UMass Minutemen junior defenseman Matthew Kessel(51) decides to leave a year on the table and signs his 2-year entry level deal with St. Louis Blues.
The 6’3″ 203 lbs. blue liner was a 5th round pick in 2022 (#150 overall).
He reports to affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds and in 12 AHL games, has a pair of assists and is a +5 rating, heading into the playoffs.
The 2019 USHL Clark Cup Champion with Sioux Falls Stampede had a junior career high 17 assists that season.
He is definitely the height of on-ice accountability with an NCAA Division 1 hockey +37 rating.
The 21-year old may just play himself onto the big league squad before too long.
With some injuries to the blue line, the Scottsdale, AZ native scores a 1st NHL game for himself, in which he skates 15:17 ice time with 1 shot on net, 1 block shot and left the 4-3 shootout loss with a -1.
Still, nice start.
He signs a 2-year 1-way extension through 2025/2026 to continue in a Blues‘ jersey.
In his 35 game this season (37th overall), he scores a 1st NHL goal for himself.
University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ sophomore Russian-born goaltender Arseni Sergeev(30) is a Calgary Flames‘ 7th round pick in the 2021 draft (#205 overall).
The 6’3″ 192 lbs. net minder did 3 seasons of juniors and won the 2021 NAHL Robertson Cup, then went on to post best marks and become USHL goaltender of the year.
By all accounts, the 21-year old came over to the US to start preparing early, and has obviously done well.
In what we see as a bit of an unlikely, surprising move, he enters the transfer portal and will next tend the cage at Penn State University Nittany Lions.
Colgate University Raiders‘ senior net minder Carter Gylander(37) is a Detroit Red Wings‘ 7th round draft pick in the 2019 draft (#191 overall).
The 6’5″ 190 lbs. goalie had 2 stellar AJHL seasons with Sherwood Park Crusaders that earned him to selection.
He is currently 8-10-3 with a 2.97 GAA and .905 SV% in 21 appearances.
The 24-year old Beaumont, AB native should be an easy NHL entry level sign to see what happens.
Upon finishing up his college season, he signs a 2-year deal and will report to affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins on an ato for the remainder of the year.
Boston College Eagles‘ graduate center Jack Malone(13) is off to a nice start with 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games after coming over from Cornell University Big Red, where he was a decent enough ECAC scorer.
Hockey East may be more appealing to the 6’1″ 196 lbs. forward, who also struck pretty well through 3 years of the USHL for Youngstown Phantoms.
A Vancouver Canucks‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#180 overall), the 23-year old from Danville, CA looks to be an easy sign for an NHL entry level deal once he’s ready.
He gets the overtime game-winner against last years champions to send his team to the Frozen Four in St. Paul for the 1st time since 2016, their 26th visit overall.
7th year right wing Zach Hyman(18) leaves his home for the last 6 years with Toronto Maple Leafs to sign a new 5-year deal as an unrestricted free agent with Edmonton Oilers, worth an estimated $5.5 AAV.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. power forward has twice scored 21 goals (2018-2020) and two times 15 in 345 NHL games with a mammoth +72 rating.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#123 overall), he was traded before ever officially wearing a jersey.
The former 4-year University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ forward was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a senior, when he scored a cool 22 goals and 32 assists in 37 Big Ten games with a +24 rating.
He’s already 29-years old, although it seems like it was yesterday, when he donned a Toronto Marlies‘ jersey.
His goal scoring ascends to a career high 51 this season and in the process he pots his 200th overall tally.
Next season will be his 10th in the league and now 31-years old shows zero signs of stopping.
The Oilers‘ jersey fits well.
Providence College Friars‘ Czech-born right wing Jaroslav Chmelar(28) leaves 2 years of school on the table to sign a nice 3-year NHL entry level deal with draft team (5th round, 2021, #144 overall) New York Rangers.
The big, listed at 6’5″ 220 lbs. forward scored decently over his 2 years at college.
Looks like he did most of his youth hockey at home and in Finland.
The 20-year old is likely ready for his next opportunity, which should start with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.
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.
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.
Cornell University Big Red freshman defenseman Hoyt Stanley(5) is an Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2023 draft (#108 overall).
He is a big, pounding presence at 6’3″ 201 lbs.
The 18-year old played most of 2 BCHL seasons with Victoria Grizzlies.
He’s definitely one to watch.
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.
