Rodrigue was 14-14-1 with a .912 SV% and 2.77 GAA with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000 AAV. The 22-year-old net minder was Edmonton's 2018 second-round pick (62nd overall) and has yet to see any time in the NHL but has racked up 53 appearances in three years of AHL action.
Sutter was a third-round pick of the Capitals in the 2018 NHL Draft, and he's spent the last four seasons with their AHL team in Hershey. The 23-year-old winger registered 12 points (5G / 7A) in 69 games during the 2023 AHL season.
The Canadiens drafted Reinbacher No.5 overall in this summer's NHL draft, making him the first defenseman off the board. The 18-year-old had 22 points (3G / 19A) in 46 games with Kloten HC of the National League (Switzerland). He also represented Austria in the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors, posting four assists in nine combined games.
Lajoie appeared in three games for Carolina in 2022-23 but failed to pick up a point while also posting 45 points (11G/34A) in 63 games with Chicago (AHL) and has signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 with Toronto. The 25-year-old defenseman has 15 points (7G/8A) and a -23 plus/minus through 70 career NHL games played.
Rifai had four goals, 12 assists, 118 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus in his first season with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) in 2022-23 and has now signed a two-year, entry-level contract worth $775,000 AAV. The 25-year-old defenseman has yet to make his NHL debut after joining the Marlies as an undrafted free agent in 2022-23 after completing four years at Harvard (NCAA).
Fehervary had six goals, 10 assists, 91 SOG, 31 PIMs and a -11 plus/minus through 67 games in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year, $8.025 Million contract extension ($2,675,000 AAV). The 23-year-old defenseman has played in 152 career NHL games played, picking up 14 goals and 34 points after being drafted in the second round (46th overall) in 2018 by the Capitals.
Nielsen had 14 goals, 27 assists, 60 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus through 64 games with Abbotsford (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $870,000 AAV. The 23-year-old centre has yet to make his NHL debut after being acquired as an undrafted free agent from the Vancouver Giants (WHL) after the 2020-21 season.
Irwin had two goals, three assists, 79 SOG, 36 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 61 games played with Washington in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with an AAV of $775,000. The 35-year-old will be joining his seventh NHL team in Vancouver, having picked up 25 goals and 93 points across 461 career games played.
Juulsen failed to pick up a point through 12 games played with Vancouver in 2022-23 but had six PIMs and five SOG and has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension with the Canucks. The 26-year-old defenseman was Montreal's 2015 1st round pick (26th overall) and has 10 points (2G/8A) through 68 career NHL games played.
Morelli had 12 goals, 29 assists, 72 PIMs and a +19 plus/minus through 72 games with Hershey (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract worth $1.55 Million ($775,000 AAV). The 27-year-old centre has never played in an NHL game after signing as an undrafted free agent from the University of Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA) in 2018-19.
Geertsen had four goals, four assists, 136 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 61 games with Utica (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension worth $1.55 Million ($775,000 AAV). The 28-year-old defenseman has played in 25 career NHL games, failing to pick up a point but picking up 77 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus.
Clague split his time between the NHL and AHL during the 2023 season. During his time with the Sabres, the 25-year-old defenseman had four assists in 33 games while averaging a modest 15:06 TOI/gm. Given the additions of Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson in free agency, Clague seems destined to start the 2024 season in the AHL.
Sautner had two goals, 10 assists, 50 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 68 games with Manitoba (AHL) and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000. The 29-year-old defenseman has played in 23 career NHL games with three assists and a +2 rating across three seasons in Vancouver. He last played in the NHL in 2019-2020.
Viel played in four games for San Jose in 2022-23 but failed to pick up a point, alongside his two PIMs and four SOG and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The 26-year-old right winger played in 49 career NHL games with San Jose across three season, scoring three goals and two assists alongside 139 PIMs.
Pouliot had two assists, four SOG, six PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through eight games with San Jose in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Dallas. The 29-year-old defensemen was drafted in the first-round of the 2012 draft (8th overall) to Pittsburgh and has eight goals, 54 points and 241 SOG through 221 career NHL games with six different teams.
Harmonic had six goals, 15 assists, 136 SOG, 71 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 75 games with Ottawa in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract extension ($1.1M AAV). The 32-year-old defenseman has played in 793 career NHL games, picking up 50 goals and 229 points across his 13 year career thus far.
Onyebuchi is an undrafted free agent out of the WHL, that played 81 games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-3, 210 lbs. defenseman has commonly been found among the team's PIMS leaders during his WHL and AHL stays.
Barron sticks with the Coyotes' organization after pocking up 19 goals and 23 assists (42 points) in 114 AHL games with Tucson over the last two seasons.
Galchenyuk was traded from Colorado to Nashville for Ryan Johansen the week before free agency but never received a contract from the Predators. So, he returns to the Coyotes' organization, where he had 21 points (6G / 15A) in 60 games during the 2022 season. Arizona is one of the most likely destinations for him to get NHL playing time, however they look deeper than they have in recent years after also adding Jason Zucker, Alex Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad in free agency.
