St. John’s IceCaps‘ 3rd year defenseman Paul Postma(4) was picked as an 2011/2012 AHL First All-Star Team.
In 55 games he has registered 13 goals and 31 assists, including three game winning tallies.
He played a career high 3 games with Winnipeg Jets this season but in 4 games total has still yet to get his first NHL point.
He is currently on the final year of his 3-year entry level deal.
In 3 AHL seasons the 6’3″ 195 lbs. 23-year old has skated in 187 games scoring 40 goals and 78 assists.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 5th round pick in the 2009 draft (#139 overall) centre Gabriel Dumont(40) received his first NHL call-up and skated 13 shifts for 8:25 minutes of ice time in his debut.
The 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward is in the 2nd season of his 3-year entry level deal.
He’s having a career year in the AHL with Hamilton Bulldogs for goals and points this season with 13 markers and 22 points. He also performed pretty well with them in last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs hitting the scoresheet for 6 goals and 3 assists in 20 games.
The one knock for 2011/2012 is his plus/minus, which is a lowly -14.
Without much size, the 22-year old is going to have to rely on his speed and tenacity if he wants to make it to the NHL on a more permanent basis.
New York Islanders‘ rookie defensemen Matt Donovan(46) is having an impressive pro debut with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
He was originally a 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#96 overall).
In 69 games he has 10 goals and 32 assists with a +9 plus/minus on a team that has fought hard for every victory in their playoff bound 2011/2012 season. He happens to lead rookie d-men in assists and points.
At 6′ 202 lbs. he isn’t the biggest guy defending the blue line but always plays a rough and tumble style of hockey.
Earlier this week he received his first NHL recall and skated 24 shifts for almost 22 minutes of ice time going a -1 in the team’s 3-1 loss.
The soon to be 22-year old will likely receive a good, long look in next year’s training camp for roster spot on the Isles.
It will be the 2nd year of his 3-year entry level contract.
4/4: Donovan was one of a pair of defensemen named to the 2011/2012 AHL All-Rookie Team.
2nd year Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#37 overall), defenseman Mat Clark(2) played his first NHL game on April Fool’s. He skated 11 shifts for 11:02 of even strength ice time and pretty much that was his lone pair of stats, which isn’t a bad thing in the 2-1 loss.
At 6’3″ 205 lbs. the 21-year old still has time to grow into his game and at the very least this year in the AHL, his second with Syracuse Crunch, he’s become a more accountable d-man.
He has another year left on his 3-year entry level deal.
Another guy that just has to take a million shots from the point and get them in on net consistently.
6th year Cincinnati Cyclones‘ center Mathieu Aubin(40) won the ECHL Reebok Plus Performer Award for the 2011/2012 season with a +25 plus/minus.
He was originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 5th round pick in the 2005 draft (#150 overall) and played in their system for his first few seasons with the Cyclones and Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL.
He has 76 career AHL games with the Bulldogs, Lake Erie Monsters and this season appeared in 4 with Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he scored one goal and one assist.
He’s played 224 games with Cincinnati (106 goals, 127 assists in the regular season), so obviously feels at home with the team having spent five seasons and winning two championships with the club.
Considering they failed to make the Kelly Cup Playoffs, he was quickly signed to a pto with Milwaukee Admirals, the new AHL affiliate of the Cyclones.
Last season, Binghamton Senators‘ 2nd year left wing Corey Cowick(23) split time his playing time equally between the AHL and ECHL Elmira Jackals.
In 2011/2012, the Ottawa 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#160 overall) has doubled his time with the B-Sens playing in career high 52 games, scoring 5 goals and 6 assists.
By no means did these numbers immune him from getting reassigned, as he was sent down in early February for the first time this season and has been on the road between the two New York hockey teams on a pair of occasions.
The 22-year old, 6’3″ 208 lbs. forward is signed to an entry level deal with Ottawa through 2012/2013. He’s going to have to use that size more to his advantage next season is how we see it.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#154 overall) rookie defenseman Dalton Prout(4) received his first recall to the NHL.
The 6’3″ 219 lbs. blue liner has skated well in his first season with their AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons recording 4 goals and 8 assists in 60 games with a -3 plus/minus.
He’s appeared in two games for the Blue Jackets over the weekend playing an average of 14 minutes with no points but was a +1 on ice in a pair of winning efforts.
The 22-year old was signed to a three-year entry level deal, so there’s still plenty of time to see if the big man will continue to develop that shutdown ability while adding a few points to the scoresheet.
When Norfolk Admirals put together a win streak that extended to 18 games, the team entered the AHL history books for the most games played in a single season without suffering a loss.
Now that the Admirals have racked up 21 straight victories it’s starting to get downright ridiculous and folks are wondering if and when it will ever end.
They broke the 17-game win mark set by Philadelphia Phantoms in the 2004/2005 season. The Phantoms also won the Calder Cup that year, which no doubt has speculators hedging their bets.
One thing is for sure, opposing teams are seeing more of Admirals‘ players embracing after scoring goals than they want to on any given night.
Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2008 draft (#173 overall) center Nicolas Tremblay(27) signed an ato with Providence at the conclusion of his fourth and final year playing college hockey.
In 4 games he got himself his first pro goal in the team’s desperate shootout win last weekend, also has an assist and looks to be fitting in nicely as the P-Bruins push for a spot in the postseason for the first time in a couple of seasons.
We expect him to sign an entry level contract with the B’s.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th round pick in the 2007 draft (#158 overall) rookie goaltender Allen York(35) has played games this season with their affiliates Chicago Express of the ECHL, Springfield Falcons of the AHL and in the big club in the NHL.
No start was more surprising for the 22-year old than when he was recalled on an emergency basis to the Blue Jackets to serve as the back-up netminder and was given the nod after their main guy was injured during the team’s morning skate.
Getting his first win at home in a 29 save effort against Detroit Red Wings also had to put a smile on the big goaltender’s face.
It’s a bit amazing that he’s only played 24 games all season in three different leagues. Should be able to retain his rookie status going into 2012/2013.
