Tagged: Philadelphia Phantoms

Triston-Grant

9th year right wing Triston Grant(23) won a Calder Cup Championship with Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013 and re-signs to start the title defense.

Last season he played in a career high 75 games with a best +15. He’s always good for 10-15 points and triple digit penalty minutes. Almost ironically his best point scoring season was also he’s first over 200 pims.

He had 17 fighting majors in 2012/2013, which almost surprisingly doesn’t even land him in the top ten of the category.

The 6’1″ 218 lbs. forward was originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 9th round pick in 2004 (#286 overall) and has skated in 11 NHL games registering one assist and three fights.

He’s appeared in 510 AHL games posting 54 goals and 57 assists with 1462 minutes in the box and a strong combined +32 rating.

At 29-years old, he still seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank and has helped every team he’s played for with lots of hard on ice work and determination.

Original story: 8/12-13

He would increase his point totals from the previous season in far less games to 6 goals and 10 assists, while getting into far less scraps, but unfortunately the team that won the league title last year was a quick exit from the 2014 playoffs.

Heading into 2014/2015, he decided to return to Milwaukee Admirals on an AHL contract and ended up having his best campaign yet scoring a new high 13 goals and 26 points with a career tying 13 assists.

For his 11th pro season the 31-year old elected to go back to Grand Rapid Griffins signing for 2015/2016 very early into free agency like the decision was a no-brainer.

9th year defenseman Alexandre Picard(45) signed a one-year two-way deal with Pittsburgh Penguins shortly after free agency started in the offseason.

With 243 NHL games to his credit (19 goals, 46 assists), he is looks to be mostly considered a 6th or 7th defenseman.

He’s off to a good start this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. In 12 games, he has 1 goal and 4 assists but it’s the +9 that’s getting most of the attention.

Into his second recall, he’s already a +5 with the Pens in 7 games with no points.

Original story: 12/1-11

After skating 17 games with Pittsburgh recording 4 assists with a +4 rating and playing 12 Calder Cup Playoff games getting 6 assists, he decided that he would try his game overseas joining HC Lev Praha of the KHL but suffered a shoulder injury and was later released.

After only appearing in 11 games in the 2012/2013 season, he moved on signing a one-year deal with Graz 99ers of Erste Banke Liga.

The 6’3″ 215 lbs. d-man would once again go elsewhere and departed for DEL, where he inked to play with ERC Ingolstadt.

Now 29-years old he’s decided to head to yet another country agreeing to lace up the skates for HC Fribourg-Gotteron of NLA.

There’s no telling if he’ll finally settle but chances are probably not.

 

 

Mike-Richards2

Los Angeles Kings‘ 10th year veteran center Mike Richards(18) was recently put on waivers and reassigned to minor league affiliate Manchester Monarchs for the first time ever, save for the time he spent winning the 2005 AHL Calder Cup with Philadelphia Phantoms after finishing up 4 years of juniors with Kitchener Rangers.

One season previous he won the 2003 OHL Championship and subsequent Memorial Cup.

As a 20-year old playing his first pro games he was a point per game guy in the playoffs with 8 goals and 7 assists. He was also a +8 plus/minus.

You’d think the sports’ world stopped for a second when in his first game not so unhappily reporting to skate, he failed to get a point.

In his second appearance though he came up with the night’s first goal, assisted on two others and was chosen the game’s first star.

Through 704 NHL games he has 179 goals and 302 assists with a +21 rating.

He’s four times connected for over 60 points in a season, once had 80 points, twice over 30 tallies and on three occasions had over 40 helpers with 50 in one campaign.

The 5’11” 196 lbs. two-time 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup Champion was originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 1st round pick in the 2003 draft (#24 overall).

He played 6 years with the team and was captain for his last three.

Signed to a 12-year deal in 2007 he’s officially under a big league contract through 2020.

It’s likely that a buy out will be exercised and he’ll be free to pursue a fresh start, which is easily what the still young 29-year old needs moving forward.

Josh Gratton

Undrafted 12th year left wing Josh Gratton(13) spent the last four seasons playing mostly in the KHL with Barys Astana and Vityaz Podolsk. He only skated in 11 games last season.

Seeing only limited action in his last two seasons was possibly the impetus for him to return to North American pro hockey to see if at 32-years old he could earn himself a contract.

Invited to Manchester Monarchs‘ training camp, he proved himself worthy and was given a pto to start the 2014/2015 season.

13 games into the season he has one assist, a +1 rating, 36 penalty minutes and quickly accrued 6 fighting majors.

The 6’2″ 215 lbs. tough guy has skated in 247 AHL games scoring a modest 35 goals and 39 assists with an eye-popping 936 pims and dropped the gloves 102 times.

He’s also appeared in 86 NHL games for Arizona Coyotes and two stints with Philadelphia Flyers.

He won a Calder Cup Championship with Philadelphia Phantoms in the lockout year 2004/2005.

It remains to be seen whether or not he’s given an spc for this season but regardless, he’s making his presence felt.

Scott Munroe39th year undrafted goaltender Scott Munroe(33) returned to North American hockey for a second time after tending net for Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL last season. He also spent an earlier year overseas in the KHL with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Although he put up pretty excellent numbers in Sweden (2.05 GAA, .913 SV% in 36 games) he was cut loose.

He decided to come back to this side of the pond signing a one-year, two-way deal with Springfield Falcons.

To start the new season the now 32-year old was for the first time in his pro career dispatched to ECHL affiliate Kalamazoo Wings, where he appeared in one game, getting the win.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. backstop was immediately recalled and started his first AHL game in about a year and a half, winning his second straight of 2014/2015 in two different leagues.

His last stint was his second go-round with Adirondack (Philadelphia) Phantoms.

He’s had three NHL contracts and was invited to Columbus Blue Jackets’ training camp but never played an official big league game.

When he finally decides to hang up the skates, he’d be a great goaltending coach for a team.

See related: 8/28-12

Danny Syrvet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hartford Wolf Pack 9th year veteran defenseman Danny Syvret(25) is quickly approaching his third straight 40-point AHL season (9 goals, 30 assists).

He was traded in the second season of his two-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers, his third contract with the team, to New York Rangers and reassigned to their farm club in Connecticut, where he’s played 67 contests in 2013/2014.

The stocky-looking 5’11” 205 lbs. d-man has skated in 59 NHL games, putting up a modest 3 goals and 4 assists but hasn’t paid a visit to the show since late 2011.

He’s considered a top-two pairing blue liner in the minors but given a full campaign may play a fairly strong role as a bottom six, seventh guy in the lineup more than watching from the sidelines.

Randy Jones

Undrafted, 11th year defenseman Randy Jones(12) signed a pto to join Portland Pirates.

So far he’s played in three contests recording no points and has a -2 rating.

He has skated 174 AHL games with 15 goals and 51 assists and made 18 appearances late last season with Oklahoma City Barons in a similar situation and added another 17 playoff match ups with the team.

A former Calder Cup Champion with Philadelphia Phantoms in his second pro season while under contract with parent club Philadelphia Flyers, he played with them for 6 seasons before moving onto a few one-year deals.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. blue liner is a veteran of 365 NHL games with 105 points to his credit.

At 32-years old it’s a bit of a wonder if he’ll be able to secure a spc or will be heading elsewhere.

Darroll Powe

7th year, undrafted center Darroll Powe(17) finds himself back in the minors for the first time since he played 8 games at this level in early 2008/2009.

He was initially signed to an AHL contract with Philadelphia Phantoms in his rookie season but quickly signed a two-year entry level deal with parent club Philadelphia Flyers for his sophomore campaign.

For the last five seasons the 5’11” 209 lbs. forward has played exclusively in the show with the Flyers, Minnesota Wild for a full slate and 8 games after the lockout before being traded to New York Rangers.

With limited spots available with the Blueshirts, he was reassigned to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to start 2013/2014 but could find himself recalled if the winning situation doesn’t improve in Manhattan.

The 28-year old has played in 328 NHL games scoring 28 goals and 28 assists.

He may just be headed overseas next.

Philadelphia Flyers‘ 16-year veteran goalie and former 1st round pick in the 1995 draft (#22 overall), Brian Boucher(1) has circled back to tend net for the team three times since leaving the fold after his fifth season in the organization.

He’s only suited up for 4 games in the current campaign and has been shuffled to AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms on a few occasions. In 10 starts he owns a 2.50 GAA and .906 SV%. His numbers with the big club in 4 contests are similar.

His most recent venture back to Philly came as the lockout ended and Carolina Hurricanes was already set with their goaltending situation.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. backstop has worn the pads for seven different NHL squads, amassing an absolute eye-popping 371 regular and postseason games.

The 36-year old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season but we’re betting he still has something left in the tank and wants to continue his playing career.

Where he will go is an absolute mystery though.

Brian Boucher

 

 

 

6th year, former 1st round draft pick of Nashville Predators in 2005 (#18 overall) defenseman Ryan Parent(3) has over 100 games of NHL experience but none since a couple of seasons ago, 4 games with Vancouver Canucks despite signing a two-year one-way contract with the team.

He spent all of 2011/2012 that he was healthy enough to play for with their new AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves but only managed to be 22 of a 76-game season.

Ironically he finished the season with a goal and 5 assists, which would have put him on pace for career highs on the scoresheet.

He also have a goal and 6 assists in the NHL.

As an unrestricted free agent approaching 2012/2013, he signed a pto with Norfolk Admirals a couple of weeks into the season.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man has one assist in 6 games but is a -5 plus/minus.

Admirals must like having the 25-year old on their team though, because they inked him to an spc. Still, it looks to be a smart move on their part.