Florida Panthers‘ 10th year Czech Republic-born defenseman Jakub Kindl(4) is in the final year of a four-year extension he signed in 2013/2014 with draft team Detroit Red Wings (1st round 2005, #19 overall).
He was traded late last season after 8.5 seasons in Michigan.
The fairly large 6’3″ 198 lbs. blue liner has never been the biggest point producer, playing a bit more of a stay-at-home style.
He was mostly on a slingshot recalled and reassigned between minor league affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins and the parent club for most of his time in the Wings‘ system but did skate exclusively in the NHL from 2011-2014.
After being dealt, he appeared in only big league games and one playoff match-up but was sent to farm club Springfield Thunderbirds to start 2016/2017.
The 29-year old is a veteran of 292 games in the show with a nice +25 rating and 256 AHL games with a not so nice -59.
It’s a bit doubtful he’ll score a new contract for next season unless he shows some remarkable uptick in his play and could easily head back to the Czech Extraliga, where he was part of 27 games with HC Pardubice for the lockout of 2012/2013 and also played some of his junior hockey.
New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#106 overall) right wing Michael St. Croix(18) reverses direction after his three-year entry level deal was up.
The former Edmonton Oil Kings‘ 2012 WHL Champion played mostly on double reassignment for affiliate Greenville Swamp Rabbits with a 13 AHL game visit to Hartford Wolf Pack as a rookie.
He’s played 178 ECHL games scoring over 40 points a season but reached his highest totals (17-31-48) as a first year skater, while also adding another 4 goals and 11 assists in 18 playoff contests.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. has decided to head back to school at University Of Manitoba and joins the hockey team for 2016/2017.
Listed as a senior, the 23-year may only be eligible to play one season at school.
The big question is will he return to pro status post-college?
7th year center Peter LeBlanc(32) returns to North America after a pair of seemingly less than eventful seasons overseas.
He first signed and skated for Rogle BK of Sweden’s tier 2 Allsvenskan scoring 6 goals and 12 assists with a +6 rating, then added another 5 points in the playoffs.
The small-ish but wide forward parlayed his decent showing to a higher league, next joining HPK of Finland’s Liiga but came away with diminished results.
He left after his only NHL appearance with contract team Washington Capitals, where he skated the last game of the campaign playing 11 shifts for 9:26 of total ice.
A veteran of 261 AHL games he joined the league after 4 years at University Of New Hampshire, where he was pretty outstanding in his final two seasons.
The 28-year old signed with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2016/2017 just before training camp and has 5 assists in 6 ECHL games to start.
12 year right wing Steve Bernier(37) was in New York Islanders‘ training camp on a pto looking to earn a contract with the team he’d spent 2015/2016 with.
He received his one-year two-way deal a little more than a week into the new season and was reassigned to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, his first time in the minors in a couple of years.
His last demotion came at the start of 2014/2015, maybe a bit as a wake up call while he was on a new 1-year extension, his fourth in New Jersey Devils‘ system.
It worked as a month later he was recalled, then ended up tying his most points in a year at 32 and came away with a new career high 16 goals.
The big forward played only 24 NHL games last season scoring a goal and 5 assists with a nifty +3 rating in limited use but then went on to appear in 6 playoff games as a veteran presence.
It’s tough to say if the 31-year old will get another look up in the show to add to his 633 total games played but regardless he’s still had a pretty nice run.
Florida Panthers‘ left wing Shane Harper(38) was probably feeling pretty good about approaching the new season as he had a contract in hand and it was evidenced by making the parent club’s opening night roster despite never having played in a big league game.
The small-ish, agressive, hard-skating forward filled the gap left on the club’s fourth line and even pocketed a pair of first NHL goals in a single contest, a 5-2 win, then added an assist in his next appearance, while skating for just over 10 minutes per game.
In 7 games, that gives him 2 goals and an assists with a +1 rating.
It’s looking like he’s playing himself into a position to stay put and possibly become one of the best success stories of the 2016/2017 season.
Undrafted 6th year right wing Justin Fontaine(14) agreed to a late contract joining New York Rangers for 2016/2017 after 5 seasons with Minnesota Wild.
He has spent the past three campaigns in the NHL skating 197 games scoring 27 goals and 41 assists with a very accountable +22 rating.
The 5’11” 174 lbs. forward spent his rookie and sophomore years with affiliate Houston Aeros, where he was close to a point-per-game performer in the AHL.
After four successful years at University Of Minnesota-Duluth, where he won a 2009 WCHA Championship, then the 2011 NCAA title as a senior.
He signed a two-year entry level deal and was extended twice before being left an unrestricted free agent heading into the current calendar.
The 28-year old has agreed to a two-way agreement and was immediately sent to Blueshirts‘ farm club Hartford Wolf Pack in all likelihood to get his footing, as he was absent from any training camps.
He’ll easily be on a short list for a recall as soon as any injury occurs.
Undrafted 4th year left wing Kyle Bonis(28) is back at it again, scoring big points in the ECHL.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward has always been close to a point per game player in the league and has eclipsed that mark early in 2016/2017.
He continues a pace that he started as a junior at Ferris State University, then as captain in his senior campaign.
Originally signed to an ato with Norfolk Admirals after college, he played 6 AHL games scoring his first goal and an assist.
He inked a contract with Charlotte Checkers for his rookie season but only played 3 games with them and 65 with affiliate Florida Everblades.
Next he would agree to a one-year term with Grand Rapid Griffins but suffered a bit of the same fate spending most of his playing time for Toledo Walleye recording his best output netting 36 goals and 23 assists, then another 15 points in 21 Kelly Cup playoff games.
For his third season, he basically just cut out the middle man and return under a deal with Toledo but almost ironically spent half his playing time on loan to San Diego Gulls, where he was able to strike for a career high 4 goals and 6 assists and was a +6.
The 27-year old has returned to Ohio, where he seems to be comfortable and made himself a nice home.
There’s little doubt he’ll find himself recalled once again for some higher league action.
Boston Bruins‘ 4th year center Tim Schaller(59) was reassigned before the start of 2016/2017, but recalled quickly on an emergency basis to fill in a spot opened by early season injuries to the blue line and has appeared in 3 big league games recording a pair of assists with a 0 rating.
The undrafted forward was originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal with Buffalo Sabres after a successful four year run at Providence College including 14 goals in 26 NCAA games as a junior.
He spent his rookie season in the minors with Rochester Americans putting up decent stats (11-7-18) in a personal high 72 AHL games.
The fairly large 6’2″ 209 lbs. player produced a personal best 15 goals and 28 assists in his sophomore campaign but also earned his first time with the parent club skating in 18 games getting his 1st NHL goal and assist.
He would raise that mark slightly in his third year with another goal and 2 assists.
The soon-to-be 26-year old could easily play himself into a full-time position and asset on the black & gold’s squad moving forward despite only being signed to a one-year contract and becoming an unrestricted free agent for a second time at the conclusion of the season.
18th year veteran German-born defenseman Christian Ehrhoff(10) was given a tryout agreement to join Boston Bruins‘ training camp after a good showing with team Europe in the 2016 World Cup Of Hockey that got them interested, as they were/are still looking.
Unfortunately the sides didn’t meet and he was released but that didn’t stop him as he quickly signed with Kolner Haie to head home to where it all started with 9 games in 1999/2000.
He actually played three full seasons in DEL for Krefeld Pinguine and was San Jose Sharks‘ 4th round pick in the 2001 draft (#106 overall) at the conclusion of his rookie season.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. started his North American pro career with 41 games in the big league getting his first NHL goal but also played 27 games with farm team Cleveland Barons.
In his sophomore campaign, he spent the full ride in the minors before making the opening night roster in 2005/2006 and not looking back.
He would spend the 6 years with the team he was selected by before a trade prior to 2009/2010 sent him to Vancouver Canucks for a pair of campaigns.
It would be his next contract that maybe baffled some outsiders, a lucrative 10-year $40 million contract with Buffalo Sabres.
After his third season with them though, the 7-time 20+ assists (30+ on 3 occasions) d-man would be bought out of the remaining time of his contract.
In 2014/2015 he signed with Pittsburgh Penguins, then split time with Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks last year.
The 34-year old blue liner with 789 games (74-266-340) and +48 rating may have seen his last time on the ice this side of the pond but will continue to make just under $1 million until 2021, when his buyout finishes.
What a career! And it’s still going.
