Category: NHL Draft Pick

23Oct

Joshua Nodler (20)

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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.

21Oct

Landon Slaggert (84)

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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.

20Oct

Matt Stienburg (36)

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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.

16Oct

Tyler Muszelik (30)

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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.

12Oct

Will Smith (6)

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Boston College Eagles‘ center Will Smith(6) is taking zero time to adjust to college play after 2 seasons of USNTDP.

In 6 games, he has 4 goals and 4 assists with a +2 rating to go along with those 51 goals and 76 assists he had last year and 42 points (15-27) in 20 USHL games.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward was a San Jose Sharks‘ 1st round pick in the 2023 draft (#4 overall), so the 18-year old from Lexington, MA has lots to look forward to.

After just 1 season of lighting up the college ranks to the tune of 25 goals and 46 assists with a +25 rating through 41 games and the waiting is over, as the 19-year old signs a 3-year NHL entry level deal, starting 2024/2025.

He debuts with his new NHL team right away, playing 16 shifts for 13:41 ice, 2 shots on net and like his former Hockey East friend needs improving in the face-off dot.

12Oct

Macklin Celebrini (71)

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Boston University Terriers‘ freshman left wing Macklin Celebrini(71) is considered to be a potential #1 NHL draft pick for the 2024.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward is from Vancouver, BC.

He completely blew up scoring for Chicago Steel last season with 46 goals and 40 assists in 50 USHL games with a +27 rating.

At just turning 17-years old over the summer, he has entered his freshman year of college early and already has 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games with a +2 rating.

San Jose Sharks draw the 1st choice and he is adopted.

He scored 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games last season with a +25 rating, so we have to wonder how long he will stick around.

Coming fresh off his 1st development camp, he signs a 3-year entry level deal to become a full-time Sharks in 2024/2025.

In his debut, he nets a 1st NHL goal in his 1st 7 minutes of ice time and also lands an assist in 22 shifts for 17:35, 2 giveaways, 1 takeaway and needs to be better on the face-off dot in a 5-4 overtime loss.

07Oct

Jeremy Swayman (1)

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Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2017 draft, goaltender Jeremy Swayman(1) signed a three-year entry deal just as COVID was shutting down the world and left three seasons at University Of Maine behind for a chance to play pro.

It almost seemed when the 22-year old signed that he would be assuming starting duties with affiliate Providence Bruins, when 2021 finally gotten moving, and there he was on opening night, in net.

The big 6’3 201 lbs. Hobey Baker Award finalist last season for his outstanding 18-5 mark won his debut 4-1 leaving with a 1.00 GAA and .963 SV% and has gone 7-1 in 8 starts with a 1.88 GAA and .932 SV%.

He only lost his first game recently.

This is easily only the beginning for the Anchorage, AK native, who has consistently put up jaw dropping stats.

A restricted free agent, heading into his 4th season with the team and his contract time is up, so elects to go to arbitration for a 1-year deal 2023/2024 for 3.475M AAV, which is a nice pay bump for the Bruins‘ net minder, who owns a 2.24 GAA and .920 SV% in 88 appearances.

After a bit of a holdout, which could cost him the season opener for 2024/2025, he signs a new 8-year, $8.25M AAV NHL deal to stay where he’s at.

06Oct

Michael Mersch (28)

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8th year center Michael Mersch(28) accepts a two-year AHL contract from Rochester Americans to stay with the club he skated for last season.

The 6’2″ 215 lbs. power forward has almost oddly only played 17 NHL games with draft club Los Angeles Kings (4th round 2010, #111 overall), scoring a goal and 2 assists with a +1 rating.

As a rookie, he was a huge part of then affiliate Manchester Monarchs almost fantasy-like run that ended capturing the 2015 Calder Cup trophy and him getting the nod for most playoff points (22).

The former 4-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ had three 30 point campaigns in college and currently holds 4-40+ marks as a pro.

His only other big league contract was with Dallas Stars, leaving initial team as a UFA to sign the 2-year, one-way deal.

It would be easy to see the 28-year old leave North American hockey for his next venture before he decides to retire.

Even before the 2nd year of his contract has started, he gets himself extended for yet another year through 2023/2024 to not go anywhere and stay on as captain for the Amerks.

Not quite sure why he never got more than a handful of games in the highest league of hockey, but 597 games in the lower league later, at 31-years old he’s hanging up those skates and has yet to name where he lands next to offer someone a great experience.

05Oct

Christian Krygier (8)

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Worcester Railers‘ rookie defenseman Christian Krygier(8) gets on the scoreboard in his opening ECHL game after scoring 4 total goals in 5 years of Michigan State University Spartans and only 2 in a pair of USHL seasons with Lincoln Stars.

He also added a 1st assist.

The 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner is a New York Islanders‘ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#196 overall) and signed a minor league deal for 2023/2024.

After finishing up school, he reported to affiliate Bridgeport Islanders for 2 AHL games, no points.

From Orlando, FL, the 23-year old will likely see his number loaned up to the higher league.

He would play the entire frame with the affiliate, scoring 2 goals and 9 assists in 31 games with a +3 rating on a non-playoff team and is wanted to return for another season to hopefully play more as a mini Islanders.