Norwich Sea Captains‘ 3rd year defenseman Tony Marron(14) takes an NA3HL junior best scoring, 7 goals and 15 assists in 46 games with a +5 rating to a 2025/2026 commit at Western Connecticut State University Wolves.
The 5’9″ 163 lbs. 21-year old blue liner from of all odd places, Hamilton, BMU should do well.
12th year unrestricted free agent center Riley Nash(20) picks up a 1-year deal at the minimum with Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022.
He was coming off a good money deal, but terrible fit with Columbus Blue Jackets that was eventually rolled to Toronto Maple Leafs for no games played.
A former Edmonton Oilers‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#21 overall), he’s never quick displayed the offensive finesse he did in 2 seasons with Thompson Blazer U18 AAA, then 1 season for Salmon Arms Silverbacks, scoring 38 goals and 46 assists in 55 BCHL games before heading to Cornell University Big Red.
The 6’2″ 188 lbs. forward is a veteran of 578 NHL games, 63 goals, 109 assists with his best outing coming in the 2nd year of his 2-year deal with Boston Bruins, and he somehow tipped in career highs 15 goals and 26 assists with a +16 rating to earn him that 3-year deal with the Ohio club.
At 32-years old, we got to think he’s pretty happy just getting a contract and who knows what he’s still capable of putting together.
For 2022/2023, he will return on a 2-year AHL deal to where it all started 13 years ago in 2010 with Charlotte Checkers, and will likely be one of the happiest guys in the locker room (and a true leader).
His 1st time back in forever and he lights it up big with an easy minor league career best 24 goals and 35 assists.
For 2023/2024, he makes maybe a little of a strategic decision, signing for 2-year 2-way the 2nd campaign with New York Rangers.
He plays 41 games in the minors, scoring well, then shows nice increases in the Calder Cup playoffs, but sits for all of the 2nd year of his deal and after 628 NHL and 312 in the A, at 36-years old enough is enough due to nagging concussion issues.
We see what awaits him next.
3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.
After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.
From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.
After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.
Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.
He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.
For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.
He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.
Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.
A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.
He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.
After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.
As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.
Colgate University Raiders‘ junior left wing Colton Young(26) is having a college career year with new bests of 11 goals and 19 points in 20 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 6′ 174 lbs. forward put up consecutive 60+ point numbers in two years of junior hockey for Canmore Eagles, finishing with 157 in 176 AJHL games.
At 23-years old, the forthcoming unrestricted free agent will definitely be one to see where he heads to start pro hockey, if he does.
And he does, signing a deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he has 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 ECHL games, heading into the playoffs.
He grabs 1 assist in 5 playoff games and is an easy sign to welcome back as a Swamp Rabbits for his rookie season 2023/2024.
Through 39 games, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists, but is loaned up to Ontario Reign for 19 AHL games, where he pots 2 goals and 2 assists.
For 2024/2025, he is invited back to wear a Swamp Rabbits‘ jersey, which he would do, but late in the game is invited back to the Reign for the upcoming session.
Mostly reassigned, he is traded to Norfolk Admirals, where he does pretty well, but is an unrestricted free agent, heading into 2025/2026 and signs with Kalamazoo Wings.
Robert Morris University Pioneers‘ senior defenseman Trevor LeDonne(57) signs a 1st pro deal, an ato with Allen Americans after putting up a college best 3 goals and 2 assists last season.
The 6’1″ 192 lbs. blue liner came over following 2 full seasons at University Of St. Thomas Tommies.
From Stony Break, ON, he did 2 BCHL junior seasons before college.
The 25-year old has 1 assist in 7 ECHL games.
He grabs 1 goal and 3 assists in 15 games, but looks to Wheeling Nailers for his 1st official contract for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Alex Tonge(88) returns from a short, three game stint in Poland’s top league for GKS Tychy to Norfolk Admirals, where he spent the last 20 ECHL games of the 2019/2020 season, scoring a tidy 9 goals and 7 assists.
The former solid three-year scorer at Robert Morris University Colonials had sophomore and junior campaigns with 44 points, then 39 points in 39 Atlantic Hockey games as a senior.
He spent 4 years in the OJHL with Kingston Voyageurs growing his game and was discovered by his college after a strong 3rd session, getting 29 goals and 43 assists.
The 26-year old will definitely be a top scorer in the league but still has to become more accountable on ice to round out his overall play.
After an easy season best campaign in 2021/2022, scoring a way high 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points in 66 games on a non-playoff team, he is set to leave for DEL2, signing a 1-year deal with Heilbronner Falken for 2022/2023.
He blows up tier 2 German scoring to the tune of 19 goals and 40 assists in 52 games, then another 8 points in the playoffs.
Scoring would continue with his new league team EV Landshut, but he decides to look elsewhere and signs with Sweden’s tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan and does alright.
For 2024/2025, he will head to the EIHL and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think he will become a very popular player.
The injury bug hits him and he is only able to skate 10 games last season, which was almost still equal to a point-per-game outcome.
He returns “home” for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears.
Castelton University Spartans‘ senior center Jackson Kobelka(23) has 1 goal and 1 assist in 13 games this season.
His high is 4 goals and 2 assists as a sophomore the year after he transferred from Albertus Magnus College Falcons.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. plays a pretty straight forward, hard checking game.
From Okotoks, AB, the 24-year, who played through 3 junior leagues before school is an interesting watch, who we think will start connecting.
In 22 games, he scores a new best 4 goals and 3 assists, which he takes to a 1st deal with Laser HT in Suomi-sarja for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ junior goaltender Kyle McClellan(33) transfers in for 2022/2023 after 2 seasons at Mercyhurst University Lakers.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. net minder had almost identical NAHL, then USHL seasons before committing to school.
From Manchester, MO, the 23-year old will definitely help his new Big Ten team win games.
In his 2nd season at his new school, he was able to show very impressive marks with a 1.94 GAA and .931 SV% that he took to a 1st deal with Iowa Wild, but was reassigned to Iowa Heartlanders.
He did ok, but is moving onto another ECHL team for 2025/2026, Cincinnati Cyclones.
UMass Minutemen graduate center Matt Koopman(36) came over from 4 decent seasons at Providence College Friars.
His team is eliminated in the opening round of Hockey East playoffs, so he quickly pivots to sign a 1st pro deal with Wheeling Nailers and he’s off and running.
The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has 3 times scored 5 goals in a college season, including this past one, but always seems like he puts up more points with his style of play.
Considering he left his 2nd season with Waterloo Blackhawks to join his 1st college team, the expectation may have been higher.
The 24-year old Marblehead, MA native could find more opportunities to hit the stat sheet as a pro, but we’ll watch to see.
In 14 ECHL games, he managed a 1st goal and 6 assists with a 0 rating on a non-playoff team.
He likes his experiences as he re-signs to stick for his official rookie season.
16 goals and 18 assists in 71 games with a +4 rating, then 4, 4 and a +4 in 9 playoff matchups and he will be back for another ride in a Nailers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
He maybe scores a little less in his 2nd frame, but is definitely wanted to continue in Wheeling for 2025/2026.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 9th year, Boston, MA native, played his college hockey at Boston University Terriers and for draft team (3rd round, 2012, #85 overall), Boston Bruins‘ 8 year defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk(48) is playing his hockey away from home for the 1st time since heading to USNTDP for juniors.
The 5’11” 174 lbs. blue liner even did his high school hockey at Belmont Hill.
He just hit 30-years old and 4 times has had 20+ assist seasons, so we think he will blend in well with his new club.
In a full slate of 82 NHL games, he scores 1 goal and a new high 39 assists, 40 points and signs a pto to find space on Chicago Blackhawks‘ blue line for 2025/2026, which we think he will be successful in his pitch.
