Category: NHL

21Oct

Nathan Moon(34) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Rookie center Nathan Moon(34) was originally drafted by Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round of the 2008 draft (#120 overall) but never signed with them.

After his junior career concluded last year, he went on to join Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (r.i.p.) of the Central Hockey League and won the Ray Miron President’s Cup with the team in its last season of existence. Nice way to go out.

In the San Jose system, he signed an AHL contract to play with their affiliate, Worcester Sharks for his first season. In two games he’s got an assist. It was first reported that he would play in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones but training camp was so good he got bumped up.

 

 

21Oct

Ryan Garlock(22) Springfield Falcons

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2004 2nd round draft pick (#45 overall) center Ryan Garlock(22) signed a pto to start the season out of camp with Springfield Falcons and 5 games into the season and 5 assists later, he’s up it to an spc for 2011/2012.

He might be starting the argument that there was a good reason Chicago picked him so high but he never played in their system. At age 25, he’s already a veteran of just under 200 games played. Columbus could be watching.

For the last couple of seasons he’s been with Hartford Wolf Pack / Connecticut Whale.

19Oct

Marco Scandella(6) Minnesota Wild

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Minnesota Wild 2008 2nd round pick (#55 overall) defenseman, Marco Scandella(6) finds himself right in the mix on the NHL team in his 2nd year in the system. And in the first five games played, he picked up his first NHL goal.

He played 20 games with the team last season collecting a couple of assists but doesn’t exactly have the best +/- numbers.

In the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, he played 20 games for the Houston Aeros registering 2 goals and 6 assists before falling to Binghamton Senators in the Finals.

18Oct

Brett Sutter(14) Carolina Hurricanes

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

In a bit of a surprising move, Carolina Hurricanes recalled their minor league affiliate Charlotte Checkers‘ team captain Brett Sutter(14) to fill-in.

He has yet to record a point in four AHL games but is said to been great in the NHL training camp and in his fifth pro season has emerged as a leader. He also switched his jersey number from 14 to 7 this year.

In 19 NHL games he has just 1 goal and 1 assist. Adding to those totals will go a long way to help him make the jump more permanently.

17Oct

Slava Voynov(76) Los Angeles Kings

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings‘ newly minted $6 million dollar defenseman Drew Doughty goes down with an upper body injury and 2008 2nd round draft pick (#32 overall), the now named-shortened Russian defenseman Slava Voynov(76) finally gets the call for his first NHL action.

He’s played 200+ games in the AHL with their affiliate Manchester Monarchs amassing over 100 points (33 goals, 72 assists) over three seasons without a call up. Now that’s grooming.

After an outstanding training camp, he was pegged to make the opening night roster…and then Doughty signed. He’s got offensive skills and is accountable in his own zone. I feel like he put on a bit more bulk in the offseason, because that was the main knock on him, intensity. He looks ready to bring it.

10/27: Voynov scores his 1st two NHL goals (including the game-winner) and added an assist to boot.

16Oct

Andrei Loktionov(48) Manchester Monarchs

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings‘ 2008 5th round draft pick (#123 overall) Russian-born center Andrei Loktionov(48) is definitely an NHL caliber player but due to a shoulder injury in his rookie season has been knocked off track a bit.

He made the team out of training camp last season but had trouble staying in the lineup and was assigned to their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs for a couple of stretches, where he put up roughly a point per game.

In the 2011/2012 season, he starts the season with the Monarchs but is out of the gate quickly with 1 goal and 4 assists in 5 games played. What he lacks in size (5’10” 180 lbs.) he makes up for in deft skating and stick handling skills on the ice.  In 19 NHL games he has 3 goals, 4 assists.

He won the Memorial Cup and OHL title in 2009 with Windsor Spitfires.

16Oct

Ben Scrivens(30) Toronto Marlies

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd year goaltender prospect, Ben Scrivens(30) had a good training camp and NHL preseason, which he looks to be parlaying into another winning season for their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies in 2011/2012.

As a rookie, he started the year with the ECHL Reading Royals post quite the record in the early going, earning him a call-up and didn’t return until the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Undrafted, he signed two one-year contracts with the Maple Leafs but could stay in their system for some time to come.

He’s already started the first three games of the season posting a pair of wins and one loss and looks to be the go-to goalie for the team again. He has yet to play in regular season NHL action but was called upon once as back-up goalie.

10/24: Scrivens gets recalled by Toronto on an emergency basis to serve as backup goaltender. It’s a bit doubtful that he’ll play.

11/3: Ben Scrivens gets his first win in his NHL debut.

9/12-12: Signs a 2-year deal with the first season being a two-way contract and the second one-way NHL. He lead the Marlies to the 2012 Calder Cup Finals and could be a campaign away from a starting job in the show.

15Oct

Dennis McCauley(28) Reading Royals

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

3rd year undrafted forward Dennis McCauley(28) turned down Buffalo Sabres‘ qualifying offer to rejoin the team (very likely in Rochester) after a career year with Portland Pirates in ’10/’11, where in 73 games he put up 12 goals and 21 assists. He was considered a contract hold out for the entire summer.

Just before the start of the 2011/2012 season in a surprising move, he signed with the ECHL Reading Royals. In his first game with the team (a 4-3 OT loss) he scored his first goal of the year.

It’s a no brainer that he is the first guy to get  signed to a pto by an AHL team that’s looking for a power forward that can fight and get on the score sheet. Last year was probably no fluke for the 6’3″ 225 pounder.

14Oct

Chad Johnson(29) Connecticut Whale

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

3rd year goaltender Chad Johnson(29) posted a 41 save shutout in his first game of the ’11/’12 season with Connecticut Whale in the opening weekend of action.

Originally drafted by Pittsburgh Penguins in the 5th round of the 2006 draft (#125 overall) and traded before he ever skated a game with the team. He has only tended net for New York Rangers and their AHL affiliate in his pro career.

He’s appeared in 6 NHL contests over the past couple of seasons and is obviously vying for an early season call-up.