San Jose Sharks‘ 5th year goaltender Aaron Dell(30) received his first major contract as 2014/2015 was nearing its conclusion due to his stellar play through 26 AHL games with affiliate Worcester Sharks.
He had actually started the campaign in a second stint with Allen Americans, but this time as a first year team in the ECHL, before being loaned up and never looking back a month into the season.
Signed to a new 1-year deal going into 2015/2016, he became the starting net minder for new farm club San Jose Barracuda playing a career high 40 games with a 17-16-5 record, 2.42 GAA and .922 SV%.
He also received his first big league recall for a week, then was re-signed to a 2-year extension on the opening day of free agency and came into training camp with a strong performance.
Having prospects so close has probably helped him solidifying his spot in the system, as he was able to grab the back-up goalie roster spot and gets the early nod for his first NHL start.
The 27-year old scored his first win stopping 23 of 25 shots with a 2.00 GAA and .913 SV%.
It’s been a bit of a journey up but he looks to be embracing it and playing to stay.
Aaron Dell(29) Utah Grizzlies
Utah Grizzlies‘ undrafted 2nd year net minder Aaron Dell(29) is giving his team a chance to win games every time he’s between the pipes.
He was loaned on a pair of occasions to higher level clubs, Norfolk Admirals and Manchester Monarchs but has yet to appear in an AHL game.
The 6′ 209 lbs. goalie won the 2013 Central Hockey League President’s Trophy backstopping Allen Americans to their first title in his rookie season. It’s not even like he posted these amazing numbers during the regular season or in his 19 starts through the playoffs, but they were good enough to get the job done and win the 12 games necessary to capture the title.
He was also awarded goaltender of the year for his regular season play.
No stranger to awards, his college hockey team, University Of North Dakota won three straight NCAA (WCHA) titles.
This season since his return, the 24-year old has appeared in 18 games and posted a tidy 13-4 record with a 2.08 GAA and .920 SV%. He has the team positioned to run deep in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
The 24-year old will likely continue his climb and find himself under contract the next rung up for the 2014/2015 season.