NHL Signings & Free Agents

Dudas was picked in the fourth-round of the 2018 NHL draft and finished his fourth year in the OHL with 15 goals and 38 assists (53 points) in 48 games with the Owen Sound Attack. The 19-year-old centre also represented Canada at the World Juniors, where he tallied two assists in seven games. He is expected to join Ontario (AHL) for the 2020-21 season.

Afanasyev was viewed as a potential first-round pick in last year's draft but fell to the Predators at the No.45 pick (second-round). The 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. Russian winger joined the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) for the 2020 campaign and led the team in goals (31) and was tied for first in points (67).

Nashville selected Novak all the way back in 2015 as a third-round pick. After finished his four years at the University of Minnesota, Novak joined the Predators AHL affiliate in Milwaukee where he eared an NHL contract by finishing second on the team in assists (31) and third in points (42) in 60 games.

Smith was an undrafted free agent forward out of the University of North Dakota. The 24-year-old finished his senior season with 11 goals and seven assists (18 points) in 34 games for the Fighting Hawks.

Watson started 2019 with an 18-game suspension and ended up playing just 37 games, scoring seven goals with nine assists (16 points) in 37 games. He figures to be a key factor of the Predators' fourth-line in 2019-20.

Barabanov has been a member of St. Petersburg SKA of the KHL since 2014 and finished the 2020 season with 11 goals and nine assists (20 points) in 43 games. Barabanov was a member of the Olympic Athletes of Russia that won gold in the 2018 Olympics, scoring one goal with one assist in six games.

Marincin has only suited up in 13 games so far this season, failing to record a point while playing just 14:19 ATOI. The Maple Leafs have some promising young prospects waiting in the wings, likely making Marincin their No.7 defenseman for 2021 with this signing.

The Blackhawks drafted Tomkins in the seventh-round in 2012. Following a four-year stint at Ohio State University, Tomkins turned pro and joined the Blackhawks affiliates in the ECHL and AHL. He spent all of 2019 in the ECHL before starting 13 games with Rockford (AHL) in 2020, going 5-7-1 with a 3.12 GAA and .896 SV%.

Lakinen was an undrafted free agent netminder out of Finland that joined the Blackhawks organization in 2019. During the 2020 campaign, the 24-year-old went 8-10-2 with a 3.03 GAA and .909 SV% in 21 AHL games.

Altybarmakyan was selected by the Blackhawks in the third-round (No.70 overall) in 2017 and he spent the 2019-20 season in the KHL. The 5-foot-11, 191 lbs. winger scored six goals with 11 assists (17 points) in 49 games with Sochi HC. He was a member of the 2018 Russian World Juniors team, scoring one goal with two assists in five games.

Barratt was a third-round pick in the 2017 draft and wrapped up his junior year at Penn State University tied for the team-lead in goals (12) and second in points (34) in 34 games. the 21-year-old centre had one goal in seven games while representing the USA in the 2019 World Juniors.

In his third professional season, Highmore split his time between the AHL and NHL. He scored two goals with four assists (six points) in 36 games with the Blackhawks, serving exclusively as a bottom-6 option. He added 12 points (4G / 8A) in 21 AHL contests.

Labrie is a career-AHLer, who had nine assists in 50 games with the Belleville Senators (AHL) this season. The defenseman is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Ottawa selected Kastelic with the No.125 overall pick (fifth-round) in the 2019 NHL draft. The 21-year-old centre served as the captain for the Calgary Hitmen in 2019-20 while leading the team in goals (38) and tying for the team-lead in points (68) in 58 games. Following a five-year WHL career, Kastelic is expected to join Belleville (AHL) for the 2020-21 campaign.