Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th year center Alexander Wennberg(10) gets a brand new 6-year deal worth $4.9 million AAV to extend his work with the team.
After a brief 6 AHL game reassignment early as a rookie to then affiliate Springfield Falcons to put his scoring game in order, he rebounded effectively.
He finished his first season with 64 NHL games played, upping goals scored to 4 and assists markedly to 16 after the demotion, while also dropping a previous -28 rating to a -19.
His sophomore effort doubled those first campaign totals to 8 goals and 32 assists, while only appearing in one more game (69).
The very decently-sized power forward really started to show his worth as a third year skater, notching 13 goals and a team leading 46 assists in a career high 80 games.
At only 22-years old, he is likely to continue to increase his offensive output as he grows and continues to become stronger in front of the net.
6th year defenseman Jerome Leduc(5) decides to switch it up for a third time in short order, signing a one-year deal with Dornbirner EC Bulldogs of Erstebank Eishockey Liga.
He started last season with HC Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga but didn’t seem to click so transfer to the EIHL agreeing to play out the calendar for Belfast Giants.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner clicked well in the United Kingdom top league scoring 5 goals and 7 assists in 11 games, then added another 6 points in 4 playoff matchups.
That should be no surprise considering he did lead all d-men in the QMJHL in goals (28) and points (84) in his final year with Rimouski Oceanic.
He was also given defenseman of the year honors.
Originally a Buffalo Sabres‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#68 overall), he was signed to a three year entry level contract and was kept under contract for an additional look, skating with affiliate Rochester Americans but was ultimately left unqualified by Ottawa Senators, who obtained his rights in a minor league deal before the trade deadline.
Almost ironically he posted his best totals in 2015/2016 with 11 goals and 26 points.
The 25-year old could just be get started, situated but will need to continue to produce.
9th year right wing Evan Rankin(86) has decided 238 ECHL games, 5 contracts with Toledo Walleye and 221 AHL games is plenty enough to call it a career.
The 31-year old started as a rookie with Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the old Central Hockey League in 2008/2009 after four years at University Of Notre Dame.
Almost oddly he wasn’t much of a scorer through college hockey but is virtually a point-per-game guy in double A grabbing 111 goals and 103 assists for 224 points with a mighty +47 rating.
He did a bit less well when loaned up or under contract with a direct farm club but maintained decent stats at just over a point every other game production connecting for 59 goals, 55 assists, 114 points and a -6 in a mostly checking line role.
There’s no word quite yet what he’ll pursue next but one could imagine the Ohio team he leads in goal scoring would love to have him come in as an assistant coach.
10th year center Ben Maxwell(49) takes a down, 2nd year with HK Sochi to a new KHL club Spartak Moskva for 2017/2018.
He scored a career low 15 points in 42 games but didn’t seem to faze his new team to sign him up for a 1-year contract and he’s off to a hot start grabbing a goal and two assists in 5 games to start the new campaign.
This will be his third season in Russia hockey, as he played 46 contests for Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk in 2014/2015 before returning to Finland.
In that country he would end up winning back-to-back Liiga Championships (2014/2015) with Karpat.
The decently-sized, 2nd round draft pick has been a 20+ assists’ guy 5 times and once had 36, so it’s a good bet the 29-year old will once again start connecting.
7th year center Marek Viedensky(25) signs on for a third season with home country squad HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL, where he was limited to just 20 games in 2016/2017, but connected for a goal and 7 assists with a +4 rating.
The Slovak was a scoring wizard in his last pair of years in the WHL with Saskatoon Blades and Prince George Cougars.
He played a new career high 57 games in the previous campaign, finishing with 10 goals, 13 assists and a +6.
Left unqualified by draft team San Jose Sharks heading into 2014/2015 after posting a best 6 goals and 23 assists through 54 AHL games with affiliate Worcester Sharks, he quickly agreed to a deal with HPK of Liiga.
He would perform well enough in Finland but decided to move closer to home for his next hockey endeavor.
As a healthy 27-year old he should be able to increase his scoring totals for the upcoming year.
8th year defenseman Mathieu Brodeur(6) re-signs for a 3rd year with Adirondack Thunder.
He played 15 ECHL games getting off to his best start ever with the team scoring 4 goals and 15 assists last season before being loaned up to Syracuse Crunch for the remainder of the calendar playing 56 AHL contests.
The big blue liner had a good run in the upper league as well grabbing 3 goals and 10 assists with a +14 rating, then appeared in a career high 22 Calder Cup Playoff match-ups gaining another goal and 3 assists.
It’s a bit of a wonder that the 27-year old wasn’t able to grab another deal with a direct farm club but if it materializes for him on the score sheet the way it did last year, he won’t be there for long again.
New Hampshire Avalanche forward Ben Thompson(21) is energized after a short-handed tally for his 2nd goal of the EHL season.
After 11 years in the minors, soon-to-be 35 year old defenseman Jared Nightingale(18) has decided to put a lid on his pro career.
A veteran of 472 AHL games and 201 in the ECHL, he’s played with 12 different teams and been loaned up more times than pens at the horse race track.
The big blue liner also has a combined 146 fighting majors to his credit.
He very likely got a degree after four years at Michigan State University, so probably has something decent to fall back upon, but if he continued with hockey in coaching he’d make a very good fit anywhere.
Boston Bruins‘ newest $6 million dollar man (it’s actually $6,666,666 AAV), right wing David Pastrnak(88) takes lots of time after training camp practice to sign items for fans, who were absolutely thrilled to meet the 21-year old rising star.
