Category: NHL Draft Pick

27Mar

Riley Duran (59)

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Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2020 draft (#182 overall), Providence College Friars‘ junior center Riley Duran(59) may just have the hardest shot in all of NCAA Ice Hockey.

He is once again a standout at 2023 Development Camp.

The 6’2″ 181 lbs. Woburn, MA native takes a junior season at college to a 2-year NHL entry level deal with the team that selected him, like everyone knew was going to happen.

He will report to their affiliate Providence Bruins and get to play as a pro in front of friends.

27Mar

Zach Hyman (18)

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7th year right wing Zach Hyman(18) leaves his home for the last 6 years with Toronto Maple Leafs to sign a new 5-year deal as an unrestricted free agent with Edmonton Oilers, worth an estimated $5.5 AAV.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. power forward has twice scored 21 goals (2018-2020) and two times 15 in 345 NHL games with a mammoth +72 rating.

Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#123 overall), he was traded before ever officially wearing a jersey.

The former 4-year University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ forward was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a senior, when he scored a cool 22 goals and 32 assists in 37 Big Ten games with a +24 rating.

He’s already 29-years old, although it seems like it was yesterday, when he donned a Toronto Marlies‘ jersey.

His goal scoring ascends to a career high 51 this season and in the process he pots his 200th overall tally.

Next season will be his 10th in the league and now 31-years old shows zero signs of stopping.

The Oilers‘ jersey fits well.

26Mar

Tomas Mazura (10)

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#162 overall), St. Lawrence University Saints‘ sophomore transfer, Czechia-born Tomas Mazura(10) is putting up college career best 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games after only skating 8 as a freshman at Providence College Friars.

The big frame 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward is a power force out there, only played 4 USHL games after a monster senior year at Kimball Union Academy, serving as captain, recording an eye-popping 60 assists in 35 USHS-Prep games.

It looks as though the 22-year old will play out his college term and continue to escalate and grow his game.

He posts a new college best 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points as a junior and scores the only goal his team needs to head to the ECAC Finals.

25Mar

Hugo Ollas (1)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ freshman 6’8″ larger than a house goaltender, Swedish-born Hugo Ollas(1) is off to a good 5-3 start with a 2.47 GAA and .908 SV%.

He played all his youth and junior hockey close to home with Linkoping HC U16-J20.

The 19-year old even played a 2 SHL games going 0-1, but with a 1.99 GAA and .903 SV%.

It is going to be interesting to pay attention to see if the New York Rangers‘ 7th round pick in the 2020 draft (#197 overall) plays out 4 years or signs an entry level earlier.

Leaving his senior year on the table, he agrees to a 2-year NHL entry level deal with the Rangers and will report to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to play out the rest of the frame.

This was a bit of an easy-see.

23Mar

Jaroslav Chmelar (28)

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Providence College Friars‘ Czech-born right wing Jaroslav Chmelar(28) leaves 2 years of school on the table to sign a nice 3-year NHL entry level deal with draft team (5th round, 2021, #144 overall) New York Rangers.

The big, listed at 6’5″ 220 lbs. forward scored decently over his 2 years at college.

Looks like he did most of his youth hockey at home and in Finland.

The 20-year old is likely ready for his next opportunity, which should start with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.

17Mar

Kevin Roy (12)

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6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.

It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.

Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.

In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.

He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.

The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.

After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.

Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.

He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.

15Mar

Nick van Tassell (22)

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UMASS Minutemen freshman center Nicholas Van Tassell(22) is an Ottawa Senators‘ 7th round pick in the 2023 draft (#215 overall).

The big 6’4″ 200 lbs. forward scored pretty well in his 2nd USHL season for Green Bay Gamblers.

He only got 1 goal and 1 assist in 23 games, but definitely appears on the verge of opening that up with more experience.

From Basking Ridge, NJ, the 19-year old did all his youth hockey close to home.

10Mar

ECAC opening round: Harvard University Crimson vs. Princeton University Tigers

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Harvard University Crimson sophomore, Finnish-born goaltender Aku Koskenvuo(30) is a Vancouver Canucks‘ 5th round pick in the 2021 draft (#137 overall).

The giant 6’4″ 200 lbs. net minder started a college career best 16 games with a 5-5-4 record, 2.87 GAA and .914 SV%.

He was in net for the team’s single elimination ECAC 1st round playoff matchup to post a 38-save 1-0 shutout and advance.

All his youth and junior hockey was played at home before coming over for school.

The 2 teams tied their regular season matchup.

01Mar

Ben Finkelstein (28)

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Boston College Eagles‘ 2nd year defenseman (transferred from St. Lawrence) Ben Finkelstein(28) is off to a hot start as a rookie with his new club, Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

In 18 ECHL games, he’s grabbed 4 goals from the point and 13 assists with a solid +4 rating on a team that has been somewhat of a discovery mode for this odd season.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner could easily gain a look on loan to an AHL team.

Through 35 games as a rookie, he scored 11 goals and 21 assists with a +11 rating, and got signed up by Toronto Marlies, but played the entire 2021/2022 frame with Newfoundland Growlers, where he equaled his 11 goals, but exploded his assists to a league best 51.

His good play has given him a new AHL deal with Iowa Wild for 2022/2023, but we doubt he’ll be assigned lower for his sophomore effort.

After managing his way into only 6 games with his new team, recording 1 assist, he has decided to push off and join Vienna Capitals for the remainder of the season, and we think the d-man’s game will be well-suited for Austria’s top league, the IceHL.

He scores 10 goals and 14 assists in 23 games to earn a new deal with Eisbären Berlin and is heading to Germany to play in DEL.

After 15 assists in 37 games, the 26-year old decides to retire, based on personal reasons that we are sure will surface eventually, but it’s a sad day for the former Eagles.

28Feb

Colin White (36)

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Montreal Canadiens stepped up and claimed former Ottawa Senators‘ 1st round pick in the 2015 draft (#21 overall), center Colin White(36) from Pittsburgh Penguins, who put him on waivers after spending most of the current frame in the minors with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. 7th year forward was a huge scorer in 2 campaigns of USNTDP and then 2 at Boston College Eagles.

He can score, as he did in his best season, his 2nd, where he struck for 14 goals and 27 assists in 71 NHL games.

The 27-year old can definitely still contribute, if he is placed in the right situation.