Undrafted 4th year center Allan McPherson(40) started his 2nd season with Greenville Swamp Rabbits and played 27 ECHL scoring at an even better pace than he had previously (13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points were all on target for career bests) with a +8 rating.
He’s decided to shift gears before the holiday break signing for the remainder of 2017/2018 with HC La Chaux-de-Fonds of the NLB.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward split last campaign between leagues as he played 28 AHL on loan to Hartford Wolf Pack scoring a goal and 3 assists on a team that finished dead last in the league.
He also appeared in one game for Texas Stars.
For the first pair of seasons after 4 years at Clarkson University, he was under contract with Rochester Americans but was a frequent reassignment to Elmira Jackals.
At 26-years old, his signing with a new Swiss-based team may be the new start he needs to kickstart his pro career to another level.
San Jose Sharks‘ 7th round pick in the 2012 draft (#198 overall), 3rd year defenseman Joakim Ryan(47) signed a handsome new contract a couple weeks before restricted free agency to stay on after posting a career high 10 goals and 39 assists with a team leading +27 rating for affiliate San Jose Barracuda.
He started his third campaign with a single AHL game before being recalled to the parent club, where he’s now appeared in 24 NHL games without scoring a goal but has three assists with a +2 rating playing roughly anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes per.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. d-man had 10+ assists in four seasons at Cornell University, so quite obviously has consistently been working on head-manning that puck.
He was also part of the 2011 Clark Cup Champion with Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL.
At 24-years old, he’ll need to continue to play hard for space on what is already a pretty sturdy blue line, but he did recently get reassigned for more playing time.
Undrafted 2nd year right wing Shane Conacher(23) signed a one-year deal with Syracuse Crunch for 2017/2018 after attending the parent club Tampa Bay Lightning‘s training camp.
He started the new season on the AHL roster but was only up for a pair of games before he was reassigned to Adirondack Thunder, where he’s basically already outpaced his rookie totals in less games.
In 22 ECHL contests he has 4 goals and 17 assists for a team tied for the lead 21 points with a +3 rating.
The graciously listed at 5’11” 180 lbs. forward started his pro career on an ato with Toronto Marlies scoring 2 goals and an assist in 7 games after attending three years at Canisius College.
He signed an extension for 2016/2017 but was reassigned to affiliate Orlando Solar Bears for all but three games.
The 23-year old works hard to create open space and scoring chances but will have to elevate his game to stick in the higher league and have more opportunities or may find himself with better opportunities to play overseas.
10th year veteran center Derek Whitmore(21) returns from a few seasons overseas, two in DEL and one in EBEL, to sign on with Reading Royals, his first ever ECHL contract.
The veteran forward with 2 games of NHL experience with initial contract club Buffalo Sabres was quickly named the new team captain.
He last wore a “C” on his jersey when he was a senior at Bowling Green University but has been a leader on and off the ice wherever he’s played.
At 33-years old, he may be coming back to North American pro hockey to set up life after his game has wrapped up but for now he hopes to lead his new squad to a Kelly Cup Championship, which would be his first title.
Edmonton Oilers‘ 8th year defenseman Mark Fayne(7) is in the final year of his four year deal but has been relegated to playing with affiliate Bakersfield Condors.
In maybe a little out of nowhere transaction, he’s been moved to Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL without so much as going through parent club Florida Panthers, who also picked up a mostly ECHL skater in the transaction.
He is also wrapping up a contract.
You have to think the ‘cats are having a look.
He is a veteran of 389 NHL games and could definitely add something to a team’s blue line with his dominating size but it will be a wonder if it’s better to bury his contract in the minors and wait.
It will be interesting to see what’s next for 30-year old but if he decides to finish up overseas will likely find a pretty nice path.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 7th year defenseman Zach Redmond(22) was traded from new 2-year, one-way contract club Montreal Canadiens just before the start of the 2017/2018 season.
He was reassigned to affiliate Rochester Americans but has already been recalled on a couple of occasions to get into 3 more NHL games (no points with a +1 rating) on a team that is dead last in the standings.
The fairly large d-man was a part of draft squad Winnipeg Jets‘ organization for three years before opting out on his first unrestricted free agency, signing for a pair of campaigns with Colorado Avalanche.
He’s played 133 games in the big league scoring 9 goals and 29 assists with a +12 on clubs that haven’t been the most amazing and is more prolific through 210 AHL games grabbing 35 goals and 81 assists with a monster +33, which shows his very accountable on the ice.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ undrafted 5th year right wing Andrew Miller(19) is on pace to set career high assists and points with very good affiliate Charlotte Checkers.
In 29 AHL games he has 9 goals and 19 assists.
His best marks in the minors are 27 goals and 33 assists for 60 points as a sophomore skater with Oklahoma City Barons, while signing with Edmonton Oilers, his original contract club.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. that always seems to be able to find room on the ice was a more than point per game guy in college at Yale, where he won the 2013 NCAA Championship as team captain and earlier in his development garnered most assists (50) and points (82) for USHL Chicago Steel.
Although he’s only played 15 NHL games, he did get a goal and 5 assists in his first 9 appearances but wasn’t retained and sent back down.
The 29-year old may still see some time in the show, especially if he continues to tear it up with the farm squads.
Boston Bruins‘ undrafted 3rd year center Colby Cave(26) received an unexpected emergency recall from affiliate Providence Bruins and was pressed into action as multi-players fell ill.
The 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward skated a healthy 18 shifts for 11:15 total ice with 2 penalty minutes, a pair of block shots and went 60% on the face off dot in a 2-1 shootout victory.
He earned his promotion to the big club with his work in the minors.
With two straight 13 goal seasons and new career high 26 assists in a full schedule of 76 AHL games last season, he’s already on pace to bump his helpers marker up to a new level in the current campaign.
He also has a nice +6 rating.
In his final pair of years for Swift Current Broncos, he averaged a point-per-WHL-game.
As he is set to turn 23-years old on the day after Christmas, he’s set to become a restricted free agency at the end of 2017/2018 but looks to be an easy in for at least a one-year extension.
9th year, former Philadelphia Flyers‘ 1st round draft pick in the 2005 draft (#29 overall), right wing Steve Downie(17) quietly called it a career after 2015/2016.
He wrapped things up with 8 AHL games for Springfield Falcons after being reassigned from contract team Arizona Coyotes after the mid-point of the season.
It was his first time in the minors since 2009 with Philadelphia Phantoms.
The 5’11” 191 lbs. feisty forward that led the league with 238 penalty minutes while playing for Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014/2015 played 434 NHL games scoring only a modest 76 goals and 120 assists with a +21 rating skating for 5 different teams and had 43 fights in the big league.
He also was part of the 2006 Peterborough Petes’ OHL Championship team.
The now 30-year old may have not accomplished all he wanted in his pro career but has to be pretty pleased looking back.
