Boston Bruins‘ undrafted 2nd year center Austin Czarnik(27) had an amazing rookie season establishing himself as a real threat despite his small 5’9″ 160 lbs. frame.
The American-born skater took a bit of a long route to turning pro but started early at age 16 in the top junior programs in the country, first with US National U18 Team in the NAHL and a year later on a similar squad but a step up to the USHL.
He even stayed for a third year playing for Green Bay Gamblers before heading off to Miami University (Ohio) to have four very productive seasons, including a Hobey Baker Award finalist nod as a sophomore and serving as captain in his last two campaigns, while also winning the 2015 NCAA/NCHC Championship.
Right after that victory he would sign a 2-year entry level deal and join Providence Bruins for three AHL games registering his first pair of pro assists.
The 23-year old’s 41 assists and 61 points would lead all first year players, finishing third overall in team scoring and plus/minus with a +17.
He would then add 2 goals and an assist in three Calder Cup Playoff contests.
A somewhat late cut from training camp, he did receive an emergency NHL recall last in the season and there’s little doubt he’ll be looking to parlay all of it into a roster spot for the upcoming season.
After a breakout AHL campaign with 2015 Calder Cup Champions Manchester Monarchs‘ right wing Brian O’Neill(20) was looking to take the next step up in his 4th pro season under contract with Los Angeles Kings.
The small forward played a career high 73 games posting a league best 58 assists and 80 points with a +30 rating before adding another 10 goals and 10 assists in 19 playoff contests on the way to securing the league title.
Heading into the final campaign of his 2-year extension he would have a good training camp but probably because of his size found himself reassigned to the farm team once again, which very likely had him asking for a trade to a team that he could explore futhrth playing possibilities.
New Jersey Devils took that option and he would start the 2015/2016 on the parent club roster, staying for a couple of months recording his first two assists in 20 NHL games before being dispatched to Albany Devils.
He would continue his torrid scoring pace in the minors getting 13 tallies and 19 helpers in 42 games before helping them to game 7 of the second round of the postseason before being eliminated.
The unrestricted free agent has likely done all he can in North America at this point and leaves to join Jokerit of the KHL.
He’ll turned 28-years old in the off-season and should continue to find his footing overseas.
10th year center Darryl Boyce(18) changes things up after two seasons in Finland’s Liiga with JYP and signs to Germany’s DEL to skate for ERC Ingolstadt.
He came back following half a season with the team in 2013 after being released from a Hamilton Bulldogs‘ tryout agreement.
The feisty forward returned to North America for the 2013/2014 season signing a minor league contract Springfield Falcons, where he posted his best scoring campaign with 15 goals and 17 assists in 63 AHL games.
The 31-year old should have an outstanding run in the upcoming year.
6th year, undrafted Swedish-born right wing Petter Emanuelsson(55) will head back home to the SHL signing for a pair of years with Lulea HF after being under contract with San Jose Sharks for the last three.
He was allowed to stay with Skelleftea, the team he skated juniors with for the first season of his new deal, joining then affiliate Worcester Sharks in 2014/2015 for his rookie campaign.
The 6′ 200 lbs. forward was with them for almost three full years but also did some time on reassignment all the way down to Division 1 skating as part of the Pitea HC club.
As a rookie playing North American hockey he suffered an injury only 6 AHL games in shelving him for the entire calendar.
Despite missing almost his entire first year, he did manage 4 goals in his short time in the minors, which was deemed worth another look and he was signed to a one-year extension.
An early cut from the parent club’s training camp, he reported to new farm club San Jose Barracuda but seemed to struggle some on the score sheet with only 11 goals and 12 assists in 58 contests but was an outstandingly accountable +17 on a squad that barely made it into the postseason.
The soon-to-be 25 year old was set to become a restricted free agent once again but has decided his time here is up and leaves to skate where it’s more familiar.
Never one to really put up big numbers, the versatile forward may still have yet to hit his stride.
Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 9th year veteran left wing Richard Clune(17) scored the winning goal for affiliate Toronto Marlies in their game 7 4-3 victory over Albany Devils to advance to the AHL Calder Cup Eastern Conference Finals.
Signed to a one-year two-way deal by the parent club after first inking a minor league deal and getting off to a hot start, he’s added another 19 NHL games, 4 assists, 1 fight and +1 rating to his resume.
The scrappy 5’10” 207 lbs. presence on the ice played two full seasons in the show after being picked up on waivers by Nashville Predators from his longtime 5-year hang with Los Angeles Kings.
He filled the role of the fourth line grinder and had a career high 16 fighting majors in 2013/2014, good enough for 2nd in the league.It also wasn’t like he didn’t affect the score sheet as he is credited for 7 goals and 9 assists in 105 games.
That was basically it though as at the start of his two-year extension was shuffled back to affiliate Milwaukee Admirals for all but one appearance and subsequently put on unconditional waivers headed into 2015/2016 to be bought out of the final year of his deal.
Originally a Dallas Stars‘ 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft (#77 overall) he only played one campaign in the system with Iowa Stars and even spent some rookie time with Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.
He quickly earned his way up the hockey ladder by basically just being a pest to play against.
The 29-year old is an unrestricted free agent as soon as the dust clears on his bid for a Cup and it will be interesting who will act next.
He did post a career high 8 goals, 16 assists for 24 points in just 49 AHL games and is contributing in the postseason.
Wouldn’t be impossible to see him stay put.
Finishing up his 10th pro season having only been signed to minor league contracts, undrafted defenseman Jared Nightingale(18) filled in the role of captain in his second year with Toledo Walleye quite nicely.
That is, until he was loaned to Chicago Wolves for two weeks, returned and quickly recalled for a couple months before joining them for the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
It would be little surprise to see the 34-year old score an invite a farm team’s camp in the forthcoming year and earn a deal.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. blue liner plays a consistently punishing style that shows little signs of slowing down.
Known to drop the mitts on many occasions, his fighting majors were only down slightly to 11 playing in the two leagues.
He also could own the record for most AHL clubs a single player has put on a uniform for at 10.
Heading into his 6th pro season, left wing Shane Harper(11) has battled his share of ups-and-downs but it seems to be scaling higher for the moment.
Signed for a second season by Florida Panthers, he won’t have to wait and wonder until the beginning of free agency to know about a contract for 2016/2017.
The 5’11” 193 lbs. forward posted a career best 25 assists in 59 AHL games with affiliate Portland Pirates.
This mark followed his 2014/2015 as a 2nd year member of Chicago Wolves, where he posted 32 goals, good enough for 5th best in the league.
And although he struggled some early to connect with the score sheet, it was on the first minor league contract when he seemed to push it to the next level.
He was prolific in his final two years with Everett Silvertips of the WHL as a point-per-game performer.
The 27-year old Californian-native may see his first NHL time in the upcoming campaign.
As his 11th pro season approaches, Finnish-born center Joonas Kemppainen(41) will take his game to the KHL in 2016/2017 joining Sibir Novosibirsk.
The fairly large 6’2″ 223 lbs. forward signed a one-year two-way deal as a free agent with Boston Bruins for his first North American campaign.
He played 44 NHL games scoring 2 goals and 3 assists in a mostly checking line role before he was reassigned to Providence Bruins for the last month of 2015/2016.
His one goal and 4 assists in 11 AHL games was a little underwhelming and he was not inserted into the lineup for any contests in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
It’s possible the team got word he would be splitting town as soon as his year was officially up.
He already had a lot of experience playing pro hockey in his home country skating 2 years for Assat (his junior club parent team), HPK, and then 5 seasons signed to Karpat, where he won a pair of back-to-back 2014 and 2015 Liiga Championships and had breakout scoring in his 2nd title run.
The 28-year old has never been the most prolific scorer but with his big frame and solid skating could post new career highs in the upcoming season.
Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2015 draft (#11 overall) big right wing Lawson Crouse(17) turned pro after his third year of with Kingston Frontenacs.
Reassigned to affiliate Portland Pirates, he appeared in 2 AHL games scoring no points but was left off the playoff roster as the team had lots of returning players from the parent club that got ousted from the postseason in the first round.
The 6’4″ 215 lbs. power forward averaged more than a point-per-game in his 3rd and final run in the OHL and also won a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2015 World Junior Championships, where he scored 6 goals in 5 games.
He was a late cut from Panthers‘ training camp heading into 2015/2016, skating three preseason contests before being reassigned back to his junior squad.
The soon-to-be 19-year old will definitely compete for a roster spot in the big league as a rookie, if he can prove to be a force in front of the net and use his large frame to help protect smaller players.
Vancouver Canucks‘ 4th round rookie defenseman Jordan Subban(7) had a solid season with affiliate Utica Comets.
The 5’9″ 178 lbs. skater led blue liners on the team in all scoring categories with 11 goals and 25 assists, 36 points in 67 AHL games.
This continued what the good puck-moving, feisty d-man did through four years in the OHL for Belleville Bulls, especially with helpers averaging over 30 per campaign in his last three years.
The 21-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2018 and should probably sooner than later realize his first NHL game.
