8th year center Casey Wellman(29) heads back to the KHL signing for 2017/2018 with HK Sochi after a season in the SHL with Frolunda Indians. where he helped them win the 2017 Champions Hockey League title, leading the tournament in goals and points with 8 and 14.
He had less success in his first tour of Russia scoring only 8 goals and 8 assists for Spartak Moskva in 40 games but maybe they were watching as he’s once again elevated his game.
His best offensive output was 2014/2015, a third year in Washington Capitals‘ system.
He played a career high 73 AHL games for affiliate Hershey Bears scoring new bests 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points with a +6 rating, then added another 6 points (3-3) in 10 postseason match-ups.
In his prior campaign, he received his shot at the big league playing a decent 13 NHL games, while grabbing a pair of goals and an assist with a +3.
This was his last stint in North America before deciding to split for overseas.
The 29-year old will turn 30 as the new season arrives but we’d say he still has plenty left in the tank.
After scoring two assists on a pair of three game recalls over the past two seasons earns Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th year, deep-ish draft pick center Charles Hudon(10) a nice little two (lots of twos here) year extension to stay with the club.
He gets a two-way clause heading into 2017/2018 but quite nicely upped to a one-way deal for its second run.
It has to be the thinking that the small forward with pretty great hands will be making a big bid to join the NHL roster full-time.
We like his odds.
If not, he’ll head back to new affiliate Laval Rocket and continue to put up a crapload of points in the AHL.
Not bad for a player who turns 23-years old just a few days from now.
Happy Birthday!
7th year center Philip-Michael Devos(8) gets his option picked up for a third straight season with HC Ajoie of NLB, where he led the league in assists (52) and points (71) en route to capturing the 2016 Championship.
In his 2nd campaign, he finished with a league leading 40 goals, 57 assists and 97 points, so re-signing a player with those numbers was a no-brainer.
He first left North American pro hockey joining Val Pusteria, where he put up a Serie A best 60 assists and 90 points, while helping the team win an Italian Supercup Championship.
As a rookie, he was part of the Norfolk Admirals‘ Cinderella-story 2012 Calder Cup title, appearing in only 9 postseason contests with a goal and an assist but still contributed with a +4 rating.
In his sophomore season he played a career high 70 AHL games in the 2nd year of his initial deal with new Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate Syracuse Crunch but ticked down ever so slightly in scoring.
To start 2013/2014 he agreed with Elmira Jackals with limited success but was loaned on a pair of occasions before a trade brought him back to Florida Everblades.
In 38 ECHL games he was a more than a point-per-game skater (11-29-40) but came up short of a playoff berth.
The 27-year old should continue to excel in Switzerland’s tier 2 league once again and might look to climb the ladder to NLA, if offered.
4th year defenseman Justin Hache(18) leaves for Metal Ligaen signing for 2017/2018 with SonderjyskE.
He’s set to become a restricted free agent with his three-year entry level deal expiring.
Originally an Arizona Coyotes‘ 7th round pick in the 2012 draft (#208 overall) he was traded late last season to Dallas Stars.
His first pair of seasons were played exclusively in the AHL, first with affiliates Portland Pirates, then Springfield Falcons.
The 6’2″ 203 lbs. d-man recorded only modest numbers as a rookie (6 assists) but took it up a bit grabbing 2 goals and 12 assists with a +5 rating as a sophomore skater on a non-playoff team.
This was more similar to his final year of juniors with Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, where he recorded 41 assists in 57 QMJHL games.
In his third campaign though, he started with 5 games for new farm club Tuscon Roadrunners but was too often a healthy scratch before he was reassigned down to Rapid City Rush of the ECHL previous to being dealt.
A similar situation occurred, when he started up new squad with Texas Stars but was dropped down to Idaho Steelheads as the calendar wound down and appeared in his first postseason match-ups.
The 23-year old should do very well in Denmark’s top league and will very likely play himself up the overseas hockey ladder.
Undrafted 6th year left wing Ian Watters(27) leaves Reading Royals after a 4-year stint of 185 ECHL games scoring 18 goals and 54 assists.
The 6′ 205 lbs. will skate for Guilford Flames of the EIHL next season and probably light the lamp often in England.
He began with four years of juniors with Brampton Battalion of the OHL.
Not really known for hitting up the score sheet too often, he plays a pretty deliberate style and knows how to find the open spaces.
It will be interesting to see if the 25-year old sticks in the one league overseas or tries to move up the ladder with hard work.
6th year defenseman Karl Stollery(7) leaves for the KHL signing with Dinamo Riga for 2017/2018 after playing a career high 11 NHL games with New Jersey Devils last season scoring his first 3 points, assists.
He’s only played 23 big league games on three recalls but has appeared in 335 AHL contests with Albany Devils, San Jose Barracuda/Worcester Sharks and Cleveland Monsters.
Although not the biggest point guy, even in the minor league (28-104-132), he does have an accountable +14 overall.
The 29-year old will turn 30 as the new calendar gets under way but should hold up nicely in Russia.
14th year veteran center Ryan Craig(12) played 71 games in his 2nd season as captain of Cleveland Monsters scoring 11 goals and 11 assists on what was a non-playoff team one year after winning the 2016 Calder Cup Championship.
It’s all good.
The big, power forward has a 570 AHL games, 198 in the NHL (32-31-63), and even 5 ECHL games as a rookie in 2003/2004 with Pensacola Ice Pilots.
He scored 3 goals and 5 assists in five games at the double A level so it was easy to see he was out of place.
The 7-time team captain has decided it’s time to hang up the skates, accepting an assistant coach job with the new Las Vegas Golden Knights, which seems like an awesome fit for a guy that obviously knows how to lead.
Keith McCambridge moves up from his first year as Hartford Wolf Pack‘s assistant coach to take on the role as the team’s 6th head coach in franchise history that began in 1997/1998.
The decently sized 6’2″ 205 lbs. former 11-year defenseman was originally a Calgary Flames‘ 8th round pick in the 1994 draft (#201 overall) playing 415 AHL regular season and playoff games for four different squads ending in 2002/2003.
For the 2003/2004 campaign he agreed to become Alaska Aces‘ player/assistant coach and named the new captain.
He stayed in that role for a few seasons with the ECHL club and ultimately help them with the 2006 Kelly Cup Championship.
Never a player to amass a ton of points, he was always a steady player and team leader with whomever he was playing.
He assume head coach status with the Aces next season through 2009 before accepting the assistant position with Manitoba Moose for 2009-2011 in the Winnipeg Jets‘ organization.
When the team moved their affiliate to St. John’s IceCaps, he was elevated to head coach through the next 5 years and even came back to Manitoba, when they resume play at the MTS Centre.
In his coaching career he was able to twice bring a team to the Finals.
The 43-year old should be able to return the Wolf Pack to postseason play, which they’ve missed by a wide margin in the past two years.
Heading into his 13th season, veteran, former 1st rounder, right wing Steve Bernier(37) signs a new two-year, two-way deal to stay in New York Islanders‘ system.
Limited by injury to only 33 AHL games with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers he scored 16 goals and 10 assists with a +13 rating and likely would have posted at least a new scoring best.
Although he didn’t appear in any NHL games last season, he may have if he could have stayed healthy.
At this point though, they likely want to keep him around for awhile as the 32-year old is good with the prospects.
If this is his last big league contract, you have to think they are grooming him to coach.
