Florida Panthers‘ undrafted 4th year center Curtis Valk(18) was only two seasons ago spending most of his time on reassignment from contract team Utica Comets down to Kalamazoo Wings.
It wasn’t until his third campaign under an AHL deal that he stuck in the higher league and was lighting the lamp on a regular basis scoring a career high 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points.
Signed on the second day of unrestricted free agency to a one-year two-way entry level deal, he was released early from training camp but immediately showed affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds‘ coaching last year was just the beginning of this new offensive outburst.
The fairly small 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward already has 6 goals and 9 assists in 16 games and plays much the way he did as a third and fourth year player with Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, where he scored 46 and 47 goals and 45 assists on two occasions, one as team captain.
On his 1st NHL recall he was limited to a very scarce 6 shifts and 3:25 total ice with 1 hit given out, he was at least involved in a 4-3 shootout win but found himself a healthy scratch the next three times before being sent back down.
The 24-year old no doubt will need to continue to prove himself worthy and that is likely to happen.
He plays like a leader out there and wants it.