NHL draft pick | CollegeHockeyPlayers

10Feb

Jack Skille(10)

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7th year, former Chicago Blackhawks‘ 1st round pick in the 2005 draft (#7 overall) right wing Jack Skille(15) played exclusively in the NHL for the last three seasons, mostly with Florida Panthers after a trade in late 2011.

In that time he skated in 148 games and scored a somewhat underwhelming 15 goals and 26 assists.

At 6’1″ 216 lbs. he’s definitely got power forward size and plays a bit of a laid back version of that style but definitely can get to the net.

As an unrestricted free agent he signed a one-year two-way contract with Columbus Blue Jackets in the off-season and has split time with minor league affiliate Springfield Falcons pretty evenly.

In 12 games with a parent club he has 4 goals and is a +2. In the AHL he’s basically at a point-per-game with 4 strikes and 6 helpers in 11 contests.

Really tough to say where the 26-year old goes next but you have to wonder if he wouldn’t have a breakout year on a wing with some other explosive forwards.

03Feb

T.J. Hensick(28) Hartford Wolf Pack

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7th year veteran center T.J. Hensick(28) returns to North American hockey after a half season away in the SHL with MODO.

He was released by the team after under-producing on the score sheet.

Signed to an AHL contract by Abbotsford Heat but then claimed off waivers by Hartford Wolf Pack, his last two pro years were spent with Peoria Rivermen, under a 2-way contract with St. Louis Blues.

The 5’9″ 195 lbs. forward was originally a Colorado Avalanche 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft (#88 overall) and played three seasons with the team and in their system.

He’s played 112 NHL games scoring 12 goals and 24 assists, last appearing in the league in 2012 with the Blues.

The 28-year old has skated in 332 minor league games with impressive numbers: 103 goals and 246 assists, making him more than a point-per-game player.

He had impressive numbers through his college career at University Of Michigan, winning a national championship in 2005 and being named a Hobey Baker Award finalist in two of his four season.

Where he goes next year is up for grabs but his contributions with his new team are already being noticed.

30Jan

Mike Hoffman(27) Binghamton Senators

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Ottawa Senators‘ center Mike Hoffman(27) is blowing up the score sheet in his 4th season with minor league affiliate Binghamton Senators.

Through 44 AHL games he has career highs with 23 goals, 35 assists and 55 points and currently sits second overall in scoring.

The former 5th round pick in the 2009 draft (#150 overall) notch 4 tallies and a helper in a big midweek 6-3 win that has to have him wondering when his next NHL call-up is.

He skated in 3 games with the parent club this season and 7 overall but has yet to come up with his first mark.

The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward was well over a point-per-game player in three years of juniors in the QMJHL and looks to be ready to contribute at the highest level of hockey as he continues showing his potential in the prospective system.

Signed in the off-season to a one-year extension he’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current campaign.

Look for the current captain to continue with the farm club, while he waits for another opportunity.

Of little surprise, the 24-year old was named AHL Player Of The Week on February 3.

see related: 7/15-11

16Jan

James Melindy(4) Portland Pirates

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft (#88 overall) defenseman James Melindy(4) spent the start of his rookie season on the injured reserve list with minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

Finally healthy enough at the turn of the new year he made it back into the lineup and through 14 AHL games he has his first pro marker but a -8 rating on a team that struggles at times.

At 6’3″ 187 lbs. he’s a pretty big, mostly stay-at-home style blue liner but he did show some offensive upside in his last couple campaigns of junior hockey with Moncton Wildcats before deciding to turn pro after his third year.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2016, the recently just turned 20-year old is probably viewed by the parent club as a work in progress despite his pretty high selection but looks to have the ability to break out sooner than later and could get an NHL look as soon as next season.

14Jan

Ivan Telegin (22)

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After refusing to start his sophomore campaign with minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps, Winnipeg Jets‘ Russian-born left wing Ivan Telegin(22) is being loaned back to his native country to skate in the KHL with CSKA Moskva for the balance of the regular season.

Originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 4th round pick in the 2010 draft (#101 overall), he only managed to play in 34 AHL games in his rookie year due to concussion symptoms that dragged on into the off-season.

He posted 3 goals and 7 assists in his limited time on ice.

In his three seasons of OHL junior hockey with a pair of teams he was over a point-per-game player.

The fairly large 6’3″ 198 lbs. forward is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2015 but may only lace up his skates again in North America if he’s traded.

For now it’s a wait and see process for the 21-year old’s future.

10Jan

Cédric Paquette(17) Syracuse Crunch

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Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#101 overall) rookie center Cedric Paquette(17) has to be loving life since being a surprise selection and deciding to turn pro after only two seasons in juniors with Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

On reassignment to minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch, he’s being used in every possible game situation: 5-on-5, power plays and penalty kills.

The ice time is definitely paying off as he has 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 games with a +5 rating.

In his pair of campaigns in the QMJHL, he was easily a point-per-game player but also never shies away from the rough stuff as his penalty minutes indicate.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal through the 2016 season, the 20-year old is already paying dividends for the parent club that chose him on a hunch, and his future is looking quite bright.

08Jan

Dominik Uher(26) WBS Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#144 overall), Czech Republic-born center Dominik Uher(26) has already surpassed his rookie season highs in assists and points and is one goal away from setting a new mark in goals as well.

In 31 AHL games with minor league affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins he has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points. Last season in 53 regular season contests he tallied 7 points total.

The 6’1″ 199 lbs. forward plays a feisty style of game out there and only really started to light the lamp before turning pro in his final season of junior hockey in the WHL with Spokane Chiefs, when he was a bit over a point-per-game guy.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal through the end of the 2015 campaign, the still very young 21-year old seems to be just hitting his stride.

It would be no shock to see him continue to increase his point totals and maybe get a look at his NHL game by the parent club.

02Jan

Max Friberg(14) Norfolk Admirals

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#143 overall), Swedish-born left wing Max Friberg(14) is off to a nice start in his rookie season.

In 33 games with minor league affiliate Norfolk Admirals he has 9 goals and 9 assists with a +8 rating.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal in the offseason, he continued to play in his home country’s pro league, SHL for one more campaign before joining the Admirals for 6 contests, scoring his first tally, at the end of 2012/2013.

Listed at 5’11” 195 lbs., those measurements seem a bit generous. His speedy skating style and stick-handling abilities is definitely more akin to a smaller sized player.

He won a gold medal at the under 20 World Junior Championships, finished as scoring leader and was selected to the All-Star Team.

It seems unlikely with all the depth in the prospect system that he earns a call-up this season but he could easily work his way up to fill a roster spot next year, which is also the final year of his deal.

31Dec

Adam Lowry(47) St. John’s IceCaps

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#66 overall) rookie center Adam Lowry(47) has all the size and skill set to become a power forward in the NHL but needs to prove his worth first with minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps before he gets his opportunity.

The 6’5″ 205 lbs. skater has 3 goals and 4 assists in 23 AHL games with a -3 rating but is always positioning himself in the middle of the action, using his extra large frame to control the puck.

He was awarded WHL Player Of The Year for 2012/2013, tallying 88 points (45 goals, 43 assists) with a +18 rating and 102 penalty minutes for a well-rounded campaign.

In four seasons of junior hockey with Swift Current Broncos, he was very nearly a point-per-game player and served as team captain in his final run.

The still very young 20-year old is signed to a three year entry level contract and may never quite get the point production expected of him but when he receives his recall he’ll likely never look back.

27Dec

Petr Straka (24)

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Czech Republic-born rookie right wing Petr Straka(24) was originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#55 overall) but went unsigned until Philadelphia Flyers stepped in with a 3-year entry level deal for the 2009/2010 QMJHL Rookie Of The Year.

In four seasons of junior hockey he was a point-per-game producer (97-111-208 in 212 contests).

He attended a pair of Blue Jackets‘ training camps but they remained under-impressed allowing him to explore other options.

The seemingly smaller than he measures, 6’ 195 lbs. forward starts his first pro season with minor league affiliate Adirondack Phantoms, where in 28 AHL games he has put up 5 goals and 10 assists with a +1 rating on a team that’s just below the playoff bubble.

At just 21-years old, he looks to be a player that has all the promise to explode on the score sheet but for now he’s maybe playing his game a bit under the NHL radar.