 3rd year player stood as that category high.

For a graduate session, the undrafted 23-year old is heading to Sacred Heart University Pioneers and will compete some Atlantic Hockey for 2023/2024.

He scores a college best 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in his final frame and takes it to a 1st pro deal with Orlando Solar Bears, which should heed him good points in the ECHL.

In 2 games he has an assist.

For his rookie season, 2024/2025 he ultimately decides to sign with Iowa Heartlanders.

After a solid 43 point season in 66 games, he gets himself traded to his hometown team, Worcester Railers for 2025/2026.

In 11 games, he has only 2 assists, so Indy Fuel see what’s happening and offer up some future considerations to bring him over.

UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Latvian-born, graduate goaltender Gustavs Davis Grigals(31) signs a 1st pro deal with Milwaukee Admirals for 2023/2024, but has joined the club for the Calder Cup playoff push, although not likely to see action.

The 6’2″ 196 lbs. net minder had a 12-9-2 record with a 2.05 GAA and .924 SV%, including 2 shutouts.

He was better than any previous season he played at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, but did have 1 outstanding run through the NAHL juniors with Shreveport Mudbugs.

The 24-year old should be a standout performer as a rookie.

Parent club, Nashville Predators step in as the season is wrapping up and sign him for the current frame to an NHL contract, in a move we can only feel has implications for next season moving forward.

He is mostly sent to play in the ECHL for his rookie season and he decides to move back closer to home, signing with HK Dukla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga, where we think he re-finds his game.

After 5 games, he will switch things up and move on to Finland’s top hockey, Liiga signing with SaiPa for 2024/2025.

We do think it gels for him here.

In 15 games, he has a 8-6-1 record with a 2.96 GAA and .899 SV%, which is good enough for him to earn an invite for another season, 2026/2027 to stay at SaiPa.

Jacksonville Icemen signed 4 year Army West Point Black Knights‘ senior defenseman Anthony Firriolo(23) to an ato.

In 5 ECHL games, he has 1 assist.

The 5’11” 165 lbs. blue liner had a college career best 24 assists and 29 points last season.

He put up 34 helpers in his 2nd NAHL campaign for Corpus Christi Ice Rays.

We would be surprised if the 24-year old from Towaco, NJ does find more room to head man the puck for points.

He’s not sticking around to see if the team he’s moving forward with, as he signs with Atlanta Gladiators for 2023/2024.

Released during training camp, Indy Fuel step right in to offer him a deal.

9 games in with 1 goal to his credit, he gets shipped to Iowa Heartlanders.

He stays here 21 games to record 2 goals and 8 assists with a -2 rating and once again during his rookie frame gets moved to Tulsa Oilers, who seem to want to add him.

In 7 games, he scores 1 goal and 3 assists with a -3 rating and Toledo Walleye see something in his game that they sign him for 2024/2025.

After just 2 games with no scoring, he goes back to the Gladiators, who he didn’t play with after signing.

He is scoring decently with the team in a 2nd frame, but gets himself dealt back to Iowa Heartlanders for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.

University Of New England Nor’easters‘ senior Ryan Kuzmich(23) scored a college best 21 goals in 29 games with a +23 rating for his final season.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward had 22 assists and 37 points in 29 games, as a sophomore with a +25 rating.

From Norton, MA, the 24-year old signed a 1st pro deal with Knoxville Ice Bears for 2025/2026, his rookie frame.

In 23 games, he has 9 goals and 5 assists.

UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate defenseman Jack Robilotti(28) came over after scoring a college best, as a senior at Holy Cross College Crusaders 3 goals and 6 assists in 35 games with a +9 rating.

In 5 games in the current frame, he has 1 assist with a +5.

We’re looking for that big smile on the 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner from New York, NY, when he scores a 1st Hockey East goal.

He comes away with 2 goals and 4 assists with a +6 rating in 36 games.

Upon finishing up tournament play, he signs an ECHL contract and joined Bloomington Bison.

In 8 games, he had 1 assist before bowing out without playoffs.

He signs a contract for his rookie season with Atlanta Gladiators, 2025/2026.

In 13 games, he has no points, but Iowa Heartlanders spot him and trade to bring him aboard.

Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ French-born junior center Louis Boudon(40) finds himself tied for the lead in NCAA Division 1 scoring with a handy 20 points in 14 games.

He looks to easily eclipse marks he set as a sophomore and a freshman, although he had 21 assists in his first year.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward skated two seasons for Northeast Generals, notching better than point per game numbers after a run lighting it up for Metro Jets in the NA3HL, got a NAHL tryout that produced a couple of goals and a deal.

He played all of his youth hockey back home and it will definitely be interesting to see who scoops on the future NHL unrestricted free agent.

Upon completing 4 years at college, he signs a 1st pro contract, leaving a 2nd season as team captain, an ato with Laval Rocket.

There’s not much time left to impress, but you can bet he’ll be constantly looking to connect as soon as he arrives in the AHL.

He doesn’t stick in Canada and signs with Iowa Wild, but splits time with Iowa Heartlanders and gets 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 ECHL games with a +7 rating.

In the next season, he is re-signed, but spends most of his time down, scoring 18 goals and 28 assists in 56 games on a non-playoff team.

The listed as Gernoble, FRA-born skater decides to head off for another pro hockey look, agreeing to terms with Nybro Vikings IF of HockeyAllsvenskan.

After a decent 47 game session in Sweden’s 2nd tier league, he returns to sign with Atlanta Gladiators and has popped scoring to the tune of 12 goals and 18 assists in 25 ECHL games and maybe gets a little antsy for a bit more and signs in Liiga with Jukurit, where he will be duly challenged for the rest of 2025/2026.

He will also skate the Olympics on the French national team.

8th year center Kyle Rau(42) signed his 1st minor league deal to play for Abbotsford Canucks in 2022/2023.

He was coming off his 4th season in Minnesota Wild system, where he played NHL games in each frame, equally 28 appearances with 4 assists to his credit.

The 5’8″ 173 lbs. forward has 369 AHL games to his credit and rolls a fairly decent 119 goals and 142 assists with a bit of a woeful -24, but has 3 times struck for 20+ goals and 4 times 20+ assists in the league.

From Eden Prairie, MN, the Florida Panthers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#91 overall) attended nearby University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers, always good for point-per-game or better numbers.

In 7 games this season he has 2 goals and 2 assists with a +2 rating, so is right on track at 30-years old.

For what we thought was a fairly solid frame for the Eden Prairie High captain, takes a little time as he enters into his 9th season to sign with San Jose Barracuda, who can likely use hims

After a pretty good season, scoring 23 assists, he somewhat late signs with Kunlun RedStar for 2024/2025.

He actually has a pretty good session with 6 goals and 5 assists in 20 games, but decides to head off to Switzerland’s NL and signs HC-Fribourg-Gotteron for 2025/2026.

Harvard University Crimson senior captain, defenseman Jack Bar(24) signed a 1st pro contract with San Jose Barracuda for 2025/2026, his rookie season, but has been reassigned to affiliate Wichita Thunder to get started.

In 26 ECHL games, he has 2 goals and 8 assists with a +7 rating.

The 6’2″ 209 lbs. blue liner was a Dallas Stars‘ 5th round pick in 2021 (#138 overall), but was left unsigned.

From Newmarket, ON, we believe the 23-year old gets an AHL look before too long and was a pto in San Jose Sharks‘ training camp.