NHL Hockey Player News

Vasilevskiy, 21, was the 19th overall pick in 2012 and is ready for his first full NHL season in 2016-17. He was 11-10-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .910 SV% in 24 games with the Lightning and 7-4-1 with a 1.94 GAA and .935 SV% in 12 starts with Syracuse (AHL). Vasilevskiy enters the season as Ben Bishop’s backup, but he is the future of the Lightning’s net.

Wiercioch, 25, had just five assists in 52 games with the Senators last season. He appeared in 42-to-56 games in each of the last four seasons, averaging three goals and 12 assists per year. Wiercioch brings some depth to a thin Avalanche blueline.

Connolly, 24, had excellent AHL numbers in 2013-14, but has yet to really cash in at the NHL level. He had nine goals and 16 assists (25 points) in 71 games with the Bruins last season. Connolly has strong possession numbers and should fit in well with the Capitals as a bottom-6 forward.

Latta, 25, had 89 points in his final year in the OHL, but has been limited to a fourth line role during his NHL career. In 113 career games with the Capitals, he had just 17 points (4G / 13A). Latta will likely find himself in the exact same role in Los Angles this season.

Grebe, 28, had a terrible 2015-16 season that was hampered by injuries. He appeared in just 47 games and scored just three times with four assists. Despite the off-year, the Rangers still came calling and he will look to crack their bottom-6 in training camp.

Redmond, 27, split his time between the NHL and AHL in 2015-16, finishing the year with six points (2G / 4A) in 37 games with Colorado and seven points (3G / 4A) in 11 games with San Antonio (AHL). Redmond has offensive ability, but has yet to really produce at the NHL level—33 points (9G / 24A) in 114 career NHL games.

Stempniak’s tour around the NHL continues as he has now signed with his 10th NHL team and seventh in the last four seasons. Despite moving around frequently, his offensive ability has remained consistent. He is coming off of a great season, where he recorded 19 goals and 32 assists (51 points) in 82 games with the Devils (63) and the Bruins (19). Stempniak figures to play a top-6 role in Carolina.

Marchenko appeared in his first full NHL season in 2015-16, playing 66 games with the Red Wings and only four with Grand Rapids (AHL). He collected 11 points (2G / 9A) along the way, to give him a total of three goals and 10 assists (13 points) in 80 career NHL games. He is expected to be a part of the Red Wings’ blueline again in 2016-17.

Gustavsson, 31, appeared in 24 games with the Bruins last season, posting an 11-9-1 record, 2.72 GAA and .908 SV%. When he came to the NHL it was believed he had starter potential, but he has turned into a career backup and this season he will play behind Cam Talbot in Edmonton.

Johnson, 30, has moved around a tonne since being draft in 2006. After spending last year with the Sabres, Johnson has signed with the Flames, marking his sixth team in the last seven years. He was 22-16-1 with a 2.36 GAA and .920 SV% with Buffalo last season and joins Brian Elliott to form a brand new goaltending tandem in Calgary.

Hedman is heading into his final year of a five-year, $20 million dollar deal, but was extended through the 2024-25 season. The former second overall pick is coming off of another great season, where he scored double-digit goals (10) for the third straight season and posted 40-plus points (47) for the second time in his career. He has developed into one of the top defensemen in the NHL and now he is getting paid like one.

Irwin, 28, was a player with 153 games of NHL experience heading into last season, but he was never able to maintain a roster spot with the Bruins, spending 64 games with Providence (AHL). During his season with Providence, Irwin collected 30 points (5G / 25A) but will likely start 2016-17 with Milwaukee (AHL).

Bennett’s rights were acquired from the Penguins at the NHL draft and the Devils were successful in signing him to a one-year, “show me” contract. Bennett is a former first round pick, who has had a terrible time trying to stay healthy during his NHL career. He missed 49 games last year and 33 the year prior, but has shown flashes of a potential top-6 forward when he has managed to be on the ice.

Grabner, 28, is a former 30-goal scorer (34 in 2010-11) but has struggled for the last four seasons, especially in Toronto in 2015-16, where he tallied 18 points (9G / 9A) in 80 games. The Rangers top-6 is pretty much set in stone, so Grabner will bring some speed to their bottom-6 as he hopes to regain his scoring touch.

Marchessault, 25, split his 2015-16 campaign between the NHL and AHL. The 5-foot-9 forward had nine points (6G / 3A) in 11 games with Syracuse and 18 points (7G / 11A) in 45 games with the Lightning. Marchessault will fight for a spot on the Panthers’ opening night roster in training camp this Fall.

Sceviour, 27, has been with the Stars since he was drafted 112th overall in 2007. During that time he has amassed 62 points (28G / 34A) in 170 career NHL games and he’ll bring that experience to the Panthers’ bottom-6 in 2016-17.

Merrill, 24, has spent the last three years with the Devils and with this signing will be with them for at least two more seasons. He is coming off of a disappointing year, having totalled just five points (1G / 4A) in 47 games, giving him 30 points (5G / 25A) in 165 career NHL games.

Zatkoff, 29, was originally drafted by the Kings back in 2006, but never made it to the NHL despite appearing in 114 games with the Kings AHL affiliate. He spent the last four years with the Penguins organization, where he appeared in 35 NHL games and 86 AHL contests. He is 16-14-3 with a 2.66 GAA and .915 SV% in his NHL career and now returns to the team that drafted him ready to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup.

Hamhuis, 33, was heavily rumoured to the Stars at last season’s trade deadline, but he really wanted to stay in Vancouver and finish out the season. He had 13 points (3G / 10A) in 58 games with the Canucks and now lands in Dallas after all. The big loser in this signing is the Canucks, who lose him for nothing. The Stars lost both Kris Russell and Jason Demers in free agency, so Hamhuis comes in and fills that second-pairing defenseman void.

Radulov, 29, is mercurial character to say the least. He has not appeared in the NHL since 2011-12, when he abruptly left the Predators for the KHL. He spent the last five years in Russia, including the last four with CSKA Moscow. He had 23 goals and 42 assists (65 points) in 53 games last year and totalled 238 points (78G / 160A) in 181 games over that four-year span. He is a firecracker, but if he acts like a team player in Montreal, they may have just struck gold. There’s no denying the high-risk of this move though.