Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ tough guy Brett Gallant(44) gets a little too close to the goalie for Springfield Falcons‘ 2nd year defenseman Thomas Larkin(37) liking.
The younger, bigger 6’5″ 220 lbs. Larkin is no stranger to dropping the mitts but still has half (6) the fights this season of the veteran Gallant with 13. He’s also much smaller at 6′ 198 lbs and has 3 NHL 5-minute major penalties on his resume.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#14 overall) Swedish-born rookie center Alexander Wennberg(41) was reassigned for a round flight trip to minor league affiliate Springfield Falcons fairly early in his first year but then about a month later was sent down to get some scoring confidence in his game.
In 6 AHL games he was able to managed three assists with a +4 rating.
He only has 2 goals and 4 assists in 44 NHL games with a must be league leading worst -28 rating.
He was such a high selection because of his ability to connect with the net and definitely more is needed from the decently sized 6’1″ 190 lbs. that came over with two years of pro experience in his home country’s SHL and Allsvenskan leagues and had performed well in the world junior championships.
The only 20-year old signed a three-year entry level deal, which extends through 2017, so some extended time with the farm team might not be such a bad idea, unless he’d flinch and go home.
The parent club is obviously wicked high on this kid and would like to see him succeed.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#95 overall) rookie right wing Josh Anderson(53) has been playing a consistently aggressive, hard-nosed power forward style with minor league affiliate Springfield Falcons that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The big 6’3″ 212 lbs. forward’s efforts earned him a first recall when the parent club needed a checking line skater to fill in a roster spot due to injury.
He’s put up a decent 4 goals and 7 assists in 37 AHL games with a +1 rating after putting up point-per-game numbers in his third and final season of junior hockey.
He won back-to-back OHL Championships with London Knights and was assistant captain in the year before he decided to turn pro.
In a pair of NHL games he skated an average of 20 regular strength shifts with just over 13 minutes of ice time, 2 shots, 2 penalty minutes, 1 giveaway, 1 break up, 2 takeaways and a thumping 11 hits (8 in one game alone) with a -2 plus/minus.
One of the last cuts from training camp, the 20-year old looks to be establishing himself early.
He’s signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2017.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ fifth year left wing Jeremy Morin(9) was recently acquired via minor league prospect deal from Chicago Blackhawks, where he’s spent all of his pro playing time.
He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#45 overall) but was involved in a massive 7-player deal before his skates ever touched the ice.
The 6’1″ 189 lbs. forward has always been on the cusp between playing in the big league and minors after tearing it up at every level of play until he turned pro after only a single dynamite season 47-36-83 in 56 games) in the OHL with Kitchener Rangers.
That followed a pair of more than point-per-game performances in the NAHL with the US National Junior Team.
Appearing in 54 NHL games in each of his years with the ‘Hawks registering 8 goals and 9 assists with +7 rating, he was never quite able to stick.
He has be a dominant force with their farm club, Rockford IceHogs scoring 81 goals, 78 assists in 208 contests and a massive +21 rating on a team that didn’t always put up a winning record.
Coming to the Blue Jackets, the 23-year old may have seen the last of bus rides as he joins a squad that has a knack for developing their young future stars.
So far, he’s got 1 assist in 4 games but did get a shootout goal that was almost the game-winner against his former team.
Chicago Blackhawks love their Swedes and defenseman Tim Erixson(34) becomes their latest addition via trade.
He was actually born in America but spent much of his time growing up, playing juniors and his first three years of pro hockey as a teenager in the SHL with Skelleftea.
Originally drafted in the 1st round by Calgary Flames, he was traded when he refused to sign to New York Rangers, where he spent most of his rookie season on reassignment to then differently named affiliate Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack and went right to work on the score sheet with 3 goals and 30 assists.
The sort of smaller looking than his stats suggest 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner did play his first 18 NHL games in his first campaign registering two helpers.
He lasted only one season of his three-year entry level deal as he was a prospect part of the huge Rick Nash off season transaction that sent him to Columbus Blue Jackets.
He spent the first half of his sophomore campaign with their farm club, Springfield Falcons putting up more fantastic offensive marks (5-24-29).
Recalled to the parent club, where he stayed for the remainder of the season he managed to appear in 31 games with 5 assists and a +4 rating to his credit.
Not sure what the factors were that had him fall off the depth chart but even though he was summoned half a dozen times he only appeared in two games in his third season, while he increased his point totals to a point-per-game player in the minors.
The 23-year old signed a one-year one-way extension to stay put and would only skate contests in the show for his fourth run.
He finally got his first NHL goal but once again found himself on the dispensable list and lands in probably the best situation he could possibly ask for.
See related: 3/22-12
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.
Columbus Blue Jackets‘ deep 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#188 overall) Swedish-born goalie Anton Forsberg(35) realized his first pair of NHL starts as a rookie.
He’s thus far absolutely shutting the door on the offense in a pair of AHL starts with affiliate Springfield Falcons.
He won both appearances posting a 1.50 GAA and a .953 SV% along with a getting his first shutout.
It was much the same when he first appeared with the farm club at the tail end of last season and kept a secure 1.13 GAA and .957 SV% in 4 times between the pipes. He also played in 2 Calder Cup Playoff games, running some respectable numbers.
The fairly sizable 6’3″ 195 lbs. fared less well in his two appearances with the big club.
He was credited for only one of the losses but got shellacked on the stat sheet with a dismal 5.32 GAA and .841 SV%. He did earn a third star award in one of the games for at least keeping his team competitive in one of the defeats.
As a teenager he already experienced pro hockey in his home country playing last season in net with MODO of the SHL. He also backstopped 14 games for them in 2011/2012, while still participating in juniors and incidentally won a gold medal at the WJC.
For his first official year of pro hockey he kept the crease clear for Sodertalje of tier two Allsvenskan.
Although he may have come out of the gate in the show less than spectacularly, the still very young 21-year old is best suited playing a good 30+ game schedule in the minors and given plenty of room to develop as he’s signed for a 3-year entry level deal through 2016.
See related: 5/4-2014
Despite basically exploding the score sheet (98 goals, 141 assists, 233 games) in four years in the QMJHL with Quebec Remparts, fourth year right wing Jonathan Marchessault(18) went undrafted, signing his first contract with Connecticut Whale.
Maybe his small stature at 5’9″ 177 lbs. kept the parent clubs away from selecting him but he was able to replicate what he did in juniors in his first pro season putting up 24 tallies and 40 helpers in 76 AHL games, which was best on the team for assists and had him tied for overall points.
For his sophomore campaign he was signed by Columbus Blue Jackets for a 3-year entry level deal on the first day of free agency going into his sophomore campaign.
He spent all but 2 NHL games with affiliate Springfield Falcons connecting for another 21 goals, 46 assists and 77 points, once again leading his team and was second with a phenomenal +20 rating.
Near the end of his second season in the Blue Jackets‘ system he was somewhat surprisingly traded in a mostly minor league transaction to Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was immediately sent to Syracuse Crunch.
Heading in the current hockey year, he had a strong camp going as one of the last cuts to be reassigned.
The 23-year old is off to a mightily quick start with 2 goals and 5 assists in 6 contests, earning him a one game call-up.
He has yet to record a point in the show but is still waiting for longer stint with the big club and that should happen if he continues on the pace he’s at.
See related: 11/3-11
2nd year defenseman/left wing Drew Olson(21) leaves North American hockey to try his game in Norway’s GET-ligaen, signing a one-year deal with Lillehammer.
He played his rookie season under contract with Syracuse Crunch after being traded to Tampa Bay Lightning organization for future considerations before his first campaign started.
Originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#118 overall), they seemed to cool on him as he played at University Of Minnesota-Duluth despite being part of the 2011 NCAA Championship team.
In 47 AHL games he scored 3 goals and 1 assists with a -10 rating on squad that struggled to put together wins.
The 24-year old skated the blue line for his college career but was switched to a forward spot when he arrived at the pro level.
It looks like he’ll be back on defense when he starts overseas.
Hershey Bears‘ 9th year veteran Dane Byers(38) needs not worry where he’ll play next season as the team captain been invited back to continue his role in Chocolatetown.
Maybe a bit of a less than surprise move, as the 28-year old left wing signed his first minor league deal to join the much-storied AHL team last season.
The solid 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward has appeared in only 14 NHL games, 6 with New York Rangers (drafted 2nd round, 46th overall in 2004) and 8 with Columbus Blue Jackets.
He was able to pot one goal.
A proven leader on and off the ice, he plays a gutsy style that never shies away from delivering a crushing hit or fisticuffs if called upon to drop the gloves.
He had the most penalty minutes last season, 211 since his rookie campaign in 2006/2007.
No doubt what will be foremost on his mind will be returning the club to a postseason berth, which they missed for the first time in 8 straight years of appearances.