As one of the youngest teams in the league, the Checkers saw several players in their first or second pro year take huge strides last season. Players like Brock McGinn and Brendan Woods carried a lot of weight in 2014-15 and will be counted on to continue that progress, while Phil Di Giuseppe and Patrick Brown saw steady improvements across their rookie campaigns. Regardless of whatever turnover free agency brings, the Checkers will once again count on a young core to produce next season.
Below, we will take a player-by-player look at each forward under contract in the organization, as well as possible incoming prospects.
UNDER CONTRACT
Patrick Brown
2014-15 stats: 60 GP, 2g-8a-10pts
The Hurricanes clearly liked what they saw out of Brown during training camp, as he remained in the NHL to start the season and was the first Checkers player to make his NHL debut. Upon being assigned to the AHL, the Boston College product suffered an injury that kept him out for an extended period of time, but once he returned he became a permanent fixture in the lineup. Brown didn’t have a ton of success on the offensive side of the puck, but showed flashes of being a strong, dependable, grinder-type of a center.
Phil Di Giuseppe
2014-15 stats: 76 GP, 11g-19a-30pts
Di Giuseppe entered the season as one of the most talented forwards on the team, but took a bit longer to fully hit his stride in the pro game. The rookie came on strong to end the season, however, recording half of his 30 points in the final 29 games. That push made him the highest-scoring rookie forward on the team, and he will now look to build upon that stretch with a full pro season under his belt.
Brock McGinn
2014-15 stats: 73 GP, 15g-12a-27pts
On a team chock full of rookies, McGinn may have caught the most eyes in his first season. The 21-year-old showed flashes of the high-scoring talent that he displayed in junior, but perhaps more impressively, he found ways to affect games even when his offense was stalled. While he’s not the biggest skater on the ice, McGinn brought a strong physical presence to the Checkers, throwing his fair share of hits and creating chances through his play.
Carter Sandlak
2014-15 stats: 44 GP, 2g-2a-4pts
In his rookie campaign, Sandlak often found himself as the odd-man out as the healthy extra. At his best, Sandlak filled a tough, gritty role on the Checkers’ fourth line, and a late-season stint in the ECHL that saw him rack up points could have a positive impact on the young forward as he moves into his sophomore year.
Brendan Woods
2014-15 stats: 68 GP, 13g-18a-31pts
Like several of his teammates, Woods took quite a big step this season. With an increased role, Woods stepped up with career-highs in goals, assists and points, and quickly became one of the team’s go-to forwards in all situations. He also showed versatility in stepping in at center when holes in the lineup due to injury called for it. Woods emerged as another forward with good size who is coming into his own as an offensive force.
INCOMING
Sergey Tolchinsky
2014-15 stats with OHL's Sault Ste. Marie: 61 GP, 30g-65a-95pts
The 20-year-old Russian has put up back-to-back 90-point seasons with a strong Sault Ste. Marie team. Listed at 5-foot-8, what Tolchinsky lacks in size, he makes up for in offensive talent. Tolchinsky also has some familiarity with the Charlotte organization, as he joined the team at the end of the 2013-14 season as a black ace, appearing in one game.
Brent Pedersen
2014-15 stats with OHL's Kitchener and Oshawa: 69 GP, 17g-20a-37pts
Pedersen, a fifth-round pick from 2013, took another step in his fourth season of junior, recording career-highs in assists and points while splitting his campaign between the Rangers and the Generals. The 6-foot-2 19-year-old has been described as a strong power forward, and his offensive improvements are encouraging. Should he decide to forgo his junior eligibility and join the Checkers next season, he could be poised to take on a physical role as a bottom-six winger.
Erik Karlsson
2014-15 stats with SHL's Frolunda HC: 53 GP, 1g-2a-3pts
There isn’t a lot of familiarity with Karlsson, seeing as he’s played his entire career overseas, but the scouting reports on the 20-year-old Swede seem to indicate that he is a strong, two-way forward. He hasn’t put a lot of points on the board in his first few seasons, but he has made an impact playing in what is considered by some to be the second-best league in the world. If he decides to come to North America next season, something he is eligible to do but has not confirmed, that experience against formidable competition could make his jump a much easier one for the fourth-round pick.
Lucas Wallmark
2014-15 stats with SHL's Lulea HF: 50 GP, 5g-13a-18pts
Like Karlsson, Wallmark, a fourth-round pick by Carolina in last year’s draft, is somewhat of an unknown commodity since he’s been playing overseas. Per scouting reports, the 19-year-old is another solid two-way forward who has impressive stick handling ability that makes him a dangerous playmaker. The one knock he has seems to be his skating, but he has proven that he can step up in big situations, with 14 points in 14 games at the World Junior Championships in 2014 and 2015. Also like Karlsson, Wallmark is eligible to come to the AHL next season, but it is uncertain whether he will or not.
