New York Rangers‘ 3rd year defenseman Chris Bigras(27) is off to a nice start with new team, affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack grabbing 2 assists in 5 AHL games after being traded from Colorado Avalanche.
He was a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#32 overall) and has skated 31 NHL games as a rookie with another 15 appearances this season (1 goal, 3 assists with a -4 rating) but has mostly played for minor league club San Antonio Rampage scoring 12 goals and 32 assists.
The former two-time junior hockey gold medal winner picked up a team high 20 goals and 51 assists in his final year with Owen Sound Attack as a fourth year player, then signed an ato with Cleveland Monsters picking up 4 helpers in 7 games.
At 23-years old, he is in the final campaign of a three-year entry level deal and is set to become a restricted free agent.
If offered, he would likely be smart to accept a decent offer to stay put and may find himself fitting in on a team that has overhauled their defense corps.
4th year right wing Caleb Herbert(29) is detonating the score sheet under contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2017/2018.
In 35 ECHL games he has a career high 20 goals and 27 assists with a +5 rating.
His offensive explosion has led to a pair of loans up to Hartford Wolf Pack, where he notched a goal and 2 assists in 8 AHL games and is currently with San Jose Barracuda (6 games, 1 assist).
With such good numbers, you have to think the 26-year old will likely seek out a better deal to play overseas for his next venture.
9th year center Dennis Rasmussen(70) decides it’s time to head back home joining old club Vaxjo Lakers for the remainder of 2017/2018 after opting out of his contract with Anaheim Ducks.
He started the season with the parent club playing 27 NHL games scoring a goal and 3 assists with a +4 rating, but was reassigned a couple of months in to affiliate San Diego Gulls, where he potted 4 goals and 6 assist in 17 AHL games.
After spending most of his time with original contract team Chicago Blackhawks through the past season and signed to a pair of one-way deals, he may have been unhappy being back down in the minors, so decided to change scenery to familiar ground.
The fairly large forward had consistently been better in the SHL than he’d been able to connect in North America.
At 27-years old, he’s likely to stay put and be happy speaking his native language.
Undrafted 9th year defenseman Drew Baker(23) skated a pair of games with Pensacola Ice Flyers, a team he’s been with for the last 3 of 4 years but opted out soon after collecting 2 assists with a +2 rating.
The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner has appeared in 249 SPHL games with three different teams and won championships with his most recent squad in 2014 and 2016.
He spent his first full ECHL campaign in 2016/2017 with hometown club Atlanta Gladiators scoring 3 goals and 10 assists in 59 games.
The just turned 32-year old, who played 17 FHL games in his sophomore campaign with Akwesasne Warriors, breaks from retirement to return to the Georgia team for some more ice time and already has 3 assists with a +23 rating in six games back.
3rd year defenseman Ryan Graves(3) address changes from Connecticut to Texas as he was dealt in a mostly minor league transaction from draft team, New York Rangers‘ (4th round, 2014, #110 overall) to Colorado Avalanche.
He reports to affiliate San Antonio Rampage, where he may find more success than he did this season with Hartford Wolf Pack this season.
The big 6’5″ 221 lbs. blue liner is in a contract year, as he becomes a restricted free agent at the end of 2017/2018.
His numbers through 57 AHL games are down (4 goals, 7 assists) over his high mark of 30 points last campaign but he would still be worth another look to see if he can pull up his game again.
He won the 2014 QMJHL Championship with Val-d’Or Foreurs and played for 4 different teams in juniors.
At 22-years old he has yet to appear in a big league game but seems like he should be kept around to see if he can move up to a shut down role in the NHL.
Manchester Monarchs‘ 2nd year defenseman Colton Saucerman(23) has posted a career tying 4 goals and new best 32 assists and 36 points in 54 ECHL games with a +11 rating.
He also recently earned his first AHL point, an assist on loan to Providence Bruins, was sent back and then went right back up.
The very tough 5’9″ 183 lbs. blue liner also had a pair of call-ups as a rookie with Hershey Bears and Springfield Thunderbirds.
He started his pro career with South Carolina Stingrays on an ato scoring a point-per-game (1 goal, 3 assists) after 4 fairly successful campaigns at Northeastern University, then added another 8 points in 15 Kelly Cup Playoff matchups.
This followed three seasons of American junior hockey, 2 in the USHL and one mostly outstanding NAHL before heading off to college.
His first contract was to continue with South Carolina before a late season trade sent him to New Hampshire.
It’s quite possible the 25-year old continues to play his hockey in North America, looking to climb the ladder but could also find even better success overseas in a top league.
5th year center Colin Smith(22) has consistently put up good numbers in the minors, including a 56 point 2015/2016 campaign (20-36) with Toronto Marlies and San Antonio Rampage.
A Colorado Avalanche 7th round pick in the 2012 draft (#192 overall), he spent three years in their prospect system including one NHL game as a sophomore skater.
Through 322 AHL games, he has 59 goals and 131 assists with a fairly dismal -32 rating.
The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward was a big scorer in four seasons with Kamloops Blazers recording 271 points in 272 WHL games, including a 106 point 2012/2013 campaign.
The 24-year old was recently involved in a trade that sent him to Stockton Heat for the remainder of 2017/2018 and he is sniping at a good pace (4 assists in 8 games).
It would seem as though he will branch out and head overseas for the next phase of his career.
Rookie defenseman James De Haas(40) has been on a short string from contract club Lehigh Valley Phantoms and affiliate Reading Royals.
Although he wasn’t exactly a scoring machine through four years at Clarkson University, he did come alive as a senior scoring 7 goals and 22 assists in 37 NCAA games.
The very decently sized 6’3″ 217 lbs. blue liner has maybe obviously fared better in the lower league with 5 goals and 13 assists in 23 ECHL games with a +7 rating and a not so terrible goal and 9 assists with a +9 in 27 AHL games.
Originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 6th round pick in the 2012 draft (#170 draft) he was left unsigned and became an unrestricted free agent.
His on ice accountability seems to be a thing for this Canadian-born player, which could help earn him a permanent spot at the higher level and may even have him playing himself into a big league contract, if the 23-year old can keep it up.
New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2017 draft (#7 overall, picked up in a trade with Arizona Coyotes), Swedish-born center Lias Andersson(28) was signed shortly after his selection and his first full season in the SHL with HV71.
He started 2017/2018 with Frolunda Indians playing 22 games with 7 goals and 7 assists with a +6 rating but was recalled to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, where he’s been lighting the lamp since he landed (5 goals, 7 assists in 18 AHL games).
The 6′ 204 lbs. 19-year old is a hard skater with great eyes and a nice scoring touch that should land him in the NHL sooner than later.
Boston Bruins‘ recently re-signed 8th year defenseman Chris Breen(8) for 2017/2018 for some extra insurance in their zone heading for a playoff run.
He’s been in the team system since 2014/2015 but had been on an AHL deal with affiliate Providence Bruins for the last pair of seasons.
In 2015/2016, the big blue liner recorded a new career high 11 assists and 12 points.
At 28-years old, the soon to be unrestricted free agent may look overseas for his next on-ice adventure.
