Phoenix Coyotes‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#105 overall) defenseman Justin Weller(27) was assigned to the club’s double A affiliate Gwinnett Gladiators to start his second pro season.
He’s signed to a three year entry level deal, but failed to appear in the parent club’s training camp after prospect camp and reported to Portland Pirates‘ to skate in preseason games before recently getting cut. This is the final year of his contract.
At 6’2″ 205 lbs. he has fairly good size but has yet to crack even their AHL team’s roster.
In 65 ECHL games in his rookie season he scored a pair of goals and 9 assists with a +7 rating. He added another tally and a helper in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff contests.
The 22-year old played 5 years of junior hockey in the WHL with Red Deer Rebels but was never a big point producer, favoring maybe a bit more of a stay-at-home defensive style.
If he can shine in his sophomore campaign, he may still be left unqualified going into 2014/2015, but could find himself a nice home for hockey overseas or look to continue to climb the ladder through the minors in North America.