Category: NHL Draft Pick

18Sep

Spencer Knight (30)

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Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft (#13 overall) goaltending wizard Spencer Knight(30) signs his 3-year entry level deal after only a 2 season stay with Boston College Eagles. where he went a phenomenal 39-12-3 record with a 2.05 GAA and .931 SV%, including 8 shutouts.

The fairly sizable 6’3″ 192 lbs. net minder has a collection of awards but maybe none better than the recent 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal earning.

He will turn just 20-years old soon but more importantly, now signed, where does he go?

The openings seem slim at the AHL, where the parent club is only riding along as their affiliate shut down operations during the pandemic, so maybe he’ll simply be an add to the taxi squad with the main group and go from there.

Before his entry level contract is up, they solidify him to stay with the Litter Cats going forward on a 3-year deal worth $4.5M AAV.

He plays a continuous workload of games with stellar results, but looking for a little more up front, he is traded to Chicago Blackhawks to start their rebuilding process and he starts with a 5-1 win to stake that claim.

In 15 games, he runs a 5-8-2 record and he is the future of their net minding, signing to a 3-year deal for worth $5.83M AAV to be a Blackhawks for the long run.

 

17Sep

Liam Gorman (20)

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University Of Massachusetts Minutemen graduate center Liam Gorman(20) may only have 2 assists in 10 games, but you feel the 6’2″ 187 lbs. power forward will strike for some Hockey East points sooner than later.

He had a college career best 12 goals and 10 assists as a senior with Princeton University Tigers.

The 23-year old from Boston, MA is a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 6th round pick in the 2018 draft (#177 overall), but was traded to Chicago Blackhawks and will need an NHL entry level deal after this frame.

Through 28 games, he only scores 1 goal and 3 assists with a +2 rating, but is not signed, so the free agent agrees to terms with Allen Americans for his ECHL rookie season, 2024/2025.

After 6 goals and 11 assists in 62 games last season, he is traded to Maine Mariners, who look to add him.

14Sep

Sascha Boumedienne (78)

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Boston University Terriers‘ sophomore Finnish-born defenseman Sascha Boumedienne(78) got himself 1st round drafted by Winnipeg Jets, #30 overall in the 2025 draft.

As a freshman, he scored 3 goals and 10 assists in 40 games with a +8 rating.

The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner came over quickly doing youth hockey in the Blue Jackets‘ system before 1 year of USHL previous to school.

We look for the still very young 18-year old to slowly grow his game.

13Sep

Asher Barnett (4)

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USNTDP 2nd year defenseman Asher Barnett(4) doesn’t put up a lot of points (3 goals and 3 assists in 21 games), but did show nice accountability last season with +8’s.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner was an Edmonton Oilers‘ 5th round pick in the 2025 draft (#131 overall).

He commits to University Of Michigan Wolverines for 2025/2026.

From Wilmette, IL, the 18-year will likely continue to grow into his game.

12Sep

Kieffer Bellows (20)

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New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2016 draft (#19 overall), left wing Kieffer Bellows(20) signs a 1-year deal as a restricted free agent to stay.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward play the entire 2020/2021 session up with the big club, but only skated 14 games, scoring 3 goals, so was either a healthy scratch or reassigned to the taxi squad.

As a 2nd year player, he would score an AHL best 22 goals and 9 assists for 31 points for affiliate Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers).

The former Edina High School, MN native was selected to head to Boston University Terriers and went onto 2 very successful USHL seasons before heading to college, but only lasted there for one year before deciding to split for Portland Winterhawks.

In 56 WHL games, he scored 41 goals and 33 assists with a +40 rating.

The 23-year old is son of former NHL player of 1188 games, Brian Bellows.

He would end up playing his 1st full frame in the big league, skating a healthy 45 games, scoring a not so bad 6 goals and 13 assists that would lead to his new 1-year, 1-way deal worth a tidy $1.2M AAV.

For 2022/2023, he would start on the roster, but it was decided to waive with the intention of reporting to the minors, but Philadelphia Flyers didn’t let him sit long and pulled him in.

He’s played 3 games with his new team, and although all loses, he’s kept it simple in his 10+ minutes of play and is only a -1.

We think the now 24-year old finds his footing, sticks and starts to make an impression.

He actually doesn’t really find his footing with 3 goals through 27 games.

For 2023/2024, he signed a pto with Toronto Marlies, is scoring big, not looking back and gets a deal for the current season.

Nashville Predators see something for their weighted 2024/2025 lineup that may start with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, but could get a call up for the 1st time in a couple of frames.

He takes some solid regular season play and point-per-game playoff looks to something new on his pro hockey playing career, a deal overseas with Brynas IF of the SHL, which should heed good results for him.

07Sep

Brandon Yip (18)

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12th year right wing Brandon Yip(18) re-ups with Kunlun Red Star after taking a single COVID volatile season away, skating for Jukurit of Liiga.

It will be his 4th season with the team he served as team captain for the last couple years.

The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward has played 174 NHL games, 103 in the AHL, 163 so far in the KHL, and a 2015 DEL Championship with Adler Mannheim, when he first arrived overseas.

He’s always been a decent scorer in these leagues but as a junior in the BCHL, he twice equaled more than point-per-game  totals in the 2 years with Coquitlam Express.

The Maple Ridge, BC native would take his game to Boston University Terriers next and strike for 22 assists as a rookie and put up 43 points (20-23) in 47 Hockey East games as a senior and help the team win the 2009 NCAA Championship.

You have to wonder if the 36-year old has it anywhere in his mind to retire soon.

He just can’t stop and returns for a 5th overall season with the China-based, Russia-league club.

Staying on as 2nd year captain, he only appears in 8 games for 2 assists.

After 347 KHL games and 7 years in the league for the newly named Shanghai Dragons, he at age 40 says it’s time to find something else for his ice time.

05Sep

Cole Spicer (25)

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Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#117 overall), University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ 2022/2023 commit, center Cole Spicer(25) was a standout in recent development camp.

The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward was a solid 2nd year scorer for the USNTDP with 10 goals and 6 assists in 26 USHL games.

At just 18-years old, he’ll definitely have to work to make an impact in the tough NCHC.

After 2 college seasons, he is maybe not producing the way he wants to and leaves for another season of juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints for some nice point-per-game totals that he will take to a new commit 2025/2026 at Western Michigan University Broncos.

04Sep

Jack Devine (41)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ senior right wing Jack Devine(41) impressed on a pto, signed with affiliate Charlotte Checkers after agreeing to a 3-year NHL entry level contract with draft club, Florida Panthers (7th round, 2022, #221).

The 6′ 185 lbs. played 2 years of USNTDP before college and was in the Chicago Mission program previous to that.

From Glencoe, IL, the still young to graduate school, 21-year old will be a spot to which league he starts in as a rookie.

29Aug

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (11)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior center Gunnarwolfe Fontaine(11) caps a successful final season in a college jersey by scoring the overtime game-winner to lift his team to a 2nd straight Beanpot Championship.

The small 5’8″ 174 lbs. forward is a Nashville Predators‘ 7th round pick in the 2020 draft (#202 overall).

He may not equal college scoring highs he set as a junior, but still has solid totals and a +5 rating.

The East Greenwich, RI native played 2 USHL seasons, scoring big for Chicago Steel.

It seems like a pretty easy consideration to give him a 2-year entry level contract to see what he can do in the system.

Once again, spectacular for his college club with crucial game-winning goals, he will extend college for a year of eligibility at Ohio State University Buckeyes, which should just see him continue on his path.

After a new college best 17 goals and 23 assists, he signs with Iowa Wild, but in 5 games gets no points with a +1 rating.

For his rookie season, he agrees with Toronto Marlies 2025/2026.

28Aug

Louie Caporusso (23)

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

11th year center Louie Caporusso(23) signed for a 2nd season with Cincinnati Cyclones after lighting it up for 22 goals and 44 assists in 67 ECHL games last season.

The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward has 7 times had 10+ goals, 3 times 20+ assists and once had 30 assists in his 3rd DEL campaign.

He also had three 20+ goals and twice 20+ assists at University Of Michigan Wolverines.

Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in 2007 (#90 overall), he was in their system for a couple of sessions, but left unqualified and signed the next year with Reading Royals.

He would last only 24 games before leaving for his 1st of 6 frames in Germany’s top hockey.

At 33-years old, the Toronto, ON native is likely just still having fun.

After 3 seasons of point-per-game scoring with Cincinnati Cyclones, he decides looking back on some 265 ECHL games and 216 in DEL Germany is quite enough and will at now 36-years old ease into a special team coaching role with his former, still current team.