Ducks A-Z: Kyle Cumiskey
Source: Orange County Register by Eric Stephens, Staff writer
Kyle Cumiskey‘s final game of the 2011-12 season could be a short synopsis of his professional career to date.
In Game 4 of the Syracuse Crunch’s American Hockey League first-round series against St. John’s, Cumiskey tried to play through a hip injury that would have kept him out of the lineup if it was the regular season.
But it was the playoffs and the puck-moving defenseman gave it a go even though he wasn’t nearly at full strength after being unable to finish Game 3. Dealing with injuries is nothing new as he’s most recently had to come back from concussion issues that stalled his progress into a regular with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009-10.
For a while now, Cumiskey has had to battle through one or another and it especially isn’t easy to deal with when you’re constantly trying to prove that you belong in the NHL.
Tough times often build character. The immediate future is unclear for the native of Abbotsford, B.C., but he at least showed the Crunch and the Ducks organization how resilient he is.
KYLE CUMISKEY
Key 2011-12 statistics with Syracuse (AHL): 57 games played, 6 goals (2 on power play), 23 assists, 29 points, 44 penalty minutes, 77 shots on goal plus-1 rating.
2012-13 salary: N/A. Contract status: Will become a RFA on July 1.
What he did: Acquired from Colorado for defenseman and San Jacinto native Jake Newton last October, Cumiskey had already cleared waivers with the Avalanche and was assigned to Syracuse. After joining the Crunch, Cumiskey picked up points in four of his first 12 games and scored his first goal on Nov. 5 against Rochester before a groin injury knocked him out of the lineup for five games. He racked up a season-high three assists on New Year’s Eve in a 6-2 win at Binghamton. Cumiskey got called up to the Ducks in early January and late February but didn’t see action with them either time. He got a goal on Jan. 7 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before his first promotion but another injury after his return to Syracuse kept him unavailable to the Crunch for seven more contests. Cumiskey had his second three-assist game on March 3 against St. John’s. He would scored his final four goals over the last 16 games and then contribute an assist in the four-game playoff loss.
What could happen in ’12-13: There’s no doubt that Cumiskey has a fair amount of skill and his strong skating is an asset. His lack of size — he’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds — will always be an issue even in an era where smaller blue-liners can succeed and flourish. While he has value as a depth defender with NHL experience, it is the inability to stay healthy over an extended period that might give the Ducks pause in terms of offering him another contract. Another thing that blocks Cumiskey’s path toward duty with the big club is they already have veteran Lubomir Visnovsky, a similar type who offers the same skills that is better at all of them. The Ducks also intend to bring highly-touted prospect Sami Vatanen over from Finland, which will further impede Cumiskey’s road. It would not be a surprise if the club doesn’t re-sign him but the defenseman could be a valuable player for the team’s next minor-league affiliate, especially with Mathieu Carle opting to sign with the KHL. A full productive season of games without a significant ailment would be a reasonable goal for Cumiskey along with the possibility of a call-up or two to the Ducks or another NHL team in case injuries develop.
Next over the boards: JEFF DESLAURIERS
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