New York Rangers: Who in the world is Daniel Catenacci?
One of the recent call-ups made by the New York Rangers was Daniel Catenacci. Since he is unknown to a large fraction of the fanbase, let’s take a look at his career thus far and what kind of impact he might be able to have on the team.
Most fans know the feeling. A few star players go down with injuries, so the team decides to make a few call-ups. The notification announcing the call-ups goes out…and no one knows who this “new guy” is.
That was the case for a number of New York Rangers fans when Daniel Catenacci was recalled last week. He has played one game with the Rangers so far, January 20th against the Colorado Avalanche. He was held scoreless and recorded just one shot in 16 shifts over 11:03 of ice-time.
However, it’s hard to figure out who he is as a player from just one game. We took a look back at Catenacci’s hockey career thus far and if he could help the Rangers right now.
Pre-NHL Draft
Before even getting to the Ontario Hockey League, Catenacci played for the York Simcoe Express Minor Midget AAA team of the ETAMMHL (Eastern Triple-A Minor Midget Hockey League). He was granted the captaincy and played there for less than one season in 2008-2009, at age 15.
In 39 games, Catenacci scored a whopping 42 goals and 45 assists for a total of 87 points. He also registered 152 penalty minutes.
He then moved up to the Villanova Knights of the OJHL (Ontario Junior Hockey League). In just two games, he notched one goal and zero assists, for one point.
In the 2009 OHL Draft, the center was selected first overall by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Other notable names from this draft include Ryan Strome (eighth overall), Nick Cousins (21st overall), and former Rangers Matt Puempel (sixth overall) and John Moore (23rd overall).
He started playing for the Greyhounds in the 2009-2010 season when he was 16 years old. Catenacci played in 65 games, recording 10 goals and 20 assists for a total of 30 points. The team made the playoffs that year, and he recorded two points (one goal and one assist) in five games.
The next season, he was named an alternate captain. In 67 games, he scored 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points, smashing his point total from the year before.
NHL Draft and AHL experience
Over the summer of 2011, Catenacci was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round (77th overall) of the NHL Entry Draft. Later on in that summer, the forward was traded to the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for Andrew Fritsch, Michael Schumacher, and a second-round draft pick.
He came out of the gate swinging for his new team, with 72 points (33 goals and 39 assists) in 67 games in his first season there (2011-2012). The year after, he surpassed the prior year’s total by seven points, with 79 points (38 goals and 41 assists) in the same amount of games.
The Owen Sound Attack qualified for playoffs in both of those years, with Catenacci putting up four points (one goal and three assists in five games) in 2012 and nine points (three goals and six assists in 12 games) in 2013.
The then 20-year-old made his debut for the AHL-affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, the Rochester Americans, in the 2013 playoffs. Though he only played in two games, his presence was definitely felt. He put up three points (one goal and two assists). After that performance, he was made a regular member of the Americans.
In his first full season with Rochester, Catenacci recorded 20 points (10 goals and 10 assists) in 79 games. The Americans made the playoffs, but he was held scoreless in the two games he appeared in.
The season after (2014-2015), he exceeded the year before’s point total by nine in eight fewer games. That makes 29 points (15 goals and 14 assists) in 68 games.
First crack at the NHL
On February 5th, 2016, the center was recalled by the Buffalo Sabres. He made his NHL debut the day after in a game against the Boston Bruins. Two games later, he was injured by a hit from Radko Gudas of the Philadelphia Flyers.
It was a classic case of a veteran taking advantage of a rookie with his head down, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. After spending one week on Injured Reserve, he went back to Rochester on February 19th.
But, he wasn’t there for long; the Sabres called him up once again on March 1st. He finished the season out with the Sabres but did not score any points. In his short time with the Americans that season, Catenacci scored 24 points (12 goals and 12 assists in 50 games).
By the time the next season came around (2016-2017), he was already 23-years-old. He began the season by playing 50 games in Rochester. The forward recorded just five goals and eight assists for a total of 13 points.
In a trade deadline swap, Daniel Catenacci was dealt to the New York Rangers for defenseman Mat Bodie. The deal was one-for-one, and Catenacci was almost immediately sent to the AHL after the trade.
He went on to play 19 games for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Nine points (five goals and four assists) were scored by Catenacci over the remainder of the season.
This season (so far)
That brings us to where we are now. Through the first half of the 2017-2018 season, Catenacci has been with the Wolf Pack once again. He recorded 10 points (two goals and eight assists) over 23 games.
After Kevin Shattenkirk went down with a torn meniscus, he was summoned from Hartford. What have we seen so far? Not much at all.
As mentioned earlier, Catenacci has only played in one game with the Rangers, the January 20th face-off against Colorado.
He is still waiting on his first NHL point and had only one shot in Saturday’s contest. But, from what we do have, what do we think we’ll be getting from him?
What to expect
One thing is for sure; he has a ton of experience. Catenacci spent many years in the minor leagues, from the OHL to the AHL, and has had a little bit of NHL time. He has said that he tries to be a leader for younger players, which is tough for his current position but still says something.
The 24-year-old showed great improvement as he progressed throughout his career, going from an explosive offensive player to a reliable forward with a bit of a scoring touch. He is also known for his speed and his physicality at times, getting into a few fights while in the AHL.
So, what can he bring to the New York Rangers at the NHL level?
Well, we don’t really know.
After playing just one game with the team, he was sent back down to Hartford. If the injuries continue to pile up for the team, though, he will be back. He’s still young, still trying to make a name for himself in the NHL, but it looks like he won’t be a liability at all.
Next: An argument for extending Rick Nash
It seems like there is no reason to worry about Daniel Catenacci. There may even be a few reasons to get excited about him as an injury replacement in the future!
(All stats via Elite Prospects and NHL)