NHL draft pick | CollegeHockeyPlayers

29Mar

Allen York(35) Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 6th round pick in the 2007 draft (#158 overall) rookie goaltender Allen York(35) has played games this season with their affiliates Chicago Express of the ECHL, Springfield Falcons of the AHL and in the big club in the NHL.

No start was more surprising for the 22-year old than when he was recalled on an emergency basis to the Blue Jackets to serve as the back-up netminder and was given the nod after their main guy was injured during the team’s morning skate.

Getting his first win at home in a 29 save effort against Detroit Red Wings also had to put a smile on the big goaltender’s face.

It’s a bit amazing that he’s only played 24 games all season in three different leagues. Should be able to retain his rookie status going into 2012/2013.

27Mar

Braden Holtby(1) Washington Capitals

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Washington Capitals‘ third year goaltender Braden Holtby(1) is working hard to steal the number one job with the parent club heading towards a postseason bid.

He’s played a career high 40 AHL games with Hershey Bears collecting a season best 20 wins. His 15 losses is also a regular season personal worst.

After posting 10 wins in 14 games with the Caps last season, it’s a bit of a thinker why they didn’t give him a longer look for the starter position this season.

Although despite being in his 3rd pro season, he’s still only on the 2nd year of his 3-year entry level deal. So they may be taking it slowly with his development.

He was originally a Capitals‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#93 overall).

27Mar

Alexandre Giroux(12) Springfield Falcons

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High 5’s for 11-year Springfield Falcons‘ veteran center Alexandre Giroux(12) for scoring his 700th career AHL point, a goal last weekend.

He has 364 goals and 336 assists in 764 regular season games played, which is a pretty incredible feat.

He’s not exactly having a career year for scoring this season with 24 goals and 26 assists in 58 games; yet he’s still in the top 20 for points in the league.

In the last three seasons, he’s either won top scorer or come in second.

He’s skated in 48 NHL games scoring 6 goals and 6 assists.

At 6’3″ 202 lbs. he’s a pretty big power forward and has the ability to get in tight and score some goals but has never quite been given the chance.

We remember two and a half great seasons when he was with Hartford Wolf Pack, signed to New York Rangers, who he only played one game for.

He’s only signed with Columbus Blue Jackets for a year, but we hope they re-up with him for another season.

26Mar

Ben Guite(28) Worcester Sharks

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12th year veteran center, Worcester Sharks‘ Ben Guite(28) has missed a majority of 2011/2012 due to complications from a concussion he sustained early in the AHL season.

He recently returned to the team and is contributing in their push toward the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 15 games this year he has 2 goals and 7 assists but despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he’s look to for his leadership and playing intensity on the ice.

He’s appeared in 175 NHL games (all but seven of them with Colorado Avalanche from 2006 – 2009) scoring 19 goals and 26 assists.

In 574 AHL games he has 101 goals and 172 assists.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 7th round of 1997 draft (#172 overall). The 33-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks in the offseason.

23Mar

Ben Chiarot(18) St. John’s IceCaps

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Rookie defenseman Ben Chiarot(18) started the season with St. John’s IceCaps and played 14 games registering a goal and an assist.

In late January he was reassigned to their ECHL affiliate Colorado Eagles, where he’s fit in nicely, helping the team win scoring 6 goals and 7 assists in 24 games.

The big 6’3″ 222 lbs. blue liner was an Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#120 overall).

He was recently recalled back to St. John’s probably to tune up a bit in the higher league and give some of their regulars a rest as they have already punch their ticket into the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Chances are good that the 20-year old won’t be going back to Loveland, CO unless the IceCaps are given a swift exit from the postseason.

21Mar

Yury Alexandrov(41) New York Islanders

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New York Islanders got all proactive and picked up Boston Bruins‘ 2006 2nd round draft pick (#37 overall), defenseman Yury Alexandrov(41) for a bag of rocks.

He attended Bruins‘ rookie and training camps before skating his first season with Providence Bruins, where he put up 6 goals and 13 assists in 66 AHL games.

Not going to get called up to play an NHL game soon, he worked out a deal where he would go back to Russia and play in the KHL to continue his development and maturation.

He’ll still only be 24 years old when he reports to the Islanders‘ camp for the start of 2012/2013.

He mostly played pretty decently as a rookie and the Isles may be smart to continue to groom him for an NHL roster spot.

20Mar

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers(43) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks‘ goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers(43) has been around a lot more years than most folks would even remember.

He was originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2002 draft (#31 overall) and had spent the first 7 years of his career playing in their system starting with Edmonton Roadrunners, Hamilton Bulldogs, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Falcons and Oklahoma City Barons (all one-time Oilers‘ AHL affiliates).

He also played 58 NHL games over two seasons with Edmonton.

One thing about his netminding, even when he didn’t put up a winning record, he never really had a terrible GAA or SV%.

That fact was not missed by Anaheim, who signed him to a two-year two deal as a free agent for 2011-2013. Oddly enough, he’s posting his worst numbers for their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch but is 1-0 in a start with the Ducks and in his 2nd start tonight.

The 27-year old stands 6’4″ 200 lbs. It’d be no surprise to see him win a starting job soon, like he did in ’09/’10 with Edmonton.

19Mar

Matt Ford(25) Adirondack Phantoms

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4th year right wing, Matt Ford(25) may have been a bit surprised when he was traded in his first season signed to an NHL contract with Washington Capitals. He was mostly playing for their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears putting up a very respectable 10 goals and 18 assists in 39 games.

Dealt before the trade deadline, he has found a formidable home in Philadelphia Flyers‘ organization with Adirondack Phantoms and has lit the lamp fairly big striking for 11 goals and 5 assists in 19 games.

He was originally picked in the 8th round of the 2004 draft (#256 overall) by Chicago Blackhawks but never signed with them and instead started his pro career in the ECHL with Charlotte Checkers before being called up to Hartford Wolf Pack and then Lake Erie Monsters, a team he stayed with for a couple of seasons.

If he continues to work hard and find the back of the net, he could find himself with a spot in the show with the Flyers out of training camp next season.

18Mar

Kyle Cumiskey (7)

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6th year defenseman Kyle Cumiskey(7) was originally a Colorado Avalanche 7th round pick in 2005 (#222 overall) and went on to play 5 years in their system amassing 132 NHL games scoring 9 goals and 26 helpers.

At the beginning of the 2011/2012 season he was traded to Anaheim Ducks for a prospect but has only seen ice time with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch despite a pair of call-ups.

In 2009/2010, he played his first full NHL season but was limited to 18 games the next year due to recurring head injuries. He did put up a goal and 7 assists in that time though.

He’s not huge at 5’10” 185 lbs. but could be paired with a bigger guy for his offensive upside, although he really doesn’t sacrifice anything on defense.

Through 44 games with Syracuse Crunch he’s scored three goals and 20 assists and was an even plus/minus.

17Mar

Jim O’Brien (19)

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Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd year center Jim O’Brien(19) was a 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#29 overall) and in the 3rd year of his entry level deal, he’s starting to light it up a bit.

He has career highs with 19 games played, 2 goals and 2 assists, his first NHL points but failed to tally in his first recall for 6 games last season and seems to be trying to make up for it in earnest in this a new contract year for him.

Through 183 regular season AHL games, all with Binghamton he’s racked up a tidy 39 goals and 49 assists.

He was a pivotal part of the B-Sens’ Calder Cup Championship run last season appearing in 23 postseason games scoring 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists).

At 6’2″ 2oo lbs. he has the makings of a power forward, now he just needs to bring it.