Category: NHL Draft Pick

17Dec

Max Crozier (24)

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Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#140 overall), senior defenseman, captain Max Crozier(24) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal as he completes 4 years at Providence College Friars, where they advanced to the 2nd round of the Hockey East tournament before getting ousted.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner scored a college career high 21 assists and 24 points in 37 games with a +10 rating.

A North Vancouver, BC native, he has always managed to put up a lot in the assist department.

At only 22-years old, having fully completed college, he is we think ready.

25 games into his rookie season with affiliate Syracuse Crunch, doing pretty well for himself with a +6 rating, earns him a 1st NHL recall in a 5-1, skating 17 shifts for 13 minutes of ice time.

He has played himself into the lineup 2025/2026 and scores himself a 1st NHL goal for himself 15 games in to go along with 4 assists and a +3 rating.

13Dec

Jacob Fowler (1)

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Boston College Eagles‘ sophomore goaltender Jacob Fowler(1) left school after a hot 2nd frame with a 25-7-2 record, 1.63 GAA and .940 SV% to sign a 3-year entry level deal with draft club Montreal Canadiens.

He initially stepped on the ice with affiliate Laval Rocket after tournament play was up and ran a 2-1 record before appearing in 8 Calder Cup matchups.

The 6’2″ 214 lbs. net minder 20-year old from Melbourne, FL will likely play himself up to the top level as a starter.

He is an easy spot to get a 1st start and wins 4-2 NHL for a victory, stopping 26 shots for a .947 SV%.

12Dec

Patrick Moynihan (19)

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Providence College Friars‘ senior right wing Patrick Moynihan(19) is a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in 2019 (#158 overall) and has decided, likely with the club’s oversight to extend school and head to University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a graduate year.

He maybe didn’t have the season he wanted to after scoring college bests as a junior (11 goals, 14 assists) in 38 games.

We do think the 22-year old, Millis, MA native could see his game improve in the Big Ten, but will have to skate for it, no doubt.

Upon losing the signing rights for him, he agrees on an ato with Chicago Wolves to get started as a pro.

He only appears in 1 AHL game with no points and for his rookie season, 2024/2025 signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

We think the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward will score in the ECHL.

He grabs a 1st goal and 14 assists in 27 games, but is eyed by a team out west, who claim him in a trade to head to Idaho Steelheads.

He actually does pretty well with this team, but is a free agent at the end of the frame and signs with Reading Royals for 2025/2026.

Through 11 games, he has 2 goals and 2 assists with a 0 rating, but gets himself traded to Allen Americans.

11Dec

Zach Sanford (12)

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 6th year left wing Zach Sanford(12) was recently acquired as they head towards playoffs from Ottawa Senators, where he scored 9 goals and 8 assists in 62 games.

Since arriving he has 3 assists in 15 appearances.

The 6’4″ 203 lbs. Washington Capitals‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#61 overall) was probably most known for his time spent with St. Louis Blues, where he won the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship his 1st year with the club.

He has played a total of 286 NHL games, scoring 47 goals and 47 assists.

The former 2-year Boston College Eagles‘ forward left after putting up very close to point-per-game numbers.

At 27-years old, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session.

He only managed 4 assists in 18 games with his new club, so was left unsigned.

It didn’t take long into being unsigned for him to pick up a 1-year 1-way deal with Nashville Predators for 2022/2023 at the league minimum to see if he can reconnect with the scoring sheet.

He contributes nicely when called, but mostly serves as a veteran to help the kids with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, where his numbers are good, then his playoff points additional.

For 2023/2024, he signs a new very short money deal on the 2-way with Arizona Coyotes, but with his size and strength may make the $800,000 AAV the deal is good for.

He was picked up off waivers by Chicago Blackhawks and in 18 games had 4 assists, then subsequently signed for the 2024/2025.

Opting out of maybe signing a minor league deal, he jumps for a new target, coming to terms with HC Lugano for 2025/2026 in NL.

He explodes scoring in Switzerland with 9 goals and 17 assists in 30 games with a +12 rating and re-ups to stay for another 3 seasons through 2027/2028 at HC Lugano.

10Dec

Chris Brown (11)

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11th year center Chris Brown(11) takes 4 seasons with Nurnberg Tigers and trades it in to return to Iserlohn Roosters, the team he started with overseas, for 2022/2023.

The 6’3″ 214 lbs. forward was originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#36 overall) and was in their system for only about a year and a half before being traded to Washington Capitals. , where he arguably had his best success, but still only played 23 NHL games with 2 goals, 1 assist and a +1 rating.

He’s a 3-time 10+ goal scorer and 20+ assist guy in DEL.

The 31-year old former 3-year University Of Michigan Wolverines from Flower Mound, TX keeps on ticking very nicely.

For 2023/2024, he will start a new adventure at now 32-years old and head to Slovak Extraliga to suit up for HC Slovan Bratislava.

He scores kind of big in Austria with 14 goals in 24 games and decides to head back to Germany and signs with Schwenninger Wild Wings.

After 7 seasons in the same league, he looks to switch things up a bit and signs with Fehervar AV19 of IceHL and comes away with 21 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.

For 2025/2026, he late was going to retire, but decides to come play hockey a little closer to home and agrees to terms with Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL.

08Dec

Zane McIntyre (30)

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9th year net minder Zane McIntyre(30) signs for a 3rd straight season 2023/2024 in Minnesota Wild system after 34 AHL games with a 16-12-5 record, 2.87 GAA and .899 SV% last season.

He was in the cage for 37 the year before that with even better numbers.

Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#165 overall), he left a year at University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on the table before turning pro.

Although he hasn’t played an NHL game since his 2nd season, he’s always been under a contract to a big league club.

At 30-years old from Grand Forks, ND, he has to be smiling how things have worked out.

Dispatched almost exclusively to affiliate Iowa Wild, he struggles on a not so good team.

He is going to head back overseas, but looks for far more success, signing a 1-year deal with Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2024/2025.

In 28 games, he posts a good record, but decides at 33-years old to head closer to home for his next hockey and signs a 1st ECHL contract with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026.

He gets into 5 starts, but ultimately decides and maybe gets wooed back overseas to join Stavanger Oilers of the Eliteserien league.

02Dec

Mike Matheson (8)

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8th year defenseman Mike Matheson(8) just got rolling with new team, Montreal Canadiens after missing the early part of 2022/2023 with an abdominal muscle strain and scored a goal in his debut.

The 6’2″ 193 lbs. blue liner was traded from 2-year club, Pittsburgh Penguins, where he scored a career NHL best 11 goals and 20 assists with a +12 rating in 74 games, then added another 6 points (1-5) in 7 playoff matchups.

He has played a bit of an eye popping 420 games in the big league.

Originally a 1st round pick in the 2012 draft by Florida Panthers (#23 overall), he played 3 years at Boston College Eagles and left after scoring a college career high 22 assists.

The 28-year old from Pointe-Claire, QC is likely to continue to putting up excellent points and remains signed through 2025/2026 on his 8-year deal.

With his contract up at the end of the current frame and him connecting for 4 goals and 11 assists in 24 games with a +12 rating, he is re-upped for another 5-year term for $6.M AAV to stay a Canadiens.

28Nov

Luke Ashton (27)

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Minnesota State University Mavericks‘ freshman defenseman Luke Ashton(27) had a solid 1st season of 5 goals and 8 assists in 38 games with a +10 rating.

The mammoth 6’6″ 240 lbs. blue liner was a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th round pick of the 2024 NHL draft (#165 overall) after a 2nd, huge BCHL frame.

For his sophomore year, he decided to head into the transfer portal to play at Cornell University Big Red.

In 8 games, he has 3 assists with a +5 rating.

From North Vancouver, BC, maybe the 20-year old eyed something different for his actual studies.

26Nov

Brendan Smith (2)

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12th year veteran, unrestricted free agent defenseman Brendan Smith(2) signs a new deal with Carolina Hurricanes for 2021/2022.

He’ll definitely help solidify the blue line for his new club.

The 6’2′ 200 lbs. d-man has a hefty 526 NHL games experience, scoring 29 goals and 81 assists.

Originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#27 overall), he played the first 7 years of his pro career in their system.

He’s almost oddly, quietly skated for New York Rangers the last four years and sort of no surprise he didn’t continue.

The 32-year old, former University Of Wisconsin Badgers, who put up a huge 15 goals and 37 assists in 42 Big10 games, has to be happy just playing and could split for some overseas looks before retiring.

Heading into 2022/2023, he records 4 goals and 4 assists in 65 games with a +6 rating, then adds 4 more points in 14 playoff contests.

His accountability gets him a new 2-year deal with New Jersey Devils worth $1.1M AAV and at the very least will help stabilize their blue line.

After 2 seasons with the same team, he moves to sign with Dallas Stars for 2024/2025.

He appears in only 32 games for 1 goal and 2 assists, which isn’t likely enough even for the now 36-year old, who signs a pto to hopefully join Columbus Blue Jackets for 2025/2026.

He plays 11 AHL games with affiliate Cleveland Monsters and is rewarded for his work with a 1-year contract.

22Nov

Derek Forbort (24)

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Unrestricted 9th year free agent Derek Forbort(24) signs a three-year NHL deal with Boston Bruins through 2023/2024 for $3M AAV.

The big 6’4″ 219 lbs. blue liner skated for Winnipeg Jets, who signed him to a simple deal for a season.

A veteran of 331 games, the 29-year old has 8 goals and 57 assists with a +8 rating and blocks a tremendous amount of shots.

The former three year University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ d-man and Los Angeles Kings‘  1st round, 2010, #15 overall pick is going to be a perfect fit with his new club.

He would have finished up 3 good years with the team from the East, but last year suffered some injuries that sidelined him for time, limiting his play to 35 games.

A free agent, he accepts a new 1-year deal with Vancouver Canucks for 2024/2025.

He appears in 54 games and scores 2 goals and 9 assists to re-sign to stay a Canucks for 2025/2026.