Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2015 draft (#37 overall) big 6’5″ 203 lbs. defenseman Brandon Carlo(73) is set to step into his rookie season after three years with Tri-City Americans, where he scored high totals of 22 assists and 27 points in 52 WHL games through 2015/2016.
He signed his three-year entry level deal at the end of last season but spent one more campaign in juniors, then was reassigned to start his pro career with affiliate Providence Bruins upon completion of his junior schedule.
He would net his first point, an assist in 7 AHL games with a +3 and also appeared in one postseason contest.
Not really considered for point production, it’s still thought he can be an asset in zone breakouts, head manning the puck for scoring chances as he sees the ice very well.
This was recently on display in his second Development Camp, where he was easily one of the most regular training camp ready of the bunch.
At 19-years old, he’ll turn 20 as the new session gets started and no doubt he’s playing to fill a role on the parent club’s opening night roster.
Boston Bruins‘ center Sean Kuraly(65) will be a rookie heading into the 2016/2017 season.
Traded from draft team San Jose Sharks (2011 5th round, #133 overall) last year, he signed a entry level deal through 2018 after his fourth campaign at Miami University (Ohio), where he was captain as a senior and won the 2015 NCAA/NCHC Championship as a junior, assistant captain.
His pair of years in the USHL with Indiana Ice definitely gets the nod for this player’s early development.
In his 2nd season he scored 32 goals in 38 assists in 54 games putting him at 5th overall league scoring and fourth in goals and assists, which definitely had an affect heading into the next step, college hockey.
At the recently concluded 2016 Development Camp, on the Friday he was maybe the best, most well-rounded player out there that definitely looked like he fit right in.
It was his 2nd visit to this camp and first before turning pro.
The 23-year already looks to be set for the start of the official training camp and you can see it in his play that he’s set to earn a spot on the big league roster right out of the gate.
Last year left wing Cory Conacher(71) made the tough decision to abandon the NHL dream for 2015/2016 signing with Bern of Switzerland.
He basically went over and became the team’s leading scorer with 52 points in 48 games, then added another 9 points in 14 playoff games en route to the 2016 NLA Championship.
The speedy, small, crafty forward also helped Team Canada take the annual Spengler Cup tournament hosted in the country.
Almost ironically his last hockey in North America before splitting for a season was under countract with Vancouver Canucks but reassigned to affiliate Utica Comets, who would head all the way to the 2015 Calder Cup Finals before bowing out.
The 26-year returns for his 6th pro season on a one-year one-way contract with his original squad Tampa Bay Lightning for 2016/2017 and he’ll most definitely be putting up a fight in camp for a spot on that opening night roster.
Undrafted right wing Shane Berschbach(10) returns for a third season with Toledo Walleye.
Last year he posted an ECHL career high 24 goals and 67 points with 142 shots on net, while also helping with a team leading 43 assists. He had a career high 48 helpers in his first year for the squad.
In the almost weirdo stats category, he served a crazy little 6 penalty minutes through 61 games.
He was accessed only 10 minutes in the box as a rookie with a two-year +27 rating total, so he’s very accountable with his ice time.
After four years at Western Michigan University, where he helped them win the 2012 NCAA/CCHA Championship, he skated 3 games with Kalamazoo Wings (1 goal, 1 assist) then signed an AHL contract with Grand Rapid Griffins but only skated 5 games (0 points) before being reassigned.
He definitely excels in the lower league and even put together one heck of a Kelly Cup Playoff run in 2014/2015 with 8 goals and 17 assists in 21 games heading all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before bowing out.
As a juniors player, he played two seasons for Indiana Ice winning the 2009 USHL Clark Cup Championship with his first great postseason performance.
It will be interesting to see how much longer the 25-year old will continue in North America pro hockey before taking his game overseas for better opportunities.
For now, he seems to be content playing close to his Clawson, Michigan hometown.
Medvescak Zagreb‘s 4th year extra large 6’5″ 230 lbs. defenseman Thomas Larkin(9) signs on for a 2nd KHL season.
Known more for his shut down style of play, he scored a pair of goals and 3 assists in 35 games in his first year in the league.
Previously, the Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 5th round pick in the 2009 draft (#137 overall) played with affiliate Springfield Falcons, where he posted a career high 5 goals, 12 assists and 17 points with a +5 rating in 62 AHL games with a +5 rating.
In his rookie campaign he would split time reassigned to Evansville Icemen scoring 3 goals and 17 assists in 33 ECHL games.
Born in the United Kingdom, he moved to Italy at a young age and played some of his earliest juniors hockey there while also attending school in the US before heading off to Colgate University.
He was named team captain as a junior and senior.
At only 25-years old, he seems to be still growing his game and with another successful season or two in Russia could find himself back under contract with an NHL team or stay and enjoy his time overseas.
Tampa Bay Lightning 6th year left wing Tye McGinn(16) had his best season in the minors with affiliate Syracuse Crunch in 2015/2016 and was rewarded with a 1-year extension.
In a career high 72 AHL games the sizable 6’3″ 205 lbs. tied the 20 goals he’d put up a year earlier, then tacked on a new best 24 assists, 44 points and 129 shots on net.
He only played two games with the parent club but didn’t seem to be for anything more than lack of room on the lineup.
This may have come as a bit of a surprise to a player that saw his first full NHL season after being traded to San Jose Sharks as a restricted free agent.
He would make their opening night roster and stick with the team through 33 games getting a goal and 4 assists before being put on waivers only to be claimed by Arizona Coyotes spending the remainder of the calendar with them.
Through 18 games he only had a goal and an assist before he was left unqualified heading into last season.
It’s a bit of a wonder why the former Philadelphia Flyers‘ 4rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#139 overall) has yet been able to cut a permanent path for himself in the big league but with the free agent movement this summer and him getting a new deal to stay the 25-year old may just be back up on a more permanent basis for 2016/2017.
Undrafted 3rd year center Kevin Goumas(17) is taking his game to Sweden’s tier two Allsvenskan signing with Mora IK for 2016/2017.
Signed for the last pair of seasons on a two-way minor league deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he spent most of his playing time in the AHL, where he posted identical 6 goal seasons with 11 assists as a rookie and 7 in his 2nd campaign.
The seemingly generously listed 5’10” 167 lbs. pivot is considered a speedy force on the ice with good instincts and play-making abilities.
He also spent 15 regular seasons games as a sophomore skater with affiliate Reading Royals tearing up the lower league scoring 8 goals and 9 assists with a +11 in 15 ECHL games, then adding another 5 goals and 10 assists in 14 Kelly Cup Playoff contests to lead the team in assists and points.
These stats mirrored what he was able to accomplish in 4 years at University Of New Hampshire.
He was exactly a point-per-game player at 146 points through 146 games.
The 24-year old should find more opening ice overseas and will likely take his scoring to a whole other level.
It would be little surprise to see him ink a deal to see what he can do in the SHL for 2017/2018.
16th year veteran center Chris Kelly(22) heads back to his original and draft squad Ottawa Senators for 2016/2017 after 6 seasons with Boston Bruins.
A 3rd round pick in the 1999 draft (#94 overall), he spent the first 9 years of his career with the team, starting with 4 campaigns in the minors first with Grand Rapid Griffins, then Binghamton Senators before heading up to the big league full time in 2005/2006.
The 6′ 193 lbs. forward never looked back, spending the last 12 years in the NHL.
A 7-time 10+ goal scorer, he reached 20+ assists three times and over 30 points on 5 occasions.
His best offensive output was with Boston in 2011/2012, where he played a full 82-game schedule potting 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points with a +33 rating.
This came after winning the 2011 Stanley Cup. He scored a new high 5 goals and 8 assists in 25 playoff games.
The 35-year old should be welcomed back wholeheartedly and if he can stay clear from the injury bug will probably have one or two more good years before retiring.
Former 1st round pick Brett Connolly(10) signs with his third team for 2016/2017 after spending just one full season with Boston Bruins.
Washington Capitals pick up the 6th year forward on a one-way, one-year deal after scoring a career high 16 assists and 25 points in 71 NHL games.
He spent the first four years with draft team Tampa Bay Lightning spending his rookie season and final term with the team in the big league but receiving most of his playing time in the other seasons skating for affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
In the minors he’s almost a point-per-game player scoring 120 points in 137 AHL games, which almost mirrored what he was able to put up in 3 years of juniors with Prince George Cougars of the WHL.
He served as captain in his last year.
The 26-year old will definitely need to step it up with his new team.
If that doesn’t happen quickly, he could find himself watching from the sidelines as a healthy scratch, a move that was too frequent an occurrence in 2015/2016.
Vancouver Canucks‘ 9th year net minder Jacob Markstrom(25) can breathe a lot easier about his future after signing a new 3-year extension that begins once his current two-year deal expires next season.
In 2015/2016 he played a career high 33 NHL games (13-14-4) with a 2.73 GAA and .914 SV%.
With starting goalie Ryan Miller(30) getting up there in age (36) and set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the forthcoming campaign it only makes sense to make an early move on his backup.
The extra big (6’6″) 26-year old back stop may even challenge for the starting role in 2016/2017.
It will be interesting to see if that occurs.
