Toronto Maple Leafs‘ rookie center Zach Hyman(11) plays a hard checking, offensive-minded style of game that’s giving the deep selection a longer, early look from the parent club.
He was originally a Florida Panthers‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#123 overall) but traded in the off season for an older prospect.
The speedy 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward put up exceptional numbers in junior A with Hamilton Red Wings, including 102 points in his final year before joining the ranks at University Of Michigan.
In his senior year, serving as assistant captain he popped for 22 goals and 32 assists in 37 games earning him a 2014/2015 Hobey Baker Finalist nod.
A late cut from training camp, he connected immediately with the scoring sheet on reassignment to affiliate Toronto Marlies.
In 54 AHL games in his first season he has a tidy 13 goals and 20 assists with a +28 rating and 121 shots on net.
The 23-year old’s hard play has earned him an NHL recall.
In his debut he skated a whopping 22 shifts for 15:58 of ice time with two shots, 1 hit and :32 of short-handed play.
He may be on a short leash between the big league and the farm club but before too long it’s almost an easy bet he’ll be permanently up in the show.
Florida Panthers‘ 4th year left wing John McFarland(15) is having the kind of year that starts to establish players in the highest level of hockey.
In a career best 48 AHL games with new affiliate Portland Pirates, he’s recorded a career high 14 goals and is quickly closing in on the 24 points he set a couple seasons ago.
It’s shots on net though that seems to be one of the most stirring changes in his game.
When this season is all said and done, he may double his previous total of 99 from 2013/2014.
He’s already at 112.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward’s progress definitely caught the parent club’s eye, as he was recalled for his first three NHL appearances.
Averaging only 10 or so minutes a game, he at least got his skates wet and plays an aggressive checking style game that could easily finds its way onto a fourth line, especially on a young team, building from the inside.
The 23-year old is set to become a restricted free agent for a 2nd time but it’s almost a sure bet he gets extended another year if not two.
8th year pro Matt Fornataro(39) started the 2015/2016 season in Austria’s Este Banke Liga with Graz 99ers scoring a respectable 10 goals and 16 assists before deciding to head back to North American hockey for the first time in 3.5 years.
The 30-year old signed a contract with Manchester Monarchs returning to the ECHL, where he last played half a season in 2009/2010 as part of South Carolina Stingrays‘ squad.
He spent 3 seasons in Sweden’s Allsvenskan and SHL with VIK Vasteras HK and Leksands IF from 2012-2015.
It’s little surprise that he’s helping the Monarchs stay near the top of the Eastern Conference returning to a form that had him dotting up the score sheet for at least a point-per-game.
In 8 contests he has 4 goals and 4 assists with a +1 rating.
Having a veteran presence like him in the fold will definitely help this team push far in the postseason.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#32 overall) Swedish-born left wing Jacob De La Rose(25) split time in his rookie season playing with the parent club (4 goals, 2 assists) and then minor league affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs (6-5) and even appeared in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The 6’3″ 215 lbs. large European forward was once again a late cut from training camp yet has been with new farm club St. John’s IceCaps on par to possibly best his first season marks. He’s currently ahead with 7 assists and tied on points at 11.
He’s currently on his second recall of the current campaign and chances are even though he’s on an entry level deal will stick with the big club.
We’ll see though.
Already entering the North American market with at least 2 full years of pro experience in Allsvenskan, then SHL with Leksands IF.
While he doesn’t exactly seem to be a naturally gifted scorer, he skates himself pretty much straight into the middle of any situation and the points may start to come if paired with other players that can light the lamp.
It seems they believe he can play at the highest level of hockey and they have another year left in the entry deal to figure it out.
Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd year left wing Brendan Leipsic(49) got a nice, unexpected recall giving the small-ish 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward a first opportunity to show his stuff in the show.
He was outstanding through four seasons with Portland Winterhawks.
In his third campaign, he was the both WHL and all of CHL top scorer with 120 points (49 goals, 71 assists) and also won the 2013 Championship.
He also made it to the finals every season with the team starting in 2010/2011.
Originally a Nashville Predators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2013 draft (#89 overall), he signed a three-year entry level contract upon completing his junior career and was reassigned to start with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.
A close to trade deadline deal sent him to his current home and he continued to mark up the score sheet when arriving to skate with their farm club Toronto Marlies.
He would finish his initial season in the AHL with most assists by a rookie at 40 through a combined 74 games.
He’s already set a new high scoring mark for himself in the league with 16 goals this season.
In his debut up in the big league he got his 1st NHL tally playing 18 shifts for 9:28 of ice time with 2:21 on the power play. He also went 100% in the face off dot, recorded 2 penalty minutes and left the game with a +1 rating.
The 21-year old would be reassigned back down quickly but got the call once again 10 days later.
He may continue to help the minor league team surge towards the playoffs but no doubt he’ll be given an extended look if his game continues to excel.
Ottawa Senators‘ big rookie left wing (6’4″ 223 lbs.) Nick Paul(13) is having a nice first season that was recently made better with a maybe slightly unexpected recall, where he first recorded an assist in his second appearance and got his 1st NHL goal to opening up the scoring in game 4, a 4-1 win.
He’s been doing decently on reassignment to affiliate Binghamton Senators, who unfortunately are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Still in 45 AHL games, the super-young 20-year old has managed 6 goals and 11 assists with a -4 rating.
Originally a Dallas Stars‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#101 overall), he was traded on the opening day of the 2014 free agency.
After finishing up his third season notching a point-per-game statistics with North Bay Battalion of the OHL, he decided it was time to turn pro signing a three-year entry level deal.
Judging by his speedy ascent from the minors to the big league, he made the right decision.
Arizona Coyotes‘ 2nd year center Tyler Gaudet(32) has been enjoying some extended playing time with the parent club in his sophomore season.
After failing to record a point in two games during his rookie campaign, on two recalls he scored his first NHL goal plus added a couple of assists, while only skating roughly 10 minutes per contest in mostly an energy line role.
He has been doing pretty well in the face off circle and seen a good amount of time on the penalty kill, where his game seems to excel.
He’s a gritty, power forward-type presence on the ice and gets right in the face of opposing players without taking unnecessary penalty minutes, of which he has zero.
The still super-young undrafted 22-year old looks to be playing himself into a permanent spot up in the big league on the final year of his entry level contract.
He’ll definitely need to bring his all on a nightly basis to stay though.
Toronto Maple Leafs‘ recent acquisition in the Dion Phaneuf(4) deal, sixth year center Colin Greening(38) was buried in the minors on the second season of his three-year multi-million dollar extension.
Judging by his stats through the first 41 AHL games, scoring only 7 goals and 6 assists he did not appear to be happy.
No worries about that for now, as his new home team has been inserting him straight into the lineup on a nightly basis and he’s popped in a goal and an assist with a +2 rating averaging 17 minutes ice time per game.
The 6’2″ 211 lbs. power forward had his best production as a sophomore skater and his first full campaign up in the big league.
Through a complete 82 game schedule he had a pretty serious 17 goals and 20 assists and never quite matched those totals in the following years.
A new building to play in, wearing a different emblem on his chest may be the switch up what the now 29-year old needs to come back to life.
He’s on the hook for one more year for $3.2m so they are likely hoping this will happen.
Los Angeles Kings‘ goalie Peter Budaj(31) posted league leading numbers for affiliate Ontario Reign.
His 27 wins are first in the AHL as is his 39 games played, 1.56 GAA, .935 SV%, 8 shutouts and 2344:25 minutes in net.
The stellar work in between the pipes and an injury to their starter, plus pasting against the back-up net minder earned him his first NHL start in a couple seasons.
Although he didn’t have the best game, letting in 4 goals on 28 shots with a 3.87 GAA and .857 SV%, he still skated away with the overtime win through 62:18 minutes of work.
Recently reassigned back to the farm club, he’ll no doubt pick up where he left off until he gets another chance in the show.
17-year veteran (yeah!) and Alaskan native, center Scott Gomez(39) signed a minor league pto 14 days after opting out of his short time with St. Louis Blues, where his contract was at the league minimum for one-year of the two-way variety, interestingly enough. He made the team after a training camp invite.
One might think that heading to the AHL he may go to their affiliate but instead headed to Hershey Bears.
Through 13 games it seems to be a heck of a good fit as he has 4 goals and 17 assists with a +11 rating and genuinely seems to be enjoying his time on the ice as a 36-year old.
No doubt, he’s had a heck of a career: 1st round draft pick (#27 overall) and two Stanley Cups with New Jersey Devils 2000 and 2003, NHL rookie of the year 1999/2000, and even ECHL scoring leader during 2004/2005 lockout with hometown Alaska Aces.
His NHL totals are off the hook: 1o66 games, 181 goals, 574 assists for 755 points and 2,504 shots on net.
It would be insane to see him play another season but the way things are looking, he just may.
