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Offseason Player Tracker

We know the offseason can be long and tedious, so we created this offseason tracker to help you navigate through the process of us starting to build our team for the 2026-27 season. 

Here are the important dates to know as we start to prepare for next season:

Protected List: Due June 8 at 3 p.m. EST
Only ECHL contracts can be on this list. There is no limit to how many players can be listed, and even players who were suspended or extended a qualifying offer last summer may be included.

Future Considerations Trade Deadline: June 20 at 3 p.m. EST
Trades that have future considerations components must be completed by this date.

Season-Ending Roster: Due June 22 at 3 p.m. EST
Maximum 20 players. Only ECHL contracts can be on this list. If a team names a player to its season-ending roster, that team has exclusive rights to negotiate with and sign that player until qualifying offers are due.

FIRST DAY TO SIGN CONTRACTS: June 23
Get excited! This is when pen can start getting put to paper, and you begin to find out who will be taking the ice for the upcoming season!

Qualifying Offers Due: July 7 at 11:59 p.m. EST
Maximum 8 players. If a team hasn't signed a player prior to this date, they may extend that player a qualifying offer. That offer ensures that the player's ECHL rights stay with that team for a full season. 

*Note - All players who have played more than 190 professional regular season games at a AA level or higher are now ineligible to receive a Qualifying Offer.

When players who meet that threshold are added to a 20-man Season Ending Roster, teams will have two weeks to sign them, just like their other players. The difference this year is that teams can't QO any player who is over that 190 game mark. If a player over 190 has no interest in signing during the two week window before QO's are due, then there is nothing that can be done to prevent them from testing the Free Agency. 

Below, you will see various lists of players who played in Wichita in 2025-26, or had their ECHL rights with Wichita in 2025-26, and what their statuses are for the 2026-27 season.

ECHL Contracts

Player NameProtected ListSeason-Ending RosterQualifying Offer2026-27 Status
Spencer BlackwellYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
Gavin BestYesYesYesRe-signed with Wichita
Peter BatesYesNoNoSigned in Belfast (EIHL)
Ryan FinneganYesYesNo 
Kyle JeffersYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
Cameron MitchellYesYesNo 
Jay DickmanYesNoNoSigned with Tulsa
Michal StinilYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
Oliver TarrYesYesNoTraded to Greenville
Nick NardecchiaYesTraded to ToledoNoSigned with Toledo
Nick DeGraziaYesYesNo 
Matt CrasaYesYesNoTraded to Wheeling
Jake WahlinYesNoNo 
Declan SmithYesYesYes 
Nico SomervilleYesYesNoTraded to Greenville
Kirby ProctorYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
T.J. LloydYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
Robert KincaidYesYesNo 
Nolan KneenYesNoNo 
Tanner PalocsikYesYesYes 
Tyler JetteYesYesNoRe-signed with Wichita
Roddy RossYesYesYes 
Connor HasleyYesYesYesSigned AHL deal with SJB

 

AHL Contracts

Player Name2025-26 Status2026-27 Status
Jack Bar1-year AHL contract 
Kyle Crnkovic1-year AHL contract 
Matt Davis1-year AHL contractAHL contract with San Jose
John Gormley1-year AHL contractSigned with Bakersfield (AHL)
Donavan Houle2-year AHL contractAHL contract with San Jose
Lucas Vanroboys1-year AHL contractSigned with Hartford (AHL)

NHL Contracts

Player Name2025-26 Status2026-27 Status
Noah Beck1-year, Entry-Level NHL ContractSigned with Hershey (AHL)
Gabriel Carriere1-year, NHL ContractSigned with Hartford (AHL)
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