NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

21Jul

Brendan Mikkelson (26)

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8th year defenseman Brendan Mikkelson(26) signs with his 4th NHL team for the 2013/2014 season, inking a one-year two-way deal with Pittsburgh Penguins that will likely see him added as a veteran presence with their minor league affiliate Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins to help with the squad of younger players in the system.

He’s skated in 131 NHL games scoring just 1 goal and 9 assists.

In 196 AHL games with 5 different teams those numbers tick upwards slightly to 18 goals and 48 assists but the large 6’3″ 210 lbs. d-man has never been noted for his offense production.

Almost ironically though he did strike for 4 goals and 3 assists in 17 contests for Västerås in Allsvenskan, the 2nd tier Swedish league during the lockout last season.

The blue liner only just turned 26-years old.

He was a part of the Syracuse Crunch team that went to the 2013 Calder Cup Finals but still seems to have untapped potential that no club has been able to locate.

Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2005 draft (#31 overall), if it doesn’t work out he would likely have a good ride playing the remainder of his pro career overseas.

20Jul

Nick Crawford(20) Buffalo Sabres

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 6th round pick in the 2008 draft (#164 overall), restricted free agent defenseman Nick Crawford(20) re-signs to rejoin the team’s prospect system for a fourth season.

He has yet to earn an NHL call-up but has skated in 199 games for AHL affiliates Rochester Americans and Portland Pirates scoring 18 goals and 54 assists.

The 6’1″ 192 lbs. blue liner has shown the ability to be a play maker throughout his playing career, especially in his last two seasons of OHL junior hockey with Saginaw Spirit and Barrie Colts and his first year as a pro.

The 23-year old is fairly steady on ice but will need to step up those appearances on the score sheet to continue to find his spot on the minor league roster and keep the eyes of the suits on his game.

17Jul

Will O’Neill(23) St. John’s IceCaps

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2nd year defenseman Will O’Neill(23) signed a 1-year entry level deal for 2012/2013 with Winnipeg Jets after completing his college playing career at University Of Maine, where he was team captain and had a knack for feeding scoring chances.

He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 7th round pick back in 2006 (#210 overall) before he started a couple of seasons in the USHL, American junior hockey with Omaha Lancers.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner played 59 games with AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps last season, scoring 3 goals and 18 assists. He had also joined them on an ato to finish out 2011/2012 and notched his first professional hockey tally.

Heading into the new year, the 25-year was set to become an unrestricted free agent.

The IceCaps took care of that inking him to a one-year contract to stay with the team. He could also score himself an invite to the parent club’s training camp.

16Jul

Riley Boychuk(45) New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey Devils shed more salary cap to pick up 3rd year larger than life left wing prospect Riley Boychuk(45) from Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him in the 7th round of 2010 (#208 overall).

He is in the last season of a three-year entry level deal that has seen him play mostly AA pro hockey, last year in the Central Hockey League reassigned to Fort Worth Brahmas and in his rookie campaign he played 20 games with Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL.

The 6’5″ 205 lbs. player put up career high goals, assists and points (8-9-17) in his sophomore year.

He’s anticipated to join Albany Devils for 2013/2014. He was recently invited to the parent club’s development camp and will definitely be joining them again in September.

The 23-year old played 26 AHL games in his first season with Rochester Americans and had a pair of helpers but is still looking for his AAA tally.

No doubt, this is a big frame forward that needs to be stepping it up.

14Jul

Brian O’Neill(23) Los Angeles Kings

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd year, undrafted right wing Brian O’Neill(23) signed his qualifying offer to stay in the team’s prospect system for another season.

As a rookie, he skated in 49 games with their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs scoring 3 goals and 12 assists. He also appeared in all four playoff games, recording another tally.

He had joined the team on an ato after finishing up four years with Yale Bulldogs. In 12 games he had a goal and an assist and added another helper in the 2012 playoffs.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward finished up his college playing career as a 1.18 point per game player and was named team captain in his final year.

They will definitely be looking for the small winger to step up his game in the upcoming campaign as they know he connect on the score sheet.

13Jul

Raman Hrabarenka(41) New Jersey Devils

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After spending his rookie season on an AHL contract with minor league affiliate Albany Devils, big, undrafted, Belarus-born defenseman Raman Hrabarenka(4) signs a 3-year entry level deal with New Jersey Devils that keeps him in the system through 2016 .

The 6’3″ 212 lbs. blue liner notched his first pro goal and added 4 assists in 34 games, but also found himself watching from the sidelines on too many occasions as a healthy scratch and also missed some playing time due to injury.

He still needs to step up his game with that sizable frame and definitely showed that ability in his last season of junior hockey with Drummondville Voltiguers.

At only 20-years old he is still very young and may have a big spurt of development this season, when he joins the parent club for prospect development and the upcoming training camp.

12Jul

Nathan Paetsch(4) Grand Rapid Griffins

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11th year, double-drafted defenseman Nathan Paetsch(4) re-ups with Grand Rapid Griffins for another couple of seasons after a year overseas in DEL with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg.

He appeared in 70 AHL games scoring 4 goals and 27 assists with a +13 rating and added another 11 assists in 24 Calder Cup Playoff contests on the way to the league championship.

The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner has 319 AHL games to his credit.

He had been under NHL contract from 2006-2011 and skated in 167 match-ups mostly with Buffalo Sabres, the second team that drafted him in the 7th round in 2003 (#202 overall).

He was initially picked by Washington Capitals in 2001 in the 2nd round (#58 overall) but never signed.

The 30-year old is likely to happy to have secured a place to play pro hockey through the 2015 season, if not beyond that and will likely continue in his assistant captain role with the team.

11Jul

Mike Hoeffel(26) New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey Devils‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#57 overall), 3rd year left wing Mike Hoeffel(26) was re-signed to a one-year extension for 2013/2014.

He was initially signed to a 2-year entry level contract that saw him play 112 games with their AHL Albany Devils scoring 10 goals and 9 assists. He had virtually identical numbers in each of his first couple campaigns, although he was able to turn a -11 rating into a more formidable +1 on a team that was only 6 points removed from a playoff berth.

The 6’3″ 205 lbs. has power forward size and will definitely be stepping up his game. He should be a 10/10 guy without even blinking, like he was able to achieve in four years of college hockey play with University Of Minnesota. In 149 games he left with 48 goals and 39 assists.

The 24-year awaits his first NHL recall.

07Jul

Jason Demers(5) San Jose Sharks

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Heading into his 6th pro year, San Jose Sharks‘ defenseman Jason Demers(5) signs a 1-year extension to play another season for the only team he’s ever suited up for.

He was originally a 7th round pick in 2008 (#186 overall), but played only one full campaign with their AHL affiliate Worcester Sharks before being recalled to the parent club on a more permanent basis during his sophomore season.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. blue liner had career lows in a lockout shortened 2013 run that was riddled with injuries for the 25-year old.

They are likely thinking he has what it takes to bounce back. He’s never been the most prolific point getter but is mostly steady in his own zone and dishes out enough punishment to attackers that the suits took notice.

He has skated in 205 NHL games scoring 11 goals and 50 assists, while going a +12 plus/minus.

This pic was taken on December 1, 2009.

05Jul

Will Acton(14) Edmonton Oilers

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After a couple of seasons with Toronto Marlies in the AHL, 3rd year undrafted, unrestricted free agent left wing Will Acton(14) signs his first NHL contract with Edmonton Oilers.

He follows his former coach, Dallas Eakins and dad, new assistant coach Keith Acton west to Alberta, agreeing to a two-year, two-way deal that will almost certainly see him play with their top notch minor league affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.

The 25-year played almost an identical amount of games in each of his two seasons in Ontario and showed an uptick on the score sheet in 2012/2013 with 8 goals and 11 assists. He was able to take that even further in the postseason scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 9 playoff games.

At 6’2″ 190 lbs. he has a big enough frame to be considered a power forward and with the move and new challenge will likely pay dividends.