UMASS Minutemen junior center Lucas Mercuri(11) is definitely on track for next college career bests scoring with 5 goals and 9 assists in 18 games with a +4 rating, putting him just a point or two of his marks.
The 6’3″ 192 lbs. forward is a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2020 draft (#159 overall).
He came down from Montreal, QC for school and scored big to secure his finding, then went onto 1 USHL frame with Des Moines Buccaneers before heading to school.
The 21-year old is likely just hoping he’s doing everything right to earn his NHL entry level deal and we think he’s heading in the right direction more than ever now.
Providence College Friars‘ junior defenseman Guillaume Richard(4) has 1 goal and 8 assists in 17 games, looking to eclipse earlier marks set as a freshman that saw him net 3 goals and 11 assists.
A Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2021 (#101 overall), he did only 1 full USHL season of juniors with Tri-City Storm before committing to school.
The 6’2″ 179 lbs. blue liner from Quebec, QC easily plays his size.
Boston College Eagles‘ 2022/2023 commit, Swedish-born center Cutter Gauthier(19) had a 2nd USNTDP season that went completely off-the-hook scoring.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. Philadelphia Flyers‘ 2022 1st round pick, #5 overall in the NHL draft scored 34 goals and 31 assists in 54 USDP U18 games with a +33 rating and another 19 goals and 9 assists in 22 USHL games with a +14.
At just 18-years old, he’s been in the US for a long while acclimating his game and should be a force as a rookie next season.
His playing rights for the big league have been traded to Anaheim Ducks, which is a no-brainer for him to sign, when he’s ready, as he allegedly didn’t want to skate for his draft team.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ sophomore center Sam Lipkin(28) has 9 goals and 11 assists in 17 games with a +11 rating, which has him closing in on the 14 tallies he had last season, but ascending to that 29 helpers’ mark will be a feat.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward is an Arizona Coyotes‘ 7th round pick in the 2021 draft (#223 overall).
He had 2 successful runs through the USHL and was named captain of Chicago Steel in his 2nd frame, scoring 36 goals and 35 assists in 59 games with a +21 rating.
From Philadelphia, PA, the 20-year old is still setting himself up nicely.
Providence College Friars‘ senior center Chase Yoder(17) scored what turned out to be the game-winner for the 2023 Mayor’s Cup, Battle of Providence vs. Brown University Bears, 3-0.
The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward is easily threatening college bests with 6 goals and 6 assists in 17 games.
A Pittsburg Penguins’ 6th round pick in the 2020 draft (#170 overall), the Fairview, TX native did 2 years in the USNTDP system before school.
We think this is the season to see an uptick in the 21 year old’s game, getting him ready to sign an NHL entry level deal.
8th year center Kyle Rau(91) signed his 1st minor league deal to play for Abbotsford Canucks in 2022/2023.
He was coming off his 4th season in Minnesota Wild system, where he played NHL games in each frame, equally 28 appearances with 4 assists to his credit.
The 5’8″ 173 lbs. forward has 369 AHL games to his credit and rolls a fairly decent 119 goals and 142 assists with a bit of a woeful -24, but has 3 times struck for 20+ goals and 4 times 20+ assists in the league.
From Eden Prairie, MN, the Florida Panthers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#91 overall) attended nearby University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers, always good for point-per-game or better numbers.
In 7 games this season he has 2 goals and 2 assists with a +2 rating, so is right on track at 30-years old.
For what we thought was a fairly solid frame for the Eden Prairie High captain, takes a little time as he enters into his 9th season to sign with San Jose Barracuda, who can likely use hims
After a pretty good season, scoring 23 assists, he somewhat late signs with Kunlun RedStar for 2024/2025.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#81 overall) defenseman Seth Barton(49) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal after completing his third season at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks in a very COVID cut short 2020/2021.
The very decently sized 6’3″ 185 lbs. blue liner from Kelowna, BC played a year in Canadian juniors for Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL putting up 27 assists in 49 games before reporting to college.
It looks as though the 21-year old reports first to affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, but his play could gain him a look early from a team that has struggled in 2020/2021.
He skates most of his 2nd season in the system up, but gets reassigned late to Toledo Walleye, finishes the season strong with 8 points in 10 ECHL games, then adding another 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 13 games in the playoffs.
With no qualifying offer to stay, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, signing a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack for 2023/2024.
He starts the new season with Cincinnati Cyclones, but after just 1 game spies a new deal he is going after, a 1-year deal to sign with KooKoo and play his hockey in Liiga for the near future.
In 10 games, the big back liner scores his 1st Finnish goal and adds 5 assists with a +8 rating to earn a +1 next to his contract for 2024/2025.
Michigan State University Spartans‘ sophomore left wing Isaac Howard(22) is taking up where he left off with his USNTDP team, scoring 5 goals and 15 assists in 18 games with the #7 USCHO NCAA Division 1 team in the country.
Isaac Howard (3)
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.
UMASS Minutemen Latvian-born, freshman center Dans Locmelis(10) may only have 2 goals and 1 assist in 10 games, but he is always fully involved in the action, when he’s on the ice.
The 6′ 172 lbs. Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#119 overall) played all his youth and junior hockey back home.
We feel we will see the former Lulea HF , Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#119 overall) play out the full term of his college career and get himself an education.
The 19-year old is definitely a good watch.
