Air Force Academy Falcons‘ senior left wing Will Gavin(37) takes some very decent 10+ goals and 10+ assists through his 3 finals seasons and bests in his final frame to a 1-year AHL deal with Tuscon Roadrunners for his rookie year, 2024/2025.
The 5’10” 190 lbs. forward was also a big scorer through 2 junior USPHL NCDC runs, 2nd as captain with Northern Cyclones.
From Durham, CT, the 24-year old will do well as a pro is how we are seeing it.
Undrafted 8th year goaltender Casey DeSmith(1) gets a new 2-year deal to stick with the only team he has ever known, Pittsburgh Penguins, signing a new 2-year NHL deal.
The 6′ 181 lbs. net minder has consistently held his GAA to around 2 and SV% in the .900 range either up with the big club or tending for affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, so has some skill in the crease.
His actual 1st contract after graduating University Of New Hampshire Wildcats was with Wheeling Nailers and he played 13 ECHL games with very good numbers to get loaned up in the system, where he did outstanding in 6 AHL games to earn his entry level contract in the next frame.
The 31-year old from Rochester, NH has worked very hard, but also has had some very good luck riding on his shoulders.
For the 1st time in his pro career, he gets moved to a new team, Montreal Canadiens, who pick up his contract.
He barely suits up for his new club and gets a promo photo shot before he is moved to Vancouver Canucks, who may have more of a need for a new kind of #1.
It’s here where his game comes back together, as he gets 29 starts and does pretty well, but it’s his playoff look that really gets him some action.
Dallas Stars step in and offers the unrestricted free agent a 3-year deal.
3rd year left wing Patrick Curry(17) takes a 2-year deal with Grand Rapids Griffins to a new 1-year contract to rivals Iowa Wild for 2022/2023.
The former Boston University Terriers‘ senior captain scored a college career best 19 goals and 33 points before turning pro.
He actually did 8 games in Slovak2 Extraliga on loan to HC Detva before the COVID-cracked 2020/2021 AHL got started.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. 26-year old forward should continue to add to his totals, especially as he plays more games.
He puts up blockbuster ECHL numbers for Kansas City Mavericks with a single season best, scoring 39 goals and 48 assists with a +29 in a full-slate of 72 games.
For 2024/2025, he gets an offer to head to Liiga and sign with Kalpa to continue his game overseas.
Undrafted left wing, Kobe Roth(11) finishes up a graduate season as captain of University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs to sign a 1st pro deal for 2022/2023 with Florida Everblades.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward posted a college career best 16 goals and 13 assists last season and was a 3-time 10+ tally-getter.
We think the 25-year old from Mason City, IA is going to find some room in the ECHL to get on the scoreboard lots.
After spending most of his rookie season putting up formidable numbers with the eventual 2023 Kelly Cup Champs before getting traded to Kalamazoo Wings to finish out the frame, he has decided to look onwards.
For 2023/2024, he signs with Coventry Blaze and should see quite the uptick in his scoring in the EIHL.
And he definitely did, scoring 25 goals and 16 assists in 54 games, but will next take his game to Germany3 and signs with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.
Trois-Rivières Lions‘ rookie defenseman, Latvian-born defenseman Markuss Komuls(23) will take his pro game closer to home in 2024/2025, signing with HC Nove Zamky of the tough to play Slovak Extraliga.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner came over early for junior hockey and played his way up from an EHL season to the NAHL for 3, earning a commit to University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, where he skated 4 seasons.
We think the 26-year old does well there to continue to gain recognition.
Undrafted defenseman Zach Vinnell(6) will take his game to Bowling Green University Falcons for his senior year, leaving behind 3 seasons and a college career junior season at Merrimack College Warriors, scoring 4 goals and 12 assists in 35 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner from Cochrane, AB played 3 years of junior hockey in the close by AJHL.
We think the 24-year old scored himself a nice invite to Edmonton Oilers‘ development camp and will likely see some mature ice time in the CCHA.
Although he only scored 1 goal with his new college team, he did manage a best 19 assists.
He will take his recent fortunes to a 1st pro deal with Indy Fuel to finish out the season.
In 16 games to debut his pro game, he scores 1 goal and 9 assists with a 0 rating, then added 1 assist in 2 playoff matchups.
He’s taking his game elsewhere for 2023/2024, as he signs on to strengthen the blue line for 1-year with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL.
After 15 games, 1 goal 4 assists, he seemingly leaves and signs with Sheffield Steelers, who seem very happy to have him in their lineup.
He would do pretty well with 1 goal and 4 assists through 15 games with a +12 rating.
Something isn’t gelling on ice though and the 26-year old decides to retire and as soon as 2024/2025 will take up ranks as an assistant coach with rivals, Coventry Blaze.
10th year right wing Garnet Hathaway(19) didn’t much of a pay boost after signing the 4-year with Washington Capitals worth some $6M total, but he gets 1 on a 2-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers worth $2.375M AAV after a spectacular 25-game effort in a Boston Bruins‘ uniform after a trade sent him there.
The fairly big 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward 1st signed an AHL contract with Adirondack Flames for his rookie season and did well enough to catch the radar of the parent club, Calgary Flames, who signed him to a 2-year entry level deal.
He was in their system for 4 years.
The 31-year old, Brown University Bears‘ graduate from Naples, FL should work harder, but find space to score with his new team.
Doing decently for his new club, he gets 2 more years in a Flyers‘ uniform to continue his game.
We need to congratulate former Cornell University Big Red‘ captain Jeff Malott(39) on scoring a one-year two-way NHL deal from Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022 after potting 14 goals and 6 assists, including 1 game-winner and 4 on the power-play in 34 AHL games with affiliate Manitoba Moose.
The big 6’3″ 204 lbs. left wing may just play his way onto the parents’ club radar as a sophomore skater and is easily headed in the right direction.
He’ll remember the date: 3/20-2022. He makes his big league debut skating a conservative 8 shifts for 4:06 ice time with 3 hits and 2 penalty minutes in a 6-4 victory.
Nice start.
After blowing out his rookie season scoring with 23 goals and 18 assists in 62 games with a +11 rating, then getting another tally in 5 playoff games, earns the 25-year old a new 2-year deal to stay.
He would score a career high 30 assists and 52 points in 70 games and signs a new 2-year deal with Los Angeles Kings, who could give him his 1st looks in the big league.
Undrafted towering 6’4″ 198 lbs. defenseman Cody Haiskanen(3) takes 5 years at Cornell University Big Red to a rookie contract with Idaho Steelheads for 2022/2023.
The Fargo, ND native did only 1 USHL frame with hometown, Fargo Force before heading to school.
At 25-years old, we’re thinking he has a good ECHL rookie season.
In 61 games the big d-man scores 5 goals and 24 assists with an absolutely monster +53, then keeps things steady through to the Kelly Cup Finals.
There’s little doubt, he will be back donning a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2023/2024.
He’s actually loaned up 3 times during last frame, but eyes a new opportunity, signing for 1-year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of DEL.
Rookie center Todd Burgess(48) signs his first pro contract with Manitoba Moose for 2021/2022.
The big 6’2″ 195 lbs. power forward will likely step right into his game when he gets to the AHL.
He graduated from Minnesota State University (Mankato) Mavericks after doing 4 years at RPI Engineers, connecting for 27 goals and 35 assists in 127 NCAA Division 1 games.
That was nothing compared to what the 25-year old, Phoenix, AZ native did in his last season of juniors for Fairbanks Ice Dogs, wracking up 95 points (38-57) in 60 NAHL games with a +25 ratings, then added another 5 goals and 9 assists in 12 playoff contests.
This output got him on the radar of Ottawa Senators, who drafted him in the 4th round of 2016 (#103 overall) but failed to get him under contract.
We think this could just be the start.
He maybe rounded out last season with some games down with Newfoundland Growlers, where he was very close to being a point-per-game player, but did also nab 7 goals and 6 assists as a rookie.
The big man stays in the league, but moves to a divisional foe for 2022/2023, Milwaukee Admirals.
Mostly reassigned to play with the not so good ECHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, he still busts out some numbers scoring.
He next looks at something a bit different to skate and signs in Slovak Extraliga with HK Spisska Nova Ves and ran up the scoresheet big with 19 goals and 18 assists in 45 games with a +13 rating.
Not sure why is not continuing, unless he eyes something better by heading to HockeyAllsvenskan for 2024/2025, agreeing to terms with Mora IK and we suspect he will do exceedingly well again.
