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.
It’s a defensive zone face off for Toronto Marlies‘ newest acquisition, center Ben Smith(21) vs. recently returned from injury Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ pivot Marc-Andre Cliche(26) in game 2 of the AHL Eastern Conference North Division Semifinals.
The team from Canada took a 2-0 series lead with a 3-0 at Webster Bank Arena.
Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd year defenseman Kevin Gravel(4) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal on the opening day of free agency after a successful rookie outing with then affiliate Manchester Monarchs.
He posted 6 goals and 9 assists with a +15 rating in 59 AHL games, then added another 5 assists in 19 postseason match-ups on the way to winning the 2015 Calder Cup Championship.
The big blue liner showed a steadiness, an ability to play a shut down style and some offensive upside, which definitely got him noticed.
Heading into his sophomore season with a new contract, he continued his strong play adding to his totals with new career high marks of 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points.
He earned his 1st NHL recall, skating his 5 games with no points but was kept around on the Stanley Cup Playoff roster before being return to help new farm team Ontario Reign defend their title.
At 24-years old he’s still young but will definitely have to keep pushing and add even more might to his game to stay put in the big league.
4th year former Minnesota Wild 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#28 overall) center/right wing Zack Phillips is spending the season with his fourth team after a trade deadline deal sent him to St. Louis Blues from Boston Bruins for future considerations.
After an early reassignment to affiliate Providence Bruins from training camp he appeared in 39 AHL games scoring 5 goals and 9 assists with a dreadful -14 rating before being sent further down for his first time to Atlanta Gladiators.
The decently sized 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward would only stay there for a couple of weeks before he was moved again and sent directly to Chicago Wolves, where he failed to get a point in 9 contests.
He would once more be shipped down to join Kalamazoo Wings but things looked to improve as he helped the team make the Kelly Cup Playoffs in his pair of ECHL games (1 goal, 1 assist with a +2) and has scored twice with another helper for three points in 4 postseason match-ups.
With his three-year entry level deal ready to expire, the 23-year old is going to be a restricted free agent but it looks unlikely for the former Saint John Sea Dogs‘ winner of the 2011 and 2012 QMJHL Championships and 2011 Memorial Cup to be qualified.
It seems likely he will head overseas for his next pro hockey adventure.
Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd year right wing Buddy Robinson(55) received a chance in the big league and put up his first NHL goal, the game-winner and an assist in 3 games with a +2 rating, 4 penalty minutes, 5 shots, 1 breakup, 1 giveaway and the big man doled out a massive 11 hits in playing time that only surpassed 10 minutes in 2 wins and a loss.
The 24-year old forward is set to become a restricted free agent but should be easily qualified for at least another season if not two to stay in the system.
He was one of the last cuts from last training camp and if he has another impressive preseason could easily find himself with a roster spot to start 2016/2017.
Contributing once he’s up won’t be a problem as has been seen early.
Limited to 62 AHL games this past campaign he still managed a nice 13 goals and 10 assists on a team that never really got started.
A pair of #31 goalies share an end of series handshake at center ice.
Adirondack Thunder rookie goaltender Ken Appleby(31) had a heck of a run securing 4 wins against 1 loss with a 1.75 GAA and a .942 SV% in 5 ECHL Kelly Cup Eastern Conference Quarterfinals games shakes hands with his opposition, Manchester Monarchs‘ 2nd year net minder Doug Carr(31).
The ironies of the match-up were definitely not lost on us: both guys tended the cage this season for Albany Devils, albeit the one that got the victory is property of New Jersey Devils, signed to a three-year entry level deal.
Carr actually was on a pto with Albany at the beginning of 2015/2016 but was released a couple months later with only three games to credit, so two most definitely crossed paths before this postseason meeting.
Another similarity for the two back stops is Carr was signed by Adirondack Flames last season and played 13 AHL games with them, splitting time with Colorado Eagles, so both have spent some quality time in Glens Falls, NY.
That’s likely where this story ends though.
8th year center Bud Holloway(21) agreed to a one-year two-way deal with Montreal Canadiens to return to North American hockey after spending three seasons with Skelleftea AIK, where he won a pair of SHL Championships in 2013 and 2014, then split for Switzerland’s NLA joining SC Bern.
The 28-year old did get into the NHL game he’d been seeking to play but didn’t get with draft team Los Angeles Kings (3rd round in 2006, #86 overall), but it was only a single game before being returned to affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.
In his big league debut he skated a very limited 10 shifts for 7:19 total ice time with one shot, one giveaway and 2 takeaways.
He’s pretty much considered a seminal player in the minors but as was on display overseas knows he can do better.
In 8 less AHL games this season (70) he equaled his 61 points he put up in 2010/2011 on reassignment to Manchester Monarchs.
He put up a career high 42 assists this season.
It’s hard to think he would stick around for a similar contract heading into 2016/2017, when he could play a slightly higher level of hockey, play lesser games and make more doing it.
8th year center Bud Holloway(21) agreed to a one-year two-way deal with Montreal Canadiens to return to North American hockey after spending three seasons with Skelleftea AIK, where he won a pair of SHL Championships in 2013 and 2014, then split for Switzerland’s NLA joining SC Bern.
The 28-year old did get into the NHL game he’d been seeking to play but didn’t get with draft team Los Angeles Kings (3rd round in 2006, #86 overall), but it was only a single game before being returned to affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.
In his big league debut he skated a very limited 10 shifts for 7:19 total ice time with one shot, one giveaway and 2 takeaways.
He’s pretty much considered a seminal player in the minors but as was on display overseas knows he can do better.
In 8 less AHL games this season (70) he equaled his 61 points he put up in 2010/2011 on reassignment to Manchester Monarchs.
He put up a career high 42 assists this season.
It’s hard to think he would stick around for a similar contract heading into 2016/2017, when he could play a slightly higher level of hockey, play lesser games and make more doing it.
6th year center Garry Nunn(9) had a career season in two different leagues with 3 teams.
Originally signed by Atlanta Gladiators, he returned to where he spent most of the previous year, which is a bit of a surprise considering it was a late season transfer to playoff contending Ontario Reign when he began his explosion on the score sheet getting a tidy 4 goals and 17 assists with a +10 rating in 15 ECHL games.
He then continued on that pace in the Kelly Cup Playoffs notching another 9 goals, 12 assists in 19 contests with a +12 plus/minus en route to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the eventual winner, Allen Americans.
The small 5’9″ 184 lbs. forward started 2015/2016 on a training camp invite from Providence Bruins, where he would eventual head back to for his first 11 AHL games and leave a month later with a pair of assists.
Meanwhile his game was continuing to be on a tear in the lower league as he strung together 11 goals and 33 assists in 43 match-ups.
The struggling San Antonio Rampage were next to give him a look. He blended right in and got comfortable connecting for 7 goals and 7 assists in 16 more games with a +8, which is pretty crazy considering the type of squad he was on.
The 26-year old had a few successful seasons as a junior in the WHL mostly with Vancouver Giants, then won the 2011 Kelly Cup as a rookie with Alaska Aces and even left for a year to play in Italy’s Serie A for Valpellice.
After the type of campaign he had this year, it would be a bit surprising to not see him play in the league one step away from the NHL.
