Category: NHL Draft Pick

University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ freshman center Cole McKinney(11) already has 3 goals and 4 assists in 10 games this season.

The 6′ 201 lbs. forward was more than a point-per-game scorer through his 2nd USNTDP season and did the same coming up with the Chicago Mission program.

From Chicago, IL, the 18-year old found himself to be a San Jose Sharks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2025 NHL draft (#53 overall).

Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2021 draft (#98 overall), center Josh Lopina(18) picked up his 3-year NHL entry level deal upon deciding to leave UMass Minutemen after a college career sophomore season, scoring 12 goals and 15 assists in 27 games with a +21 rating.

He had equally stellar numbers as a freshmen, when they went on to win the 2021 NCAA Division 1 National Championship.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward twice put up 12 goals with Lincoln Stars in a pair of USHL sessions.

He managed to grab an assist in his AHL debut with affiliate San Diego Gulls and be credited with 2 shots on net and a +1 rating.

The 21-year old looks ready to step into his new lifestyle.

After 3 years in the same place, he moves on to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates for 2025/2026.

He has 1 goal and 1 assist in 4 ECHL games, where we think he notches points really well.

University Of Massachusetts Minutemen sophomore, left wing Taylor Makar(6) is starting to pop scoring with 7 goals and 2 assists in 19 games.

The fairly sizable 6’4″ 209 lbs. forward was a Colorado Avalanche 7th round pick in the 2021 draft (#220 overall), which could very well put him on the same team as his Stanley Cup winning, NHL Best Defenseman brother, Cale Makar.

He has yet to prove he has the same depth, but did take his scoring up in his 3rd season with AJHL junior team, Brooks Bandits before getting selected.

The Calgary, AB native is big and looks to be starting to use his size to his advantage, which will definitely create room for him to score.

For his senior year, he decides to head off to Hockey East rival, University Of Maine Black Bears for 2024/2025 and he’s off to a huge start with 4 goals and 3 assists in 4 games.

There’s little doubt he will post some college hockey bests, but 18 goals and 12 assists in 38 games with a +24 rating and he is ready to sign and does on a 1-year NHL deal.

He reports to affiliate Colorado Eagles on an ato to get things started.

Starting the season in the AHL, he skates 10 games, scoring 1 goal and 3 assists with a +4 rating to score a 1st appearance in the big league.

He skates just 8 shifts for 6:07 ice time in a 3-2 overtime loss.

University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate center Chris Jandric(7) signs for his 2nd pro season with ERC Ingolstadt 2025/2026 after a 40 assist season as a rookie with a +23 rating.

Then the 5’11” 180 lbs. forward scored another 13 points in 21 games to capture the 2025 ECHL Kelly Cup Championship.

He had a college best scoring 29 assists last year.

From Prince George, BC, we look for the 27-year old to continue to do well.

5th year center Troy Josephs(16) signs on for a 2nd season with HC Lugano, continuing his climb up Swiss Hockey leagues.

He skated for EHC Visp of the tier 2 SL, when arriving from North America.

The 6′ 194 lbs. was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2013 draft (#209 overall), but only signed an AHL deal with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

He was two years in the system, but mostly reassigned down to Wheeling Nailers, where he exploded on the scoresheet as a more than point-per-game player and eventually just signed an ECHL contract.

There’s little doubt the 27-year, former 4-year Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ old found his footing immediately overseas and will continue to do so, as he climbs.

He would end up a 2nd full session with the NL club, putting up 5 goals and 15 assists that he will take to a new, bold opportunity, signing a 1-year deal with Lada Togliatti of the KHL.

Doing best in his first run at Russian hockey, he scores 20 goals, but is fairly consistent as he travels between a couple of teams and for 2025/2026 will head to a 3rd, signing with HK Sochi.

After 10 games with 2 assists, not sure what has occurred, but he becomes available to Shanghai Dragons to sign for the term.

UMASS Minutemen sophomore defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce(23) was picked up by Colorado Avalanche in the 3rd round of the 2025 draft (#77 overall) after putting up 7 goals and 17 assists in 40 games as a freshman with a +18 rating.

The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner only did 1 BCHL year before college.

From Toronto, ON, the 20-year old seemed to play onto the team who selected him’s radar.

University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ sophomore center William Horcoff(44) left his 2nd USNTDP season to join his college commit team and scored 4 goals and 6 assists in 18 games.

In his 2nd year, the 6’5″ 203 lbs. forward has 6 goals and 4 assists in 7 games.

He also became a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2025 draft (#24 overall).

From Birmingham, MI, the 18-year old will see how long he school stays.

7th year left wing Joseph LaBate(16) signed a 1-year AHL deal with Milwaukee Admirals for 2021/2022 and is off to a nice 2 goal in 4 game start.

The very big 6’5″ 217 lbs. forward played 4 years at University Of Wisconsin Badgers, averaging 20 points per season before signing his 2-year entry deal with draft club, Vancouver Canucks (round 4, 2011, #101 overall).

He stayed with them for three campaigns and did play 13 NHL games (no points) before becoming a group 6 free agent and signing the first of three minor league contracts with Belleville Senators.

It was his 2nd run with the club, when he put up his best numbers, just a couple seasons ago, a tying 10 goals and best 16 assists and 26 points with a +19 rating.

The 28-year old, Eagan, MN native has to be looking overseas for his next play and could likely do incredibly well with that big frame.

He comes away with 5 goals and 7 assists in 56 games last season and decides to stick around, signing for 2022/2023 with Chicago Wolves.

In 53 games, he walks with a new best 11 goals and 11 assists with a +3 rating and will take that fortune to a new KHL cal with Barys Astana for 2023/2024, as he enters his 9th pro season.

For his 10th year playing pro hockey, he returns from 8 goals and 10 assists in 49 games to sign pto with Cleveland Monsters to make the team for 2024/2025.

He scores 1 goal and 3 assists in 5 games and he gets himself signed to a 1-year, 2-way contract by the parent club, Columbus Blue Jackets.

In 6 NHL games, he records an assist and is good for 8 goals and 13 assists in 51 games in the minors last season.

An unrestricted free agent, he heads back to his draft team and signs a 1-year deal with Vancouver Canucks for 2025/2026 and will likely join Calder Cup Champs Abbotsford Canucks for a little bit.

He is off to a hot start and maybe had a good training camp that sets him for a 1st NHL game with the team since 2017.

Boston University Terriers‘ 2022 Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick (#62 overall), freshman defenseman Lane Hutson(48) is off to a monster start, scoring 6 goals and 11 assists in 14 NCAA Division 1 games with a +6 rating.

The fairly small 5’9″ 155 lbs. blue liner ran up some hefty scoring totals in his 2nd session with USNTDP, pocketing just 10 goals, but 53 assists in 60 USHL games with an overwhelming +59 rating.

An only 18-year older from Holland, MI, he looks like he won’t be sticking around in school for too long before accepting his NHL entry level deal, now doesn’t he?

He runs up almost identical freshman/sophomore stats (49 points) and an overall +39 rating through 77 games and taking it all the way to the Frozen Four twice, but that’s enough for the now 20-year old, who signs a 3-year entry level deal with his draft club and steps right into action.

Early in his debut, he sets up the opening goal by his team for a 1st NHL assist and point for himself.

He skates 23 shifts for 21:54 ice time with 1 shot on net and left the game a -1 rating, as his team squandered the lead to a desperate for a win club.

For the 2024/2025 season, he is selected as Rookie Of The Year for an outstanding performance for 6 goals and a massive 60 assists in 73 games.

He has 1 assist in 3 games to start 2025/2026, but is rewarded quickly with a new 8-year $70.8M contract, working out to a tidy $8.85AAV to stay a Canadiens long-term.