Panthers Sign Tyler Muszelik
The Florida Panthers have signed 2022 sixth-round draft pick Tyler Muszelik to a two-year, entry-level contract set to begin in the 2026-27 season. Muszelik recently saw his college career come to an end after two years at the University of New Hampshire and two years at the University of Connecticut. It was not indicated if Muszelik will sign a minor-league contract for the remainder of the season.
Florida moved goaltender Kirill Gerasimyuk from the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers roughly an hour before signing Muszelik, which may create a crowded goalie room in the AHL.
Muszelik moved to the college level immediately after two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He split starts with Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine at the NTDP and managed a middling stat line: a 15-13-4 record and 0.880 save percentage in 34 USHL games. A quiet junior career and early start in college led Muszelik to a backup role for his underclass seasons in New Hampshire. His time with the Wildcats was fairly quiet, marked by a 9-10-2 record and 0.879 save percentage in 21 games.
Seeking more, Muszelik moved to Connecticut for his junior season in 2024-25. He moved straight into the starting role vacated by Nashville Predators’ prospect Ethan Haider and Calgary Flames’ prospect Arsenii Sergeev. Muszelik was quickly successful with routine ice time. He posted a 12-6-3 record and a .912 save percentage in 23 games. His performance was strong enough to help UConn push to the Hockey East championship game, where they lost to the University of Maine. Not to be deterred, Muszelik managed to improve on his strong numbers this season. He posted a 19-11-5 record and .926 save percentage in 35 games and again led the Huskies to the Hockey East championship, only to lose to Merrimack College.
Even with a pair of conference championship losses shadowing over him, Muszelik’s upperclass seasons were shining performances. He showed an impressive layer of athleticism and focus – and seemed to only get better the more frequently he took the starter’s crease. On the back of heavy minutes this season, Muszelik could get a chance to take an early break in preparation for his first pro season.
If he instead signs a minor-league contract for the remainder of the season, Muszelik would get a chance to compete with Gerasimyuk and Cooper Black for pro minutes. Black has held a firm grip on Charlotte’s starting role this season, marked by 24 wins and a .903 save percentage in 39 games. Gerasimyuk has recorded eight wins and a .904 save percentage in 17 AHL games. The pair of goaltenders will be Muszelik’s competition through the first year of his entry-level contract.
College Transfer Roundup: Leddy, Benoit, Emerson, Croteau, Muszelik
While college signings have slowed down in recent days, that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been college activity, as several NHL prospects continue to find new homes for next season. Here’s a rundown of some recent moves on that front.
- Devils prospect Charlie Leddy has transferred to Quinnipiac, notes Cameron Levasseur of The Quinnipiac Chronicle (Twitter link). The 20-year-old blueliner was a fourth-round pick by New Jersey two years ago (126th overall) and spent his first two NCAA campaigns at Boston College. This past season, he had eight assists in 39 games.
- Wild blueline prospect Nate Benoit has also transferred to Quinnipiac, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 2021 sixth-round pick was limited to just 19 appearances at North Dakota this season, collecting a single assist which was not the freshman year he was certainly hoping for.
- Hurricanes youngster Michael Emerson has committed to Merrimack, reports Mike McMahon of College Hockey News (Twitter link). The winger was a sixth-round pick last year, going 190th overall. He started the season at North Dakota but left after six games, opting to go back to USHL Chicago, where he posted 20 points in 27 contests.
- Canadiens goalie prospect Emmett Croteau announced (Twitter link) that he has transferred to Dartmouth. A sixth-rounder two years ago, the 20-year-old had a very quiet first season in college, getting into just six games with Clarkson. There, he struggled, putting up a 3.53 GAA and a .835 SV%. Dartmouth lost their starter to the pros when Cooper Black signed with Florida, so Croteau may have an easier path to playing time next season.
- Panthers prospect Tyler Muszelik is on his way to UConn, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The netminder was a 2022 sixth-rounder, going 189th overall after spending time in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Muszelik spent the last two seasons at the University of New Hampshire but in a backup role. UConn’s tandem has both moved on (Ethan Haider to the pros and Arseni Sergeyev via the portal) so the 19-year-old should have a better path to playing time next season.