Prospect Info: Hershey Bears/South Carolina Stingrays 2022-2023 Vol. 1

[Random schmoe]

I've actually been wondering about those rules, NHL teams signing players currently on AHL deals with another franchise.

Related to why I was wondering: We got anyone paying close attention to the Stingrays this year? I was checking in on my hill-to-die-on-but-not-literally-player, Bear Hughes. He's got great numbers this year as a rookie, over a point per game. (He's the second youngest skater on the team behind Martin Has who is technically in Hershey right now.) Just curious how he looks, numbers aside. I still think the kid has the potential to play in the NHL and am surprised he hasn't been signed nor was re-drafted in 2022.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Hughes will definitely get AHL time from someone next year, kinda doubt its with us although idk what hershey is going to look like next year since we have no idea what washington will look like this year

 

[DWGie26]

Pretty sure Ethan Frank (and anyone else in our org) is protected if they are on a contract. Only we can sign Frank to an NHL deal (one or two way). But he looks really good. Gonna have to use a contract on him next year but we should have plenty to give.

 

[Hivemind]

Pretty sure Ethan Frank (and anyone else in our org) is protected if they are on a contract. Only we can sign Frank to an NHL deal (one or two way). But he looks really good. Gonna have to use a contract on him next year but we should have plenty to give.

The Capitals have no special privilege to Ethen Frank's (or any undrafted AHL player's) NHL rights, beyond that they have hockey ops power in Hershey. In order for Frank to sign with any NHL (or other hockey) franchise, including the Capitals, his current AHL contract would have to be terminated. He may or may not have an out clause already built into his contract, but if not the Capitals would have the insight edge into blocking other organizations (in the NHL or overseas) from signing him. But if he has an out clause, then the Capitals cannot stop him from signing with any NHL franchise of his choosing.

 

[hb13xchamps]

Bjorklund must have a significant injury. Hasn’t played for South Carolina yet this season.

 

[DWGie26]

The Capitals have no special privilege to Ethen Frank's (or any undrafted AHL player's) NHL rights, beyond that they have hockey ops power in Hershey. In order for Frank to sign with any NHL (or other hockey) franchise, including the Capitals, his current AHL contract would have to be terminated. He may or may not have an out clause already built into his contract, but if not the Capitals would have the insight edge into blocking other organizations (in the NHL or overseas) from signing him. But if he has an out clause, then the Capitals cannot stop him from signing with any NHL franchise of his choosing.

OK… that is an interesting breakdown. But essentially it is the spirit of what i was saying… no team can realistically sign him. It’s why we need to lock him up with an NHL contract before he is a FA.

 

[Hivemind]

OK… that is an interesting breakdown. But essentially it is the spirit of what i was saying… no team can realistically sign him. It’s why we need to lock him up with an NHL contract before he is a FA.

Teams could sign him if he has an out clause in his AHL contract. We don't know if he does or not.

 

[DWGie26]

Teams could sign him if he has an out clause in his AHL contract. We don't know if he does or not.

Correct, we don’t know. Would be interesting if that is even a thing though. I suspect those that are signing AHL contracts don’t have any leverage to ask for that clause. If they did, they would get an NHL contract.

It’s kinda like a mid-level player asking for a no-movement or no-trade clause. The answer would be hell no. For top players or vets then maybe.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Correct, we don’t know. Would be interesting if that is even a thing though. I suspect those that are signing AHL contracts don’t have any leverage to ask for that clause. If they did, they would get an NHL contract.

It’s kinda like a mid-level player asking for a no-movement or no-trade clause. The answer would be hell no. For top players or vets then maybe.

Ohhhhh. Yer dealing w Queen Bee. Now I get it. Looked like your were spending a lot of time talking to yourself. LOL

I see

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Would've given Stevenson today and Sunday personally. Don't know why they went back to Fucale.

Also for the love of god, if you're just gonna ride Lindgren until Kuemper's back, give us Shepard back and call up Fucale to ride the pine.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Would've given Stevenson today and Sunday personally. Don't know why they went back to Fucale.

Also for the love of god, if you're just gonna ride Lindgren until Kuemper's back, give us Shepard back and call up Fucale to ride the pine.

That can’t happen due to mid game injury or replacement at the big team level

 

[twabby]

Seems like the game got stupid tonight

 

[Rayquaza64]

Seems like the game got stupid tonight

bears vs pens always has that happen

 

[hb13xchamps]

Correct, we don’t know. Would be interesting if that is even a thing though. I suspect those that are signing AHL contracts don’t have any leverage to ask for that clause. If they did, they would get an NHL contract.

It’s kinda like a mid-level player asking for a no-movement or no-trade clause. The answer would be hell no. For top players or vets then maybe.

Plenty of AHL guys have out clauses in their contact, but it’s usually for opportunities in Europe, not NHL contracts. Normally if a player has an AHL contract, they sign a NHL deal with their AHL teams parent club. I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen an AHL guy poached mid season by another organization. My guess is that there is language in the contract that allows the Caps to match a potential deal if need be.

 

[max21]

How often do ECHL players make it to the NHL, they’re just typically call ups for the AHL right?

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

How often do ECHL players make it to the NHL, they’re just typically call ups for the AHL right?

More often than you think. 47 players who were on Stanley Cup playoff rosters last year played in the ECHL. Beagle, Grubauer, and Holtby both played in the ECHL as did Jensen, Fucale, and Vanecek. Carter Verhaeghe and Mackenzie Weegar both played in the ECHL. Some bigger names you wouldn’t expect played in that league (Jonathon Quick, Tim Thomas, Jaro Halak, and Dan Girardi, to name a few). It’s more likely to for goalies to make it to the NHL than it is for skaters but it’s not unheard of.

 

[DWGie26]

So I chatted with an NHL agent today (good family friend who represents some top NHL players and one Caps player. here is what he said about signing AHL contracted players.

Milano had to clear to go to AHL. From what i now understand, if the Avs for example wanted to sign Ethan Frank to an NHL deal, the Caps would have the ability to claim him back. Would probably mean we have to match that contract.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Clay Stevenson wins his second start in Hershey. Gave up one goal on 24 shots. That puts him at 1.45 GAA and a .941 over two games. Small sample but impressive so far.

 

[Rayquaza64]

maybe fucale getting called up was a good thing for hershey

 

[DWGie26]

maybe fucale getting called up was a good thing for hershey

Going to be interesting to see the goalie trickle down when everyone is healthy. The depth behind Darcy and Chucky looks like Sheherd, Clay, Fucale.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Going to be interesting to see the goalie trickle down when everyone is healthy. The depth behind Darcy and Chucky looks like Sheherd, Clay, Fucale.

I'd love to see Clay continue to get games at the AHL level this season but when everyone is healthy it probably serves him best to be the #1 in South Carolina and play a ton. Next year he'll get a chance to compete for the #1 spot in Hershey with Fucale and Shepherd both UFAs. One is definitely gone, possibly both depending on how the organization values Shepherd. Realistically Shepherd was a project, he's already 27 and has never been the #1 workhorse guy in South Carolina or Hershey yet. Keumper is here for the long haul and Lindgren is playing like he's going to be a value at that price for 3 years...I don't see any path for Shepherd outside of AHL vet mentor for Stevenson if it's going to stay with the organization.

 

[Hivemind]

How often do ECHL players make it to the NHL, they’re just typically call ups for the AHL right?

The ECHL actually has a list of alumni who've reached the NHL.

Official Site of The ECHL | Alumni

www.echl.com

It's 703 players in total, but the majority of those you've actually heard of are goalies. And when you look closer at the skaters who made it, a lot of them only spent a brief period in the ECHL. PA Parenteau (2 games), Dave Steckel (9 games), Cory Conacher (3 games), Francois Beauchemin (7 games), Mackenzie Weegar (21 games), Ruslan Fedotenko (8 games), Daniel Winnik (5 games), Jeff Finger (10 games), Timothy Liljegren (literally only 1 game).

Even Jay Beagle (a poster boy for ECHL-AHL-NHL progression given that he won a Championship in all three leagues) only spent 8 regular season games in the ECHL before his 18 playoff games during the Stingrays Kelly Cup run in 2007. And he was doing that as an undrafted free agent signing out of the NCAA. His next year was his first full professional season, and he spent it entirely in the AHL.

If you're a goalie, ECHL is nothing to sweat. There's only so many spots. If you're a skater who doesn't quite make an AHL team in your rookie professional year or hops into the ECHL after your college career ends, if you make your way up in levels quickly you still have a chance. But if you spend a full season+ in the ECHL, the odds are very much against you.

Every now and then you get cool stories like Steve Oleksy who toil in the ECHL for years before reaching the NHL, but Oleksy only ended up playing 73 games in the NHL and is back in the ECHL this season. Carter Verhaeghe and Michael Ryder probably some of the more optimistic ECHL comparisons (36 games for Verhaeghe and 25 for Ryder, but both were split over two seasons). And Deryk Engelland (144 games over four season),

 

[Rayquaza64]

and vecchione just scores, finally the offense is playing to potential

 

[Strawberry Fields]

A lot of times this year they've just kind of crumbled or let up. Really good to see them tie it late and continue to pour it on

 

[Holtbyisms]

Clay Stevenson wins again, he's 3-0, 1.96 .924. Stopped 25/28 tonight. Lappy and McMike both scored and bears win.