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18Sep

Dany Heatley(51) Nurnberg Ice Tigers

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 14th year veteran left wing Dany Heatley(51) signed a one year deal over the summer after spending a three seasons with Minnesota Wild (two as assistant captain), 2 with San Jose Sharks, 4 with Ottawa Senators and his first three with 2000 draft team (1st round, #2 overall) Atlanta Thrashers.

He was hampered by an early groin injury at the beginning of the campaign and then had to fight to gain a roster spot on an already pretty deep team with many prospects in the wings.

When he did get in, reports have it that he looked out of step, unable to keep up and failed to connect with the score sheet in six contests.

Before Christmas for the first time ever he was put on waivers for reassignment to under performing minor league affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

The somewhat huge 6’3″ 219 lbs. forward looks a lot out of place skating in the AHL but basically seems to only have it in third gear most of the time.

He has an unimpressive 2 tallies and 5 helpers in 24 games.

Where the former two-time 50 goal scorer goes next is fully up in the air but retirement may not be out of the question for the 34-year old.

In a career 869 NHL games, he has scored an absolutely phenomenal 372 goals and 419 assists with a +38 rating and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2010 with Team Canada, pretty great stats to hang up the skates with.

Original story: 2/24-15

Four days after this article was posted he would get traded from the Ducks‘ organization to Florida Panthers and be reassigned to their minor league affiliate San Antonio Rampage.

Even though he wasn’t going to be skating more NHL games with the big club, it was easily a much happier landing place as he was on a high scoring squad in playoff contention.

His play pointed towards better surroundings as he scored 6 goals and 7 assists in 18 contests but failed to connect in three postseason match-ups.

As his 15th season of pro hockey approaches he makes the commitment to join Nurnberg Ice Tigers as the new DEL calendar is just getting started.

He should be able to fully find his scoring touch on the bigger sheets of ice and may play out a few more years overseas before deciding to move onto the next chapter post-hockey life.

31Aug

Joel Broda (19)

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4th year center Joel Broda(6) is playing his first season as an unrestricted free agent after his 3-year entry level contract with Minnesota Wild was not qualified.

He signed a one-year minor league deal with Bakersfield Condors for 2013/2014, returning to the team he skated with on reassignment from Houston Aeros during his rookie season.

He played 124 AHL games through three seasons with the Aeros scoring 21 goals and 17 assists.

The 6′ 203 lbs. forward was an Oklahoma City Barons‘ training camp invite and impressed enough to score a call-up for 8 games near the start of the season, potting a goal and an assist quickly but then cooled off before being returned a month later.

He would get right to it in the ECHL, where he struck for 19 goals and 16 assists in 35 games.

His explosion on the score sheet gained him notice from Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who signed him to a pto and out of the gate he’s fitting right in with team chemistry.

Again, he scored early in his recall netting a pair of tallies and a helper in his first three contests.

Originally a Washington Capitals‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#144 overall), he had a notable junior hockey career scoring a league leading 53 goals in 2008/2009 and winning the WHL Championship with Calgary Hitmen in the following campaign.

The 24-year plays a speedy skating style, knows how to get himself into the open spaces on the ice for scoring chances and generally unloads a ton of shots on net.

Original story: 2/26-14

His time with Bridgeport Sound Tigers would finish with the 2 goals and 4 assists in 17 games.

Released from his pto near the end of the regular season, he rejoined Bakersfield Condors as team captain for their playoff run, which last 16 games through the Kelly Cup Western Conference Finals.

Once again, he exploded on the score sheet potting 8 goals and 4 assists with a +5 rating in 16 playoff games.

His 2013/2014 performance was enough to put him on the radar of Hershey Bears, who signed him to an AHL contract roughly a month before training camps started.

Through 53 contests, he would have a somewhat rough campaign in Chocolatetown falling out of favor as he was mostly a healthy scratch down the stretch and throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs.

It was obvious his 7 goals and 3 assists fell far short of the mark.

For his 6th pro season he’s decided to take his game elsewhere, signing a one-year deal with HC Bolzano Foxes of Erte Banke Eishockey Liga.

The now 25-year old that will turn 26 a month into the new season should easily be able to duplicate the kind of numbers he put in the ECHL overseas.

07Jul

Kyle Wilson(7) MODO

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After 7 seasons of pro hockey in North America, 28-year old center Kyle Wilson(7) opts for a 1-year contract to join 2012 and 2013 KHL champs Dinamo Riga.

He was most recently signed to a two-year deal by Nashville Predators with the second year of the deal on a one-way contract.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. forward was moved in the off season to Tampa Bay Lightning, playing only 22 games for their minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch but was once again on the chopping block after scoring only 5 goals.

He was traded to Anaheim Ducks, where he was reassigned to Norfolk Admirals and seemed to regain some of his scoring touch with 3 goals and 9 assists in 16 games.

In 427 AHL games, he has amassed an impressive 319 points (149 goals and 170 assists) with an outstanding +48 rating and won back-to-back Calder Cup Championships with Hershey Bears.

Originally a Minnesota Wild 9th round pick in the 2004 draft (#272 overall), he has skated in 39 NHL games with 3 different teams recording a modest 4 goals and 9 assists.

He was set to become an unrestricted free agent upon deciding to take his game overseas.

Original story: 6/12-13

He had an exceptional first season with Dinamo Riga scoring close to point-per-game numbers (17-27-44) in 49 games but was sidelined late in the campaign with a back injury.

The Oakville, ON native would switch KHL teams in the offseason on a pair of occasions and start 2014/2015 with Traktor Chelyabinsk but returned to Dinamo Riga after 22 contests.

His production suffered greatly, as he was possibly still recovering from surgery, only connecting for 2 goals and 13 assists.

Heading into his 9th season the 30-year old moves on to join MODO of the SHL for 2015/2016 and should be able to get his mojo back.

See related: 3/8-11, 3/12-13

19Mar

Matt Dumba(55) Minnesota Wild

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Minnesota Wild 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#7 overall) defenseman Matt Dumba(55) has been on a wild ride to start his pro career but is starting to settle nicely now.

He started in 2013 with then affiliate Houston Aeros skating in three regular season contests and 5 in the playoffs.

The very tough, hard hitting 6′ 189 lbs. d-man with the rocket blast from the point made his NHL debut out of training camp and played 13 games on the roster until he was reassigned to join the Canadian National Team at the WJC, then subsequently sent back for his final year of junior hockey with Portland Winterhawks.

Once again he made the squad to start 2014/2015 but his game was a bit slow to materialize, so he was sent down to farm team Iowa Wild, where he spent the next six weeks skating hard, proving his abilities were ready to step up.

He was recalled but returned to the minors once again for a shorter stint.

In 20 AHL appearances he ended up getting 5 goals and 9 assists with a +2 rating and 39 shots on net and that was probably the last time he’ll be on the bus heading to games.

19Feb

Ryan Walters(15) Iowa Wild

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Iowa Wild‘s undrafted rookie left wing Ryan Walters(15) has been virtually a point-per-game performer while on reassignment with Alaska Aces.

In 26 ECHL games he scored 10 goals and 13 assists.

The 2013 Hobey Baker Award Finalist needed to regain the scoring confidence that had him net 22 goals and 30 assists in his third year and another 27 helpers in his final campaign at University Of Nebraska-Omaha.

The 6′ 190 lbs. power forward was also a bit of a sniper for two years in the USHL with Des Moines Buccaneers.

Without a contract for his first season, he signed an ato to join Bridgeport Sound Tigers after his college career wrapped up.

He skated 11 games potting his first pro goal and added a pair of assists on a very young squad.

As an invite to Minnesota Wild training camp the inner state native did all he could to stay on the radar.

The 23-year was sent down under the watchful eye of the parent club and ultimately inked a one-year AHL standard player contract.

He was recently recalled and in 16 games he has a goal and 5 assists, which is pretty good, but easily more is expected of this prospect.

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.

06Nov

Brad Winchester(15) Norfolk Admirals

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Sizable 6’5″ 230 lbs. left wing Brad Winchester(15) signed his first minor league contract to play professional hockey in his 12th year of service.

The 33-year old inked late for a one year AHL deal with Norfolk Admirals. He was also invited to Anaheim Ducks‘ training camp to start ’14/’15 but was among the first to be released, despite having a strong showing.

He actually spent 19 regular season and 3 postseason games with them a few seasons ago amongst the many teams he’s skated for.

Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2000 draft (#35 overall), he played his first four years in their system including his first two stints with a pair of farm club Roadrunners, first Toronto then Edmonton.

It wasn’t until his fourth season that he became a regular in the show.

He’s appeared in 390 NHL games (mostly through three years with St. Louis Blues) scoring 37 goals, 31 assists and a monster -42 rating.

His last pair of campaigns have been exclusively in the minors and he seems fairly comfortable assuming the role of assistant captain.

He’s quite the poiny scorer in the league too at 96 goals and 81 assists in 319 games but still haunted by a horrible -32 plus/minus.

It remains to be seen if those on ice accountability numbers will improve but he’s off to a hot start with a first time reversed 3 goals and 4 assists in 9 games and a +1.

14Oct

Colton Gillies(17) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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7th year former Minnesota Wild 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#16 overall) right wing Colton Gillies(17) is currently minus a contract for the 2014/2015 but skating AHL games with Bridgeport Sound Tigers after being released from his New York Islanders‘ training camp invite.

He played the entirety of the 2013/2014 season on a minor league deal with Rochester Americans putting up close to career high numbers but even those are barely something to write home about (9-15-24).

The fairly large 6’4″ 190 lbs. forward has skated most of three full campaigns in the NHL with a pair of clubs.

His numbers up in the big league are minimal as well (6-12-18 in 154 games).

He never really produced on the score sheet through three years of junior hockey in the WHL with Saskatoon Blades. which makes it a bit of a wonder how he was ever selected so high and even traded up to get.

In a pair of games in this early season, he has yet to record a point playing on a pto.

He’s definitely a good leader type figure for the young squad to retain but it’s a wonder if they will.

24Feb

Chad Rau(20) Worcester Sharks

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5th year center Chad Rau(20) recently moved from Minnesota Wild‘s prospect system, the only one he knew, to San Jose Sharks‘ organization and was reassigned from minor league affiliate Iowa Wild to Worcester Sharks.

His point production dipped severely in 33 AHL games, putting in only a single tally and adding half a dozen assists on a team that struggles to connect on the score sheet but continues to be in the hunt of a Western Conference playoff spot.

He has yet to catch fire so to speak with his new club notching only a pair of assists in 8 contests.

The not exactly huge 5’11” 178 lbs. forward averaged 35 points in each of his first four seasons and dipped below that mark last year but also had a career second best 16 goals.

Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 7th round pick in the 2005 draft (#228 overall), he was never signed and inked a 2-year entry level contract with the Wild.

He has played in 9 NHL games and potted two goals in his short stint and was recalled and sent back numerous times

The 27-year old has definitely attained some pretty good goals: 2005 USHL Rookie Of The Year, four reputable years at Colorado College with close to point-per-game production and a trip to the 2011 Calder Cup Finals in his first year pro with Houston Aeros.

His 2-year extension is up at the end of this season and it’s definitely a wonder where the veteran will end up next.

23Dec

Pierre-Marc Bouchard(96) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Former Minnesota Wild 1st round pick in the 2002 draft (#8 overall) veteran left wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard(96) is spending his first time in the AHL since the lockout season of 2004/2005, when he skated with minor league affiliate Houston Aeros.

A veteran of 12 seasons he’s skated 593 NHL games scoring a very tidy 110 goals and 246 assists with an overall +6 rating.

Standing at a mid-sized 5’10” with a small 175 lbs. frame, he’s a quick moving forward with great instincts but has also been injury-prone in the last few years and missed 2009/2010 altogether.

In the four previous seasons though, he was averaging almost 60 points a campaign with over 40 assists.

Reassigned to minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers by New York Islanders, his first team other after a phenomenal 11 seasons with the Wild, he’s already put up a goal and 3 assists in 4 games.

The 29-year old is a great stabilizing presence for what is a young squad in the parent club’s prospect system.

He’s likely to reach the 600 game mark in the show but may need to wait another season.

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