Category: NHL Draft Pick

17Mar

Kevin Roy (12)

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6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.

It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.

Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.

In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.

He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.

The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.

After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.

Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.

He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.

15Mar

Nick van Tassell (22)

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UMASS Minutemen freshman center Nicholas Van Tassell(22) is an Ottawa Senators‘ 7th round pick in the 2023 draft (#215 overall).

The big 6’4″ 200 lbs. forward scored pretty well in his 2nd USHL season for Green Bay Gamblers.

He only got 1 goal and 1 assist in 23 games, but definitely appears on the verge of opening that up with more experience.

From Basking Ridge, NJ, the 19-year old did all his youth hockey close to home.

10Mar

ECAC opening round: Harvard University Crimson vs. Princeton University Tigers

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Harvard University Crimson sophomore, Finnish-born goaltender Aku Koskenvuo(30) is a Vancouver Canucks‘ 5th round pick in the 2021 draft (#137 overall).

The giant 6’4″ 200 lbs. net minder started a college career best 16 games with a 5-5-4 record, 2.87 GAA and .914 SV%.

He was in net for the team’s single elimination ECAC 1st round playoff matchup to post a 38-save 1-0 shutout and advance.

All his youth and junior hockey was played at home before coming over for school.

The 2 teams tied their regular season matchup.

01Mar

Ben Finkelstein (28)

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Boston College Eagles‘ 2nd year defenseman (transferred from St. Lawrence) Ben Finkelstein(28) is off to a hot start as a rookie with his new club, Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

In 18 ECHL games, he’s grabbed 4 goals from the point and 13 assists with a solid +4 rating on a team that has been somewhat of a discovery mode for this odd season.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner could easily gain a look on loan to an AHL team.

Through 35 games as a rookie, he scored 11 goals and 21 assists with a +11 rating, and got signed up by Toronto Marlies, but played the entire 2021/2022 frame with Newfoundland Growlers, where he equaled his 11 goals, but exploded his assists to a league best 51.

His good play has given him a new AHL deal with Iowa Wild for 2022/2023, but we doubt he’ll be assigned lower for his sophomore effort.

After managing his way into only 6 games with his new team, recording 1 assist, he has decided to push off and join Vienna Capitals for the remainder of the season, and we think the d-man’s game will be well-suited for Austria’s top league, the IceHL.

He scores 10 goals and 14 assists in 23 games to earn a new deal with Eisbären Berlin and is heading to Germany to play in DEL.

After 15 assists in 37 games, the 26-year old decides to retire, based on personal reasons that we are sure will surface eventually, but it’s a sad day for the former Eagles.

04Feb

Jonathan Castagna (38)

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Cornell University Big Red freshman center Jonathan Castagna(38) is an Arizona Coyotes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2023 draft (#70 overall).

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward at still only 18-years old is a solid, power forward style player.

Through 18 games this season, he has 5 goals and 7 assists with a +11 rating on the #13 team in the country.

From Etobicoke, ON, he did 2 years at St. Andrew’s College and he looks like he’s getting ready.

03Feb

Kevin Gravel (5)

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9th year defenseman Kevin Gravel(5) has got to be feeling the same way he did when he was a rookie with Manchester Monarchs making an unlikely AHL run to capture the 2015 Calder Cup trophy.

The now 31-year old is locked in with his team, Milwaukee Admirals in a Western Conference battle to head to the Finals.

He has contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in 9 games with a +4 rating.

The 6’4″ 203 lbs. blue liner is signed on a 2-year 2-way deal to Nashville Predators and skated 23 games with them this past season.

He has played 132 NHL games and 332 in the lower league.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in 2010 (#148 overall), he initially was on a minor league contract, when helping his team to the title, but quickly upped on a 2-year entry level deal heading into the next frame.

The St. Cloud State University Huskies‘ 4-year d-man exploded in his senior year with 10 goals, seemingly out of nowhere.

He’s got another year left on his current deal, so he should settle in nicely.

Playing super well as team captain for the affiliate, Admirals with great plus numbers, despite maybe not scoring huge points earns him 2 more seasons at nice little pay bump to stay.

02Feb

Nolan Vesey (11)

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3rd year center Nolan Vesey(11) is off to his best start with a pair of goals and an assist in 5 ECHL games with new contract club, Worcester Railers.

The North Reading, MA native sort came home to a degree, signing with the close to home team for 2021/2022.

A one-time Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#158 overall), he was chosen after an exceptional one year of junior hockey for South Shore Kings USPHL Premiere team, and then went on to attend University Of Maine Black Bears for 4 seasons, but never signed.

He was three times a 10+ goals and 10+ assists player in Hockey East.

The 6′ 185 lbs., 26-year old forward seems to be a bit of an underachiever, considering his brother Jimmy is a full-time NHL skater.

After throwing in a career high by a long shot 12 goals and 28 assists with a +13 rating in 62 games as assistant captain last season and a 3-game loan up to Springfield Thunderbirds, he decides to stick around in central MA for a 2nd run.

He posts a career best 13 goals last season in the lower league, but his eyes are open for opportunities leading in his next stage and he maybe a tiny bit oddly late signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek of Erste Liga for the remainder of the frame.

23Jan

Max Crozier (24)

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Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#140 overall), senior defenseman, captain Max Crozier(24) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal as he completes 4 years at Providence College Friars, where they advanced to the 2nd round of the Hockey East tournament before getting ousted.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner scored a college career high 21 assists and 24 points in 37 games with a +10 rating.

A North Vancouver, BC native, he has always managed to put up a lot in the assist department.

At only 22-years old, having fully completed college, he is we think ready.

25 games into his rookie season with affiliate Syracuse Crunch, doing pretty well for himself with a +6 rating, earns him a 1st NHL recall in a 5-1, skating 17 shifts for 13 minutes of ice time.