Washington Capitals‘ 4th year defenseman Tyler Lewington(78) scores an appearance in a 1st NHL game, skating 21 shifts for 13:07 of total ice time with 4 hits, 1 shot on net, 2 penalty minutes, 1 giveaway and exited the 4-0 win with a +1 rating.
In the 1st season of a new 2-year deal, he’s playing hard for affiliate Hershey Bears grabbing 2 goals and 4 assists in 26 AHL games with a -8 rating, 67 penalty minutes and 28 shots on net with a squad that is at times struggling.
The just turned 24-year old will need to play a hard style game in the big league to stick but knows what it’s like to come from out of nowhere with his deep draft selection.
Undrafted 3rd year right wing Conor Riley(44) scores a first loan up to Binghamton Devils after leading his club of the last three seasons Adirondack Thunder in goals with 12 through 26 ECHL games.
In 2 games (both wins) the 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward potted a first AHL tally before being returned for Christmas break.
He is on pace to shatter his career high totals in the current campaign.
Never the biggest point guy through four years at University Of Maine, his output is on another level since turning graduating.
Not shabby work for a guy who started his pro career with 8 SPHL games for Peoria Rivermen before getting the opportunity with the club from Glens Falls, NY.
At 26-years old is very possible for him to establish himself in the higher league but he’ll have to continue to put in the work and affect the scoresheet.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A MILLION SMILES AND YOUR TEAM WINS EVERY GAME!
Florida Panthers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2014 draft (#32 overall) 3rd year center Jayce Hawryluk(8) got off to a hot start in the current session scoring 7 goals and a team high 21 assists and 28 points with a +6 rating in 25 AHL games for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds.
For his efforts he earned an early season recall.
The 5’11’ 196 lbs. forward has skated only limited minutes (over 10 once) but in his 5th appearance potted his first pair of NHL goals, while only on ice for 14 shifts and 7:46 minutes of ice time for a decisive 6-3 victory.
Not bad for a player that was reassigned further down for 6 ECHL games with Manchester Monarchs less than a year ago and looked to be sliding off the depth chart.
Wake up calls aren’t a bad thing sometimes, as he’s rebounded big as he was expected to do with his high selection and big numbers he posted in 4 years with Brandon Wheat Kings (3 years of point-per-game marks and an explosive 47 goals and 59 assists in his final campaign) and a 2016 WHL Championship, where he had a league league 23 assists in the playoffs.
He also won a gold medal in the. under-18 2014 Hlinka Memorial Tournament for Team Canada.
The 22-year old is seemingly playing his way to a nice contract extension as he’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ 8th year center Phil Varone(44) takes a 2018 AHL MVP year scoring a career high 23 goals and 47 assists, a league 2nd, to a bit of an early recall from affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
He just so happens to be having yet another stellar campaign in the minors with 11 goals and 17 assists in 22 games, putting him on pace for a 4th 40+ assist season.
The small forward has also scored 10+ goals for 6 straight years but had been held to only an assist in mostly limited minutes while under contract with Ottawa Senators.
He just potted his first tally with his current club, so maybe things are starting to look up for him to connect with a bit more frequency.
Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session, the 28-year old is on the final season of a 2-year deal, but odds seem like he gets re-upped for a couple more, as he was signed on opening day of free agency.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft (#43 overall) Finnish-born 2nd year left wing Janne Kuokkanen(59) was on the opening night roster as a rookie but reassigned after 4 NHL games with no points.
He would go on to score 11 goals and 29 assists with a +17 rating in 60 AHL games for affiliate Charlotte Checkers.
The 6’1″ 193 lbs. forward got off to a hot start with the farm club in his sophomore season, already grabbing a career tying 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 27 games to earn an early season recall.
Skating three games logging decent minutes, he still has yet to affect the scoresheet, and was once again sent to the minors.
He spent most of his younger career playing junior hockey for Karpat, was called up for a single Liiga appearance, where he notched two goals and also loaned down to Mestis to play one game for Hokki (1 goal, 1 assist).
Next he came over for a campaign with London Knights and would be a point-per-game player grabbing 26 goals and 36 assists in 60 OHL games.
The 20-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal but because of his age was allowed to play his first season on a slide.
He’ll definitely need to start connecting but seems like he’s on the cusp of fulfilling his potential.
Undrafted 9th year center Chris Francis(12) got off to an unusually slow start in the current calendar with Tulsa Oilers and has decided to leave for Saale Bulls Halle of DEL3 to hopefully put 2018/2019 into the right column.
A veteran of 411 ECHL games, he always been a prominent scorer reaching the 20-goal and assist mark on three occasions and twice topping 3o helpers in a season.
He also reached more than point-per-game status in his final pair of WHL campaigns for Portland Winterhawks.
The 5’9″ 189 lbs. forward played a short stint with Springfield Falcons as a rookie getting a goal and an assist in 4 AHL games but was reassigned down to play some time in the now defunct Central Hockey League for Fort Wayne Komets but eventually signed with hometown Las Vegas Wranglers, where he stuck from 2011-2014 before moving on.
He also spent a first season overseas in EBEL with Fehervar AV19 amassing 29 points in 50 games before returning.
The 29-year old will be 30 by the time the season is over and will likely have to make a decision on a next team address, if he decides to continue.
Undrafted 3rd year right wing Trevor Mingoia(14) seems to be enjoying his first trip overseas with Vasteriks IK.
He already has 7 goals and 16 assists in 25 Allsvenksan games.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward signed with Milwaukee Admirals for 2017/2018 (2 goals, 3 assists), his first AHL contract and split time on reassignment to Norfolk Admirals, where he was basically a point-per-game player (10-4 in 16 ECHL games).
As a rookie under contract with Atlanta Gladiators, he quickly scored a career high 21 goals and 19 assists in 60 games after taking a bit of a roundabout route to turning pro spending three years at Providence College, where he helped them win the Cinderella story 2015 NCAA Championship.
Previous to that quest, he played one campaign for Tri-City Storm after a year at Union College.
Always a prolific scorer, he just pulled himself up the Swedish pro hockey ladder with a loan to Rogle BK of the SHL.
Our bet is he does well at the top level there.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 3rd year defenseman Casey Nelson(8) signed a new 2-year one-way deal a month into the offseason after playing a career high 37 NHL games in 2017/2018 scoring 3 goals and 5 assists, while also skating 40 AHL games for affiliate Rochester Americans.
The pretty large, mostly stay-at-home, punishing style blue liner started the current season on the big league opening roster and has stuck through 22 appearances grabbing a goal and 4 assists with a +6 on an exceptionally good team but he’s also been on the sitting end of being a healthy scratch on occasion.
It very much seems like the 26-year old is on the cusp of becoming a top 6 d-man in the lineup.
3rd year left wing Mario Lucia(62) heads off to GET-ligaen joining Stavanger Oilers for 2018/2019 after not being given a qualifying offer from New Jersey Devils, the team he was traded to late last season.
Originally a Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2011 NHL draft (#60 overall), he spent most of two campaigns with affiliate Iowa Wild, but in two years scored an identical 9 goals and 13 assists, including time spent with Binghamton Devils.
This was a bit of a downturn from the quick 4 points he grabbed in 9 AHL games upon signing an ato after four strong years at University Of Notre Dame, where he helped them win the 2013 NCAA/CCHA Championship as a rookie.
In the prior season in junior hockey for Penticton Vees he scored a league high 42 goals and 51 assist en route to the 2012 BCHL title.
The 24-year old is off to a great start Norway’s top league with 10 goal and 12 assists in 27 games.
We’re putting odds on him looking elsewhere for 2019/2020 in an effort to find even better hockey.
