He is a tall, thin goaltender from the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He posted an .882 save percentage in 2025-26. The scouting reports look good, but this young man is just getting started and his story has miles to go. Harvest Moon will appear tomorrow morning.
4/5 of these guys are NCAA commits (or players). Looks like a strategy. Does this give them longer control or they just prefer the development in tha league versus the OHL? Or maybe this is just the new normal.
NHL teams hold NCAA players’ rights for four years after they graduate from college, so it can be later than players coming from major juniour.
Of course, there are circumstances that can skew this timeframe on either side of the ledger but generally speaking, yes it buys more time. The competition is trending to be stronger lately as well, so could be the team working a development angle.
It’s four years from the time a player is first draft-eligible. Berzkalns, Gästrin*, Robinson and Harvey have until 2030 to sign (unless the NCAA-bound stay the full four years, in which case they have until 2031).
Cameron, being an overager, has until 2029 to sign unless he stays the full four years in NCAA — then he has until 2030.
*My phone wanted to correct his name to “G-string”. Haha!
That seems to just be what players do now. Our three that are going – Rudolfs and the two OHL guys would benefit from another year in junior though IMO, they don’t have much offense at all and probably won’t play much in college
Ohhh interesting. I read on his eliteprospects Boston College but now I notice that is for 27-28! Thats good
Pretendergast
June 27, 2026 3:38 pm
Will cheer like heck for all these kids but
it’s hard to point at the kids like Lewandowski last year and say ‘he has a chance because of this’. Maybe just a weak draft.
Like Ziggy on the cover photo I was left wanting more.
Aside from Rudolfs, the rest of their draft was basically a bunch of long shots. They had only a handful of picks and were picking late into each round.
If a completely washed Brandon Carlo can fetch two 3rd round picks, then the only reason Nurse wasn’t moved was his reluctance to expand his trade list.
More and more, it looks like Nurse will be back for another year. Next summer he’s gone and he won’t be able to do anything about his destination.
Well, yes, players drafted in the 5th to 7th rounds are indeed long shots on draft day, all of them.
I was saying even before clauses were talked about being waived that any Nurse trade would be very hard with his contract and that, if he did waive, it likely creates a market of 1-3 teams and here we are. At the same time, Carlo has one year left at $4MM, even if washed, that’s a much different risk profile that 4 X $9.25MM.
A three team trade list doesn’t give the team much to work with either.
Up until now that’s probably been a bigger impediment than his contract.
Now that Werenski is on the market, I don’t see a Nurse trade getting done this summer.
Tarkus
June 27, 2026 2:27 pm
Thank you for doing this thing you are doing.
Things could certainly change, but it sure feels like they drafted for compete at the expense of skill. Time will tell.
I was about to say they went through a whole draft without picking an overager…and then they took Cameron.
4/5 of these guys are NCAA commits (or players). Looks like a strategy. Does this give them longer control or they just prefer the development in tha league versus the OHL? Or maybe this is just the new normal.
NHL teams hold NCAA players’ rights for four years after they graduate from college, so it can be later than players coming from major juniour.
Of course, there are circumstances that can skew this timeframe on either side of the ledger but generally speaking, yes it buys more time. The competition is trending to be stronger lately as well, so could be the team working a development angle.
Puckpedia is a great resource.
It’s four years from the time a player is first draft-eligible. Berzkalns, Gästrin*, Robinson and Harvey have until 2030 to sign (unless the NCAA-bound stay the full four years, in which case they have until 2031).
Cameron, being an overager, has until 2029 to sign unless he stays the full four years in NCAA — then he has until 2030.
*My phone wanted to correct his name to “G-string”. Haha!
My **understanding of the current agreement (expiring next draft class) is as follows:
**understanding as a hobbyist, and not a barrister… completely willing to stand corrected.
That seems to just be what players do now. Our three that are going – Rudolfs and the two OHL guys would benefit from another year in junior though IMO, they don’t have much offense at all and probably won’t play much in college
I believe Pracey said he is going back the USHL for another year before heading to Boston College.
Ohhh interesting. I read on his eliteprospects Boston College but now I notice that is for 27-28! Thats good
Will cheer like heck for all these kids but
it’s hard to point at the kids like Lewandowski last year and say ‘he has a chance because of this’. Maybe just a weak draft.
Like Ziggy on the cover photo I was left wanting more.
Aside from Rudolfs, the rest of their draft was basically a bunch of long shots. They had only a handful of picks and were picking late into each round.
If a completely washed Brandon Carlo can fetch two 3rd round picks, then the only reason Nurse wasn’t moved was his reluctance to expand his trade list.
More and more, it looks like Nurse will be back for another year. Next summer he’s gone and he won’t be able to do anything about his destination.
Well, yes, players drafted in the 5th to 7th rounds are indeed long shots on draft day, all of them.
I was saying even before clauses were talked about being waived that any Nurse trade would be very hard with his contract and that, if he did waive, it likely creates a market of 1-3 teams and here we are. At the same time, Carlo has one year left at $4MM, even if washed, that’s a much different risk profile that 4 X $9.25MM.
A three team trade list doesn’t give the team much to work with either.
Up until now that’s probably been a bigger impediment than his contract.
Now that Werenski is on the market, I don’t see a Nurse trade getting done this summer.
Thank you for doing this thing you are doing.
Things could certainly change, but it sure feels like they drafted for compete at the expense of skill. Time will tell.
I was about to say they went through a whole draft without picking an overager…and then they took Cameron.
Also, mildly surprised / disappointed they did not select a RHD despite the screaming need for them.
Fun fact: Berzkalns is the 3rd Latvian ever drafted by the Oil, following Aleksandrs Kercs (5 GP in ’93-’94) and Kristians Pelss (RIP).