Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

AHL Top 100 Free Agents — The Big Board

12 Comments Posted by on June 29, 2015

NOTE: Final update of the board was made August 19, 2015. No further updates will be made to the board after this date.

When Jonathan Bombulie announced earlier this year that he was taking a job in Pittsburgh to cover the beat of the NHL version of the Penguins, one of the things that he left behind was his yearly AHL Free Agent “Big Board” which is a massive list of minor league hockey players ranked, 1-100 and beyond, that debuts right before the start of NHL Free Agency.

Well, thanks in part to the efforts of many, it lives on.

This massive, massive project, doesn’t renieret completed without the help of a broad spectrum of bloggers and journalists alike, from nearly every corner of the American Hockey League. Jason Iacona connected with several bloggers from throughout the AHL and what you see today is the efforts of those who lended a hand in typing up a capsule on a player from the Eastern Conference that the Western Conference never sees, or vice versa.

Before we get to the list of the Top 100 Unrestricted Free Agents, thank you to the following people…

Stephen Meserve from 100 Degree Hockey in Texas who created the spreadsheet that everyone contributed to as well as his thoughts on the Texas Stars free agents.

Nathan Mallett from Runnin’ With the Herd, laid the groundwork for the Top 100 list and contributed greatly to the capsules of the San Antonio Rampage as well as other teams.

Heath Sorey of Beneath the Scope, who went above and beyond the call and provided capsules for not only the Anaheim prospects of the Norfolk Admirals team he blogs for, but several other AHL teams.

Special thanks to Daniel Lavender from Admirals Roundtable for his contributions on the Milwaukee Admirals, Matt Trust from Chocolate Hockey for Lehigh Valley and Hershey, Tracey Lake from Thoughts Inside the Box for Albany, Eric Rodgers from Tend the Farm for Oklahoma City, Darryl Hunt from 210 Sports for Worcester, Jenni Probst from Chasing Checkers for Charlotte and Chris Roy from the Maine Hockey Journal for Portland.

We all hope that you enjoy the list. After the jump, dive into the Top 100 AHL Free Agents Available, then the “Best of the Rest” list below. Note that any Restricted Free Agent not tendered a qualifying offer will be added in on future edits, most likely starting tonight or by noon tomorrow, when the market goes live.

Dive in…

Rank Name Pos 2014-15 Team Comments
1 Andy Miele C GR Re-signed by Detroit (NHL)
2 Chris Bourque F HFD Signed by Washington (NHL)
3 TJ Hensick C HAM Signed by Carolina (NHL)
4 Dustin Jeffrey C BRI Signed by Arizona (NHL)
5 Cal O’Reilly C UTI Signed by Buffalo (NHL)
6 Chris Mueller F HFD Signed by Anaheim (NHL)
7 Bobby Sanguinetti D UTI Signed by Buffalo (NHL)
8 Chris Conner LW HER Signed by Philadelphia (NHL)
9 Conor Sheary F WBS Signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
10 Joe Whitney LW ALB Signed by New York Islanders (NHL)
11 Jim O’Brien C HER Signed by New Jersey (NHL)
12 Jason Williams C OKC Signed by Kölner Haie (DEL)
13 Greg Rallo C TEX Re-signed by Texas (AHL)
14 Kevin Porter C GR Signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
15 Kael Mouillierat C BRI Signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
16 Richard Bachman G OKC Signed by Vancouver (NHL)
17 Colin McDonald RW BRI Signed by Philadelphia (NHL)
18 Dylan Reese D POR Signed by Arizona (NHL)
19 Shane Harper RW CHI Signed by Florida (NHL)
20 Bobby Butler F SA Signed by Modo (SHL)
21 Paul Thompson RW ALB Re-signed by New Jersey (NHL)
22 Maxime Fortunus D TEX Signed by Minnesota (NHL)
23 Mike McKenna G POR Signed by Florida (NHL)
24 Taylor Chorney D WBS Signed by Washington (NHL)
25 Kris Newbury C HER Signed by Los Angeles (NHL)
26 Jayson Megna F WBS Signed by New York Rangers (NHL)
27 Greg Zanon D SA 26 points in 74 games and unquestioned heart and soul of team.
28 Michael Leighton G RFD Re-signed by Chicago (NHL)
29 Bryan Lerg LW WOR Re-signed by San Jose (NHL)
30 Jeff Hoggan LW GR Re-signed with Grand Rapids (AHL)
31 Sean Backman RW MCH Re-signed by Ontario (AHL)
32 Jason Akeson RW LV Signed by Buffalo (NHL)
33 Mark Cundari D ADK Signed by San Jose (NHL)
34 Tom McCollum G GR Re-signed by Detroit (NHL)
35 Brandon DeFazio LW UTI Signed by Boston (NHL)
36 Matt Ford RW OKC Re-signed by Edmonton (NHL)
37 Harry Zolnierczyk LW BRI Signed by Anaheim (NHL)
38 Aaron Ness D BRI Signed by Washington (NHL)
39 Joe Piskula D MIL Signed by Anaheim (NHL)
40 Shane O’Brien D SA Signed by Anaheim (NHL)
41 Danny Kristo F HFD Signed by St. Louis (NHL)
42 Eric O’Dell C STJ Signed by Ottawa (NHL)
43 Blair Jones C LV Signed by Vancouver (NHL)
44 Will O’Neill D STJ Signed by Pittsburgh  (NHL)
45 Sean Collins C SPR Signed by Washington (NHL)
46 Matt Taormina D WOR Signed by Tampa Bay (NHL)
47 Scott Timmins C ALB Injuries limited him to just 41 games, but managed to score 10 goals while playing first and second line minutes.
48 Mark Mancari F SA Signed by Augsburger Panther (DEL)
49 Jeremy Smith G PRO Re-signed with Boston (NHL)
50 Adam Cracknell RW CHI Veteran winger who has bounced around between Chicago and Springfield.
51 Mike Kostka D HFD Signed by Ottawa (NHL)
52 Kyle Cumiskey D RFD Responsible puck moving D man that put up 20 points for Rockford last year after coming back from overseas.
53 Nick Drazenovic F WBS Injuries limited him to 28 games in 14-15. If healthy, he’s a 40 point scorer.
54 Carter Camper F BNG Signed by Washington (NHL)
55 Colby Robak D NOR Former Panthers product put up a mere 6 points in 29 games after trade to Norfolk
56 Yann Danis G NOR Signed by New Jersey (NHL)
57 Pat Cannone C CHI Re-signed by St. Louis (NHL)
58 Chad LaRose F CHA After year off from hockey, tied for team lead in power play goals and ranked second on CHA in goals and points (20g, 18a) Served as an alternate captain. Fiercely competitive.
59 Brendan Bell D NOR Puck-moving D spent time with Norfolk and Chicago, racking up 32 points
60 Derek Hulak F TEX Re-signed by Texas (AHL)
61 Steve Oleksy D HER Signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
62 Evan Oberg D POR Signed by Augsburger Panther (SEL)
63 Justin Florek LW PRO Signed by New York Islanders (NHL)
64 Paul Carey C PRO Signed by Washington (NHL)
65 Steve Eminger D PRO Veteran defender in the twighlight of his career put up 23 points on the backend for Providence.
66 Corey Potter D ADK 10 points in a year that saw him called up to Calgary. 7th or 8th defenseman type who is responsible in his own end.
67 Ben Youds D LE Puck moving D registered 32 points in 65 GP with PRO & LE
68 Darcy Zajac RW ALB Bounced back from an injury ridden 2013-14 campaign with 8 goals and solid 4th line play.
69 Jeremy Welsh C CHI Re-signed by St. Louis (NHL)
70 Kyle MacKinnon C STJ Signed by San Diego (AHL)
71 Dustin Stevenson D ADK Re-signed by Stockton (AHL)
72 Scott Clemmensen G ALB Retired to become the Devils goaltending development coach.
73 Jon Landry D HER Veteran defenseman played 64 games with a solid plus 24. Adds experience to any defensive core.
74 Denny Urban D SPR Signed by Straubing (DEL)
75 Jake Dowell F HAM Former Fred T. Hunt winner skated in every game for Hamilton. Veteran leader.
76 Stu Bickel D IA Big D-man with 76 NHL games under his belt. Struggled on a terrible Iowa team.
77 Dan Ellis G SA Signed by Washington (NHL)
78 Francis Wathier C POR Heart and soul player. Signed AHL deal at the start of the 14-15 season and posted 14 pts in 68 games.
79 Terry Broadhurst LW CHI Signed by Skilleftea (SHL)
80 Josh Winquist LW OKC Re-signed by Edmonton (NHL)
81 Eric Tangradi LW HAM Signed by Detroit (NHL)
82 Taylor Fedun D WOR Signed by Vancouver (NHL)
83 Andrew Bodnarchuk D MCH Signed by Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
84 Rob Zepp G LV His fairy-tale story led to his NHL debut as a 33-year-old rookie last season. Potential full-time, backup NHL goaltender.
85 John Muse G CHA Signed by Texas (AHL)
86 Kyle Hagel LW CHA Re-signed by Charlotte (AHL)
87 Joey Crabb F HFD 32-year-old Alaskan native has scored 30+ points in last two seasons.
88 Alex Grant D BNG Signed by Arizona (NHL)
89 David Leggio G POR Went from worst goalie in AHL in Bridgeport then had change of scenery and became a servicable backup with Portland.
90 Zack Stortini RW LV Signed by Ottawa (NHL)
91 Brian Gibbons C SPR Signed by New York Rangers (NHL)
92 Ethan Werek RW PRO Third year pro with 20 points with Providence.
93 Travis Oleksuk C WOR Prospect tag is fading. Still is a solid option for AHL depth.
94 Corey Cowick LW SPR Signed by Florida (ECHL)
95 David Warsofsky D PRO Signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
96 Marc Hagel RW IA Re-signed by Minnesota (NHL)
97 Scooter Vaughn RW BRI Signed by Chicago (AHL)
98 Aaron Johnson D BNG AHL/NHL veteran brings leadership and scoring.
99 Scott Munroe G SPR Retired to become the Coordinator of Goaltender Development for Moncton (QMJHL)
100 Phillip McRae C CHI Signed by Bakersfield (AHL)

–

Below, is a list of “best of the rest” unranked chart, alphabetized, of 200 or so AHL Unrestricted Free Agents with about 50 more Restricted Free Agents who were not tendered a qualifying offer thus making them Unrestricted Free Agents. Players not tendered qualifying offers are listed in bold below.

–

Name Position 2014-15 Team Comments
Sena Acolatse D ADK Signed by Florida (NHL)
Will Acton C UTI Depth center that can score 20 points on a good team.
Luke Adam LW SPR Signed with New York Rangers (NHL)
JP Anderson G WOR Solid in Juniors, but didn’t crack Allen (ECHL) playoff roster.
Peter Andersson D UTI Signed overseas in the SHL.
Alex Aleardi C CHA Signed by Rogle (SHL)
Connor Allen D HFD Signed by Nashville (NHL)
Bryan Allen D HAM Brings NHL experience to any AHL blueline.
Brandon Anderson G HER Washington organization sent him to Tulsa of ECHL and he was never heard from again.
Mike Angelidis F SYR Re-signed by Tampa Bay (NHL)
Olivier Archambault LW IA Re-signed by Iowa (AHL)
Darren Archibald RW UTI Physical grinder. Career high in goals playing for Utica.
Mike Aviani C CHA 25 points in 54 games for the Everblades in rookie ECHL season
Drew Bagnall D RCH Injuries have limited the veteran defenseman to just 92 games in the past two seasons.
Carter Bancks RW UTI Re-signed by Utica (AHL)
Cody Bass C RFD Signed by Nashville (NHL)
Alex Biega D UTI Re-signed by Vancouver (NHL)
Paul Bissonnette LW MCH Re-signed with Ontario (AHL)
Jesse Blacker D SA Signed by Texas (AHL)
Nicolas Blanchard LW STJ Checking line forward whose defense has always been questionable.
Jonathan Blum D IA Signed by Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)
Alex Boak D WBS ECHL tweener on defense. Was 8th or 9th option in WBS.
Igor Bobkov G NOR Signed by Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)
Troy Bodie LW TOR Veteran grinder with 15 points and 77 PIMs couldn’t find many dance partners this season.
Jimmy Bonneau LW WOR Signed by Rapid City (ECHL)
Rob Bordson LW CHI One time Flyers prospect good for about 25 points a year.
Drayson Bowman LW HAM 33 points in his first season back in the AHL. Sixth in points on an average Hamilton team.
Chris Breen D PRO Re-signed by Boston (NHL)
Terry Broadhurst LW CHI Duplicate. Listed at 79 in the Top 100.
Joel Broda C HER Played fourth liner minutes and saw fourth liner production in 53 games with Hershey.
Mathieu Brodeur D CHI Depth defender that has bounced around a few AHL teams.
Tyler Brown LW HFD 25-year-old grinder could fill bottom-6 role next year
Chris Bruton LW GR Fourth liner that can throw.
Peter Budaj G STJ NHL veteran goaltender didn’t win a single game in backup role for STJ last season (0-9-6)
Zach Budish RW MIL Not qualified by NSH. Played 73 games split between AHL / NHL, scoring 37 points.
Tyler Bunz G OKC Spent half of last season in ECHL Wichita, spent the other half on OKC’s bench as a full-time backup.
Adam Burish RW WOR His prime has come and gone. Seemed content playing in AHL Chicago.
Dane Byers LW HER Veteran leader had a shoulder injury that ended his season.
Greg Carey LW POR Hobey Baker finalist never found his way into the lineup and spent the majority of the season in Gwinnett. He’s bubble player whether the Coyotes qualify him or cut ties.
Matt Carey LW RFD Signed by Iowa (AHL)
Matt Carkner D BRI Re-signed by Bridgeport (AHL)
Jordan Caron RW LE Signed by St. Louis (NHL)
Mac Carruth G RFD Re-signed by Rockford (AHL)
Jake Chelios D CHI Signed by Charlotte (AHL)
Andrew Cherniwchan RW PRO 20 points in 49 games split between Springfield and Providence. Can fight if needed. Depth forward.
Daniel Ciampini LW WOR Signed by Rockford (AHL)
Willie Coetzee LW WOR Knee injury may delay his 2015-16 season, but a solid AHL depth player.
Adam Comrie D LV 18 points in 40 games in ’14-15. Not responsible in his own end.
Patrice Cormier C STJ Re-signed by Winnipeg (NHL)
Mike Cornell D CHA 11 fighting majors between 3 AHL teams
Phillippe Cornet D HER Unsung hero of the year for the Hershey Bears in 2014-15. Majority of his nine goals came on the power play.
Matt Corrente D SYR Punishing D-man who loves to fight. Effective puck mover when he’s not in the penalty box.
JP Cote D SYR Signed by Iserlohn Roosters (DEL)
Ryan Craig LW SPR Re-signed by Columbus (NHL)
John Curry G IA Consistent 20 game winner with WBS has only won 20 games in past two seasons with Iowa.
Nick D’Agostino D WBS Stepped into top pairing when injuries hit the Pens last year. Surprising non-qualifier.
Zac Dalpe RW RCH Signed by Minnesota (NHL)
Steven Delisle D LV Signed by Arizona (NHL)
Gabriel Desjardins LW CHA ECHL depth winger. 74 points in the Q in ’12-13.
Taylor Doherty D WOR Isn’t the greatest skater, doesn’t use size to full potential, but may get a look on an NHL roster because of his 6’8 235 frame.
Sean Dolan C CHA 50 games as a 4C for Charlotte a year ago; 20 games between Checkers and ECHL this year.
Davis Drewskie D HAM Signed by Philadelphia (NHL)
Darian Dziurzynski LW POR Gritty two-way forward. Finished with 15 goals, 18pts in 68 games.
Keaton Ellerby D STJ Signed by Barys (KHL)
Matt Ellis LW RCH Re-signed by Rochester (AHL)
Travis Ehrhardt D UTI Left handed bottom pair defender.
Brennan Evans D GR Signed by Texas (AHL)
Ryan Faragher G NOR Re-signed by San Diego (AHL)
Joe Faust D ALB Rookie defenseman was limited to a 7th D role, only managed to get in 26 games but filled in admirably as needed.
Brett Findlay LW TOR Re-signed by Toronto (AHL)
Joe Finley D HAM 6’8 defender that fights.
Mark Fistric D NOR Heavy hitter who could be a veteran leader for younger teams.
Brett Flemming D LV AHL / ECHL tweener 23 points for ECHL Reading.
Rob Flick C PRO Signed by Florida (NHL)
Thomas Frazee C CHA Split time between 3 ECHL teams.
Kris Fredheim D STJ Average defender. Nothing flashy.
Austen Fyten LW LV Signed by Hershey (AHL)
Mathieu Gagnon LW SPR Injuries limited him to 20 games this year.
Brett Gallant LW BRI Signed by Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Cameron Gaunce D TEX Signed by Florida (NHL)
Danick Gauthier LW SYR More than a point per game for ECHL Wichita
Bruno Gervais D LEM Signed by Eisären Berlin (DEL)
Colton Gillies RW BRI Third-line LW and a top-pair PK forward all year. Solid veteran within that role. Started the year on a PTO.
Trevor Gillies LW ADK You know what you are getting when you hand him a sweater.
Curt Gogol LW IA 48 games split nearly evenly between AHL / ECHL. Not afraid to fight.
Kevin Goumas C LV Re-signed with Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Petter Granberg D TOR Re-signed by Toronto (NHL)
Derek Grant C BNG Signed by Calgary (NHL)
Triston Grant LW MIL Signed by Grand Rapids (AHL)
Josh Gratton LW MCH Vet is an extra forward for the fourth line
Kevin Gravel D MCH Re-signed by Los Angeles (NHL)
Scott Greenham G BNG Re-signed with Binghamton (AHL)
Jason Gregoire LW IA Came back from Sweden and put up so-so numbers on terrible Iowa team.
Matt Hackett G RCH Signed by Anaheim (NHL)
Michael Haley LW WOR Re-signed by San Jose (NHL)
Curtis Hamilton LW OKC Injuries delayed his progression his first few seasons. Stayed relatively healthy last season and showed he can be an asset.
Wacey Hamilton C UTI Re-signed by Utica (AHL)
Ben Hanowski RW ADK 25 points for an inconsistent Adirondack team. Wasn’t qualified by Calgary.
Joel Hanley D POR Signed by Montral (NHL)
Eric Hartzell G WBS Is your AHL backup or ECHL starter. Completely outshined by Matt Murray in WBS.
Eriah Hayes RW WOR Signed by Chicago (AHL)
Dany Heatley LW SA Shell of his former self. Still a net front presence, but has trouble keeping up even at AHL level.
Kevin Henderson LW TEX Bottom six forward with Cup experience. Not going to be a huge scorer, but good vet presence.
Jordan Henry D CHA Everblades Captain always seems to be good for a few AHL games
Brett Hextall RW LV Ron’s son saw his production take a dip in ’14-15.
Jordan Hill D STJ Depth defender who has carved out an AHL niche for teh past 5 seasons.
Alden Hirschfield C GR Re-signed with Grand Rapids (AHL)
Danny Hobbs LW BNG Re-signed with Binghamton (AHL)
Justin Hodgman C POR Signed by St. Louis (NHL)
Michael Houser G SA Inconsistent young goalie. Can play lights out for stretches, then be awful for stretches.
Mike Hoeffel LW SPR Checking forward that is good for 20 points a season.
Ben Holmstrom C CHA Signed by New York Islanders (NHL)
Ryan Horvat LW MCH Tough customer who’s not related to Bo
Derek Hulak LW TEX Duplicate. Listed as 60 in the Top 100. Re-signed with Texas (AHL)
Kent Huskins D UTI Veteran depth defender.
Brayden Irwin D RCH 6’5″ 28 year old forward who has struggled to stick in the AHL full time.
Dallas Jackson D HFD Defenseman continued steady play this year
Cam Janssen RW ALB Signed by Nottingham Panthers (EIHL)
AJ Jenks C CHA Signed by Toledo (ECHL)
Connor Jones C OKC Similar style of play to his brother Kellen, played on the same line throughout most of the season.
Kellen Jones LW OKC Played with a never-quit attitude, constantly back-checking, forechecking, changing momentum. High marks in a rookie season.
Nick Jones D WOR Solid bottom pair defender that doesn’t get beat often. Can be used on a power play.
Cory Kane LW PRO Signed by Texas (AHL)
Eric Knodel D TOR 27 points split between AHL / ECHL for UNH grad.
Darren Kramer LW BNG Kramer’s dance card is always full; lead league in PIMs
Cody Kunyk F SYR Signed by Grizzlys Wolfsburg (DEL)
John Kurtz LW NOR Emblematic AHL grinder was 8th in PIMs
Jason LaBarbera G NOR Signed by Philadelphia (NHL)
Hubert Labrie D SPR Signed by San Antonio (AHL)
Kane Lafranchise D UTI Signed by Bridgeport (AHL)
Antoine Laganiere C NOR Re-signed by San Diego (AHL)
Kellen Lain C OKC Traded to OKC for Will Acton, played two games before suffering a wrist injury to end his season.
Phil Lane LW POR Defensive forward. Struggled to find his way in the first half of 14-15, but showed promised down the stretch.
Chris Langkow C BRI Signed by Elmira (ECHL)
Thomas Larkin D SPR Signed by HC Bolzano (Austria)
Matt Lashoff D POR An NHL 1st rounder that is looking to find his way back to the NHL. Acquired in trade w/ NYI, he finished with 4pts in 25 games after starting the season in Europe.
Oliver Lauridsen D LV Signed by Frölunda (SHL)
Drew LeBlanc C RFD Signed by Augsburger Panther (DEL)
Mike Lee G POR Suffer a major hip injury in 13-14, missing most of 14-15. 
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond RW WBS Third in AHL in PIMs (241)
Austin Levi D CHA Signed by Fort Wayne (ECHL)
Mike Liambas LW MIL Signed by Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Matt Lindblad C PRO Signed by New York Rangers (NHL)
Mark Louis D BRI Was a depth defenseman after coming over from Portland for David Leggio. Played a lot on the wing.
CJ Ludwig D OKC Signed by Bridgeport (AHL)
Maxime Macenauer C HAM Injuries limited him to 47 games last year.
Steve MacIntyre LW NOR Once thought to be retired, enforcer appeared in 21 games for ECHL Utah
Matt MacKenzie D RCH Defender that rode the AHL / ECHL seesaw last season.
Andrew MacWilliam D TOR Signed by Winnipeg (NHL)
Daniel Maggio D LE Punishing D-man had 215 PIM in just 48 GP
Jeff Malcolm G HFD Yale alum looks like another candidate for the ECHL
Denver Manderson C TOR Typical bottom end center with better success in ECHL.
Martin Marincin D OKC Signed by Toronto (NHL)
Kevin Marshall D BNG Signed by Rögle BK (SHL)
Ryan Martindale F SA Big center who can kill penalties. Probably an AHL/Europe ceiling guy.
Steve Mastalerz G MCH 4 okay years at UMass Amherst
Jamie McBain D MCH Signed by Los Angeles (NHL)
John McCarthy LW CHI Signed by San Jose (NHL)
Josh McFadden D SA Bottom pairing AHL D-man or ECHL depth player
Nathan McIver D NOR Signed by Braehead Clan (EIHL)
Chris McKelvie LW ALB Injuries limited him to 56 games, but played well with 4th line minutes and was an assistant captain.
Frazer McLaren LW TOR NHL veteran limited to 28 games in the past two seasons.
Alex McPherson C RCH Re-signed by Rochester (AHL)
Corbin McPherson D ALB Only sat out 3 games all season and contributed defensively, but numbers were down after a strong 2013-14 campaign.
Phillip McRae C CHI Signed by Bakersfield (AHL)
Dan Milan D SYR Defenseman has appeared in only 1 AHL game, played full season with ECHL Wichita; scored 17 pts.
Brad Mills C BNG Mills drops the gloves but can also score
Zach Miskovic D RFD Spent 2014-15 season in Icehog’s bottom pairing after jumping around AHL previous year.
Domenic Monardo RW SPR 10 goals for Springfield last year in first full year pro.
Joey Mormina D SYR Re-signed by Syracuse (AHL)
Adam Morrison G PRO ECHL depth goaltender buried in Boston organization behind Malcolm Subban and Jeremy Smith.
Mike Moore D HER Re-signed by Washington (NHL)
Patrick Mullen D BNG Re-signed by Ottawa (NHL)
John Negrin D UTI Re0signed by Utica (AHL)
Chad Nehring C HFD ECHL vet made AHL debut with 12 points in 53 games for Hartford
Greg Nemisz RW CHA Retired
Zach O’Brien F MCH Signed by Chicago (AHL)
Shawn O’Donnell RW HFD Re-signed by Hartford (AHL)
Colton Orr RW TOR Pair of fists.
Nathan Paetsch D GR Re-signed with Grand Rapids (AHL)
Trevor Parkes RW WOR Re-sigend with San Jose (AHL)
Eddie Pasquale G HER Signed by St. John’s (AHL)
Adam Payerl C WBS Drop in production and games played. Lost in shuffle in Wilkes-Barre.
Stephane Pattyn C CHA North Dakota product with 14 and 16 points last two NCAA seasons
Reid Petryk C LEM First year player had better AHL numbers than ECHL
Brett Ponich D SPR 105 PIMs led Springfield in that department.
Darroll Powe C LV Two concussions in one season held him to 43 games with five goals, and may strongly jeopardize his future in professional hockey.
Kevin Raine D MCH Hard-nosed, old-school defender.
John Ramage D ADK Signed by Columbus (NHL)
Evan Rankin RW RCH Production took a dip with a below average Rochester team.
Joel Rechlicz RW IOWA Offensively challenged penalty machine. Remains to be seen if his style has a place in today’s AHL.
Mike Richards C MCH Former Flyers Captain hit waivers, then was bought out
Brett Regner D CHI Signed by Florida (NHL)
Blair Riley RW STJ Scrapper that can score 20 points easily.
Bobby Robins RW PRO Retired.
Jay Rosehill LW LV Plays enforcer role which has led him to 117 career NHL games. 219 PIMS in 65 games with Lehigh Valley in 2014-15 nearly matched a career high set in 2008-09 of 221.
Andrew Rowe LW CHA Signed by Bridgeport (AHL)
Kenny Ryan RW LEM 2009 2nd round draft pick put up 29 points in first season with Monsters
Jordan Samuels-Thomas LW RCH Rookie out of Quinnipiac not qualified by BUF, 8 points for Rochester in 63 games.
Cameron Schilling D HER Signed by Chicago (NHL)
Beau Schmitz D CHA Hasn’t had a season with at least 50 pro games since rookie season
Ryan Schnell LW RFD 24 games, 71 PIMs for Rockford last year.
Michael Schumacher LW LEM 46 points in first two pro seasons.
Rylan Schwartz C WOR Plays a balls to the wall style and never takes a shift off. AHL depth player.
Keith Seabrook D RFD Brent’s little brother has struggled to establish himself as a player in North America.
Eric Selleck LW POR Signed by Arizona (NHL)
Tim Sestito C ALB Signed by Dynamo Riga (KHL)
Tom Sestito LW UTI May retire. Played just 10 games for Utica last year.
Devin Setoguchi RW ADK Former 1st rounder who has bounced between 4 NHL teams in 5 years.
C.J. Severyn LW LEM Has played for 6 teams between ECHL/AHL in 4 pro seasons.
Bobby Shea D HAM 146 PIMs split between ECHL and AHL
David Shields D CHI Depth defender not qualified by the Blues. 6 points for the Wolves last year.
Jamie Sifers D SPR Re-signed by Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Frankie Simonelli D PRO Re-signed by Providence (AHL)
Kent Simpson G BRI Signed by Stockton (AHL)
Dalton Smith LW SYR Grinder that can score, had 11 goals that went along with a -13.
Nick Sorkin RW HAM Rookie who put up 25 points for an average Hamilton team. On a better team, could have career year.
Jordan Southorn D POR Signed by Fort Wayne (ECHL)
Tim Spencer LW HER Career AHL/ECHL tweener. The enforcer saw an increase in scoring production with ECHL South Carolina this season. He posted eight goals, 17 points in 33 games.
Steve Spinnell D HFD Signed by Grand Rapids (AHL)
Jared Staal RW CHA Famous family, fourth-line production.
Frederic St. Denis D SPR Responsible, puck moving defender who is good for 20 points a season.
Dave Steckel C NOR Face-off specialist captained Norfolk this year; is not the offensive force in the AHL he used to be
Dustin Stevenson D ADK Another big D-man who played well in his first extended look in the AHL.
CJ Stretch C OKC Had a good season going in Bridgeport, but couldn’t quite get it going in his second stint in OKC.
Colin Stuart LW PRO Veteran winger with a Calder Cup under his belt is probably good for 20 points again.
Kevin Sundher C RCH 20 points a year ago for the Amerks, not qualified this season after putting up a paltry 5.
Lukas Sutter C BRI Didn’t play much, and that mostly on the fourth line. Was ECHL Stockton’s all-star. Was an Islanders draft pick playing on an AHL deal; they didn’t agree on a contract for next year.
Viktor Svedberg D RFD Swedish defender with a respectable +/- (+14) that can sling the puck around.
Danny Syvret D WBS His -26 was two stokes off of Scott Kosmachuk’s AHL worst -28.
Shayne Taker D SA Got into just 4 games with Rampage after signing 1 year entry level.
Eric Tangradi F HAM Duplicate. 81 in Top 100. Signed with Detroit (NHL)
Garrett Thompson C BNG Modest debut season for the Ferris State alum
Brad Thiessen G ADK Went 10-16-7 playing as a backup for Adirondack in first full season back from overseas.
Matthew Tousignant C ADK Bottom six pest role player. Has racked up 294 PIM over last two seasons.
Corey Trivino C POR Signed by Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)
Evan Trupp C WOR Signed by Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Tony Turgeon LW SA 50 PIM in 18 GP. Nothing more than a pair of fists
Dana Tyrell LW SPR Best year as a pro in five years points wise, scored a career high 13 goals in the Falcons.
Denny Urban D SPR Duplicate. Listed as 74 in the Top 100.
Justin Vaive LW HFD Signed by New York Islanders (NHL)
Scott Valentine D TEX Gritty d-man. Spent time in ECHL to start 14-15 but belongs in the AHL, not a lot of points, but a good presence
David Van der Gulik LW MCH Solid AHL 3rd liner
Mark Van Guilder C MIL Signed by Ritten/Renon of Serie A (Italy)
Taylor Vause C ADK Speedy center with good two-way talent. Likely AHL two-way.
Stephane Veilleux LW IA Veteran winger caught on a terrible Iowa team.
Mark Visentin G POR Signed by Rockford (AHL)
Trent Vogelhuber C SPR Re-signed by Columbus (NHL)
Ben Walker RW STJ Minnesota native usually good defensively, was -14 for the IceCaps this season.
Dane Walters RW RFD Re-signed with Rockford (AHL)
Ryan Walters LW IA 43 points for ECHL Alaska last year.
Francis Wathier C POR Duplicate. Listed as 78 in the Top 100.
Patrick Watling C TOR Re-signed by Toronto (AHL)
Will Weber D SPR Injuries limited him to 30 games last year.
Brad Winchester LW OKC Injured most of the year, AHL vet only appeared in 36 games between Norfolk and OKC
Jamie Wise LW RFD Depth winger. 52 games, 15 points between AHL and ECHL.
David Wohlberg LW ALB 3rd year player had trouble getting into the lineup at times due to so many forwards, but did manage 5 goals in 49 games and a career high +7 while playing mostly 3rd/4th line minutes.
Andrew Yogan F SA Gritty bottom six player with good hands. Scored 8 goals in limited action.
Gus Young D WOR Re-signed by San Jose (AHL)
Darcy Zajac RW ALB Duplicate. Listed as 68 in the Top 100.
Mike Zalewski C UTI Re-signed by Utica (AHL)

–

This list will be updated as Free Agency wears on. Feel free to add your comments on if you agree / disagree with these Rankings.

Again, thank you to all who contributed.

The AHL

12 responses to “AHL Top 100 Free Agents — The Big Board”

  1. Pingback: AHL Top 100 Free Agents — The Big Board | Running With the Herd

  2. Pingback: AHL Top 100 Free Agents — The Big Board | 210Sports

  3. Jack O'Mara's avatarJack O'Mara June 29, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    thanks Jason for this extraordinary effort to pull this all together

  4. Pingback: On The Market | Thoughts Inside The Box

  5. Mike's avatarMike June 30, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    Is there a reason that Cameron Schilling form the Hershey Bears is not on the Top 100 UFA list?

  6. Chad's avatarChad June 30, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    He’s more of a stay at home defensive player

  7. Sean Boulton's avatarSean Boulton June 30, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Fantastic resource. One update – Leafs’ re-signed Granberg to a one-year deal last week: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=771770.

  8. Pingback: #SyrCrunch free agency tracker | Chairman How's Glorious Army

  9. Dan O'Hara's avatarDan O. July 2, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    In response to a Twitter conversation that I saw: You can see the original post with the now deleted bios of signed players if you view the post in a RSS reader such as Feedly.

  10. Pingback: bakersfield signs winquist and ford to AHL contracts | Beneath the Scope

  11. Cyguy's avatarCyguy July 7, 2015 at 10:27 am

    They need to sign a another goalie. Jarry may need minutes in the Wheel or there may be a goalie injury somewhere in the system.