Category: AHL

03Jun

Seth Helgeson(2) Albany Devils

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Seth Helgeson

New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#114 overall) defenseman Seth Helgeson(2) has towering size at 6’5″ 215 lbs. and plays a punishing, stay-at-home style.

He was selected after a pair of seasons as a teenager in the USHL with Sioux City Musketeers.

Deciding to head to school as his next move helped him grow his game in four years at home state University Of Minnesota.

He finished his NCAA career with a +16 rating, completely reversing his numbers from American junior hockey but only put up modest scoring totals.

Once he turned pro, joining minor league affiliate Albany Devils for 75 AHL games in his rookie campaign, he scored only a single goal and credited with 9 assists, while running up 100 penalty minutes including 8 fighting majors. He was also a +12 plus/minus, helping the team to its first Calder Cup Playoff berth in a long while.

The 23-year old was recalled on a couple of occasions by the parent club but has yet to appear in an NHL game.

With a strong training camp heading into the final season of his 2-year entry level deal he could find himself spending some quality time in the show during the 2014/2015 season.

31May

Josh Leivo(14) Toronto Marlies

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josh-leivo

Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#86 overall) rookie right wing Josh Leivo(14) has put together a fantastic first year, mostly on reassignment with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies.

In 59 AHL games he posted 23 goals (good enough for 2nd on the team) and 19 assists with a +6 rating.

He was also recalled to the parent club, skating in 7 NHL games with one tally and one helper to his credit.

The 6’2″ 195 lbs. power forward plays an aggressive but smart style, hard and honest without taking unnecessary penalties. His time in the sin bin is minimal.

Through three years of junior hockey in the OHL, he was virtually a point-per-game guy that showed an uptick of performance come playoff time, putting up 28 points in 22 games.

In the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs, the 21-year old is back at it. In 11 games he has 3 goals and 5 assists.

With continued hard work in the off-season, he could easily make a strong bid for a more permanent roster spot with the Leafs.

30May

Conor Sheary(43) WBS Penguins

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Conor Sheary2

Undrafted left wing Conor Sheary(43) signed an ato with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after finishing up his fourth-year at UMass-Amherst.

He put up some decent numbers at college but wasn’t really on anyone’s radar at the next level.

The small 5’8″ forward put on some significant weight bumping him up to 175 lbs. as he joined the AHL for the remainder of the regular season but didn’t connect.

Inserted into the lineup for the third game of the Calder Cup Playoffs first round, he notched an overtime game-winning assist to help solidify his spot in the lineup and tallied his first marker in game 2 of the semi-finals and then started dotting the score sheet to the tune of 6 goals and 4 assists in 13 postseason contests.

His consistent contributions have caught the attention of the parent club, Pittsburgh Penguins, who are now likely to sign him to an entry level contract.

The soon-to-be 22-year old had an agreement for a one-year deal to join WBS Pens for his rookie season as outlined in Elite Prospects and may start here but a player that has always stepped up his compete level may get his shot at the ultimate hockey prize, the NHL.

27May

Nic Kerdiles(8) Norfolk Admirals

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Nic Kerdiles

Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft (#36 overall) left wing Nic Kerdiles(8) leaves two years of college on the shelf after a pair of successful seasons to sign his entry level deal that runs through 2016.

He was a more than a point-per-game player at University Of Wisconsin and won an NCAA/WCHA Championship as a freshman. He was named MVP after a 10-point tournament effort.

The 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward joined minor league affiliate Norfolk Admirals on an ato to finish off 2013/2014, where he notched his first pro goal and three assists, helping the team to a Calder Cup Playoff berth.

In 10 postseason contests through the first two rounds he added another 3 tallies and another helper to help solidify his standing as he heads into his rookie year.

The only 20-year old born in the heart of hockey, Lewisville, TX, skates an aggressive game, always digging for the puck and getting himself into the open spots for scoring chances.

He should make an impact going into training camp and make it difficult to send him down to start his first full season in the AHL.

24May

T.J. Brennan(3) Toronto Marlies

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TJ Brennan

Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5th year defenseman T.J. Brennan(3) is continuing his career year in the minors with affiliate Toronto Marlies.

He played in a season high 75 AHL regular season games scoring a new best 25 goals and 47 assists for 72 points, which basically doubled his previous yearly totals in the three scoring categories. His 2013/2014 totals were also good enough for lead on the team in tallies and overall. He was also 3rd in the league for points.

The 6’1″ 213 lbs. blue liner recently won the Eddie Shore Award for best d-man this year.

He only has 40 NHL games to his credit, despite being a Buffalo Sabres‘ 2nd round high selection pick.

The irony to those numbers is his best numbers with on a short, freshly traded 19-game stint with Florida Panthers, where he put up a pair of goals and 7 assists in 19 games.

He was picked up for a draft pick and then sent in an off-season trade to Nashville Predators, who decided not to qualify the pending restricted free agent.

Picked up by the Leafs, they, as the story goes never recalled him because they didn’t need him long-term and feared potentially losing him on waivers. It is so much easier to just call up an entry level player.

Now marching the Marlies through the Calder Cup Playoffs he has 4 goals and 4 assists in 9 games without a loss going into the Western Conference Finals.

The 25-year old is set to become a free and in the clear unrestricted free agent this summer. He received one-way contract money but will someone step up for 2014/2015 to try his experience for a full campaign? We’d sign him.

See related: 4/7-11, 11/24-11

22May

Brian Gibbons(9) WBS Penguins

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Brian Gibbons2

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 3rd year, undrafted center Brian Gibbons(9) is coming off a career year and once this incredible 2013/2014 season ride is complete he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his thus far brief pro career.

The super-small 5’8″ 170 lbs. forward played his first NHL games this year. He skated 41 contests, putting up a respectable 5 goals and 12 assists with a +5 rating; and then added another tally and pair of helpers in 8 Stanley Cup Playoff games before being eliminated.

He was able to be returned to the farm club Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to help their postseason quest.

Already paying dividends, in 6 Calder Cup Playoff tilts he’s scored one highlight reel goal and two assists, while bringing increased energy and speed to an already fast, high scoring team.

He has a pedigree for winning as he won two NCAA Championships in 2008 and 2010 with Boston College Eagles.

He was already having a pretty amazing minor league campaign in his third season of play. In his first two years, he scored an equal 30 points over the course of 70 games. Then in the current run he equaled his rookie scoring numbers (9-11-30) in just 28 match-ups, which easily got him noticed for his first recall.

The parent club would be smart to put this one to bed quickly and offer him a tw0-year, potentially one-way contract extension to stay.

18May

Josh Archibald(42) WBS Penguins

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josh-archibald-1

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 6th round pick in the 2013 draft right wing Josh Archibald(42) leaves his final year at University Of Nebraska-Ohama, turning pro with a freshly inked 3-year entry level deal.

He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2012/2013 hitting the back of the net 29 times in 37 NCAA games.

The undersized 5’10” 170 lbs. forward joined minor league affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the remainder of 2013/2014 and pocketed his first pro goal.

He plays a fairly tenacious style game to open up scoring opportunities and it certainly paid off with his first tally of the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs in his AHL postseason debut.

The 21-year old will be in the parents’ club training camp once again, competing for a roster spot but most likely will be spending the majority of his rookie season with the farm team to see if he can produce on a regular basis.

17May

Dane Byers (38)

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Dane Byers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hershey Bears‘ 9th year veteran Dane Byers(38) needs not worry where he’ll play next season as the team captain been invited back to continue his role in Chocolatetown.

Maybe a bit of a less than surprise move, as the 28-year old left wing signed his first minor league deal to join the much-storied AHL team last season.

The solid 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward has appeared in only 14 NHL games, 6 with New York Rangers (drafted 2nd round, 46th overall in 2004) and 8 with Columbus Blue Jackets.

He was able to pot one goal.

A proven leader on and off the ice, he plays a gutsy style that never shies away from delivering a crushing hit or fisticuffs if called upon to drop the gloves.

He had the most penalty minutes last season, 211 since his rookie campaign in 2006/2007.

No doubt what will be foremost on his mind will be returning the club to a postseason berth, which they missed for the first time in 8 straight years of appearances.

See related: 11/14-10, 12/25-10, 9/8-11, 9/6-12

16May

Andre Petersson(20) Norfolk Admirals

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Andre Petersson

Anaheim Ducks‘ Swedish-born right wing Andre Petersson(20) is at the end of his 3-year entry level deal he signed with draft team Ottawa Senators (2008 4th round #109 overall).

He was involved in a minor trade on the deadline date that sent him from one AHL affiliate, Binghamton Senators to Norfolk Admirals.

In the meantime though, the small but shifty 5’9″ 177 lbs. was managing to put up some career highs with 33 assists and 56 points, while his 23 goals tied a rookie campaign marker he put up quickly.

Having already played two seasons in the SHL before putting his hat in the ring for a shot at the NHL, he’s played only one game in 2011/2012.

The 23-year old is set to become a restricted free agent and will almost certainly be qualified, especially after a nice 2014 Calder Cup Playoff debut appearance with 3 goals and 3 assists in 10 games to get the underdog team to the second round.

The question might just be, will he still want to stick around to go after the North American hockey dream.

See related: 1/24-12