12 year veteran left wing Derek Nesbitt(17) has definitely skated a long, hard road in his pro career playing a phenomenal 372 AHL and 343 ECHL games.
He left North American briefly for one season overseas in EBEL with Italian-based HC Bolzano and had a pretty big showing scoring 14 goals and 28 assists with a +18 rating, then added another 7 points in 7 playoff contests.
In 2015/2016, he would return to Atlanta Gladiators, where he spent his rookie year 2005/2006 and parts of two other seasons.
He had another successful campaign recorded a career 2nd high 28 goals and third best 34 assists.
His goal scoring is tops in team history.
For 2016/2017, the former Ferris State University standout, re-signed to once again play in the southern state, his second as team captain.
At almost 35-years old, he’s probably likely to hang up the skates soon and move onto coaching, where he’ll be great, but as a top scorer he may delay life after hockey for as long as possible.
Derek Nesbitt(16) WBS Penguins
8th year undrafted right wing Derek Nesbitt(16) is one of those players that has consistently worked hard for every break he’s ever received playing pro hockey.
He joined his ninth team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to help them with their AHL Calder Cup playoffs push. He was traded from Peoria Rivermen, who was out of postseason contention.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward started his career in the ECHL for a couple of seasons and won a Kelly Cup Championship in his sophomore campaign with Idaho Steelheads. He also put up 81 points in 66 games and another 6 goals and 12 assists in 22 playoff contests that breakout year.
It also set him up to move up to the higher league on a more permanent basis. In 211 ECHL games he has 86 goals and 154 assists.
He signed his only NHL deal with Phoenix Coyotes, a one-year two-way deal, a couple of seasons later.
He has spent most of his playing time in the AHL for the past 6 seasons, where he also has some pretty impressive numbers with 92 goals and 111 assists in 320 games.
The 31-year old is an unrestricted free agent pretty much like he’s always been, heading in 2013/2014 and is coming off his third straight 40+ point year and one where he tallied a career best 26 goals.