NHL draft pick | CollegeHockeyPlayers

18May

Jesse Joensuu(6) Team Finland

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Soon to be 5th year pro left wing Jesse Joensuu(6) was originally picked in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft (#60 overall) by New York Islanders.

He played for three seasons, 186 regular and postseason games with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers putting up 46 goals and 77 assists.

The towering 6’4″ 207 lbs. was projected to be a power forward but he plays more of a finesse style of hockey than a physical one despite his large-sized frame.

In 60 NHL games, all with the Isles, he has a somewhat disappointing 8 goals and 5 assists. His first big league goal came in his first game, which got him off to a good start.

For 2011/2012 he decided to leave his restricted free agent status on the table and play in the Swedish Elite League and play for HV71, where the 24-year old seemed to prosper some with 19 goals, 16 assists in 50 games.

What could be his greatest marker in his career so far though, just recently happened at the IIHF World Championship as his home country’s Team Finland advanced into the semifinals round after he got the game-wimmer with 8.8 seconds left in regulation. In the process, he knocked Team USA out of the medal round.

Will he return to North American hockey? Maybe after this feat of heroics but not for 2012/2013 as he’s already listed on the roster for HV71.

17May

Michael Del Zotto(2) New York Rangers

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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.

16May

Oskars Bartulis(37) Adirondack Phantoms

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Adirondack Phantoms‘ Latvian-born defenseman Oskars Bartulis(37) will be heading into his 6th campaign as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization at the start of the 2012/2013 season.

He originally signed a 3-year entry level deal with the team in 2006 and was extended another 3 seasons in 2009. He’s appeared in 66 NHL games registering 1 goal and assists.

With only one more year left on his deal and him being a bit injury prone he might need an amazing training camp to get back on the Flyers‘ radar for a recall. He was originally a 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft (#91 overall).

He skated in only 36 AHL games last season, but the still young 25-year old 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner in all likelihood has much potential left in the tank.

Recently he played defense with his Latvian team at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and was said to be having fun and playing well, despite a one-game suspension.

15May

Jaroslav Janus(30) Norfolk Admirals

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3rd-ish year Norfolk Admirals‘ Slovakian-born goalie Jaroslav Janus(30) got his first start in the AHL Calder Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and blanked Connecticut Whale 4-0 to help his team take the 3-2 series advantage. He was a Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#162 overall).

A couple of nights later he would be in net again to sail his team to a 2-1 win into the Conference Finals.

In 2011/2012 he played in a career high 34 games winning 23 games with a 2.36 GAA and .914 SV%.

In the playoffs he’s really shutting down the opposition with a 1.69 GAA and .937 SV%. He has 3 wins against 1 loss.

This is the final year of his 3-year entry level deal. He’ll almost assuredly be qualified for another season and maybe even sign an extension for 2 more.

Between this 22-year old and their other goaltending prospect, Dustin Tokarski, this should be the future of the Lightning‘s occupancy between the pipes.

12May

Mike Zigomanis(93) Toronto Marlies

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Everyone’s favorite 12th year vegan pro, Toronto Marlies‘ center Mike Zigomanis(93) got the OT winner in the series vs. Abbotsford Heat to lift them into the AHL Calder Cup Western Conference Finals for the second time in the team’s history.

He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season after spending the last two in Toronto Maple Leafs‘ system. His last NHL appearance was eight games in 2009/2010.

The 6’0 200 lbs. forward has appeared in 197 NHL games scoring 21 goals and 19 assists.

Chances are probably pretty good that the Leafs will keep the 31-year veteran around for another year. He’s pretty much the consummate player to have on your team.

10May

Alexandre Picard(9) Norfolk Admirals

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Former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2004 draft (#8 overall), left wing Alexandre Picard(9) is finding his scoring touch in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs with his new team of the 2011/2012 season, Norfolk Admirals.

The 6’2″ 206 lbs. power forward was signed to a one-year two-way contract by Tampa Bay Lightning at the beginning of free agency.

In 67 NHL games over the first five years of his pro career with the Blue Jackets, he only managed a pair of assists. He was not recalled this season and in 49 AHL games scored 6 goals, 19 assists for 25 points.

He did however have his best plus/minus with a +9.

Through 7 seasons, he’s played 351 AHL regular season games scoring 111 goals and 121 assists.

In 9 postseason contests he has seemingly exploded for 6 goals and 6 assists and leads the team and league in scoring.

He potted another two in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, including the winning tally to put the Admirals up in the series 3-2 in the best-of-7.

04May

Joey Mormina(3) WBS Penguins

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Unlikely hero #2: 7th year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ defenseman Joey Mormina(3) scored the game-winning goal in the second contest of the best-of-seven AHL Calder Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. St. John’s IceCaps to even the series at one apiece.

It was his first-ever postseason point in 39 games and what a big one to get for the extra-large 6’6″ 220 lbs. blue liner. Making matters even more exciting, it happened to be a shorthanded goal for the mostly stay-at-home d-man that happened to jumped into the play.

He’s played in 456 AHL games (21 goals, 82 assists) with four different teams and this is his second-go-round with the Baby Pens in 4 seasons.

He even had a career high in goals in 2011/2012 scoring 6.

The 29-year old signed a one-year AHL contract and chances are he’ll re-sign with them for a 5th campaign as he plays is fairly accountable in his own zone and was a league 2nd best +37 plus/minus a couple of seasons ago.

He has only appeared in one NHL career game with Carolina Hurricanes in ’07/’08 and was originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 6th round pick in the 2002 draft (#193 overall). He didn’t sign with them initially but did ink a contract in 2009 and was reassigned to Adirondack Phantoms.

03May

Andreas Thuresson(55) Connecticut Whale

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Unlikely hero #1: 5th year Connecticut Whale right wing Andreas Thuresson(55) scores the overtime winning goal at 2:53 in game 1 of the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. the red-hot Norfolk Admirals to take the series lead 1-0 on enemy ice.

Originally a 5th round pick by Nashville Predators in the 2007 draft (##144 overall) the Swedish-born 6’1″ 211 lbs. forward has played 277 regular season games with their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals scoring 53 goals and 65 assists.

He has also appeared in 25 NHL games over a couple of seasons and put a goal and a pair of assists up on the scoresheet.

A peek at his postseason stats of 8 goals and 11 assists in 37 games suggests he’s more than capable of coming through with that big point when it counts.

He was traded to New York Rangers on the day after free agency began and signed to a one-year, two-way contract. We think they’ll issue him a qualifying offer for another season.

02May

Mike Vernace(48) Connecticut Whale

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6th year defenseman Mike Vernace(48) has been on quite the ride through the AHL this season as he was traded twice and is currently playing for his third team in the 2011/2012 season.

Ironically all three teams he skated for are still in the postseason.

He started the year with Norfolk Admirals, the team he’d been with for the entirety of 2010/2011 and even got into 10 games with the parent club Tampa Bay Lightning.

From there he was dished to Florida Panthers but skated only with San Antonio Rampage.

That relationship lasted only 22 games before he was once again passed along to New York Rangers in a trade deadline deal and reassigned to Connecticut Whale, where he’ll play his former team, the Admirals in the AHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in a best-of-seven series.

Originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 7th round pick in the 2004 draft (#201 overall), the 6’ 216 lbs. blue liner has only appeared in 22 NHL games throughout his playing career.

It’s a bit doubtful that he’ll crack New York Rangers‘ lineup next fall or if they’ll even sign him up for another year, as he’ll be a UFA at the conclusion of the playoff run.

We still think he’s got plenty of pop to crack a big league lineup.

30Apr

Ryan Potulny(27) Hershey Bears

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Hershey Bears‘ 7th year center Ryan Potulny(27) was a very smart 2-year pick up for Washington Capitals last season.

In 61 AHL games he scored 33 goals and 32 assists, good enough for top 10 in the league, and was a veteran force for a team that was in a bit of a rebuilding mode.

They didn’t make it out of the first round of the postseason but in 5 games he added another pair of goals and assists.

This was the first season where he failed to appear in an NHL game, which is a bit odd. In 126 games the 27-year old has recorded 22 goals and 27 assists but is an effective agitator out there.

Going into 2012/2013 his contract dictates he’s signed on a one-way contract and will be paid a minimum of $525, which again is smart and nicely deserving of this team player.

His contributions to Binghamton Senators’ 2011 Calder Cup were undeniable.