Tagged: Edmonton Oil Kings

Griffin-Reinhart2

New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#4 overall) rookie defenseman Griffin Reinhart(8) was likely chosen after his stock had risen by winning the WHL Championship with Edmonton Oil Kings.

He put up some impressive numbers in the postseason through 20 games, 2 goals and 6 assists with a +14 rating.

The quite sizable 6’4″ 217 lbs. d-man is highly regarded to blossom on the blue line.

He managed to impress enough at training camp in his first try to land a spot on the 2014/2015 opening night roster and stick around for three games, all wins, but management decided to move forward with some older prospects in the system rewarding them with the playing time but also the first year skater is a no risk to reassign.

The 20-year old would continue his development with minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He lands into a pretty similar playing situation, as the farm club is also a young, hungry to win team.

He seems to have acquainted himself nicely with 2 goals and 6 assists in 15 AHL games but will definitely need to work on that -8 plus/minus.

It’s pretty likely this will be the former Memorial Cup and 2 time junior hockey championship winner’s only season in the lower league but he’s signed through 2017 so there is time.

Original story: 11/26-14

After 59 AHL games scoring 7 goals, 15 assists, 8 NHL games with one assist and 1 Stanley Cup Playoff contest with a -2 plus/minus, he becomes a draft day casualty being traded to Edmonton Oilers to move up in the selection process.

The now still super-young 21-year old is expected to grab a spot on the big club’s roster for his sophomore season.

Griffin-Reinhart-1

Henrik-Samuelsson

Arizona Coyotes‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#27 overall) US-born, Swedish center Henrik Samuelsson(15) gets the nod for his NHL debut and as luck would have it he is opposing his famous hockey dad and assistant coach for New York Rangers, Ulf Samuelsson.

His pa’s team got the best of his squad in a crushing 4-3 come from behind upset but the lanky 6’3″ 210 lbs. power forward had a good personal showing.

He skated 16 shifts for 9:33 total ice and even got a 1:19 on the power play. He also had one shot on net, one hit, one takeaway and was perfect on the face off dot with no points or penalty minutes.

In his first season with affiliate Portland Pirates he’s doing well with 10 goals and 15 assists in 50 AHL games and is a +1 on a bit of an uneven squad.

The 21-year old is used to doing well coming out of two straight WHL Championships with Edmonton Oil Kings in 2013 and 2014, a Memorial Cup and a regular season of more than a point per game production and a postseason with basically a point in each contest.

There’s little doubt that it should be a short trek for this one to be big league ready just like his dad was spending only half a season in the minors before playing 19 years in the show.

Heck, he already had 15 games of pro hockey experience as a teenager with MODO of the SHL before starting his three years of juniors.

Michael St. Croix2

New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#106 overall) rookie right wing Michael St. Croix(37)  has been a point-per-game guy at every level of hockey heading into a pair of recalls from where he is scoring 10 goals and a team leading 25 assists in 33 ECHL games with affiliate Greenville Road Warriors up to the AHL.

He has yet to mark in 9 appearances with direct farm club Hartford Wolf Pack playing limited minutes ice time.

The seemingly sort of small-looking 5’11” 183 lbs. forward won a WHL Championship with Edmonton Oil Kings and averaged 1.14 points per game and concluded four seasons with a +78 rating. He is also the team’s all-time leading scorer in their less than ten-year existence.

He’s signed through 2016 on a 3-year entry level deal and he’s pretty much a lock to find himself playing full-time in Connecticut but the 20-year old definitely still has some work to do before that NHL recall happens.

Buffalo Sabres‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#23 overall), defenseman Mark Pysyk(13) is making a seamless transition from junior hockey into the pros. He’s participated in three prospect and two training camps already.

The 20-year old starts his rookie season with their AHL affiliate Rochester Americans and has 1 goal and 6 assists in 17 games and is a +2 plus/minus on a team that is still better on paper than they are on the ice.

He was captain of Edmonton Oil Kings taking his hometown team to a WHL championship last season.

At 6’1 193 lbs. it’s not like he’s an oversized blue liner but is considered a good play-maker and is also accountable in his own end.

He’s really the type of player that has leadership written all over him but we’ll see how his game and on-ice identity develop.