Player Tracker 2023-24

Apr 30, 2023

Hockey fans, AHL fans especially, are always thinking about the future. Before a season ends a topic of conversation is always “Is [favorite player] coming back next season?” While contract length and salaries are often widely reported for their NHL counterparts, it sometimes requires a little more digging to determine the status of players in the American Hockey League.

 

Compiled are a few lists of players that spent time with the Bridgeport Islanders and where they stand headed into the 2023-24 season.

 

Keep in mind that many of the players in the “Signed for 2023-24” category are signed by the New York Islanders – and not specifically Bridgeport. Therefore, all players in this category will have a chance to make the NHL team in training camp. There are also players on this list that may not stay with Bridgeport after training camp. Some players can be assigned to the ECHL or in some cases they can be reassigned to their junior team.

 

Signed for 2023-24
F Andy Andreoff

F William Dufour
F Arnaud Durandeau

F Ruslan Iskhakov
F Otto Koivula

F Daylan Kuefler (Entry-level deal 5/19/23)

F Kyle MacLean (One-year, two-way deal 5/19/23)

F Matthew Maggio (Entry-level deal 5/1/23)

F Reece Newkirk

D Samuel Bolduc
D Dennis Cholowski

D Aidan Fulp (Entry-level deal 3/31/23)
D Seth Helgeson

D Grant Hutton

D Paul LaDue
D Travis Mitchell (Entry-level deal 3/31/23)

D Calle Odelius (Entry-level deal 8/31/22)
D Robin Salo

D Vincent Sevigny (AHL)

G Ken Appleby

G Tristan Lennox (Entry-level deal 3/1/23)

 

While we won’t see the free agent signings pick up until after July 1st, there have been a few new contracts inked already. These are names you will want to familiarize yourself with.

 

New Contracts for 2023-24
F Riley Piercey (AHL deal on 5/12/23)

F Jacob Pivonka (AHL deal on 5/12/23)

D Christian Krygier (AHL deal on 5/12/23)

 

Restricted free agents (RFA) generally means it is up to the New York Islanders whether or not to bring back these players. For players on NHL rosters (and thus more expensive contracts) this can get complicated with qualifying offers and offer sheets but for most players in the AHL there is usually not a bidding war. Players either re-sign with their team from the previous season or become an unrestricted free agent.

  

Restricted Free Agents
F Collin Adams

F Blade Jenkins

G Jakub Skarek

 

Unrestricted free agents are exactly that. They are free to sign with any team in the NHL, AHL or anywhere else in the world.

 

Unrestricted Free Agents
F Cole Bardreau (NHL)

F Erik Brown (AHL)

F Jeff Kubiak (NHL)

F Chris Terry (AHL)

F Paul Thompson (AHL)

D Trevor Cosgrove (AHL)

D Jimmy Lambert (AHL)

D Connor McCarthy (AHL)

D Ryan MacKinnon (AHL)

D Parker Wotherspoon (NHL)

G Cory Schneider (NHL)

 

All NHL contracts run through June 30th, which means that no team other than the Islanders can sign these players for next season before July 1st.

 

Players that were on AHL contracts last season may sign with any NHL club at any time however they would not be able to sign with an AHL team (other than Bridgeport) until July 1st. Bridgeport’s roster will really start to take shape once training camps open in the fall.