As of early Tuesday morning, the Toledo Walleye had only announced the signing of forward Brandon Hawkins for the 2025-26 season. Finally, by midday, the Fish announced another. Sam Craggs, a key player for the Walleye, has re-signed for the upcoming campaign.
Craggs played in all 72 regular-season games and all 20 postseason games during the 2024-25 season. He contributed 21 goals and 26 assists during the regular season and added four goals and six assists in the playoffs. A four-year veteran of the Toledo Walleye, Craggs has been a key contributor throughout his career, amassing 60 goals, 68 assists, and 128 points in 213 regular-season games.
On Tuesday, the Toledo Walleye announced their qualifying offers for the 2025-26 season. ECHL teams can extend offers to up to eight players, with no more than four being veterans (players with 260+ pro games). Players on qualifying offers cannot be traded. Offers must be accepted by July 22, or they become void. Non-veterans retain their rights for the season, while veterans or goaltenders with 180+ games become restricted free agents after July 22. If they don’t sign by August 8, they become unrestricted free agents.
Walleye Qualifying Offers for 2025-26
The Walleye have extended qualifying offers to the following players for the 2025-26 campaign:
Forwards:
Defensemen:
- Nolan Moyle
- Bobby Russell
- Tanner Palocsik
Player Profiles:
Mitch Lewandowski
Mitch joined the Toledo Walleye in the 2023-24 season after one year in the ECHL. A Michigan State University graduate, Lewandowski started his pro career with 14 games in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. During his time with the Walleye, he scored 28 goals and 33 assists in 58 regular-season games. Lewandowski also played four games with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. He recently signed with Södertälje SK in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan league.
Cole Gallant
Gallant joined the Walleye midseason after being traded from the Utah Grizzlies. He played 13 games with Toledo, scoring four goals and adding four assists. During the postseason, Gallant contributed one goal and three assists in 19 games. Gallant has since signed a contract with the Pioneers Vorarlberg in Austria’s ICEHL (International Central European Hockey League).
Trenton Bliss
Bliss spent three seasons with the Walleye before signing with the Stavanger Oilers in Norway’s top league for the 25-26 season. In 2024-25, Bliss played 57 regular-season games, scoring 15 goals and 27 assists, while also serving as an alternate captain. He also played two games for both the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Chicago Wolves in the AHL, scoring one goal.
Brandon Kruse
Kruse joined the Walleye in the 2023-24 season after a year with the now defunct Newfoundland Growlers. A Boston College graduate, Kruse began his pro career with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. In 2024-25, Kruse played all 72 regular-season games and 20 postseason games, finishing with 9 goals, 44 assists, and 53 points.
Matt Anderson
Anderson joined the Walleye in 2023 after two seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays. Over his first season in Toledo, he played 27 regular-season games and contributed two goals and nine assists. In the playoffs, Anderson elevated his game, scoring seven goals and adding three assists in 20 games.
Nolan Moyle
Moyle, a former University of Michigan captain, signed with the Walleye after a stint in the KHL with the Kunlun Red Star. In his first season with Toledo (2024-25), Moyle played in all 32 regular-season games and all 20 playoff games, contributing six goals and 14 assists for 20 total points.
Bobby Russell
Russell was acquired by the Walleye in a midseason trade from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He spent his entire ECHL career with Greenville before joining Toledo. This season, Russell played 31 regular-season games, scoring two goals and adding four assists. He also participated in one playoff game.
Tanner Palocsik
Palocsik joined the Walleye after a standout collegiate career at the NCAA Division I level. In his rookie season, he played 50 regular-season games, scoring a goal and adding two assists for three points. Palocsik has since signed a contract with Cergy-Pontoise in France’s Ligue Magnus.
Looking Ahead:
While the news of several players signing contracts overseas, the Walleye still retain the ECHL rights to these players for the upcoming season. This means that even though some of our favorite players have moved on, there is always the potential for their return to Toledo down the road.
Conclusion:
As the 2025-26 season approaches, the Walleye’s roster is full of moving pieces. With some players heading overseas and others returning, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year for Toledo fans. With Craggs and Hawkins signed, and several key players receiving qualifying offers, it will be interesting to see how the Walleye finalize their roster. How they balance these changes and strengthen their lineup will be one of the key storylines to watch as the season unfolds.
ITR 45: Everything Is Happening – Inside The Rink
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