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29Sep

Jamie McBain(5) Los Angeles Kings

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6th year defenseman Jamie McBain(5) signed a one-year two-way contract with Los Angeles Kings after agreeing to a pto with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

He played 6 AHL games with the farm club scoring a goal and adding three assists with a +3 rating before the parent club came calling to fill in some spots that needed coverage on their blue line.

Originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#36 overall), the 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man spent the first four years of his career with the team but unfortunately as time passed started to show declining returns.

After the 2012 lockout it definitely appears that he’d lost some of his step.

He managed to pick it up slightly last season after a trade to Buffalo Sabres but not enough for them to revisit extending the unrestricted free agent.

A training camp invite of Arizona Coyotes, they only really had a peak before releasing him.

There was a bit of a murmur that he was set to leave for the KHL but shortly thereafter he signed his tryout deal.

Injuries and a misfortune, along with a sliver of salary cap room, had him at the right place at the right now. Maybe it was a bit of mastery forsight too.

The still young-ish 26-year old will either have to step up his offensive numbers (25-67-92 in 276 NHL games) or start using some of that size to shut down the attackers.

It’s a coin flip to see how this one materializes. It really could become a great fit though.

Original story: 11/14-14

He appeared in 26 games with LA Kings scoring 3 goals and 6 assists with a +4 rating, making him accountable enough to keep around.

They wasted no time as free agency started re-signing him to a one-year, tw0-way extension.

Starting the season with a new contract, the 27-year old should be able to connect on the score sheet more often and continue to elevate his game.

02Jun

Tim Kennedy(13) Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

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4th year center Tim Kennedy(22) has been bouncing around from team-to-team for the last couple of seasons, skating NHL and AHL with 5 different teams.

He went from New York Rangers‘ organization to Florida Panthers and has landed in Worcester with his most current deal getting him traded to San Jose.

He played one full season NHL season with Buffalo Sabres (84 regular season and playoffs games, 11 goals and 18 assists) in 2009/2010, then got waived by them after he was awarded a $1 million deal through arbitration for the next year.

Since he has played in 33 more games, all with the Panthers. 26 of the contests were this year, where he scored 1 goal and 1 assist but had a -11 plus/minus.

In 170 AHL games he has 36 goals and 100 assists.

Since arriving in Worcester he’s almost a point per game player with 3 goals, 8 assists in 12 games but is a dismal -9.

He was originally drafted by Washington Capitals in the 6th round of 2005 (#181 overall).

He’s a small-ish presence out there at 5’10” 179 lbs. but is crafty with the puck and could be a point producer in the NHL, but needs to add a bit more muscle into his game.

Original story: 2/27-12

After spending a full season in San Jose Sharks‘ system playing in another 13 games with the parent club, which netted him a pair of goals, he signed a one-year deal with Arizona Coyotes for 2013/2014 and split time in the NHL and AHL with Portland Pirates.

He skated in a career high 37 games in the show getting 2 more goals and adding 6 assists but was not retained for another run.

Coming full circle he signed for 2014/2015 with the team that selected him 9 years earlier Washington Capitals, but was reassigned early and played the entire season with their farm club Hershey Bears, where he had his second best ever point totals at 59 in 75 games.

For his 8th season, the 29-year old leaves North American hockey for a go in the KHL with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

23Feb

Colin Stuart(49) Providence Bruins

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11th year left wing Colin Stuart(49) started 2014/2015 in Sweden’s tier 2 league Allsvenskan with Malmo. It was his second tour of overseas hockey. He played in 2012/2013 for Iserlohn Roosters of the German elite DEL.

He played in 31 games scoring 5 goals and 4 assists with a +4 rating but after a few months decided to leave and sign an spc with Providence Bruins for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year, former three time captain (once in his senior campaign at Colorado College) and 2008 Calder Cup Champion is a good guy to have around for his goal scoring and leadership abilities.

In 28 AHL contests the 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has already amassed a tidy 8 goals and 8 assists.

He also has 58 games of NHL experience mostly with draft team Atlanta Thrashers and a couple of spins on the ice over two years under contract with Buffalo Sabres.

He should easily help the Boston farm club into a playoff berth.

See related: 12/6-10, 9/9-11, 12/12-11

17Feb

Alex Biega(55) Vancouver Canucks

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Vancouver Canucks‘ 5th year defenseman Alex Biega(55) earned his recall and spent a couple of weeks with the parent club but only practiced with the team.

As a small-ish 5’10” 187 lbs. blue liner he is mostly a stay-at-home style blue liner but has been consistently able to hit the 20-point mark through his four seasons in the AHL and could very well set new career high marks int the current campaign with Utica Comets.

With continued consistent play with the farm club, he received another shot and on little notice found himself suiting up for his first big league game.

The 26-year old skated 22 shifts for 16:32 total ice time with 2 hits, 2 break ups, 1 giveaway and 2 shots on net.

One of those shots ended up being his first NHL goal and the 3-2 game winner.

He’s only signed to a one-year, two-way deal and now is looking more likely to get re-upped.

See related: 8/4-12

25Jan

Shawn Szydlowski (27)

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4th year undrafted right wing Shawn Szydlowski(27) is having a career season in his second campaign with Fort Wayne Komets, his first under contract with the team.

He has 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 35 ECHL games with a +19 rating.

His totals are good enough for 5th overall points in the league but possibly the most tell-tale stat about his sudden surge is his 117 shots on net, which is only three off his totals from last year.

The 6′ 208 lbs. forward was originally under a 3-year entry level deal with Buffalo Sabres but after his rookie year with Rochester Americans was mostly reassigned down.

He has always put up respectable numbers but it was in the 2014 Kelly Cup Playoffs where he really started to shine getting 6 goals and 5 assists in 11 games with a +4 plus/minus.

Not being offered a qualifying offer to spend another year under NHL contract, he decided to stay in Indiana and is really starting to take off.

His play got notice from Binghamton Senators, who signed him to a pto.

In 3 AHL he failed to register a point but was played somewhat sparingly.

23Jan

Cory Conacher(89) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted, 4th year left wing Cory Conacher(89) has been on a bumpy ride with four different teams since signing his first NHL contract before the lockout shortened season with Tampa Bay Lightning.

He inked his initial 2-year 2-way entry level deal after winning the 2012 Calder Cup with then affiliate Norfolk Adrmirals, being named AHL rookie of the year, playoff MVP and putting up more assists than any other first year player during the regular season and in the playoffs.

Although he is most definitely under-sized at 5’8″ 179 lbs., he was merely following up a celebrated run at Canisius College, where he recorded all-time highs for goals, points and game-winning tallies and an incredibe first run with three teams in two different leagues he recorded 8 goals and 4 assists in 10 games but was held to only an assist in seven postseason contests.

He jumped out quickly when the big league got back under way 9 goals and 15 assists in 35 games but ultimately he was expendable when the parent club needed goal tending and found himself traded off to Ottawa Senators at the deadline.

He played his only full slate of regular season games in 2013/2014 but fell short of expectations with 4 goals and 16 assists in 60 games.

Ultimately he was to be reassigned back down but the horrible Buffalo Sabres picked him up on waivers.

He skated with them for the remaining 17 games and got himself a nifty 3 goals and 3 assists but was a woeful -7 plus/minus.

Heading into his second unrestricted free agency, first since he signed a minor league contract to start his pro career, he didn’t have to wait long as New York Islanders saw something they liked and swooped right in on opening day getting him to agree to a one-year two-way deal.

It looked like he’d come out strong but through 15 games faltered on a roster filled with lots of bigger, younger studs with only a goal and a pair of assists.

The 24-year was waived and sent to farm team Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he’s settled in quickly hitting the back of the net 4 times and dishing 11 helpers in 15 games.

He be a free agent at the end of this year and it’s looking like the small forward might have better luck taking his game across the pond.

See related: 11/8-11

06Jan

Jordon Southorn(3) Portland Pirates

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5th year defenseman Jordon Southorn(3) scored his first goal in his longest stint yet in the AHL.

He signed a 2-way contract with Portland Pirates over the summer and has been up and down a couple times already this season.

He’s skated in 11 games also adding an assist with a +4 rating on what is a roller coaster ride of a team.

The big 6’3″ 199 lbs. blue liner has played in all kinds of situations: even strength, on the power play and short-handed and handled himself with seemingly steady precision.

Definitely a bit of a wonder why the former Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#104 overall) went unsigned and has played most of his pro career in the ECHL.

He has 213 games for 6 different teams in the league to his credit scoring 34 goals and 74 assists with a defensively accountable +31 rating.

It was surprising to see him sent down the first time but it appears that decision is rapidly becoming tougher to make as he starts connecting with the score sheet and stays tough to play against in his zone.

24Dec

Tim Schaller(59) Buffalo Sabres

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Buffalo Sabres‘ undrafted 2nd season center Tim Schaller(59) is in the final year of his 2-year entry level deal.

The 6’2″ 209 lbs. power forward had an admirable first campaign scoring 11 goals and 7 assists in 72 AHL games playing exclusively with Rochester Americans.

He started his sophomore run once again on reassignment to the minors and went right to work.

In 29 games he’s already surpassed his assist mark by 3 and tied his point total from his rookie year.

His solid play was enough to earn him a first recall to the parent club, where he spent a pair of games without connecting before being sent back.

Continued consistency got him a second summons a month later and he made it count scoring his first NHL tally.

The 24-year old that spent four years at Providence College serving as their team captain in his junior and senior seasons is one of a few prospects from the farm club looking to earn a permanent spot in the big league.

23Dec

Johan Larsson(22) Buffalo Sabres

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 3rd year left wing from Sweden, Johan Larsson(22) is looking to prove he is ready for prime time in his second recall from AHL affiliate Rochester Americans, where he clearly looked to be blowing the lid off his previous bests in goals, assists and points.

In 26 games he has already amassed 8 goals and 15 assists.

He had similar rookie and sophomore campaigns getting 16 and 15 goals with 25 and 26 assists, both very respectable.

Maybe more importantly though and being seen frequently these days is his pro career start with two years in the SHL.

He was under contract with Brynas but in the second year had signed his three year entry level deal and was loaned on a slide to the club for another round of seasoning, which seems to have worked.

The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward was originally a Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#56 overall).

He played his rookie season with Houston Aeros and got into his first big league game with no results before he was involved in a pair of prospects deal for a vet goal scorer that landed him in Buffalo.

The still young 22-year old is in the final run of his three-year entry level deal and even though he appeared in 28 games with the parent club had yet to realize the back of the net but did have 4 assists.

Something clicked in his latest summons, as he struck for his first NHL goal and was credited with an assist in the next game, so he officially has a point-scoring streak established and this team does have available roster spots.

24May

T.J. Brennan(3) Toronto Marlies

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Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5th year defenseman T.J. Brennan(3) is continuing his career year in the minors with affiliate Toronto Marlies.

He played in a season high 75 AHL regular season games scoring a new best 25 goals and 47 assists for 72 points, which basically doubled his previous yearly totals in the three scoring categories. His 2013/2014 totals were also good enough for lead on the team in tallies and overall. He was also 3rd in the league for points.

The 6’1″ 213 lbs. blue liner recently won the Eddie Shore Award for best d-man this year.

He only has 40 NHL games to his credit, despite being a Buffalo Sabres‘ 2nd round high selection pick.

The irony to those numbers is his best numbers with on a short, freshly traded 19-game stint with Florida Panthers, where he put up a pair of goals and 7 assists in 19 games.

He was picked up for a draft pick and then sent in an off-season trade to Nashville Predators, who decided not to qualify the pending restricted free agent.

Picked up by the Leafs, they, as the story goes never recalled him because they didn’t need him long-term and feared potentially losing him on waivers. It is so much easier to just call up an entry level player.

Now marching the Marlies through the Calder Cup Playoffs he has 4 goals and 4 assists in 9 games without a loss going into the Western Conference Finals.

The 25-year old is set to become a free and in the clear unrestricted free agent this summer. He received one-way contract money but will someone step up for 2014/2015 to try his experience for a full campaign? We’d sign him.

See related: 4/7-11, 11/24-11

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