Syracuse Crunch | CollegeHockeyPlayers

17Sep

Radko Gudas(3) Syracuse Crunch

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Czech Republic born defenseman Radko Gudas(3) will be entering the final season of his 3-year entry level deal he signed with Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010.

He was originally a 3rd round draft pick in 2010 (#66 overall) but has yet to receive a call up on a team that stocked fairly well with blue liners.

In 2011/2012 he won the Calder Cup with the Admirals in a fairytale run to capture the title. He also grew the most enormous playoff beard pro hockey has seen.

At 6′ 201 lbs he doesn’t seem like the biggest of guys out on the ice but he plays a much bigger game than his size stats may point towards and is not afraid to drop the mitts, ending last season with 195 penalty minutes and 11 fighting majors to his credit.

Although his offensive numbers ticked up slightly last year in a few less games, he’s not what you’d deem as an offensive powerhouse. Still at a two season combined +33 there is plenty of accountable upside to his game.

He along with just about every other eligible player was recently reassigned to their new affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

12Sep

Jeff Dimmen(6) Florida Everblades

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2nd year defenseman Jeff Dimmen(6) had the type of rookie year he probably didn’t expect.

After signing an AHL contract with Norfolk Admirals for 2011/2012, he played in 64 regular season and 6 postseason games en route to winning the Calder Cup Trophy. The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner put up some respectable numbers in the process scoring 3 goals and 15 assists (1 in the playoffs), while showing much accountability in his own zone with a +10 plus/minus.

He made his pro debut at the end of 2011, inking an ato with Portland Pirates and skated in 14 total games for them notching an assist.

It a bit of a surprising move, the 26-year old has signed a one-year deal with Florida Everblades of the ECHL for the 2012/2013 season. Expect him to get a camp invite and the first recall with Syracuse Crunch for the upcoming campaign.

04Sep

Bobby Robins(21) Providence Bruins

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Undrafted 7th year center Bobby Robins(21) signed his first AHL contract since his rookie season with Binghamton Senators by re-upping for a full campaign with Providence Bruins, the team he spent 33 games with in 2011/2012. He was originally recalled from the ECHL, signed to a pto and upped to an spc as he continue to stick with the team.

The stat that pops out from his sheet is penalty minutes. He ended the regular season with 150 pims. That’s 3 games shy of a five minute (fighting) major per game. His actual number of incidents was more like 20 though, good enough for a three-way tie for 3rd in the league. It’s likely that he accomplished his feat in lesser contests than the other players did, which is a key reason why the P-Bruins found it necessary to get him under contract before the new season starts.

The knock on the team the last few years of postseason drought has been how undersized they were. This, at the very least, gives them 6’1″ 220 lbs. of protection out on the ice. The almost 31-year old also had a pair of goals and 10 assists (a career high) and we’d expect that number to go up too.

03Aug

Rick Schofield (9)

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Undrafted 2nd year center Rick Schofield(9) moves just up the road to Rochester Americans from his address in his rookie season with Syracuse signing a one-year AHL contract to join the team.

The 6’2″ 207 lbs. forward had a one-year entry level deal with Anaheim Ducks but it was mostly for their minor league affiliate. He did participate in their training camp and preseason.

The 24-year old was quietly decently effective up front scoring 8 goals and 9 assists in 73 games and kept his head above the water on the ice with a +9 plus/minus.

Kind of surprising that he wasn’t invited to attend Buffalo Sabres’ Rookie Camp on a tryout agreement.

26Jul

Matt Smaby(4) Anaheim Ducks

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Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft (#41 overall) defenseman Matt Smaby(4) almost doesn’t seem like he’s been playing pro for as long as he has but 2012/2013 will be his 7th season.

He re-signed with Anaheim Ducks for another one-year, two-way deal. Last season he played the entire campaign with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch after injuring his thumb in an NHL preseason game that sidelined him for a good three months.

The towering 6’6″ 239 lbs. d-man has skated in 122 NHL games (all with the Lightning) scoring no goals with 6 assists and a less than impressive plus/minus. But in 2010/2011, his first full season in the show, he went a +2 in 32 contests.

Even on the abbreviated by injury season last year, he had a pair of goals and 7 assists in 30 games and went a healthy +12.

Of all the super-ironies to happen to players though, if the 27-year old starts the new season in the AHL or gets reassigned, he will return to Norfolk, where he spent three years of his pro career.

23Jul

Maxime Macenauer(26) Winnipeg Jets

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Entering his 4th pro season, originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#63 overall) center Maxime Macenauer(26) re-signs for another year on a two-way deal with Winnipeg Jets, the team he was traded to near the 2012 trade deadline.

He appeared in 27 games to start 2011/2012 with the Ducks, making the team out of training but was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch in mid-December and then traded a couple months later.

The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward wasn’t exactly a cornerstone in the Jets‘ AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps during the last part of the regular season or in the postseason through three rounds. He did have some nagging injuries during the season that hindered his play.

Still the Jets must see something in the 23-year old to qualify the restricted free agent and sign him up for another season.

see related post: 4/26-12 Riley Holzapfel(26)

20Jul

Marco Cousineau(31) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks go for another swim in the shallow pool with their 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#83 overall), goaltender Marco Cousineau(31). He signed a 3-year entry level deal midway through 2009/2010, but has only officially played in their system for the last two.

He was outstanding in his last two seasons in juniors and won the outstanding goaltender award in the 2009 Memorial Cup Tourney.

Maybe their continuing to bank on 6′ 200 lbs. net minder finding his pro game like he did when he was younger but in a couple of seasons, he’s mostly been limited to appearances with Elmira Jackals in the ECHL and Central Hockey League.

With the Allen Americans last year he played well winning 16 and losing 4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .918 SV%.

He’s still only 22 years old, so there’s plenty of room to grow but he has to be hoping he moves up the ladder and starts a bunch of AHL games in 2012/2013 with Norfolk Admirals.

19Jul

Stefan Legein(16) Los Angeles Kings

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Originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#37 overall) right wing Stefan Legein(16) for some reason seems like he’s been around a lot longer than just 4 pro seasons.

He’s bounced around in the AHL a bit since a very mediocre rookie season with Syracuse Crunch to career highs with Adirondack Phantoms in the Flyers‘ system in his 2nd year. But that only lasted a year.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward was dished for future considerations to Los Angeles Kings and had a sort of rebirth in 2011/2012 with their affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

At only 23 years old, he played like a team leader on the ice, doing a lot of penalty killing while occasionally connecting with the scoresheet (14 + 11 in 63 games; 5 of those shorties). He recently re-signed, accepting their qualifying one-year, two-way offer.

You have to wonder if he will find reason to break out of his AHL shell and lace ’em up tight for the forthcoming training camp with the current Stanley Cup Champions.

16Jul

Eric Neilson(29) Syracuse Crunch

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8th year right wing Eric Neilson(29) is known mostly for not shying away from any on ice situation and it certainly serves a much needed role on any team. In 47 games last season he scored one goal and was assessed 74 minutes in the penalty box, a surprising career low.

For the 2012/2013 he signed a one-year standard AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch, which essentially keeps him in the same system that he spent last season with, the Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals. He did not appear in a playoff game though.

Still at 6’1 201 lbs., the almost 28-year old forward is one of those players that’s better to have on your team than have to play against.

He was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2004 draft (#143 overall) but really didn’t spend any time with the team but rather played a few seasons in the ECHL before moving up a notch.

He was also one of the guys on that 2005 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL champion team with Sidney Crosby.

02Jul

Nick Holden (5)

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ undrafted defenseman Nick Holden(5) re-signed for another year, his 5th with the team since turning pro in 2008.

His deal is for one-year on a two-way contract.

He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

He missed two-thirds of the 2011/2012 season with an injury, limiting him to just 25 regular season AHL games (3 goals, 6 assists, -2 plus/minus) with Springfield Falcons.

He’s played 222 games minor league contests and put up 17 goals and 62 assists.

In 2010/2011 he made his first NHL appearances, when he was called up for a 5-game stint.

Although he didn’t register a point, he skated an average of 20+ shifts and 17 minutes per game.

At 6’4″ 205 lbs. he’s a towering presence on the ice.

With a little more weight and a bit more grit and he could find himself a permanent spot on a big league roster, if he wants it.