New York Islanders‘ 16th year left wing Andrew Ladd(16) was reassigned to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers on a long-term conditioning loan.
He played a pair of AHL games last season but hadn’t made an appearance in the league since 2006/2007 with Albany River Rats, when he was under contract with draft club Carolina Hurricanes (round 1, 2004, #4 overall).
The only other stint in the lower league he ever had was splitting time between Lowell Lock Monsters and the big club as a rookie.
Otherwise, the big 6’3″ 192 lbs. forward has skated 946 NHL games and we’re sure wants to get back to 100% and back up in the show to pursue 1000 asap.
He has been a team captain with Winnipeg Jets and Atlanta Thrashers and was an assist captain for the past few seasons on the Isle.
The 33-year old looks like he wants to continue to play but the former Calgary Hitmen standout knows there’s a clock.
Boston Bruins‘ 8th year defenseman Alex Petrovic(6) was signed to a one-year two-way deal on a successful tryout as the new session was about to begin to bolster their blue line after spending all but 9 games last season with draft club Florida Panthers (2nd round, 2010, #36 overall).
He was actually traded to hometown Edmonton Oilers before the new year started but was basically a healthy scratch for most of his time there.
A mostly stay-at-home d-man he has played 263 NHL games with only 5 goals but a pretty good 45 assists.
The 6’4″ 209 lbs. big man had 50 assists in his third year with Red Deer Rebels and another 36 in his final WHL session before turning pro.
At 27-years old, he has been playing for affiliate Providence Bruins (his first return to the AHL since 2014/2015) and has a very solid 2 goals and 13 assists in 19 games.
He could score a recall for a few games in the current calendar but it looks like he’ll leave for some other hockey overseas for his next move.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ rookie defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph(57) was a part of a trade that brought him to the team after finishing up his final season with Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL.
Originally an Arizona Coyotes‘ 1st round pick in the 2017 draft (#23 overall), he three times amassed 30+ assists in juniors.
On reassignment to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he only has one assist in 8 AHL games but always plays hard and should see points start to appear on the scoresheet.
The 20-year old is only in the first year of his entry level deal but has been under contract since chosen and on slides before it kicked in for the current session, so is signed through 2022.
His older brother, Mathieu Joseph(7) is a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and while he may not get his 1st NHL recall this season, he can’t be far off.
Washington Capitals‘ undrafted 2nd year left wing Beck Malenstyn(47) earns a 1st NHL recall and skates a pair of games recording no points but 4 shots, 2 hits, 1 takeaway and 1 shot block through 10 minutes of ice time in a pair of oddball losses.
The 6’3″ 200 lbs. forward has mostly been playing for affiliate Hershey Bears, where this season he has 3 goals and 3 assists in 18 AHL games.
He spent his entire first season in the minors getting 7 goals and 9 assists in 74 games with a 0 rating and also had decent penalty minutes with a couple of fights in the mix, so has the ability to add that dynamic to a game.
The former 2018 WHL Champion after a trade sent him from long-time team Calgary Hitmen to Swift Current Broncos is in the 2nd year of his entry level deal.
At just 21-year old, it seems like he has time to continue the development but we do wonder what role he will be looked upon to play.
Ottawa Senators‘ 5th round pick in the 2016 (#133 overall) 3rd year defenseman Max Lajoie(58) played the majority of his sophomore season with the big club skating 56 NHL games getting 7 goals and 6 assists (including a 1st goal and an assist in his debut) but was a very woeful -25 rating on a last place club.
He also played 56 AHL games in his rookie season scoring a goal and 14 assists and was also reassigned further down to Brampton Beast for a single ECHL appearance.
Recently recalled for his first game of 2019/2020 in the big league he played 18 shifts for 9:44 ice time with 1 shot, 1 hit and 1 shot block and was part of a 4-1 victory.
He was twice a 30+ assist guy for Swift Current Broncos of the WHL and reached 29 helpers in the other year, so definitely knows how to head man the puck.
The just turned 22-year old is only in the second season of his entry level deal, as he had two slides entering into the terms of the contract.
It seems like he should play his way into sticking at the higher level on a more permanent basis.
Tampa Bay Lightning‘ undrafted 2nd year center Alex Barre-Boulet(12) is back at it with affiliate Syracuse Crunch grabbing 8 goals and 7 assists in 18 AHL games, which ties him for the early team lead in scoring.
The small-ish 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward led the league last season in goals (34) for a single player and a rookie, most points as a first year player and was voted Rookie Of The Year (Red Garrett Memorial Award).
He was more than a point-per-game in the last three campaigns of junior hockey with Drummondville Voltigeurs and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL but in his last year had almost an assists-per-outing and two points in each amassing 53-63-116 in 65 games.
The 22-year still has another year left in his entry level deal before he is set to become a restricted free agent but more immediate would be his 1st NHL recall, which seems imminent.
Undrafted 6th year defenseman Alex Gudbranson(24) renewed his contract for a third season with Toronto Marlies but had his season sidelined for a bit with an injury suffered in Toronto Maple Leafs‘ training camp.
Originally signed by Minnesota Wild to a three year entry level deal, he spent his rookie season with affiliate Iowa Wild but was sent further down for his next two seasons to Quad City Mallards before being loaned north at the end of 2016/2017.
The very big 6’2″ 229 lbs. blue liner played most of his first season with his new club reassigned to Orlando Solar Bears and in the next frame to Newfoundland Growlers, where he was an integral part of their 2019 Kelly Cup Championship as a 1st year team.
At 25-years old he will likely seek out some better hockey overseas for his next adventure.
Ottawa Senators‘ 4th year Swedish-born defenseman Jonathan Davidsson(7) is playing his first season overseas after skating on loan for Djurgardens IF of the SHL for the first year of his entry level contract and in the previous two campaigns after completing juniors.
The not exactly huge but pretty mobile 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner had been reassigned to affiliate Belleville Senators to start as a rookie and he’s got a goal and 2 assists in 8 AHL games.
Originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th round pick in the 2017 draft (#170 overall), he must be impressing the parent club as he scores a first NHL recall.
He skates very conservative minutes in a pair of appearances but grabs an assist, 3 shots, 3 hits and 1 blocked shot in a pair of victories before being returned.
The 22-year old could very well carve himself out some space in the big league.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ 1st round pick in the 2016 draft (#22 overall) Russian-born rookie center German Rubtsov(17) was recalled early from affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms and played his first 3 NHL games earlier in the month.
He played in mostly a fourth line role skating an average of 12 shifts for 7 minutes per game registering no points with 1 shot, 2 hits, 4 shot blocks, 1 giveaway, 1 takeaway, went roughly 50% on the face off dot and the team won 2 games and loss one in overtime.
The 6′ 190 lbs. forward appeared in 15 KHL games for Vityaz Podolsk and an equal amount of games in Russian junior hockey MHL before coming over to join Chicoutimi Saguneens of the QMJHL but ultimately next season ended up with Acadie-Bathurst Titan, where he won the 2018 President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup Championship.
He started his rookie season in the minors and got off to a quick start scoring 6 goals and 4 assists in 14 AHL games but suffered a season ending shoulder injury hit to railroad any of those further developments.
In 11 games in the current campaign he has a goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating.
The 21-year old still has one more year left on his entry level deal and we do see him getting more chances in the big league.
Ottawa Senators‘ undrafted rookie right wing Max Veronneau(14) gets the recall for a 1st crack at the NHL since appearing in 12 games after graduating Princeton University, where he finished on an absolute tear scoring 30 goals and 62 assists in his final two seasons.
In his initial look the 6’1″ 193 lbs. forward scored a first pair of goals and assists but was a bit of a woeful -5 rating.
He has been strong and steady since being reassigned to affiliate Belleville Senators to start his first offiicial campaign grabbing 3 goals and 3 assists.
Skating 11 shifts in his return for 8:35 total ice, he had one shot, one hit and was a -1 rating in a 4-3 win.
The 22-year old is in the official 2nd year of his entry level deal with his hometown team, so will become a restricted free agent but it seems highly unlikely he goes unsigned to an extension unless he wants some serious cash or something.
