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.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms‘ 2nd year goalie Martin Ouellette(1) re-signed for a return despite appearing in only 8 AHL games posting a decent 3-2 record.
Originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 7th round pick in the 2010 draft (#184 overall), he was never signed as they had sort of a logjam of prospects for net.
The 6’2″ 194 lbs. back stop would play the bulk of his games as a rookie reassigned to the ECHL with affiliate Reading Royals.
He put up a 17-10 record with a 2.91 GAA and .907 SV%.
As a sophomore goaltender on a 1-year extension he still would only get into 9 games with another decent showing of a 5-3 record but once again the majority of his time between the pipes would come in the lower league.
Not to worry he posted an identical 17-10 record from his first campaign but upped his numbers nicely with 2.10 GAA and .922 SV%. He also had 4 shutouts.
The 24-year was most recently up to close out the regular season and even recorded back-to-back shutouts but was sent down to help the Royals with their push for the Kelly Cup.
They won their 1st round over the #1 seed, are dangerous and he has a 4-1 record.
He’ll find himself for a third season an unrestricted free agent and depending upon how far they can push into the playoffs will easily affect where he signs next.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 2nd year left wing Alex Guptill(26) was acquired in a 7-player minor league swap from Ottawa Senators.
It was the second trade for the big 6’3″ 200 lbs. power forward from University Of Michigan.
Initially a Dallas Stars‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#77 overall) he skated only 5 games on an ato with affiliate Texas Stars after turning pro before being dished as a prospect on the opening day of free agency.
After his rookie season playing 61 AHL games with Binghamton Senators scoring 9 goals and 9 assists he was mostly a healthy scratch, passed over in the team’s lineup heading into his sophomore campaign.
Six weeks into 2015/2016 he was reassigned down to Evansville IceMen to continue his development but his time to impress seemed to be up, as he was loaned over to Manchester Monarchs a couple of months later.
This was definitely the right move for the 24-year old, as he started to bloom on the score sheet grabbing 5 goals and 5 assists in 14 ECHL games before once again moving on.
Reassigned to farm team Rochester Americans he finally seemed to connect with his surroundings.
In 20 games he notched 3 goals and 5 assists with a +3 rating on a non-playoff contending squad.
With his two-year entry level deal expiring, he is set to become a restricted free agent and it would probably be a low risk move for the Sabres to keep him in the system.
