6th year defenseman Brandon Burlon(7) signs his first minor league contract with Tuscon Roadrunners after 5 years in New Jersey Devils‘ prospect system.
The 26-year old was an unrestricted free agent coming off a 2-year extension but was not retained.
He has skated 290 AHL games with affiliate Albany Devils scoring 19 goals and 75 assists with a +12 but has never quite been high enough of the parent club’s depth chart for an NHL recall.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner’s best scoring season in the minors was 2014/2015, when he potted a career high 8 goals and 28 assists for 36 points.
He’ll likely receive a training camp invite from Arizona Coyotes but would need a very outstanding showing to grab himself another big league contract.
Regardless, he’ll be a good veteran leader for what will likely be a young minor league squad moving forward.
CSKA Moskva 9th year Russian-born left wing Kirill Petrov(27) is under contract for a 2nd season but his playing rights for North America are retained by New York Islanders, who signed him to a one-year entry level deal for 2015/2016 and issued a qualifying offer at the end of the season to keep him in the system.
He was a late cut from the Isles‘ training camp but matters went south once he reported to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The fairly sizable 6’3″ 200 lbs. power forward played with enough grit and intensity but it was easy to tell he was unhappy playing in the minors after spending his whole career in the KHL.
Playing most of his hockey for hometown Ak Bars Kazan, he started with them a a junior player before joining the pro squad in 2008/2009 and winning back-to-back 2009 (no playoff games) and 2010 Gagarin Cup Championships.
He stayed with them for the first 7 years before leaving to see if he could make an NHL dream come true but after being reassigned continued for only 13 AHL games before requesting a return to Russia and split.
It’s completely unlikely the 26-year will return to these shores unless he’s guaranteed a spot with the parent club on a one-way deal.
Undrafted 10th year veteran defenseman Todd Perry(47) re-ups for a 2nd straight (3rd overall) season with Reading Royals.
The very big looking 6’3″ 234 lbs. blue liner started his pro campaign on a one-year deal with Toronto Marlies but spent most of his time in the ECHL with affiliate Columbia Inferno, where his 6 goals and 22 assists are still career high marks.
He would re-sign for his sophomore season playing the entire year with the team through an almost full schedule of 70 AHL games posting a best 2 goals and 5 assists at the higher level of hockey.
After one more shortened run (27 contests), he would ink for his first time with the Royals before leaving for Russia’s tier 2 VHL playing the majority of 4 seasons in the league and a short 9 game stint with Admiral Vladivostok.
The 29-year old will turn 30 mid-season plays a tough, shutdown style and is always good for a few fights each season but takes few penalty minutes.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Matt Garbowsky(24) signs a one-year deal with Colorado Eagles, where he should have a breakout season.
The 5’10” 190 lbs. former 2014/2015 Hobey Baker finalist comes off his 1st contract with Rochester Americans but only played 16 AHL games spending most of his rookie time on reassignment to affiliate Elmira Jackals.
In 33 ECHL games he notched 7 goals and 14 assists with a +4 rating on a non-playoff team.
He was outstanding in his four seasons of college hockey registering almost a point-per-game but really had a breakout campaign as a senior, when he put together 26 goals and 28 assists in 40 games with a +28 rating.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 26-year become one of the team leaders for points and possibly even help his squad to a first Kelly Cup Championship.
3rd year center Brady Vail(22) signs a one-year deal to join Fort Wayne Komets for 2016/2017 after setting career high scoring marks with Orlando Solar Bears last season.
In his 2nd season playing with the club on reassignment from contract team Toronto Marlies, he scored 20 goals and 38 assists (1st) for 58 points (2nd) with a +6 rating in 70 ECHL games.
The former Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#94 overall) was never signed despite spending time twice after his junior seasons ended with affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.
Through 4 campaigns with Windsor Spitfires of the OHL he three times put up 20+ goals and 30+ assists really busting out in his final year with 32-51 totals.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward has been less successful at the AHL level grabbing only a goal and two assists in 23 appearances.
At just 22-years old, the Florida-born player will likely enjoy his time in Indiana and could continue to receive looks and a loan to the higher league, if he can stay hot.
St. Louis Blues‘ 3rd year left wing Kenny Agostino(15) signed a one-year one-way deal on the second day of unrestricted free agency.
He was left unqualified by his team of contract for the past pair of seasons, Calgary Flames despite having a career year with affiliate Stockton Heat scoring 23 goals and 34 assists in 65 AHL games with 177 shots on net.
The 6′ 200 lbs. forward also appeared in 2 games with the parent club but had no points and a -2 rating.
His only other games in the big league came after completing four years at Yale University, where he won the 2013 NCAA Championship as a junior and was a point-per-game player.
The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick in the 2013 draft (#140 overall) would join the Flames for the final 8 games of the 2012/2013 season grabbing his first NHL goal and assist.
He was part of a prospects package trade for Jerome Iginla.
With a strong training camp, the 24-year old could earn a spot but if not, will likely continue to light up the minors with Chicago Wolves.
With a new 3-year contract extension in place, 4th year goaltender John Gibson(36) is set to assume full-time net minder duties with the only team he’s known thus far, Anaheim Ducks.
Last season the big backstop posted a 21-13 record through 40 NHL games with a 2.07 GAA and .920 SV% plus 4 shutouts.
He quickly ascended to the full-time role appearing in his first 3 contests as a rookie, winning all three appearances and posting a jaw-dropping 1.33 GAA and .954 SV% that included one blanking.
The still super-young 23-year old split time in the parent club’s cage through the last pair of campaigns but now will shoulder a good 50+ starts and be their go-to-guy to help capture another Stanley Cup.
Before the start of his latest campaign though he was named to take part in the upcoming 2016 World Cup Of Hockey for Team USA.
7th year right wing Ben Smith(21) didn’t have to wait too long before Colorado Avalanche picked up the unrestricted free agent’s option for 2016/2017, signing him to a one-year, two-way deal.
For the first time since being drafted by Chicago Blackhawks as a 6th round pick in 2008 (#169 overall), he’s set to join his third team since halfway through the 2014/2015 season.
Traded at the deadline to San Jose Sharks from the team he’d spent the previous 5+ years with and won the 2013 Stanley Cup, he skated 19 NHL games scoring 2 goals and 3 assists with a +3 rating but after 6 contests in the follow-up campaign with no points found himself reassigned to affiliate San Jose Barracuda.
After 14 games in the minors exploding the score sheet (8 goals, assists), he was once again dealt at the deadline to Toronto Maple Leafs.
They would keep him on the roster through 16 games registering 2 goals and 4 assists with another +3 rating but sent to farm club Toronto Marlies in their quest for a first Calder Cup trophy.
Despite their best efforts, they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 28-year old, two-time NCAA Championship winner with Boston College Eagles will likely see more playing time in the big league with the young squad but also could be named captain of affiliate San Antonio Rampage to help guide the prospects.
Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#121 overall) right wing Brian Ferlin(19) was enjoying a good first season before getting sidelined for the Calder Cup Playoffs with a hit that unknowingly knocked him for a loop in the final game of the regular campaign.
As a rookie he potted 11 goals and 9 assists in 53 contests, while also grabbing a first recall for 7 appearances and his first NHL point, an assist.
The 6’2″ 209 lbs. forward sat for the majority of his sophomore run, finally returning four months later.
In 23 AHL games with affiliate Providence Bruins he scored 6 goals and 8 assists and reversed his -9 rating from a year earlier to a +9, while continuing to impress the parent club.
He enjoyed a first offensive breakout in his 2nd year of play for Indiana Ice with 25 goals and 48 assists in 53 USHL games before leaving for Cornell University.
Through 3 years of college hockey he also showed good productivity and was ready to leave school for his chance to turn pro in 2014/2015.
The 24-year old was slated to compete for a spot on the big league roster last season but post-concussion syndrome derailed that opportunity for the moment.
A late training camp cut for his two seasons in the system, he should make waves in the upcoming run.
Not bad for a Jacksonville, FL native.
Boston Bruins‘ 9th year left wing Matt Beleskey(39) had a career year for assists (22) and points (37) with his new squad after signing a 5-year deal as an unrestricted free agent.
He left draft team Anaheim Ducks after putting up a new NHL best 22 goals.
The 28-year old may be finally coming into his own as a player and is easily what the team in black and gold is hoping for.
