Paul Szczechura is probably a forgotten name to the casual Rochester Americans fan.  He was signed over the summer but hasn’t played a game yet and appears as though we’ll have to wait until “early November” for his return.

Kevin Oklobzija wrote in the D&C:

Amerks center Paul Szczechura isn’t ready to play. Rolston said he expects to have him in the lineup “in early November.” Szczechura is still recovering from a knee injury suffered during the playoffs with the Norfolk Admirals.

“Initially we thought with his progress he was ahead of schedule but his doctors had set a certain date (for a return) and they’re staying firm with it,” Rolston said. “They don’t want to take any chances.”

Besides having a name that will likely be misspelled few times he’s expected to be a top center.  During the 2010/2011 season with the Norfolk Admirals he scored 22 goals and 30 assists in 79 regular season games.  He was injured during game 3 of the playoffs when he had to be helped off of the ice after suffering a leg injury, a leg injury that continues to heal.  He’s been skating with the Amerks since training camp but has not been cleared for contact at all.

Szczechura is a puck mover that played 52 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2009/2010 season scoring five goals and two assists in those games.

The Amerks are heading into the weekend on a three game winning streak, an impressive rebound from the first two games.  The impressive part is that this team has found a few ways to win with a number of key players missing from the lineup that should eventually be regulars.  Michael Ryan, Paul Szczechura, Shaone Morrisonn, Drew Schiestel, Dennis Persson, Maxime Legault, and eventually Matt Ellis will be regulars.

Ryan is expected back in the lineup on Friday, no word on the others.