University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior center Jackson Kunz(89) signs a 1-year AHL deal with draft team Vancouver Canucks (4th round, 2020, #113 overall) affiliate Abbotsford Canucks for 2025/2026.
He joined the team for 1 game and recorded an assist, but play in no playoff games en route to the 2025 Calder Cup Championship.
The 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward blew up USHS-Prep scoring, then took that to 1 off the hook USHL frame before college.
Brown University Bears‘ sophomore left wing Tyler Kopff(21) finishes up tournament play and maybe just a slight surprise, as he’s coming off a college best 9 goals and 19 assists collection in 32 games with a +1 rating to signing a 2-year NHL deal with Buffalo Sabres, as an undrafted, unrestricted free agent and leaves 2 years on the shelf.
The 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward from Ridgewood, NJ did all his youth hockey next to home before making the jump to the BCHL for a couple of remarkable sessions before school.
His contract begins next season, 2025/2o26, but he signed an ato with affiliate Rochester Americans and in 6 AHL games came away with 1 assist.
Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ freshman left wing Edward Moskowitz(22) enters the transfer portal after just 7 games of play last season and will skate with Middlebury College Panthers for his sophomore year, 2025/2026.
He had 1 assist with a 0 rating.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward from Toronto, ON played 2 frames of juniors up north, but also came down for a succesful stint with South Shore Kings of the USPHL/NCDC.
We do feel he will play way more games and find more room to move and score points in D3 hockey.
University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish graduate left wing Jackson Pierson(19) signs a 1st pro deal and doesn’t go far from school with Fort Wayne Komets, which should lend him some valuable experience out of the gate.
The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward only put up 1 goal and 8 assists in 31 games, but managed 4 10+ assist seasons for University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.
From Zionsville, IL, the 23-year old barely played but 2 games of USHL hockey before heading to college.
We think he’s on the right team to find some footing out of the gate.
After 6 ECHL games with no points, he signs for 2023/2024 with Atlanta Gladiators, where he is likely to find his footing to score.
And he does score some points, 17 goals and 26 assists in a full slate of 72 games, the rookie assistant captain will return in a Gladiators‘ jersey to work on that horrible plus/minus, which we are sure happens on a better team.
He is taking 2 seasons of 26 assists to a new adventure for himself, signing with Herforder EV Ice Dragons of Germany3 for 2025/2026.
Western Michigan University Broncos‘ graduate left wing Joe Cassetti(22) signs with Belfast Giants for 2024/2025, his rookie season.
The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward will definitely command some space in front of EIHL nets.
From Pleasanton, CA, he came over after 3 gradually escalating years at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.
He started as a freshman at Merrimack College Warriors, but left for more time with his USHL team, Waterloo Blackhawks.
We think he parks it, he should be just fine.
He actually gets injured and skates 0 games with his new team, other than some Challenger Cup games.
For 2025/2026, he looks to move on and signs with ESV Kaufbeuren of DEL2 and we think, if healthy will do really well.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Cooper Moore(3) left his 2 years at the school with a +36 rating.
He transferred as a junior from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner from Greenwich, CT did only 1 very strong BCHL session before college.
He was very successful at USHS-Prep.
The 24-year old signed a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack for his rookie season 2025/2026.
He was originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round pick in 2019 (#128 overall).
Detroit Red Wings‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#170 overall) defenseman Patrick Holway(6) signed an AHL ato with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins as he was finishing up his last year of college hockey at Merrimack College.
I guess we’ll see if the parent club follows through to sign the very big 6’5″ 220 lbs. blue liner, but if that doesn’t materialize we feel that the Cohassett, MA native will become an irresistible unrestricted free agent signee.
After appearing in 6 games without registering a point and having his rights expire with the club that selected him, the 24 year old signs with South Carolina Stingrays to play his first full year of pro hockey and should do well in the ECHL.
The giant-sized forward was loaned up to San Jose Barracuda after a goal and 12 assists with his original contract team.
He finished the frame there, playing 43 AHL games, scoring 4 goals and 8 assists to grab a new contract with the team for 2022/2023.
Playing in only 27 games, scoring 2 assists with a -9 rating without being reassigned definitely has him searching where next and lands at Florida Everblades for 2023/2024.
He is playing well and scores a new best 7 goals and 9 assists in 31 games with a +2 rating, but maybe feels like he needs more and decides to leave, signing with HC Slovan Bratislava of Slovak Extraliga.
In 13 games, he records 7 assists, then scores a goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff matchups to make this journey a success.
For 2024/2025, he heads off to IceHL, signing with Villacher SV, which should continue to yield good results.
In 41 games, he yields 3 goals and 15 assists with a +7 rating, but decides to sign with Dragons de Rouen of Ligue Magnus for 2025/2026.
Charlotte Checkers‘ 8th year center Scott Wilson(10) is off to a good start with his new team, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 16 AHL games, while helping them win games.
Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#209 overall), he was selected after a 2nd strong session for Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL.
The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward would then head to UMass-Lowell Riverhawks for three seasons.
He spent three years in the Pens’ system and played the entire 2016/2017 in the NHL en route of the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship, where he played 20 playoff matchups, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists.
The 29-year old should have some fun with his minor league deal this year and then look for a nice overseas contract for 2022/2023.
After scoring a career best 24 goals in 71 games, he decides at the last minute to head off and sign with Vityaz Podolsk, as we thought he might do, after initially thinking he was going to return.
He should be able to match up well in the KHL.
After a couple of good 20-goal scoring seasons, he was maybe off a bit in the current frame, so switches up allegiances to skate for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the remainder of 2024/2025.
He has a pretty spectacular season with 9 goals and 14 assists in 30 games with a +13 rating, then added 16 points in 19 playoff matchups, but for 2025/2026, he will sign with a 5th league team, agreeing to terms for HC Sibir Novosibirsk for 2025/2026.
Lindenwood University Lions‘ junior defenseman Joe Prouty(15) played a college high 32 games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists that he will take to a senior year closer to his Apple Valley, MN home at Michigan Tech University Huskies.
The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner did 3 strong NAHL seasons with New Mexico Ice Wolves.
He was very successful in high school hockey as well.
The 23-year old will likely see his game increase in the CCHA.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 1st round pick in the 2017 draft (#25 overall), 3rd year center Ryan Poehling(41) re-ups for another 2 years with the 2nd year being on one-way terms.
The 6’2″ 204 lbs. power forward played a first big league game after agreeing to his 2-year entry level deal following a third year at State Cloud State University Huskies.
In that game he pulled off the rare feat of scoring an NHL hat trick in his debut.
Not bad for 11:22 of playing time.
He was very close to being a point-per-game guy last season with affiliate Laval Rocket (11-14-25) with a +5 in 28 AHL games.
The Lakeville, MN native was on a fast track through high school, then signing for his only time in junior hockey, 9 USHL games with Lincoln Stars (2 goals, 2 assists) before heading straight to school for a freshman campaign.
It seems if the 22-year old is given his shot to prove he can play, he could very well become a 20-goal scorer before too long.
He was traded during the offseason before the start of this 3rd year to Pittsburgh Penguins, where he played 53 games, registering 7 goals and 7 assists, but was left unqualified from his contract with the former club, so became an unrestricted free agent.
For 2023/2024, he signs a 1-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers for $1.4M AAV.
He has his best scoring season with 12 goals and 19 assists and is still under contract, but gets dished to Anaheim Ducks in a huge deal that should see him continue to put up career numbers with his new club, but he will need a contract.
