Category: NHL Draft Pick

04Oct

Peter DiLiberatore (3)

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Quinnipiac University‘s 3rd year, assistant captain defenseman Peter DiLiberatore(3) decides to forego his senior campaign in favor of signing a 3-year entry level deal with draft team, Vegas Golden Knights.

The 6′ 180 lbs. blue liner was a 6th round pick in 2018 (#160 overall).

His numbers at college have been pretty consistent.

He tied his 6 goal best in 2020/2021 and averaged 15 helpers through his three years.

There’s little doubt he’ll report immediately, likely hooking up with affiliate Henderson Silver Knights, a stellar AHL club, so breaking that lineup could be a thinker.

After almost 2 full seasons and his entry level contract about to expire, he gets dealt to Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline, who look like they were eyeing him to be obtained and should retain him for at least another year.

Invited to Arizona Coyotes‘ training camp on a pto, he is released and looked to sign with affiliate Tuscon Roadrunners for 2023/2024, but has slipped off the radar and will lace them up with South Carolina Stingrays.

He plays 8 ECHL games with his new club, recording 3 assists to get himself loaned up to his former team.

While there he gets 1 goal and 2 assists for a new league best of 3 points and gets himself a deal for the season to stay up.

In 29 games, he scores 1 goal and 8 assists with a +2 rating to earn an invite to return for 2024/2025 in a Roadrunners‘ jersey.

30Sep

Andrew Peeke (52)

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6th year defenseman Andrew Peeke(52) will spend a 1st full season, 2024/2025 with the team he was traded to late last season, Boston Bruins.

The 6’3″ 216 lbs. blue liner was originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round 2016 draft pick (#34 overall) and skated  some 218 NHL games with them.

He played 3 years at University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he had 21 assists in the season before he signed his entry level deal.

From Parkland, FL, the 26-year old could easily put up career highs next season with his new team.

29Sep

Chris Wideman (6)

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11th year defenseman Chris Wideman(6) re-ups with Montreal Canadiens for another two years after recording a career high 23 assists in 2020/2021 for a last place club.

He signed a one-year deal upon his other new high point mark, 9 goals and 32 assists for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in his sole year away in the KHL, where he was named tops in his position.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner definitely knows how to run up the totals on helpers, as he did in 2nd and 3rd years under contract to draft team Ottawa Senators (4th round 2009 #100 overall) with affiliate Binghamton Senators, hitting 42.

He also reached 20 twice as a junior and senior at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.

This should be the 32-year old’s 6th full season playing in the NHL and he’s worked hard for every second.

After not playing any games last season, the now 34-year old decides to retire and has yet to announce where he will land next, but is assuredly going some place good to help out a team.

He hangs up those skates after 291 games in the big league and 280 in the AHL, 59 in Russia during the COVID swing and 143 NCAA Division 1.

No word in hockey where he may land next, but until then will help his wife with the beauty salons they opened together, which will keep him plenty busy.

27Sep

Alex Stalock (32)

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13th year goaltender Alex Stalock(32) sees his career come full circle as he returns to 2005 draft team San Jose Sharks  (4th round, #112 overall) in a trade to have him back.

He was tending net with infrequency for Edmonton Oilers‘ affiliate Bakersfield Condors and existed on the team’s taxi squad last season after being picked up on waivers from 3 years with Minnesota Wild.

The 5’11” 170 lbs. net minder has appeared in 151 NHL games with a 61-48-18 record and 2.61 GA, .909 SV%.

He is a former USHL junior hockey Clark Cup Champion, playoff MVP, best SV% and Goaltender Of The Year recipient.

The 34-year old, 3-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs is likely just a little happy to return to where it all started.

As an unrestricted free agent, he heads to Chicago Blackhawks for 2022/2023 on a 1-way deal to help them shore up their crease.

He would actually play 27 games, striking a 9-15-2 with not terrible stats on a non-playoff team, but he unrestricted and signs a 1-year, 2-way deal with the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks for 2023/2024.

San Diego Gulls enjoy his presence for 15 games last season and now at age 37, it’s time for him to announce his retirement and he will immediately take that winning personality of his to the Sharks‘ broadcast booth, starting 2024/2025.

17Sep

Steven Kampfer (44)

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12th year NHL defenseman Steven Kampfer(44) will try something new for 2021/2022, signing a 1-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL.

The former University Of Michigan Wolverines blue liner was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round 2007 draft pick (#93 overall) but traded to Boston Bruins and agreed to terms upon completing his fourth year at college.

He left the Black & Gold within his entry level deal, traded to Minnesota Wild, where he stayed for two seasons before being dealt to New York Rangers but was again quickly on the move to Florida Panthers, where he stayed for another pair of campaigns.

The 5’11” 198 lbs. d-man started his next frame in the zone for the ‘Cats but after a single game was changing addresses heading back to the Blueshirts.

It seems like this is a player who favors 2 year terms with teams, as he did another here before rejoining his original club in Boston for another two year contract and a solid role as a fill-in guy.

The 32-year old may find continued life in Russia’s top hockey but we would be surprised to see him jump around a bit before deciding to pull the curtain on it.

After putting up a career high 11 goals, 19 assists and 30 points and being named assistant captain of Team USA Olympic squad, the now 33-year old will return home on a 1-year 2-way deal with close to home, Jackson, MI, Detroit Red Wings worth at least $325K in the minors and the league minimum $750 if he stays up.

He would be traded for future considerations to Arizona Coyotes, where he would actually do alright on a non-playoff team with 3 goals and 19 assists that actually gave him a career high 6 goals and 23 assists.

Reassigned to minor league affiliate, he is named team captain for 2023/2024 of Tuscon Roadrunners.

With no quit in site, he will return to Russia for 2024/2025 and signs with Traktor Chelyabinsk.

16Sep

Benton Maass (11) with video feature: 1-question interview

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Washington Capitals‘ 6th round pick in the 2017 draft (#182 overall) defenseman Benton Maass(11) goes from a four-year skate for University Of New Hampshire Wildcats to a fifth year of eligibility, playing close to home on the start of a graduate degree with Minnesota State University Mavericks.

Although maybe not the biggest point-getter on the ice, the 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner did manage 23 assists as a senior at the hometown Elk River High in 25 USHS-MN games and 13 helpers at a freshman as his new college.

He also had 16 points (a high of 7 tallies and 9 assists) in 26 NAHL games, when he arrived at Fairbanks Ice Dogs upon completing high school.

It’s all happened fairly quickly for the 22-year old but the player who’s been in three NHL development camps looks ready at every turn.

As he finishes up, his 5th college season, he signs an ato with affiliate Hershey Bears and will join them for the remainder of the AHL frame.

Almost oddly, he plays only 2 games with his contract club, getting 1 assist and a +2 rating and is reassigned to affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, where he gets 4 goals and 7 assists in 55 ECHL games with a +13 rating.

His play is good enough to earn a continued look in Chocolatetown.

In his 2nd frame further down south, he scores a new career best 8 goals and 19 assists in 64 games with a +17 rating, so things are looking up.

Something is amiss though, as he decides to accept an assistant coach role at Lindenwood University Lions for 2024/2025, changing the role he will play in pro hockey.

16Sep

Marc Del Gaizo (2)

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Nashville Predators‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#109 overall) defenseman Marc Del Gaizo(2) will leave a year on the table at UMass Minutemen after winning the 2021 NCAA Championship in a cinderella-like run.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner was selected after his freshman season at the college, where he put up as many points basically as he did the next two, although he was almost always a plus player, leaving the school with a +60 rating.

At just 21, he can also breathe a little sigh of relief that this season may wrap up, as his 3-year entry level deal starts 2021/2022, unless he is itchy and signs an ato somewhere.

He actually jumped on for his 1st 9 AHL games for Chicago Wolves and puts up 5 assists with a +3 rating.

His contract would initiate upon playing for Milwaukee Admirals, where in his 3rd year would come away with a season best 8 goals, 34 points with another 20+ assist frame and a +18 rating, then contributed 7 points in 15 playoff games.

The 24-year old, who also played 9 NHL games last season with 3 assists and a +2 rating becomes easy to sign to a 1 year deal to continue.

11Sep

Garrett Metcalf (39)

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Undrafted rookie net minder Garrett Metcalf(39) originally signed on with Knoxville Ice Bears to start his pro career in the SPHL, but within a week off that occurring his home town Utah Grizzlies had a better offer ready.

After graduating from his third school on record, Long Island University Sharks, he would go 4-4 in his first ECHL stint with a 2.33 GAA and .915 SV%.

These stats proved good enough for them to offer the 6’4″ 195 lbs., former Anaheim Ducks‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#179 overall), now unrestricted free agent a 1-year deal to return to the crease.

The 25-year old 1st commit to UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks for only 1 year of little usage before pushing off to Mercyhurst University Lakers for 2 for the Salt Lake City, NV native, who will definitely help his team win games.

After going 2-2-1 for his new club with an outstanding 1.84 GAA and .932 SV%, he gets the nod from Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in his AHL debut gets a 2-1 win in overtime with 25 saves, posting a 0.99 GAA and .962 SV%.

He will return to Maverik Center his home state again for 2022/2023, the team he’s spent most of his time with since graduating college.

It will be little surprise to see him compete for the starter’s job.

For 2023/2024, the parent club of the team he spent most of last session with Colorado Eagles sign him to a contract.

He would head back to Utah to start the current frame, but through 4 games it is determined he should have dual hip replacement surgery (we can’t even imagine), so that will wrap up a very short-lived career, but what he turns it into next will be something to watch.

Looks like he is heading back to LIU Sharks and will jump behind the bench as an assistant coach, starting 2024/2025.

07Sep

Patrick Moynihan (39)

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Providence College Friars‘ senior right wing Patrick Moynihan(39) is a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in 2019 (#158 overall) and has decided, likely with the club’s oversight to extend school and head to University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a graduate year.

He maybe didn’t have the season he wanted to after scoring college bests as a junior (11 goals, 14 assists) in 38 games.

We do think the 22-year old, Millis, MA native could see his game improve in the Big Ten, but will have to skate for it, no doubt.

Upon losing the signing rights for him, he agrees on an ato with Chicago Wolves to get started as a pro.

He only appears in 1 AHL game with no points and for his rookie season, 2024/2025 signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

We think the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward will score in the ECHL.