Toronto Maple Leafs made an early summer trade after last season’s draft to acquire former 1st rounder Kerby Rychel(36) from draft team Columbus Blue Jackets was likely to see if he’d blossom in the final campaign of his entry level deal.
He’s set to become a restricted free agent for the first time in his pro career at the end of the current calendar.
Once again the decently sized power forward was a late training camp cut to be sent to affiliate Toronto Marlies.
In 35 AHL games he has 8 goals and 11 assists but is a bit of a woeful -14 rating.
After playing a career high 32 games in the big league scoring 2 goals and 7 assists with a +5, he was sent back late in the season to farm club Cleveland Monsters.
In 17 playoff games he had one goal and 5 assists en route to a first ever 2016 Calder Cup Championship.
The 22-year old will likely earn a call up this season for a looksie but needs to start turning some heads sooner than later.
Kerby Rychel(52) Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#19 overall) rookie left wing Kerby Rychel(52) is wasting no time establishing his game in the top league.
He was one of the final cuts to be reassigned from training camp to affiliate Springfield Falcons. probably more to see where/how he was going to fit in with the parent club as he scored on his first ever shift in preseason and looked to stick.
The 6’1″ 215 lbs. forward was maybe a bit slow to start out of the gate with the farm team, but once he got on the scoreboard stayed consistent putting up 6 goals and 7 assists in 22 AHL games.
His efforts earned him the NHL recall everyone knew was coming and after his debut with no points, he got right to work posting three assists in his last pair of contests and has a +3 rating on a team that maybe just starting to string together wins.
There’s little doubt he knows how to connect with the back of the net, as he was a more than a point-per-game player in four seasons of junior hockey in the OHL and won the 2014 Championship with Guelph Storm. He also led the playoffs in assists and points.
At only 20 years old, he is quickly proving he’s a difference maker on the ice, even sticking up for himself in a couple of throw downs and may have seen the last of any bus trips in the minors.
He’s signed through 2017 on a three-year entry level deal.