NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

28Dec

Yann Sauve(3) Orlando Solar Bears

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Orlando Solar Bears‘ 5th year defenseman Yann Sauve(3) was late to come to the table signing a one-year minor league deal for 2014/2015 two months into the new season.

He was originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#41 overall) and in their system for four campaigns, first signing a three-year entry level contract and then an extension for 2013/2014.

The fairly big 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner was assistant captain for affiliate Utica Comets, had a career high 13 assists and tied the 14 points he recorded as a rookie, but was also a disappointing -20 plus/minus.

He was recalled to the NHL for the first time since his initial year, when he appeared in 5 games.

In 3 more games as the parent club’s blue line was injury depleted, he again didn’t connect with the score sheet.

He was productive in the QMJHL with Saint John Sea Dog s averaging 20 assists each season and had an unreal +42 rating before he turned pro.

The 24-year old had already played portions of two seasons on reassignment in ECHL teams, so is familiar with the league.

His best run was in 2012/2013, when he had 19 points in 32 games and is off to a good start with a goal and an assist in 5 contests.

On 12/29-14 he has moved back up the hockey ladder for the moment, signing to a pto with Saint John’s IceCaps.

26Dec

Jeremy Morin(9) Columbus Blue Jackets

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Columbus Blue Jackets‘ fifth year left wing Jeremy Morin(9) was recently acquired via minor league prospect deal from Chicago Blackhawks, where he’s spent all of his pro playing time.

He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#45 overall) but was involved in a massive 7-player deal before his skates ever touched the ice.

The 6’1″ 189 lbs. forward has always been on the cusp between playing in the big league and minors after tearing it up at every level of play until he turned pro after only a single dynamite season 47-36-83 in 56 games) in the OHL with Kitchener Rangers.

That followed a pair of more than point-per-game performances in the NAHL with the US National Junior Team.

Appearing in 54 NHL games in each of his years with the ‘Hawks registering 8 goals and 9 assists with +7 rating, he was never quite able to stick.

He has be a dominant force with their farm club, Rockford IceHogs scoring 81 goals, 78 assists in 208 contests and a massive +21 rating on a team that didn’t always put up a winning record.

Coming to the Blue Jackets, the 23-year old may have seen the last of bus rides as he joins a squad that has a knack for developing their young future stars.

So far, he’s got 1 assist in 4 games but did get a shootout goal that was almost the game-winner against his former team.

25Dec

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

24Dec

Tim Schaller(59) Buffalo Sabres

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Buffalo Sabres‘ undrafted 2nd season center Tim Schaller(59) is in the final year of his 2-year entry level deal.

The 6’2″ 209 lbs. power forward had an admirable first campaign scoring 11 goals and 7 assists in 72 AHL games playing exclusively with Rochester Americans.

He started his sophomore run once again on reassignment to the minors and went right to work.

In 29 games he’s already surpassed his assist mark by 3 and tied his point total from his rookie year.

His solid play was enough to earn him a first recall to the parent club, where he spent a pair of games without connecting before being sent back.

Continued consistency got him a second summons a month later and he made it count scoring his first NHL tally.

The 24-year old that spent four years at Providence College serving as their team captain in his junior and senior seasons is one of a few prospects from the farm club looking to earn a permanent spot in the big league.

23Dec

Johan Larsson(22) Buffalo Sabres

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Buffalo Sabres‘ 3rd year left wing from Sweden, Johan Larsson(22) is looking to prove he is ready for prime time in his second recall from AHL affiliate Rochester Americans, where he clearly looked to be blowing the lid off his previous bests in goals, assists and points.

In 26 games he has already amassed 8 goals and 15 assists.

He had similar rookie and sophomore campaigns getting 16 and 15 goals with 25 and 26 assists, both very respectable.

Maybe more importantly though and being seen frequently these days is his pro career start with two years in the SHL.

He was under contract with Brynas but in the second year had signed his three year entry level deal and was loaned on a slide to the club for another round of seasoning, which seems to have worked.

The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward was originally a Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#56 overall).

He played his rookie season with Houston Aeros and got into his first big league game with no results before he was involved in a pair of prospects deal for a vet goal scorer that landed him in Buffalo.

The still young 22-year old is in the final run of his three-year entry level deal and even though he appeared in 28 games with the parent club had yet to realize the back of the net but did have 4 assists.

Something clicked in his latest summons, as he struck for his first NHL goal and was credited with an assist in the next game, so he officially has a point-scoring streak established and this team does have available roster spots.

22Dec

Justin Shugg(52) Carolina Hurricanes

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Carolina Hurricanes‘ 4th round pick in the 2010 draft (#105 overall) 4th year right wing Justin Shugg(52) came off his best season yet playing his first full campaign for one team, farm club Charlotte Checkers.

He reached career highs in games played (75), goals (16), assists (22), points (38) and shots on net (160), all good enough to get him a one-year extension to continue in the prospect system.

In his rookie season he was on a see-saw of call-ups and reassignments with ECHL affiliate Florida Everblades and eventually sent back down as the AHL club’s season ended to help them with their postseason run.

The former two-time Memorial Cup Champion with Windsor Spitfires of the OHL stepped back in with a team he had already posted more a point-per-game for during the regular season and went right to work putting up 7 goals and 5 assists in 11 games to help them with their first Kelly Cup Championship.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward would start his sophomore year in the lower league but when he was called up to the Checkers that would be his last visit to the sunshine state.

To start 2014/2015, the 22-year old got off to a hot start and looks to eclipse his goals and point total marks set last season.

It was good enough to earn him his first recall. He played in three NHL games skating an average of 8 shifts and almost 6 minutes of ice time with no points but did register three shots and three hits and 2 penalty minutes in his time up.

He was returned to the minors and will likely continue to light the lamp in the minors.

21Dec

Derrick Pouliot (51)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#8 overall) rookie defenseman Derrick Pouliot(51) scored his first NHL goal in his debut.

It turned out to be the game-winner and he was also named third star for his efforts.

The 6′ 208 lbs d-man was an absolute fiend for points in four years with Portland Winterhawks scoring 42 goals and 163 assists in 247 games.

He also won the 2013 WHL Championship and was named the league’s and 2014 CHL Defenseman Of The Year, while leading all blue liners through the postseason in assists with 27.

Starting the season with the parent club as he rehabbed from off season shoulder surgery, he was reassigned to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to start his pro career.

Out of the gate quickly in his debut and before his recall in 23 AHL games he’d already struck for 7 goals and 13 assists.

18Dec

Paul Bissonnette(15) Manchester Monarchs

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

10th year veteran left wing Paul Bissonnette(15) for the first time in five years found himself on the outside as an unrestricted free agent after five seasons under contract with Arizona Coyotes.

Definitely a character guy out there for a team, he scored himself an invite to tryout with St. Louis Blues‘ training camp. He was released as the season was about to begin.

He was first rumored to sign with Cardiff Devils but then pulled the switch and inked a pto to join the Coyotes‘ farm club Portland Pirates.

The 6’3″ 220 lbs. forward is well known for putting his nose in the middle of trouble but in recent years has seemed to shy away from it mostly averaging only 50 minutes a season in the box and has fought only occasionally in the last three years.

Maybe his little goal scorer spree in the EIHL (6 goals, 11 assists in 15 games), while the NHL was on lockout, made him think of his game differently. He has 202 games in the big league to his credit and almost surprisingly is the proud owner of a +7 rating.

He was released from his tryout with Portland and the next day Manchester Monarchs chose to sign him.

He’s used very sparingly on a fourth line and seems mostly to be there to give the younger players a guy with some toughness and leadership to feed off.

The 29-year old was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2003 draft (#121 overall) and played in their system for four years.

17Dec

Andrei Vasilevskiy (88)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Tampa Bay Lightning 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#19 overall) Russian-born rookie goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy(88) was quick to sign a handsome three-year entry level deal to try his hand at the NHL after two seasons as a teenage backstop for Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

The 6’3″ 207 lbs. net minder put up almost exact numbers through 36 games with 2.21 GAA and .923 SV% and has won medals playing for his country the last five seasons.

He’s putting up some equally impressive numbers through 14 starts in the AHL with affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

His record of 8-3-3 with a 2.34 GAA and .918 SV% is helping a team that was dead last a year ago into second place in the Eastern Conference.

Going on a hunch, the only 20-year old was recalled after the parent club’s starter went down with injury and was pegged to get the nod for his debut.

He was also coming off a weekend run of games with the Crunch, where he was chosen as the league’s player of the week.

He managed to stopped 23 of 24 shots for his first big league win 3-1.

It would be no surprise to see him get another chance right away as he is a highly touted prospect.

16Dec

Bryan Rust(36) Pittsburgh Penguins

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#80 overall) right wing Bryan Rust(36) is having himself a fun and fantastic rookie run.

Despite having a great pair of final campaigns in college at University Of Notre Dame (32 goals, 35 assists in 81 games), he was an early cut from training camp and looked ready to start his pro career with a full season skating for affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The solid 5’11” 192 lbs. forward pretty much picked up where he left off after school putting in 10 goals and 4 assists (puck hog) in the first 25 games of the AHL season.

With the flu and injury bug shaking up the parent club’s lineup the farm team’s leading scorer received his first recall but was up and back in an overnight.

It was for his second summons a week later that he’d get his skates wet.

He was used sparingly in his debut appearance picking up a double minor roughing penalty but for his second game he came to play and popped his first NHL goal while skating 16 shifts for 10:54 total ice time and even was out there for close to a minute on the power play.

In all likelihood the still super-young 22-year old graduate will likely be returned but he’s picking up some amazing valuable experience being up so quickly and probably soaking it all in as he’s not a restricted free agent until the end of 2016.