Category: NHL Draft Pick

New York Rangers‘ 5th round pick in the 2020 draft (#134 overall), Providence College sophomore center Brett Berard(65) is striking the scoresheet like he may not want to spend 4 years at school before signing an entry level contract.

He agreed to head to the college of his choice from youth hockey, then was sent to the USNTDP program for the next couple seasons, impressing on the scoresheet despite his only 5’9″ 165 lbs. frame.

The 19-year old from East Greenwich, CT will be a good watch.

He may have not had the junior year he was looking for after putting in 18 goals and 20 assists as a sophomore, but still maintained a solid 10 goals and 14 assists in 36 games including moving past the 1st round of Hockey East tournament.

A 3-year entry level deal has been put on the table and he signs his NHL contract to see some ice time on an ato with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack and maybe even a look from the parent club as the playoffs lurch.

He is scoring pretty big with 7 goals and 6 assists in 16 AHL games to earn himself a 1st recall.

In his debut he picks up a 1st assist in the big league and skates 19 shifts for 11:13 ice time with 2 shots, 1 hit, 1 takeaway and left a 5-2 loss with a -1, but was 100% in the face-off dot.

Defenseman Matt Irwin(52) will skate his 14th season for Vancouver Canucks.

He is signed to a 2-way deal, so potentially could be sent to play for affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, which could be ok at this point in his career.

In the last 7 years, he has skated 4 AHL games with the rest in the NHL.

The 35-year old has skated a handy 461 games in the big league, so this season could reach a milestone.

At the very least, for the 1st time, the former 2-year UMass Minutemen d-man, is skating closer to his Victoria, BC home this upcoming frame.

After a full season in the minors, doing very well with the farm club, he has yet to announce a new move in addition to his retirement from playing.

He had quite the successful run and was in the dressing room, when I got married at center ice of a Worcester Sharks‘ 2011 game.

Chicago Blackhawks‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#69 overall) senior, center Jake Wise(28) maybe somewhat surprisingly decides to branch out from 3 years at Boston University Terriers, and finish school at Ohio State University Buckeyes.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. often injured forward was selected after a strong second showing for US National U18 Team USDP, but quickly succumbed to the sidelines 12 games into his freshman year.

He was able to play all 33 Hockey East games as a sophomore, scoring 2 goals and 11 assists, although unfortunately mostly out of the lineup in the COVID stop and go 2020/2021.

He did get a goal and an assist in just 5 games.

The 21-year old, Reading, MA native has definitely shown he can score big goals, and will hope to stay healthy for a full schedule at his new school.

He finishes up his 2nd season in the midwest with a college career best 12 goals and 27 assists and signs with the playoff bound Charlotte Checkers on a pto.

In 1 AHL game, he grabs 2 assists, then in a playoff match off, scores a 1st goal.

For 2023/2024, he gets signed to a minor league deal and returns to North Carolina, but we expect him to get some looks.

After 38 games, he gets traded to Chicago Wolves in a minor league move at the trade deadline.

For 2024/2025, he signs with Colorado Eagles, on a pto and picks up a 1-year deal after potting 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games.

9th year right wing Danny Kristo(79) has not really lasted long with many teams after his 76 NL games spent with SC Rapperswill-Jona Lakers, scoring 46 points.

He’s definitely managed to score pretty well, whether he was in the KHL, DEL or SHL, but maybe has found a niche with Rytiri Kladno, where he has 3 goals and 7 assists in 34 Tipsport Extraliga games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. Montreal Canadiens‘ 2008 2nd round draft pick (#56 overall) forward is a three time 20+ goal scorer in the AHL.

You have to think the former two-time 26 assist, senior assistant captain at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 32-year is happy to still be playing for decent enough money.

He will head to his 7th country for pro hockey in 2022/2023, signing a 1-year deal with HK Dukla Michelovce, which should be some very decent games to jump into after finishing up in Sweden’s tier 2 last frame.

After starting the frame with 6 games in Slovakia, he decides to move on, signing with Sheffield Steelers for the remainder of the season.

He will strike well in the EIHL.

And he did, through 47 games, he posted 12 goals and 18 assists with a +7 rating, then came alive more in 4 playoff matchups, striking for 2 goals and 3 assists.

For 2023/2024, he pulls the traitor move and takes his numbers to a rival, Coventry Blaze.

He would have a similar scoring season and considers 11 years to be a good term, so decides it’s time to leave the ice to a yet named next step, but could easily transition into coaching in a second.

271 AHL games and 157 at NCAA Divison 1 were mosts.

8th year defenseman Matt Benning(5) skates his 400th NHL game for new club San Jose Sharks, where he seems to have found his footing for assists and is dangerously close to surpassing his career high of 15 as a sophomore skater.

He currently has 13 helpers in 35 appearances.

The 6’1″ 203 lbs. blue liner was originally a Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2012 draft (#175 overall), but was dished to Edmonton Oilers before so much as getting out of his debut training camp.

Born in St. Albert, AB, he comes from a hockey family and studied 3 years at Northeastern University Huskies before deciding to turn pro.

The 28-year old signed a 4-year $1.25M AAV deal that runs through 2026, but he may have landed at a nice team for him to be and continue with.

7 games into the new season with 3rd year team, he is traded to Toronto Maple Leafs.

If he can remain healthy and rebound his game, he should adjust well to the style of his new team and contribute.

UMass Minutemen senior center Joshua Nodler(20) will take on a 3rd school, heading to Bowling Green State University Falcons for 2023/2024.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward started his college career with 3 seasons at close by Michigan State University Spartans, where he scored his best 7 goals and 8 assists as a junior.

From Oak Park, MI, the Calgary Flames‘ 5th round pick in the 2019 draft (#150 overall) first played the Honeybaked system before ultimately doing 1 USHL season at Fargo Force.

The 22-year old will likely doing ok for his graduate year in the CCHA.

He plays a college tying best 36 games, scoring 5 goals and 10 assists and unsigned by the team that selected him.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs a nice 1-year deal with Toledo Walleye to get started as a rookie, 2024/2025.

University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior left wing Landon Slaggert(84) is exited from college playoffs and signs his 2-year NHL entry level deal with draft team (3rd round, 2020, #79 overall), Chicago Blackhawks.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward takes a new college best 20 goals and 31 points to his new gig.

He did 2 years USNTDP after youth hockey with Chicago Mission.

The South Bend, IN, 21-year old gets right into big league games to start.

He played 21 games last season with 1 goal and 3 assists and a +1 rating on a non-playoff team.

After what must have been an impressive camp, he gets a new 2-year deal to continue and already has 1 assist in 2 AHL games with affiliate Rockford Icehogs.

Cornell University Big Red junior, center Matt Stienburg(36) is a Colorado Avalanche 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft (#63 overall) and looks to be ready for another breakout session.

In 3 games, he’s got a pair of goals and looks to score many many more in 2021/2022.

The 6’1″ 192 lbs. native of Halifax, NS originally accepted his college in his first season, then was NHL selected in the follow-up frame, where he was almost a point and a half player and served as team captain, while also heading to 3 USHL games with Sioux City Musketeers of a junior hockey career during break.

At 21-years old and one year away from finishing through some tough college hockey times without a 2020/2021 frame, he probably should just continue before signing an entry level deal, but he’s easily the style of power forward the parent club wants.

Smitten by the injury bug, his senior year as assistant captain was limited to 18 appearances with 2 goals and 5 assists.

He plows through though and signs an ato to join Colorado Eagles to hopefully get back to pushing his game forward.

In his 4th AHL game, he records a 1st point, a nice assist for himself.

He appears in 4 more playoff games and gets another helper point for himself.

It looks as though he has made a decent enough impression to score a contract for 2023/2024.

Through 54 games last season, he scores 5 goals and 8 assists with a +2 rating and in the opening 2 games of the 2024/2025 season, he grabs 1 goal and 1 assist with a +2 to earn a 1st NHL recall.

In his debut he skates 9 shifts for 4:36 of ice time, including 3 hits and 1 fight with a -1 rating in a 5-3 loss, then follows it up with 8 shifts for 5:16 ice and 2 shots on net in an overtime win.

University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ junior  Hockey East transfer from somewhat underuse in 2 years University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ goaltender Tyler Muszelik(30) already has a 3-1 record with a 2.28 GAA and .901 SV% for the Florida Panthers 6th round pick in the 2022 draft (#189 overall).

The 6’3″ 193 lbs. net minder from Long Valley, NJ did 2 years USNTDP before heading to his 1st school.

He’s just 20-years old, so is well on his way towards development.