8th year defenseman Tim Daly(76) will spend his 4th season with Rungsted Seier Capital, where he must like playing, scoring 10+ goals per season and helping them win a pair of Metal Ligaen Championships in 2019 and 2021.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. blue liner was never much of a scorer through 4 years at St. Cloud State University Huskies, then averaged 5 goals and 15 assists in 3 ECHL seasons, which isn’t so bad with one breakout frame for Utah Grizzlies, scoring an almost head scratching 10 goals and 28 assists with a +24 rating.
At 30-years old, the Maple Ridge, BC native must be a bit just happy to be still playing well.
10th year defenseman Riley Sheahan(15) waits a tiny bit after Buffalo Sabres decline to do anything to retain his rights, but Seattle Kraken move in and offer him a nice 1-year deal worth $850K AAV.
The former Detroit Red Wings‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#21 overall) spent his rookie season with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins and won the 2013 AHL Calder Cup Championship.
He split next campaign between the two leagues, but was up full-time after signing his first one-way contract, as he was set to become a restricted free agent.
The 6’2″ 216 lbs. has his best point production in the first year of his new deal, scoring 13 goals and best 23 assists for 36 points in an almost full slate, 79 NHL games.
He would follow it up with another good session, a new high 14 goals and 11 assists in 81 games.
Almost oddly, it was after signing his most lucrative 2-year deal, where his numbers started to slide and he was traded early in the final frame of it to Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was literally the team magic that brought him back to life, striking for 11 goals and 21 assists.
He bounced around a little from there, but we’re thinking the former 3-year University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish 29-year old will like his new surroundings.
After posting some decent totals, 4 goals, 13 assists in 68 games, he chooses to move closer to home, St. Catharine’s, ON and signs on with the Sabres for a 2nd time in a couple seasons.
Cole Guttman(19) takes a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Championship with his school of 4 years University Of Denver Pioneers, where he scored a college career best 19 goals and 26 assists in 41 games with a +20 rating to a new 2-year NHL entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks.
The 5’9″ 168 lbs. forward was originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2017 draft (#180 overall).
He basically signed up everywhere after an exceptional 1st USHL season with Dubuque Fighting Saints, scoring 27 goals and 27 assists in 53 games.
The 23-year old Northridge, CA native will have to fight for space and will likely start with affiliate Rockford Icehogs but will likely compete for every inch.
Undrafted 4th year center Josh Dickinson(22) was coming off a three year entry level deal with Colorado Avalanche, signed after completing just one year at Clarkson University Golden Knights.
The 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward was not given a qualifying offer to stick, after his rights were traded to Chicago Blackhawks, where he was sent to Indy Fuel to play out his contract.
He’s easily a point-per-game guy in the ECHL, which is likely why Toledo Walleye stepped in to sign the unrestricted free agent for 2021/2022.
The Georgetown, ON native skated 3 junior hockey seasons for hometown Georgetown Raiders, where he was discovered for college and went on to win the 2017 OJHL Championship before reporting to school.
There’s little doubt the 23-year old will likely step up his game on such a good, offensive team to play for.
After scoring huge numbers in the lower league, he would get loaned up to Grand Rapids Griffins and. actually play more AHL games at 48, grabbing 6 goals and 7 assists with a +4 rating, but returned for the playoffs with similar scoring results.
For 2022/2023, he has decided to branch out, accepting a 1-year deal from MoDo Hockey and will join their Allsvenskan-based team.
Castleton University Spartans‘ Finnish-born, graduate center Anton Tarvainen(27) heads home to sign with Haukat of tier 3 Suomi-sarja for 2022/2023.
The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward played most of his junior hockey close by, but did come over to play a season of GMHL for Bradford Bulls, putting up some really nice numbers.
Not exactly the best scorer through college, the 25-year old may find some open ice in this league to get the numbers.
Dartmouth University Big Green 2022/2023 commit, defenseman Eric Charpentier(20) had a solid 1st NAHL season for New Jersey Titans, scoring 2 goals and 18 assists in 58 games with a +26, then adding 2 assists in 13 playoff matchups on the way to the 2022 Robertson Cup.
The big 6’3″ 201 lbs., 20-year old forward from Silver Springs, MD will likely bring it to the ECAC as a freshman.
18th year center Marco Rosa(91) decides at age 40, he will retire.
It would seem like a complete no-brainer for him to stay with Asiago as a coach, where he has played the last 5 years, winning 2 Italy Cups and 2 AlpsHL Championships.
And he actually accepts a position to become head coach of their junior squad.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward has skated 353 AHL games with a +29 rating, 122 as a more than point-per-game player in the ECHL and close to 400 overseas.
He has played on 4 teams that no longer exist.
The former Merrimack College Warriors‘ senior captain almost surprisingly never earned an NHL recall.
We’re sure what the Scarborough, ON native is setting himself up for a great hockey after-life.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ Slovakian-born graduate center Luka Maver(25) heads back to sign for 2022/2023 with Pioneers Vorarlberg of Austria’s top league, IceHL.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. forward did not play as a freshman.
He played some of his junior hockey back home, but also skated three years, 2 NAHL, 1 USHL before committing to school.
We think the 24-year old’s game gets to open up a bit in Austria’s top league.
Swedish-born left wing Emil Westerlund(30) finishes up a graduate year at University Of Maine Black Bears and gets a tryout offer from Almtuna IS of HockeyAllsvenskan to return “home” for 2022/2023 and goes for it.
The 6’2″ 198 lbs. forward should be able to adapt to play pretty well, coming from the hard-hitting Hockey East he mostly played in college.
He definitely has shown flashes of scoring, especially in juniors with Linkoping HC that we think will come to life, where he’s comfortable playing.
The 24-year old will certainly be an interesting watch.
11th year pro Vincent LoVerde(5) decides it’s time to move on after spending the last pair of seasons under a minor league contract with Hartford Wolf Pack.
He’s twice won Calder Cup Championships: 2015 Manchester Monarchs and 2018 Toronto Marlies, once as captain, once as assistant.
The always solid 5’11” 205 lbs. d-man has played 517 games in the AHL, scoring a nice 50 goals and 126 assists with an eye gaggling +115 rating.
He’s like Mr. Accountability.
The 32-year old has never played a minute in the show, but coming up from his start as an undrafted player signing two ECHL contracts with Ontario Reign to working his way up to three big league deals, twice with parent club Los Angeles Kings and even a pair of one-way years with Toronto Maple Leafs.
A Chicago, IL native, he not surprisingly completed four years at University Of Miami (Ohio).
He will next put on the skates in Austria’s IceHL, a coalition league of 6 countries’ clubs, and lace up for the somewhat famous EC Salzburg, which should turn out pretty great.
Scoring a pair of goals and 13 assists in 41 games with a +15 rating, then only an assist, but great accountability with a +6 en route to the 2022 IceHL Championship.
He definitely takes this success up a level and signs for 2022/2023 with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL.
