Heading into his 7th season, veteran right wing Eric Selleck(44) will be an unrestricted free agent for the third time in his pro career.
He was nicely fortunate after one-year on a minor league deal with Portland Pirates to catch the attention of the parent club Arizona Coyotes, who signed him to a two-way contract for 2015/2016.
His 23 points in 74 AHL games last season established new career highs in all scoring categories for the decently sized pugilist.
As he’s gotten a little older though it seems he’s pick and choosing his battles with a bit more restraint.
His 7 fighting majors were down more than half from the previous year and he was able to continue the offensive surge raising his goal mark for a season to 10.
The parent club took notice and recalled him for his third NHL game and from a viewer’s standpoint everything seemed to go as planned.
The 28-year old skated 17 shifts for 9:33 including :22 on the power play with 1 shot, 3 hits and 1 5-minute fighting major.
It wouldn’t be a surprised to see him get re-upped for another year right where he is.
He’s a really good role model player for the youngsters in the system to be around.
New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2014 draft (#5 overall) right wing Michael Dal Colle(19) was off to a great start through his first 4 years, mostly with Oshawa Generals but the former captain was traded half way through the season to Kingston Frontenacs to finish out his early development.
The still growing, already fairly large 6’3″ 198 lbs. forward put up 1.28 points-per-game numbers in juniors scoring 131 goals and 185 assists in 246 games, while winning the 2015 OHL Championship and Memorial Cup adding even more points to those totals along the way.
He was reassigned to start his pro career with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he failed to register a point in three AHL games but did get on the score sheet through 3 Calder Cup Playoffs contests with an assist before the team bowed out in the opening round.
Signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2019, he’s already been invited to the 2014 and 2015 training camps and was one of the Black Aces on the 2016 Isles‘ playoff squad.
The 19-year old, who will turn 20 over the summer, should compete for a spot on the parent club but could also spend a year on the farm to make sure his skill set is fully ready for the show.
For 2016/2017, defenseman Derek Smith(27) will be entering his tenth pro season and will turn 32-years old at the onset of new hockey calendar.
He was signed to a one-year, two-way deal by Arizona Coyotes early in unrestricted free agency but played, when he was healthy, which wasn’t more than 28 AHL games with affiliate Springfield Falcons.
Very much a shame too as he had two goals and 17 assists for 19 points, which was easily first among defense before he went down with permanent injury, which has definitely plagued him a bit.
Tough to say where the solid playing, mobile d-man will take his game for double digits in the pro career but it probably wouldn’t be a stretch to see him return to the Swiss NLA, where he skated in 2014/2015 with ZSC Lions for a stint or some place similar.
He did spend three years trolling the blue line for Calgary Flames from 2011 – 2014.
Heading into his 8th pro season, undrafted right wing Greg Scott(41) leaves the SHL‘s Brynas IF after three successful years averaging close to 20 goals and over 20 assists a season for CSKA Moskva of the KHL.
Originally signed to a three year entry level deal as a free agent by Toronto Maple Leafs, he was given a two-year extension despite playing the whole time with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies.
The 6′ 193 lbs. forward was a point-per-game player in his final pair of campaigns in the WHL for Seattle Thunderbirds, then was able to put together decent numbers in the AHL, including a remarkable +31 rating over four years but received no NHL time.
The 27-year may have missed out on that opportunity but he must be smiling about his recent past and future.
Undrafted, Ukrainian-born right wing Pavel Padakin(27) will head into a 2nd year closer to home for his sophomore campaign joining HK Sochi of the KHL.
Signed to a one-year minor league contract in his rookie campaign he split time with contract team Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Reading Royals.
The 6′ 205 lbs. forward skated 41 AHL games with 2 goals and 7 assists and 26 ECHL contests getting 8 goals and 9 assists.
He completed his first season up in the higher league but when that team failed to make the postseason he was not on the playoff roster of the affiliate.
Not exactly the most prolific scorer through three WHL seasons with Calgary Hitmen and Regina Pats after one year of US juniors in the NAHL playing for Fairbanks Ice Dogs, it’s little surprise that he’ll head back to where it’s more comfortable to continue his pro career.
New York Rangers‘ 6th year goalie, Swedish-born Magnus Hellberg(45) played a career high 53 AHL games with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack posting an easy best 30 wins and 20 losses with a 2.40 GAA and .918 SV% including 4 shutouts.
Originally a Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#38 overall) he played his first two pro seasons in Allvenskan with Almtuna IS, then Frolunda HC of the SHL before coming to North America.
The big 6’5″ 200 lbs. net minder played most of his time with minor league team Milwaukee Admirals, but did get into his only NHL game in 2012 and also had a smattering of appearances in the ECHL for Cincinnati Cyclones.
As the just turned 25-year old was heading into his first restricted free agency at the end of 2014/2015, he was dealt to the Blueshirts and quickly signed to a two-year deal.
He was recalled on a couple of occasions but mostly for simple practice and back up purposes. He could easily slide into more big league time, especially if he keeps up the workload for the farm team.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd year net minder Matt Murray(30) was a bit of a late cut from the 2015 training camp but reported to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to put up numbers that weren’t too dissimilar to the stellar job he put in as a rookie.
The large 6’4″ but light 178 lbs. goalie didn’t quite post the 12 shutouts he did in his first campaign but had a nice 20-9-1 record in 31 AHL games before being recalled on a more permanent basis late in the season.
With their starter out with a concussion, he became their go-to man in between the pipes down the stretch, into the postseason.
For 2015/2016 he would record a very handsome 9-2-1 NHL mark with 2.00 GAA and .920 SV% and continue through the first and now into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs posting a tidy 4 wins against one loss and even managed to slightly lower an already impressive goals against and save percentage.
This soon-to-be 22-year old is looking at quite a next pay bump.
6th year left wing Philippe Cornet(51) won Norway’s 2016 Get-ligaen Championship with Stavanger Oilers in his first pro hockey journey overseas.
He was a point-per-game player with 17 goals and 17 assists in 33 games through the regular season, then added another 6 and 5 in 17 postseason contests.
The 6’1″ 197 lbs. forward takes his success to Finland’s Liiga signing a one-year deal with HPK for 2016/2017.
Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#133 overall), he signed a three-year entry level deal skating mostly with affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.
His best year of point production came in 2011/2012, where he played a career high 67 AHL games scoring 24 goals and 13 assists for 37 points.
He did play a pair of games with the NHL club as a rookie getting an assist but by his third season in the prospect system he was also sent further down to Stockton Heat of the ECHL to begin the year.
Left unqualified he signed a one year minor league contract with San Antonio Rampage for 2013/2014 but was quickly traded to Charlotte Checkers.
For the following campaign he agreed with Hershey Bears but his offense numbers continued to dwindle.
Heading to Europe looks to be the smartest move the 26-year old has made for his playing career.
Calgary Flames‘ 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft (#42 overall) 2nd year defenseman Patrick Sieloff(50) had himself quite the debut in what was an unfortunate, rather uneventful season for the team.
He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot and it was the game-winner in a 2-1 late season victory.
Almost ironically he’s never really been much of a scorer.
In his first game the 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner also had 3 hits, 2 breakups, 2 penalty minutes and even 2:35 on the shorthanded situation with a +1 rating over 22 shifts for 17:59 of total ice time.
He had a modestly better sophomore year with new affiliate Stockton Heat, tying his 2 goals mark and establishing a new career high 9 assists and 11 points.
He’s also an unfortunate -16 plus/minus dropping from a -9 in the previous campaign.
Starting with a pair of years in the USHL with the US National Team Development Program, then a year of the OHL for Windsor Spitfires that was cut short by a hip injury.
He would turn pro the following season but after only 2 AHL games with then farm team Abbotsford Heat was befallen by a staff infection that knocked him out of the entire 2013/2014.
All is well now though.
He still has another year on his entry level deal and with a strong training camp could find himself on the big league opening night roster.
Toronto Marlies have a pair of Carrick‘s in their lineup but they are not related.
Both, 5th year defenseman Connor Carrick(4) & 3rd year center Sam Carrick(16) played NHL games with Toronto Maple Leafs as recent as the current season.
The two players have also skated an equal 19 contests in the big league through the past two campaigns, although Connor had 34 with his old team Washington Capitals as a rookie.
Another similarity is they were 5th round draft picks (#137 and #144 respectively).
Connor is US-born and Sam is Canadian.
Connor just detonated the score sheet in the AHL Calder Cup North Division Semifinals series clincher with a hat trick and 2 assists and has 7 points in 3 postseason games.
