Quad City Mallards‘ undrafted 3rd year left wing Sam Warning(11) receives a first loan of his career up to San Jose Barracuda after putting up a solid, rookie point total tying 16 goals and 15 assists in 41 ECHL games.
He posted a career high 24 goals and 30 assists last season.
The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has always been able to connect with the scoresheet, especially in his third year at University Of Minnesota and his second campaign with Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL.
At 25-years old, you have to think with the chance at the higher league, he’s got to be looking at some good hockey overseas for a next venture.
Rookie defenseman Jeff Beukeboom(41) started his pro career under contract with Toledo Walleye but was traded to Greenville Swamp Rabbits after a month of watching from the sidelines.
He got right into the lineup but only netted one assist in 15 ECHL games before another trade sent him to Worcester Railers.
The fairly large 6’2″ 215 lbs. blue liner must have arrived at a happier place, as he’s taken his scoring to a new level grabbing a first goal and 6 assists in 12 contests.
Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#63 overall) his right were traded to St. Louis Blues but he was left unsigned.
Never quite a big scorer through 5 seasons of the OHL, he did have 19 assists as a sophomore junior skater and 21 in his final year before heading off to University Of Prince Edward Island.
He would spent four years at school.
The 25-year old really appears to be coming into his own and it would be little surprise to see him move up to the next level, especially if he can finish out the current calendar with a strong showing.
His dad is Jeff Beukeboom, a veteran of 804 NHL games with a massive +115 rating and current assistant coach, specializing on defense with New York Rangers.
Florida Panthers‘ 10th year net minder Harri Sateri(29) was wooed to return to North American pro hockey after three strong seasons with Vitayz Podolsk on a 1-year, 2-way deal.
He played 132 KHL games posting a 2.62 GAA and .923 SV% from 2014-2017 after leaving San Jose Sharks‘ prospect system.
Starting a new campaign with affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, he’s posted a 5-6 record in 12 AHL games on a team that struggled early but was recalled just after the new year.
He struggled early with three losses in his first ever big league starts but was continued to be given opportunities and has rebounded nicely.
In his last three contests, he’s back stopped three wins, allowing only 5 goals with a .945 SV% and was voted the NHL 2nd star of the week.
If the 28-year old can continue to excel serving as main back up, there’s little doubt he’ll be in line for a multi-year extension to stay.
Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Kevin Lough(13) started his sophomore season with the team he’d had a successful rookie campaign with, Adirondack Thunder.
In 21 ECHL games, he was flirting with career high totals, scoring 2 goals and 12 assists (he notched 4 goals, 14 assists in 2016/2017).
His efforts earned the 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner a loan up to Chicago Wolves, which paid off nicely as he connected for three assists in his first pair of AHL games and has since put up a pair of goals and 7 helpers in 22 contests with a +4 rating.
This scoring outburst is new for a player that was only able to put up moderate numbers through 4 years at Colgate University.
The 25-year old seems to be climbing the hockey ladder as he was recently given an spc to stick through the current season and from the looks of it could play himself into a new deal sooner than later.
Tampa Bay Lightning 6th year left wing Michael Bournival(15) has been on a bit of a tear with affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
Although he’s only ever played one full season in the minors and scored on a point-per-every-other-game pace last season with the same squad, his totals in the current campaign are blowing the lid off previous marks.
A late reassignment from training camp, through 40 AHL games he has a new high 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points with a +8 rating.
Originally a Colorado Avalanche‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#71 overall), he was traded in the last run of juniors to Montreal Canadiens, where he was quickly signed to a three-year entry level deal.
As a senior captain of Shawinigan Cataractes, he would lead them onto a 2012 Memorial Cup victory.
The smallish 5’11” 198 lbs. forward signed a one-year extension, but was sidelined for much of 2015/2016 with concussion issues resulting in him not picking up a qualifying offer to stay on.
He quickly inked a new deal as an unrestricted free agent with the Lightning and split time, playing 19 NHL games.
The 25-year old has 4 more games in the big league under his belt with no points but that likely won’t stand for too long if he continues to get more time.
What the next move for the upcoming restricted free agent is anyone’s guess, but it’s doubtful his time is up in North America.
Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Willie Corrin(55) signed his latest deal with Brampton Beast after spending 40 ECHL games with the team last season on reassignment from contract club Toronto Marlies.
He played only 4 AHL games scoring no points last season.
The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner was on an extension signed after he joined the team, when his four years at University Of Minnesota-Duluth were completed
He notched a pair of assists and had a +4 rating in 4 contests.
Once again, the sophomore skater, who never really put up outstanding numbers through college, looks to be setting a new pace for scoring in the latest campaign grabbing 4 goals and 14 assists with a +7 in 26 games.
His efforts have earned him a loan up to Belleville Senators.
In three games he had no points, 2 penalty minutes and 5 shots on net.
The 26-year old looks to be set to grab another contract in the higher league moving forward or will find some better hockey overseas next season.
Binghamton Devils‘ undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jacob McDonald(23) is having some kind of career year with 12 goals and 20 assists in 42 AHL games.
His tallies are first in the league for his position and 2nd overall in points.
He’s in the 2nd year of a two-year deal with the team, signed near the end of 2016/2017 after a mid-season loan up from Toledo Walleye of the ECHL that obviously stuck.
The 6′ 208 lbs. d-man was chosen to be in the 2018 AHL All Star game and had a solid showing with an impressive tricky shoot out goal that should easily put him on the radar of an NHL team.
A former Waterloo Blackhawks standout before heading to four years at Cornell University there’s little doubt he’s starting to blossom, big.
At 24-years old he’s definitely on track for a 2-year entry level contract.
Not bad for a player who started as a rookie with a season for the ill-fated Elmira Jackals.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ undrafted 2nd year goaltender Alex Lyon(49) gets the nod for his first NHL start after putting out the fire for the last 8 minutes of a loss the night before.
He stopped 18 of 22 shots for a .818 SV% in a late 3rd 4-3 defeat against division rivals New Jersey Devils. but did less well in a 2nd appearance surrendering 3 goals on 23 shots and was pulled for the final frame.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. net minder is a pretty strong 40-22-7-4 with a 2.79 GAA and .911 SV% with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms through 71 AHL games.
He’s played 24 this season with a 13-8-2 record.
The 25-year old is on a one-year extension through the end of the current calendar and set for a second restricted free agency.
It’s sort of a no brainer to make it right to keep the former Yale University stand out around.
