Phantoms update:
12/6 – 5-0 WIN
12/8 – 5-4 WIN
12/9 – 4-2 LOSS
Mark Friedman (D): 3 GP, 2 assists, 4 shots
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
Friedman still awaits his first goal, but has put together 6 assists in his last 10 games. He has 8 points in 25 games this season.
Danick Martel (LW): 3 GP, 2 assists, 7 shots, 4 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
A bit of a goal scoring drought for Martel, who doesn’t have an AHL goal since 11/11. Though, in a shocking twist…still leads the AHL in goals with 14. The dynamic winger has 22 points in 23 games this season.
Mike Vecchione (C): 3 GP, 1 goal, 8 shots, 2 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
Vecchione breaks his own goal-scoring drought with his first since 11/17. The rookie has 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in 26 games. You can see his top-shelf goal here.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 3 GP, 3 assists, 1 shots, 2 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
NAK gets his first three-point game of his career and first multi-point effort since since the first game of the season on 10/7. That’s now 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 26 games.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 3 GP, 2 goals, 6 shots
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
Heck yes! A multi-goal week for the rookie, improving his season total to 15 points (6 G, 9 A) in 26 games.
Mikhail Vorobyev (C): 3 GP, 2 goals, 1 assist, 6 shots, 2 PIM
2015 4th Round Pick, 104th overall
Vorobyev with the best week of his pro-career thus far. The three-point weekend gives him 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in 26 games.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
- 12/5 – 2 assists, 4 shots, 3 for 13 FOW
- 12/8 – 1 assist, 6 shots, 5 for 9 FOW
- 12/10 – 2 assists, 1 shot, 2 for 4 FOW/
We know the kid can score goals, so even a 5-helper week should be notable for the 19 year old. Bunnaman has 30 points (14 G, 16 A) in 30 games.
Anthony Salinitri (LW/C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
- 12/6 – 1 goal, 4 shots, 4 for 11 FOW
- 12/8 – 3 assists, 3 shots, 2 PIM, 3 for 5, FOW
- 12/9 – 5 shots, 3 for 3 FOW/
Salinitri remains at the pace he held last season when he had 58 points in 66 games. He is at 29 (13 G, 16 A) in 32 game thus far. While solid and playing for a good team, perhaps we should be expecting a bit more from the 4th year OHLer.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 12/6 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots, 8 for 24 FOW
- 12/8 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots, 12 for 23 FOW
- 12/10 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 13 for 24 FOW/
Okay, we get it Morgan, you are good at hockey. I bet you can’t do that in the NHL like BRAYDEN SCHENN is doing right now? Yeah, that’s what I thought. (Morgan Frost has 47 points in 30 games and is third in OHL scoring).
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
Ratcliffe now has more multi-assist games (4) than he does multi-goal games (2) this season. The 3rd year OHLer has 26 points (13 G, 13 A) in 29 games.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
To say I’m getting excited about Sushko might be an understatement at this point. The 2nd year junior player has 26 points (16 G, 10 A) in 27 games after having just 32 points in 54 games in his rookie season. He is just one goal off the team-lead, being held by some guy name Nick Suzuki (obvious sarcasm warning because like, Suzuki is pretty good). Here is Sushko’s 15th goal of the season.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
- 12/6 – 1 shot, 2 PIM
- 12/9 – 1 goal, 5 shots, 1 for 1 FOW
- 12/10 – 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM, 0 for 3 FOW/
A two-point weekend is a slight let-down given the pace Strome has been on the past few weeks. Strome leads his team in goals (15) and is second on the team in points with 31 in 29 games.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
Twarynski pots his 20th goal of the season, which is tied for 9th in WHL goal-scoring. The 4th year WHLer has 33 points in 27 games.
Carter Hart (G), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
TOO BIG TO FAIL. Yes, I’m calling it now. That’s his 5th shutout in 17 games this season. When you factor in that Hart missed time with mono earlier this season, it only enhances his accomplishments. Hart has a .961 SV% this season, with the next closest player (with more than 5 GP) at .931.
Pascal Laberge (C), Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
The status quo remains “not great” for Laberge, who has struggled to string together consistent offense. It also appears that he isn’t playing much center anymore either. He has 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 29 games.
German Rubtsov (C), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
Now would be a good time to go and check out our very own Craig’s (see: Graig) excellent piece on Rubtsov last week. The Russian continues to adjust and on the season has 24 points (7 G, 17 A) in 23 games.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
I think Växjö might be coming around to Högberg given the substantial increase in ice-time? Regardless, more ice-time = good for the 19 year old defenseman.
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Not much to report on Bernhardt who continues to get 3rd pairing minutes.
David Kaše (C/W), Mora IK (SHL)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
Kaše remains out of the lineup again this week with an injury. That is now 4 games in a row.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), IK Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
Lycksell is on “loan” this week to Oskarshamn and while I don’t have the boxscores available, I can report that he had 1 goal and 1 assist in his two games this week with the club. Across three levels this season, Lycksell has 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 33 games.
Felix Sandström (G), Brynäs IF (SHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall
Unfortunately, he remains out with a hernia injury. He could remain out the lineup for the rest of the season.
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
A decent game for Fedotov on Saturday, which haven’t been all that frequent this season. He holds a .898 SV%.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
- 12/10 – 2 GA, 23 saves/
The kid has been a monster this season, starting 29 games while holding a .924 SV%.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Wade Allison (RW), Western Michigan University
2016 2nd Round Pick, 52nd overall
Wade Allison continues to dazzle and amaze in his sophomore season. In Saturday’s game he scored the tying goal late in the 3rd period and the winning tally with a minute left in OT. Allison has 25 points (14 G, 11 A) in 19 games and is tied for 3rd in NCAA scoring. His 14 goals and 2nd most in college, only 2 behind the leader who also happens to be 2 years older.
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
Perhaps overshadowed by Wade Allison and Cooper Marody, Laczynski is having a nice season himself. Here is his 7th goal of the season and his empty netter from Saturday. He has 23 points (8 G, 15 A) in 18 games and is tied for 6th in NCAA scoring.
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
Another 3 points for Marody and has entrenched himself as a 1.50 point-per-game player in the NCAA. His 20 assists are 2nd most in college hockey.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Brendan Warren is not Cooper Marody.
David Drake (D), University of Connecticut
2013 7th Round Pick, 192nd overall
I suppose an assist is exciting for Drake, who has 3 of those in 21 games this season.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
An even weekend for Kalynuk who keeps adding those assists. The 20 year old freshman has 1 goal and 14 assists in 21 games, leading his team in assists.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
The senior finishing the season strong. Amorosa has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 19 games.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
That is 8 points (3 G, 5 A) in his last 6 games. It was a very slow start for the third year USHL player, but continued success like this should turn things around rather quickly.
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
- 12/9 – 3 GA, 27 saves/
Tomek stumbles a bit in his last two games. He has a .896 SV% in 10 GP.
