11th year defenseman Drew Schiestel(44) helped lead Cardiff Devils to the 2019 EIHL Championship and takes that distinction to a new deal to captain rival Coventry Blaze.
Signed to draft club Buffalo Sabres through his first four years, he wasn’t given a qualifying offer to continue and next agreed on an AHL contract with close to home Hamilton Bulldogs for 2014/2015 before deciding to head overseas.
He initially skated for Dusseldorfer EG of DEL and had a decent outing for a mostly stay at home d-man but moved on to Metal Ligaen with Rungsted Seier Capital for the follow-up campaign.
Returning home to start 2016/2017, he hit the ice with Indy Fuel to start the season, but after 14 ECHL games turned his attention towards EBEL and Fehervar AV19.
He turned an nicely successful run of 4 goals and 14 assists in 32 games to joining GET-ligaen‘s for most of the next session with Lorenskog, where he achieved a best overseas 16 assists and 19 points before heading back to Austria for a playoff run for Medevescak Zagreb.
The 30-year old may have found a nice home to play out the remainder of his career in the United Kingdom.
Drew Schiestel (44)
Buffalo Sabres said “I do” for a one-year, two-way contract with their 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#57 overall) defenseman Drew Schiestel(44) despite there being a can of worms still on the table throughout his first three seasons in the system.
In a low total of 156 AHL games with their Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans‘ affiliates, plus a weird 16 games with Texas Stars late last season in a shuffle him out of the conference Sabres‘ reassignment.
He was good for 8 goals and 39 assists in that stretch.
Not terrible, although there should be more upside.
And there is: he’s an effective +17 plus/minus over his first three years since turning pro playing in the minors. 2011/2012 was his first season in the minus column on the ice.
He did get hampered by a season ending knee injury a couple of years ago but he was also a healthy scratch from the Amerks at times last year.
Step up.
