Aaron Ness 2010-11 SEASON REVIEW:

Aaron Ness
Date of birth: May 18, 1990 (2010-11 Season Age: 20)

Place of birth: Bemidji, MN, USA
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Shooting Hand: Left
AHL Season: NONE
Drafted: NY Islanders In the 2nd Round (40th Overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft 
Acquired: Originally Drafted By The NY Islanders


2010-11 Season Stats:

University Of Minnesota    WCHA:  GP: 35 G: 2  A: 12  P: 14   PIM: 41

Bridgeport Sound Tigers        AHL:  GP: 13  G: 1 A: 3    P: 4     PIM: 4

Short-Term Status: 

Next season he will be playing with the Islanders AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for probably the entire season. It will be his first full season playing professional hockey and I expect him to have some ups-and-downs, but from what I have heard from Bridgeport fans he was solid in his 13 games with them this season. If I had to predict, I believe he will get 2nd pair minutes with possibly some PP time for the Tigers next year.

Long-Term Status: 
He has the skill to become an ultra-talented offensive defenseman in the NHL one day, but he must find a way to put it all together. Before he went to the University of Minnesota, he looked like a star in the making and to fulfill his potential he must return to that style of play. But if he is not able to, I still see him as at least a capable depth defenseman

Contract Status:

LENGTH: 3 YEAR(S)     VALUE: $2,375,000     TYPE: ENTRY LEVEL     EXPIRY STATUS: RFA (2014)
SEASON	AHL SALARY	NHL SALARY	P. BONUSES	S. BONUS	CAP HIT
2011-12	$65,000	$712,500	$0	$87,500	$791,667
2012-13	$65,000	$787,500	$0	$87,500	$791,667
2013-14	$65,000	$875,000	$0	$87,500	$791,667

Review: 

When Aaron Ness was drafted, there was a lot of excitement surrounding him and Isles fans believed he might end up being a steal at 40th overall but almost directly after getting drafted, his development just started to tumble. That first year after the draft was also his first year at the University Of Minnesota. Either because of coaching or just the situation, he began to play timidly and seemed very overwhelmed. As time went on, he started to look better but, in most of his time with the Gophers he was never able to fulfill what was expected. Ness decided to leave them towards the end of this season and turn pro. He signed his ELC and joined the Sound Tigers on an ATO. Surprisingly, he was very solid in his time in the AHL. His positioning was good and he looked extremely comfortable with the speed of the game. His great skating was more evident in the AHL than it was in his time playing College Hockey and it looks to be a major asset of his going forward. Luckily for the Islanders, they have been able to put together a young, talented group of defensemen in the system, so Ness's success is not vital to the organization. Sure, a player with his skill being able to put it all together and become a "Brian Rafalski-Type" would be SWEET but, if he flops it's definitely not the end of the world. At this point, with how much he has fallen off since his draft year, Ness becoming an NHL player would just be a bonus.

Season Grade (A+ to F-): B
He was decent with the Gophers but what really impressed me was his play in the AHL. He was way more comfortable than what was expected and really led me to believe he may have a chance to be an NHL player sometime down the road. Next year will be extremely important for him and he will have to continue his strong play that he displayed in his 13 games with Bridgeport.

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