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Tagged: OHL Championship

28Aug

Jesse Blacker(4) Texas Stars

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3rd year defenseman Jesse Blacker(4) was swapped to Anaheim Ducks‘ organization earlier this season in what amounted to a mostly minor league transaction.

He was originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#58 overall) and spent a couple of good campaigns with their farm team, Toronto Marlies.

The change of scenery to the Ducks‘ AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals has done him lots of good, as he’s already surpassed his career high with 5 goals and 17 points and is well on his way to recording more helpers than he’s put up in one season.

The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner received a pair of late call-ups in 2012/2013 but was never inserted into the lineup.

The 22-year old’s entry level deal is up at the end of the current campaign and he’s set to become a restricted free agent but with his consistent play it would be easy to see him finally make his NHL debut and extended at least another season.

He was also on 2009 Memorial Cup and OHL Champion junior hockey team, Windsor Spitfires.

Original story: 1/9-14

Finishing the 2013/2014 with an AHL career high 6 goals, 19 assists and 24 points, he would also own an abysmal -16 plus/minus on a team that squeaked into the postseason.

He played another 10 Calder Cup Playoff games contributing a goal.

With his initial deal expiring he was extended for another year and finally made his first NHL appearance.

He skated 9 shifts for 6:03 with one hit and one break-up but was a -2 in the loss.

The recall was in all likelihood to display him for a trade option, which happened as he was dished to Florida Panthers just days later.

He was immediately sent to affiliate San Antonio Rampage, where he finished out the season but the parent club with another rough -15 rating chose not to qualify him, rendering the 24-year old an unrestricted free agent.

For his 5th pro campaign he signed a one-year minor league contract with Texas Stars for 2015/2016.

He may see better results going forward with the pressure from above to excel and may just re-find his footing.

16Aug

Scott Harrington (6)

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#54 overall) defenseman Scott Harrington(6) is having exactly the kind of building block rookie year right out of the gate playing games with minor league affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

In 23 AHL games he has a pair of tallies and 6 assists with a +7 rating.

He also appeared in a pair of 2013 playoff games, scoring his first professional goal.

The 6’3″ 205 lbs. blue liner plays mostly a solid, stay-at-home style but did show he can contribute on the score sheet in four years of junior hockey with London Knights.

He won a pair of OHL Championships serving as team captain in the most recent title grab.

The 20-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal that keeps him in the prospect system through 2016.

He could easily receive his first NHL recall this season but may also stay put to help the farm club go deep in the postseason.

Original story: 12/12-13

He would finish his first season with AHL career highs full schedule 76 games played, 5 goals, 19 assists and 24 points, then appeared in 16 postseason contests playing a mostly stay-at-home style with just one helper.

To start his sophomore season, he was a late cut from Pittsburgh training camp and would be recalled on 5 different occasions playing his first 10 NHL games.

He would record no points with a -10 rating.

On reassignment he played 48 games with WBS Penguins scoring 2 goals and 10 assists with a third team best +19 rating.

He also skater all 8 playoff games with one assist and a +2 plus/minus.

Heading into the final year of his entry level deal the big d-man was dealt to Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Phil Kessel trade.

The now 22-year old should definitely give them something to think about come training camp.

He may start his third season with affiliate Toronto Marlies but chances are he will get himself into a lot of action with the big club.

18Jan

Josh Anderson(53) Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#95 overall) rookie right wing Josh Anderson(53) has been playing a consistently aggressive, hard-nosed power forward style with minor league affiliate Springfield Falcons that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The big 6’3″ 212 lbs. forward’s efforts earned him a first recall when the parent club needed a checking line skater to fill in a roster spot due to injury.

He’s put up a decent 4 goals and 7 assists in 37 AHL games with a +1 rating after putting up point-per-game numbers in his third and final season of junior hockey.

He won back-to-back OHL Championships with London Knights and was assistant captain in the year before he decided to turn pro.

In a pair of NHL games he skated an average of 20 regular strength shifts with just over 13 minutes of ice time, 2 shots, 2 penalty minutes, 1 giveaway, 1 break up, 2 takeaways and a thumping 11 hits (8 in one game alone) with a -2 plus/minus.

One of the last cuts from training camp, the 20-year old looks to be establishing himself early.

He’s signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2017.

02Dec

Kerby Rychel(52) Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#19 overall) rookie left wing Kerby Rychel(52) is wasting no time establishing his game in the top league.

He was one of the final cuts to be reassigned from training camp to affiliate Springfield Falcons. probably more to see where/how he was going to fit in with the parent club as he scored on his first ever shift in preseason and looked to stick.

The 6’1″ 215 lbs. forward was maybe a bit slow to start out of the gate with the farm team, but once he got on the scoreboard stayed consistent putting up 6 goals and 7 assists in 22 AHL games.

His efforts earned him the NHL recall everyone knew was coming and after his debut with no points, he got right to work posting three assists in his last pair of contests and has a +3 rating on a team that maybe just starting to string together wins.

There’s little doubt he knows how to connect with the back of the net, as he was a more than a point-per-game player in four seasons of junior hockey in the OHL and won the 2014 Championship with Guelph Storm. He also led the playoffs in assists and points.

At only 20 years old, he is quickly proving he’s a difference maker on the ice, even sticking up for himself in a couple of throw downs and may have seen the last of any bus trips in the minors.

He’s signed through 2017 on a three-year entry level deal.

22Nov

Bo Horvat(53) Vancouver Canucks

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Vancouver Canucks‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#9 overall) center Bo Horvat(53) started his rookie season with the on the opening night roster but was unable to crack the lineup, so less than a month into 2014/2015 he was sent down on a conditioning reassignment to minor league affiliate Utica Comets.

In 5 AHL games he was somewhat oddly unable to come up with a point but still showed enough that he should be up with the parent club.

The 6′ 216 lbs. former two-time 2012 and 2013 OHL Champion continued to work hard and finally found a spot on the team.

He was virtually a point-per-game player in three seasons with London Knights.

At only 19-years old and leaving a year early from junior hockey, he plays the game like a true power forward and in his 7th NHL game finally came up with his first pro goal in the team’s 4-3 loss.

He did appear in the full slate of preseason match ups and was credited with an unofficial tally.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal, he should be a contributor for a long-time in Western Canada.

02Nov

Kenny Ryan(25) Lake Erie Monsters

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4th year unrestricted free agent right wing Kenny Ryan(25) was offered a training camp invite via Colorado Avalanche but was released pretty early in the running.

He wound up reporting to their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters‘ camp and earned his way onto their opening night roster, so at the very least he’s signed to a pto (for now).

The former Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#50 overall) skated three years in their system but never seemed to materialize.

Through 125 AHL games, he scored a not so dynamic 15 goals and 23 assists with their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies.

In 23 Calder Cup Playoff games the 6′ 200 lbs. forward added a goal and four helpers with a promising +5 rating.

He certainly comes from a place where he’s been a winner and able to put the puck in the net on a regular basis playing a pair of seasons with Windsor Spitfires of the OHL and capturing both the OHL Championship and Memorial Cup in the same year ’09/’10, and before that two years in the NAHL development with U.S. National Team.

The 23-year old is off to a career year start posting 3 goals and 2 assists with a +3 plus/minus is 8 games.

With stats that good, he may just play himself into another NHL contract.