CollegeHockeyPlayers

9th year defenseman Josh Manson(42) signs a new 4-year NHL deal worth $4.5M AAV with Colorado Avalanche after helping them claim the 2022 Stanley Cup in not even his 1st year with the team.

He was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#160 overall) and stayed with them for 8+ years.

The 30-year old, Hinsdale, IL native played 3 seasons, including junior captain at Northeastern University Huskies before signing an entry level contract.

Continuing to do well despite being limited to 48 games due to injury, he signs a 2-year deal to continue in an Avalanche jersey.

12th year center Chris Wagner(14) signs a 1-year deal to return to Colorado Avalanche, which almost certainly has the 32-year old seeing most of his playing time with their affiliate Colorado Eagles.

In his last couple of seasons under contract with Boston Bruins, he spent most of his playing time in the AHL with Providence Bruins.

He was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#122 overall) and mostly stayed with them for 6 years.

The 6’ 195 lbs. forward from Walpole, MA left after 2 years at Colgate University Raiders to turn pro and likely made a pretty good decision.

He of 363 appearances in the minors and 360 NHL games would be an amazing coach going forward.

17 games in the minors with 4 goals and 4 assists and a +3 rating and 10 up in the show for another 1 goal and 1 assist with another +3 rating and he is happily invited to wear an Avalanche jersey for another season.

He spends 28 games with the contract team and 44 on reassignment, where he equals perfectly his best scoring with 12 goals and 19 assists.

Going forward, he almost smartly signs a 2-year minor league deal with Springfield Thunderbirds that will likely just equal good things for his future, especially considering he is still contributing big.

New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2018 draft (#22 overall) rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller(79) wastes no time acquainting himself to his new club as he made the 2020/2021 starting roster out of a COVID-delayed camp.

The very big 6’5″ 210 lbs. blue liner left University Of Wisconsin after 2 seasons with the college Badgers.

He signed a three-year entry level deal  just as the world was shutting down and has obviously figured in the team’s plans going forward.

The St. Paul, MN 21-year old native is a solid, block the offense-type of d-man and in 28 games has a first NHL goal plus two and 5 assists with a hefty +9 rating, while usually playing some 20+ minutes a night on a squad that’s fighting to make the playoffs.

Nice start, no doubt.

In 5 seasons, he is a solid performer and becomes a fan favorite, but heading into restricted free agency, he becomes maybe a little too expensive to keep and is dished to Carolina Hurricanes for some draft picks and is immediately signed to an 8-year, $7.5M AAV.

He will work unreal in their system and make them more dangerous going forward.

Arizona Coyotes‘ rookie center Jack McBain(22) gets a first crack at the NHL after scoring a Boston College Eagles‘ career best by a long shot 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points with a +13 rating, then signing his entry level contract a couple weeks ago.

In his debut, he skated 24 shifts for 13:45 ice time with one shot block and left a 6-2 loss a -1.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. Toronto, ON native did a couple of seasons in the OJHL with Toronto Jr. Canadiens, exploding the stat sheet in his 2nd year before school.

He also won an Ivan Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal with 2018 Team Canada.

The 22-year old will have to show up game in and game out with this team, but they are likely counting on that after picking him up from draft club Minnesota Wild (round 3, 2018, #63 overall).

Through 82 NHL games, he picks up 12 goals and 14 assists as a rookie on a non-playoff by a long shot club.

He avoids arbitration, agreeing to a new 2-year Coyotes‘ deal worth $1.599M AAV, which seems pretty accurate.

There’s little doubt now that he has this contract will look to put his team back on the map.

In his 1st full season with new Utah Mammoth hockey club, he scores a new high 14 goals and 13 assists in a full slate of 82 games with a +8 rating.

As a restricted free agent, he is fully rewarded with a 4-year, $4.25M AAV contract.

9th year defenseman Mike Reilly(6) signs a 1-year deal with Florida Panthers for 2023/2024 after spending most of the last 2 seasons with Boston Bruins, although he was dished to their affiliate Providence Bruins for most of last season and his contract was eventually bought out and he was waived.

He’s 3 times reached 10+ assists and 4 times 10+ points in a frame.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. blue liner was originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 (#98 overall) draft, but 1st signed his 2-year NHL entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Minnesota Wild, then re-upped with them on a 1-way deal for another 2.

A former University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers, he is a veteran of 339 games in the big league and the 30-year old could hang up his skates happy if he wanted to at this point.

He was ready to be reassigned to their AHL affiliate, but in steps New York Islanders to claim him off waivers, as they look to have a need for him to help cover their blue line.

Through a 2nd best 59 games, he scores a new high 6 goals and 24 points to earn himself another 1-year deal to stay on the Isle for 2024/2025.

He misses a chunk of last season due to concussion, which limits his availability to 18 games.

For 2025/2026, he signs a simple 1-year $1.1M AAV deal with Carolina Hurricanes, a team that can use his veteran leadership.

6th year center Sean Kuraly(52) was seeing less playing room in the system he’d spent his first five development years with, Boston Bruins, so makes the smart, even best move of unrestricted free agency and signs a nice 4-year deal with close to home Columbus Blue Jackets.

He was born in Dublin, OH, skated his T1EHL 16U & 18U for Ohio Blue Jackets, played 4 years and was senior captain with hometown Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks, so gets to return big.

The 6’2″ 218 lbs. forward is going to be a perfect fit in his new club’s system, so may have also hit nice pay dirt.

4 years passes pretty quickly and he becomes 3-time assistant captain in his new team’s system, always brings his game despite maybe not scoring quite as many points as he once did when he first came over and put up a new best 30 points.

In an oh, my god move, he returns to Boston Bruins on a 2-year $1.85M AAV NHL contract that will see him back to lead a newer, younger club.