6th year center Ryan Fitzgerald(13) re-signs with Lehigh Valley Phantoms to stay for a 3rd season, after spending all but 4 AHL on the injured reserve in the last frame.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#140 overall), the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 4 years in the system amassing points for their affiliate Providence Bruins.
A huge scorer as a junior at Boston College Eagles, amassing 24 goals and 23 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games, he definitely has it in his arsenal to score big as a pro.
The 27-year old from Boca Raton, FL will certainly be one to watch to see if he can play himself up to the highest level, where his dad Tom Fitzgerald played some 1097 NHL games to his credit.
He spent most of last season once again on the injured list, but did manage to appear in 13 games, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.
Teams must see the potential in his scoring though, as Utica Comets step in quickly to sign the unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024.
3rd year defenseman Austin Osmanski(6) already has a pretty interesting story in the path that has taken him to his 3rd AHL contract with Springfield Thunderbirds for 2023/2024.
The towering 6’4″ 216 lbs. blue liner from East Aurora, NY started his junior hockey with 4 years in the OHL after being picked in the draft and decided to head that route.
He followed that decent enough run of 258 games with 3 years at University Of Western Ontario Mustangs, where he played the entire 1st USports‘ year, then sat out a COVID interrupted campaign, but skated only 8 games his 3rd semester before deciding to turn pro.
Last season he played 30 games up and only 1 in the ECHL with affiliate Worcester Railers.
The still quite young 25-year old, former Buffalo Sabres‘ 7th round pick in 2016 (#189 overall) was almost oddly not signed, but for all he has done is an interesting watch going forward.
Boston Bruins‘ prospect, center Matt Filipe(17) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal as draft team Carolina Hurricanes (3rd round, 2016, #63 overall) was not showing interest, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The 6’2″ 195 lbs. power forward skated four seasons at Northeastern University Huskies, producing his best output as a senior with a collegiate career tying 9 goals, best 13 assists and 22 points.
He was assigned to affiliate Providence Bruins as their season was getting underway in the new calendar and has picked up 2 goals and 3 assists in 17 AHL games with a +2 rating and he has one game-winning tally.
The 23-year old MA native will undoubtedly play himself into a position where the big club needs to take notice, but that may take just a little bit of seasoning time in the minor league.
After putting up 7 goals and 10 assists as a rookie, the Newton, MA native signs a 1-year, 2-way extension to stay.
He becomes a group 6 UFA upon completion of his 2nd contract and signs a minor league deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2023/2024.
11th year retired defenseman Nate Guenin(2) accepts the job as Assistant Head Coach at his former school of 4 years, where he was a captain as a senior with Ohio State University Buckeyes.
A former 2002 4th round pick (#127 overall) by New York Rangers but never signed and ultimately inked with Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent.
He retired from pro hockey after playing for San Diego Gulls in 2016/2107, at age 35 years old with 521 AHL and 205 NHL games to his credit.
There is little doubt, the Aliquippa, PA native will do fine in his new role.
4th year defenseman Miles Gendron(10) exchanges 2 contracts with Colorado Eagles, including 2 goals and an assist in 15 AHL games and 116 ECHL appearances to a new adventure for 2022/2023, signing with Storhamar of Fjordkraft-ligaen.
Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft (#70 overall), he only skated parts of his rookie season in the system before moving on.
The 6’2″ 181 lbs. blue liner skated only one year of juniors, winning the 2015 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, amassing 12 assists in 22 playoff games before heading off to school.
He did 4 years, including serving as senior captain at University Of Connecticut Huskies.
The still young 25-year old should do very well in Norway’s top league.
After 19 games with 3 goals, 5 assists and a +9 rating, he decides to return and signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2023.
He takes an impressive little run into the playoffs with his new club, but will look to branch out again and head over to the EIHL for 2023/2024, signing with 2 time champs, Belfast Giants.
Boston Bruins‘ 11th year, former 2-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ captain, center Craig Smith(12) has twice accumulated 50+ points, once 40+, 5 time 30+ including 32 last season, his first with his new NHL team after 9 for draft club Nashville Predators (4th round 2009, #98 overall).
The 6′ 207 lbs. power forward is in the 2nd year of a 3-year deal he signed in unrestricted free agency and the relationship has certainly been a healthy one.
A bit hard to believe the 32-year old skated 3 seasons for Waterloo Blackhawks, blowing the lid off scoring and getting everyone’s attention in that final frame.
It’s got to be nice still getting really good deals.
Traded to Washington Capitals as his contract was set to expire, he went to a non-playoff team, but fit in decently, getting 5 goals and an assist in 22 games with a +1 rating to grab a new deal from Dallas Stars worth $800,000 AAV with a $200,000 signing bonus.
Good beans.
11th defenseman Mark Borowiecki(90) is in the 2nd year of his deal he signed as an unrestricted free agent with Nashville Predators after spending his first 375 NHL games with draft club Ottawa Senators (5th round, 2008, #139 overall).
Through 40 games in the current frame, the 6’2″ 204 lbs. blue liner has a pair of assists and is a +2 rating to earn a midseason 1-year extension worth $900K AAV to stay on in music city.
The Ottawa native attended Clarkson University Golden Knights for 3 seasons, including serving as captain in his junior year.
He was a huge part of Binghamton Senators’ 2011 Calder Cup Championship after finishing up school and signing an entry level contract.
The 32-year old has to wearing a huge smile on his face looking back over his huge career.
Limited to only 4 games last season, he has to rethink his position moving forward and decides it’s time to leave the game for a different look and quickly is hired up by his last team to become NHL Pro Development Coach, a role he will be perfect in.
9th year right wing Josh Archibald(15) circles back to the team that drafted him in the 6th round of 2011 (#174 overall), Pittsburgh Penguins to sign a 1-year NHL deal for 2022/2023.
The 5’10” 176 lbs. oddly played his fewest games with the team he 1st skated for before being traded to Arizona Coyotes, where he finished playing 39 games, his rookie season 4 years into his playing career.
He would next sign a 1-year deal with Edmonton Oilers, where he was decent enough with 12 goals to keep on board for another two years, but in the 2nd year of that contract came down with a weird heart condition that sidelined him until the playoffs, where he returned for 13 games, recording an assist.
The 29-year old, former University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks from Regina, SK will likely find some room to possible put up some career numbers.
Through 62 games, he scores 6 goals and 6 assists with a +6 rating, but as an unrestricted free agent looks around to find a 2-year deal with Tampa Bay Lightning to hopefully increase those numbers.
RPI Engineers‘ sophomore left wing 6’6″ 240 lbs. tower Sutter Muzzati(19) gets maybe the ultimate surprise, as he is selected off the radar by Nashville Predators at the 2023 draft, round 5 (#143 overall).
Almost maybe oddly he was actually in Nashville with the other prospects, so could have had an inside word.
The Okemos, MI native played his youth hockey close, but took to the roads to sign with Austin Bruins for 2 NAHL seasons, his 2nd with a dangerously good 34 assists.
He just turned 20 years old and is set to head back for his sophomore year, which should be better than the last.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ sophomore defenseman Charles Alexis Legault(6) maybe scored himself a nice little surprise, being selected in the 5th round of the 2023 draft (#139 overall) by Carolina Hurricanes, when only one indicator had him being chosen.
The fairly sizable 6’3″ 216 lbs. blue liner notched 2 goals and 7 assists in 40 games, en route to a nice surprise 2023 NCAA Division 1 Championship.
From Laval, QC, the 19-year old was a hit and miss scorer through school and juniors, but really popped during BCHL playoffs, grabbing 11 points in 11 games for West Kelowna Warriors.
