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Several College Free Agents Sign AHL Contracts

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Somewhat surprisingly, there haven’t been many college free agents that have been able to land NHL contracts that begin right away.  That has resulted in some of the more notable remaining free agents ultimately settling for AHL deals.  Here’s a rundown of those moves.

  • Defenseman Dylan Anhorn inked an ATO agreement along with a one-year contract for next season with AHL Manitoba, per a team release. The 25-year-old was linked to Winnipeg earlier this week and they’ll be able to get him on their affiliate without committing an entry-level contract to him.  Anhorn was quite impactful for St. Cloud State this season, notching six goals and 27 assists in 38 games to finish second on the team in scoring.
  • Winger Riese Gaber has signed with AHL Charlotte through the 2025-26 season, the team announced. The 24-year-old is believed to have had some NHL interest in free agency a couple of years ago after a strong sophomore year with the University of North Dakota but he decided to stay in school.  Gaber’s offensive numbers never really dropped – he had 34 points in 40 games this season – but the fact they leveled off coupled with his 5’8 stature likely hindered him on the open market this time around.
  • Goaltender Blake Pietila has signed an ATO with AHL Cleveland, per a team release. The 24-year-old has been one of the more consistent goalies in the NCAA in recent years and posted a 2.12 GAA and a .921 SV% in 141 appearances across five seasons at Michigan Tech.  However, given his size (6’0), it seemed unlikely that he’d be able to get an entry-level deal right away considering the emphasis many NHL teams place on size for their netminders.
  • Defenseman Garrett Pyke has inked an ATO for the rest of this season plus a one-year deal with AHL Colorado, the team announced. The 24-year-old spent this past season at the University of North Dakota, setting new personal benchmarks in assists (22) and points (25).

Devils Expected To Sign Dylan Wendt

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The New Jersey Devils are expected to sign Western Michigan University’s Dylan Wendt, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). This deal would mark New Jersey’s first venture into the NCAA since signing Luke Hughes in 2022 and Brian Halonen, Aarne Talvitie, and Tyce Thompson in 2021.

Wendt exploded onto the scene this season, ranking second on Western Michigan with 23 goals and 44 points in 38 games. It was a tremendous jump in scoring, after Wendt tallied just 25 points in 73 games as an underclassman. And it came thanks to a boost in role, with Wendt moving into Western Michigan’s top-six and top power-play unit this season. He didn’t squander the opportunity – using a strong understanding of positioning, quick hands, and the ability to make sneaky passes to emerge as a key playmaker for the Broncos. Wendt was a key set-up man for top scorers Luke Grainger and Alex Bump, and always seemed to be in the right place to bury any second-chance opportunities.

Wendt was a critical part of the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he worked alongside San Jose Sharks prospect Daniil Gushchin and New York Islanders prospect Cameron Berg to lead Muskegon to the league’s semi-finals. Again, Wendt’s strong understanding of the three lanes of the ice and his strong playmaking from the wings led to high scoring, with Wendt totaling 17 goals and 45 points in 53 games, and adding four assists in four playoff games. He’ll now look to become the third player from that lineup to play pro hockey, alongside Guschin and John Farinacci.

Wild Prospect Charlie Stramel Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

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Transfer season has arrived in the NCAA with several players applying for transfers daily.  Among the list of players who entered today is Wild prospect Charlie Stramel, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

The 19-year-old was a first-round pick by Minnesota back in June, going 21st overall.  Stramel had a successful run in the U.S. National Team Development Program and then went to college for the 2022-23 campaign.  He had a quiet year offensively in 2022-23 but that is often the case for freshmen.  With a sound defensive game, the hope was that the offense would come along, making him a viable two-way threat and someone the Wild hope will be part of their long-term core.

However, things didn’t go quite according to plan this past season.  After putting up a dozen points in 33 games in 2022-23, they actually went down in his sophomore year as Stramel had just three goals and five assists in 34 contests and he wound up spending a good chunk of the year on the fourth line.  That’s not the type of progression Stramel or the Wild were hoping to see.

Now, Stramel will seek out a new place to play and a program where he will have a better opportunity to develop as a prospect.  Oddly enough, Max Olson and Michael Russo of The Athletic relay (subscription link) that Stramel has made it known that he doesn’t want to be contacted by schools.  Whether that means that he has a place to play in mind or if he wants to do his own research and then reach out to other programs remains to be seen.  Either way, wherever Stramel lands, expectations will be considerably higher for a player already halfway through his college career.

Central Notes: Wood, Snuggerud, Tanev, Makar

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In recent days, reports indicated that Nashville Predators’ prospect, Matthew Wood, would be entering the transfer portal to move on from the University of Connecticut. Having now made his decision, we can independently confirm that Wood is expected to choose the University of Minnesota as his new destination.

Over two years in Connecticut, Wood appeared in a total of 70 games, scoring 27 goals and 62 points overall, leading to his selection as the 15th overall pick of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, outside of some personal success, Connecticut has failed to compete with other schools within the Hockey East Conference, likely leading to Wood’s decision to move on.

Moving to Minnesota, Wood will be joining a better program, and arguably joining a stronger Conference too in the Big Ten. This year, the Gophers finished with a 23-11-5 record, losing to Boston University in the Regional Finals of the Frozen Four Tournament.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying at the University of Minnesota, the team will carry a familiar face on the roster next season, with the St. Louis Blues announcing that Jimmy Snuggerud would spend another year with the program. After being selected 23rd overall by the Blues back in the 2022 NHL Draft, Snuggerud has been on the Gophers roster ever since. This past season, Snuggerud was once again one of the best players in the NCAA, scoring 21 goals and 34 points in 39 games.
  • Moving back to the NHL, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was a full participant at practice today making his return imminent. Although Tanev did not miss any time, there was some cause for concern as Tanev left the team’s most recent game against the Seattle Kraken early due to an arm injury. Luckily, now that Tanev was a full participant in today’s practice, he should be able to play in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Edmonton Oilers.
  • In more movement at the NCAA level, Taylor Makar, brother of Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar, will be transferring away from the University of Massachusetts (X Link). Being the 220th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, Taylor has not lived up to the standard set by his brother. In 36 games for Massachusetts this past season, Taylor scored four goals and nine points in total.

College Hockey Notes: Salminen, Graf, Sergeyev

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New Jersey Devils forward prospect Samu Salminen is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now (Web link). Salminen has spent the last two seasons at the University of Connecticut, joining the school after six years in Jokerit’s youth program. Salminen has scored 17 points in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, playing in 27 games last year and 35 this year. He’s managed the scoring while serving in UConn’s middle six, averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time this season.

The Devils drafted Salminen in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a strong year with Jokerit’s U20 club. He’s praised as a smooth-moving playmaker, with the ability to fill his role in the middle lane of the ice, making an impact from slot to slot. And while he’s continued to show strong puck skills at UConn, Salminen could improve how he works into dangerous areas of the ice. He’ll look to build those skills as he adjusts to a new offense.

Salminen was originally committed to the University of Denver, swapping his commitment just a couple of months before his debut with UConn after reportedly facing challenges with Denver’s admissions. No schools have been linked to Salminen now that he’s returned to the open market, but it’s hard not to think previous connections could drive a move out West.

Other notes out of the NCAA:

  • The Boston Bruins are reportedly not in on prolific winger Collin Graf, says NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). Graf is now on the open market after a strong collegiate career, managing 130 points across 112 collegiate games. The Bruins are always popular names in NCAA free agency – already signing Drew Bavaro, Ryan Bischel, Riley Duran, and Jaxon Nelson this Spring. But they’ll stray away from leading-scorer Graf, who is receiving plenty of interest from the rest of the league – with Divver adding that Graf has narrowed his list to six teams. He’s expected to sign in the coming days.
  • Top Calgary Flames goalie prospect Arsenii Sergeyev has entered the transfer portal and quickly decided on a new school – confirming a move from UConn to Pennsylvania State University through a social media post (Twitter link). Sergeyev will hope to step into Penn State’s starting role, after splitting starts in both of his seasons with UConn. He’s been fantastic in his underclassmen starts, managing 19 wins and a .913 save percentage in 35 appearances. It’s a continuation of Sergeyev’s strong USHL career, where he posted 30 wins and a .913 save percentage in 43 games. The Flames drafted Sergeyev in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft. His early return has been incredibly positive, though Calgary will hold their breath as he moves to a highly competitive Big Ten conference.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Jacob Quillan To ELC

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed free-agent college forward Jacob Quillan to a two-year entry-level contract. A native of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Quillan spent the last three seasons at Quinnipiac University where he posted 38 goals and 55 assists in 116 career NCAA games.

The 22-year-old also won a national championship last year with the Bobcats, scoring the overtime winner to secure the men’s NCAA title. He also took home the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.

Elliotte Friedman is reporting that there was a lot of competition for Quillan’s services and it’s easy to see why after the season that he had. This year he assumed the role of top-line center with Quinnipiac, and he registered 17 goals and 29 assists in 39 games.

The Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) drafted Quillan in the 2018 entry draft, but he opted for the college route, although before beginning his NCAA career, Quillan played one season with the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). In that one season, he posted 13 goals and 14 assists in 20 games and also scored an overtime winner to help his team win the Okanagan Cup.

The contract begins next season and will carry an average annual value of $875K at the NHL level.  Quillan will spend the remainder of this season with the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies. He will play out the year on an amateur tryout to be eligible for the AHL playoffs.

2024 College Free Agency Preview: Wingers

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With the college regular season over and the Frozen Four tournament upon us, activity on the college free agent front will pick up in the near future.  At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

Here is an overview of some of the wingers that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future.  Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.  Our look at the goaltenders can be found here, the defensemen are here, and the centers are here.

Dalton Bancroft, Cornell

After being a bottom-six player in his freshman year, Bancroft moved up the lineup this season and the numbers have improved as he has been averaging around a point per game.  However, his physicality makes him an ideal fit on a fourth line in the pros.  That said, the 23-year-old has been an effective scorer with the man advantage and a profile of a fourth liner who can play the power play has some value in today’s NHL which should have him on the radar of some teams.

Joshua Eernisse, Michigan

Eernisse decided to transfer from St. Thomas after his freshman year, going from a team where he had a prominent role to one where he’s more of a limited player in the process.  However, it’s his playing style that will get him on the NHL radar.  He has good speed for his size and plays with plenty of physicality and energy.  That will be appealing to teams if the 22-year-old opts to turn pro.  Waiting another year and playing a bigger role offensively for the Wolverines next season might be the better way to go though.

Riese Gaber, North Dakota

A couple of years ago, it looked like Gaber was in a perfect spot to turn pro after putting up more than a point per game in his sophomore year.  Instead, he returned for two more seasons and watched his production plateau.  He’s a strong skater with a well-rounded offensive game but he also stands just 5’8 which will scare some teams off.  An entry-level deal is possible but so is an AHL contract as a result.

Matteo Giampa, Canisius

Giampa just wrapped up a very successful freshman year, coming up just shy of a point per game with Canisius and led the team in scoring by a dozen points.  The year before, he was an impact scorer in the AJHL.  But at 20, his game is still quite raw compared to many players that will test the free agent market.  If a team feels his development is best served playing a bigger schedule in the pros, they’ll be going after Giampa now.  But he might be better off with that refinement coming in college next season.

Collin Graf, Quinnipiac

Viewed as one of the best if not the best player in this free agent class after finishing third in NCAA scoring, Graf had strong interest a year ago before deciding to return for his junior year.  He produced at a similar level on a per-game basis while his defensive game improved.  If he opts to turn pro, he will almost certainly burn the first year of his contract right away and as a player who has middle-six potential instead of projecting as a lower-end piece, many teams will have interest once again.  With Quinnipiac being eliminated earlier today, watch for his market to move quickly.

Joey Larson, Michigan State

Larson was one of the better scorers in the NCAA in the first half of the season before his output fell off when the calendar flipped to 2024.  Still, he’s one of the better pure shooters in this class, a skill that should be intriguing to teams.  That said, with two years of eligibility remaining, the 23-year-old might be better off sticking with the Spartans for another year to refine his all-around game.

Ondrej Psenicka, Cornell

Psenicka attracted some interest a couple of years ago after a strong freshman season and his production has largely stagnated since then.  However, he plays a pro-style game without much flash and he stands 6’6.  The raw upside isn’t as high as some others on this list but he has the chance to stick on a fourth line in the NHL.

Simon Tassy, Wisconsin

Tassy’s decision to leave Minnesota State (Mankato) after his freshman year to follow head coach Mike Hastings to Wisconsin was a good one.  His playing time went up and his production went from five points to 28, a pretty impressive jump that should get him on the pro radar.  One more year to round out his game would make sense but if he has NHL offers now, it might be better for the 23-year-old to make the jump now.  If that happens, he’ll still be a bit of a project.

Gleb Veremyev, Colorado College

After a quiet, injury-riddled freshman year, Veremyev quadrupled his output this season.  However, Veremyev’s not on here for his offense.  He’s a very physical winger, a profile that will appeal to some teams who are looking to add some crash and bang to their lineups with a bit of offensive upside.  Still just 20, it’s quite possible that Veremyev opts to stay in school for another year but with the jump he took this season, there should be NHL teams showing interest now.

Dylan Wendt, Western Michigan

After the Broncos lost several key forwards to the pros, Wendt was one of the players who took on a much bigger role and made the most of it, scoring more goals this year (23) than he had points a year ago (22).  His offensive game is farther along than his defensive one so some AHL time will be needed but the time should be right for the 23-year-old to turn pro.

Carter Wilkie, RIT

Wilkie has been a productive scorer for the Tigers in each of his three seasons with them including two straight years averaging a little over a point per game.  He’s more of a pure playmaker compared to some of the other wingers on this list but he plays with enough jam to potentially fit on a lower line professionally.  The 23-year-old has entered the transfer portal but could also be convinced to turn pro if the right offer comes around.

Predators’ Matthew Wood Expected To Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

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Top Nashville Predators prospect and former top-15 pick Matthew Wood is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). Divver adds that the University of Minnesota is currently the favorite to land Wood, though the University of Wisconsin and North Dakota are in the race as well. Wood will be departing from the University of Connecticut, after leading the team in scoring in each of his two years with the school. His move to the transfer portal is not yet finalized, with March 31st representing the first day that underclassmen can enter.

The Predators drafted Wood with the 15th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, following his freshman year at UConn last season, when Wood became the first 17-year-old to play D1 Men’s Hockey since Ryan Poehling in 2017 and Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski in 2015. He did the best with the opportunity, with 11 goals and 34 points in his first 35 collegiate games. The hot performance earned Wood plenty of draft attention, with flashy stickhandling and a heavy shot proving tough for college goalies to handle. But he wasn’t without flaws, struggling to show consistent finesse skating and not always filling his roles outside the offensive zone.

Nashville put aside those concerns, taking the hefty-built Wood early in the draft, and he’s vindicated the team’s confidence this season – with 16 goals and 28 points in 35 games. He also added plenty of grit, recording 43 penalty minutes after just four last season. Wood now represents perhaps the best value on the NCAA’s open market, with his heavy-hitting offense providing plenty of scoring. He’s expected to move to the Big Ten after two years in Hockey East, giving him a good preparation for the high level of competition he’ll face if he moves to the Midwest.

2024 College Free Agency Preview: Centers

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With the college regular season over and the Frozen Four tournament upon us, activity on the college free agent front will pick up in the near future.  At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

Here is an overview of some of the centers that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future; we’ll cover the wingers in a separate column this weekend.  Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.  Our look at the goaltenders can be found here while the defensemen are here.

Lynden Breen, Maine

An active checker, Breen profiles best toward the bottom of the lineup.  However, his size (5’9) will work against him a bit on the open market, as does the fact he’s only reached the double-digit goal mark once in his four years with the Black Bears.  Even so, he’s the type of player who should receive several AHL contract offers at a minimum while some might be inclined to up it to an NHL deal.

Karsen Dorwart, Michigan State

Dorwart is the type of player whose effectiveness could be a bit better in the pros than in college.  A strong forechecker, he could benefit from the greater structure.  Dorwart also showed that he can kill penalties this season while taking a small jump in his offensive numbers, giving him a reasonable floor to work with which should appeal to some teams looking for bottom-six depth.

Christian Fitzgerald, Wisconsin

The decision to transfer after his freshman year to follow head coach Mike Hastings to the Badgers worked out well.  While Fitzgerald’s offensive numbers actually went down, there has been a sharp improvement in his all-around game.  A strong skater with a profile that fits in a bottom six group, Fitzgerald could sign now or opt to return for another year (or even two) at Wisconsin.  If he does that and takes some strides forward offensively, he could be one of the top options in a future free agent class.

Luke Grainger, Western Michigan

While he might fit better on the wing in the pros, the 24-year-old has done well down the middle the last couple of seasons.  He sits 15th in Division I scoring with his playmaking game taking a step forward.  That said, he likely profiles as a bottom-six energy player professionally as someone who rarely takes a shift off, giving the type of consistent efforts that will endear him to coaches.

Luke Haymes, Dartmouth

Haymes is one of the younger free agents that should attract NHL interest this year as he doesn’t turn 21 until late July.  His sophomore season was a breakout one as he more than doubled his point total, notching 18 goals and 18 assists in just 31 games.  It wouldn’t be surprising if he stayed in college but as potentially one of the better offensive players in this class, there’s a case to make for him to turn pro now.

T.J. Hughes, Michigan

Hughes is one of the top all-around middlemen in this year’s free agent class.  He’s also not too far removed from averaging over a goal and an assist per game in his final AJHL season so the skill level is certainly there.  The 22-year-old plays with an edge which makes him a fit at the bottom of a lineup as well.  With that type of versatility, there will be several NHL offers coming his way if he turns pro.

Carter King, Denver

After being more of a role player in his first two seasons, King moved up the depth chart last season and again this year, becoming an all-around threat.  One of the more dynamic players shorthanded in the NCAA, the 23-year-old only has five penalties in his career despite playing with plenty of pace and energy in his game.  King’s ceiling isn’t the highest which may dissuade some teams but has the type of profile that gives him a shot at some success in the pros.

Jaxon Nelson, Minnesota

It was a bit of a surprise to see Nelson not turn pro after his senior year last season but he opted to go back for his bonus year.  He didn’t hurt his stock but might not have necessarily helped it much either.  Standing 6’4, the soon-to-be 24-year-old has the frame to have success in the pros but there will be questions as to how much offensive upside he can ultimately provide.

Jacob Quillan, Quinnipiac

After a breakout sophomore year capped by scoring the National Championship-winning goal, Quillan surprisingly opted to return for his junior year, rebuffing NHL interest in the process.  The 22-year-old is in the midst of a better season offensively but he profiles more as a lower-end forward in the pros.  However, he’s also one of the more likely ones to have NHL success so the interest will be there again shortly unless he decides to go back for his senior season.

Gabriel Seger, Cornell

Seger’s transfer to Cornell last year was a wise decision as he got to play higher in the lineup.  This season, he has been even better, leading the Big Red in scoring.  One of the biggest players on this list standing 6’4, he’s a pro-ready frame and at 24, he could be ready to jump into an NHL lineup right away.  He’ll be capped to a one-year offer which could be burned for the stretch run of the season.

Sam Stevens, Boston University

It’s pretty simple when it comes to Stevens – he’s a quality complementary piece whose defensive acumen gives him a chance to play a fourth-line role in the NHL.  Even playing on a dominant Terriers team in his fifth year, the 23-year-old’s offensive game was quite limited.  That might limit him to an AHL deal off the hop but he should land a deal somewhere.

Kraken Sign Forward Lleyton Roed

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The Seattle Kraken have joined in on the NCAA free agent market, signing forward Lleyton Roed out of Bemidji State University. The team has confirmed the deal as a two-year, entry-level contract with a $950K average-annual value (Twitter link – corrected to a two-year deal by CapFriendly). The deal was first reported by FloHockey’s Chris Peters.

Roed is turning pro after his sophomore season with Bemidji. He’s been the team’s top scorer in both seasons, totaling 61 points across 74 appearances. In fact, his career 0.82 points per game marks the highest rate a Bemidji player has scored since Owen Sillinger in 2022 – and Matt Read in 2011 before him.

Roed, 21, joined Bemidji after just one season in juniors hockey, scoring 41 points in 60 games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He’d otherwise primarily played in Minnesota high school hockey and went undrafted through his eligibility in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 drafts. He moved to college in the subsequent season and has been performing well ever since, flaunting fantastic play when the puck is on his stick. Roed has great agility and is able to control the puck and his skating to work out of awkward positions and find his teammates. It makes him a great set-up man, though his eye for plays often lands him in a scoring position as well. While his game could afford more explosivity off of the puck, Roed has adapted well to the harder-hitting and defensive-minded NCAA. That could help him a lot as he now moves to the AHL, though he’ll still need to adjust to the pace of a pro game.

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