Tagged: New York Rangers

5th year Washington Capitals‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#35 overall), center Francois Bouchard(27) found himself at the start of the season without a contract in what’s maybe been a bit of a tricky year for more than a few players to get work playing pro hockey.

After his initial 3-year entry level deal was up, he signed on for one more campaign in the Capitals‘ prospect system but was bounced from his time with Hershey Bears (where he won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2009 & 2010) to New York RangersAHL affiliate Connecticut Whale and uneventfully finished out the term of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent.

For the first time in his career he signs a minor league deal to play in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2012/2013.

It just maybe a smart move as he needs to reenergize that scoring touch he showed in his second year, when he popped in 21 and assisted on another 31 in 74 games played and was a crazy good +21 plus/minus.

If he starts to ignite and the NHL unfreezes the lockout, expect him to move back up the ladder.

4th year undrafted center Paul Crowder(11) started the season in Austria’s Erste Band Eishockey Liga with Znojmo Ovli HC but got injured half a dozen games into the season and was put on waivers.

No problem as the 27-year old returns for a third ECHL season with Wheeling Nailers, where he has found a home and a good deal of success in addition to being named team captain last season.

In 94 regular and postseason games, he struck for 31 goals and 50 assists and had just joined the team when they made their Kelly Cup run that took them to the Eastern Conference Final.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward started his career signed to a one-year entry level deal with New York Rangers but played his entire rookie season in the AHL with Hartford Wolf Pack.

He failed to get a call-up in his sophomore year but was recalled by Manchester Monarchs for 5 games in last season.

He definitely has size to his advantage but even if he’s playing on an energy line should show more of a flare for scoring like he does in the lower league.

3rd year defenseman Sam Klassen(3) signs a one-year AHL deal with Connecticut Whale after spending most his first two seasons with the team while under an entry-level contract with their parent club, New York Rangers.

With all the depth on the Blueshirts‘ blue line, it was tough for the undrafted d-man to make an impression. He appeared in a career high 36 AHL games in 2011/2012 and put up his first pro point, an assist.

At 6’1 195 lbs. he doesn’t play an overly physical game but put up some offensive numbers in juniors, so the team must think the 23-year old still has the ability to become a puck-moving defenseman as a pro.

In 89 ECHL games with Greenville Road Warriors he’s scored 4 times and added 19 assists with most of those coming in his rookie campaign, when he got to spend more time with just one minor leage team.

He’ll need to step it up in training camp and early in the preseason to earn a roster spot.

Former Worcester Sharks‘ captain/defenseman Mike Moore(8) and former Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ left wing Micheal Haley(18) had an axe to grind all season mixing it up on a number of occasions when the two teams met during the 2011/2012 season. The sluggers match up fairly well at roughly the same size and weight.

They won’t get to see much of one another next year though as both players have signed contracts that will see them play in different conferences.

Moore will likely be guarding the blue line for Milwaukee Admirals, while Haley moves up the highway joining Connecticut Whale.

Both could see some time in the NHL with affiliates Nashville Predators and New York Rangers, which could reopen the can of worms.

brodie-dupont2

Facing unrestricted free agency status, 6th year left wing Brodie Dupont(9) jumps ship after one dismal season with Milwaukee Admirals to skate with HC Valpellice Bulldogs of Italy pro hockey for 2012/2013.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. forward was originally a New York Rangers 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft (#66 overall) but skated only one NHL contest with the team. He appeared in 297 AHL games with their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale scoring 58 goals and 90 assists before being traded as an rfa to Nashville Predators at the start of 2011 free agency.

The 25-year old is a big man on ice but seems to lack the aggressive follow through punch that would make him a more effective power forward. Maybe the time overseas will help his overall game.

Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Lee Baldwin(77) signed a 2-year entry level deal with New York Rangers to start his pro career. But that didn’t necessarily mean if he failed to make the NHL roster he was automatically going to end up with their AHL affiliate. In fact, he played in more ECHL games over the last two seasons with Greenville Road Warriors (85 total, 8 goals and 21 assists with a +16 rating) than he did with Connecticut Whale (38 for 0 points).

Heading into 2012/2013 as an unrestricted free agent, the 24-year old, 6’4″ 205 lbs. blue liner, signed a one-year deal to play again with the Road Warriors. No doubt, if Connecticut needs a defenseman, he’ll be the first called up, signed to a pto.

 

There comes a time when a player has pretty much done all he can in North America. Even though he was drafted by Montreal Canadiens in the 4th round of 2003 (#114 overall), has 573 AHL regular season and another 62 playoff games to his credit; plus 2 Calder Cup Championships (Binghamton 2011 and Hamilton 2007), has scored 197 goals and added 383 assists for a total of 580 points and has plenty of other accolades including league MVP to his credit, sometimes it’s just time.

28-year old center Corey Locke(84) signed on with TPS of SM-liiga for the 2012/2013 season as he becomes an unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year deal in 2010 with Ottawa Senators.

Odds are the quick thinking, skillful 5’9″ 175 lbs. playmaker will continue to produce a point per game even in the new environment.

It comes as a bit of a surprise that he would leave to go play in Europe as his two-way contract pays him pretty well and another team could easily use his services for another couple of seasons, but again, seems like more of a timing issue; and the level of hockey he’s entering will keep him at the top of his game.

Ironically he earned his only NHL point, an assist, last season. He’s appeared in only 9 big league games.

See related posts: 1/15/11, 5/6/116/5/11.

New York Rangers‘ restricted free agent, right wing Mats Zuccarello(36) inks a one-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL for 2012/2013.

The 24-year old Norwegian forward had signed a 2-year entry level deal through the end of last season and skated 52 NHL games for 8 goals and 18 assists, along with some clutch shootout strikes for Blueshirts’ wins.

In 73 AHL games with Connecticut Whale, he was pretty much a point per game guy at 25 goals and 40 assists.

The 5’7 179 lbs. spark plug winger had an unlucky year with injuries dealing first with an ankle situation that sidelined him for a couple of months. Then when he finally was called up to the Rangers, he was doing ok with a goal and a pair of assists in 10 games and fractured his wrist.

Out for another six weeks during the start of New York’s Stanley Cup Playoff run, he was able to return only near the end of the Eastern Conference Finals but wasn’t used.

We think it’s a bit of a wonder why they don’t just offer him a one-year one-way extension to stay.

Connecticut Whale defenseman Pavel Valentenko(25) heads back home to Russia giving up his restricted free agency status with New York Rangers and signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. This team went to the Garagin Cup Finals last season and lost to Dynamo Moscow in 7 games.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 5th round of the 2006 draft (#139 overall) and played his rookie season with Hamilton Bulldogs before getting traded to the Rangers.

The 24-year old d-man has yet to appear in an NHL game and he may have slid on their depth chart, which may point to good reason for his departure.

In two seasons with Connecticut Whale, he scored 10 goals and 31 assists in 154 regular and postseason games. He had an especially good feed in game 4 of the Calder Cup Semi-Finals in what was his last AHL win.

The one stat that really sticks out for the 6’2″ 202 lbs. blue liner is his +39 plus/minus, a huge feat for a player that eats up all those minutes in his own zone. It’s kind of a wonder why he never got a look.

Last season New York Rangers sent 1st round pick in the 2008 draft defenseman Michael Del Zotto(2) down to the AHL for an 11 game wake up call scare with Connecticut Whale.

His stats had fallen off his rookie season totals significantly.

In this, his third pro season he is returning to his scoring stud ways finishing up the year with career highs in virtually every stat on the sheet.

Currently fighting for their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference Finals, he has put up numbers that leave him only one point shy of the league’s top scoring defenseman in the postseason, his teammate Dan Girardi. The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner did score the game-winner game 7 of the Semi-Finals to get them to this round.

This being the final season of his 3-year entry level deal, it’s been interesting quiet in regards to any reports of a new contract.