Phoenix Coyotes | CollegeHockeyPlayers

10Mar

Patrick O’Sullivan(16) Peoria Rivermen

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One time Minnesota Wild 2nd round pick in the 2oo3 draft (#56 overall) 7th year left wing Patrick O’Sullivan(16) gets bounced from one AHL team, Portland Pirates, to another, Peoria Rivermen in a offensive-minded forward swap.

He played 23 NHL games with Phoenix Coyotes scoring a pair of goals and assists before last being reassigned to the Pirates in early January. He put up 10 goals and 20 assists in 26 games but went a -6 plus/minus on a pretty good team.

In each of his last 6 seasons, he’s appeared in NHL games, 334 of them. He’s basically a point per every other game producer with 58 goals and 103 assists. In 183 AHL games his stats are 97 goals and 120 assists, better than a point per game. 3 goals and 4 assists of that are in 3 contests since the trade that brought him to the Rivermen.

He lists at 5’11” 189 lbs., which seems a little light. He doesn’t play a very physical game. It’s all about getting into those open spaces and creating them in his style.

He’s either got to turn on those jets or play with a bit more of an edge while scoring those goals and setting up those assists. Make sure that helmet’s on tight.

03Mar

Brock Trotter(9) St. John’s IceCaps

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25-year old undrafted 5th year center BrockTrotter(9) moves for a second time in the 2011/2012 season. He was acquired by Phoenix Coyotes at the beginning of the year in a three player and draft pick deal and sent to their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.

In 35 games he has 12 goals and 19 assists but is a dismal -11 plus/minus.

He spent the 1st three years of his pro career signed with Montreal Canadiens to a three-year entry level contract. In the final year of that deal, he put up 36 goals and 41 goals in 75 games and went a mighty +33 on ice.

You can bet that he was looking for a one-way contract after that kind of season. Although in a pair of games with Montreal he didn’t register a point and went a -1.

For 2010/2011 he decided to sign in the KHL and played pretty well for Riga Dynamo but was offered a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens again and decided to return to North American hockey.

Now he has been reassigned in an AHL player swap by Phoenix to St. John’s Ice Caps for the remainder of the season and if healthy will play against his former teams before the end of the year and possibly in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

22Feb

Matt Watkins(14) Phoenix Coyotes

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3rd year wing Matt Watkins(14) was originally drafted by Dallas Stars in the 5th round of 2005 (#160 overall) but signed his entry level deal with Phoenix Coyotes, where he’s been the entire time progressively putting up points for their AHL affiliates, San Antonio Rampage in his first couple of seasons and this year with Portland Pirates.

At only 5’10” 180 lbs. he’s a relatively small guy (and looks it out there at times) but so are a lot of their prospects. Regardless, he’s next in line for a shot at the show. He’s quietly 6th in team scoring this season with 9 goals and 18 assists, heading toward a career year for points.

He wears the assistant captain “A” this season for Portland.

21Feb

Michael Stone(28) Phoenix Coyotes

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The injury bug bites Phoenix Coyotes and once again they look to recall a defenseman from AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.

This time 2nd year 2007 3rd round pick (#69 overall) Michael Stone(28) gets his turn.

In 51 games with the Pirates, he already has career highs in goals, assists and points with 9 + 13 for 22 totals and a healthy +5 plus/minus.

At 6’3″ 208 lbs., he’s a big blue liner but could use an extra 20 pounds of muscle to be a real imposing figure out there.

He’s in his second year of his 3-year entry deal but should probably be looked at for more of a long-term signing with his play improving greatly and should add to the Coyotes push towards the playoffs.

In his first NHL game, a 2-1 win in OT, he logged 11:31 ice time and was even out there through 14 shifts.

05Feb

Cal O’Reilly(36) Pittsburgh Penguins

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6th year pro center Cal O’Reilly(36) didn’t survive the waiver wire in his recent Phoenix Coyotes‘ NHL call-up from their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates and was grabbed as a depth player for the injury riddled Pittsburgh Penguins‘ offensive push.

In 108 NHL games he has 13 goals and 28 assists (he just got his first with his new team over the weekend).

He was originally a 5th round Nashville Predators‘ pick in the 2005 draft (#150 overall) and skated for five plus seasons with them and Milwaukee Admirals before being traded to Phoenix at the beginning of this year.

04Feb

Wojtek Wolski(86) Connecticut Whale

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In six pro seasons, Polish left wing Wojtek Wolski(86) has never played a minor league game; until last week.

Assigned by the parent club, New York Rangers on conditioning loan to their AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale to rehab after being out of action for well over a month with a groin injury he has to get up to speed to crack the solid lineup in Manhattan.

In his debut with the Whale, he ended up scoring what would become the game winning goal for the team.

I hope someone saved him that puck to mark the occasion.

In 402 NHL games, he has 91 goals and 158 assists for 249 points.

He was originally a 1st round pick by Colorado Avalanche in the 2004 draft (#21 overall). He played four seasons with them before being dished to Phoenix Coyotes and from there to the Rangers.

At almost only 26 years of age, the big (6’3″ 200 lbs.) power forward still should have plenty left in the tank but looks to be on his way to a fourth team.

28Jan

Aaron Gagnon (25)

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Originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 8th round pick in the 2004 draft (#240 overall), center Aaron Gagnon(25) got his first crack at the big league a couple of seasons ago, while under contract with Dallas Stars.

In 21 games over two seasons, he registered 0 goals and a pair of assists.

He mostly skated with their AHL affiliate Texas Stars and has played over 250 career games, picking up 57 goals and 78 assists with 4 different teams.

Winnipeg Jets signed him to a one-year, two-way contract just after free agency began.

In 33 games this season with St. John’s IceCaps he has 8 goals and 12 assists but as a 5th year pro plays with a sense of purpose and accountability out there.

He was recently call-up for his first taste of NHL this year but was quickly returned as the team went into a low period off for the All-Star break.

In the game, which all his IceCaps‘ teammates attended he skated 12 shifts for 8:38 of ice time and went a -1 plus/minus.

27Jan

Sean Sullivan(37) San Antonio Rampage

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After only a year and a half in Worcester signed to a pair of one-year, two-way contracts with San Jose Sharks, fan-favorite, 5th year defenseman Sean Sullivan(37) uproots from Central MA and moves himself back to South Texas, where he played the first two-and-a-half seasons of his pro career with San Antonio Rampage. He’ll return to a team he holds many defensive records with.

He was originally a 9th round pick of Phoenix Coyotes in 2003 (#272 overall) but has yet to appear in an NHL game. Soon he will hit a landmark 300 AHL games played.

He’s a sort of small-ish 6′ 190 lbs. player but is accountable in his defensive zone (he’s a +10 plus/minus this season) and has steadily been putting up some offensive numbers.

The trade with Florida Panthers that brings him back to the South will likely give him his first playing time in the NHL.

25Jan

Marc-Antoine Pouliot(23) Phoenix Coyotes

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Former Edmonton Oilers‘ 1st round pick in 2003 (#22) and former Rimouski Oceanic linemate of Sidney Crosby, forward Marc-Antoine Pouliot(23) got an early New Year’s gift with a recall by the new NHL team he signed with as a free agent in the offseason, Phoenix Coyotes.

In 9 games he has a pair of assists and is a -3 plus/minus.

He skated in 168 NHL games with the Oilers to start his career and had 21 goals and 32 assists. In three games last season with Tampa Bay Lightning he had no points.

In the AHL he’s basically a point per game player but just has yet to be able to translate that to the higher league.

For Portland Pirates he has four goals and 12 assists in 25 games and is a +4 player.

In his 7 pro seasons he’s played more games in the NHL 4 times to 3 in the AHL.

15Dec

Dane Byers(34) Columbus Blue Jackets

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6th year wing Dane Byers(34) received his first call-up to his new team Columbus Blue Jackets and played in his first NHL game in a couple of seasons.

He was originally a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft (#48 overall) by New York Rangers. He played over 250 games in their system with their AHL affiliate, Hartford Wolf Pack and appeared in 6 games of two seasons with the Blueshirts scoring one goal.

Last season was an interesting one for him as he was involved in three minor league deals that had him go first to Springfield Falcons, then San Antonio Rampage to finish the year.

In the offseason, the Blue Jackets signed the unrestricted free agent to a one-year, tw0-way contract. He is the current team captain for Springfield and shows great leadership on the ice.