Category: AHL

21Feb

Robert Mayer(29) EHC Biel

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Montreal Canadiens‘ undrafted, 4th year, Czech/Swiss goaltender, Robert Mayer(29) only has the remainder of 2012/2013 on his three-year entry level contract and has announced before the season is even over that his opportunity to continue his pro career is better served by splitting the country for Switzerland’s NLA.

Seeing increasing less light to get any playing time in the NHL, the 23-year old signed a two-year deal with EHC Biel. He’s been recalled but only to be the backup goalie.

He’s played 81 games with Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL and posted so-so numbers on what have been so-so performing teams that has consistently failed to make the playoffs.

In his rookie season, almost exclusively skating in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones, he produced good numbers, but when he got to the Kelly Cup Playoffs he literally shut the door going 6-0-1 with a 1.54 GAA and .938 SV% that included 3 shutouts. He was named co-MVP with his fellow net minder, who he split time throughout the postseason.

He may go “home” and come back a whole number kind of player. But we’ll see.

Robert Mayer

 

 

18Feb

Jason Zucker(16) Minnesota Wild

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Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#59 overall) rookie left wing Jason Zucker(16) cashed in on his first NHL goal in his first game on recall from minor league affiliate Houston Aeros, where he leads that team in scoring with 19 goals and 22 assists.

He started his pro career at the end of last season, signing a three-year entry level deal upon leaving college after two years of more than a point per game production.

In 6 contests with the Wild to finish off a 2011/2012 without a playoff berth, the  5’11” 180 lbs. forward got his first points in the show with a pair of assists.

He was selected to appear in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game, in which he scored a goal and an assist and tied a team high with 5 shots on net in the 7-6 Western Conference win. He was also a close second in the fastest skater contest in the Skills Competition.

In the 21-year old’s 2013 NHL debut, he logged 15 shifts for 11:09 of total ice time, scored the goal, went a +1 plus/minus and had 2 shots on net in the 3-2 victory. His tally tied the game at 2.

Minnesota is going to have to put his picture and add some more visual content up on his player page and soon, so fans can get to know this potential rising star, born in Las Vegas (of all places), on their team.

Jason Zucker1

 

 

17Feb

Steve Eminger(4) Connecticut Whale

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New York Rangers‘ 10th year veteran defenseman Steve Eminger(4) last saw playing time in the minors during the 2004/2005 lockout. He was recently reassigned to AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale on a conditioning loan as space on the parent club’s blue line was a bit scarce.

He started the shortened 2012/2013 campaign on the roster and found his way into four games but was unable to put up any points and was a healthy scratch for half a dozen games before being reassigned.

The 29-year old former Washington Capitals‘ 1st round pick in the 2002 draft (#12 overall) has skated in 457 NHL games scoring 19 goals and adding 77 assists. He’s an unfortunate -50 plus/minus but has show better on ice accountability in recent years.

The Blueshirts are the 6th team the 6’2″ 207 lbs. has signed with. After 6 seasons with the Caps, he was signed for one-year deals with the Flyers, Lightning, Panthers and Ducks before being involved in a trade that brought him back east.

He scored his first AHL goal in 8 years and honestly even at this later stage in his pro career he looks a bit out of place and overqualified to be spending much more time on the farm.

Steve Eminger

16Feb

Scott Campbell(4) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted 2nd year center Scott Campbell(4) has spent the majority of his playing time in the ECHL with Las Vegas Wranglers. He’s skated in 75 games, signed to successive one-year contracts, with the team.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. forward has 19 goals and 22 assists with a combined +11 plus/minus and added another 8 goals and 2 assists in 18 2012 Kelly Cup Playoff games, advancing all the way to the Finals before being defeated.

He started his pro campaign under an ato joining Houston Aeros after his collegiate career was done. He received call-ups in his rookie season with Rochester Americans and Texas Stars for a total of 12 games but failed to notch his first point in the league.

The 26-year old once again was on the radar for an AHL recall and got the ring from Bridgeport Sound Tigers to join them just before the Christmas holiday push.

He’s certainly making his mark, continuing to prove he belongs in the upper league with 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. He was recently rewarded with a contract to stay for the remainder of 2012/2013 and hopes to keep contributing to make that step up from the get-go next year.

No doubt he has the assets to be a legitimate power forward but seems to shy away from getting too involved, using more of a hard skating style to create his chances by stealing pucks and being in the right place at the right time.

Scott Campbell

 

 

 

 

15Feb

Michal Jordan (29)

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#105 overall), Czech-born defenseman Michal Jordan(29) received his first NHL recall.

He is in the final season of his three-year entry level deal and in 48 AHL games this season with Charlotte Checkers he has connected for a career high 6 goals and 15 points, which also puts him on pace to put up a best in that scoring category as well.

While listed at a moderate 6’1″ 195 lbs. he looks a lot bigger than those numbers. There’s little doubt his game is all about muscle and punishing opponents and he’s relatively effective in that role without getting himself into penalty trouble. He’s also a tidy +11 plus/minus on a team that knows how to win games.

In his debut the 22-year old skated 17 shifts for 12:18 total ice time and had one shot on net in a decisive 3-1 victory. He could stick around or at the very least be given a contract extension at the end of the season to see where it goes after a taste of the show.

He should really play in Chicago though.

Michal Jordan

14Feb

Tyler Toffoli(26) Manchester Monarchs

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tyler-toffoli

Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#47 overall) rookie center Tyler Toffoli(26) has yet to realize an NHL call-up quite yet but it has to be imminent, unless all the players on the parent club perform well and stay healthy. He was one of the last skaters to be reassigned to start the shortened season.

He’s 2nd in scoring for AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs with 35 points, leading the team with 21 goals and a +15 plus/minus. He was also selected to play in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game and collected a goal and an assist in the heart-breaking Eastern Conference loss.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward had three outstanding final three years of junior hockey and even led the highly competitive OHL in scoring for 2010/2011.

He’s signed to a three-year entry level deal that keeps him with the Kings through the 2015 season.

There’s little doubt that the 20-year old is going to blossom into a full-time NHL player but he’ll have to continue to excel on the farm and wait for his turn to prove he can step it up.

12Feb

Thomas Pock(22) Lake Erie Monsters

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thomas-pock-1

9th year undrafted Austrian-born defenseman Thomas Pock(22) has been on quite the journey in his playing career. He was a scoring stud in his final couple of seasons of college hockey that gained him the notice of New York Rangers, who plucked him fresh out of school and put him into action for 6 games to round out the 2003/2004 season. He managed a pair of goals and assists in the brief run.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. blue liner played another 5 seasons in the Blueshirts‘ system but was unable to match the early offensive output in the higher league. The 2004/2005 lockout could have part of the blame sidetracking his development.

In the AHL he also struggled some to reignite that scoring touch but had a couple of really good seasons wrapped around his first full year in the NHL; maybe the pro blossoming was delayed.

He was once again going to be sent down to start his 6th campaign with the Rangers but their rivals across the river decided to give him a shot as part of their never-ending franchise rebuild process but he failed pretty miserably on a poorly performing New York Islanders‘ team.

With nowhere to go in the show, he turned his attention towards Sweden, first signing for a couple of seasons with Rapperswil of the NLA and then MODO.

He managed to kickstart his ability to land on the scoresheet to a degree and made the decision that it was time for another shot at the NHL. Colorado Avalanche took the bait and signed him for 2012/2013 to add some depth to their back line.

In 45 games with their AHL affiliate Lake Erie Monsters, he has 8 goals and 19 assists, while wearing the “A” for the team and helping the younger players with their game.

Very likely the now 31-year old will head back overseas to wrap up his playing career.

10Feb

Scott Parse(20) Albany Devils

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Albany Devils‘ 6th year right wing Scott Parse(20) has somehow sat most of the team’s 44 games so far this season. He signed a one-year AHL deal as the 2012/2013 season was approaching.

In 13 games he has a low-end 1 goal and 2 assists, -7 rating, so he definitely needs to step it up. The 28-year old has recently been reinserted into the lineup.

He spent the first 5 years of his pro career in the Los Angeles Kings‘ prospect system. The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward was originally a Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2004 draft (#174 overall).

He’s skated in 73 NHL games and has 14 goals and 16 assists, which are pretty decent numbers.

In his career year 2009/2010 he skated 59 games and scored 11 goals and 13 assists while going a +13 plus/minus. The effort earned him a 2-year extension.

Unfortunately from here injury problems settled in for his next couple of campaigns.

Ironically when he did play in early 2010, the first year of his new contract, he got a goal and 3 assists in 5 games. It would have easily put him on pace for a career year on the scoresheet.

The next season wasn’t much better; he only appeared in 9 games.

As an unrestricted free agent going into a year when the NHL was a wish away, he decided to get back to work and rejoined a league he has over 100 games experience in.

Scott Parse

 

09Feb

Jordan Hendry(6) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks‘ undrafted 7th year defenseman Jordan Hendry(6) has appeared in NHL games in 5 of his pro years. In 130 contests he has 4 goals and 9 assists, while maintaining a reliable +2 rating. He was also on the Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2010 Stanley Cup Championship team but left unsigned after his fifth season in the system.

As an unrestricted free agent, he agreed to a training camp tryout last year with Minnesota Wild and by all accounts had a good run during preseason. He reported to their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros on a pto but was ultimately released after only 10 games.

He then signed a deal to skate with Lugano of the NLA in Switzerland to finish out the season.

The 28-year returned for 2012/2013 when offered a 1-year 2-way deal with the Ducks.
He was on the NHL opening night roster but reassigned to Norfolk Admirals (his second go round with the team under his only two parent clubs), when he didn’t crack the lineup for a second appearance. In 31 AHL games, he had a pair of goals and assists before he was recently recalled.
The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner skated 24 shifts and was on the ice for an average of 17 minutes in both wins. He’s easily a 5-6 depth guy on defense but fairly accountable and that won’t hurt his chances to continue making visits to the show.
Jordan Hendry1

08Feb

Petr Mzarek(34) Detroit Red Wings

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petr-mzarek1

Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#141 overall) rookie Czech net minder Petr Mzarek(34) got the nod for his 1st NHL start and absolutely commanded a 5-1 win over Division rivals St. Louis Blues.

Not bad for a goalie that started his still shiny new pro career in the ECHL with Toledo Walleye for a few games before being recalled to Grand Rapid Griffins.

He posted a 2-1 record with a 2.02 GAA and .944 SV% on a team that looks to be a Kelly Cup contender before receiving the start in his 2nd game back in the AHL and began winning, a lot, all the time.

His 16-7 in 25 games with a 2.26 GAA and .916 SV for the division leading squad is pretty dazzling.

These efforts earned him an invite to the 2013 AHL All-Star Game and was in net for the Western Conference late 3rd period victory.

It would almost be no surprise to see the 6’1″ 187 lbs. goaltender work his way into the mix of starters for the Wings going forward. He’s signed through 2015 on a three-year entry level contract.

The win was a nice early birthday present for the soon-to-be 21-year old Valentine’s Day baby backstop.