Category: NHL Draft Pick

Providence College Friars‘ freshman left wing Trevor Connelly(16) is off to a quick scoring, college start with 2 goals and 7 assists in 8 games.

The 6’1″ 165 lbs. forward had 2 heavy scoring USHL seasons for Tri-City Storm.

From Tustin, CA, the 18-year is a Vegas Golden Knights‘ 1st round pick in the 2024 draft (#19 overall), so he has definitely impressed.

After just 1 season in Providence, scoring 4 goals and 9 assists in 23 games and looking like a lead player out there in his 1st college season, including a 5-point game, he signs a 3-year NHL entry level deal to join his draft club right away.

Los Angeles Kings‘ 7th round pick in the 2019 draft (#188 overall), Swedish-born, left wing Andre Lee(47) signed a 2-year NHL entry level deal after finishing up 3 years at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks with new college bests 16 goals and 28 points, then signs an ato with affiliate Ontario Reign to start his pro career.

The 6’4″ 204 lbs. forward played most of his youth hockey and the beginning of juniors back home with Farjestad BK, but did come over for a USHL season with Sioux Falls Stampede, scoring 20 goals and 15 assists, then winning the 2019 Clark Cup Championship.

In 10 AHL games, he has a pair of assists.

The 21-year old should impress in 2022 training camp.

Playing a solid game in the minors, he erupts for 4 goals in 8 playoff games last season to earn a spot on the opening night NHL roster, 2024 and plays 9 shifts for a conservative 5:54 of ice time with 2 shots on net in a 3-1 win.

In 19 games in the current frame, he picks up a 1st big league goal and 2 assists and they are liking what they see, so re-sign him for 2 additional seasons in a Kings‘ sweater.

Colorado College Tigers‘ junior, assistant captain center Noah Laba(26) leaves a year of school on the table to sign a 2-year NHL entry level contract with draft club, New York Rangers.

The 6’2″ 192 lbs. forward reported to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to get his pro career started and what do you know, pops in a 1st AHL goal in his debut.

He left college with 10 goals and 16 assists in 29 games, a little less than the spectacular run he had as a sophomore, running 20 goals and 17 helpers.

From Northville, MI, the 21-year old is moving on nicely.

13rd year left wing Jason Zucker(16) signed a 1-year deal with Buffalo Sabres for 2024/2025 after a similar contract last season with Arizona Coyotes that yielded some ok results on a far from playoff team.

The always looked smaller than 5’11” 192 lbs. forward has 3 times scored 20+ goals and once 30+ and had an exact same ratio in assists.

From Newport Beach, CA, he did only 2 sessions at University Of Denver Pioneers, as he ran up 45 and 46 points to quickly move on.

He made all the right moves, playing his way through the USNTDP on up.

On a decent scoring team, his point production escalates to 18 goals and 26 assists to net him a new 2-year deal to stick in a Sabres‘ jersey and help out with the younger guys for a nice $4.75AAV.

Almost unreal, 18th year center Jon Matsumoto(11) will do a 2nd DEL2 season with Krefeld Pinguine after scoring 10 goals and 13 assists in 30 games last season.

He had previously played 9 years in the upper German league, DEL and twice won the Championship back-to-back with EHC Munchen.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward was a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2006 NHL draft (#79 overall) and spent his 1st 3 years with the team after leaving Bowling Green University Falcons with a year on the table.

From Ottawa, ON, the 37-year old may hit 20 years as a pro barely blinking.

Exploding for point-per-game numbers in the current frame (20-30-50), he is signed to stay a 3rd year to hopefully build a new championship for the Pinguine,.

Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2014 draft (#207 overall), 4th year center Jake Evans(71) gets a new 3-year deal to continue his progress with the Le-Bleu-Blanc-Rogue.

He skated a career high 47 NHL games last seasons, scoring 3 goals and 10 assists with a +2 rating to earn his new $1.7M AAV deal .

The former University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward was a big scorer as senior team captain (46 points in 40 games) and also reached the 40-point mark as a junior.

He was also a point-per-game player in two years of juniors for St. Michael’s Buzzers and won the 2013 OJHL Championship in his first campaign there.

The 25-year old hopes to be just getting started.

This season he is flirting with career high numbers and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session, so the only team he’s ever suited up for offers him 4-years at $2.8M AAV to stay and he will continue to wear the Canadiens‘ colors.

Winnipeg Jets 5th round pick in the 2019 draft (#144 overall) goaltender Logan Neaton(31) isn’t finding enough space in the cage for UMass Lowell Riverhawks, so after two tries goes through the transfer portal to commit to Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks for 2021/2022.

The large 6’4″ 205 lbs. net minder maybe wasn’t able to settle in Hockey East play after putting up stellar numbers, first for Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL, then even better with Prince George Spruce Kings going 32-8-5 with a league best 1.92 GAA, then posting a 16-1 mark with a 1.46 GAA and .940 SV% en route to a 2019 BCHL Championship.

He also had shutdown numbers at his local Brighton High USHS-MI.

The 22-year old may just need the belief he can play the minutes and backstop wins.

For his rookie season, he bounces around some ECHL teams to arrive at Kalamazoo Wings with a deal for 2024/2025.

Allen Americans are struggling some, so trade to bring him in to hopefully solidify the starter’s role with the team.

He continued to move and ended up with Kansas City Mavericks, where in 1 start he didn’t post the win, but had a 2.08 GAA and .938 SV%.

4 times moved with little starts and he goes to Indy Fuel, who hopefully look to use him a bit more.

9th year, veteran defenseman Seth Helgeson(2) recently appeared in his 500th AHL game with 5th year club, Bridgeport Islanders.

The 6’4″ 216 lbs. blue liner was originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#114 overall) and played in their system for his first 4 seasons.

He skated his only games in the big league with the team and even got a 1st NHL goal in his 44th appearance, where he also had 3 assists and almost oddly a +1 rating.

The former 4-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ d-man has never been a big point scorer, but does have 2 goals in the current frame.

If he adds another one, he will have a career high 3.

He’s 3 times had 10+ assists in the league and twice close.

The 31-year old has done well for himself and it’s a bit of wonder if he doesn’t go exploring for his next contract, just for some different kind of fun in the game.

For 2022/2023, he re-signs to stay in Connecticut another season.

He will return to captain the little Islanders for a 7th straight run.

It took him a minute, but he will return on a pto for a 8th season in a little Islanders‘ jersey, but you got to figure, unless he decides not to, he will sign.

And 7 games in, he officially re-signs.

11th year defenseman Ben Blood(89) is enjoying a 7th season playing at the highest level possible in Finland, once again with the 1st team he laced them up for after coming over, Pelicans of Liiga.

In 5 games this season he has an assist, but is a +3 rating.

The very big 6’4″ 227 lbs. blue liner isn’t really known for putting up the points, only three times doing decent, once for half a session in Norway, one where he is and last year, he had a fairly good showing in IceHL for Graz99ers.

From Plymouth, MN, the University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate was originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#120 overall).

The 33-year old is still playing a decent game of hockey, so if he doesn’t have anything nagging will likely continue for awhile.

After 7 years of playing Finnish hockey, he decides to jump for a season in DEL with Lowen Frankfurt, which should prove to be a very good fit.

Looks like he misses Finland and re-signs with the 1st team he suited up for overseas and 1 he skated fr just last season, Pelicans.

At 35-years old, he takes a minute to figure his next move and decides to sign with Jokerit tier 2 Mestis club for the remainder of the frame.

Vegas Golden Knights‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#99 overall), Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate defenseman Slava Demin(20) decided on skating a 5th season on his 2nd transfer, this time from UMass Minutemen.

He was initially at University Of Denver Pioneers for 3 years.

The 22-year old from Santa Clara, CA did 2 seasons with Wenatchee Wild and won a 2018 BCHL Championship.

With 3 goals and 10 assists this season, he’s close to coming up with college career highs for himself.

There’s little doubt, he’s an interesting watch.

He finishes up a fantastic season in North Andover, MA and waits it out, but signs for his rookie year 2023/2024 with Allen Americans, which should prove to be a very good fit.

After 23 ECHL games, recording 5 assists, but a woeful -15, he gets shipped to Florida Everblades, which should turn out to be a good landing spot.

He does manage to turn his game around quite nicely, getting 2 goals and 5 assists in 28 games with a +13 rating.

Fort Wayne Komets see the upside in his game and trade to pull him into their lineup.

He has a mostly inconsistent game, bouncing between 3 different teams, but Idaho Steelheads know what the upside is and trade for him in 2024/2025 that should work well for both parties.

In 19 games, with only 4 assists and a -2 rating, he finds himself dished to the new Tahoe Knight Monsters, where we think he’s fortunes will improve.