Philadelphia Flyers‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#11 overall) big big defenseman Samuel Morin(50) gets the nod for his NHL debut as the team is out of the playoff push and gets a chance to look at some prospects.
The 6’6″ 202 lbs. blue liner played 24 shifts for 17:47 minutes of ice time with a two shots, a monumental 7 hits and 1 takeaway in a 1-0 overtime loss.
He was signed to a three year entry level deal the same year as he was selected, but sent back to Rimouski Oceanic on slides for another two seasons, winning the 2015 QMJHL Championship and earlier a second gold medal at the World Juniors.
His stats over his first pair of campaigns with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms are pretty much identical with 7 goals and 27 assists in 144 AHL games but did also drop the mitts on two more occasions than he did as a rookie.
Although maybe not considered a big point getter, he did clear 20+ assists in his last two seasons in juniors.
The 21-year old who will turn 22 over the summer was a late training camp cut before 2016/2017.
He should compete for a roster spot for the last season of his contract before becoming a restricted free agent.
Florida Panthers‘ 7th round deep draft pick in 2013 (#206 overall) 3rd year defenseman MacKenzie Weegar(52) gets into his first NHL game in his 2nd recall.
He’s put up career high, blue liner team leading numbers for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds with 13 goals, 9 assists for 32 points and a nicely accountable +4 rating in 57 AHL games.
In his debut he skated 23 shifts for 16:45 of total ice time with 1 shot on net, 2 hits and 2 penalty minutes in a 4-1 loss.
The 6′ 212 lbs. d-man was reassigned all the way down to Cincinnati Cyclones, playing 21 ECHL games as recently as late 2015 as a rookie.
He skated only two years of juniors with Halifax Mooseheads but won both the 2013 QMJHL Championship and subsequent Memorial Cup as a first year skater.
The 23-year old is set is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current calendar but should be a no brainer to be re-up for at least another season.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 1st round pick in the 2006 draft (#8 overall) Swedish-background rookie right wing Alexander Nylander(70) got the opportunity to make his NHL debut on the opposite side of older brother William.
The 6’1″ 180 lbs. forward skated 14:28 total ice in a 4-2 loss with 1 takeaway and 1 giveaway.
It’s highly likely he stays with the big club for the remainder of the season there’s no playoff hopes for them or affiliate Rochester Americans, where he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 52 AHL games with a -20 rating that obviously thinks offense first.
In his one and only year with Mississauga Steelheads he absolutely tore it up scoring 28 goals and 47 assists in 52 OHL games and was named the league’s rookie of the year.
He also played junior hockey in his home country and even skated 3 pro games with AIK of tier 2 Allsvenskan.
At only 19-years old and signed to a three year entry level deal through 2019, this player will likely start to materialize sooner than later.
His dad is Michael Nylander.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ 3rd year center Connor Jones(48) was enjoying some of his best work with the club reaching new career highs in virtually all categories including 56 AHL games played, 13 assists, 18 points, 82 shots on net, 87 penalty minutes, 3 fighting majors and a tidy +8 rating.
It’s almost ironic that heading into last season he signed a minor league deal with Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL but probably quite happily failed to play a game with the team.
There’s little doubt the small forward plays a feisty style out there but it would have been tough to guess parent club New York Islanders was watching and see something they like to offer him a first big league contract for the remainder of 2016/2017, and then just over a month later he would be recalled to skate his first NHL match-up as the squad is clawing for a playoff spot.
In his debut, a 4-2 win, he was out there for 18 shifts equaling 11:13 ice time with 2 shots, 3 hits, 1 take away, 1 giveaway, went 50% on the face off dot and left the game with a +1 rating.
Those are the stats of a player getting himself involved in every aspect of the match-up.
The 26-year old becomes an unlikely restricted free agent at the end of the current campaign but seems to be a good bet for him to be re-upped for a full term.
New York Islanders‘ 4th year defenseman Scott Mayfield(42) is enjoying split time between the two leagues for the first time in his pro career.
He signed a 2-year deal as a restricted free agent that pays him basically equal money wherever he plays.
The big, tough hitting blue liner has played a new best 21 NHL games with the parent club scoring another goal to go with his one from the previous season and a new best 6 assists and 7 points.
As one of the last cuts to be reassigned to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he’s spent only 23 AHL games scoring 3 goals and 3 assists but has been up exclusively with the big club mostly and since mid-January.
The 24-year old should be able to complete the process becoming a full-time member of the Isles‘ defenesive corps heading into 2017/2018.
6th year right wing Jordan Szwarz(37) was left unqualified by contract team for his first 5 years, Arizona Coyotes heading into the 2016/2017 season.
He was in training camp and officially signed a pto to join Providence Bruins on opening day but was slow to start with only a pair of goals through October.
The small-ish, energetic forward picked up the pace big as the team started to gain its footing and currently has a career high 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points (both team leading) in 58 AHL contests with a +19 rating.
He was rewarded a month into the year with an spc to stay.
He’s on pace to play a new best games in a single season and also post more shots on net than he has in a past campaign.
The soon-to-be 26-year old, former Saginaw Spirit and Portland Pirates‘ captain with 35 NHL games experience is a good leader for the young minor league squad and could be playing himself into another big league deal for 2017/2018.
He’s easily worth a look.
Dusseldorfer EG 5th year German-born goaltender Mathias Niederberger(35) signs on for a third season with hometown team.
He was initially loaned from fellow DEL squad Eisbaren Berlin for the 2015/2016 campaign and earned goalie of the year award in 42 games with a 2.27 GAA and .930 SV%.
The 5’11” 170 lbs. only played 11 games for his former team and was even allowed to play 5 games for Dredsner Eislowen of DEL2.
After playing the start of his junior hockey in his country, he moved on for a pair of years in the OHL with Barrie Colts looking to break into the NHL.
In 2013/2014 he signed a deal with Los Angeles Kings‘ affiliate Manchester Monarchs but was mostly sidelined by injury able to appear in only 6 AHL and 9 ECHL games on reassignment with Ontario Reign.
Despite the physical setback, he actually did ok but decided to head back to Germany to continue his career.
At only 24-years old he still has plenty of time in the cage ahead of him and the only question that really remains to be answered is will he stay or head out to pursue higher league adventures as he gets older and quite possibly even better.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ undrafted 2nd year right wing Tanner Fritz(11) is having a career season.
In 62 AHL games he has a team 2nd 19 goals and 41 points.
His efforts and unending energy on ice has earned him an NHL two-year 2-way entry level deal from parent club New York Islanders that starts 2017/2018.
As a rookie he signed a minor league contract with Missouri Mavericks after 4 solid years at Ohio State University.
He was an assistant captain as a junior and captain as a senior.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward had 10 goals and 23 assists in 33 ECHL games with +13 before being loaned up to the Connecticut-based squad.
He finished his first campaign with the team on a standard player contract signed in April and extended through the current calendar with 2 goals and 10 assists signifying he was ready to make the full-time jump up to the higher league.
The 25-year did it again in 2016/2017, had a strong showing on a tryout at the parent clubs training camp and may just get a bit of an extended look at the the forthcoming camp.
This is a hard skater that deserves a shot.
9th year right wing Ryan Duncan(16) has played 7 of his pro seasons with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the EBEL and will return for an 8th campaign in 2017/2018.
The very small 5’5″ 165 lbs. forward is a 4 time Austrian league Champ, has recorded 30+ assists (41 in 2015/2016) on 5 occasions and had 3 years of 50+ points.
He’s only spent one season in the U.S. under contract with Portland Pirates and his only other time in another country was 2013/2014 when he laced up the skates for EHC Munchen of DEL.
The now 31-year old will turn 32 before the start of the new schedule and seems content to continue on this well-traveled path.
11th year veteran right wing Tim Wallace(47) played the last three seasons overseas before returning on his first ECHL deal with Alaska Aces.
Through 63 games he’s one of their leading scorers with 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points with a +2 rating.
These are his best scoring totals since his final season in Pittsburgh Penguins‘ organization with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, when he had 37 points in the higher league.
His most successful run away from North America was his first with Orebro HC in 2013/2014.
He had 15 goals and 17 assists in 55 SHL games.
The 32-year was recently recalled by old team Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help them as they push for a playoff spot.
In 2 games he has first AHL goal since 2012/2013 with Charlotte Checkers.
