9th year right wing Rocco Grimaldi(28) was unable to chase down an NHL deal for 2022/2023, so has decided to sign a 1-year AHL deal with San Diego Gulls to keep his game going.
The small 5’6″ 160 lbs. forward surpasses the 300 games played mark in the league this season and is already on top of scoring with 6 goals and 11 assists in 15 games.
He once scored 30+ goals, once 20+ and 3 times 10+ and also struck for 10 goals in 2 seasons in the upper league and also had 21 assists in his best showing for Nashville Predators, where he spent 4 campaigns.
The 29-year old, 3-year University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks may not be done, but we’re a little surprised the Anaheim, CA native hasn’t left for some overseas action in say Sweden, instead of playing kind of close to home.
After putting up point-per-game numbers for his current out of playoff contention team, he gets a trade to Rockford Icehogs, who are in a battle for the last spot in their division.
For his 10th season 2023/2024, he signs a 1-year contract with Chicago Wolves, which should be a lot of fun for him
15th year goaltender Cory Schneider(35) earns a 2nd straight contract with New York Islanders to continue to help out the younger net minders in the system and also possibly earn some time in the cage with the big club.
Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 1st round pick in the 2004 draft (#26 overall), he definitely had 6 strong seasons with the team and once posted both league best GAA and most shutouts.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder decided to go exploring for a lucrative deal and landed on a handsome 7-year deal with New Jersey Devils, where once again, he basically put up stellar numbers, but ended as the team began shifting gears and was put on unqualified waivers to buy out the remaining two years of the deal.
And that’s where the 35-year old, former 3-year Boston College Eagles‘ standout goalie has landed himself on a pair of one year deals at the league minimum, but that’s hardly the cause at this point.
He re-ups for a 3rd season on the Isle.
410 NHL games and 224 AHL is quite enough to wrap it up for the decade and a half net minder, who leaves the game at 37-years old with some impressive marks.
It’s almost silly to say, it will be interesting to see where he pops up next.
14th year defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk(12) signs a 1-year deal worth just $1.05M with Boston Bruins as an unrestricted free agent, which brings him back “home” to where he played his 3 years of college hockey at Boston University Terriers.
The 6′ 207 lbs. blue liner was originally a Colorado Avalanche 1st round pick in 2017 (#14 overall), but played only half a season there before being traded to St. Louis Blues.
He stayed with them for 7 campaigns scoring 10+ goals 3 times, 30+ assists 5 and 40+ points on 5 occasions.
The 34-year old from New Rochelle, NY did 2 years at the USNTDP before college and playing on his new team could get him back into the 20+ point range, as he did 4 of the last 5 sessions.
11th year defenseman Tommy Cross(4) signs with the team he’s captained twice now, Springfield Thunderbirds under an AHL contract.
Last year he was signed by the parent club St. Louis Blues to a 1-year 2-way deal.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#35 overall), he skated 3 NHL games, recording 1 assist.
He twice won the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 2010 and 2012, the latter as senior captain of Boston College Eagles.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. d-man has 570 games played in the league with a +58 rating.
At 32-years old, he has to have a little chuckle he still gets to do this for a living.
12 years and 588 games in the minors is plenty enough for the now 33-year old to decide on something different for 2023/2024.
Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft (#51 overall), center Jack Hughes(27) is just starting his 2nd season at Northeastern University Huskies, where in 4 games this season already has 2 assists.
He scored decently as a freshman.
The 5’11” 170 lbs. forward played two solid frames with the USNTDP after playing high school at St. Sebastian’s Prep, scoring well enough at both levels.
It’s maybe a bit of a wonder as to why he went so high, but he does play like he always shows tremendous upside and is dad is the General Manager of Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes.
For his junior year, he has decided to switch up Hockey East affiliations and will head to Boston University Terriers, starting 2023/2024.
Boston Bruins‘ 6th year left wing Trent Frederic(11) signs on for another 2 seasons at a healthy pay raise of $2.3M AAV through 2024/2025.
The 6’3″ 214 lbs. forward is a former 2016 1st round draft pick (#29 overall).
He stayed only 2 years at University Of Wisconsin Badgers before turning pro and did 2 years of USNTDP previous to school.
It would be little surprise to see the 25-year old from St. Louis, MO stay with 1 team for a long while.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 6th year center Sean Malone(14) continues with Rochester Americans under a new 1-year deal from the team he’s skated 5 seasons for.
The former Harvard University Crimson senior scorer is coming off a career year, getting a new best 20 goals and 37 points.
He only has 2 NHL games to his credit, with an assist in his 2nd appearance with 1-year contract club, Nashville Predators.
A Buffalo, NY native, the 27-year old is definitely keeping his hockey close to home.
Following 6 years and 284 AHL games, the 28 year is heading off to Switzerland to skate in the NL with SCL Tigers in 2023/2024.
Arizona Coyotes‘ rookie center Jack McBain(22) gets a first crack at the NHL after scoring a Boston College Eagles‘ career best by a long shot 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points with a +13 rating, then signing his entry level contract a couple weeks ago.
In his debut, he skated 24 shifts for 13:45 ice time with one shot block and left a 6-2 loss a -1.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. Toronto, ON native did a couple of seasons in the OJHL with Toronto Jr. Canadiens, exploding the stat sheet in his 2nd year before school.
He also won an Ivan Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal with 2018 Team Canada.
The 22-year old will have to show up game in and game out with this team, but they are likely counting on that after picking him up from draft club Minnesota Wild (round 3, 2018, #63 overall).
Through 82 NHL games, he picks up 12 goals and 14 assists as a rookie on a non-playoff by a long shot club.
He avoids arbitration, agreeing to a new 2-year Coyotes‘ deal worth $1.599M AAV, which seems pretty accurate.
There’s little doubt now that he has this contract will look to put his team back on the map.
4th year center Jack Badini(21) is heading off to try something a bit different, signing with Stjernen Hockey of Fjordkraftligaen for 2023/2024.
The 6′ 203 lbs. forward should be able to connect well in Norway’s top league, as he did in his last ECHL frame for Newfoundland Growlers, while on loan from Toronto Marlies.
He signed 1 AHL deal, but as a former Anaheim Ducks‘ 3rd round pick in 2017 (#91 overall), he played 2-years in their system for San Diego Gulls after 4 years at Harvard University Crimson.
The 25-year old, Greenwich, CT native is likely to find better fortunes exploring hockey overseas for the while.
Nashville Predators‘ 5th round pick in the 2016 draft (#138 overall), former outstanding point-per-game Boston University Terriers graduate, Patrick Harper(15) signed his two-year entry level deal as the plug was being pulled on the playoffs for the college hockey season and upon starting up has been mostly playing for Chicago Wolves but did start the season in the ECHL on a complete tear with Florida Everblades scoring 5 goals and 4 assist in 5 games.
The small 5’7″ 160 lbs. forward obviously knows how to find his open space.
He only has a pair of assists in 12 AHL games with a -6 but our bet is even with the bigger bodies, the puck is going to start to find him and he will be putting up stats.
The only 22-year old was drafted straight out of high school prep, played a pair of the MHSL sessions, scoring huge numbers, then finally to the USHL with Omaha Lancers before arriving at college a super youngster.
9 games into the new season without striking for affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, he has decided to opt out of the final year of his deal and heads to Finland’s Liiga, signing with HPK for the remainder of 2021/2022.
He would connect for 2 goals and 6 assists in 22 games, and has decided to opt for a bit of a lower challenge, signing with Mora IK of Allsvenskan for 2022/2023.
He will likely do very well in tier 2 Sweden’s hockey and be moved up.
A trade would send him to Kristianstads IK for most of last season, putting up decent enough numbers.
The New York native has made a decision to return to the US for 2023/2024, signing a 1-year deal with South Carolina Stingrays, which should see good results for both team and player.
