9th year left wing Garrett Klotz(19) has spent his last four seasons in the ECHL or one year in the similar level Central Hockey League with Allen Americans, where he won the league’s final Ray Miron’s Cup before dissolving.
Originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#66 overall), the first three seasons of his pro career were on an entry level deal before signing his first minor league contract in 2011/2012 with AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms.
The giant-sized forward inked a one-year deal with Elmira Jackals last season, appearing in only half the games, but still managed to get into a team high 13 fights.
The 27-year old, who will turn 28 a month into 2016/2017 has decided to move his game overseas joining champs Coventry Blaze of the EIHL, which should be a boom for the upstart player.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 4th year goalie Petr Mrazek(34) has basically taken over the starting duties with a career high 54 NHL games last season.
His 27 wins and 16 losses with a 2.33 GAA and .921 SV% was good enough to help his club continue their record of consecutive playoff berths.
Although he fell to 1-2 in 3 postseason contests, his 1.36 GAA and .945 SV% basically said scoring was the factor in their first round exit.
He was a restricted free agent as of July 1 and may have been headed for arbitration until almost a month later the big club steps up with a hefty raise on a 2-year deal.
The 24-year old is definitely ready to shoulder the net minder role going forward but it’s a bit of a matter what kind of team is on the ice in front of him.
4th year undrafted defenseman Patch Alber(3) re-signs on for a 2nd season with hometown team Adirondack Thunder.
He put up a career high 30 assists and 30 points through 64 games in 2015/2016.
The somewhat small-ish looking 5’10” 180 lbs. blue liner was never known for his scoring output through 4 years at Boston College only once eclipsing the 10 helpers mark but he was part of a pair of NCAA Championships, once as a rookie in 2010 and then again in his junior campaign of 2012.
With 206 ECHL games to his pro experience, he has scored goals (6 with Elmira Jackals in his first year) and in his last two years has 25 or more assists.
The 27-year old has only skated in the one league without so much as a call up but that could change in the upcoming season.
Regardless, he must feel pretty at home when he’s playing as it’s only 30 minute up the road from where he grew up in Clifton Park, NY.
It will be interesting to see where he goes next though, as Europe could come calling for his abilities.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Daniel Ciampini(17) scores his 2nd AHL contract signing for 2016/2017 with Ontario Reign.
It should heed better results for the forward than his rookie deal with Rockford Icehogs, which had him skating most of his time with affiliate Indy Fuel.
Through 7 recalls he was unable to fare as well with his contract club.
In 10 games he managed only one goal.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. player did well in the lower league scoring 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 48 ECHL games.
These scoring stats were more in line with what he was able to accomplish in his four years at Union College.
As a senior he scored 26 goals and 24 assists and was voted a Hobey Baker Finalist.
He also won back-to-back 2012 & 2013 NCAA/ECAC titles as a freshman and sophomore before grabbing the ultimate prize, the 2014 NCAA Championship, a season in which he was a point-per game player with a +26 rating and earned the top star award.
After graduating, he would join Worcester Sharks on an ato and skated 15 games while continuing his scoring streak with 3 goals and 3 assists, but was somehow absent from the playoff roster. Possibly merely an allowed number of player issue.
The already 25-year old (almost 26) will need to work hard out of training camp to make his new squad but if he can put in the effort may just start hitting the stat sheet with decent frequency at the higher level of hockey.
Notorious pro hockey tough guy Trevor Gillies(51) heads into his 18th season re-signing with South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.
He played in an 8-year high 46 games last season, the most since his 39 NHL contests with New York Islanders in 2010/2011.
The big enforcer also took his penalty minutes up over 100 minutes and had 8 fights.
He also appeared in a career high 19 playoff games, registering one assist.
His one foray overseas last a single season in the KHL, then just three games in Finland’s Liiga before returning to North America.
At 37-years old, he will turn 38 as the 2016/2017 and you have to wonder just how much the brutal enforcer has left in the tank.
A bit of an odd side of his long playing time is how many extinct teams he’s played for and that number currently stands a 9, including juniors.
St. Louis Blues‘ 4th year right wing Danny Kristo(29) gets another one-year deal to continue with the team he signed with for 2015/2016 as an unrestricted free agent.
He was affiliate Chicago Wolves leading goal scorer last season with 25 and his 48 points were second on the farm squad.
The smart, speedy forward also led <strong>New York Rangers</strong>’ minor league club <strong>Hartford Wolf Pack</strong> with 25 goals as a rookie, when he was under contract with them and was top three scorer the following year on a fairly stacked unit.
Though the 26-year old has yet to realize an NHL recall, one has to think they are looking to pull him up to see what happens in the forthcoming campaign.
Undrafted 4th year defenseman Sean Escobedo(3) had the best season of his short career and will next take his game to the new-ish Hungary/Romania pro MOL Liga, signing a one-year deal with MAC Budapest.
Signed for a 2nd straight season with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he skated in a career high 62 ECHL games producing a new best 21 assists and 22 points but had a worst -17 rating.
The decently-sized 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner skated more AHL games than ever before but really managed to take it to another level on the last of his three recalls with Manitoba Moose, where he scored a goal and 4 assists in 10 games.
He’d only connected on the score sheet like that once previously in late 2014/2015, when in just a pair of games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins he got a goal and two assists.
The former Boston University Terrier has never really been points, although he did have over 10 in his junior and senior years.
The 25-year old should do pretty well playing in the fairly small rinks and could very well climb the Europe hockey ladder from this pit stop.
10th year defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani(17) heads back overseas to the KHL joining Dinamo Minsk for 2016/2017.
He also spent 2013/2014 in the league under contract with HC Lev Praha before leaving to sign a one-year deal to play for SC Bern of Switzerland’s NLA, where he put up the most points in the league as a blue liner and helped them win the Swiss Cup Tournament.
The fairly large 6’3″ 210 lbs. d-man was wooed back last season on a two-way contract with New Jersey Devils.
He did appear in another 4 NHL games bringing his total to 78 with three different teams including his only full campaign in the show (2011/2012, 58 contests) for draft team Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks, but spent most of 2015/2016 with affiliate Albany Devils.
The 29-year old has skated 382 AHL games scoring 10 goals on three occasions and in each of his 6 seasons has 25 or more assists (over 40 twice).
On his upcoming, second tour of Russia he should be able to do well.
New York Rangers‘ 4th year defenseman Tommy Hughes(5) stays in the fold for another season upon getting a new one-year extension.
In his last campaign, third with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack he exactly match the number of goals, assists and points he had as a rookie but did it in 59 AHL games, 12 less than previous.
The fairly sturdy 6’2″ 225 lbs. d-man had an identical -5 rating, decreased the amount of shots on net he took but increased penalty minutes by 14.
The former 2012 and 2013 OHL Champion with London Knights that only put up a career high 15 assists in his third and final junior season
He played a much more aggressive shut down style last season that showed a much better level of effectiveness.
It would be little surprise to see the 24-year get his first shot at the NHL in 2016/2017.
As thought, Nathan Oystrick(74) may decide to hang up the skates after a solid final season as team captain/assistant coach for Elmira Jackals and he did.
With 65 NHL games on three different teams including one full year (2008/2009) for Atlanta Thrashers scoring 5 goals and 10 assists, he brings in some solid footing.
Not to mention the 338 AHL games he’s skated.
On four occasions he was a 10+ goal scorer and 3-times hit the 30+ assists total, missing that mark by only two helpers in his sophomore campaign.
The 33-year old former blue liner has recently accepted a job as full-time assistant coach for Atlanta Gladiators.
With all his experience he’ll easily be a valuable asset on the bench and in the locker room.
