Chirps from Center Ice

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

2017 AHL Top 100 Free Agents and Beyond – The Big Board

3 Comments Posted by on June 29, 2017

NOTE: Final update was made on Tuesday, July 18, 2017. No other updates will be made going forward.

Back for its third year on the blog is a concept thought up by the great Jonathan Bombulie and carried on by this blog with the help of many. It’s the 2017 AHL Free Agent Big Board. I have to think that Bombulie at the time saw board after board of NBA Free Agents, NFL Free Agents and NHL Free Agents and thought, “what the hell, let’s do one in the AHL.” The concept has been so well received by all parts of the AHL community that I had to make sure that the idea lived on after Jonathan moved to Pittsburgh to cover the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This project in and of itself doesn’t get done year after year without the contributions of many. They are, in no particular order, the following people.

Kyle Mace
Matt Trust
Chris Reynolds
Tracey Lake
Alan Saunders
Nathan Mallett

I personally would like to thank them all again for their insights and help on this massive project.

Information compiled on the names that follow was gathered from the following websites: The AHL, CapFriendly, HockeyDB and Elite Prospects.

Please feel free to reach out regarding corrections, errors or signings. NHL Free Agency begins Saturday, July 1 at noon.

Please hit the jump if you did not link in direct and please read, share and enjoy….

 

Rank Name Position 2016-17 Team Comments
1 Kenny Agostino LW CHI Signed with Boston (NHL)
2 Chris Mueller C TUC Signed with Toronto (NHL)
3 Matt Taormina D SYR Signed with Montreal (NHL)
4 David Warsofsky D WBS Signed with Colo`rado (NHL)
5 Cole Schneider F RCH Signed with New York Rangers (NHL)
6 T.J. Hensick C ONT Resurgent veteran who led the Reign in points with 52. 31 years old and still a few good years left in the tank.
7 Andrew Agozzino LW CHI Signed with Colorado (NHL)
8 Michael Leighton G CHA Signed with Tampa Bay (NHL)
9 Bracken Kearns C BRI Signed with New Jersey (NHL)
10 Casey DeSmith G WBS Signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
11 Jordan Szwarz RW PRO Re-signed with Boston (NHL)
12 Paul Carey C HER Signed with New York Rangers (NYR)
13 Jason Akeson RW BNG Puts up points wherever he goes. Led the B-Sens in scoring.
14 Phil Varone C BNG Signed with Philadelphia (NHL)
15 Wayne Simpson RW PRO Signed with Washington (NHL)
16 Spencer Abbott LW SD Almost 50 points between Rockford and San Diego for Abbott. Will fit in any top six.
17 Darren Archibald F UTI Re-signed with Utica (AHL)
18 Curtis Valk C UTI Signed with Florida (NHL)
19 Paul Thompson RW SPR Signed with Vegas (NHL)
20 Cal O’Reilly C RCH Signed with Minnesota (NHL)
21 T.J. Tynan C CLE Signed with Vegas (NHL)
22 Corban Knight C LV Re-signed with Philadelphia (NHL)
23 Adam Payerl C MIL Breakout season for Milwaukee. Played all 76 games and scored 38 points.
24 Vincent LoVerde D ONT Signed with Toronto (NHL)
25 Antoine Laganiere C SD Yale product set career highs in goals (21) and points (30)
26 Jordan Weal C LV Re-signed with Philadelphia (NHL)
27 Chase Balisy C SPR Re-signed with Florida (NHL)
28 Casey Bailey C BNG Tied for third on the B-Sens in scoring, co-led the team in goals. Put him on your team and watch him thrive.
29 Marek Hrivik RW HFD Signed with Calgary (NHL)
30 Alex Grant D PRO Signed with Minnesota (NHL)
31 Chris Conner RW LV Re-signed with Lehigh Valley (AHL)
32 Mike McKenna G SYR Signed with Dallas (NHL)
33 Jordan Oesterle D BAK Signed with Chicago (NHL)
34 Ben Sexton C ALB Signed with Ottawa (NHL)
35 Mitch Callahan RW GR Signed by Edmonton  (NHL)
36 Brett Sterling F CHI Future hall of famer has carved out a career in Rosemont.
37 Jhonas Enroth G SD Signed with Dynamo Minsk (KHL)
38 Brian Gibbons LW ALB Signed with New Jersey (NHL)
39 Chris Rumble D BNG Led a terrible B-Sens defensive corps in points (27) and was actually decent in +/- (-7) compared to the rest of the team.
40 Carter Camper C ALB Early season shoulder injury limited him to 47 games, but was a steady presence on the top 2 lines upon returning.
41 Jeremy Smith G SA Signed with Carolina (NHL)
42 Joe Whitney LW TUC Big season two seasons ago with Bridgeport and eclipsed that point total with two teams in San Antonio and Tucson. Speedy little winger at 5’6
43 Cody Kunyk C UTI Fifth on the Comets in scoring. Special teams ace.
44 Colin Smith C SA Signed with Wilkes-Barre / Scranton (AHL)
45 Michael Sgrabossa C SPR Signed with Winnipeg (NHL)
46 Seth Griffith F TOR Signed with Buffalo (NHL)
47 Josh Currie RW BAK Re-signed with Bakersfield (AHL)
48 Brett Sutter F ONT Breakout season for Sutter with 36 points. Can play on your power play unit.
49 Chris Brown F HFD Good solid performance with 14-13-27 – a point producer no matter where he goes.
50 Chris Porter LW PRO Re-signed with Providence (AHL)
51 Garrett Mitchell RW HER Re-signed with Hershey (AHL)
52 Kyle Criscuolo C GR Signed with Buffalo (NHL)
53 Cameron Gaunce D WBS Signed with Columbus (NHL)
54 Max Novak C ALB Signed with Toronto (AHL)
55 Josh Winquist C BRI Signed with Toronto (AHL)
56 Jamie McBain D TUC Signed with Tampa Bay (NHL)
57 Seth Helgeson D ALB Signed with New York Islanders (NHL)
58 Stan Galiev RW HER Signed with Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
59 Gabriel Bourque LW SA Given Qualifying Offer by Colorado (NHL)
60 Alexandre Grenier RW UTI Signed by Florida (NHL)
61 Matt Frattin F STK Signed with Kunlun Red Star (KHL)
62 Dan DeSalvo F MTB Signed with Hartford (AHL)
63 Max McCormick LW BNG Re-signed by Ottawa (NHL)
64 Colby Robak D UTI Offensive defenseman who moves the puck and can quarterback a power play.
65 Buddy Robinson RW SJ Signed with Winnipeg (NHL)
66 Jeremy Morin F TUC Winger that can play on either side. 30 points last season.
67 Kevin Czuczman D MTB Signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
68 Pascal Pelletier LW UTI 28 points for Utica after playing two seasons in the KHL.
69 Ethan Werek C TEX Signed with Kunlun Red Star (KHL)
70 Stefan Matteau LW STJ Signed with Vegas (NHL)
71 Brendan Ranford LW SA Bounced around the league and still managed 34 points. Good player on the right team.
72 Adam Wilcox G SPR Signed by Buffalo (NHL)
73 Mirco Muller D SJ Expected to sign with New Jersey (NHL)
74 Ben Holmstrom C BRI Durable center has appeared in every game for Sound Tigers in past two seasons.
75 Patrice Cormier C MTB Re-signed with Manitoba (AHL)
76 Kris Newbury C CHA Signed with Fischtown Pinguine (DEL)
77 Matt Mangene D TEX Re-signed with Texas (AHL)
78 Martin Ouellette G LV Signed with Charlotte (AHL)
79 Brandon Mashinter LW RFD 41 NHL games the season prior, spent all year with Rockford. Even 15 goals, 15 assists. Third on the team in scoring.
80 Jim O’Brien C SA Took a step back this season on a bad Rampage team. Likely rebound candidate somewhere else.
81 Mike Kostka D STK 61 games with Binghamton and Stockton. 12 points for each team. Point producing defenseman from UMass Amherst.
82 Brian Strait D MTB Signed with New Jersey (NHL)
83 Jeremy Langlois RW RFD Journeyman winger that can play all situations, PP / PK.
84 Connor Brickley C CHA Signed with Florida (NHL)
85 Mike Sislo RW SA Signed with Phoenix (NHL)
86 Matt Carey LW HFD Strong goal performance with 21 but very weak defensively at -25
87 Joe Pendenza C CLE Bit of a break out season for Cleveland for this UMass-Lowell product, 21 points.
88 Jaime Sifers D CLE Signed with Utica (AHL)
89 Jordan Samuels-Thomas F SD Doesn’t take a lot of penalties. Plays balanced offensive game.
90 Nathan Paetsch D GR Veteran of 167 NHL games is a mainstay on defense for Grand Rapids, where he has played the last five seasons and is a combined +84.
91 Philip Samuelsson D CHA Re-signed with Carolina (NHL)
92 Peter Stoykewych D MTB Re-signed with Manitoba (AHL)
93 Justin Peters G TEX Signed with Dinamo Riga (KHL)
94 Mike Angelidis F STK Signed with HC Bolzano (EBEL)
95 Keith Aulie D STK NHL veteran of 165+ games. Points have never been much to write home about, but this 28 year old is an eight year veteran defender.
96 Jeff Schultz D SD 400+ NHL games. Mentored a San Diego blue line and a Gulls team that made it to the second round of the playoffs.
97 Derek Army C MIL Re-signed with Milwaukee (AHL)
98 Tim Kennedy C RCH A veteran with 162 NHL games to his resumé, Kennedy came back from Europe to play 47 games with Rochester in 2016-17. He scored just four goals but added 29 helpers, exceeding his totals in a year and a half split between the KHL and the SHL.
99 Sena Acolatse D / RW SPR Bit of a breakout year for the seven year pro; a career high 23 points to go along with 147 PIMs.
100 Patrick Mullen D RCH Signed with Linköping HC (SHL)

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Below are 222 other free agents listed in alphabetical order.

–

Name Position 2017-17 Team Comments
Conor Allen D GR Undrafted 27 year old played 56 games for Grand Rapids. Likely a depth defender.
Scott Allen LW BAK Checking line winger put up 19 points in his first full year at the AHL level.
Daniel Altshuller G CHA 24 games last season in AHL and ECHL. Oshawa General looking for fresh start some place else.
Brady Austin D RCH A former seventh-round draft pick, Austin didn’t make it to the NHL for his goal-scoring. He’s posted just seven in 210 AHL games with Rochester over the last three seasons. He’s also a minus-28 and had just two fighting majors in 2016-17. A big body and a sound forecheck seem to be his calling cards.
Yohann Auvitu D ALB Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Mattias Backman D TEX Signed with EHC Kloten (Austria)
Alex Belzile C SA ECHL All Star/Decent bottom 6 depth guy in AHL with some scoring punch
Mac Bennett D RCH Former Michigan captain has been a minus player every season as he bounced between Hamilton, St. John’s and Rochester. But the former Montreal third-round pick also gets saddled with tough defensive matchups and isn’t much of a scoring threat.
Marc-Andre Bergeron D CLE Limited to 22 games last season. NHL vet of 290 games
Antoine Bibeau G TOR Signed with San Jose (NHL)
Stu Bickel D SD Cruiserweight who finished second overall in PIMs in just 26 games.
Patrick Bjorkstrand C ONT 25 year old played in his first season of North American hockey and wasn’t tendered a QO after 12 points in 42 games. Winger that can play on either side.
Graham Black C SPR Just 33 games with Springfield last season and not tendered a QO by parent Florida.
Colin Blackwell C SJ Harvard grad played in 57 regular season and 15 playoff games and went total 7-7-14.
Dylan Blujus D SYR 24 total games for a Syracuse team that lost in six games in the Calder Cup Final. Numbers aren’t great. No QO from Tampa Bay.
Mat Bodie D RCH Signed with Tampa Bay (NHL)
Brandon Bollig LW STK Signed by San Jose (NHL)
MIke Borkowski F GR Late bloomer at age 25; has just 63 AHL games to his credit.
Troy Bourke F SA Versatile forward that can slide in anywhere. Hard worker and fan favorite
Ryan Bourque F HER Between injuries and lineup juggling, the other Bourque Brother struggled to find a stable spot in Hershey’s depth chart for the first half of the season. Fell into a solid groove playing a shutdown role for the Bears the second half of the season.
Austen Brassard RW SD Depth winger who saw more ECHL time than AHL work. Has some offensive upside.
Chris Breen D PRO Re-signed with Providence (AHL)
Sam Brittain G SPR Depth goaltender who saw more ECHL action than AHL action. 25 years old and probably a backup for your AHL team or a veteran for your ECHL one.
Mathieu Brodeur D SYR Cape Breton product with size. Puck mover. Saw some ECHL time, sign him for depth.
Julien Brouillette D STJ Signed with EC Saltzburg (EBEL)
Erik Burgdoerfer D RCH Signed with Ottawa (NHL)
Jarrett Burton C WBS 11 points in AHL for the Penguins and ECHL for Wheeling. Depth center.
Anthony Camara LW STJ Split AHL / ECHL time. Decent size. Third round pick of Boston in 2011.
Tony Cameranesi C TOR 31 games for Toronto, the rest spent in ECHL with Orlando. Better ECHL numbers. A depth center.
Colin Campbell F GR Decent sized player that can center or play on the wing and can kill penalties. May be a diamond in the rough type grab.
Andrew Campbell D TOR Signed with Phoenix (NHL)
Joe Cannata G SA Re-signed with Colorado (NHL)
Chris Carlisle D BNG Durable defender. Puck mover.
Jordan Caron RW CHI Production went down this season and St. Louis didn’t qualify him.
Mac Carruth G RFD Probably a veteran ECHL starter for your third string prospect to learn from.
Ryan Carter F IA Season cut short by a torn labrum. 473 NHL games. Reports cite he may retire.
Chris Casto D PRO Signed with Vegas (NHL)
Daniel Catenacci C HFD Traded at the deadline for Mat Bodie, put up 9 points (4-5) in 19 games with Hartford. Rangers didn’t qualify him.
Mat Clark D SA Good leader and solid D-man when healthy. Battled injuries last 2 seasons.
Rich Clune LW TOR Re-signed with Toronto (AHL)
Adam Comrie D SYR 19 points in 55 games for Syracuse. Didn’t see playoff time with the Crunch.
Brian Cooper D SD Nebraska-Omaha product still learning game at age 23. 4-6-10 in 37 games for the Gulls.
Pheonix Copley G HER Re-signed with Washington (NHL)
Ryan Culkin D STK Pointless in 19 games with the Heat, but was almot point a game with ECHL Adirondack, 14 points in 16 games,
Patrick Cullity D BRI Depth defender. 36 games for Bridgeport last season.
Yann Danis G STJ 36 year old veteran netminder can still put up good numbers. Sign him to mentor your number one AHL keeper.
Jaedon Descheneau RW BAK Kootenay Ice product elevatored up and down from ECHL to AHL. Points consistant at any level.
Chris DeSousa C RFD Depth center. Third or fourth line.
Jamie Devane LW STK Signed with Ontario (AHL)
Josiah Didier D STJ Good shot blocker, good size, penalty killer.
Darren Dietz D TEX Signed with Barys Astana (KHL)
Kayle Doetzel D STK 22 year old Red Deer Rebel is undrafted defender with decent size at 6’3.
Grayson Downing C TUC Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Jean Dupuy LW RCH Signed with Toronto (AHL)
Pat Dwyer RW CHA Vertean winger returned from a year in Sweden and put up OK numbers for an OK Charlotte team.
Nick Ebert D TEX Career high in points set. Can play on power play. Didn’t get QO from Dallas.
Turner Elson LW SA Signed with Detroit (NHL)
Tim Erixon D WBS Had deal lined up for Europe before the season ended. Likely headed there if he doesn’t find the golden carrot here.
Bobby Farnham RW STJ Fan favorite in Wilkes-Barre looking for a new home after 71 games with the IceCaps this past season.
Landon Ferraro F CHI Signed with Minnesota (NHL)
Brett Findlay F TOR Equal production in AHL / ECHL. Winger who can center a lower line. Decent speed.
Justin Fontaine RW BAK Minnesota-Deluth product found himself back in the AHL since 12-13 and put up 41 points in 65 contests.
Mark Fraser D BAK Nothing flashy with this defender. 6’4 and knows how to throw fists. Vet of 219 NHL contests.
Byron Froese C SYR Signed with Montreal (NHL)
Brett Gallant LW CLE Enforcer. 1134 AHL PIMs.
Alex Gallant F SJ Signed with Tampa Bay (NHL)
Luke Gazdic LW ALB Signed with Calgary (NHL)
Dustin Gazley F HER Re-signed with Hershey (AHL)
Paul Geiger D RCH Defensive defenseman brings size and toughness. Was a two-year captain at Clarkson. Had a hard time staying in Rochester’s lineup in 2016-17 and spent some time in the ECHL.
Eric Gelinas D SA Veteran D man with size and puck moving ability. Struggled with Avs defensive structure.
Tom Gilbert D HER An NHL veteran who found himself a spot mentoring Hershey’s defense near the trade deadline. 34-years-old; could be facing retirement.
Sahir Gill F WBS Boston U product. Can play center or wing. 44 games with WBS and 18 points.
Felix Girard C SA Given Qualifying Offer by Colorado (NHL)
Tanner Glass LW HFD Lead the team in PIM with 86, netting 15 points in the process, spent 11 games in NHL.
Scott Glennie RW MTB 8th overall pick in 2009 NHL draft by Dallas hasn’t panned out. Has battled litany of injuries as well.
Barry Goers D WBS Steady handed defender you can plug in any situation.
Boyd Gordon C LV 33 year old veteran has lost s step and battled injuries. 1 goal in 19 games betweeen PHI and LV.
Brandon Gormley D BNG Decent sized defender who is OK on the power play. Moved to Binghamton from Albany around midseason.
Jesse Graham D BRI Saw more ECHL action than AHL this season, Islanders didn’t qualify him. Depth guy.
Derek Grant C RCH Signed with Anaheim (NHL)
Colin Greening LW TOR Re-signed with Toronto (NHL)
Rocco Grimaldi C SA Given Qualifying Offer by Colorado (NHL)
Nate Guenin D SD Will be 35 this December. Veteran defender who plays a smart game.
Jonas Gunnarsson G MIL 16 games for Milwaukee and a robust 3.29 GAA and a .878 SV%
Matt Hackett G SD Limited to just 7 games last season.
Marc Hagel RW BNG Change in scenery from Minnesota organization to Ottawa didn’t do much of anything for Hagel.
Kyle Hagel D CHA Bruiserweight who saw just 24 games with Charlotte last year.
Ryan Haggerty RW WBS Played foruth line in Wilkes-Barre. Known for big, heavy shot but it wasn’t used much in that role.
Mike Halmo LW SYR Numbers took a dip on a good Crunch team. Was a 40 point producer in two seasons with Bridgeport prior to coming over.
Joel Hanley D STJ Signed with Phoenix (NHL)
Colton Hargrove LW PRO Expected to re-sign with Providence (AHL)
Shane Harper RW ALB Acquired from Florida at the trade deadline, was mostly a 3rd / 4th line plugin down the stretch.
Cal Heeter G GR Depth goaltender who sees more action in the ECHL. Still managed to go 10-2 for the champion Griffins.
Samuel Henley C SA Giant defensive forward who can fill in for a top 6 role when called upon.
Caleb Herbert F TEX Bottom 6 forward with some offensive upside.
Sam Herr LW ONT Smart forward is a gradute of Notre Dame. Disciplined bottom six type.
Christian Hilbrich D WBS Hulking 6’7 defender had some games with AHL Penguins.
Josh Holmstrom LW BRI Re-signed with Bridgeport (AHL)
Quinton Howden C MTB Top six-ish forward didn’t get qualified by Winnipeg. Use him on your power play.
Tommy Hughes D HFD Downhill season for Hughes with worst numbers of career; no goals, 5 assists and -13
Derek Hulak F UTI Signed with Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Brad Hunt D CHI / MIL Signed with Vegas (NHL)
Sam Jardine D SA Struggles with AHL forwards. Can play a nasty game. Not a terrible option for depth
Nikita Jevpalovs LW SJ Latvian skater was not given a qualifying offer from the Sharks. Just 21 points for the Barracuda. Once scored 100 for Blainville-Boisbriand in 14-15.
Lars Johansson G RFD Signed with CSKA Moskva (KHL)
Michael Joly RW HFD Split 50/50 between AHL / ECHL. Depth winger with better ECHL numbers.
Kellen Jones F BRI Found a little bit of stability with Bridgeport last season, appearing in 58 games.
Sergei Kalinin F TOR 43 games on NHL work before getting moved to Toronto organization. May go back overseas.
Dan Kelly D SJ Production took a dip with the Barracuda after coming over from New Jersey the season prior. PIMs went up. Enforcer type.
Brenden Kichton D MTB Signed with Carolina (NHL)
Scott Kosmachuk RW MTB Could be a diamond in the rough find. 64 points in two seasons on bad Moose teams.
Darren Kramer LW MTB Re-signed with Manitoba (AHL)
Adam Krause F WBS 14 games with the Penguins, call up for depth at center.
Danny Kristo RW CHA Signed with Dinamo Riga (KHL)
Hubert Labrie D HER Re-signed with Hershey (AHL)
Pierre-Cedric Labrie LW RFD Signed with Nashville (NHL)
Kane Lafranchise D BRI Re-signed with New York Islanders (NHL)
Brooks Laich F TOR Waived to the Marlies from the Maple Leafs and didn’t really set the AHL on fire. His better days may be behind him.
Max Lamarche D LV 26 games each with Reading (ECHL) and Lehigh Valley. Point production almost even between both leagues too.
Jon Landry D BRI Veteran defender / leader. Sign him for depth.
Zac Larraza LW SD Signed with Tucson (AHL)
Matt Lashoff D SA Struggled in San Antonio. Did not play again after being released from PTO mid-season
Michael Latta C RFD Signed by Arizona (NHL)
Loic Leduc D BRI 6’5 D who can skate.
Maxime Legace G TEX A 3.56 GAA and a .883 SV% in 32 games.
Guillaume Lepine D BNG 6’4 defender from the Q with snarl. Numbers never were flashy.
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond RW SYR Pugilist in a sport trying to run away from fighting.
Mike Liambas LW MIL Signed with Anaheim (NHL)
Ty Loney RW CHI Troy’s kid, loaned out to a couple teams by ECHL Adirondack, 20 games with Chicago where he had 4-5-9
Keegan Lowe D STJ Signed by Edmonton (NHL)
Joel Lowry LW ONT 8 points in 40 games for the Reign. Cut loose by Los Angeles. Cornell product.
Mark MacMillan RW STJ Numbers weren’t anything to gawk at, so Montreal didn’t qualify MacMillan.
Andrew MacWilliam D ALB Signed with Rochester (AHL)
Brad Malone F CHI Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Jan Mandat C ALB Rookie from the Czech Republic had a solid first professional season as a bottom 6 forward.
Colin Markison F BRI Energetic foward slowed by a couple of injuries.
Ben Marshall D PRO First season with Providence playing in only 14 games scoring 6 points. Stronger performance in ECHL with 22 points.
Tom McCollum G CHA Signed with Calgary (NHL)
Dylan McIlrath D GR Re-signed with Detroit (NHL)
Patrick McNally D SJ 4th round Canucks draft pick in 2010 still looking for his first NHL game. Bottom pair defender.
Reid McNeill D CHI Big defender who plays with snarl.
Zbynek Michalek D TUC 780+ NHL games. Legendary Coyote mentored a Roadrunners team under difficult circumstances. May be retiring.
Jacob Middleton D SJ Still young, just 21, looking for a new team after just 9 points in 50 games for this former Ottawa 67.
Tyler Morley C SD 17 points in 48 games. Will be 26 this fall. Prospect tag fading.
Mitchell Moroz LW TUC 41 games between Bakersfield and Tucson. 9 points to show.
Kenney Morrison D STK 6’2 defender from Lloydminster, Alberta out of Western Michigan University. Doesn’t take a lot of penalties. Bottom pair defender.
Evan Mosey D RFD Signed with GMB Nottingham Panthers
Peter Mueller F PRO Weaker defensive-Forward at -5 but very disciplined with only 20 PIM Solid point performance with 25 points.
John Muse G RCH Signed with Lehigh Valley (AHL)
David Musil D TUC 60 games between Bakersfield and Tucson. 40 points. Diamond in the rough signing for the right team.
David Musil D BAK Whoops, duplicate entry. There’s always a duplicate entry. Congrats! You found the easter egg!
Daniel Muzito-Bagenda F RCH Muzito Bagenda, a 21-year-old Swede, posted 15 points in 61 games as a pro rookie in 2016-17. He brings solid size, skating a vision for a younger player, but may need the right environment to develop.
John Negrin D UTI Just 22 games for Negrin last season after 22 points in 58 games the season prior for Utica.
Chad Nehring C BNG Signed with Fischtown Pinguins (DEL)
Andrej Nestrasil F CHA 19 games with Carolina, 39 with Charlotte. 19 points total. Not tendered QO by the Canes.
Jared Nightengale D CHI Saw more games for ECHL Toledo, where he has been the captain for years.
Garry Nunn RW SA Signed with Frisk Asker (Norway)
Matt O’Connor G BNG Signed with Nashville (NHL)
Steve Oleksy D TOR Signed with Anaheim (NHL)
Ryan Olsen C MTB Bottom six center saw three games in ECHL.
Mark Olver F BAK Signed with Eisbären Berlin (DEL)
Adam Pardy D MIL 33 year old defender with 342 NHL games under his belt.
Eddie Pasquale G GR Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Ondrej Pavelec G MTB Signed with New York Rangers (NHL)
Rod Pelley C ALB Last captain in A-Devils history, he only missed 5 games and centered the mostly veteran 4th line admirably.
Anthony Peluso RW MTB Signed with Washington (NHL)
Stuart Percy D WBS If you sign him, you better get injury insurance. Guy can’t stay healthy.
Rick Pinkston D MIL ECHL depth defender. Plays a smart game.
Kevin Porter C WBS Signed with Buffalo (NHL)
Teddy Purcell F ONT 38 points in 38 games for Ontario last year after 7 years in the NHL. 101 NHL games.
Jonathan Racine D SYR Pro numbers haven’t been anything to write home about, almost underwhelming. Not tendered a QO by Tampa Bay.
Tyler Randell RW PRO Signed with Ottawa (NHL)
Ty Rattie RW CHI Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Kyle Rau C SPR Signed with Minnesota (NHL)
Joel Rechlicz RW BAK 54 PIMs in 15 games. Players like Rechlicz are one dimensional and sadly are being put to pasture.
Brent Regner D SPR Signed with Dallas (NHL)
Borna Rendulic RW UTI Croatian winger can run a power play. 12-11-23 for the Comets this past season.
Mike Ribero C MIL 21 assists in both NHL and AHL this year for this veteran of over 1000 NHL games. A great add to any AHL team.
Zac Rinaldo F PRO Signed with Phoenix (NHL)
Dennis Robertson D CHA Re-signed with Carolina (NHL)
Eric Robinson F SPR 40 games for Springfield playing out of the depth role.
Jack Rodewald RW BNG Rookie winger led the freshman Senators in point scoring. 18 goals is a good starting point. Could be a diamond in the rough grab.
Ty Ronning RW HFD Posted in error – Rangers still own rights.
Garret Ross LW TUC Training camp injury limited him to just 27 games.
Marco Roy C UTI Has battled injuries. 23 appearances for Utica last year.
Chad Ruhwedel D WBS Re-signed by Pittsburgh (NHL)
Scott Sabourin RW SD Signed with Anaheim (NHL)
Henrik Samuelsson C BAK Traded to Edmonton for Mitch Moroz. Hasn’t been able to live up to that 40 points he put up with Portland in 14-15.
Nick Saracino F IA Providence College product appeared in just 33 games for teh Wild last season.
Reece Scarlett D SPR Re-signed with Florida (NHL)
Cameron Schilling D ONT Signed with Winnipeg (NHL)
Rob Scuderi D ONT Aging defender given a long term contract he wouldn’t live up to. Will be 39 in December. Appeared in just 15 games for Ontario.
Eric Selleck F TUC Led Tucscon in PIMs with 103. Will turn 30 October 20.
Tom Sestito LW WBS Signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
David Shields D UTI Signed with Villacher SV (EBEL)
Duncan Siemens D SA Given Qualifying Offer by Colorado (NHL)
Mackenzie Skapski G HFD Not a good year for Skapski with a record of 2-8 and a GAA of 4.73
Shawn St. Amant LW SA Rookie got stronger as season progressed. Great on forecheck and PK and has a deceptively good shot.
Ryan Stanton D CLE Signed with Edmonton (NHL)
Brett Stern D WBS ECHL depth defender.
Dustin Stevenson D TEX Gritty defender. Dime a dozen. 119 PIMs for Texas last year.
Zack Stortini RW SJ Signed with Charlotte (AHL)
Tyson Strachan D RCH A big, physical defenseman with an underrated first pass can hurt teams physically and chip in with some offense at the AHL level. He’s played over 60 AHL games in three of the last four seasons and shows no sign of slowing down at age 32.
Chris Summers D HFD Signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
Brody Sutter C SPR Signed with Manitoba Moose (AHL)
Nick Tarnasky LW SD PIMs have nose dived since fighting being slowly phased out. Production way down from last season.
Christian Thomas F HER Hershey’s leading goal scorer struggled to find playing time late in the season for Hershey. Career year in goals, assists, and points. Will be a vat exempt next season (311 NHL/AHL GP)
Jarred Tinordi D TUC Signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
Branden Troock RW TUC Depth winger wasn’t qualified by Arizona after trade with Dallas.
Justin Vaive LW RCH After working his way up from the ECHL to post a 32-point season in Hartford in 2014-15, Vaive’s offense has fallen apart since them. He had 17 points in 63 games with Bridgeport in 2015-16 and had just nine in 66 games 2016-17.
Nolan Valleau D RFD 46 games with Rockford, 8 points. Dime a dozen defender.
Scooter Vaughan D CHI Bottom pair defender with average numbers. Entering his fifth AHL season this fall.
Yannick Veilleux LW STJ Third or fourthliner with nice size and a bit of snarl.
Mike Weber D IA Pittsburgh native of 351 NHL games had just 8 points for Iowa this season, in first AHL action since 09-10.
Stephon Williams G BRI 3.08 GAA and a .891 SV% 24 games for Bridgeport last year.
Garrett Wilson LW WBS Re-signed with Pittsburgh (NHL)
James Wisniewski D CHI Came over from KHL and signed PTO with Wolves, appearing in 21 games and going 4-7-11. 552 NHL games.
Brendan Woods LW CHA Injuries limited him to 24 games. Good size and isn’t afraid to get dirty.
William Wrenn D TOR Signed with HC Bolzano (EBEL)
Oleg Yevenko D CLE 49 points, 6 points on defense with a Cleveland team that missed playoffs. Not tendered a QO by Columbus.
Gus Young D SA Depth AHL defenseman. Plays a safe and structured defensive game.
Mike Zalewski F UTI Signed with Straubing Tigers (DEL)

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This list will be pinned to the top of the blog for about a month and will update as players sign with new teams.

The AHL

3 responses to “2017 AHL Top 100 Free Agents and Beyond – The Big Board”

  1. Dan O'Hara June 29, 2017 at 12:52 pm

    Max McCormick was re-signed by Ottawa.

  2. der Eishockeyzuschauer June 29, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    The club’s formal announcement that Kris Newbury has signed with Fischtown Pinguine of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga has only come within the last 18 hours or so … it is also now known that Chinese club Kunlun Red Star of the Russian-dominated Kontinental Hockey League has signed Ethan Werek.

  3. Pingback: Penguins Call On Smith | Chirps from Center Ice