Category: NHL Draft Pick

09Jul

Eamon Powell (11)

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Boston College Eagles‘ senior captain defenseman Eamon Powell(11) maybe a little quietly this season amassed a college best 26 assists to go with his 5 goals that match those junior totals in 34 games with a +19 rating.

The 6′ 177 lbs. blue liner had a team high 2 assists in the Hockey East quarterfinals’ win over the weekend to advance to the next round.

A Marcellus, NY native, the young 21-year old is a Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#116 overall) and will be a watch to sign an NHL entry level deal.

The rights to ink are left to expire, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

He signs a 1-year AHL deal with Charlotte Checkers to start 2025/2026, but will jump in for the playoffs on an ato, and already has a 1st goal and assist in 5 games.

In 23 games, he scores 1 goal and 5 assists, but is an unrestricted free agent and signs with Utica Comets for 2026/2027.

07Jul

Max McCormick (17)

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8th year left wing Max McCormick(17) scores a new 1-year NHL deal with Seattle Kracken maybe a little late into unrestricted free agency, yet it did arrive to get him on a good club going forward.

He spent the last pair of seasons with Carolina Hurricanes, playing 12 games with 2 goals, 1 assist and a +3 rating in  2020/2021, while mostly doing time on their taxi squad.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. played the first year of his deal entirely with affiliate Charlotte Checkers, where he tied his best 19 assists  and 35 points was one shy of his high with a +6, and amassed him a 3rd 30+ point season.

He had a pair of 30 point seasons in his 3 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes.

The 29-year old De Pere, WI native may spend some time in the AHL, but also could play himself into more minutes in the show.

He skates 46 games in the minors, but gets recalled for 10 games with no points and leaves a +1.

His 29 points at +17 has certainly helped that team to a top playoff spot.

Those efforts earn him a new 2-year contract to continue leading the group one league away from the show and contribute whenever called upon.

The twice captain for affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds, who on 2 straight occasions made it all the way to the Finals before bowing out was quite the leader and is rewarded with a 2-year, 1-way contract to continue.

After being on long-term injury, ruling out any games in 2025/2026, he has decided maybe it’s enough and retires, as three time Firebirds‘ captain, leaving as the team’s all-time leader in goals (67).

06Jul

Jack Malone (13)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick, Transfers | Leave a comment

Boston College Eagles‘ senior right wing Jack Malone(13) transferred from 3 successful years at Cornell University Big Red to play a college best 41 games, scoring new highs 12 goals and 13 assists.

He really seemed to use that 6’1″ 190 lbs. frame to his scoring advantage last season.

The Danville, CA native played 3 USHL campaigns for Youngstown Phantoms, including 1 when the ECAC took the year off due to COVID.

He graduates and signs a 1st pro deal with Utica Comets to join the team on an ato, but will be under AHL contract through 2025/2026 and very much the watchful eye of parent club Vancouver Canucks, who selected him in the 6th round of 2019 (#180 overall).

In 45 games through his 2nd season, he scored 1 goal and 8 assists with a 0 rating and is easily wanted back for a 3rd run with the Comets in 2026/2027.

03Jul

Miguel Marques (43)

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University Of Maine Black Bears‘ freshman right wing Miguel Marques(43) scores 10 goals and 13 assists in 33 games with a +12 rating, but maybe wants a bit of a more challenge, transferring to Hockey East rivals Northeastern University Huskies for his sophomore season, 2026/2027.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward is a Nashville Predators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2024 draft (#87 overall).

He did 3 years of WHL with Lethbridge Hurricanes, scoring big points.

From Prince George, BC, the 20-year old maybe find his new team to be more of a scoring treat for him.

03Jul

Massimo Rizzo (13)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ freshman center Massimo Rizzo(13) is tied for 3rd in NCAA Division 1 scoring at 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists).

He is a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 7th round pick in the 2019 draft (#216 overall) and looking to prove them right with the deep pick.

The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward was a solid performer through 3 years of BCHL with a couple of teams (43 goals and 80 assists in 132 games) and won a 2017 championship with Penticton Vees, the year he arrived from youth hockey.

This is definitely the style player from Burnaby, BC that can break through and find space in the NHL.

After another 40+ points frame, the now junior decides to leave a year on the table and signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Philadelphia Flyers, who picked up his playing rights in a trade.

He would finish his 2nd season with 13 AHL games for Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists, but then New York Rangers come sniffing in the off season and pick him up for 2026/2027.

01Jul

Brett Murray (57)

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2016 draft (#99 overall), 3rd year left wing Brett Murray(57) played his first season under the guide of the parent club on an AHL contract with affiliate Rochester Americans.

The kinda giant 6’5″ 228 lbs., former year and a half Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ forward posted 9 goals in each of his first two seasons and 10+ assists before dropping a goal and 7 assists in 6 games in the current frame to earn a 2nd recall.

In his first re-appearance, he failed to connect in a win, but had an assist the next night and topped it with a two point, first NHL goal and an assist performance in a loss that should have earned him a third star award.

The Bolton, ON native took an interesting path from a first year at juniors, directingly into a first year at college hockey, but only stayed one run before returning to Youngstown Phantoms to absolutely detonate the stat sheet with a league best 41 goals and 35 assists with a +13 rating.

That was basically all the now 23 year old needed to turn pro and now he’s looking at some extended time up.

He manages less games in the big league as he goes, but scores pretty easily in the lower league, so decides to move as unrestricted free agent status approaches, signing for 2025/2026 with Nurnberg Ice Tigers.

Recording very close to point-per-game totals, he takes his game up to the KHL and agrees to terms with Shanghai Dragons for 2026/2027.

01Jul

Brett Stapley (7)

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Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#190 overall), 2022 NCAA Division 1 University Of Denver Pioneers’ Champion center Brett Stapley(7) signs a 1-year AHL deal with affiliate Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.

The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward scored a college best 18 goals and tying 25 assists in 41 games with a +22 rating.

He was also a solid scorer in his 2nd and 3rd BCHL seasons with Vernon Vipers.

The 23-year old from Campbell River, BC may be an immediate impact player.

For his rookie season, he was shipped down to Trois-Rivieres Lions and has a tidy 9 goals and 36 assists in 49 ECHL games, playing a real energy role on the team.

He ends with 41 helpers, which gains the notice of Colorado Eagles, who sign him to bring him “home” to an AHL deal for 2023/2024.

For the entire season, he is sent to play for affiliate Utah Grizzlies and blows up scoring as a 2nd year league player with 24 goals and a monster 47 assists in 67 games.

He’s stretching and signs with HK Ducla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga to try his hand at a higher rung of hockey, just overseas.

In maybe a bit of a surprise decision, he decides to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with Sodertalje SK for 2025/2026 after recording very close to point-per-game numbers last season.

After 13 games with 1 goal and 5 assists, he is wooed by Pelicans of Liiga to come skate maybe a little more aggressively.

He has a pretty outstanding frame with his new club, scoring 8 goals and 14 assists in 30 games to gain a new contract to stay a Pelicans for 2026/2027.

29Jun

Joseph Woll (53)

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Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2016 draft (#62 overall) goaltender Joseph Woll(53) maybe wasn’t quite as effective as he wanted to be in the crazy 2021 AHL season, going 7-7 with one shutout and a not great 3.54 GAA and .892 SV%.

The very sizable 6’3″ 205 lbs. goalie posted similar stats as a rookie on affiliate Toronto Marlies with their equally inconsistent .500 game record.

Although last campaign wasn’t pulled until the playoffs, he may have been just getting familiar with the pro side of the game in 2019/2020 after leaving a frame at Boston College Eagles on the shelf to sign his 3-year entry level deal.

He had a pair of decent showings for the USNTDP squad but mostly seemed to shine when he was involved in international play of the WJC tournaments.

The still young 22-year old from Dardenne Prairie, MO only has another season left on his contract, so we’ll look for him to step it up a level as he’s set to become a restricted free agent.

For 2021/2022, he opened the season as back-up in the minors, as part of a trio of able net minders in the system.

He played 3 games with a 2-1 record but his GAA and SV% were still nothing to brag about.

Maybe a little on the unlikely side, but he found himself to be the goalie on recall in November and started his first NHL game, and got a gattling-gun scoring 5-4 win.

He continued up on backup until a bit more than a week later was called for a 2nd start, which happened to be a 20-save shutout shrinking his GAA to 2.00 and .915 SV% on a 2-0 record.

This is a nice opportunity on a fairly smoking hot 2021/2022 club.

He has found himself pressed into action and has rolled a 3-1 record with 2.76 GAA and .911 SV% to earn a 2-year extension to keep working on his game in the system.

After 25 games in net last season, posting 12-11-1 record with good numbers, then goes 2-0 in the playoffs with a .86 GAA and .964 SV%, he earns himself a very nice 3-year extension to stay in a Leafs‘ jersey.

Playing the majority of games for the parent club with good results, he is eyed for a trade with 2 years left on his current deal and gets shipped to Philadelphia Flyers, where he should fit in nicely.