NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

15Mar

Casey Wellman(19) Connecticut Whale

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Undrafted 2nd year center Casey Wellman(19) was involved in a pre-deadline deal that sent him from Minnesota Wild‘s AHL affiliate Houston Aeros to New York Rangers‘ AHL team, Connecticut Whale.

He played 41 NHL games with the Wild over three seasons, including 12 contests fresh out of college. He’s managed 4 goals and 9 assists.

In the AHL he’s basically a point per game performer. He has 6 goals and 6 assists in 12 games with the Whale since the deal and had 28 goals and 32 assists in 68 games with the Aeros from 2009 – 2011. He also contributed 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in 24 Calder Cup Playoff games last season.

At 24 years old, 6′ 186 lbs. he still needs to put some more muscle into his game before he sticks with an NHL team.

He may get that opportunity in training camp next season with the Rangers, if he can agree to a new deal in the offseason.

7/20-12: In a bit of a surprising move, Wellman gets traded to Florida Panthers for a 5th round 2014 draft pick. He signed a one-year, two-way contract for 2012/2013.

14Mar

Maxime Sauve(7) Boston Bruins

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Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#47 overall) center Max Sauve(7) finally got in his first NHL game and just over 3 minutes of ice time in suffers what is said to be a hip injury and is now added to the team’s ever growing list of walking wounded.

He had been limited to only 30 games with Providence Bruins, because of a concussion he suffered earlier in the season. In his second season he’s put up 7 goals and 10 assists.

The 22-year old (6’2″ 184 lbs.) scored 21 goals and added 17 assists in his first year

He signed a 3-year entry level deal that has one more season left but you have to figure the B’s organization sees a potential huge upside in his growth as a player, if he can steer clear of injuries.

No doubt he’s going to have to bulk up to power forward intensity. He already plays that style of game but is still a little light to be effectively throwing that body around.

He was one of the last players reassigned to the AHL from training camp.

13Mar

Kyle Palmieri(21) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#26 overall), 2nd year right wing Kyle Palmieri(21) has been on a string between the NHL and their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch as he is on his 5th recall.

He has marginal career highs in the NHL with 12 games played, registering a goal and an assist. He had 10 games with a goal in his rookie campaign.

In 46 games with the Crunch this season he has 32 goals and 22 assists. In 62 contest last season he had 29 goals and 22 assists, so is en route to more career scoring highs. He currently sits 10th in scoring leaders and leads the league in goals scored with anywhere from 15-20 less games played than the other skaters.

His older brother is Nick Palmieri, forward with Minnesota Wild.

12Mar

Marcus Foligno(71) Buffalo Sabres

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#104 overall), rookie left wing Marcus Foligno(71) has received a pair of one-game cracks at the NHL…and in his second look in the show, he scored himself his first NHL goal, the game-tying goal in the third period to an eventual shootout win.

In 55 AHL games with Rochester Americans he’s got 14 goal and 20 assists, which is tied on his team for 3rd in scoring, first among rookies. He’s also a +13 plus/minus, which is pretty big on a team with 181 GF and 177 GA.

At 6’3″ 216 lbs. he already plays to his size and will probably add some more muscle to his game, just like his dad Mike Foligno used to for 10 seasons with the Sabres. As the 20-year old gets some more games in, he’ll no doubt do just that.

His older brother Nick plays for Ottawa Senators.

12Mar

Dean Arsene(29) Portland Pirates

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11th year undrafted veteran defenseman, current captain of Portland Pirates, Dean Arsene(29) played his 500 career AHL game over the weekend.

He’s so excited about the prospect, he’s seen blowing bubbles during warm-ups before game 499. He was supposed to set the mark last month but an upper body injury has hampered his ability to play consistently.

He accomplished the feat playing games with only 5 different teams, but 6 of his pro seasons have been spent with Hershey Bears, a team he won two Calder Cup Championships with in 2006 and 2009.

The 31-year old has only appeared in 13 NHL games (all with Edmonton Oilers) but no tallies on the scoresheet to show for it.

He’s never been the biggest point producer (13 goals and 64 assists) but his leadership presence in the locker room and out of the ice is priceless.

No doubt about it, after his playing career he would be an excellent coach.

11Mar

Brett Sterling (9)

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6th year left wing Brett Sterling(9) slides over to Portland Pirates from Peoria Rivermen as collateral in the Patrick O’Sullivan deal.

Originally Atlanta Thrashers‘ 5th round pick in the 2003 draft (#145 overall), he has played a scant 30 NHL games with a few different teams, including four games with St. Louis Blues this season registering no points.

His career totals are 5 goals and 4 assists but what’s sort of puzzling is in 7 games with Pittsburgh Penguins a couple of seasons ago he had 3 goals and a pair of assists but they had no interest in re-signing him.

He’s played 376 AHL games and scored 195 goals and 149 assists.

The head scratching part of this player swap is Portland is a small team to begin with and at 5’7″ 175 lbs. it’s not like he’s the most intimidating guy on the ice, but he can score goals and that makes him dangerous.

Tough to say which team gets the best of this deal.

10Mar

Patrick O’Sullivan(16) Peoria Rivermen

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One time Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2oo3 draft (#56 overall) 7th year left wing Patrick O’Sullivan(16) gets bounced from one AHL team, Portland Pirates, to another, Peoria Rivermen in a offensive-minded forward swap.

He played 23 NHL games with Phoenix Coyotes scoring a pair of goals and assists before last being reassigned to the Pirates in early January. He put up 10 goals and 20 assists in 26 games but went a -6 plus/minus on a pretty good team.

In each of his last 6 seasons, he’s appeared in NHL games, 334 of them. He’s basically a point per every other game producer with 58 goals and 103 assists. In 183 AHL games his stats are 97 goals and 120 assists, better than a point per game. 3 goals and 4 assists of that are in 3 contests since the trade that brought him to the Rivermen.

He lists at 5’11” 189 lbs., which seems a little light. He doesn’t play a very physical game. It’s all about getting into those open spaces and creating them in his style.

He’s either got to turn on those jets or play with a bit more of an edge while scoring those goals and setting up those assists. Make sure that helmet’s on tight.

09Mar

Dustin Tokarski(34) Tampa Bay Lightning

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3rd year Tampa Bay Lightning 5th round pick in 2008 (#122 overall) goaltender Dustin Tokarski(34) got a bit of a surprise when they decided to start him in his 1st NHL call up of the season. It was the first time he’d started a game.

He’s deserved it with his impressive play in net for the very good AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals. He has 27 wins against 11 losses and a 2.34 GAA and .905 SV%. He also has 4 shutouts.

While not the biggest guy in the crease at 5’11” 195 lbs. he plays the angles well and looks to be blossoming into a bona fide big league goalie and at this point the Lightning could use one of those as they inch closer to a playoff spot.

He has one more year on his 3-year entry level deal, which included a first year slide.

08Mar

James Sheppard(15) Worcester Sharks

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Center James Sheppard(15) was Minnesota Wild‘s 1st round pick in 2006 (#9 overall) and played for three NHL seasons with the team but fell far short of expectations putting in only 11 goals, along with 38 assists in 224 games.

Not exactly the numbers expected from a player selected in the first round of the draft after a couple of phenomenally successful last couple years in juniors.

Then in the offseason, right before his fourth campaign he gets injured horsing around on some heavy all-terrain equipment and 2010/2011 get scrapped. It’s derailed most of this season as well as he continues to rehab but he finally appeared.

He was picked up in a low rent trade by San Jose Sharks before the start of 2011/2012 and continued to rehab. Finally set to go, he was reassigned to the AHL for the 1st time in his career on a conditioning stint, where he could very well stay in Worcester. In 4 games he has yet to get on the scoresheet, but does have 6 shots on net.

We’re sure San Jose would love to roll the dice, because they need to find a way to win or they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

07Mar

Lane McDermid(20) Boston Bruins

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Heavyweight Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#112 overall), left wing Lane McDermid(20) was one of the last players cut and reassigned from this seasons training camp.

In their system for the last few years he is in the final year of his entry level contract.

Patience, persistance and punches has paid off, because he received his first NHL call-up to spark the slumping (and injured) Bruins get their mojo back in order.

In the two games he’s appeared in, a win and a loss, he’s skated for an average of 7 minutes of ice time, got into a fight and is an even plus/minus.

He may not be putting the puck in the net anytime soon (although we won’t be surprised if he gets one) but he creates chaos out there and his 6’3″ 205 lbs. frame isn’t any fun when it’s coming full speed at an opposing player.

In 57 AHL games with Providence Bruins this season the 22-year old is 2nd in penalty minutes and has 4 goals and 10 assists.