I’m based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and whenever I watch the ECHL’s Komets play these days, I find myself pondering this question: What the heck is Jack Dugan doing at this level?

The 25-year-old forward scores. He hits. He’s productive on the power play and the penalty kill. He’s got some size – 6-foot-2, 209 pounds – and comes up big in big spots. 

In 13 games, he’s got four goals (one of them short-handed), 11 assists (four on power plays), a plus-2 rating and 32 penalty minutes.

Take Friday’s road game against the Indy Fuel as an example: The Komets had just given up a third-period goal to Colin Bilek in a pretty ugly way – Cameron Supryka lost his footing and coughed up the puck in front of his net at 14:55 – and Dugan forced overtime 2:23 later with an emphatic shot from the left circle off a faceoff. 

Jake Johnson won it for Fort Wayne in overtime.

🚨 JOHNSON 🚨

KOMETS WIN IN OT#LetsGoKomets pic.twitter.com/N0Nkl3VBNL

— Fort Wayne Komets (@FWKomets) November 25, 2023

Did I mention Dugan is just 25?

To be fair, Dugan has had time in the higher-level American Hockey League – 131 games with the Henderson Silver Knights, Utica Comets and Chicago Wolves between 2020 and 2023, and he put up solid numbers (27 goals, 80 points) – so it’s not as if he’s some unknown commodity in the ECHL. 

And he was in training camp this year with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, who like Fort Wayne, are an Edmonton Oilers affiliate, so he’s certainly still on the AHL radar.

But it doesn’t change my opinion that he’s probably too good to be at this level, and while I’m sure the Komets fans would rather me not speak an AHL call-up into existence, it got me thinking: Which other ECHL players have fallen through the cracks?

So, I’m going to give you 28 players – one from each ECHL team – being overlooked by NHL and AHL teams. 

(The criteria: They have to be under 28 years old and playing on ECHL contract; they might have gotten a look in NHL training camps, may have played AHL games, but these are the players I’m most surprised are on ECHL deals).

I trended toward the younger players with limited AHL experience, but there are exceptions.

Patrick Grasso, Adirondack Thunder

Position: Center

Age: 27

AHL experience: 18 games for Utica and Cleveland

The skinny: Grasso has been a productive offensive player at the ECHL level, totaling 69 goals and 117 points in 145 games over three seasons for the Thunder. 

And the Adirondack hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut on offense. 

Grasso’s offense hasn’t yet translated to the AHL level, where he has one goal and four points in 18 games. 

His modest 5-foot-7 size can be a blessing (he’s elusive) and a curse (he’s not going to overwhelm anyone physically). 

In the right systems, with the right amount of ice time, he could be a productive AHL player, one who can contribute on special teams.

Kris Myllari, Allen Americans

Position: Defenseman

Age: 26

AHL experience: None

The skinny: The Americans are known more for their offense than their defense, but Myllari, a Penn State product, has been a reliable top-4 blue-liner for Allen. 

He’s got good size – 6-foot-3, 205 pounds – and plays with an edge. He’s got a good shot from the point and passes deceptively well. 

In 219 ECHL games, he’s got 24 goals, 84 points and 79 penalty minutes. That includes five goals and 12 points in 16 games this season.

Mitchell Fossier, Atlanta Gladiators

Position: Forward

Age: 26

AHL experience: 22 games with Providence and Rockford

The skinny: He leads the Gladiators in scoring with eight goals and 23 points in 15 games, and he’s plus-6. 

He was an elite scorer at the University of Maine – he had 10 goals and 42 points in 34 games as a senior during the 2019-2020 season – and his opportunistic offensive play has translated well to the pro game. 

He produced offense in 38 games in Slovakia and averaged more than a point per game last season with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners.

Jalen Smereck, Cincinnati Cyclones

Position: Defenseman

Age: 26

AHL experience: 77 games with Tucson and San Jose

The skinny: He’s certainly already known to AHL scouts, but Smereck’s game has gone to another level over the last year, and he’s the early front-runner for ECHL Defenseman of the Year. He has two goals and 21 points in 14 games. 

Smereck isn’t big – 6 feet, 190 pounds – but he gets involved in physical play and agitates opponents into penalties, though he takes some bad ones of his own. 

Smereck impacts special teams, so any AHL team looking to up its offensive production from the blue line should have him on the list of possible additions.

Oliver Chau, Florida Everblades

Position: Forward

Age: 26

AHL experience: 16 games with Tucson and Charlotte

The skinny: He’s one of the more dynamic offensive players in the ECHL, and he uses his speed and shiftiness. That was on full display in the playoffs last season when he had seven goals and 17 points in 19 games to help the Everblades win their second straight Kelly Cup. 

This season, in 14 games, he’s got three goals and eight points. 

The former UMass-Amherst and Quinnipiac player is defensively responsible, but he’s only 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, so maybe that’s been a concern for AHL scouts.   

Brett Brochu, Fort Wayne Komets

Position: Goaltender

Age: 21

AHL experience: None

The skinny: We already discussed the Komets’ Dugan, so let’s talk about the rookie goalie who has stormed onto the scene in the last two weeks. 

Brochu is 3-0-0 with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage. 

He was behind Tyler Parks, who is on an AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, and François Brassard, the ECHL’s 2021-2022 Goaltender of the Year, but Brochu’s play has altered the depth chart. 

No one should be surprised; Brochu was the Ontario Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year in 2021-2022 and almost as good last season with the London Knights, going 28-17-2 with a 2.82 GAA, a .902 SP and two shutouts.

Carter Souch, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Position: Left wing

Age: 22

AHL experience: None

The skinny: Souch may not be big – 5-foot-10, 165 pounds – but he tore it up in the junior ranks. In 260 Western Hockey League games, he had 60 goals, 191 points and a plus-56 rating. 

In 80 games with the Swamp Rabbits over two seasons, he’s got 17 goals, 44 points and a plus-1 rating, and he’s been massively improved this season – as has the entire team. 

He’s particularly dangerous shooting from within 20 feet and has three game-winning goals this season, one off the league lead.

🚨 RASSELL🚨

His league leading 11th of the season ties it at 2-2!! pic.twitter.com/BTkuVmhvJk

— Idaho Steelheads (@Steelheads) November 23, 2023

Mark Rassell, Idaho Steelheads

Position: Forward

Age: 26

AHL experience: One game with Bakersfield

The skinny: He’s only in his second full professional season, and he’s off to a torrid start: 12 goals, including a league-best four game-winners, 22 points and a plus-11 rating in 16 games. 

He’s got a bit of size – 6-foot-1, 185 pounds – and will go to the hard areas. 

He also has a proven track record, playing for a successful USports program, the University of New Brunswick, after a 50-goal season in the Western Hockey League (2017-2018). 

He very well might be the early MVP candidate in the ECHL.

Bryan Lemos, Indy Fuel

Position: Forward

Age: 27

AHL experience: One game with Providence

The skinny: I’m not going to tell you Lemos is a shutdown defender or a highlight-reel forward, but he’s an opportunistic player one who impacts games at both ends of the ice. 

He had 16 goals and 42 points in 67 games last season – including four goals and nine points on power plays and one goal and two points in short-handed situations – and this season, he’s started with three assists in five games. 

Size is a bit of a hindrance on paper, as he’s 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, but I haven’t seen it hold him back.

Ben Brinkman, Iowa Heartlanders

Position: Defenseman

Age: 23

AHL experience: None

The skinny: A rookie out of Notre Dame – he also played four years at Minnesota – Brinkman has a surprising amount of offensive potential for a guy who had only four goals and 27 points in 175 NCAA games. 

He’s got some speed and will jump up in the play, though he only has one assist in 15 games this season. 

More than anything, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Brinkman is going to be a reliable piece in the defensive zone and one who can match up down low against big forwards.

Matt Vernon, Jacksonville Icemen

Position: Goaltender

Age: 25

AHL experience: None

The skinny: The lineage – he’s NHL Hall of Famer Mike Vernon’s son – is there. 

While Matt’s win-loss record in college was only 15-37-6 at Colorado College, with a 3.16 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage and one shutout, that was more a product of the team’s mediocrity than anything Vernon was doing wrong. 

He’s definitely showing an upside with the Icemen; he’s 4-2-0 with a 2.33 GAA and a .916 SP. 

I think the Icemen will be one of the Kelly Cup contenders this year, so Vernon should get plenty of opportunities to show his mettle in high-leverage situations.

Brad Morrison, Kalamazoo Wings

Position: Center

Age: 26

AHL experience: 57 with Ontario, Rockford and Lehigh Valley

The skinny: Kalamazoo was a tough one. 

I really like forward Collin Adams, but I feel like he’s been picked over plenty; he was drafted by the New York Islanders and has played 67 AHL games for Bridgeport. 

Chaz Reddekopp is a solid defenseman, but he’s played for four AHL teams already. 

So, I settled on Morrison. 

Watch him for any length of time, and you’ll see he’s got elite vision and playmaking skills – he’s got four goals and 12 points in 15 games this season – and he hasn’t gotten extended AHL ice time since he played 50 games for Ontario as a rookie in the 2018-2019 season, totaling 10 goals and 20 points. 

He’s become a more complete player since then, and he has been showing more physicality than he did when he broke into the pro ranks. 

In the right situation, he could be a contributor offensively for an AHL team.  

Cade Borchardt, Kansas City Mavericks

Position: Center

Age: 25

AHL experience: None

The skinny: I feel as if people forgot what he did in his junior season at Minnesota State-Mankato, 2021-2022, when he had 15 goals and 41 points in 44 games. 

He took a statistical step back the following year and had five goals and 20 points in 39 games, and that became big for the Mavericks in being able to get him on an ECHL deal. 

He had strong start late last season in the ECHL, scoring three goals and seven points in eight games, and he was a standout in the first-round playoff loss to the Allen Americans, with one goal and three points in six games. 

The Mavericks have a bevy of strong young players, including Max Andreev and Kyle Jackson, who are on AHL deals with Coachella Valley, and Borchardt has fit right in. He has seven goals and 19 points in 17 games, demonstrating good hockey IQ and the ability to impact special teams.

Brooklyn Kalmikov, Maine Mariners

Position: Right wing

Age: 22

AHL experience: Three games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

The skinny: He’s off to a quiet start with one goal and five points in 13 games, but once he gets settled in Maine – look out. 

Last season with the Wheeling Nailers, he had 23 goals and 52 points in 66 games. 

He was a productive scorer in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – with 38 goals in 67 games for Victoriaville and Moncton during the 2021-2022 season – and he’s got a lot of offensive tools. 

You have to be particularly mindful of him in transition plays, because he’s got good speed and better hands around the net.

Jacob Modry, Newfoundland Growlers

Position: Defenseman

Age: 24

AHL experience: None

The skinny: The Growlers’ roster is loaded with players on NHL or AHL contracts, so the choices were slim, but Modry has been an early standout this season with two goals and four points in 16 games. 

He showed at SUNY-Plattsburgh that he can impact the game at both ends of the ice, with four goals and 23 points in 28 games last season, but he’s going to have to improve at the defensive end at this level. 

He’s got prototypical size at 6-foot-6, 216 pounds, and he looks good on the power play so far.

HIGHLIGHTS - Trois Rivieres @ Norfolk | 11.22.23

🚨: Katic, Roy, Caron, Kubicek
🥅: Milic (28 saves/28 shots)

pic.twitter.com/Ik8ulNv4JY

— Norfolk Admirals (@NorfolkAdmirals) November 23, 2023

Danny Katic, Norfolk Admirals

Position: Left wing

Age: 23

AHL experience: None

The skinny: During the last year, the Admirals finally have turned their game into something, and Katic has been a big part of it. 

He followed a rookie campaign that saw him total 18 goals, 40 points and 123 penalty minutes in 67 games with a solid start to this season; he’s got two goals, five points and 33 points in 14 games for Norfolk, which is 8-6-2. 

He’s 6-foot-5 and 209 pounds, and he has good hands around the net – he just needs to continue using his size to get those dirty goals in hard areas. He won’t shy away from the rough stuff.

Chris Harpur, Orlando Solar Bears

Position: Defenseman

Age: 27

AHL experience: None

The skinny: Harpur’s game has been in fine form so far this season. He’s got two goals, six points and a plus-10 rating in 14 games. 

After a junior career in the British Columbia Hockey League, and then five seasons (2017-2022) at Niagara University, he’s just a bit of a late bloomer in the pro game. 

With good size at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, he’s rounding into form as a guy who won’t be flashy but can be relied upon in many situations.

Blake Bennett, Rapid City Rush

Position: Forward

Age: 25

AHL experience: None

The skinny: He’s small at 5-foot-9, 183 pounds. 

He comes from American International College, not exactly a factory of NHL talent, where he had 22 goals and 35 points in 38 games last season, but Bennett has been effective with the Rush, totaling eight goals and 15 points in 32 games. 

He has two game-winning goals this season and has seen some power-play time. 

He’s going to have to work on his defensive coverage, but this could be a hidden gem to watch as he acclimates to the professional ranks.

Yvan Mongo, Reading Royals

Position: Forward

Age: 26

AHL experience: None

The skinny: He goes to the net hard, and he finishes, which is how he’s accrued 11 goals and 27 points in 55 regular-season games over two seasons with the Royals. 

In the playoffs last season, he was reliable and potted a goal with an assist in nine games. 

He’s got experience – five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and three seasons with the University of Ottawa – and he’s been a consistent contributor every step of the way. 

Defensively, he’s been one of Reading’s most reliable forwards so far this season.

VINNY MARLEAU IS NOW TIED FOR THE MOST GOALS ON THE GOLDEN GHOSTS! pic.twitter.com/izIPtqsRow

— Savannah Ghost Pirates (@SavGhostPirates) November 18, 2023

Vincent Marleau, Savannah Ghost Pirates

Position: Right wing

Age: 24

AHL experience: 38 games with San Diego

The skinny: Savannah has been off to a rough 4-8-3 start, but Marleau, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, has been a bright spot. 

He leads the team in goals (six) and points (12). He’s minus-11, but that’s probably a deceptive stat because he’s known as much for his defensive reliability as his offense. 

He played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for Rouyn-Noranda, which he helped to the Memorial Cup in 2019. 

He’s shown he can be a top-line player in the ECHL, pairing with Pat Guay last season, and he deserves another AHL shot. 

In the 2021-2022 season with San Diego, he had one goal, four points and a minus-7 rating in 38 AHL games.

Austin Magera, South Carolina Stingrays

Position: Center

Age: 25

AHL experience: None

The skinny: The Stingrays have some overlooked gems – such as defenseman Connor Moore and forward Josh Wilkins – but Magera has stormed onto the scene with 13 goals and 24 points in his first 32 ECHL regular-season games. 

He’s 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, and a product of Sacred Heart University. He had 47 goals and 116 points in 154 collegiate games between 2018 and 2023. 

He stick-handles well, plays with some energy and draws penalties. Nothing super flashy, but he’s productive.

Kirill Tyutyayev, Toledo Walleye

Position: Left wing

Age: 23

AHL experience: 39 games with Grand Rapids

The skinny: Tyutyayev was drafted by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings in 2019 and played 39 games with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, though he only had two goals and eight points. 

Those are modest numbers compared to what he’d done in Russian hockey and has done in the ECHL over the last two seasons – nine goals and 53 points in 45 regular-season games, and another four goals and 13 points in 13 playoff games. 

He’s still clearly on the Red Wings’ radar – Toledo is their ECHL affiliate – yet doesn’t necessarily seem to be in their future plans. 

He’s small at 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, but he is a skilled playmaker who passes deftly and can finish. 

Pair him with a big goal scorer, as Toledo has done with Brandon Hawkins, and exciting things happen.  

Eric Hjorth, Trois-Rivières Lions

Position: Defenseman

Age: 22

AHL experience: None

The skinny: At 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, it’s easy to see how he was an NHL draft pick – by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round in 2019. 

He played OK the following season in the Ontario Hockey League, totaling 12 goals and 29 points with a minus-22 rating in 60 games, and spent the last three seasons playing in Europe. 

His first taste of pro hockey in North America is going well, as he’s got one goal, six points and a plus-5 rating in 15 games for the resurgent Lions. 

Expect the offensive numbers to continue to flourish; he’s got a big shot and isn’t afraid to attack the net. 

If he rounds out his physical play, at his age, he’ll be a prize.

Michael Farren, Tulsa Oilers

Position: Right wing

Age: 23

AHL experience: None

The skinny: The small players tend to fall through the scouting cracks, and that’s the case with the 5-foot-10, 181-pound Farren, who was a productive junior player in the Western Hockey League. He had 37 goals and 107 points in 248 WHL games between 2016 and 2021. 

What I like about his ECHL play, aside from scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 68 games for Tulsa, is that he can be used in all situations. 

This season, he’s seen power-play and penalty-kill time, and he’s plus-7 to go with eight goals and 12 points in 11 games.

Jordan Martel, Utah Grizzlies

Position: Right wing

Age: 25

AHL experience: None

The skinny: His production in juniors was remarkable with 98 goals and 204 points in 253 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League between 2015 and 2019. 

He then played for the University of Quebec Trois-Rivières, before breaking into the ECHL with Fort Wayne in 2022. 

He was traded to Utah early last season and has been on a tear since, totaling 23 goals and 54 points in 58 regular-season games, plus one goal and three points in five playoff games. 

He’s fast, strong and a finisher, and it seems like it’s just a matter of time until an AHL team notices.

Cedric Desruisseaux, Wheeling Nailers

Position: Right wing

Age: 23

AHL experience: Five games with Laval and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

The skinny: I don’t care how small he is – and he’s 5-foot-8, 165 pounds – the guy just plain produces offensively. And he’s not bad in his own zone, either. 

Last season, for Wheeling, he totaled 30 goals and 59 points with an even plus/minus rating in 72 games. He’s off to another great start with five goals and 15 points and a plus-1 rating in 10 games. 

He’s opportunistic, comes up big in big moments and just slithers his way into prime scoring positions. 

He does have two goals and three points in five AHL games, so it’d be interesting to see what he does with an extended look there.

Brayden Watts, Wichita Thunder

Position: Forward

Age: 24

AHL experience: Two games with Bakersfield

The skinny: Numbers don’t lie, and they tell me Watts is a consistent player with 50 goals and 156 points in 176 ECHL games – all with Wichita – between 2020 and now. 

Last season, Wichita was one game above .500, and Watts had 23 goals (seven of them game-winners), 63 points and a plus-2 rating in 50 games. 

He’ll play the power play and the penalty kill, and he stays out of the penalty box. 

He actually doesn’t take a ton of shots, but when he does, goalies need to look out, because of his solid power and accuracy. 

He’s not huge – 5-foot-11, 172 pounds – but it feels weird he’s still at this level.

RAILERS GOAL! 🚂🚂🚂

You can tell @JenkinsBlade practices his tips...#RailersHC pic.twitter.com/MKBsfV3plW

— Worcester Railers HC (@RailersHC) November 19, 2023

Blade Jenkins, Worcester Railers

Position: Left wing

Age: 23

AHL experience: 89 games with Bridgeport

The skinny: I actually had to double check he was on an ECHL contract, I was so surprised. 

He’s still clearly in the New York Islanders’ eyesight, after they used a fifth-round pick on him in 2018 and gave him so much time in the AHL his first three seasons of pro. 

He looked OK up there, too, with 10 goals and 20 points in 89 games. 

With the Railers, he’s totaled 12 goals and 35 points in 37 games over the last two seasons. 

He’s 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, has good vision, is a finisher and generally stays out of the box. 

He’s got a ton of experience for his age, including time in the Ontario Hockey League, skating for the US Under-17 team in the United States Hockey League and playing in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. 

If Worcester doesn’t call him up, someone else will.