NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

11Dec

Brandon Kozun(15) Manchester Monarchs

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#179 overall), right wing Brandon Kozun(15) signed a qualifying offer to stay put in the prospect system for another year.

The small 5’8″ 162 lbs., smart playing-making forward has skated in 246 AHL games with affiliate Manchester Monarchs scoring a handy 75 goals and 95 assists with a +19 rating.

In four seasons of junior hockey in the WHL with Calgary Hitmen he absolutely tore up the score sheet with over 100 points in each of his last two years putting him at a 1.24 points-per-game and won the league title in 2010. His plus/minus was completely through the roof at a +103.

He also finished that campaign, both regular season and playoffs as the league’s assist and point leader and added CHL Top Scorer Award to the mix.

The 23-year has yet to realize his first NHL action and his smaller size may affect that possibility on a team that has a history of recalling bigger players.

See related: 3/5-11

10Dec

Chris VandeVelde(26) Adirondack Phantoms

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4th year center Chris VandeVelde(26) was an invite to Philadelphia Flyers‘ training camp and one of the last cuts reassigned to their minor league affiliate Adirondack Phantoms to start the 2013/2014 season.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. forward signed an AHL contract in mid-September, but was given every chance to up his status and make the parent club’s opening night roster.

Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2005 draft (#97 overall) he has played in 28 NHL through his first three seasons scoring one goal and a pair of assists.

His entry level deal was for two years and added a one-year extension before being left unqualified as an unrestricted free agent going into the current campaign.

The 26-year currently leads the minor league team in goals scored with 7 and is second on the team in points at 13 in 23 games.

He’s on pace to set career highs in all categories potentially approaching a 20/20 season and maybe scoring that elusive big club contract.

09Dec

Greg McKegg(39) Toronto Marlies

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Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#62 overall) center Greg McKegg(9) enters his sophomore season seemingly ready to outdistance his rookie year scoring with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies by a nice distance.

In 18 AHL games he has 5 goals and 5 assist, which puts him on pace for a 20-20 campaign.

He had 8 goals and 15 assists in 61 games with a +4 rating in his first season. He added another 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 Calder Cup Playoff match-ups.

The 21-year old is signed for a 3-year entry level deal that runs through the end of 2015.

He put up very amazing stats in 4 years of OHL junior hockey, mostly with Erie Otters but last with London Knights, where he won the league championship. He has 125 goals and 145 assists in 262 games.

The 6′ 191 lbs. forward may just be starting to find his space in the pros.

07Dec

Rostislav Klesla(20) Portland Pirates

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13th year former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round draft pick in the 2000 draft (#4 overall), Czech Republic-born defenseman Rostislav Klesla(20) finds himself reassigned to the AHL for the first time in his pro career.

Signed to a lucrative four year deal extension that ends at the conclusion of the 2013/2014 season, he was the last remaining player with the team since they were introduced to the league in 2000/2001 but was traded to Phoenix Coyotes during the first year of his new contract.

Never a big contributor on the score sheet, the big 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner failed to gel in the system and was waived then quickly recalled (maybe with hope a deal was in place to send him elsewhere) but never manifested and he was sent down again, joining minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

In three games he’s recorded an assist.

The 31-year old has appeared in 649 NHL games scoring 48 goals and 110 assists with a -44 rating. Most of his plus/minus downfall was within the first couple of seasons with the expansion team.

In all likelihood, he’ll make the move towards playing out the final years of his pro career in a league like the KHL.

06Dec

Tobias Rieder(9) Portland Pirates

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Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#114 overall) German-born right wing Tobias Rieder(9) was traded in a prospects’ deal to Phoenix Coyotes and quickly signed to a 3-year entry level contract.

He starts his pro career on reassignment to AHL affiliate Portland Pirates, where he’s making things happen in short order on the score sheet with 6 goals and a pair of assists in 11 games. He got sidelined with a lower body injury suffered in the debut but also scored his first two tallies.

The not so huge 5’11” 190 lbs. forward is always squarely in the middle of the play and usually comes out on the other end with a puck and a scoring chance.

At only 20-years old, he’s already played one campaign professionally in the Germany2 league for his hometown EV Landshut and did pretty well scoring 10 goals, 13 assists in 45 games as a teenager.

After that he left for three years of junior hockey in the OHL with Kitchener Rangers and amassed 231 points in 205 regular season and playoff games.

There’s little doubt he is a player that can make the jump up to the NHL. It’s just a matter of being given an opening, which looks likely to happen for him as a rookie.

05Dec

Reid Boucher(14) New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#99 overall) left wing Reid Boucher(14) has been an impact player at 5’11” 195 lbs. ever since turning pro for the end of the 2012/2013 regular season with minor league affiliate Albany Devils.

He managed to skate in 11 AHL games and put together 3 goals and a pair of assists in his debut.

To start his rookie season he’s already struck for 10 goals and 8 assists in only 21 match-ups with a +4 rating.

The 20-year old only played a couple of campaigns in the OHL with Sarnia Sting; he scored 62 goals and 33 assists in 68 games last season, but already had two years in American junior USHL under his belt to give him a start.

He is American-born: Lansing, MI.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal, it would be easy to see him make the jump permanently into the NHL quickly. He possesses that kind of determination out there.

His efforts have earned him a first recall from the farm team on 12/4. He made his debut skating 19 shifts for 12:30 of ice time, including :57 on the power play no less. That was likely earned as he had his first point, an assist in the game and subsequently was chosen as the first shooter in the shootout and scored.

He was also credited with 2 shots and ended the 4-3 shootout loss a +2 plus/minus.

We see a bright future.

03Dec

Jean-Francois Berube(35) Manchester Monarchs

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#95 overall) goaltender Jean-Francois Berube(35) finally moved up the hockey ladder to start the last season of his 3-year entry level deal in the AHL with Manchester Monarchs.

In his first two campaigns he tended net almost exclusively with then ECHL affiliate Ontario Reign.

In 61 games he posted a 32-19-4-2 record with a 2.55 GAA and .908 SV% but really broke through in the Kelly Cup Playoffs where in 10 games he went 6-2-2 and finished with a 2.07 GAA and .914 SV%.

The Kings‘ farm team did have the off season opening for the 6’1″ slim 170 lbs. net minder to step right in and take the back-up job between the pipes; and with that achieved it’s highly doubtful anyone expected him to be pressed into action as the number 1 guy for an extended period.

But that has happened after the farm club’s starting goalie was summoned when Jonathan Quick went down with a long-term injury.

The 23-year old is out of the gate strong with a 6-3-1 record, a solid 2.28 GAA and shutdown .920 SV% very assuredly keeping the Monarchs in their commanding first place Eastern Conference lead.

If he keeps up his stellar play it will be interesting to see if the backstop is qualified with an extension or moved in a trade.

02Dec

Mark Alt(2) Adirondack Phantoms

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Originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#53 overall), rookie defenseman Mark Alt(2) was traded to Philadelphia Flyers just as the lockout thawed.

The sizable 6’4″ 210 lbs. young blue liner skated in 6 games with minor league affiliate Adirondack Phantoms after finishing up his third year at University Of Minnesota. He recorded his first pro goal and assist in his short stint with the team.

He returned on reassignment after attending the parent club’s prospect and regular training camps bringing with him a steady, stay-at-home style that may have been a little light on the score sheet but heeded a solid +39 rating through his collegiate playing time.

In 19 AHL games he’s pocketed another goal and added 5 more assists.

The 22-year old is signed through 2016 on a three-year entry level deal and will likely realize some NHL playing time sooner than later.

01Dec

Seth Griffith(17) Providence Bruins

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Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2012 draft (#131 overall) rookie right wing Seth Griffith(15) is making his mark early in his pro career with the parent club’s minor league affiliate Providence Bruins.

In 15 AHL games, the small but stocky 5’9″ 192 lbs. forward already has half a dozen tallies and 5 assists with a +1 rating.

He’s basically taking up where he left after winning consecutive OHL titles in junior hockey with London Knights as the top scoring player in his position. He was a more than point-per-game skater in three plus seasons striking for 102 goals and 129 assists in 207 games.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal, the 20-year old may have to wait for a recall past his first season (mostly due to the depth they have up front), but if he continues to hit his mark on the score sheet he will likely move higher on the depth chart and score his chance.

30Nov

Cole Schneider(15) Binghamton Senators

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Ottawa Senators‘ undrafted, 2nd year left wing Cole Schneider(15) looks to be on pace to eclipse his career high AHL marks with minor league affiliate Binghamton Senators this season.

In 18 games he has 6 goals and 7 assists with a +9 rating. He played 60 games in 2012/2013 and struck for 17 tallies and 18 helpers with a reliable +19 plus/minus.

He’s in the final campaign of his entry level deal and the grinding power forward is making a strong argument for a 2-year extension over a simple qualifying offer to keep him in the system for another skate.

At 6’1″ 199 lbs. the winger uses all he’s got out on the ice to get into the difficult areas for scoring chances and isn’t afraid to play in the corners or along the boards.

He was a point-per-game guy in two years of college hockey at University Of Connecticut before turning pro and had similar success in a pair of NAHL junior hockey seasons.

We probably have yet to see the best from the 23-year old.