NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

26Feb

Matt Fraser(25) Dallas Stars

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Dallas Stars‘ undrafted, 2nd year left wing Matt Fraser(25) appeared in his 2nd NHL game on his 1st recall of 2012/2013; and scored his first big league goal to start the game, which unfortunately ended as a 5-4 OT loss for the team.

He skated 15 shifts for 9:52 total ice time with his only shot on net being the tally and ended the night with a +1 rating.

Not too shabby for the 6’1″ 204 lbs. forward that amassed triple digit penalty minutes in his last three seasons of junior hockey but also average a point per game in his final two years.

In two campaigns with Texas Stars, he has kept up his marks on the scoresheet, running 37 goals and 18 assists as a rookie and continues to strike in his sophomore season with 24 goals and 11 assists. He was also chosen to represent his team at two consecutive AHL All-Star Games.

Signed to a three-year entry level contract, the 22-year old’s next score looks to be a 2-year contract extension to continue his development right where he’s at.

25Feb

Adam Comrie(24) Worcester Sharks

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Reading Royals‘ 3rd year defenseman Adam Comrie(24) is enjoying his most productive season as a pro scoring 17 goals and 16 assists in 45 ECHL games to go along with a +22 rating on a team that has been on top most of the year.

The tower of a 6’4″ 215 lbs. blue liner he was originally a Florida Panthers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#80 overall) but something went amiss in his second season and he asked to be released from his 3-year entry level deal that would have taken him through the end of the current season.

The details of what happened are hazy at best.

He spent most of his rookie season with Rochester Americans but was also reassigned to lower league affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones on a number of occasions.

He started his sophomore campaign with the Cyclones and was quick to strike with 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games before departing. He would eventually sign a contract with Greenville Road Warriors to finish out the season.

The 22-year old inked a deal with the Royals about a month before the start of 2012/2013. He attended new affiliate Hershey Bears‘ training camp and was involved in exhibition game play.

He was sent back and that’s when things started to take better shape for the big d-man.

Recently signed to an spc by Worcester Sharks on an AHL call-up, he fits in pretty nicely in the higher league and will likely hit the scoresheet with decent frequency. He already has an assist in 3 appearances and should continue to step up.

23Feb

Christian Thomas (20)

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New York Rangers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#40 overall), rookie right wing Christian Thomas(92) made his NHL debut over the weekend.

He skated 17 shifts for 12:46 total ice time, took a pair of shots on net and dished out three hits in the team’s painful 4-0 blanking.

At only 5’9″ 170 lbs. he’s a considerably smaller-sized forward but plays a bigger skater style than his measurements might suggest.

The son of former hockey great, Steve Thomas, is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2015.

He played 11 regular and postseason games with minor league affiliate Connecticut Whale after his junior career concluded and put up his first pair of points, a goal and an assist.

In 52 AHL games, he has 13 goals and 11 assists with a +3 rating.

A hard working player, he should be able to make it to the show on a full-time basis, much like his dad. Whether he’ll be able to eclipse the hockey legacy left by his father obviously remains to be seen.

22Feb

D.J. King(15) Ontario Reign

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9th year veteran left wing heavyweight, D.J. King(15) sure took his time figuring out what ice he was going to put his skates down on for the 2012/2013 season.

With less than a couple of months remaining, the 6’3″ 230 lbs. forward signed with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.

He’s only ever played 5 games in the league in his sophomore season but has 118 NHL and 218 AHL games to his credit.

Originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 6th round pick in the 2002 draft (#190 overall), the 28-year old forward was without a contract after spending two years on a 1-way contract with Washington Capitals but played mostly with their minor league affiliate Hershey Bears.

He spent his first 6 seasons in the Blues‘ prospect system, managing to play one full campaign with the team in 2006/2007.

Known more for his brut strength on the ice than his power forward, point scoring capabilities he has easily always been the type of skater feared by opponents.

In his first game with the Reign, the 28-year old introduced himself with a first period fight and even got an assists in the 4-1 win.

21Feb

Robert Mayer(29) EHC Biel

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Montreal Canadiens‘ undrafted, 4th year, Czech/Swiss goaltender, Robert Mayer(29) only has the remainder of 2012/2013 on his three-year entry level contract and has announced before the season is even over that his opportunity to continue his pro career is better served by splitting the country for Switzerland’s NLA.

Seeing increasing less light to get any playing time in the NHL, the 23-year old signed a two-year deal with EHC Biel. He’s been recalled but only to be the backup goalie.

He’s played 81 games with Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL and posted so-so numbers on what have been so-so performing teams that has consistently failed to make the playoffs.

In his rookie season, almost exclusively skating in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones, he produced good numbers, but when he got to the Kelly Cup Playoffs he literally shut the door going 6-0-1 with a 1.54 GAA and .938 SV% that included 3 shutouts. He was named co-MVP with his fellow net minder, who he split time throughout the postseason.

He may go “home” and come back a whole number kind of player. But we’ll see.

19Feb

Dave Dziurzynski (22)

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Ottawa Senators look to be tearing a page from Los Angeles Kings‘ playbook on how to win a Stanley Cup with their recent pair of forwards recalls, plus one defenseman.

6’3″ 204 lbs. 3rd year, undrafted left wing David Dziurzynski(22) gets recalled from affiliate Binghamton Senators along with other big guy Derek Grant to infuse some size and energy up front and hopefully match the same magic as they push towards the postseason seemingly much like the Kings did when they called up a pair of large frames that became assets in their Cup run.

The injury bug and a few slow starting forwards also likely influenced the decision to bring up the duo at this point in the season.

They are also not the only team using this same strategy.

In the final season of his 3-year entry level deal, he hasn’t put up numbers that scream to the parent club that they need to bring this player up now, but some of the intangibles look to be in the right place: increased penalty minutes, good on ice rating and it also helps that he looks to be having a career year in the assists category, so maybe his stars are aligning.

In his first 2 NHL games, the 23-year old skated an average of 15 shifts and 11:30 of ice time.

He took 3 shots in the pair of contests and was a -1 in a winning and losing effort.

His minutes increased from his first game to his second and now it’s just a question of will this logic work a second time.

18Feb

Jason Zucker(16) Minnesota Wild

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Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#59 overall) rookie left wing Jason Zucker(16) cashed in on his first NHL goal in his first game on recall from minor league affiliate Houston Aeros, where he leads that team in scoring with 19 goals and 22 assists.

He started his pro career at the end of last season, signing a three-year entry level deal upon leaving college after two years of more than a point per game production.

In 6 contests with the Wild to finish off a 2011/2012 without a playoff berth, the 5’11” 180 lbs. forward got his first points in the show with a pair of assists.

He was selected to appear in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game, in which he scored a goal and an assist and tied a team high with 5 shots on net in the 7-6 Western Conference win. He was also a close second in the fastest skater contest in the Skills Competition.

In the 21-year old’s 2013 NHL debut, he logged 15 shifts for 11:09 of total ice time, scored the goal, went a +1 plus/minus and had 2 shots on net in the 3-2 victory. His tally tied the game at 2.

Minnesota is going to have to put his picture and add some more visual content up on his player page and soon, so fans can get to know this potential rising star, born in Las Vegas (of all places), on their team.

17Feb

Steve Eminger(4) Connecticut Whale

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New York Rangers‘ 10th year veteran defenseman Steve Eminger(4) last saw playing time in the minors during the 2004/2005 lockout. He was recently reassigned to AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale on a conditioning loan as space on the parent club’s blue line was a bit scarce.

He started the shortened 2012/2013 campaign on the roster and found his way into four games but was unable to put up any points and was a healthy scratch for half a dozen games before being reassigned.

The 29-year old former Washington Capitals‘ 1st round pick in the 2002 draft (#12 overall) has skated in 457 NHL games scoring 19 goals and adding 77 assists. He’s an unfortunate -50 plus/minus but has show better on ice accountability in recent years.

The Blueshirts are the 6th team the 6’2″ 207 lbs. has signed with. After 6 seasons with the Caps, he was signed for one-year deals with the Flyers, Lightning, Panthers and Ducks before being involved in a trade that brought him back east.

He scored his first AHL goal in 8 years and honestly even at this later stage in his pro career he looks a bit out of place and overqualified to be spending much more time on the farm.

15Feb

Michal Jordan (29)

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#105 overall), Czech-born defenseman Michal Jordan(29) received his first NHL recall.

He is in the final season of his three-year entry level deal and in 48 AHL games this season with Charlotte Checkers he has connected for a career high 6 goals and 15 points, which also puts him on pace to put up a best in that scoring category as well.

While listed at a moderate 6’1″ 195 lbs. he looks a lot bigger than those numbers. There’s little doubt his game is all about muscle and punishing opponents and he’s relatively effective in that role without getting himself into penalty trouble. He’s also a tidy +11 plus/minus on a team that knows how to win games.

In his debut the 22-year old skated 17 shifts for 12:18 total ice time and had one shot on net in a decisive 3-1 victory. He could stick around or at the very least be given a contract extension at the end of the season to see where it goes after a taste of the show.

He should really play in Chicago though.

14Feb

Tyler Toffoli(26) Manchester Monarchs

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#47 overall) rookie center Tyler Toffoli(26) has yet to realize an NHL call-up quite yet but it has to be imminent, unless all the players on the parent club perform well and stay healthy. He was one of the last skaters to be reassigned to start the shortened season.

He’s 2nd in scoring for AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs with 35 points, leading the team with 21 goals and a +15 plus/minus. He was also selected to play in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game and collected a goal and an assist in the heart-breaking Eastern Conference loss.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward had three outstanding final three years of junior hockey and even led the highly competitive OHL in scoring for 2010/2011.

He’s signed to a three-year entry level deal that keeps him with the Kings through the 2015 season.

There’s little doubt that the 20-year old is going to blossom into a full-time NHL player but he’ll have to continue to excel on the farm and wait for his turn to prove he can step it up.