Tagged: New York Islanders

23Nov

Anders Lee (9)

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anders-lee1

New York Islanders‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#152 overall) left wing Anders Lee(9) played a pair of NHL games fresh off finishing up his third season at University Of Notre Dame that culminated in an NCAA (CCHA) Championship.

He scored his first big league goal and added an assist in his debut.

Also very close to a point per game player in college hockey, he scored 61 goals and 55 assists in 125 games with a monstrous +33 rating.

The rangy 6’3″ 225 lbs. forward was unable to find his roster spot with the parent club to start his rookie campaign and reassigned to minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

In his first 16 AHL games he has a mighty 6 goals and 7 assists out of the gate.

One would have to think if a spot opens up on the Islanders‘ lineup due to injury, the just turned 21-year old has to be on a short list for a recall.

20Nov

Brenden Kichton (8)

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brenden-kichton2

Double draft pick (most recently Winnipeg Jets‘ 7th round in the 2013 draft, #190overall) rookie defenseman Brenden Kichton(8) was making a huge splash on the back line in his last few years of juniors with Spokane Chiefs.

He managed 240 assists in 202 WHL games, good enough for most helpers in the league from 2010-2012 and lead all d-men in points those years as well.

It’s surprising his number slipped so far down in the most recent draft, especially considering his offensive explosion.

He was originally taken by New York Islanders in the 5th round of 2011 (#127 overall) but failed to work out a contract with the team.

The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner was also invited to join Detroit Red Wings‘ prospect camp in 2010.

He was reassigned to Winnipeg‘s minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps to start his debut campaign and has continued to effectively head man the puck for scoring chances.

In 17 AHL games he has 2 goals and 9 assists with a +5 rating.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal, the 21-year old looks to have a bright future ahead of him and will likely realize his first NHL recall this season.

19Nov

Yann Danis(34) Adirondack Phantoms

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Yann Danis

Undrafted 10th year veteran goalie Yann Danis(34) has played NHL games in four of his five last seasons. He had one campaign on the interim in the KHL.

Signed to a 1-year two-way deal with Philadelphia Flyers, he’s splitting time between the pipes for their minor league affiliate Adirondack Phantoms and is an invaluable mentor to young prospects in the system.

He has 284 regular season games of AHL experience with a roughly 2.46 GAA and .913 SV%. He was named goaltender of the league in 2012 for his consistent play.

The 5’11” 182 lbs. net minder also has 53 NHL games, mostly in one run with New York Islanders but also appearances with Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and most recently for Edmonton Oilers.

His numbers in the show are a bit less impressive at 3.02 GAA and .891 SV% but they’ve mostly been when called in as the back-up.

The 32-year old will likely get his chance at another big league game and the trend will continue.

It will definitely be interesting to see where he lands for his 11th season in 2014/2015.

09Nov

Mike Halmo(26) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Mike Halmo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York Islanders‘ undrafted, 2nd year left wing Mike Halmo(26) is off to a flying start with minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

In 8 games he’s already surpassed (by 1) the 5 goals he scored in 46 games from his rookie season. He’s also less than half a dozen assists and points away from eclipsing those marks as well.

The 5’11” 195 lbs. forward put up big numbers in his final year of juniors with Owen Sound Attack and may just be starting to catch fire on the score sheet as a pro. He also their captain and won an OHL Championship in 2010 with the team

He signed a three-year entry level deal that keeps him in the prospect system through 2015.

The 22-year old is making a solid argument that he belongs on a higher level of play but the parent club is probably waiting a little bit to see if he can sustain it.

01Nov

Brett Skinner(24) Norfolk Admirals

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Brett Skinner

9th year veteran defenseman Brett Skinner(24) interestingly signed with the Central Hockey League Allen Americans, eventual President’s Cup winners, after returning from a couple of seasons overseas. Two years ago he ended up playing for teams in Germany, Finland and Sweden, but in the season before that one he played a full campaign in the KHL.

He put up some pretty impressive numbers in the lower league, skating 27 games, scoring 7 goals and 30 assists with a +4 rating.

Grand Rapids Griffins swooped in and signed him to a pto half way through 2012/2013. They upped that to a standard players contract in short order and their season culminated 100 games later as the 2013 Calder Cup Champs.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. blue liner was originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 3rd round pick in the 2002 draft (#68 overall) but only played a single year in their system before bouncing around with a few AHL teams until he signed in the off-season of 2008 with New York Islanders for a spell, played his only 11 NHL games with them. The next season he scored some fairly decent numbers reassigned to minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters while under contract with Colorado Avalanche.

Probably helped him get some decent money in Russia.

At 30 years old with his new team Norfolk Admirals, he already has three assists in 7 games. His AHL stats are pretty amazing at 369 games (and counting) 28 goals and 151 assists.

It’s all about the break out pass.

21Oct

Rob Davison(3) Worcester Sharks

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Rob Davison

13th year defenseman Rob Davison(3) comes full circle in his pro career signing a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks, the team that picked him in the 4th round of the 1998 draft (#98 overall).

He spent the last couple of seasons overseas playing mostly for EC Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Hockey League.

The rock solid 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner has skated in 219 NHL games with the Sharks, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils.

His tour of the AHL has been a bit more well-traveled with stops that include games for Kentucky Thoroughblades, Cleveland Barons, Lowell and Albany Devils and this year he’s team captain of Worcester Sharks.

The 33-year old has never been the biggest point getter but guards his own zone with gusto and has topped the 200 penalty minute mark twice in his first pair of seasons and then put up over 100 pims before leaving North American hockey.

He’s a true leader that will likely find himself behind the bench in a coaching role once he decides he’s had enough ice time.

11Oct

Aaron Johnson(44) New York Rangers

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Aaron Johnson

11th year defenseman Aaron Johnson(44) signs a 1-year, 1-way contract with New York Rangers, his 7th NHL team.

He was made their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack team captain to start the season and there could be similar thoughts like what Nashville Predators did when signing him to a one-year deal, ship him to their minor league affiliate, Milwaukee Admirals for the season. But the parent club’s slow out of the gate and may need to switch things up even further, which would open the door for the 30-year defenseman to get some more games in the show on his stat sheet.

He’s played 297 big league games scoring 17 times with 45 assists and a nifty little +1 rating.

In the AHL his numbers are sort of phantomly similar with 26 goals and 86 helpers but he has a -5 plus/minus.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2001 draft (#85 overall) still has some left in the tank.

A couple of seasons ago, back with the team that drafted him, he put up a career tying 3 goals and a high mark 13 assists.

We think it’s likely he gets to the 300 NHL game club this season.

18Aug

Max MacKay(17) Wheeling Nailers

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Max MacKay

It was a very trying rookie season for undrafted right wing Max MacKay(17) due to a series of injuries and a reported terrible bout with the flu that sidelined him for all but 16 games in 2012/2013.

Signed to an AHL contract with Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he was limited to only 8 appearances notching 3 assists.

Loaned to Wheeling Nailers to gets his wheels working the 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward was still bugged skating in only 8 ECHL games but struck for a pair of goals and 4 assists.

Taking an odd route through the Atlantic Junior Hockey program before turning pro, he was a 2-point-per-game player in the tier III league, leading the team in scoring and to a pair of championships.

The 22-year old inked a one-year deal to re-join Wheeling for the upcoming season and get back on the radar in hopes to continue his climb up the pro hockey ladder.

He was an invite to the 2012 New York Islanders‘ development camp. His uncle is in fact, coach Jack Capuano.

07Aug

Jason Gregoire(17) Södertälje

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Jason Gregoire

3rd year unrestricted free agent left wing Jason Gregoire(17) signs a one-year deal to join second tier Swedish pro league team, Södertälje in Allsvenskan for the 2013/2014 season.

He was originally a New York Islanders‘ 3rd round draft pick in 2007 (#76 overall) but never signed and instead inked a two-year entry level contract with his hometown team, Winnipeg Jets. He was not given a qualifying offer to continue in the prospect system.

The 5’11” forward was virtually a point per game player in 3 years at University of North Dakota and won an NCAA Championship in ’09 and ’10. He was also selected twice to the All-Academic Team.

Upon turning pro he spent two seasons in the AHL with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.

He skated in a career high 60 games, posting sophomore season marks slightly above what he had in his rookie campaign with 10 goals and 18 points, but his two-year totals at 16-16 in 104 may have been a bit underwhelming.

The still very young 24-year old will probably light the lamp big in Europe and progress to greater heights overseas and could return to North America in the future.

03Jul

Tony DeHart(2) St. Charles Chill

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After a couple of seasons with the ECHL Stockton Thunder, including an appearance in the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals with the team, 3rd year defenseman Tony DeHart(2) is one of the first players to sign with the Central Hockey League expansion St. Charles Chill for the 2013/2014 season.

Originally a New York Islanders‘ fifth round pick in the 2010 draft (#125 overall), the 6’2″ 202 lbs. blue liner was never signed. Instead, he attended Montreal Canadiens‘ and AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs‘ training camps on an invite before being released.

He signed his first contract with Stockton as a rookie and inked an extension to return for his sophomore campaign, where he had career highs in goals, assists and points finishing the 2012/2013 season with 5-20-25 marks.

Not being so much of a stranger to putting up points, he notched 40 assists in his fourth year in juniors with Oshawa Generals and has continued to increased the number of pucks he’s put on net for scoring chances.

Joining the St. Charles‘ squad brings the 23-year old back to his home state of Missouri. He was born less than a half hour away from their home arena. u

Chances are he’ll look to impress and put up points in an effort to move back up the pro hockey ladder.

Tony DeHart