Toronto Maple Leafs‘ rookie right wing prospect, Finnish-born Kasperi Kapanen(42) was permitted to play the 2015 World Juniors’ Championship hosted in Helsinki.
He would score the overtime goal to solidify his country’s second win in the tournament in three years.
Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2014 draft (#22 overall), he was a piece of the puzzle in the Phil Kessel trade.
He actually appeared in 2014 training camp and was a late cut before being sent back overseas to continue his development.
It was his second season in Liiga with KalPa and he even appeared in 13 games with the team as a 16-year old, while playing under 20 junior hockey.
He returned at the end of the season to join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he picked up a goal and an assist in his first 4 AHL games, then made even further strides in the postseason notching another 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 contests.
At 5’11” 180 lbs. he isn’t exactly power forward size yet but plays a swift skating, great puck control style game.
He has yet to score his first recall to the big club but with affiliate Toronto Marlies he has 5 goals and 5 assists with a +6 rating in 17 games with the league’s top team.
No doubt the 19-year has a bright future as a goal-scorer and his opportunity to prove it at the highest level may come soon.
He is also the son of former 13-year NHL veteran mini-might Sami Kapanen, which makes this one another good hockey story.
Washington Capitals‘ 7th year net minder Braden Holtby(70) is making 2015/2016 look like a Vezina Trophy winning season.
He leads the league with 25 wins in 32 starts and has a 1.93 GAA and .932 SV% on a team that currently sits atop the NHL in victories and points.
In 2014/2015, the 6’2″ 217 lbs. back stop had the most games played with 73, shots allowed 2044 and saves at 1887. He finished 2nd with 41 wins.
He’s been up with the big club exclusively for the last few seasons but spent his first four campaigns split mostly with long-time affiliate Hershey Bears and helped the team to a 2010 Calder Cup Championship.
The now only 26-year old even spent time in the ECHL to start his pro career with South Carolina Stingrays and got the nod for their 2010 All-Star Game.
He would get the same distinction next season in the AHL and was selected for this year’s NHL All-Star festivities.
No doubt this is a player that’s learned to play well under pressure and help his squads win.
He signed a 5-year extension through 2019/2020 and there’s really only one small trophy remaining, the Stanley Cup and the Caps look like front runners to claim that prize.
New York Rangers‘ 4th year center Jayson Megna(23) signed a one-year, 1-way deal at the beginning of free agency as an unrestricted player, having just turned 25 and was at the end of his short-term contract extension with Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward skated half of his sophomore campaign in the NHL amassing 36 games with 5 goals and 4 assists.
In the following season he would only get into 12 games with the parent club and could only manage 1 assist.
He set new personal records in the minors though, scoring a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ team leading 26 goals, 13 assists for 39 points and a +18 rating through 63 AHL games.
Starting the 2015/2016 as a late cut from training camp, reassigned to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack he got right to business and has a 2nd best 11 assists and 18 points to go along with 7 goals and a league leading 110 shots on net.
His hard work has earned him a first recall to the big league.
In his first appearance with his new squad, he played 18 shifts for 11:51 of ice time with one goal, one assist, 3 shots, 1:53 on the power play and a +1 rating in a 6-2 blowout.
He may only be up due to an injured starter but could play his way into some extended time with a performance like his debut.
Ottawa Senators‘ 6th year defenseman (2 in Sweden’s SHL) Fredrik Claesson(49) has finally realized it’s time for his first NHL recall and is making the most of the opportunity.
He welcomes the new year 2016 up with the big club.
In three games, he’s played an escalating amount of shifts and time on ice, culminating in his third appearance in which he was out there 25 times for a fourth best on the team (2nd among blue liners) 20:46.
They also got their first goals and a win in three tries of a 3-2 overtime battle.
He was likely rewarded for his play even after a pair of defeats as his stats are impressive with a total of 3 shots, 5 hits, 5 break ups, 2 takeaways and only one giveaway with a combined 1:36 short-handed time.
The now 23-year old, who signed for a year extension from his original entry level deal, may have just played himself into a more permanent spot in the show.
Ottawa Senators‘ 6th year defenseman (2 in Sweden’s SHL) Fredrik Claesson(49) has finally realized it’s time for his first NHL recall and is making the most of the opportunity.
He welcomes the new year 2016 up with the big club.
In three games, he’s played an escalating amount of shifts and time on ice, culminating in his third appearance in which he was out there 25 times for a fourth best on the team (2nd among blue liners) 20:46.
They also got their first goals and a win in three tries of a 3-2 overtime battle.
He was likely rewarded for his play even after a pair of defeats as his stats are impressive with a total of 3 shots, 5 hits, 5 break ups, 2 takeaways and only one giveaway with a combined 1:36 short-handed time.
The now 23-year old, who signed for a year extension from his original entry level deal, may have just played himself into a more permanent spot in the show.
Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th year center Mark Arcobello(33) had the distinction of joining his fifth team in less than a year’s time, when he signed a 1-year tw0-way deal on the opening day of free agency.
He started the season on the parent club’s opening night roster and stuck with them through 7 games but failed to register a point. He was also recalled for a couple more appearances but was still bitten on the score sheet.
In 2014/2015 he was traded to Nashville Predators from his first team Edmonton Oilers, but after only a few games was waived and picked up by Pittsburgh Penguins, where he spent 10 contests only notching a pair of assists.
He was once again placed on waivers to be reassigned to the minors but got scooped by Arizona Coyotes to complete the season on a high note with 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points, his best with any one squad.
In his last few seasons in the minors he’s maintained some pretty fantastic numbers and this year with Toronto Marlies looks to set new goal scoring marks with already 12 in 24 AHL games.
He scored 22 with Oklahoma City Barons in 2012/2013 with what still looks to be an untouchable 45 assists.
Where the 27-year old ends up next is anyone’s guess but he could very likely command some great money if he decided to split overseas.
7th year defenseman Keith Aulie(44) attended Arizona Coyotes‘ 2015 training camp on an invite but was released after fracturing his wrist.
A month into the new season he signed a pto with new affiliate Springfield Falcons.
Although he looked like a decent fit with the mostly young team, he was cut after 7 games (1 goal, -6 rating).
He would next appear a month later on Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in host country Switzerland and win it.
This must have given him the impetus to try his game on the other side of the pond for the first time in his career.
He signed for the remainder of the season with HIFK of Finland top league Liiga.
The 26-year old has appeared in 167 NHL games with three different teams, won a gold medal at the World Juniors Chamionship in 2009 and the 2012 Calder Cup as a member of Norfolk Admirals.
With his extra large-sized 6’6″ 222 lbs. defensive frame he should be able to continue his game quite nicely in Europe.
Washington Capitals wasted no time signing 25-year old, group 4 unrestricted free agent Aaron Ness(55) to a nice one-year two-way deal.
He spent the entirety of 2014/2015 with Bridgeport Sound Tigers serving as team captain and putting up AHL career bests 8 goals, 37 assists for 45 points.
The previous year the somewhat small-ish 5’10” 187 lbs. blue liner skated in a season high 20 games with draft team New York Islanders, scored his first NHL goal and got a pair of assists.
As a rookie he played his first 9 games in the big league registering no points.
In his second recall this young season from the farm team, he received the nod for his 30th game and played 15 shifts for a moderate 8:49 ice time, had 2 breakups and left the 5-4 shootout loss with a +1 rating.
He may only be in for a little while as the top defenseman recovers but he starts with his new team making a good impression.
He’s off to a fast start on the score sheet with his first new minor league club Hershey Bears scoring 2 goals and 11 assists and a
Arizona Coyotes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#39 overall) rookie center Laurent Dauphin(76) has been playing hard, putting in the effort with new affiliate Springfield Falcons.
In 30 AHL games he has a tidy 5 goals and 5 assists with a -3 rating and 68 shots on net.
The not exactly huge 6’2″ 180 lbs. forward mostly skates a style that is always sniffing out the puck and driving to the net.
Through three years with Chicoutimi Sangueneens he was more than a point-per-game guy with 80 goals and 106 assists through 170 QMJHL games, leading his team in all scoring categories as captain in his final campaign.
In his NHL debut he had 13 shifts for 9:30 total ice time, :36 on the power play, was 33% in the face off circle and had 1 takeaway in a wild 7-5 loss.
There’s little doubt the 20-year old could get comfortable and play more minutes up in the big league but he’s at the beginning of 3-year entry level deal so sending him back down to continue to work on all aspects of his game may be more in line with reality.
Boston Bruins‘ 3rd year center Seth Griffith(53) has possibly done all he can through his time in the minors.
He’s in the final season of his 3-year entry level deal and was reassigned to Providence Bruins as soon as he was ready to play again after suffering a knee injury in the preseason opener.
In 24 AHL games he has a team leading 10 goals, 17 assists, 27 points and is on pace to surpass the 20-30-50 mark he put up as a rookie.
That is if he stays on the farm.
He is finally being awarded the opportunity to see if he can find more of what he had in 30 NHL games last season, where he notched 6 goals and 4 assists.
In his 31st game he skated 15 shifts for 12:27 ice time with 1 game-winning assist, 1 hit, 1 giveaway and 2:28 on the power play but left the 7-3 victory with a -1 rating.
This 22-year old has to be so on go.
