Category: NHL Draft Pick

28Jun

Aaron Ness (27)

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

10th year defenseman Aaron Ness(27) was in Boston Bruins‘ training camp, but signs for 2021/2022 with affiliate Providence Bruins to stay in the system.

It’s his 1st minor league deal.

The 5’10” 184 lbs. blue liner has played an outstanding 557 AHL games, scoring 45 goals and 222 assists with an overall +7 rating.

He’s appeared in 72 NHL games in 7 seasons with 3 different teams, scoring just a goal and 6 assists.

We do believe the 31-year old, former 3-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to continue his hockey overseas next, just to be able to say he did it as a pro.

Looks like we guessed wrong, as he signs for 2022/2023 with the team he had a 50 assist campaign for a few years ago, Hershey Bears and the recently turned 32-year old should be able to help them find their playoff punch again.

He’s riding a good playoff run with the team after getting 5 goals and 14 assists in 69 games with a +14 rating during the regular season, but has yet to add anything in the playoffs.

No worries says this minor league club as they would like him to stay in Chocolatetown for at least another 2 more years.

For a 7th season, he will stay a Bears, 2024/2025.

He spends his 2nd year as team captain, but maybe limits appearances to 38 games to ease off a bit.

Well, 818 games in the AHL and 72 in the NHL with 1 goal and it’s time to at 36-years old retire from pro hockey.

We think he stays put to assume an assistant coach role, he’d be a perfect fit for.

28Jun

Ben Strinden (21)

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

University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ hometown, senior assistant captain right wing Ben Strinden(21) scored a college best 15 goals and 20 assists in 38 games last season with a +15 rating.

The 6’1″ 209 lbs. forward is a Nashville Predators‘ 7th round pick in the 2022 draft (#210 overall).

He signs a 2-year AHL deal with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals through 2027/2028, but that means he will stay under the watchful eye of the parent club for progress.

From Fargo, ND, the 23-year old has no points in 3 games, but we feel will step into his game as he settles.

28Jun

Michael Kesselring (7)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Game View, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore defenseman Michael Kesselring(7) fires the puck basically exactly where I’m standing (thank you, glass) looking to clear the puck from the zone.

The Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2018 draft (#164 overall) scored his first goal of the season in a 5-4 win over University Of New Hampshire Wildcats (2/13).

After only one season on juniors in the USHL with Des Moines Buccaneers then Fargo Force, the large than life 6’4″ 215 lbs. blue liner from New Hampton, NH has decided it’s time to turn pro, signing a three-year entry level contract starting immediately.

We knew it. Too big not to play with the big boys already.

As he heads into the final season on his initial deal, he finds himself traded to Arizona Coyotes, who we believe super like the 13 goals and 9 assists he’s posted in the minors with Bakersfield Condors with that super large frame of his and give him his NHL debut, skating 24 shifts for 16:04 of ice time in a 6-1 loss with a 0 rating.

Through 65 games, he scores 5 goals and 16 assists with a +11 rating on a non-playoff team to earn himself a 2-year deal worth $1.4M AAV.

He’s turned out to be a solid contributor at the blue line, scoring a new high 7 goals and 22 assists in a full slate of 82 games last season and was a bit of a fan favorite, but finds himself dished to Buffalo Sabres, who could certainly use him in the 2nd year of his contract.

After a bit of an injured plagued frame, he is traded to San Jose Sharks in the last year of his contract for 2026/2027.

28Jun

Ian Moore (3)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Harvard University Crimson senior captain defenseman Ian Moore(3) signs a 2-year entry level contract with draft team Anaheim Ducks (3rd round of 2020, #67 overall) and starts his pro career with affiliate San Diego Gulls, where he’s good for a 1st AHL goal and 4 assists in 9 games to score a recall in his short pro career.

In his NHL debut, he skates 18 shifts for 15:31 of ice time with 3 shots and 1 block in a 4-2 loss.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs. blue liner equaled his college best 3 goals last season and had 18 assists as a sophomore.

From Concord, MA, the 24-year is just getting started.

In 67 games, he scores 4 goals and 8 assists, then adds another tally in the playoffs to earn himself a 2-year extension to stay a Ducks.

28Jun

Filip Nordberg (3)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick, Transfers | Leave a comment

Merrimack College Warriors‘ huge 6’5″ Swedish-born freshman defenseman Filip Nordberg(3) got 7 assists in 38 games with a +3 rating, but seems to maybe want more, enters the transfer portal and will next play for Arizona State University Sun Devils as a sophomore in 2026/2027.

Ottawa Senators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft (#64 overall) played his youth and started juniors back home, even playing in many HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL games before coming over for 2 USHL frames.

27Jun

Tynan Lawrence (11)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Boston University Terriers‘ sophomore center Tynan Lawrence(11) was pulled in midseason after scoring point-per-game USHL totals as 2nd year captain of Muskegon Lumberjacks.

In 18 games, he had 2 goals and 5 assists.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward was a St. Louis Blues‘ 1st round 2026 NHL draft pick (#11 overall).

From Fredrickton, NB, the just 17-year old has maybe been a little surprise all along now.

26Jun

Carter Savoie (8)

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

Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#100 overall), University Of Denver Pioneers‘ sophomore left wing Carter Savoie(8) is this close to knocking off first year totals in fewer games.

He already has a college best 12 assists and 22 points, with goal-scoring just one off his total from 2020/2021.

The small 5’9″ but stocky 190 lbs. forward has always been a heck of a point-producer through youth hockey, then blew up juniors with Sherwood Park Crusaders, notching a crazy 172 points (84 goals, 88 assists) in 112 AJHL games.

At just 19-years old, we’ll see what the parent club says about having him turn pro before his four years are up.

And just like that, as he finishes up a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Champion, he signs an at0 with affiliate Bakersfield Condors, which just may be the dawn of him officially signing an NHL entry level deal, turning pro.

After 2 years in the AHL, he gets a nice deal to leave and joins TPS of Liiga.

In 5 games in Finland’s top league, he records only 1 assist and decides to leave and return on a 1-year deal with Ontario Reign for 2024/2025.

Reassigned to Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he puts out a team leading 20+ goals and assists in 57 games and signs for 2025/2026 with Allen Americans.

He actually gets a trade right back to the Rabbits before the new season starts.

Through 22 ECHL games, he has 7 goals and 8 assists and maybe decides he would like a little more competition and heads off to Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves.

In 2 games, he has 1 assist.

After 21 games with 11 goals and 10 assists, he decides to jump to IceHL and signs with Ferencvarosi TC for 2026/2027.

26Jun

Case McCarthy (21)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Boston University Terriers‘ graduate captain, defenseman Case McCarthy(21) maybe wasn’t quite ready to step into the pro pool and extended a year on his college program, where he may not exceed earlier college career bests (5 goals, 12 assists), but will definitely be steady in his zone with a +15 rating.

The 6’1″ 198 lbs. blue liner is a New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#119 overall), selected after his 2nd solid 24 assist run through the USNTDP program.

He may never exceed these points, but that’s hardly what we think the still quite young 22-year old from Troy, NY will be relied upon once he gets up there.

Maybe a little oddly, he doesn’t sign with the team that selected him and instead inks to join Hartford Wolf Pack in their AHL playoff run first, then through 2025/2026.

He would spend more time in the ECHL, scoring pretty well for Worcester Railers and that has maybe caused him to look elsewhere and signs for 2026/2027 with Stavanger Oilers of Norway.

25Jun

Alex Green (6)

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

Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#121 overall) defenseman Alex Green(6) was signed as his school, Cornell University was likely wondering with unlikely odds on whether or not to go for a 2020/2021 season.

They opted out of the ECAC campaign, as did a great many other teams in the division.

So foregoing his senior year, the decently sized 6’2″ 175 lbs. blue liner signed a two-year entry level deal to start his pro hockey experience immediately.

He was assigned to affiliate Syracuse Crunch and thus far has appeared in 11 of 16 AHL games for the club scoring a goal and 4 assists with a +6 rating.

Never exactly the biggest scorer, it’s possible his new status has awoken something and also a little wonder, he was maybe a little surprisingly selected after his freshman year post two runs of the USHL, where in his 2nd session notched 15 assists for Lincoln Stars.

The 22-year old Chicago, IL native started his career with a short stint for Orlando Solar Bears, likely as the ECHL had started before his league was set to resume.

After scoring 5 goals and 21 assists with a +6 in 73 games, it is decided to not qualify him, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

He didn’t sit on the shelf long before deciding to sign a 1-year minor league deal with Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.

Not sure, what occurred but after 5 games recording 1 assist, he switches up teams and heads to Chicago Wolves.

After 35 games, recording 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating, he is re-upped to stay on with him hometown team another year.

He would spend only this next season here before leaving to join Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2024/2025 and doing well, but took it up to another level last campaign with new best 8 goals and 14 assists in 51 games.

It’s little surprise he’s asked to return for a 3rd time.