Philadelphia Flyers‘ offensive-minded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere(53) wunderkind gets a healthy pay bump heading into his 4th year.
He was given a 6-year extension worth $27M ($4.5M AAV) after playing a career high 76 NHL games, recording a new best 32 assists.
The only downfall was his somewhat puzzling -21 rating.
After suffering a season-ending injury as a rookie, he rebounded with a strong training camp heading into 2015/2016.
He was reassigned to start the season with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms but after 14 AHL games (2-8-10) recalled and that was the start of his ascent.
Playing 64 games as a sophomore skater he grabbed a 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points, indicating he was fully ready to step up.
He was also chosen as a Calder Trophy finalist for top rookie.
The 24-year old is definitely being looked at as one of the team’s top d-men and will hopefully help lead the charge to return them to postseason play.
Los Angeles Kings‘ left wing Tyler Toffoli(73) heads into his 6th year with the team as an upcoming restricted free agent getting a nice, new 3-year $4.6M AAV contract keeping him with the club through 2020.
The power forward wasn’t able to produce like he did in 2015/2016, when he put up a career best 31 goals and 27 assists for 58 points with a team leading +35 rating but was also sidelined with a lower body injury for 19 games.
He was still able to connect for a tidy 18 goals and 16 assists in just 63 NHL contests with a +6 on a non-playoff squad.
Vancouver Canucks re-up for another season with 5-year defenseman Andrey Pedan(37) on a two-way deal.
Citing a good run with affiliate Utica Comets, where he scored 5 goals and 5 assists with a pair of game-winning tallies, new high 107 shots on net and 100 penalty minutes in 52 AHL games, they decided to extend the 24-year old restricted free agent.
It wasn’t quite as good as 2015/2016, his first full year in the system, when he grabbed a career high 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points with a +17 rating.
He played in his only 13 NHL games that season recording no points but showed an ability to move up and play with decent effectiveness for a young blue liner.
Could be some more looks up with the big club may bring him up to full speed at the highest level of hockey.
Undrafted 4th year right wing Mark Zengerle(7) takes 3 successful AHL seasons and college career over to the SHL for 2017/2018 signing a one-year deal with Linkoping HC.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward had a best 38 assists as a sophomore skater for Grand Rapids Griffins and although his totals in his last campaign with Lehigh Valley Phantoms were down a bit (13-21-34), they were still good.
The former University Of Wisconsin player also average more than 30 assists each year.
At 28-years old, he should excel nicely overseas and could possibly find himself a nice, long term home in Sweden.
After two years back with Brampton Beast, undrafted 8th year center Luke Pither(11) leaves once again signing with Almtuna IS of Allsvenskan for 2017/2018.
The tough as nails 5’11” 187 lbs. forward was more than a point-per-game player last season scoring 17 goals and 27 assists in 37 ECHL games, then added another 2-6-8 in 12 Kelly Cup Playoff contests.
He received three call-ups to the AHL but was only able to connect for 3 assists in 6 games with St. John’s IceCaps in 2015/2016.
Originally signed by Philadelphia Flyers after 5 years of OHL junior hockey, he spent most of his time with affiliate Adirondack Phantoms but was seemed to struggle some getting on the score sheet.
His rights were traded halfway through the final year of his entry level contract to Carolina Hurricanes, where played 23 games with their farm club, Charlotte Checkers doing quite well collecting points.
Left unqualified heading into 2013/2014, he decided to move on agreeing to a year with KalPa of Liiga but had only modest success.
He would move on to Austria’s Klagenfurter AC and was able to raise his game grabbing 11 goals and 14 assists in 48 EBEL games.
The 28-year old should do very well in Sweden’s tier 2 league and potentially move up to a higher level of overseas pro hockey.
San Jose Sharks‘ 5th year goaltender Troy Grosenick(1) appeared in a new career high 49 AHL games with affiliate San Jose Barracuda posting a best 30 wins against 10 losses with an outstanding 2.04 GAA and .926 SV% to go along with a league high 10 shutouts, which helped him win Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as best goalie.
He also started all 15 of the team’s playoff games, which ended in the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals.
This play earns the 27-year old unrestricted free agent a 2-year 2-way extension to stay with the only club he’s known and continue to try to play his way into a permanent NHL roster spot.
The net minder has only appeared in 2 games for the parent club in 2014/2015 earning a 45-shot blanking in his debut with a stunning 1.53 GAA and .948 SV% but somehow has not made his way back since those pair of starts.
He may have to wait until the injury bug bites one of the two net minders to be given another chance but certainly will be well-prepared when it happens.
Undrafted 8th year left wing Andrew Rowe(18) leaves the nest agreeing to a one-year deal with Mora IK of the SHL.
He had his best season yet in 2016/2017, his second with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Playing a career high 66 AHL games, he potted new bests 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points with a +6 rating and unloaded 124 shots on net.
It wasn’t that easy though as he was a healthy scratch for much of the start of his 7th campaign before eventually cracking the lineup.
Just one year earlier he split time between the higher league and as captain of South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.
He was actually under contract with the team a season earlier as a more than point per game player but loaned up to Charlotte Checkers for 28 games.
The 29-year old should be able to do extremely well overseas but we’ll miss seeing him play on the east coast.
Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#60 overall) Swedish-born defenseman Linus Arnesson(28) will head back home leaving restricted free agent status on the table, signing a one-year deal with Orebro HK.
It’s his first foray away from Djurgardens IF, the team he’d play all his junior hockey and first three years, initially in Allsvenskan but spent the last year up in the SHL before heading to North America.
The decently sized 6’1″ 187 lbs. blue liner played his first 11 games with affiliate Providence Bruins at the end of 2014/2015 scoring 1 goal and 3 assists for a nice start.
He’s not really a point guy though with still the one goal and 9 assists in 79 AHL games.
It’s actually a bit of a wonder why he was selected so high as he’s not exactly the shutdown style of a d-man either.
He’ll turn 23-years old as the new season gets underway and likely have his rights retained just in case there’s some sort of explosive development.
8th year right wing Danick Paquette(16), a veteran of 341 ECHL regular season and playoff games, will make his first visit overseas with Conventry Blaze of the EIHL for 2017/2018.
The 6’1″ 215 lbs. tough as nails skater only had one outstanding scoring season with 23 goals and 26 assists in a career high 67 games for the 2013/2014 Utah Grizzlies.
Almost a bit ironically he posted a league high 277 penalty minutes through that campaign.
The former Atlanta Thrashers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#64 overall) also led his junior team with time spent in the sin bin as a captain (230).
In a crowning moment he won the 2009 QMJHL Championship as a rookie.
It’s likely the 26-year old will explode on the score sheet in England’s top league and may stick or seek out better hockey as he ascends.
Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#146 overall) center Anders Bjork(51) signs his 3-year entry level deal after his third year at University Of Notre Dame, as a Hobey Baker Finalist with his team leading 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points.
The 6′ 185 lbs. is definitely starting to find his footing and although a bit of a deep selection is expected to compete for an NHL roster spot in the upcoming training camp.
He spent a pair of years with the USNTDP of the USHL and even more skating time in the USDP before committing to school, where he was also a point per game player as a sophomore.
The 21-year old was also the last remaining NCAA top scorer to compete in the Frozen Four.
He’s easily been outstanding in all his camps pointing to a big future for this young prospect.
