Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The AHL formally reached the midway level of the 2024-25 common season schedule final weekend.
Three months of play have began to supply some – although hardly all – of the solutions that NHL entrance places of work are looking for to study their prospects and their respective AHL associates.
What’s working? What isn’t? When the strain builds as groups battle to lock down berths within the Calder Cup Playoffs, which prospects are positioned to take a big step within the second half? Is there a veteran on the market who might be able to are available and lend assist?
And the way, if in any respect, will the March 7 NHL commerce deadline influence an AHL roster? Will a prime prospect depart in a commerce that’s made to bolster the NHL father or mother membership? Will a bunch of prospects arrive if an NHL entrance workplace opts to commerce and construct for the long run as an alternative?
A number of groups have already begin to shake up their appears already. In want of scoring assist following a number of remembers to the Nashville Predators, the Milwaukee Admirals snagged confirmed ahead Chase De Leo off AHL waivers; the veteran had signed an AHL contract with Charlotte after starting this season abroad. Wednesday introduced a swap of forwards between Anaheim and San Jose that landed Justin Bailey with the San Diego Gulls and Pavol Regenda with the San Jose Barracuda. The Checkers inked former AHL All-Star ahead C.J. Smith. And this morning, Belleville added 1,043-game NHL vet Sam Gagner on a tryout.
Extra choices and strikes are certain to return. How has the primary half of this season shaken out for every AHL group and the place are they positioned because the schedule strikes into the second half?
Let’s assessment the Japanese Convention first. A team-by-team assessment of the Western Convention will observe.
BELLEVILLE SENATORS
Eight factors beneath the North Division playoff line, the B-Sens have six video games in hand on the group that they’re chasing, the Syracuse Crunch. They’ve been in a position to keep in competition regardless of upheaval in internet attributable to accidents and remembers to the Ottawa Senators. They’ve been doing their job for Ottawa, sending a number of gamers as much as their father or mother membership at totally different factors this season. Ahead Wyatt Bongiovanni has been an amazing story with 13 targets by simply 23 video games. Having to battle for a playoff spot is one thing that Belleville proved able to doing down the stretch final season.
BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS
Chris Terry has been his common productive self, and AHL All-Star Brian Pinho has developed a wonderful scoring contact in Bridgeport. Rookie ahead Alex Jefferies, a 2020 fourth-round choose, has made a profitable transition to the professional recreation. Isaiah George and Marc Gatcomb have made their NHL debuts on Lengthy Island this season.
CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
With one of many AHL’s finest offenses, the Checkers are able to dominating when they’re at their finest. Administration introduced in a number of gamers on AHL contracts within the offseason, and people strikes have come by efficiently. That begins with main scorer John Leonard and AHL All-Star defenseman Trevor Carrick. Ken Appleby, one other offseason AHL signing, has a league-high 4 shutouts. Accidents have hit the Checkers arduous within the first half, however they’re a prime contender.
CLEVELAND MONSTERS
The Monsters have seen three prime prospects depart, with defenseman David Jiricek traded to the Minnesota Wild and AHL All-Star picks Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz incomes prolonged appears with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However there the Monsters are, nonetheless proper there within the combine for the North Division lead. Head coach Trent Vogelhuber’s group turned heads final spring on a run to extra time of Recreation 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals, and even after vital turnover and so many new faces his group nonetheless has that very same battle in its id.
HARTFORD WOLF PACK
AHL All-Star prospect Dylan Garand has taken one other step to change into one of many league’s prime netminders. First-round choose Brennan Othmann has returned following an prolonged damage absence. Brett Berard, Victor Mancini and Matt Rempe have all earned lengthy appears with the New York Rangers.
HERSHEY BEARS
Aiming to change into the primary group to be a three-peat Calder Cup winner because the Springfield Indians did so again in 1962, the Bears needed to battle their method by a difficult first-half schedule. High sniper Ethen Frank is with the Washington Capitals, however the Bears even have gained forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre, the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy winner because the MVP of final 12 months’s Calder Cup Playoffs. A ten-game street journey awaits the Bears in March; the excellent news for them, nevertheless, is that they’ve been stellar on the street with a 13-1-3-0 efficiency to this point.
LAVAL ROCKET
Possessing a roster brimming with prospects, Laval is enjoyable to look at on any given evening. Somewhat than dashing that younger expertise, the Montreal Canadiens elected for extra seasoning in Laval with new head coach Pascal Vincent. Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Adam Engström, Logan Mailloux and Florian Xhekaj present a powerful younger core, and goaltender Jakub Dobeš has gone as much as the Habs and change into a fast success story as they’ve surged into competition.
LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS
Even with a schedule that includes its fair proportion of of dates with Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Phantoms have managed to maintain themselves above the Atlantic Division playoff line. Goaltender Alexei Kolosov returned Wednesday from the Philadelphia Flyers and may ease among the work for Cal Petersen. Samu Tuomaala and Olle Lycksell present offensive punch, whereas Jacob Gaucher leads the membership with 14 targets.
PROVIDENCE BRUINS
It’s one other typical Windfall season: Begin slowly, discover themselves, and go on a tear because the calendar begins to maneuver towards December. After a 6-7-2-0 begin, the Bruins’ 15-6-1-1 surge has put them into the thick of the playoff dialogue. Recollects to the Boston Bruins have hit the Windfall roster, however their depth makes them harmful. Georgii Merkulov is having one other sturdy season, and Michael DiPietro has emerged as one of many prime goaltenders within the league.
ROCHESTER AMERICANS
Jostling with Charlotte to be the Japanese Convention’s highest-scoring group, the Amerks can run-and-gun with any group on their schedule. Devon Levi’s arrival in November shortly energized the Amerks as they tore by their schedule with a 13-2-0-0 run. AHL All-Star ahead Isak Rosén has continued to supply, and Brett Murray’s 17 targets to this point already match his complete final season.
SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS
St. Louis Blues first-round choose Dalibor Dvorsky has been distinctive as a 19-year-old ahead taking over the AHL. Bringing in ahead Matt Luff after the group’s sluggish begin has turned out properly, and goaltender Colten Ellis has thrived in his first time getting an everyday AHL workload. Proper now the Thunderbirds sit exterior of the Atlantic Division playoff sextet, however by solely two factors. This can be a group that put collectively a 9-1-2-1 effort earlier this season and generally is a risk.
SYRACUSE CRUNCH
Ninth-year professional goaltender Brandon Halverson has the most effective tales within the AHL this season, rebuilding himself into an All-Star after accidents had sidetracked a profession that noticed him drafted within the second spherical in 2014. Veterans Derrick Pouliot and Conor Sheary have led the offense, whereas rookie Dylan Duke has a team-best 11 targets.
TORONTO MARLIES
Very like Halverson, Matt Murray has been working to revive his personal profession. The 2-time Stanley Cup winner, who missed most of final season with an damage, has helped to hold the Marlies with a .934 save share in 15 appearances. Toronto’s sometimes deep pipeline has once more come by, led by two-time AHL All-Star Alex Steeves and his league-high 21 targets.
UTICA COMETS
Since an 0-10-1-2 begin almost capsized them, the Comets are enjoying above .500 during the last two months (13-9-1-0) and have carried out a powerful job placing their season again collectively. Isaac Poulter has discovered a rhythm in internet and supplied a pleasant complement to Nico Daws for interim head coach Ryan Mother or father, who changed Kevin Dineen on Nov. 6. Defenseman Simon Nemec has 19 factors and a plus-7 ranking in 27 video games since getting back from New Jersey.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON
Change dominated because the theme for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this previous summer season, as Kirk MacDonald arrived behind the group’s bench and Pittsburgh administration introduced in a number of veterans to bulk up their AHL affiliate’s roster. However how would all of these new faces mesh? Fairly properly, because it seems. They’ve succeeded regardless of being with out injured ahead Jimmy Huntington, a key offseason signing. Emil Bemström leads the group scoring, and 21-year-old ahead Ville Koivunen has 27 factors in 33 video games throughout his first full AHL season.
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at present covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is an everyday contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
