10th year right wing Geoff Walker(22) started the season under contract with Indy Fuel but after 6 ECHL games (2-4-6) he has decided it’s better for him to return to the EIHL signing for the remainder of the season with Guilford Flames.
He was there late last season and some playoffs skating for Sheffield Steelers scoring very decently.
The fairly daunting sized forward started 2016/2017 with HC Fassa of the AlpsHL and basically just detonated the score sheet in that Austrian league grabbing 21 goals and 35 assists in only 33 games before possibly needing another challenge.
He’s a vet of 269 AHL games and 171 in the lower league and signed NHL deals with both Colorado Avalanche, then Tampa Bay Lightning but never quite was able to latch on, although it would have been interesting to see what he could bring to the table.
It’ll be interesting to see where the 29-year old takes his game next.
8th year defenseman Erik Gustafsson(28) switches up his KHL team of the last season and a half heading from Avangard Omsk to Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik.
He spent 2 full campaigns and 23 games of the current calendar with his former team, but also left for 2015/2016 to the NLA joining Kloten HC, where he put up an overseas best 26 assists and 29 points.
The d-man spent his last season in North America playing the full year with the only team he skated for, Philadelphia Flyers.
He would only skate 31 NHL games but recorded a new high 8 assists and 10 points.
The blue liner didn’t really feel like he was treated all that well in his first run in the big league, which is why he decided to bolt for Russia.
He’ll turn 29-years old soon and it’s possible he heads home for Sweden next to finish out his playing career.
Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#151 overall) defenseman Rob O’Gara(44) is getting a 2nd, more extended look from the big club as injuries plague the team.
He’s appeared in 7 NHL games on a pair of recalls (added to the 3 he skated as a rookie) but has yet to post a 1st point.
Not a player to put up big numbers through four years at Yale University, where he won the 2013 NCAA Championship in his first year of college hockey, his big presence is looked at for a more shut down role.
The 6’4″ 210 lbs. blue liner was credited with 4 goals and 7 assists and a +11 rating through 59 AHL games in 2016/2017 with affiliate Providence Bruins and starting the new season he put up 2 assists in 7 contests with a +4 before his recall.
He is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and will likely re-up for at least another look.
Florida Panthers‘ undrafted 4th year center Curtis Valk(18) was only two seasons ago spending most of his time on reassignment from contract team Utica Comets down to Kalamazoo Wings.
It wasn’t until his third campaign under an AHL deal that he stuck in the higher league and was lighting the lamp on a regular basis scoring a career high 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points.
Signed on the second day of unrestricted free agency to a one-year two-way entry level deal, he was released early from training camp but immediately showed affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds‘ coaching last year was just the beginning of this new offensive outburst.
The fairly small 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward already has 6 goals and 9 assists in 16 games and plays much the way he did as a third and fourth year player with Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, where he scored 46 and 47 goals and 45 assists on two occasions, one as team captain.
On his 1st NHL recall he was limited to a very scarce 6 shifts and 3:25 total ice with 1 hit given out, he was at least involved in a 4-3 shootout win but found himself a healthy scratch the next three times before being sent back down.
The 24-year old no doubt will need to continue to prove himself worthy and that is likely to happen.
He plays like a leader out there and wants it.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ undrafted 3rd year left wing Danick Martel(70) got himself off to an extremely hot start with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms scoring a league leading 14 goals in 17 AHL games.
The small 5’8″ 162 lbs. forward had already achieved a pair of 20+ goals seasons in the minors and career high 40 points with a +15 rating, which rides what he was able to achieve in his third and final year of the QMJHL with Blainville-Broisbriand Armada.
In 2014/2015, he grabbed a 2nd best 48 goals and 54 assists for 102 points before signing his entry level deal.
For his NHL debut he skated 18 shifts for a healthy 12:07 of total ice time with 3 shots on net, 4 play breakups and 1 takeaway in a 4-3 shootout loss, which must have impressed the coaches.
No doubt, now that the 22-year old water-bug style player has made it to the show, he won’t want to leave.
7th year right wing Jordan Szwarz(21) takes a career high 65 AHL games played scoring a team best 22 goals and 54 points under contract with Providence Bruins to a new 1-year NHL deal with the parent club, Boston Bruins, signed on the opening day of unrestricted free agency.
His solid start in the minors playing 6 games netting 5 goals and 3 assists with a +7 rating and an injury riddled big league squad earns him a first recall since late 2015 with Arizona Coyotes.
In 9 game he has his first 3 assists to go with 4 goals and shows little signs of being released back to the farm club.
3rd year right wing Jack Rodewald(12) started his sophomore season on reassignment to Wichita Thunder but after another 6 ECHL games scoring 5 goals and 3 assists with a +2 rating was quickly recalled to contract team Binghamton Senators, where he put up a career high 18 goals and 9 assists in 66 AHL games.
As a rookie he played most of the season for Orlando Solar Bears after being sent down from Toronto Marlies, where he signed his first pro contract after 4 campaigns in the WHL, 2 with Regina Pats and 2 with Moose Jaw Warriors.
He was a very prolific scorer in his last 2 years of juniors.
The 6’3″ 193 lbs. forward started the new calendar hot on an extension with new Ottawa Senators‘ affiliate Belleville Senators.
His offensive explosion and tenacious play caught the eye of the big club who signed him to a 2-year entry level deal and he was recalled two days later.
In 4 NHL games he failed to register a point playing an average of 10 shifts for under 10 minutes of total ice but dished out 5 hits, has 2 takeaways, 2 breakups, 2 giveaways and 2 penalty minutes in 1-2-1 results.
Despite being returned to the minors, the 23-year old must still be riding high from the whirlwind experience and will likely play twice as hard as he has to earn another chance.
6th year defenseman Bretton Stamler(4) makes a late decision to join Ritten/Renon of AlpsHL for 2017/2018.
He had a very decent last season as captain with Frederikshavn White Hawks of Metal Ligaen, where he scored 3 goals, 9 assists and had a +6 rating.
The 30-year old will likely continue to do well in the Austria-based league.
6th year left wing Kyle Jean(71) decides to head back overseas for 2017/2018 after a pair of successful seasons with Idaho Steelheads.
In 130 ECHL regular season and playoff games he scored 28 goals and 53 assists with a 0 rating and 298 shots on net.
A month into the new calendar he signs with Ritten/Renon of the AlpsHL, where when he arrives should literally start exploding the scoresheet.
If that happens, we’ll see where hockey takes the 27-year old next.
