USNTDP 2nd year defenseman Asher Barnett(4) doesn’t put up a lot of points (3 goals and 3 assists in 21 games), but did show nice accountability last season with +8’s.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner was an Edmonton Oilers‘ 5th round pick in the 2025 draft (#131 overall).
He commits to University Of Michigan Wolverines for 2025/2026.
From Wilmette, IL, the 18-year will likely continue to grow into his game.
12th year right wing Brandon Yip(18) re-ups with Kunlun Red Star after taking a single COVID volatile season away, skating for Jukurit of Liiga.
It will be his 4th season with the team he served as team captain for the last couple years.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward has played 174 NHL games, 103 in the AHL, 163 so far in the KHL, and a 2015 DEL Championship with Adler Mannheim, when he first arrived overseas.
He’s always been a decent scorer in these leagues but as a junior in the BCHL, he twice equaled more than point-per-game totals in the 2 years with Coquitlam Express.
The Maple Ridge, BC native would take his game to Boston University Terriers next and strike for 22 assists as a rookie and put up 43 points (20-23) in 47 Hockey East games as a senior and help the team win the 2009 NCAA Championship.
You have to wonder if the 36-year old has it anywhere in his mind to retire soon.
He just can’t stop and returns for a 5th overall season with the China-based, Russia-league club.
Staying on as 2nd year captain, he only appears in 8 games for 2 assists.
After 347 KHL games and 7 years in the league for the newly named Shanghai Dragons, he at age 40 says it’s time to find something else for his ice time.
Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#117 overall), University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ 2022/2023 commit, center Cole Spicer(25) was a standout in recent development camp.
The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward was a solid 2nd year scorer for the USNTDP with 10 goals and 6 assists in 26 USHL games.
At just 18-years old, he’ll definitely have to work to make an impact in the tough NCHC.
After 2 college seasons, he is maybe not producing the way he wants to and leaves for another season of juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints for some nice point-per-game totals that he will take to a new commit 2025/2026 at Western Michigan University Broncos.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ senior right wing Jack Devine(41) impressed on a pto, signed with affiliate Charlotte Checkers after agreeing to a 3-year NHL entry level contract with draft club, Florida Panthers (7th round, 2022, #221).
The 6′ 185 lbs. played 2 years of USNTDP before college and was in the Chicago Mission program previous to that.
From Glencoe, IL, the still young to graduate school, 21-year old will be a spot to which league he starts in as a rookie.
11th year center Louie Caporusso(23) signed for a 2nd season with Cincinnati Cyclones after lighting it up for 22 goals and 44 assists in 67 ECHL games last season.
The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward has 7 times had 10+ goals, 3 times 20+ assists and once had 30 assists in his 3rd DEL campaign.
He also had three 20+ goals and twice 20+ assists at University Of Michigan Wolverines.
Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in 2007 (#90 overall), he was in their system for a couple of sessions, but left unqualified and signed the next year with Reading Royals.
He would last only 24 games before leaving for his 1st of 6 frames in Germany’s top hockey.
At 33-years old, the Toronto, ON native is likely just still having fun.
After 3 seasons of point-per-game scoring with Cincinnati Cyclones, he decides looking back on some 265 ECHL games and 216 in DEL Germany is quite enough and will at now 36-years old ease into a special team coaching role with his former, still current team.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore goaltender Cameron Whitehead(1) always put in stellar appearances despite maybe not winning as many games as he should have.
Vegas Golden Knights‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#128 overall) leaves 2 years on the table to sign an NHL entry level deal worth 2-years.
He looks to get the start with affiliate Henderson Silver Knights, where he appeared in 3 games at the tail end of last for less than spectecular results.
The 6’3″ 183 lbs. did 2 years USHL with Lincoln Stars before school.
University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ sophomore center Matthew Perkins(51) puts himself in the middle of all plays, as Vancouver Canucks‘ 4th round pick in the 2023 draft (#119 overall).
The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward had 6 goals and 9 assists through 35 games last season and already has 1 assist in 3 games in the current session.
From Balgonie, SK, he did 1 year of point-per-game junior up north before 1 very decent 15 goal and 29 assist frame in the USHL before school.
For his junior season, he enters the transfer portal to next skate Hockey East with Northeastern University Huskies.
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.
After 1st full season, in 55 games scoring 6 goals and 13 assists with a +6 rating and next he will head to the SHL and signs with Malmo Redhawks for 2025/2026.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#135 overall), Michigan State University Spartans‘ transfer, center Red Savage(19) from 2 decent seasons at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks will likely add to his game under more scrutiny, better competition in the Big10 Division.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward isn’t quite the scorer he was in 2 years of USNTDP, when he ran point-per-game stats.
From the unlikely hub of Scottsdale, AZ, the 19-year old will likely see his game totals improve as a junior.
After his 2nd season as senior captain, scoring 5 goals and 6 assists in a low 20 games with a +6 rating, he signs a 2-year AHL contract with Rochester Americans that we feel is under radar of the parent club as well.
University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ 2022/2023 commit, center Frank Nazar(91) hasn’t put up the USHL numbers he did in his 1st USNTDP season, but has skated only half the games and is still a point-per-game player.
His numbers are very similar in U.S. National U18 Team season.
The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward from Mt. Clemens, MI emerged out of a couple Honeybaked campaigns, exploding the scoresheet as a 15U AAA with 49 goals and 78 assists in 55 games.
That came after he agreed to his college after 14U AAA.
The 18-year old was selected in the 1st round of the 2022 draft, #13 overall by Chicago Blackhawks.
He blows up scoring in his 2nd year to the tune of point-per-game numbers with 41 (17-24) in 41 games to get to the NCAA Division 1 Frozen Four matchups.
His team is eliminated and on the next day, he has a contract from draft club in hand to leave 2 years at school on the table and turn pro.
In his debut, he scores the opening strike of the night, a 1st NHL goal and is welcomed to the show, but his team suffers another loss in the process with only a couple games left to skate.
After point-per-game numbers with the affiliate Rockford Icehogs and 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games with the parent club gets him a huge increase to stay on with a 7-year, $46.13M contract, worth $6.59M AAV to stay a Blackhawks.
