11th year defenseman Adam Clendening(44) signs a 1st minor league contract to continue as a potential prospect in a system, signing a 1-year AHL deal with the first team he ever skated pro hockey games for, Rockford Icehogs.
The 6′ 194 lbs. Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 (#36 overall) has definitely played a good batch of NHL games with maybe little fanfare, earning 4 goals and 20 assists with a healthy +11 rating in 90 games.
He has a goal and 7 assists in 13 games this season.
The former Boston University Terriers‘ could definitely put up the points in college, as he was good for 29 assists as a sophomore before he turned pro.
It would be little surprise to see the 30-year old branch out and head overseas next season.
Before he goes anywhere, he finds himself involved in a minor league deal that sends him to Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of 2023.
He has 3 times hit 30 assists in the minors and we feel he will make a fourth this frame.
Rounding out last season with 29 assists, as we thought, he makes a bit of a late decision to join Ilves for 2023/2204, signing a 1-year deal to skate in Liiga.
Montreal Canadiens‘ thus far unsigned draft pick, center Ty Smilanic(96) picked up in a trade with Florida Panthers has decided to switch up schools after a pair of years at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, he will head to University Of Wisconsin Badgers for his junior season.
He had a college career best 10 assists and 23 points last season.
The 6’1″ 174 lbs. forward twice skated USNTDP with solid enough results.
From Denver, CO, the 20-year old was a 3rd round pick in 2020 (#74 overall) and will likely do better scoring in the Big Ten.
Through only 14 games, he gets 1 goal and 1 assist.
He remains unsigned at the NHL level and as the new season is ready to roll, he signs with Trois-Rivieres Lions to possible stay close and potentially keep him a little on the radar.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round pick in the 2015 draft (#140 overall), 3rd year center Chase Pearson(46) gets the nod and make his NHL debut.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward skated 10 shifts for 7:40 ice time with 1 shot, 3 hits and went 100% on the face off dot.
He also left a 5-2 loss with a +1 rating.
The Alpharetta, GA native twice score 22 points as a rookie and 2nd year player for affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, but did it in half the AHL games the 2nd time.
He was twice captain and 3-time 20+ point guy at University Of Maine Black Bears before leaving with a year on the table.
The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent for a 2nd time, but seems like a bit of a shoe in for another deal.
Heading into 2023/2024, he decides to go for something new, signing a 1-year deal with HC Dukla Michalovce of Slovak Extraliga.
Providence Bruins‘ very large 6’5″ 211 lbs. defenseman J.D. Greenway(26) gets sent to affiliate Maine Mariners, a place he is somewhat familiar with from his time playing college hockey at University Of Maine Black Bears for two years after a transfer from University Of Wisconsin Badgers.
In 2 ECHL games, he has yet to notch a point, but that’s not exactly the strong suit for this player.
He only had very decent scoring in his transfer year, when signed with Dubuque Fighting Saints, scoring 9 goals and 24 assists in 58 USHL games and the year before arriving at his 1st school with USDP U.S. National U18 Team.
The 23-year old, original Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2016 draft (#72 overall), signed a 2-year AHL deal through 2022/2023.
Used on sparingly in 21 games last season, he jumps for another opportunity, agreeing to a contract in the lower league with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2023/2024, which will likely be a good move for this extra big skater.
Nashville Predators‘ 5th round pick in the 2017 draft (#154 overall) Czech Republic-born goaltender Tomas Vomacka(33) gets signed to a two-year entry level deal after completing his college studies at University Of Connecticut Huskies in three seasons.
He’s appeared in 71 NCAA Hockey East games posting a 2.87 GAA and .903 SV%.
The fairly large 6’3″ 190 lbs. net minder started most of his playing time back home but came over for a pair of campaigns, first in the NAHL with Corpus Christi Ice Rays, where he made his college commitment, then a run in the USHL for Lincoln Stars.
His contract kicks in immediately but considering the parent club doesn’t have an affiliate, it’s unsure where he’ll start his pro career.
He would mostly be reassigned to a pair of ECHL clubs for his contract period, but does not get a qualifying offer to stick.
The Trutnov native will head home to continue his pro career, maybe conservatively signing a 1-year deal with HC Dynamo Pardubice of Czechia2 for 2023/2024.
10th year center Corban Knight(9) signs to stay on for a 3rd season with Avangard Omsk Hawks.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#135 overall), he eventually signed an entry level deal with Calgary Flames after completing 4 successful years at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
He would next sign with the team that selected him and play a career high 20 NHL games, scoring 2 goals and 5 assists.
For the 6’2″ 195 lbs. forward final big league contract, he agreed to terms with Philadelphia Flyers and appeared in 23 games before deciding to next leave for the KHL.
The 32-year old from Oliver, BC put up a career best 30 assists and 48 points last season and raised the 2021 Gagarin Cup with his current club and also was credited with the most points in a session by a foreigner.
He didn’t match his totals from the previous campaign, but 15 goals and 19 assists through 58 games with a +14 rating, then adding another 10 points (5-5) in 14 playoff matchups, and easily he would be in good standing.
For 2023/2024, he decides to embark on something different and signs for 1-year with SC Bern of NL.
He should do really well in Switzerland’s top hockey.
Anaheim Ducks‘ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft (#9 overall) center Trevor Zegras(46) got off to a fantastic pro start with affiliate San Diego Gulls, scoring goals in both his first pair of AHL games and adding two, then one more assist en route to capturing the CCM Player Of The Week and two team victories.
The 6′ 174 lbs. pivot spent only a single at Boston University collecting 11 goals and 25 assists with a +8 rating that signaled as of age 18 his skill set was taking off.
He did much the same through a couple of years of USNTDP, especially in his 2nd session in the program.
The 19-year old zapped a quick 4 goals and 5 assists in 8 games, which had all the fans for the main squad screaming to recall him, which he received on 2/23 and now through 14 games he has a sweet, first NHL goal and 4 assists with a +1 rating on a club that’s very much out of the postseason.
In his 1st 2 full seasons up in the show he matches 23 goal outputs and comes away with a career best by 4 over his rookie campaign of 42 assists, but as a restricted free agent needs a new deal going forward.
It seems to take a bit of haggling, but he comes away with a 3-year contract worth a tidy $5.75M AAV to stay a Ducks.
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.
