The rundown on forward Brett O’Malley:
2010-11 stats [career]: 8 goals, 16 points, minus-12 rating, 40 penalty minutes in 62 games.
Quote: “If I came back here with more confidence and experience, I know I could score more goals and be more of an offensive player.”
Pros: O’Malley was nothing if not consistent as a rookie: Willing and able to kill penalties, be an active forechecker, and bring energy in a second- or third-line role. The 27-year-old rarely took bad penalties, and an above-average slapshot helped him score eight goals.
Cons: The Reign were 19th in the ECHL in goals scored, and O’Malley’s limited puck skills and career stats suggest he won’t help turn that around. Karl Taylor seems to identify a new, quality defense-first rookie forward every summer (Chris Curran, Mike Howe, Robert Pearce) and O’Malley’s turn might be up.