Thursday, September 11, 2014
10 to Watch in Prospect Tourneys
First-year pros look to make their mark as NHL rookie camps open this week.
There are dozens of former college stars taking part in NHL rookie camps that get underway this week, with two-thirds of the league taking part in prospect tournaments in London, Ont.; Nashville, Tenn.; Penticton, B.C.; and Traverse City, Mich.
Many of those players were on NCAA rosters just a year ago, and are now looking to make an impression in their first full pro season. We’ll be following all of their progress, of course, but here are 10 we’re particularly curious to keep an eye on as the puck drops:
Mat Bodie, NY Rangers/Union
Mat Bodie’s first game since winning the national title will come in Traverse City, where he represents the Rangers after signing as a free agent. The defenseman scored a goal in his last four college games.
Notable: Fellow first-year pros from the NCAA ranks Ryan Haggerty (RPI), Kevin Hayes (BC) and Chris McCarthy (UVM) join Bodie on the Ranger roster.
Sam Brittain, Florida/Denver
Brittain’s NCAA career had its ups and downs, as he was only the Pioneers’ full-time starter as a freshman and a senior, but it certainly ended on a high note. His .929 save percentage last season ranked in the top 10 nationally and propelled DU to the first NCHC playoff championship.
Notable: The Panther roster also features former NCHC foes Joe Basaraba (UMD), Rocco Grimaldi (UND) and Clarke Saunders (UND).
Ryan Dzingel, Ottawa/Ohio State
The Big Ten’s top scorer a year ago, Dzingel was only a seventh-round pick but has developed into a top prospect for the Senators. He had seven points in a nine-game AHL stint after the Buckeyes’ season ended last year.
Notable: The London tournament also features last year’s leading scorer from the NCHC, Josh Archibald (Pittsburgh/Nebraska Omaha).
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary/Boston College
Recently ranked as the NHL’s 26th-best prospect by NHL.com, that’s laughable to anyone who saw Gaudreau at Boston College the last three seasons. There are questions about the Hobey Baker winner’s size and durability at the next level, however, and we’ll begin to see his answers at this weekend’s tournament in Penticton.
Notable: One of six players on Calgary’s roster who played NCAA last season, including BC teammate Bill Arnold.
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg/UMass Lowell
The inaugural Mike Richter Award winner as the nation’s top goaltender, Hellebuyck will share the Jets’ net in Penticton with Brittain’s old Denver teammate, Juho Olkinoura. After leading UMass Lowell to consecutive Hockey East tournament titles, Hellebuyck will get his first taste of pro hockey.
Notable: Former teammates Christian Folin (Minnesota), Joe Pendenza (Nashville) and Scott Wilson (Pittsburgh) are also in rookie tournaments this weekend.
Stephen Johns, Chicago/Notre Dame
With the Blackhawks facing a bit of a salary cap crunch, the experienced but affordable Johns may be an option on the big club’s blueline. He impressed in an AHL stint with Rockford at the end of last season.
Notable: After the rookie tournament in London, Johns could be headed back to Notre Dame; the Blackhawks hold training camp at Compton Family Ice Arena from Sept. 19-21.
Connor and Kellen Jones, Edmonton/Quinnipiac
The only players on this list not on NHL contracts, the Jones twins are both signed with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City this season. Given their exploits in four seasons at Quinnipiac, it’s hard to imagine they won’t get an NHL opportunity at some point.
Notable: The Jones brothers will face former Bobcat teammate Bryce Van Brabant (Calgary) in Penticton.
Cody Kunyk, Tampa Bay/Alaska
The WCHA Player of the Year finished last season with the Lightning, appearing in the final game of the regular season before returning to school to pick up his degree. That’s a tough year to follow as the free agent signee’s first pro season gets underway in Nashville.
Notable: Kunyk was one of 10 players to play both NCAA and NHL hockey last year.
Dennis Robertson, Carolina/Brown
The two-year Brown captain, at 23, has been to several NHL development camps – but most were with Toronto. His rights were dealt to Carolina last Jan. 1. He’ll hope to work his way on to an NHL blue line that is led by former NCAA stars Justin Faulk, Ron Hainsey and John-Michael Liles.
Notable: Robertson will face another former ECAC star whose NHL rights were traded in the last year – Jordan Samuels-Thomas (Buffalo/Quinnipiac) – in the teams’ first game on Friday.