NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

19Apr

Brayden Irwin(29) Florida Everblades

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Undrafted, 3rd year giant-sized center Brayden Irwin(29) was released from his pto with Norfolk Admirals and returned to Florida Everblades to help them with another Kelly Cup run.

The 6’5″ 219 lbs. forward has seen action in 20 AHL games in 2012/2013 scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.

In 38 ECHL games, he’s struck for 14 goals and 15 assists. He also won last year’s championship with the team, registering 6 goals and 7 assists in 17 postseasons contests on the way to victory.

Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal with Toronto Maple Leafs, he played his only pair of NHL games directly after wrapping up his collegiate career at University Of Vermont.

From there he skated 45 games with their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year attended St. John’s IceCaps‘ training camp but was released and rejoined Florida for another campaign.

18Apr

Michael Latta (15)

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2nd year center Michael Latta(15) was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#72 overall) and spent all of his first season and a half with their minor league affiliate Milwaukee Admirals racking up some fairly impressive numbers.

He scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games in his rookie campaign and although his production hitting the back of the net went down to 9 in his sophomore season his helpers total almost doubled to 26.

The 5’11” 209 lbs. forward also saw a marked increase in penalty minutes going from 100 to 184.

He also put up triple digits in pims the last two seasons of juniors with Guelph Storm.

Recently involved in a trade that brought him to Washington Capitals‘ organization for the final year of his three-year NHL entry level deal, he was reassigned to their AHL team Hershey Bears.

In 6 games he has one assist and has spent 12 minutes in the box.

He’s also has a -5 rating, a first in the negative column for the 25-year old.

His style of play is very tenacious, in-your-face and there seems to be little doubt that he will be able to impact the scoresheet as he fits in with team chemistry.

16Apr

Chay Genoway(4) Hershey Bears

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Undrafted, 2nd year defenseman Chay Genoway(4) was originally signed to a one-year entry level deal by Minnesota Wild after putting up point-per-game numbers in college hockey with University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

He received a 2-year extension after connecting for 7 goals and 29 assists with AHL affiliate Houston Aeros in 72 games in his rookie season but fell out of favor on the roster as his point totals diminished in his sophomore campaign.

The small 5’9″ 177 lbs. may have been off the mark on the scoresheet but his on-ice accountability went up to a +11 rating on a team that was good at winning games but their goals for advantage wasn’t exactly miles apart from their goals against.

He was recently traded to Washington Capitals for a conditional 2014 seventh-round pick and reassigned to their farm team, Hershey Bears. In 10 contests he has five assists and is a +2.

The 26-year old has appeared in one NHL game and picked up an assist. Tough to say if he gets another shot in the show but if he picks up his stats again, his chances become more likely. He’s small but plays a smart style game that knows how to turn defense into offense.

15Apr

Hunter Bishop (11)

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Undrafted, 2nd year left wing Hunter Bishop(11) signed with South Carolina Stingrays to begin 2012/2013 after an injury put him on the sidelines for all of the previous season.

It just so happened to be the final year of his 2-year entry level deal with Montreal Canadiens.

He became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the contract.

He put up great numbers: 2 goals and 3 assists in 9 games with minor league affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs, when he joined the team after leaving his college career at Ohio State University on the shelf.

Come Calder Cup Playoff time though, he was unable to duplicate the success scoring only one assist in 12 contests.

The 6′ 196 lbs. forward started his rookie season on the injured reserve list and was reassigned to Wheeling Nailers, when he was ready to return and duplicated his output on an ato in higher league just six months earlier.

He was recalled and stuck in the AHL through the entire campaign but was limited to only 4 goals and 4 assists in 34 games.

The 25-year old struck stats gold again in the ECHL with the Stingrays hitting the back of the net on 24 occasions and offering up 25 helpers in 48 games.

He finished the season as their leading scorer with a +13 rating.

He received a brief pair of call-ups to Lake Erie Monsters and Rochester Americans but was held scoreless.

It wasn’t until a couple of months ago that he found another home in the AHL with Manchester Monarchs.

He has been with the club for 21 games on a pto putting up 3 goals and 2 assists (another 5 point mark).

He meshes well with team chemistry and will likely play out the regular season, or return home to Alaska as his lower league team was bounced from the playoff picture in the first round.

He is likely to be on an AHL roster out of training camp in 2013/2014.

14Apr

Adam Clendening(2) Rockford IceHogs

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#36 overall) rookie defenseman Adam Clendening(2) was chosen to the 2012-2013 AHL Second All-Star Team for his impressive play in the quickly wrapping up season.

In 71 games with their minor league affiliate Rockford IceHogs he has 8 goals and 36 assists with a +14 rating and quarterbacks the power play. He also leads the league in assists by a d-man and is top five in scoring for the position.

The 5’11” 187 lbs. blue liner left two years of college at Boston University on the shelf to turn pro signing a three-year entry level deal.

He was also picked to represent at the 2013 AHL All-Star Game.

The 20-year old definitely plays a much bigger game than his size may indicate and can be an offensive threat without becoming liability in his own zone.

He has yet to make an appearance in an NHL game but that time will certainly come. First he has his sights set on scoring a Calder Cup appearance with his team that sits just inside the bubble of a berth.

13Apr

Sami Aittokallio (30)

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Colorado Avalanche 4th round pick in the 2010 draft (#107 overall), Finnish rookie net minder Sami Aittokallio(30) got his first crack at an NHL start for a team that is out of the playoff picture in this lockout shortened season.

He performed well only allowing a pair of goals on 25 shots in two periods before having to be relieved in the third with muscle cramps he was suffering due to dehydration.

The Avalanche ended up losing the game 3-2 in the shootout.

In 26 appearances for AHL affliate Lake Erie Monsters, he has a 14-11-1 record with a 2.89 GAA and .903 SV%.

At 20-years old, the parent club believes he could be their starting goalie of the future, signing him to a 3-year entry level deal that runs through 2015.

The 6’1″ 180 lbs. backstop could be their answer between the pipes.

They need one as they ended up signing three goaltender prospects on one day in the offseason.

He performed nicely in the last couple of years as a teenager in Finland’s elite league, SM-liiga, so if he can stay on course he could be their guy.

12Apr

Jean-Gabriel Pageau(10) Ottawa Senators

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Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#96 overall), rookie center Jean-Gabriel Pageau(10) isn’t exactly one of the biggest players on the ice, standing at 5’9″, weighing in at a measly 163 lbs., but in his first pro season with minor league affiliate Binghamton Senators he is proving he can get the job done.

In 67 AHL games, he has 7 goals and 22 assists with a +8 rating on a team near the top of the league standings and ripe with much rookie talent.

He averaged a point-per-game in three seasons of junior hockey before signing his three-year entry level contract that runs through 2015. He decided to forego his last season to ink his deal.

The only 20-year old received his first NHL call-up and recorded his first point, an assist, while skating 18 shifts for 11:17 total ice time, including going 55.6% on face-off draws and a +1 plus/minus in a 3-1 winning effort.

He probably still needs to add a bit more weight and muscle to his game but he’s definitely heading in the right direction.

11Apr

Mark Owuya(1) Reading Royals

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Undrafted, 2nd year Swedish goaltender Mark Owuya(1) is in the final season of his 2-year entry level contract he signed with Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011.

He has played virtually an identical amount of games in both the AHL with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies and ECHL affiliate Reading Royals. He was also in net for a half dozen games on reassignment with Las Vegas Wranglers this season.

At least in his sophomore campaign he didn’t spend as much time on the bus as he did in his rookie year, when he was recalled and sent down on 10 different occasions.

He was only reassigned half that much this season.

How a goalie is to get into any kind of a groove with that sort of schedule is a wonder but he’s the pro with the contract, so he adapts.

At 6’2″ 198 lbs. he certainly takes up a good part of the net and has a fairly smooth, somewhat unorthodox style that he makes work.

The 23-year old could easily slide back and play in the Swedish Elite League, Elitserien, where he was coming off back-to-back great seasons for Djurgarden and also won the league’s best SV%.

We’ll see.

09Apr

Brad Malone(42) Colorado Avalanche

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Colorado Avalanche 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#105 overall), 2nd year center Brad Malone(42) notched his first NHL goal in 15 tries.

He is currently on his 2nd recall from their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters, where he’s skated in 133 AHL games scoring 21 goals and 40 assists in regular and postseason play. He’s also a pretty lousy -20 overall plus/minus on a team barely above the .500 mark in 2012/2013. They were a much better team the previous season, just missing a playoff berth.

The 6’2″ 207 lbs. power forward was up for 9 games in his rookie campaign connecting for his first points in the show, a pair of assists.

He put up big numbers in his last two years of college hockey with University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

The 23-year old is in the final season of his two-year entry level deal and set to become a restricted free agent. It’s seems likely that he’ll be qualified for at least another season to continue his development.

08Apr

Riley Brace (28)

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Undrafted center Riley Brace(28) got his hockey legs firmly planted in his AHL debut with a goal and an assist in game one of his pro career.

The 5’11” 180 lbs. player finished up 5-year stint in juniors with Mississauga Steelheads and signed an ato with Worcester Sharks.

What he may lack for in true power forward size, he certainly makes up for in a gritty, tenacious style of game he puts on the ice.

He was a tryout invitee to Los Angeles Kings‘ training camp a couple of seasons ago but must have fallen off their radar.

The just turned 21-year old is a no-brainer for any minor league team to sign in the offseason and our bets are on that he makes enough of an impact that he scores an entry-level deal with a club.