Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#21 overall) rookie center Frederik Gauthier(23) is another young player getting his chance with the big squad in a non-playoff berth season.
The huge 6’5″ 238 lbs. power forward has appeared in 7 games scoring his first NHL point, an assist while skating a lot of minutes short-handed time, delivering crushing hits and breaking up plays.
He’s having a good first year with league leading affiliate Toronto Marlies scoring 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 54 AHL contests with a +17 rating in a mostly checking line role.
This comes after three years of junior hockey with Rimouski Oceanic, where he was virtually a point-per-game player and won the 2015 QMJHL Championship.
The soon-to-be 21-year old, signed through 2017/2018 on an entry level deal, will compete hard at the upcoming training camp for a full-time roster spot but may just win the minor league’s highest award, the Calder Cup first.
New York Islanders‘ undrafted huge 6’5″ 232 lbs. rookie left wing Ross Johnston(56) is part of a growing number of players to skate three leagues in a single season.
Most of his games have been with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 37 AHL contests getting a goal and 3 assists but mostly being a tough to play against punishing style blue liner.
He has 64 penalty minutes and one-third of that time was 4 fighting majors, so he has no problem mixing it up.
It continues a pattern started through four year in juniors starting with Moncton Wildcats and ending last season with Charlottetown Islanders.
In his last three campaigns he was pretty much a 30 point guy from back at the point.
Five months into his first year pro he was reassigned down to Missouri Mavericks, possibly to regain some confidence.
He ended up spending pretty much the month of February there scoring rather nicely with 4 goals and 7 assists in 13 ECHL games before going back up.
As the parent club solidified their postseason position they saw it as a time to cycle some of their promising youngsters into the system to see how they do.
In his one NHL game he skated 22 shifts for 16:17 total ice and took 4 minutes of penalties but still was a 0 rating in a 5-2 loss.
The 22-year old signed a three-year entry level deal and this is definitely a good early look to get.
Buffalo Sabres‘ undrafted rookie left wing Evan Rodrigues(71) has been puttiing together a good first season with affiliate Rochester Americans scoring 9 goals and 19 assists in 69 AHL games with a -10 rating and a phenomenal 155 shots on net.
As the parent club wraps up the regular calendar they have been starting to recall from the farm club with more frequency and the 5’11” 174 lbs. forward has earned a look.
In 2 games he skated an average of 16 shifts for roughly 12 minutes of ice time, including 1:31 on the power play with 8 shots, 3 hits and his 1st NHL goal and a game-winning assist in overtime. He also had a +2 rating.
The 22-year old showed much offensive flare in his final season at Boston University as an assistant captain, scoring 20 goals and 41 assists with a +30 rating before the team bowed out of the final four in the last game.
Signed to a 2-year entry level deal, he was a late scratch from his first training camp and is likely a player to watch on what will likely be a high powered offense heading into 2016/2017.
Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#108 overall) gigantic 6’6″ 222 lbs. defenseman Ben Harpur(67) is another one of those rare players to skate in three leagues in one season.
He was in uniform mostly with AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators for the majority of the year but also was reassigned further down for four ECHL games around the break to Evansville IceMen.
The mostly punishing stay at home style d-man has a goal and 4 assists with a -12 rating in 44 games in the higher league.
His size and play (and the fact that they are out of playoff contention) has the parent club taking a look at the young 21-year old, who played 4 campaigns with Guelph Storm winning the 2013 OHL Championship.
In 5 games skating a decent amount of shifts and time he’s managed fairly well with one NHL assist, a +1 rating, 3 shots, 9 hits, a high 7 play breakups, 2 giveaways and 2 penalty minutes in mostly team winning efforts.
He’s only on the first year of a three year deal and as he goes he looks to be getting way more comfortable and ready to fit right in.
Montreal Canadiens‘ rookie defenseman Ryan Johnston(89) gets the opportunity to show his game in the show as the regular season winds down and the parent club is out of the playoff picture.
In 2 NHL games the not exactly huge 5’10” 180 lbs. blue liner received increased ice time in a second appearance despite playing a fairly reserved role in his debut.
He’s not exactly mixing it up big in with minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps with no goals, 9 assists in 34 AHL games and a -18 rating on a struggling club, but he has been recovering from an early injury.
Missing almost half of his first year, through three years at Colgate University he showed he can affect the score sheet on a decent basis putting up 29 assists in his last pair of campaigns before turning pro.
The already 24-year old is considered a versatile, great skating d-man that can play in all zones and contribute to the offense.
He’s getting his chance early to put it on display.
New York Rangers‘ former 1st round pick, 12th year left wing Daniel Paille(20) started the season on a minor league tryout before getting an outright deal almost a couple months into 2015/2016.
He was there simply doing his part as an effective role player with Rockford IceHogs, not really putting up big points with a goal and 3 assist in 31 AHL games but keeping them on pace to be a top tier team.
Almost immediately at the turn of the new year, the Blueshirts came sniffing and signed him for the rest of the season.
The decently-sized 6’1 200 lbs. skated 12 games right away after getting his contract but in a limited role failed to put up any points and was reassigned to Hartford Wolf Pack.
He’s putting up points at a better clip than earlier in the season with two goals and 4 assists in 17 games, while always competing hard to help his squad in their Calder Cup Playoff push.
It would be his first time in the postseason, while on a farm team.
He hasn’t played on an NHL affiliate since 2006-2007, his third year with Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans.
The 32-year old had 6 huge years with Boston Bruins as one of the best 4th lines ever assembled and won the 2011 Stanley Cup.
Next?
We could see him returning to Finland, hooking up with a team like Ilves, which he did during the last lockout.
Veteran right wing Ashton Rome(44) lasted just five ECHL games with Greenville in 2012/2013 before jumping ship for Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.
He would spend two seasons with the team, then jump allegiances to Schwenninger Wild Wings for his next two campaigns, reaching almost point-per-game totals in 2015/2016 scoring 17 goals and 15 assists in 39 contests.
The 11th year pro switches it up once again but stays for a 5th run in the German league joining Iserlohn Roosters.
He did briefly return on a pto with Norfolk Admirals but was released after only a couple of AHL appearances and returned overseas to resume his career.
The 30-year old he still seems to have plenty left in the tank and seems to be simply enjoying the ride.
New York Islanders‘ 2nd year defenseman Ryan Pulock(6) is earning his time up with the big club and up to 12 games played with his first 2 NHL goals on the score sheet and a nice +2 rating.
He looks to remain in the lineup as the team heads into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the team continues to lose manpower to injuries on the blue line.
If starters get closer to returning and he’s sent back to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he has a career high 17 assists in 51 AHL games and is a responsible +6 plus/minus, it wouldn’t be the worst news ever as they are entering the Calder Cup postseason for the first time in a few years.
Regardless, the now still only 21-year old looks to be ready for a full-time spot in the show.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2014 draft (#26 overall) rookie left wing Sonny Milano(22) is having a pretty decent first year with affiliate Lake Erie Monsters.
The only 19-year old forward has 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 AHL games with a +10 rating on a league leading squad.
Taking a bit of a unique path before turning pro at such a young age, he played two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program in the USHL as a point-per-game performer, while also playing for the under 17 and 18 of the USDP recording even better numbers.
As a highly touted player, he would leave to skate the next season with Plymouth Whalers, once again exploding on the score sheet with 22 goals and 46 assists for 68 points in 50 OHL games.
He would sign his three-year entry level deal at the conclusion of that campaign and be reassigned to join then minor league team Springfield Falcons for the remainder of the calendar getting five assists in 10 games.
His impressive play and possibly that the parent club is out of the postseason picture, earns him a first recall.
In two games, utilized for an average 12 minutes of ice time, he recorded his first NHL point, an assist with 1 shot, 3 hits, 2 breakups and 1 giveaway with a +1 rating.
He’s easily impressed and if he comes into 2016 training camp in good shape, should get a serious look to start the season in the show.
Calgary Flames‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 (#105 overall), 2nd year defenseman Brett Kulak(2) was one of the few players each season that appears in games with three different leagues over the course of one season.
Although he was a late cut from the parent club’s training camp to be reassigned to then affiliate Adirondack Flames, a month into his rookie campaign he was sent further down to Colorado Eagles.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner stayed with the team for 39 ECHL games scoring 9 goals and 21 assists with a +9 rating before being recalled to resume his play at the higher level.
He was able to put up decent marks with 4 goals and 9 assists in 26 AHL appearances and then summoned to NHL for a game at the end of the regular calendar.
Starting 2015/2016 in the big league he would skate 6 games playing limited minutes before being sent to new minor league club Stockton Heat, where he would eventually match his point totals in twice the amount of games but more than double his shots on net before heading back up for a pair of contests.
The 22-year old is signed for another year on his entry level deal and may still be looking for his first points but that should come as it did in juniors with Vancouver Giants of the WHL, when he had 46 assists in his final campaign.
