AHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

09Apr

Brad Malone(42) Colorado Avalanche

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Colorado Avalanche 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#105 overall), 2nd year center Brad Malone(42) notched his first NHL goal in 15 tries.

He is currently on his 2nd recall from their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters, where he’s skated in 133 AHL games scoring 21 goals and 40 assists in regular and postseason play. He’s also a pretty lousy -20 overall plus/minus on a team barely above the .500 mark in 2012/2013. They were a much better team the previous season, just missing a playoff berth.

The 6’2″ 207 lbs. power forward was up for 9 games in his rookie campaign connecting for his first points in the show, a pair of assists.

He put up big numbers in his last two years of college hockey with University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

The 23-year old is in the final season of his two-year entry level deal and set to become a restricted free agent. It’s seems likely that he’ll be qualified for at least another season to continue his development.

08Apr

Riley Brace (28)

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Undrafted center Riley Brace(28) got his hockey legs firmly planted in his AHL debut with a goal and an assist in game one of his pro career.

The 5’11” 180 lbs. player finished up 5-year stint in juniors with Mississauga Steelheads and signed an ato with Worcester Sharks.

What he may lack for in true power forward size, he certainly makes up for in a gritty, tenacious style of game he puts on the ice.

He was a tryout invitee to Los Angeles Kings‘ training camp a couple of seasons ago but must have fallen off their radar.

The just turned 21-year old is a no-brainer for any minor league team to sign in the offseason and our bets are on that he makes enough of an impact that he scores an entry-level deal with a club.

07Apr

Ryan Grimshaw(32) South Carolina Stingrays

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Undrafted, rookie defenseman Ryan Grimshaw(32) signed a deal to join Trenton Titans to start the first full season of his pro career.

He inked an ato with them after his college playing career playing three games with the team.

The 6′ 195 lbs. hard-nosed blue liner attended Toronto Marlies‘ training camp on an invite but was reassigned to the ECHL at the start of the season.

In 23 games he registed 3 goals and 3 assists before being recalled to the AHL at the beginning of the new calendar year.

On a pto with the Marlies, he proved he deserved a place on the roster in 16 games of gritty play and was upped to an spc to finish out the 2012/2013 season.

While up in the higher league, his rights were traded to South Carolina Stingrays to complete an earlier season swap.

He was recently reassigned to help them in their bid for the Kelly Cup.

The 23-year former Harvard Crimson captain will likely be back soon as it appears the quest for ECHL excellence will end in the first round.

06Apr

Kyle Flanagan(39) Adirondack Phantoms

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Undrafted, center Kyle Flanagan(39) signed a conservative one-year entry level deal with Philadelphia Flyers upon completing is final season of college hockey at St. Lawrence University.

He was a Hobey Baker Award top ten finalist as top college player for 2012/2013 and finished the year as top scorer in the NCAA.

The diminutive 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward was more than a point-per-game skater in his final two seasons posting a career highs in goals, assists and points in his final campaign.

He picks up where he left off starting his pro career on an ato with minor league affiliate Adirondack Phantoms.

In his debut, the 24-year old notched an assist and scored his first pro tally a few games later, while adding to his helpers total for 5 points in 5 contests.

He’s quick and has a knack for the net but like any smaller sized player will have to find the open areas of the ice to continue his effectiveness.

Regardless, he’s off to a great start.

05Apr

Joey Diamond(32) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted left wing Joey Diamond(32) finishes up four years of college hockey and signs an ato joining Bridgeport Sound Tigers to start his pro career.

The very under-sized 5’7″ 170 lbs. player skates with all the grit and determination of a power forward but with roughly half a foot less in the height category.

He consistently put up triple digit penalty minutes in his final three seasons with Maine Black Bears and also had a knack for getting into the open areas for scoring chances.

He’s already proving he belongs. It took him little time to establish himself as he got his first point, an assist in his 2nd game and added another in the next contest. He followed that up with his first fight and then scored and is currently on a two-game goal streak, with the addition of another fisticuffs bout for 22 total pims.

Parent club New York Islanders is very likely taking notice. He’s been in prospect camp with the team and was born in the area, so it would be no surprise to see him sign an entry level deal this summer for 2013/2014.

04Apr

Alexander Fällström(15) Providence Bruins

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Originally a Minnesota Wild 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#116 overall), Swedish right wing Alexander Fallstrom(15) was involved in a trade that brought his rights to Boston Bruins before he would start his college career at Harvard University, right down the road from the team’s home arena, TD Garden.

The 21-year signed a 2-year entry level deal through 2015 and starts his pro career on an ato with minor league affiliate Providence Bruins.

He notched his first pro point, an assist, in his debut and scored his first goal 5 games later.

At 6’2″ 203 lbs. he already has the physical attributes of a power forward, very much plays that style of game and has soft enough hands to connect with the back of the net consistently.

He may start his rookie season in the AHL but looks like he will become an NHL top six forward in short order.

03Apr

Ryan Strome(18) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#5 overall) center Ryan Strome(18) made his professional debut with minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers scoring his first goal, adding an assist and was selected as the game’s number one star in the 4-2 win.

The 6’1″ 183 lbs. power forward also looks like he will be making his first NHL appearance sooner than later based on his opening night performance on the scoresheet and overall play.

He signed his three-year entry level deal at the start of 2011, but was a slide for its initial year and could do that again for 2012/2013.

Although we see strong indications that he’ll be called up to help the parent club with their postseason push, allowing his contract to kick in.

The still only 19-year old struck for almost a pair of points per game in his second and last seasons of junior hockey and looks to continue on course to become a top 6 player in the show.

02Apr

Mark Cundari(15) Calgary Flames

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3rd year undrafted defenseman Mark Cundari(15) was a key component in a trade deadline deal that saw him move from St. Louis Blues‘ system to Calgary Flames.

He was chosen to appear in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game, where he had one assist to help the Western Conference to a 7-6 win, in what has been his breakout campaign.

He’s appeared in 172 minor league contests scoring 10 goals and 59 assists, all with Peoria Rivermen.

The under-sized 5’9″ but solid as a rock, 200 lbs. agitator defenseman has yet to make his NHL debut but could net a recall from farm team, Abbotsford Heat before the current season wraps up.

He won back-to-back OHL and Memorial Cup titles in juniors with Windsor Spitfires.

The soon-to-be 23 year old is in the final season of his 3-year entry level deal and scheduled to become a restricted free agent as the end of 2012/2013.

As the Flames are rebuilding a more youthful future, he will undoubtedly be qualified with a contract extension.

01Apr

Thomas Greiss(1) San Jose Sharks

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San Jose Sharks‘ 2004 3rd round pick in the 2004 draft (#94 overall) goaltender Thomas Greiss(1) was reassigned to minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks for conditioning.

After starting the lockout shortened season with a shutout win, he’s been shaky in his last three starts, all losses before going down to what is reported as being a neck injury.

In 42 NHL games the 6’1″ 215 lbs. German-born net minder owns a 17-15 record with a 2.55 GAA and a .910 SV%. His stats in the AHL are similar, although more games played at 141 with Worcester going 74-60 with 2.70 GAA and .904 SV%.

The 27-year old is in the final year of his 2-year extension (one-way deal for 2012/2013) and set to become an unrestricted free agent.

It seems highly improbable that they will keep him around. He’ll see little playing time as the season heads down the stretch to prove any uncertainty the organization might have after 7 years in the prospect system.

30Mar

Michael Pelech(27) Peoria Rivermen

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4th year center Michael Pelech(27) finally struck for his first tally in his fifth AHL recall, third this season.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. power forward has been basically a point-per-game guy in the ECHL for his last couple of campaigns, including the current one, in which he has 13 goals and 33 assists in 50 contests with Cincinnati Cyclones.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#156 overall), he spent his entire rookie year with Ontario Reign but signed to a one-year deal with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

He started his sophomore season with the Monarchs but was reassigned once again after 5 games with no points.

His point production also slumped slightly in 2010/2011.

By the start of his third year, he needed to find a new home and inked a deal with Toledo Walleye.

It wasn’t too far into the season though before he was traded to Cincinnati, the team that he would find his scoring stride with.

He finished 2011/2012 with them popping in 16 goals and 44 assists in 60 games, and a career best +17 rating.

He also earned a one game call-up to Norfolk Admirals.

In a no-brainer move he re-signed with the Cyclones and continued on his point scoring streak through the new year, when he started get phone calls from AHL teams.

His first call was to join his older brother Matt’s team Worcester Sharks for four games.

He got his first point, an assist.

A couple weeks later he was summoned to Connecticut Whale but failed to connect and released.

It wasn’t until his current recall to Peoria Rivermen that he finally found the back of the net.

He has been with the team through 7 games.

The still only 23-year old could very easily play out the regular season where he is or once again get reassigned soon to start the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Neither roster moves seems so bad, unless the Rivermen don’t make the playoffs and the Cyclones end in one round.