One of the first minor league signings before the 2010 season had even ended, Connecticut Whale re-upped with veteran defenseman Jared Nightingale(27). It will be his 4th season with the team. He doesn’t put up big numbers, except maybe pim’s but he’s pretty sturdy and dependable out there at the AHL level.
A couple of Abbotsford Heat players were rewarded for good seasons with the team with new 2-year contracts.
Defenseman Joe Piskula(43) signed a two-way contract with Calgary Flames while the veteran Quintin Laing(11) signed an AHL deal. For Laing, I think this is especially good since he was cast of early in the 2010 season to the ECHL, where he started the year with Victoria Salmon Kingsbefore being called up and becoming the eventual captain of the Heat.
Two players in the face-off circle that will be testing the ice in European countries next season.
Veteran Providence Bruins‘ captain Jeremy Reich(17) is heading to Germany, while 2nd year Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ right wing Robin Figren(23) will be lacing them up in the Swedish Elite League for Linkopings HC after failing to catch on with the New York Islanders after a few years in the system.
After 8 years of pro hockey (mostly at the AHL level: one 2006 Calder Cup with Hershey where he spent 3 seasons, one fight in a pair of games with Washington Capitals, and even some time in Italy and the Quebec tough guy league LNAH, Louis Robitaille(22) hangs up the skates at age 28 to become head coach of Valleyfield Braves in the QJAAAHL.
We will miss him out on the ice playing but wish him all the best as coach Robitaille.
Newly signed to a 1-year extension with New York Rangers, 4th year forward Chad Kolarik(42) plays a much bigger game than his 5’11” frame.
He’s a proven point per game guy in the AHL and has seen 6 games of NHL play with the Rangers and Blue Jackets, registering 1 assist. He likely spend most of ’11/’12 with Connecticut Whale but is almost certain to get some looks again from the parent club.
Undrafted mini-mite (5’7″ 165lbs) forward Jean-Michel Daoust(62) signed his 1st NHL contract with Minnesota in the summer of 2010 after a breakout season with their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros.
Unfortunately the 2010/2011 season didn’t go as well for him. He put up only a little more than half his point scoring production from the previous year and decided to look towards Europe, Germany’s Straubing Tigers specifically for 2011/2012.
Having watched him played throughout most of his pro career starting in 2005 with Danbury Trashers of the UHL, then a Kelly Cup with Cincinnati Cyclones and onto the AHL with WBS Pens and Houston, we wish him all the best and hope he makes a speedy return to North American hockey.
Jumbo-sized 6’5″ RFA Tom Sestito(21) re-signed with the Flyers after joining the team’s AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms at the trade deadline last season.
He has 13 games of NHL experience with the Blue Jackets but could make the jump with Philadelphia on a more permanent basis as a 4th line banger with potential goal scoring ability.
His older brother Tim Sestito(14) played 36 games with New Jersey last season. He worked his way up as an undrafted player through a couple of years first in the ECHL, then 4 in the AHL.
Devils‘ forward Darcy Zajac(20) will be in the 2nd year of his AHL/ECHL contract in 2011/2012.
He played more games with Albany than he did with Trenton last season but had more than double the scoring production in the lower level league.
His older (by one year) and more famous brother, Travis Zajac(19) is entering his 6th campaign with New Jersey.
Rangers have given up on 2008 3rd round pick, the giant-sized 6’4″ Russian winger Evgeny Grachev(91), dishing him to St. Louis Blues.
In 2 seasons in the AHL with Hartford/CT Whale, he’s underperformed but did get called up to the NHL for 8 games this past season, but failed to register a point.
He’s still very young at 21 and definitely still has a lot of potential to grow into the power forward force he’s projected to become.
Minnesota native Nate Prosser(15) re-upped with the Wild for the 2011/2012 season with a one year/two-way contract.
After proving reliability in his 1st pro season for Houston, he earned a call-up and saw action in a couple of NHL games registering one shot and no points.
He is being eyed to challenge for a spot on the blue line out of training camp.
