Category: NHL Draft Pick

02Mar

Logan Neaton (31)

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 5th round pick in the 2019 draft (#144 overall) goaltender Logan Neaton(31) isn’t finding enough space in the cage for UMass Lowell Riverhawks, so after two tries goes through the transfer portal to commit to Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks for 2021/2022.

The large 6’4″ 205 lbs. net minder maybe wasn’t able to settle in Hockey East play after putting up stellar numbers, first for Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL, then even better with Prince George Spruce Kings going 32-8-5 with a league best 1.92 GAA, then posting a 16-1 mark with a 1.46 GAA and .940 SV% en route to a 2019 BCHL Championship.

He also had shutdown numbers at his local Brighton High USHS-MI.

The 22-year old may just need the belief he can play the minutes and backstop wins.

For his rookie season, he bounces around some ECHL teams to arrive at Kalamazoo Wings with a deal for 2024/2025.

Allen Americans are struggling some, so trade to bring him in to hopefully solidify the starter’s role with the team.

He continued to move and ended up with Kansas City Mavericks, where in 1 start he didn’t post the win, but had a 2.08 GAA and .938 SV%.

4 times moved with little starts and he goes to Indy Fuel, who hopefully look to use him a bit more.

01Mar

Seth Helgeson (2)

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9th year, veteran defenseman Seth Helgeson(2) recently appeared in his 500th AHL game with 5th year club, Bridgeport Islanders.

The 6’4″ 216 lbs. blue liner was originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#114 overall) and played in their system for his first 4 seasons.

He skated his only games in the big league with the team and even got a 1st NHL goal in his 44th appearance, where he also had 3 assists and almost oddly a +1 rating.

The former 4-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ d-man has never been a big point scorer, but does have 2 goals in the current frame.

If he adds another one, he will have a career high 3.

He’s 3 times had 10+ assists in the league and twice close.

The 31-year old has done well for himself and it’s a bit of wonder if he doesn’t go exploring for his next contract, just for some different kind of fun in the game.

For 2022/2023, he re-signs to stay in Connecticut another season.

He will return to captain the little Islanders for a 7th straight run.

It took him a minute, but he will return on a pto for a 8th season in a little Islanders‘ jersey, but you got to figure, unless he decides not to, he will sign.

And 7 games in, he officially re-signs.

14Feb

Ben Blood (89)

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11th year defenseman Ben Blood(89) is enjoying a 7th season playing at the highest level possible in Finland, once again with the 1st team he laced them up for after coming over, Pelicans of Liiga.

In 5 games this season he has an assist, but is a +3 rating.

The very big 6’4″ 227 lbs. blue liner isn’t really known for putting up the points, only three times doing decent, once for half a session in Norway, one where he is and last year, he had a fairly good showing in IceHL for Graz99ers.

From Plymouth, MN, the University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate was originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#120 overall).

The 33-year old is still playing a decent game of hockey, so if he doesn’t have anything nagging will likely continue for awhile.

After 7 years of playing Finnish hockey, he decides to jump for a season in DEL with Lowen Frankfurt, which should prove to be a very good fit.

Looks like he misses Finland and re-signs with the 1st team he suited up for overseas and 1 he skated fr just last season, Pelicans.

At 35-years old, he takes a minute to figure his next move and decides to sign with Jokerit tier 2 Mestis club for the remainder of the frame.

03Feb

Slava Demin (20)

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Vegas Golden Knights‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#99 overall), Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate defenseman Slava Demin(20) decided on skating a 5th season on his 2nd transfer, this time from UMass Minutemen.

He was initially at University Of Denver Pioneers for 3 years.

The 22-year old from Santa Clara, CA did 2 seasons with Wenatchee Wild and won a 2018 BCHL Championship.

With 3 goals and 10 assists this season, he’s close to coming up with college career highs for himself.

There’s little doubt, he’s an interesting watch.

He finishes up a fantastic season in North Andover, MA and waits it out, but signs for his rookie year 2023/2024 with Allen Americans, which should prove to be a very good fit.

After 23 ECHL games, recording 5 assists, but a woeful -15, he gets shipped to Florida Everblades, which should turn out to be a good landing spot.

He does manage to turn his game around quite nicely, getting 2 goals and 5 assists in 28 games with a +13 rating.

Fort Wayne Komets see the upside in his game and trade to pull him into their lineup.

He has a mostly inconsistent game, bouncing between 3 different teams, but Idaho Steelheads know what the upside is and trade for him in 2024/2025 that should work well for both parties.

In 19 games, with only 4 assists and a -2 rating, he finds himself dished to the new Tahoe Knight Monsters, where we think he’s fortunes will improve.

18Jan

Wade Murphy (6)

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6th year right wing Wade Murphy(6) returns to sign with Idaho Steelheads for 2022/2023 after spending the last 3 seasons of pandemic madness away in Norway, Austria and Slovenia, where he managed to capture that country’s 2022 league championship.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward has 120 games of ECHL experience with decent scoring, but definitely could flatten that +/-.

Originally a Nashville Predators’ 7th round pick in the 2013 draft (#185 overall), he was never signed after an outstanding junior season based on his early college numbers.

He graduated after a 2 season transfer to Arizona State University Sun Devils from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks with a college career best 9 goals and 11 assists.

The 28-year old from Victoria, BC is a big frame that should be able to score goals almost at will we the right team in this league.

He takes a career high by a mile frame, scoring 21 goals and 22 assists in 54 games with a +38 rating to 20 playoff match ups and another 20 point total.

It’s an absolute no brainer that he receives a new contract to continue wearing a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2023/2024.

He is taking career scoring bests goals, assists, points with him for another foray to test his skills overseas in the tough to play Slovak Extraliga and signs with HC Slovan Bratislava for 2024/2025 and we think does very well here.

Limited to only 10 games last season, he scored 6 goals and 2 assists with a +5 rating and will next skate in the same league for HK Poprad in 2024/2025.

He is seemingly doing ok over there for a couple different teams, but has decided to return to strap on an Idaho jersey yet again.

13Jan

Anders Bjork (10)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

7th year left wing Anders Bjork(10) signs an AHL deal with Rockford Icehogs for 2023/2024, you have to wonder if it’s under the radar of Chicago Blackhawks, who obtained him close to the trade deadline last season and he came through with a tidy 2 goals and 6 assists in 13 NHL games with a +4 rating.

The former Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#146 overall) has skated 225 games in the big league.

He was with them for 3.5 years before getting traded to Buffalo Sabres, where he stayed for roughly 2 years, but was bumped down for most of last campaign.

The 3-year University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish from Mequon, WI scored of 21 goals and 31 assists in 39 games as a junior left 1 year on the table, but where he is could even return online to finish up.

He’s still just 27-years old.

Unrestricted free agent, he late signs with Milwaukee Admirals, where he definitely should start helping them.

09Jan

Chris Pelosi (28)

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Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ freshman center Chris Pelosi(28) is a Boston Bruins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2023 draft (#92 overall) and has a healthy 4 goals and 3 assists in 17 games with a +5 rating.

The plays big 6’1″ 181 lbs. forward had an impressive 2nd USHL season of juniors, scoring 21 goals and 34 assists in 56 games before school.

From Seawall, NJ, the 19-year old looks set to score an NHL entry level deal when he’s ready.

01Jan

Tomas Mazura (10)

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#162 overall), St. Lawrence University Saints‘ sophomore transfer, Czechia-born Tomas Mazura(10) is putting up college career best 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games after only skating 8 as a freshman at Providence College Friars.

The big frame 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward is a power force out there, only played 4 USHL games after a monster senior year at Kimball Union Academy, serving as captain, recording an eye-popping 60 assists in 35 USHS-Prep games.

It looks as though the 22-year old will play out his college term and continue to escalate and grow his game.

He posts a new college best 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points as a junior and scores the only goal his team needs to head to the ECAC Finals.

After 17 games with good output, 1 goal and 13 assists, he decides to head back home and signs with BK Mlada Boleslav of Tipsport Extraliga.

24Dec

Evan Cowley (31)

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Evan-Cowley

2nd year net minder Evan Cowley(31) signed at the beginning of 2018/2019 with Wheeling Nailers but after one uneven start on a bit of a struggling squad was released.

Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#92 overall), he never agreed to terms with the team but did eventually get a contract with affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, where he split time with Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL as a rookie.

The former University Of Denver backstop put up stellar numbers in college and went on to win the 2017 NCAA Championship.

At 23-years old, it didn’t take him long to secure a new deal after he was let go, grabbing a contract with MH Automatyka Gdansk of Polska Hokej Liga, where he will likely excel and move up the European hockey ladder as he goes.

He spent the last 3 seasons in Ligue Magnus with Ducs D’Angers and put up league best GAA (2.02) and SV% (.935), but is ready to explore again and signs to Asiago and will play in the IceHL for 2024/2025.

Through 20 games, he has struggled some, so makes a decision to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with IK Oskarshamn.