This is my final look at players who slipped through the cracks (the NHL draft), but made their way to the league through other means.  I’ve previously explored European, college, and the ECHL routes, and I’ve included those players here to create a master list of players who came to the NHL by routes other than the draft.  At the end of the article I’ll illustrate the best players missed via the NHL’s normal processes.

CHL (7)
2005
Chad Larose 473 NHL games
An undersized forward who went undrafted out of the OHL, he played 125 games in the AHL before making the jump to the NHL in 05-06; he remains with Carolina
Mark Giordano (D) 338 NHL games
Undrafted out of the OHL, he played 144 AHL games before making the permanent jump to the NHL in 06-07; he remains with Calgary
2006
Dan Girardi (D) 442 NHL games
Inexplicably not drafted out of the OHL, he played 111 AHL games before making the permanent jump into the NHL in 06-07; he remains with the Rangers
Mike Wall (G) 4 NHL games
A WHL graduate, he spent most of his career bouncing around the minor leagues, but played 4 games with Anaheim in 06-07; he’s now retired
2007
David Clarkson (RW) 378 NHL games
Undrafted out of the OHL, he played 123 games in the AHL before making a permanent jump to the NHL in 07-08; he remains with the Devils
2009
Ryan Wilson (D) 187 NHL games
Undrafted out of the OHL, he only played 71 AHL games before making the jump to the NHL in 09-10; he remains with Colorado
2011
Matt Fraser (LW) 1 NHL game
Undrafted WHLer was signed by Dallas and got a call-up in his rookie season

CHL conclusions: the bulk of the players missed here are all regular NHLers (in some cases very good ones), with only Wall (and potentially Fraser) getting the cup of coffee treatment.  It’s only seven players over seven years and only three in the last five, so it’s very rare for an undrafted player to make the jump from the CHL to the NHL without a lengthy apprenticeship in the minors.  It’s interesting that five of these success stories are from the OHL and that nearly half are blueliners.

CIS (2)
The least likely route to the NHL, here’s the two success stories I could find post-lockout (Mathieu Darche would be one that predates this, or Bracken Kearns if I was categorizing things differently).
Joel Ward (RW) 314 NHL games
Played 209 AHL games before establishing himself as an NHLer in 08-09.
Darryl Boyce (C/LW) 84 NHL games
Debuted with Toronto in his rookie season (07-08), but didn’t start getting regular call-ups until 10-11.  Currently an UFA.

NCAA (56)
2006
Andy Greene (D, 39-9-22-31, NJ) – 347 NHL games through six seasons; going into the second season of a four-year deal
Rod Pelley (39-7-7-14, NJ) – 256 NHL games through six seasons; currently a UFA
Ryan Carter (39-19-16-35, Ana) – 254 NHL games through six seasons; signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Devils
Bill Thomas (41-27-23-50, Phx) – 87 NHL games through six seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Colorado
Tim Wallace (36-11-12-23, Pit) – 73 NHL games through six seasons; currently on a two-way deal with Carolina
Junior Lessard (45-32-31-63, Dal) – 2y NHL games through six seasons; currently playing in the LNAH
Jamie Hunt (D, 33-12-33-45, Wsh) – 1 NHL game through six seasons; he’s now retired
2007
Ryan Shannon (38-14-31-45, Ana) – 305 NHL games through six seasons; now in Switzerland
Darroll Powe (34-13-15-28, Phi) – 286 NHL games through five seasons; two years left on a three-year deal (now with Minnesota)
Teddy Purcell (40-16-27-43, TB) – 272 NHL games through five seasons; is signed through the next four years with Tampa
Chris Connor (38-17-12-29, Dal) – 147 NHL games through six seasons; he has a two-way deal with Phoenix
Mark Letestu (37-24-22-46, Pit) – 136 NHL games through five seasons; on the final year of a one-way deal with Columbus
Kevin Westgarth (33-8-16-24, LA) – 90 NHL games through five seasons; signed to a new two-year, one-way deal with LA
Derek Smith (D, 43-10-20-30, Ott) – 58 NHL games through five seasons; signed his first one-way deal (two years) with Calgary
Trevor Smith (38-21-22-43, NYI) – 23 NHL games through five seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Pittsburgh
Sean Collins (D, 37-9-19-28, Wsh) – 21 NHL games through five seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Rangers
Gabe Gauthier (38-15-24-39, LA) – 8 NHL games through five seasons; signed with Colorado in the ECHL
Kyle Greentree (39-21-21-42, Phi) – 4 NHL games through five seasons; currently a UFA
John Curry (G, 2.01, .928, Pit) – 4 NHL games through five seasons; currently a UFA
Sean Bentivoglio (37-16-30-46, NYI) – 1 NHL game through five seasons; current a UFA
Darcy Campbell (D, 39-4-20-24, Clb) – 1 NHL game through five seasons; now playing tier-2 hockey in Germany
2008
Jesse Winchester (40-8-29-37, Ott) – 233 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Jack Hillen (D, 41-6-31-37, NYI) – 230 NHL games through four seasons; signed a one-year, one-way deal with Washington
Davis Drewiske (D, 40-5-16-21, LA) – 106 NHL games through four seasons; in the final year of his one-way contract with the Kings
Mike Moore (D, 34-7-17-24, SJ) – 6 NHL games through four seasons; signed a one-year, two-way contract with Nashville
Peter Mannino (G, 2.26, .917, NYI) – 6 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Matt Climie (G, 2.15, .913, Dal) – 5 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Brock Trotter (24-13-18-31, Mtl) – 2 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Jeff Penner (35-5-7-12, Bos) – 2 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
2009
Matt Gilroy (D, 45-8-29-37, NYR) – 194 NHL games through three seasons; currently a UFA
Tyler Bozak (19-8-15-23, Tor) – 192 NHL games through three seasons; entering the final year of his contract
Dan Sexton (38-17-22-39, Ana) – 88 NHL games through three seasons; entering the final year of his contract (which is one-way)
Christian Hanson (37-16-15-31, Tor) – 42 NHL games through three seasons; signed a two-way deal with Boston
MacGregor Sharp (43-26-24-50, Ana) – 8 NHL games through three seasons; played in Italy last season
Evan Oberg (D, 43-7-20-27, Van) – 7 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Tampa
Brad Thiessen (G, 2.11, .931, Pit) – 5 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh
Corey Elkins (42-18-23-41, LA) – 3 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim
2010
Bobby Butler (39-29-24-53, Ott) – 92 NHL games through two seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with New Jersey
Nate Prosser (D, 39-4-24-28, Min) – 56 NHL games through two seasons; signed a new two-year, one-way contract with the Wild
Chris Tanev (D, 41-10-18-28, Van) – 54 NHL games through two seasons; in the final year of his ELC
Casey Wellman (36-23-22-45, Min) – 41 NHL games through two seasons; signed a two-way deal with Florida
Tommy Wingels (44-17-25-42, SJ) – 38 NHL games through two seasons, signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Sharks
Aaron Volpatti (37-15-17-32, Van) – 38 NHL games through two seasons; signed a two-way deal to stay with the Canucks
Erik Gustafsson (D, 39-3-29-32, Phi) – 33 NHL games through two seasons, completing the third year of his ELC
Ben Scrivens (G, 1.87, 0.934, Tor) – 12 NHL games through two seasons, not yet re-signed by the Leafs
Ben Holmstrom (39-9-14-23, Phi) – 7 NHL games through two seasons; on a one-year, two-way deal with the Flyers
Jarod Palmer (44-18-27-45, Min) – 6 NHL games through two seasons; remains with the Wild organisation (two-way deal)
Brayden Irwin (39-15-19-34, Tor) – 2 NHL games through two seasons; currently a free agent
2011
Matt Read (37-22-13-35, Phi) – 79 NHL games; he remains with the Flyers
Harry Zolnierczyk (30-16-15-31, Phi) – 37 NHL games; he remains with the Flyers on a two-way deal
Stephane Da Costa (33-14-31-45, Ott) – 22 NHL games through one season; remains with Ottawa on a two-way deal
Andy Miele (39-24-47-71, Phx) – 7 NHL games; he remains with the Phoenix organisation
Carter Camper (39-19-38-57, Bos) – 3 NHL games; remains with the Bruins organisation (two-way deal)
Mike Connolly (42-28-26-54, Col) – 2 NHL games; remains with Colorado on a two-way
Torey Krug (D, 38-12-22-34, Bos) – 2 NHL games; two more years remain of his ELC remain
Chay Genoway (D, 36-6-31-37, Min) – 1 NHL game; he remains with the Wild organisation (two-way)

Europe (22)
2006
Niklas Backstrom (G, SM-Liiga) 32-9-10, 1.68, .940 – has played 327 NHL games and is arguably the best goaltender on this list
Patrick Thoresen (SEL) 50-17-19-36 – played 106 NHL games; he’s entering his fourth season in the KHL
Patrick Fischer (NLA) 44-21-32-53 – played 27 NHL games in his only season; now retired
2007
Jonas Hiller (G, NLA) 28-16, 2.60, n/a – has played 250 NHL games and remains Anaheim’s starting goaltender
Erik Ersberg (G, SEL) 41GP, 2.39, .908 – played 69 NHL games over three seasons with LA; entering his third season in the KHL
Cory Murphy (D, SM-Liiga) 45-13-37-50 – played 91 NHL games over three seasons; entering his first season in the KHL
Jaroslav Hlinka (Cze) 46-19-38-57 (1.23) – played 63 NHL games in his only season; currently signed in the Czech Elite League
2008
Ville Leino (C, SM-Liiga) 55-28-49-77 – has played 220 NHL games over four seasons; signed long-term by Buffalo
Antti Niemi (G, SM-Liiga) 26-14-6, 2.35, .926 – he won a Stanley Cup with Chicago (2010) and has 170 NHL games to his credit; he is San Jose’s starting goaltender
Tim Stapleton (C/RW) 55-29-33-62 – undersized NCAA grad played two years in Finland before coming back to North America; he played 118 NHL games; he’s playing in the KHL this season
Anssi Salmela (D, SM-Liiga) 56-16-16-32 (0.57) – played 112 NHL games over three seasons; entering his second season in the KHL
Fabian Brunnstrom (SEL) 54-9-28-37 – played 104 NHL games over four seasons; signed with Frolunda
Per Ledin (SEL) – played 3 NHL games in his only season; continues to play for HV71
2009
Jonas Gustavsson (G, SEL) 42GP, 1.96, .932 – “The Monster” has played 107 NHL games over three seasons; signed on a one-way with Detroit
Mika Pyorala (SM-Liiga) 55-21-22-43 – played 36 NHL games in his only season; entering his first season in the KHL
Henrik Karlsson (G, SEL) 34GP, 2.45, .914 – has played 26 NHL games; he remains with Calgary
Alexander Salak (G, SM-Liiga) 20-20-9, 2.40, .923 – played 2 NHL games in his only season with the Florida organisation; signed by Farjestad
Johan Backlund (G, SEL) 49GP, 2.56, .907 – played 1 NHL game over three seasons in the Flyer organisation; entering his second season with Karpat
2010
Mats Zuccarello (SEL) 55-23-41-64 (1.16) – pint-sized Norwegian played 52 NHL games over two seasons; entering his first season in the KHL
Jussi Rynnas (G, SM-Liiga) 14-13-1, 2.71, .911 – has played 2 NHL games over two seasons with Toronto’s organisation; he has one more year left in his ELC
2011
Raphael Diaz (D, NLA) 45-12-27-39 (0.86) – has played 59 NHL games in his rookie season; he remains with Montreal
Iiro Tarkki (G, SM-Liiga) 20-20-14, 2.09, .924 – played 1 game with Anaheim’s organisation last season; entering his first season in the KHL

ECHL (9)
Alexandre Burrows (W, 522 NHL games)
Undrafted player from the QMJHL, he played 134 games in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular in 04-05; he’s been an NHL regular since the the lockout
David Desharnais (C, 130 NHL games)
Undrafted player from the QMJHL, he spent one season (07-08) in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular; he’s been an NHL regular with Montreal this past season.
Steve MacIntyre (LW, 90 NHL games)
The undrafted WHL pugilist spent 168 games in the ECHL (and another 158 in other minor leagues) before establishing himself in the AHL and then earning an NHL spot with Edmonton (he’s also played for Florida and Pittsburgh).
Chris Durno (LW, 43 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the Michigan Tech, he played 147 games in the ECHL before firmly establishing himself as an AHL player, seeing action with Colorado in parts of two seasons (08-09 and 09-10).  He’s currently a UFA after spending last season with Charlotte in the AHL.
Chris Minard (C/W, 40 NHL games)
Undrafted OHLer spent 174 games in the ECHL before establishing himself in AHL; his NHL games were split over three seasons with Pittsburgh and Edmonton (07-08 to 09-10).  He will play in the DEL (Germany) this season.
Pascal Pelletier (LW, 13 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he spent 88 games in the ECHL before establishing himself as a regular AHLer.  He had cups of coffee with Boston and Chicago (07-08 and 08-09), but will suit up for his third season in the NLA (Switzerland) this season.
Matt Climie (G, 5 NHL games)
Undrafted out of Bemidji State, he spent one season (08-09) in the ECHL before moving up to the AHL.  His NHL games have been spread over three seasons (08-09 to 10-11) and split between Dallas and Phoenix.  He’s remains with Chicago (AHL) for the upcoming season.
Kurtis McLean (C, 4 NHL games)
Undrafted out of Norwich University, McLean spent the bulk of 05-06 in the ECHL before establishing himself in the AHL.  His cup of coffee came with the Islanders (08-09), but is now entering his fourth year in Europe (his second in the NLA).
Cedrick Desjardins (G, 2 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he spent one and a half seasons in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular; his NHL cup of coffee was with Tampa in 10-11.  He’s signed with Hamilton (AHL) for the upcoming season.

AHL (20)
Most players graduate from the AHL after a few years, but there are exceptions (and yes, I didn’t do this list chronologically as above because…er, just enjoy it).
Matt Carkner (D) 162 NHL games
Spent an eternity in the AHL before getting one game with San Jose (05-06), not joining the big leagues permanently until 09-10; he signed a three-year deal with the Islanders
Jeff Hoggan 107 NHL games
College grad spent the better part of two years in the big league (05-06 and 06-07) before settling back into the AHL; he’s now retired
Keith Aucoin (C/RW) 102 NHL games
An undersized college grad who has yet to spend an entire season in the NHL; his first taste was with Carolina in 05-06; he’s signed on a two-way with Toronto
Grant Stevenson (C/RW) 47 NHL games
NCAA grad spent half a season with San Jose (05-06) before falling off the map; he’s a UFA
Jerome Samson (RW) 46 NHL games
QMJHLer spent three years in the AHL before becoming a regular call-up for Carolina; he remains with the Hurricanes
Geoff Platt (C/LW) 46 NHL games
Undersized OHLer spent time with Columbus and Anaheim over three seasons before leaving for Europe; he’s entering his fourth full season in the KHL
Mike Glumac (RW) 40 NHL
NCAA grad spent time in the ECHL and AHL before getting a chance with St. Louis (05-06 to 07-08); he’s beginning his third season in Germany
Martin St. Pierre (C/LW) 38 NHL games
Undersized OHL grad was able to work himself into a limited number of NHL games (beginning in 05-06); currently signed on a two-way with Chicago
Mark Cullen (C/LW) 38 NHL games
College grad has played nearly 600 games in the AHL, getting most of his limited NHL action with Chicago; he’s playing in the KHL this season
Ryan Vesce (C/RW) 18 NHL games
Undersized college grad bounced between the AHL and Europe before getting his games with San Jose; he’s playing Sweden this year
Stephen Gionta (C/W) 13 NHL games
The undersized forward was signed out of college he spent four full seasons in the AHL before getting his NHL cup of coffee and has 363 AHL games to his credit.  Signed his first one-way deal with New Jersey at age 28
Jared Ross (C/LW) 13 NHL games
Undersized NCAA went through all the minor leagues before getting time with Philadelphia; he begins his second season in Germany
Mike Iggulden (C/W) 12 NHL games
NCAA grad saw action with San Jose and Edmonton before going to Europe; he begins his second season in Sweden this year
Rob Collins (C/RW) 8 NHL games
Undrafted undersized college grad four years in the Islanders system before getting his moment in the league; has spent the last six seasons in Germany
Maxim Noreau (D) 6 NHL games
QMJHLer spent four years in Minnesota’s organisation before leaving for Switzerland
Charles Linglet (LW) 5 NHL games
Undrafted QMJHLer played 331 AHL games before getting his cup of coffee with Edmonton (09-10).  He’s entering his third season in the KHL
Bracken Kearns (C) 5 NHL games
CIS grad played over 400 games before getting a call-up from Florida last season; he’s signed a two-way with San Jose
Carsen Germyn (C/RW) 4 NHL games
Undersized WHLer had his cup of coffee with Calgary; he now plies his trade in Germany
Jesse Schultz (RW) 2 NHL games
Undrafted WHLer got his cup of coffee with Vancouver in 06-07; unable to land an AHL job last season, he’s playing in Italy this year
Greg Rallo (C) 1 NHL game
Played over 300 AHL games before getting his one call-up with Florida; he remains with the Panthers organisation

The Best of the Undrafted
The simplest way of defining the best boils down to games played and how established a player has become (given that, I’ve only included one player whose career started within the last two years).  With that in mind, here are the best along with what league brought them to the NHL.
Nicklas Backstrom (Europe) 327 NHL games
Jonas Hiller (Europe) 250 NHL games
Alexandre Burrows (ECHL) 522 NHL games
Dan Girardi (CHL) 442 NHL games
David Clarkson (CHL) 378 NHL games
Antti Niemi (Europe) 170 NHL games
Mark Giordano (CHL) 338 NHL games
Teddy Purcell (NCAA) 272 NHL games
Ville Leino (Europe) 220 NHL games
Chad Larose (CHL) 473 NHL games
Andy Greene (NCAA) 347 NHL games
Tyler Bozak (NCAA) 192 NHL games
Matt Read (NCAA) 79 NHL games

Conclusions
NCAA: 56
Europe: 22
AHL: 20
ECHL: 9
CHL: 7
CIS: 2
What’s clear is that the best players who slip through the cracks come from Europe or the CHL, although no one comes close to the deluge of NCAA players who filter into the league.  Some of the perceptible changes (fewer players from Europe and the CHL) represent better scouting in the NHL, but nothing can stem the tide from college.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

September 5, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 6 Comments

Following in the footsteps of my look at the success of European and college free agents in the NHL, I thought I’d take a look at undrafted players who made their way through the ECHL ranks to reach the highest level.  Like the other articles I’ve focussed on the post-lockout NHL because of the different parameters in which players are viewed (particularly undersized players).  I have ignored individuals who only had a cup of coffee in the ECHL–my focus is on those who played at least the bulk of a season in that league.  I’ve also excluded Rich Peverley, whose only full season in the ECHL was during the lockout (04-05).

David Desharnais (C, 130 NHL games)
Undrafted player from the QMJHL, he spent one season (07-08) in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular; he’s been an NHL regular with Montreal this past season.
Steve MacIntyre (LW, 90 NHL games)
The undrafted WHL pugilist spent 168 games in the ECHL (and another 158 in other minor leagues) before establishing himself in the AHL and then earning an NHL spot with Edmonton (he’s also played for Florida and Pittsburgh).
Chris Durno (LW, 43 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the Michigan Tech, he played 147 games in the ECHL before firmly establishing himself as an AHL player, seeing action with Colorado in parts of two seasons (08-09 and 09-10).  He’s currently a UFA after spending last season with Charlotte in the AHL.
Chris Minard (C/W, 40 NHL games)
Undrafted OHLer spent 174 games in the ECHL before establishing himself in AHL; his NHL games were split over three seasons with Pittsburgh and Edmonton (07-08 to 09-10).  He will play in the DEL (Germany) this season.
Pascal Pelletier (LW, 13 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he spent 88 games in the ECHL before establishing himself as a regular AHLer.  He had cups of coffee with Boston and Chicago (07-08 and 08-09), but will suit up for his third season in the NLA (Switzerland) this season.
Matt Climie (G, 5 NHL games)
Undrafted out of Bemidji State, he spent one season (08-09) in the ECHL before moving up to the AHL.  His NHL games have been spread over three seasons (08-09 to 10-11) and split between Dallas and Phoenix.  He’s remains with Chicago (AHL) for the upcoming season.
Kurtis McLean (C, 4 NHL games)
Undrafted out of Norwich University, McLean spent the bulk of 05-06 in the ECHL before establishing himself in the AHL.  His cup of coffee came with the Islanders (08-09), but is now entering his fourth year in Europe (his second in the NLA).
Cedrick Desjardins (G, 2 NHL games)
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he spent one and a half seasons in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular; his NHL cup of coffee was with Tampa in 10-11.  He’s signed with Hamilton (AHL) for the upcoming season.

That’s eight players over six seasons, only one of whom (Desharnais) has become an NHL regular.  Five of the players hail from the CHL, while three are NCAA grads; interestingly, there are no defensemen on the list.  It’s not surprising that such a tiny percentage of players who go this route make the NHL permanently, but being able to climb the ladder is a more common than I expected.  Regardless, as with all my previous looks at undrafted players, this emphasizes how rarely NHL scouts miss NHL talent post-lockout (and when they do miss a player they are almost always undersized).

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

September 1, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 2 Comments

When the Ottawa Senators bought out Bobby Butler it brought to mind the free agent frenzy that occurs around undrafted college players the last four-five years.  How much success do undrafted college players have in the NHL (the same kind of question I examined in my look at European free agents)?  There’s a large number of players signed from the NCAA, but no comprehensive list of them exists, so I’ve limited myself to those players who have played at least one game in NHL.  I’m also beginning the season after the lockout ended (2006-07) when it became clear how the style of play in the league had changed and what the impact the cap would have on rosters (for the 2010 and 2011 sessions I have Red Line Report‘s estimation of the caliber of these players).  This list does not include players like Ryan Garbutt (Dal) who played their up from minor league contracts (as opposed to immediately signing with an NHL club).  Key: D is for defenseman, G is for goalie; the numbers in brackets are their final college season’s stats before signing; players are listed in order of games played.

2006 (7)
Andy Greene (D, 39-9-22-31, NJ) – 347 NHL games through six seasons; going into the second season of a four-year deal
Rod Pelley (39-7-7-14, NJ) – 256 NHL games through six seasons; currently a UFA
Ryan Carter (39-19-16-35, Ana) – 254 NHL games through six seasons; signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Devils
Bill Thomas (41-27-23-50, Phx) – 87 NHL games through six seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Colorado
Tim Wallace (36-11-12-23, Pit) – 73 NHL games through six seasons; currently on a two-way deal with Carolina
Junior Lessard (45-32-31-63, Dal) – 2y NHL games through six seasons; currently playing in the LNAH
Jamie Hunt (D, 33-12-33-45, Wsh) – 1 NHL game through six seasons; retired

2007 (14)
Ryan Shannon (38-14-31-45, Ana) – 305 NHL games through six seasons; now in Switzerland
Darroll Powe (34-13-15-28, Phi) – 286 NHL games through five seasons; two years left on a three-year deal (now with Minnesota)
Teddy Purcell (40-16-27-43, TB) – 272 NHL games through five seasons; is signed through the next four years with Tampa
Chris Connor (38-17-12-29, Dal) – 147 NHL games through six seasons; he has a two-way deal with Phoenix
Mark Letestu (37-24-22-46, Pit) – 136 NHL games through five seasons; on the final year of a one-way deal with Columbus
Kevin Westgarth (33-8-16-24, LA) – 90 NHL games through five seasons; signed to a new two-year, one-way deal with LA
Derek Smith (D, 43-10-20-30, Ott) – 58 NHL games through five seasons; signed his first one-way deal (two years) with Calgary
Trevor Smith (38-21-22-43, NYI) – 23 NHL games through five seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Pittsburgh
Sean Collins (D, 37-9-19-28, Wsh) – 21 NHL games through five seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Rangers
Gabe Gauthier (38-15-24-39, LA) – 8 NHL games through five seasons; signed with Colorado in the ECHL
Kyle Greentree (39-21-21-42, Phi) – 4 NHL games through five seasons; currently a UFA
John Curry (G, 2.01, .928, Pit) – 4 NHL games through five seasons; currently a UFA
Sean Bentivoglio (37-16-30-46, NYI) – 1 NHL game through five seasons; current a UFA
Darcy Campbell (D, 39-4-20-24, Clb) – 1 NHL game through five seasons; now playing tier-2 hockey in Germany

2008 (8)
Jesse Winchester (40-8-29-37, Ott) – 233 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Jack Hillen (D, 41-6-31-37, NYI) – 230 NHL games through four seasons; signed a one-year, one-way deal with Washington
Davis Drewiske (D, 40-5-16-21, LA) – 106 NHL games through four seasons; in the final year of his one-way contract with the Kings
Mike Moore (D, 34-7-17-24, SJ) – 6 NHL games through four seasons; signed a one-year, two-way contract with Nashville
Peter Mannino (G, 2.26, .917, NYI) – 6 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Matt Climie (G, 2.15, .913, Dal) – 5 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Brock Trotter (24-13-18-31, Mtl) – 2 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA
Jeff Penner (35-5-7-12, Bos) – 2 NHL games through four seasons; currently a UFA

2009 (8)
Matt Gilroy (D, 45-8-29-37, NYR) – 194 NHL games through three seasons; currently a UFA
Tyler Bozak (19-8-15-23, Tor) – 192 NHL games through three seasons; entering the final year of his contract
Dan Sexton (38-17-22-39, Ana) – 88 NHL games through three seasons; entering the final year of his contract (which is one-way)
Christian Hanson (37-16-15-31, Tor) – 42 NHL games through three seasons; signed a two-way deal with Boston
MacGregor Sharp (43-26-24-50, Ana) – 8 NHL games through three seasons; played in Italy last season
Evan Oberg (D, 43-7-20-27, Van) – 7 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Tampa
Brad Thiessen (G, 2.11, .931, Pit) – 5 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh
Corey Elkins (42-18-23-41, LA) – 3 NHL games through three seasons; signed a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim

2010 (11)
Bobby Butler (39-29-24-53, Ott) – 92 NHL games through two seasons; Red Line Report listed him as the 9th best college free agent; signed a one-year, two-way deal with New Jersey after being bought out
Nate Prosser (D, 39-4-24-28, Min) – 56 NHL games through two seasons; unlisted by RLR; signed a new two-year, one-way contract with the Wild
Chris Tanev (D, 41-10-18-28, Van) – 54 NHL games through two seasons; unlisted by RLR; in the final year of his ELC
Casey Wellman (36-23-22-45, Min) – 41 NHL games through two seasons; RLR listed him 11th; signed a two-way deal with Florida
Tommy Wingels (44-17-25-42, SJ) – 38 NHL games through two seasons, RLR listed him 16th; signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Sharks
Aaron Volpatti (37-15-17-32, Van) – 38 NHL games through two seasons; unlisted by RLR; signed a two-way deal to stay with the Canucks
Erik Gustafsson (D, 39-3-29-32, Phi) – 33 NHL games through two seasons, RLR listed him 7th; completing the third year of his ELC
Ben Scrivens (G, 1.87, 0.934, Tor) – 12 NHL games through two seasons, RLR listed him 29th; not yet re-signed by the Leafs
Ben Holmstrom (39-9-14-23, Phi) – 7 NHL games through two seasons; unlisted by RLR; on a one-year, two-way deal with the Flyers
Jarod Palmer (44-18-27-45, Min) – 6 NHL games through two seasons; RLR listed him 1st; remains with the Wild organisation (two-way deal)
Brayden Irwin (39-15-19-34, Tor) – 2 NHL games through two seasons; RLR listed him 13th; currently a free agent

2011 (8)
Matt Read (37-22-13-35, Phi) – 79 NHL games; RLR ranked him 13th; he remains with the Flyers
Harry Zolnierczyk (30-16-15-31, Phi) – 37 NHL games; RLR ranked him 2nd; he remains with the Flyers on a two-way deal
Stephane Da Costa (33-14-31-45, Ott) – 22 NHL games through one season; RLR ranked him 1st; remains with Ottawa on a two-way deal
Andy Miele (39-24-47-71, Phx) – 7 NHL games; RLR ranked him 8th; he remains with the Phoenix organisation
Carter Camper (39-19-38-57, Bos) – 3 NHL games; RLR ranked him 10th; remains with the Bruins organisation (two-way deal)
Mike Connolly (42-28-26-54, Col) – 2 NHL games; RLR ranked him 4th; remains with Colorado on a two-way
Torey Krug (D, 38-12-22-34, Bos) – 2 NHL games; unlisted by RLR; two more years remain of his ELC remain
Chay Genoway (D, 36-6-31-37, Min) – 1 NHL game; RLR ranked him 9th; he remains with the Wild organisation (two-way)

Over this six year period fifty-five collegiate free agents have suited up for at least one NHL game.  This dwarfs the number of free agents in other undrafted categories (Europe, CHL, CIS).  Two-thirds of teams in the league have signed such a player over the timeframe (with the exceptions of Atlanta/Winnipeg, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, and St. Louis).  Philadelphia has signed the most players with six, while Ottawa is tied with five others with four.

What value have these players had?  It’s too soon to judge the players from the last two seasons (19 of the 56), but of the remaining players 23 (of 37) have played fewer than 100 games and the vast majority are depth/complimentary additions to their organisations.  These are useful players, but not diamonds in the rough.  The best players gleaned from the sample are Andy Greene (347-16-85-101), Teddy Purcell (272-52-98-150), and Tyler Bozak (192-41-65-106).  Even among those three Purcell is the only name that truly stands out.  I’d guess Matt Read will join the elite category, but one season of play isn’t enough to be sure.

I take from this overview that what NHL general managers can expect from the NCAA ranks are (at best) solid citizens who can fill out roles in their lineups, but for whom expectations need to be tempered.  The best players in college are drafted and those who slip through the cracks are almost always undersized players.

August 10, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 11 Comments

I wrote about European leagues back in January and March with an eye on potential signings (prospects and veterans).  I thought I’d revisit the article.  Of those listed only one (Damien Brunner with Detroit) has signed a North American deal, but the 11 players who appear in green have moved to different leagues or higher levels of competition.  Besides Brunner very few free agents were signed out of Europe this off-season (Roman Cervenka with Calgary and Viktor Fasth with Anaheim are the only other ones who are definitely going to play in the NHL, other older players–like Christopher Nihlstop in Dallas, Harri Pesonen in New Jersey, Daniel Bang in Nashville–have no such assurances).

The SEL and Allsvenskan:

Richard Gynge, RW, AIK, 36-28-16-44 (undrafted 24-year old; 6th in league scoring) – signed with Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
John Norman, LW, Djurgarden, 55-4-13-17 (21-year old; #174 CSE 2009) – signed with Karpat (SM-Liiga)
Niclas Burstrom, D, Skelleftea, 51-6-6-12 (20-year old undersized blueliner; #153 CSE 2009) – remains with Skelleftea
Nils Andersson, D, Vaxjo, 45-1-7-8 (20-year old defenseman; #72 CSE 2010) – signed with Djurgarden (Allsvenskan)
Oscar Fantenberg, D, HV71, 37-3-4-7 (20-year old defenseman) – remains with HV71
Frederik Styrman, D, Skelleftea, 19-1-3-4 (20-year old undersized blueliner; #46 CSE 2009) – remains with Skelleftea
Adam Pettersson, C/RW, Sundsvall (Allsvenskan), 52-10-19-29 (20-year old; #9 CSE 2010) – remains Skelleftea property
Alexander Hilmerson, C/RW, Mora (Allsvenskan), 52-18-11-29 (21-year old) – remains with Mora
Victor Backman, LW/RW, Boras (Allsvenskan), 44-10-16-26 (20-year old; #39 CSE 2011) – remains Frolunda property
Jesper B. Jensen, D, Rogle (Allsvenskan), 50-6-13-19 (20-year old; #84 CSE 2010) – remains with Rogle (now promoted to the SEL)

The Finnish league (SM-Liiga) and Mestis:

Sakari Salminen, RW/LW, KalPa, 53-23-23-46 (undrafted 23-year old) – remains with KalPa
Jesse Mankinen, LW/RW, SaiPa, 58-16-13-29 (20-year old undersized winger; #182 CSE 2009) – remains with SaiPa
Julius Junttila, LW/RW, Karpat, 56-13-15-28 (20-year old undersized winger; #41 CSE 2010) – remains with Karpat
Charles Bertrand, LW, Lukko, 54-11-11-22 (20-year old; #104 CSE 2010) – remains with Lukko
Juha-Pekka Pietila, D, Pelicans, 17-0-6-6 (20-year old blueliner with good size) – remains with the Pelicans
Olavi Vauhkonen, RW, Jokipojat (Mestis), 42-24-11-35 (big 22-year old; #159 CSE 2008) – signed with SaiPa (SM-Liiga)
Toni Jalo, C/LW, TuTo (Mestis), 45-5-30-35 (22-year old) – signed with Sport (also in Mestis)
Samuli Virkkunen, C/RW, Sport (Mestis), 41-10-21-31 (21-year old) – signed with Assat (SM-Liiga)

The Swiss league (NLA) and the NLB:

Damien Brunner, RW, Zug, 4525-35-60 (25-year old was never drafted; 1st in league scoring) – signed with Detroit (NHL)
Simon Moser, LW/RW, Langnau, 50-18-16-34 (22-year old; #154 CSE 2009) – remains with Langnau
Ronalds Kenins, LW, ZSC, 47-6-12-18 (20-year old) – remains with ZSC
Anthony Huguenin, D, Biel, 50-0-15-15 (20-year old undersized blueliner) – remains Biel
Jeremie Kamerzin, D, Lausanne (NLB), 44-12-25-37 (23-year old blueliner) – remains with Lausanne
Marco Pedretti, C/LW, Ajoie (NLB), 39-12-22-34 (20-year old) – remains in Ambri-Piotta organisation

The German league (DEL):

Daniel Pietta, LW, Krefeld, 52-17-30-47 (undrafted 25-year old, 10th in league scoring) – remains with Krefeld
David Wolf, LW, Hamburg, 46-12-23-35 (big undrafted 22-year old) – remains with Hamburg
Laurin Braun, RW, Eisbaren, 47-9-14-23 (20-year old undersized forward; #109 CSE 2009) – remains with Eisbaren

The Czech league (Extraliga):

Jan Kovar, LW/C, HC Plzen, 52-18-33-51 (undrafted 21-year old, 7th in league scoring) – remains with HC Plzen

The Austrian league (Erste Bank Liga):

John Hughes, C, Olimpija, 50-21-47-68 (undrafted 24-year old, 1st in league scoring) – signed with Villacher (EBL)
Istvan Sofron, RW, Szekesfehervar, 50-31-21-52 (undrafted 23-year old, 6th in league scoring) – signed with HC Lev Praha (KHL), but was released

The Slovakian league (Extraliga):

Martin Bakos, LW, Bratislava, 53-13-22-35 (21-year old; #148 CSE 2008) – remains with Bratislava
Michael Vandas, C, SKP, 36-10-23-33 (20-year old) – currently unsigned
Andrej Stastny, C, Trencin, 50-11-18-29 (big 20-year old; #42 CSE 2009) – Trencin is now in the KHL

The Danish (AL-Bank Ligaen) and Norwegian (Get Ligaen) leagues:

Fredrik Killi Csisar, C, Valerenga, 44-16-35-51 (21-year old) – signed with Neman Grodno (Belarus)
Mats Rosseli Olsen, LW, Valerenga, 35-17-30-47 (20-year old) – signed with Frolunda (SEL)
Andreas Martinsen, C/RW, Lillehammer, 45-17-26-43 (21-year old) – signed with Dusseldorf (DEL)

The KHL:

Vadim Shipachyov, C, Severstal, 54-22-37-59 (undrafted 24-year old, 3rd in league scoring) – remains with Severstal

July 19, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 7 Comments

I’ve often wondered how to translate production from the various European leagues, since for every diamond in the rough (Ville Leino despite last season) there are so many failures (Fabian Brunnstrom).  Here I’ve takeen a look at every free agent pro signed out of Europe (or draft picks who came over as mature players) post-lockout who has played at least one NHL game and compared their production (I’ve divided them by league; their ages are in brackets next to their names).  I’ve excluded players who had previous NHL experience between stints in Europe because the transition has already been made; I’ve set the “European pro” bar at age 23 (anything earlier and the player is still a prospect).  For goaltenders the comparisons are slightly less apt (in terms of numbers), but it’s interesting to look at the relative success enjoyed by them.

SEL (11)
2006-07
Joel Lundqvist (24) 49-11-21-32 (ppg 0.65) – 36-3-3-6 (0.16) [ppg difference -0.49]
Third-round pick played 134 NHL games (0.19 ppg)
Patrick Thoresen (23) 50-17-19-36 (0.72) – 68-4-12-16 (0.23) [-0.49]
Undrafted Norwegian free agent played 106 NHL games (0.23 ppg)
Bjorn Melin (26) 49-16-19-35 (0.71) – 3-0-1-1 (0.33) [-0.38]
Sixth-rounder played just 3 NHL games in one season
2007-08
Erik Ersberg (25) 41GP, 2.39, .908 – 6-5-3, 2.48, .927 [0.09, +.019]
Undrafted free agent played 69 NHL games over three seasons with LA
2008-09
Fabian Brunnstrom (23) 54-9-28-37 (0.68) – 55-17-12-29 (0.52) [-0.16]
Hyped free agent out of Farjestad has played 104 NHL games over four seasons (0.39 ppg)
Per Ledin (30) 52-16-17-33 (0.63) – 3-0-0-0 (0.00) [-0.63]
Undrafted pest played 3 NHL games in his only season
2009-10
Jonas Gustavsson (25) 42GP, 1.96, .932 – 16-15-9, 2.87, .902 [0.91, .030]
“The Monster” is undrafted free agent has out of Farjestad who has played 107 NHL games over three seasons and is signed for another with Detroit
Mika Pyorala (28) 55-21-22-43 (0.78) – 36-2-2-4 (0.11) [-0.67]
Undrafted free agent played 36 NHL games in his only season
Henrik Karlsson (27) 34GP, 2.45, .914 – 4-5-6, 2.58, .908 [0.13, .006]
Undrafted free agent has played 26 NHL games thus far (he remains under contract with Calgary)
Johan Backlund (28) 49GP, 2.56, .907 – 0-1-0, 3.00, .917 [0.44, +.010]
Undrafted free agent played 1 NHL game over three seasons in the Flyer organisation
2010-11
Mats Zuccarello (23) 55-23-41-64 (1.16) – 42-6-17-23 (0.54) [-0.62]
Undrafted pint-sized Norwegian played 52 NHL games over two seasons (0.50 ppg)

SM-Liiga (14)
2006-07
Niklas Backstrom (28) 32-9-10, 1.68, .940 – 23-8-6, 1.97, .929 [0.31, .019]
Undrafted free agent out of Karpat has played 327 NHL games and is arguably the best goaltender on this list
Fredrik Norrena (30) – 36GP, 2.16 – 24-23-6 2.78, .904 [0.62]
Seventh-round Finnish vet was signed out of Linkopings and played 100 NHL games over three seasons in Columbus
Mikko Lehtonen (29) 43-6-8-14 (0.32) – 15-1-2-3 (0.20) [-0.12]
Ninth-rounder played 15 NHL games in his only season
Janis Sprukts (24) 35-18-10-28 (0.80) – 13-1-2-3 (0.23) [-0.57]
Eighth-rounder played 14 NHL games over two season (0.21 ppg)
2007-08
Cory Murphy (30) 45-13-37-50 (1.11) – 47-2-15-17 (0.36) [-0.73]
Hyped signing hampered by injury problems; played 91 NHL games over three seasons (0.40 ppg)
2008-09
Ville Leino (24) 55-28-49-77 (1.4) – 13-5-4-9 (0.69) [-0.71]
Undrafted forward has played 220 NHL games over four seasons (0.45 ppg)
Antti Niemi (25) 26-14-6, 2.35, .926 – 1-1-1, 3.40, .864 [1.05, .062]
Undrafted free agent from the Lahti Pelicans, he won a Stanley Cup with Chicago (2010) and has 170 NHL games to his credit; he remains as San Jose’s starting goaltender
Tim Stapleton (C/RW) 55-29-33-62 (1.13) – 4-1-0-1 (0.25) [-0.88]
Undersized NCAA grad played two years in Finland before coming back to North America; he played 118 NHL games over four seasons (0.31 ppg)
Anssi Salmela (25) 56-16-16-32 (0.57) – 26-1-5-6 (0.23) [-0.34]
Undrafted blueliner played 112 NHL games over three seasons (0.19 ppg)
Janne Pesonen (27) 56-34-44-78 (1.39) – 7-0-0-0 (o.oo) [-1.39]
Ninth-rounder played 7 NHL games in his only season
2009-10
Alexander Salak (23) 20-20-9, 2.40, .923 – 0-1-0, 5.37, .850 [2.97, .073]
Undrafted free agent played 2 NHL games in his only season with the Florida organisation
2010-11
Jussi Rynnas (23) 14-13-1, 2.71, .911 – 0-1-0, 4.24, .925 [1.49, +.014]
Undrafted free agent out of Assat has played 2 NHL games over two seasons with Toronto’s organisation; he has one more year left in his ELC
2011-12
Lennart Petrell (27) 56-13-22-35 (0.62) – 60-4-5-9 (0.15) [-0.47]
Sixth-rounder played 60 NHL games last year and was re-signed for the coming season
Iiro Tarkki (26) 20-20-14, 2.09, .924 – 1-0-0, 4.39, .700 [2.30, .242]
Undrafted free agent out of Blues Espoo spent one year with Anaheim’s organisation

KHL/Russia (4)
2006-07
Jan Hejda (28) 50-3-13-16 (0.32) – 39-1-8-9 (0.23) [-0.09]
Fourth-rounder has played 422 NHL games over the past six seasons (0.23 ppg)
Alexei Mikhnov (24) 40-14-8-22 (0.55) – 2-0-0-0 (0.00) [-0.55]
Former first-round pick played just 2 NHL games in his only season
2010-11
Johan Harju (25) 55-4-14-18 (0.33) – 10-1-2-3 (0.30) [-0.03]
Sixth-rounder played 10 NHL games in his only season
2011-12
Alexei Emelin (25) 52-11-16-27 (0.52) – 67-3-4-7 (0.10) [-0.42]
Third-rounder played 67 NHL games in his rookie season

NLA (4)
2006-07
Patrick Fischer (30) 44-21-32-53 (1.20) – 27-4-6-10 (0.37) [-0.83]
Undrafted Swiss vet played 27 NHL games in his only season
2007-08
Jonas Hiller (25) 28-16, 2.60, n/a – 23-10-7-1, 2.06, .927 [+0.54, n/a]
Undrafted Swiss star from HC Davos has played 250 NHL games and remains Anaheim’s starting goaltender
2010-11
Roman Wick (25) 37-15-16-31 (0.83) – 7-0-0-0 (0.00) [-0.83]
Fifth-rounder played 7 NHL games in his only season
2011-12
Raphael Diaz (25) 45-12-27-39 (0.86) – 59-3-13-16 (0.27) [-0.59]
Undrafted blueliner out of EV Zug has played 59 NHL games in his (so far) only season

Czech Elite League (1)
2007-08
Jaroslav Hlinka (30) 46-19-38-57 (1.23) – 63-8-20-28 (0.44) [-0.79]
Undrafted Czech vet played 63 NHL games in his only season

DEL
Players fitting this category haven’t come out of the DEL (the league tends to be a haven for former AHL and ECHL players), as Marcel Muller is the only one who comes close, but signed as a 22-year old he’s really more of a prospect.  There was NHL interest in Tomas Greilinger in 09-10 (who would qualify for my purposes), but nothing came of it.

Slovak Elite League, Erste Bank Liga, Get Ligaen, Al-Bank Ligaen
Players have not been signed directly out of these leagues unless they have prior NHL-experience.

Conclusions: the vast majority of the players signed (24 of 33) come from either the Swedish or Finnish leagues; slightly more than half of the non-goaltenders have played fewer than a season’s worth of NHL games (12 of 23; I’m not including the re-signed Petrell, sophomore Emelin, or RFA Diaz); only two players (Leino and Hejda) have more than two seasons worth of NHL games to their credit.  Those two players are (so far) the only regular NHLers to come out of Europe as veterans post-lockout (seven seasons).  Among the goaltenders there’s been more success (7 of 11 have managed to have an NHL role for at least two seasons), and they compose a significant percentage of the signings (33%).

In terms of the translation of production the stats for players with less than 30 NHL games played just isn’t representative and I’ve tossed them out, which only leaves only the SEL (as a league) open for comparison (none of the other leagues have more than two who qualify):
SEL (5 players): -0.49 ppg
Combining all the non-SEL players (7): -0.55
Putting all the players together (12): -0.52
These numbers only look at players in their first season out of their European leagues, so for the numbers of players with at least 50+ games played in the NHL over their careers (12) their average North American production is: 0.29 ppg (Zuccarello and Leino have the highest).

The conclusion drawn is an obvious one: the scouting community doesn’t make many mistakes and there are very few diamonds in the rough overseas.  The most overlooked players are undersized forwards, which matches the tendency with players in North America.

July 9, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 7 Comments

-Bryan Murray does not have a great track record with free agency.  In fairness to Murray, Ottawa isn’t the easiest sell on the market so he has to overpay to bring talent here.  A brief review of some of the signings:
2008
Jarkko Ruutu – a decent signing, but the tank was nearing empty
Shean Donovan – a great guy, but the tank was empty
2009
Alexei Kovalev – need I say more?
2010
Sergei Gonchar – he was better this past season, but definitely not all they hoped for

-The Sens signed Mike Lundin for a cap-friendly one-year deal at 1.15; the 27-year old doesn’t take penalties and doesn’t score, but plays a safe, defensively solid game.  I’m not excited by the signing, but having only seen him play occasionally I don’t have a strong opinion to share.  Mark Parisi thinks “At first glance, he seems to be a replacement for the departed Brian Lee, or perhaps he’s just insurance in case none of the team’s young prospects are ready to step in to a full-time NHL role just yet.”  Scott says “this may actually prove to be a decent signing for a depth defenseman, especially if the alternative was brining back Matt Carkner.”

-Ottawa also signed Guillaume Latendresse (pending a physical) for one-year, 1.25 (with .75 with of bonuses).  He’s only played 27-games over the last two years and has struggled with conditioning as a pro.  He’s a guy with only one good (half) season on his resume and I think it’s unlikely a player at his age is suddenly going to change his habits.  Regardless, it is a low-risk signing, as Mark Parisi succinctly comments, “Latendresse has demonstrated strength, hands, and intelligence to be a useful forward in the league, but he has not been able to demonstrate that with any kind of consistency.”

-On the Binghamton side of things the Sens brought back Andre Benoit after his year in the KHL (with Spartak Moscow).  He’s a welcome addition to an AHL blueline with very little offensive punch.

-The Minnesota Wild did Ottawa a favour by signing Zenon Konopka.  A good guy, he just doesn’t bring enough to the table.  Wild fans can look forward to a lot of staged, meaningless fights.

-The Colorado Avalanche New York Islanders also did the Sens a favour by signing Matt Carkner.

-Is anyone else irritated by the tendency in the media when reporting on a signing to give the players total salary over the life of the contract rather than just the cap hit?  The latter information is what’s useful to fans.

July 1, 2012
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 3 Comments

The Ottawa Senators have announced the re-signing of Bobby Butler (senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569316) to a two-year, one-way deal.  Butler was signed as a free agent out of college (New Hampshire) at the end of the 2009-10 season.  Last year he splite his time between Binghamton (47-22-11-33) and Ottawa (36-10-11-21).  Butler’s deal has a cap hit of 1.075 per season (as per www.capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1660).

Kaspars Daugavins remains the only RFA whose future is still unknown.

July 14, 2011
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Today the Ottawa Senators announced the signing of free agent Lee Sweatt to a two-year, two-way contract (http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569033&cmpid=rss-News).  An undersized blueliner, the undrafted NCAA grad spent three years putting up big numbers in Europe before spending last season with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL (41-5-9-14).  There’s little chance that Sweatt puts on an Ottawa Senator uniform unless there are roster moves, but he helps fill the veteran hole on the blueline.  There’s a brief description of him here: www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/12360/ manitoba_moose201011_preview.  [Contract numbers are out: 650k/80k then 175k in the AHL.]

Ottawa added another AHL blueliner in Tim Conboy (http://senators.nhl.com/club/ news.htm?id=569034).  The 29-year old Conboy was originally a San Jose draft pick (7-217/02) who offers toughness (233pim’s last year), but not much else (scoring once in his last 139 games; 70-0-12-12 last year).  His signing makes the prospect of bringing back Derek Smith very slim.  [Contract numbers are out: 600k/150k.]

Speaking of veterans, 25-year old RFA Geoff Kinrade has apparently signed with HC Plzen of the Czech Elite League (http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180e879&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180e879&plckPostId=Blog%3a551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180e879Post%3aef987103-a8a1-4b2a-83fa-b4d52251d39c&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest).  Kinrade was a free agent college signing who spent the last two years in Binghamton as a defensive stalwart (+39 over his two seasons; 78-6-19-25 last year).  Undoubtedly Kinrade has looked at the organisational depth chart and realised there was no room for him to move up.

Columbus has signed UFA Cody Bass (http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/blog.htm?id=106) who spent four years with the Ottawa organisation.  Bass was a fourth round draft pick in 2005 who plays a gritty, two-way game.  Over the years he played 34 games in the NHL, but given his limited offensive talents (39 points in 171 AHL games) there’s little doubt he’ll spend the bulk of the year in the AHL for the Blue Jackets.

The only remaining RFA’s requiring a contract are Bobby Butler and Kaspars Daugavins.

July 11, 2011
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

There were a couple of minor organisational moves today.  34-year old veteran Mark Parris was signed to a one-year, two-way deal today (senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=568875).  Parrish hasn’t suited up for more that 40 NHL games since a disappointing stint with the Dallas Stars in 2008-09.  He’ll help fill the hole left by departing captain Ryan Keller (who signed with Edmonton) and late season acquisition Ryan Potulny (Washington).  I don’t think there’s any intention of Parrish playing with the big club (barring injury).  Last year with the Portland Pirates his numbers were 56-17-34-51.  It’s worthwhile checking out Ian Mendes’ amusing comment about the signing (http://twitter.com/#!/ian_mendes/).  [July 10: Parrish’s numbers have been posted by www.capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=700: he’ll make 650k/175k.]

The Senators have also announced the signing of 28-year old goalie Mike McKenna (http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=568883) to a one-year, two-way deal.  McKenna is expected to back-up Robin Lehner.  Last year he played with New Jersey affiliate the Albany Devils, posting mediocre numbers (14-20-2, 3.61, 0.866).  He will not push Lehner for minutes in Binghamton. [July 10: www.capgeek.com/players/ display.php?id=915 numbers: 550k/90k.]

Ottawa also lost an asset today when RFA and 2010 Olympic star Roman Wick (5-156/04) decided to return to play for Kloten in Switzerland (signing a 3-year deal, www.kloten-flyers.ch/contento/TabId/66/Default.aspx?articleId=d756367f-3ee5-49e2-ba06-9f1a00b4974c).  Wick enjoyed a successful rookie year in Binghamton (70-20-22-42), winning a Calder Cup, but either organisational depth or a need to maximize his financial future as a hockey player has taken him home.

Of the remaining RFA’s, Bobby Butler will either sign a new deal or accept his qualifying offer (bottom of http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/07/06/sens-condra-reach-new-deal), while there’s been no word regarding Geoff Kinrade or Kaspars Daugavins.

July 8, 2011
Categories: Free Agency, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment