Hershey (AHL) and South Carolina (ECHL) 2014-15 Season

[fedfed]

Lots of news out of Hershey today. Troy Mann, Bryan Helmer, and Ryan Murphy were all given multi year contracts and Murphy was promoted from Assistan/Video Coach to Assistant Coach.

Tomas Kundratek is joining Kennedy and Wellman in the KHL next season and has signed with Dinamo Riga. Michal Čajkovský also jumped the pond and has signed with HC Lev Praha.

Former Bear Keith Aucoin is staying in Europe and has joined EHC München of the German league for next season, where he will be teammates again with Steve Pinizzotto.

Lev has been gone for a year now, Cajkovsky signed with Sparta Praha.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I thought Kundratek had a future here. That knee injury killed his momentum. Wish him the best.

RHD to boot. Green not coming back and Kundratek now gone, the organization's depth at RHD is now what Carlson, Niskanen, Carrick, Bowey . . . I believe Wey as well but his injuries/concussions who knows. Orlov is a LHD who likes to play on the right. What's FA market look like for a bottom pairing RHD preferably one that brings some physicality to the game?

 

[Melkor]

RHD to boot. Green not coming back and Kundratek now gone, the organization's depth at RHD is now what Carlson, Niskanen, Carrick, Bowey . . . I believe Wey as well but his injuries/concussions who knows. Orlov is a LHD who likes to play on the right. What's FA market look like for a bottom pairing RHD preferably one that brings some physicality to the game?

Mcquaid is supposedly gonna be there but Boston wants him to stay. And assuming that it is a FA market, i guess he would cost more that he really worth.

 

[hb12xchamps]

RHD to boot. Green not coming back and Kundratek now gone, the organization's depth at RHD is now what Carlson, Niskanen, Carrick, Bowey . . . I believe Wey as well but his injuries/concussions who knows. Orlov is a LHD who likes to play on the right. What's FA market look like for a bottom pairing RHD preferably one that brings some physicality to the game?

Yeah not sure about Wey and his future. His concussion was bad enough that they eventually just told him to go home for the year sometime during the winter months. I was at the game he got hit and it was an elbow from Jay Rosehill. Hopefully it doesn't cost him his career.

As far as RD goes, you also can add Tyler Lewington into that mix. I'm sure he will be Hershey bound next season.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Notable AHL guys still available:

Chris Bourque, Jim O'Brien, Dustin Jeffrey, Chris Mueller, Bobby Sanguinetti, Joe Whitney, Colin McDonald, Bobby Butler, Jason Akeson, Harry Zolnierczyk, Danny Kristo, Kyle Cumiskey, and Colby Robak among others

Edit: Bolded are the guys I can see Hershey targeting along with in house options Chris Conner, Dane Byers, Cam Schilling, Jon Landry, Mike Moore

 

[hb12xchamps]

Also to note that Oleksy is the only Hershey player who has left the organization to sing in North America.

Resigned: Gazely, Burgdoerfer, Moore, Galiev

FA Signings: Camper, Ness, Collins

Signed Overseas: Kundratek, Wellman, Kennedy, Cajkovsky

Signed Elsewhere: Oleksy (Pittsburgh, 1 year), Conner (Philadelphia, 2 years), J. O'Brien (New Jersey, 1 year)

FA: Landry, Cornet, Schilling, Broda, Byers, Newbury, Spencer

RFA: Brown

 

[Hivemind]

Oleksy going to WBS stings a bit, but players moving between the two teams seems to happen often.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Oleksy going to WBS stings a bit, but players moving between the two teams seems to happen often.

Off the top of my head I can think of Denis Bonvie, Deryk Engelland, Mike Carman, and Chris Conner as guys who have played for both organizations. Hopefully Steve is in Pittsburgh and not WBS

 

[hb12xchamps]

Like the signings.Aaron Ness and Carter Camper are both exempt veterans, while Sean Collins is a non vet. Mike Moore has full vet status. That leaves Hershey with 3 vets and 2 spots to fill. Most likely will be filled by a C

 

[hb12xchamps]

Chris Conner to Philly/Lehigh Valley

 

[hb12xchamps]

Jim O'Brien signs with the NJ Devils on a 1 year, two way contract. League minimum contract. Makes sense considering the new coach of the Devils is John Hynes from WBS and WBS signed O'Brien before Hershey was awarded him through waivers.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Some solid quotes from Yingst about Carter Camper and free agency

"We tried to trade for Carter Camper at the trading deadline to give us another quality center and couldn't get the deal done. Now we had the opportunity to get him."

When asked if more signings are looming, Yingst said, "Oh, yeah."