Philadelphia Flyers‘ 6th year defenseman Brandon Manning(23) was recently rewarded for his consistent good and only getting better play with a new 2-year one-way contract.
The physical blue liner skated his first full NHL season in 2015/2016 appearing in 56 games scoring a career high one goal (his first) and 6 assists for 7 points with a +2 rating.
It was just two years prior when he failed to appear in even a single big league game but put up an impressive AHL bests with 8 goals, 23 assists for 31 points with an abysmal -24 rating but was seemingly enough to keep him on the radar screen and help him eek out another contract to stick with it.
Although he only played in 11 contests with the parent club in the next campaign 2014/2015, he continued on a path of bettering his performance with three assists and continued his on ice accountability.
He owns a +10 plus/minus in the show and never backs down from a physical battle.
The 26-year old could find himself as a bit on the cusp of staying with the organization and may be considered trade bait if they are looking for more fire power up front.
Or he could stick with the only team he’s known and be counted on for his tough and consistent play.
6th year left wing Brandon Defazio(24) had a career year scoring (21-22-43) in his 2nd run with Utica Comets while under contract with Vancouver Canucks, which included his only 2 game visit to the NHL.
The unrestricted free agent would leave the nest heading into 2015/2016 signing another 1-year 2-way deal with Boston Bruins.
Almost ironically he matched his scoring best output from the previous season but exactly switched goals t0 22 and assists to 21 in slightly fewer games, while taking his penalty minutes done to a new low level (38).
He wasn’t as lucky in three playoff contests going with no points.
For 2016/2017, the 27-year old has signed his first AHL contract with Texas Stars to continue.
He’ll likey get an invite to Dallas Stars‘ training camp but unless he explodes the score sheet out of the gate will likely stay in the minors.
San Jose Sharks‘ 7th year net minder Martin Jones(31) is likely done proving himself as a #1 NHL goalie after taking a California team that has notoriously choked every playoff run since it’s existence all the way to the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals in his debut year with the club.
As impressive as the run was, what’s more over the top is his numbers and all the stand on your head saves he made, especially through the postseason.
Through a career high 65 games he posted a nice 37-23 record with 2.27 GAA and .918 SV%, then in the playoffs went 14-10 and an even better 2.16 GAA and .923 SV%.
After a trade sent him from the team he’d been with from the start for 6 seasons, Los Angeles Kings that sent him to Boston Bruins as a mere stop over before heading to San Jose, his main suitor all along.
Signed to a new 3-year deal through 2018, the 26-year old is just getting started.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Ryan Lomberg(32) re-signs to return to Stockton Heat, where he was somewhat on a seesaw going up and down with affiliate Adirondack Thunder.
In 13 AHL games the small 5’9″ 187 lbs. plays a hard-skating style but could only connect for 3 assists.
It was a different story when reassigned.
He was able to notch a team second best 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in only 43 ECHL games with a highly accountable +14 rating, and also grabbed another 6 points (3-3) in 13 Kelly Cup Playoff match-ups.
Taking a very odd route to turning pro, he spent one season in the USHL with Muskegon Lumberjacks before accepting an invite to join University Of Maine but left after two year under less than desirable circumstances returning to American junior hockey and signed with Youngstown Phantoms.
Seems an odd path for the Richmond Hill, Ontario-born player.
The still super-young 21-year old has a decent amount of time to continue to improve his game but may look elsewhere if he’s unable to grab a full-time spot in the higher league.
Undrafted Slovenia-born, 4th year center Gaspar Kopitar(13) obviously enjoyed his time with Manchester Monarchs last season enough to re-sign and stay on.
The 6′ 194 lbs. forward had 9 goals and a career high 24 assists and 33 points with a +12 rating and 116 shots on net in 57 ECHL games.
Taking a bit of an odd route to start he had two short runs for Portland Winterhawks of the WHL before leaving and taking a bit of a step back to join American junior hockey USHL Des Moines Buccaneers, where he stayed for the next two years before turning pro.
His first foray into pro hockey was signing with Mora IK to play in Sweden’s tier 2 league Allsvenskan.
He stuck with them for a season but after 13 games into his 2nd run split to North America inking with Ontario Reign.
It would be surprising to see the 24-year old stick around for too much longer in the lower league before splitting back to Europe in search of a little higher level of hockey and better paycheck.
He is also Los Angeles Kings‘ Anze Kopitar‘s younger brother by 5 years.
Undrafted 6th year right wing Trevor Parkes(84) flies the coop to Germany’s top league DEL signing a one-year deal with Augsburger Panther.
The big and aggressive 6’3″ 215 lbs. forward is coming off a season on an minor league contract with San Jose Barracuda that blew the lid off his bests of 9 points in three previous AHL campaigns.
He would score 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points in 68 games with a +4 rating on a team that barely made the playoffs and had a solid 128 shots on net, and with a fairly high 73 penalty minutes, he only had on fight.
He’s only had one fight pretty much each season. Not a fighter but he plays a tough game.
Other than last year, he’s done his time in the lower league on reassignment but he’s also detonated the score sheet with more than a point per game production (50-51-101 in 89 ECHL games).
The 25-year old had a breakout season last year and seems poised to continue, especially in a whole new environment and maybe even win a championship right out of the gate.
6th year center Eric O’Dell(19) will take his game over to Russia’s KHL joining HK Sochi for 2016/2017 after putting together a career 2nd 25 goal and 48 point campaign with Binghamton Senators and Rochester Americans.
He posted AHL scoring bests in 2012/2013 with St. John’s IceCaps, the final campaign of his entry level deal.
This performance would ensure he received a qualifying offer and 1-year extension to stay in Winnipeg Jets‘ organization.
He would make his NHL debut in the following season, splitting time between the two leagues scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in 30 games with the parent club, while raising his status to a point-per-game skater with the farm squad.
That would basically be it for him within the team’s system as he appeared in only 11 games through 2014/2015, spending most of his playing time in the minors.
As an unrestricted free agent, he next signed a one-year two-way contract with Ottawa Senators before being dished to Buffalo Sabres to finish the season.
The 26-year old should do well overseas but it may take him a year to get situated and possibly excel better in another country.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Gabriel Verplaest(27) had his most productive offensive season with Norfolk Admirals‘ in 2015/2016.
Through 57 ECHL games he scored a career high 6 goals and 28 big assists for 34 points, tripling his stats from his rookie campaign with Bakersfield Condors.
The 6’1″ 195 lbs. blue liner never showed the kind of production he’s had since turning pro in four years in the QMJHL with Baie-Comeau Drakkar, where his best showing was 19 assists in his final run.
He was loaned to Stockton Heat late-ish into his sophomore season but failed to register a point in 8 AHL appearances.
He did get into one scrap, which mirrors the aggressive playing style he played in juniors and in the lower league, which was good for 15 fights in each of his first two years.
The still super-young 22-year old re-signs to stay put in Virginia for 2016/2o17, but should gain a training camp invite and could raise his game.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Kevin Czuczman(24) signs a one-year minor league deal with Manitoba Moose for 2016/2017.
The fairly large, sturdy 6’3″ 205 lbs. blue liner is coming off a career year with Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under an entry level contract with New York Islanders.
He played a new high 74 AHL games scoring 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points with a +1 rating and 126 shots on net.
This was less than the parent club was looking for from a highly touted player that made his NHL debut for 13 games (2 assists, -5 plus/minus) after the conclusion of his third and final campaign at Lake Superior State University, where his numbers were decent.
Unfortunately he sputtered some in his rookie year with the farm club and was demoted further down for a month to Florida Everblades, getting a goal in 9 ECHL games.
This move seemed to drop him off the depth chart.
The change of scenery will likely do the 25-year old good and should score an invite to Winnipeg Jets‘ training camp.
He could even impress enough there to net another big league contract.
