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 workplaces are looking for to find out about their prospects and their respective AHL associates.

What’s working? What isn’t? When the stress 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 high prospect depart in a commerce that’s made to bolster the NHL mother or father membership? Will a gaggle of prospects arrive if an NHL entrance workplace opts to commerce and construct for the long run as an alternative?

A couple of groups have already begin to shake up their seems 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 on Friday, Belleville added 1,043-game NHL vet Sam Gagner on a tryout.

A team-by-team overview of the Japanese Convention went first. Now let’s overview the Western Convention.

ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS
Simply when it appeared just like the Canucks could be dragged right into a combat merely to remain above the Pacific Division playoff line, they’re now sitting a bit extra comfortably on the energy of their present eight-game profitable streak. First-year head coach Manny Malhotra’s membership is now ready to focus on second or third place within the Pacific whereas additionally nonetheless making an attempt to maintain groups beneath them at a distance. Ahead Aatu Räty has 13 factors in his final seven video games and is the reigning Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Participant of the Week.

BAKERSFIELD CONDORS
It was simply two weeks in the past that the Condors had an excellent 30 factors with Abbotsford. Since then they’ve fallen eight factors behind the Canucks and are in peril of lacking the playoffs for the primary time since 2018 – that’s how tight these playoff races may be. Captain Seth Griffith has been his traditional productive self, and high prospect Matthew Savoie is on tempo for a 20-goal rookie season.

CALGARY WRANGLERS
Calgary has barely stumbled in any respect this season, regardless of a training shift final month when Joe Cirella took over in an interim function as Trent Cull moved as much as the Calgary Flames’ employees. Devin Cooley has been distinctive in internet, Rory Kerins is having a breakout 12 months, and Dryden Hunt is second in the complete league in scoring. Eight gamers have already reached double-digit aim totals, and with an 18-5-0-0 report at Scotiabank Saddledome, the Wranglers can sock away factors quickly throughout their lengthy stretches at residence.

CHICAGO WOLVES
How would this Wolves staff come collectively this season? It was a good query. Chicago has reunited with the Carolina Hurricanes after one 12 months aside, which means that almost all of this season’s roster personnel was no less than considerably, if not utterly, new to one another. The Wolves discovered themselves up towards some fairly important headwinds early, however got here by means of over the primary half and sit fourth within the Central Division. Rookies Scott Morrow, Bradly Nadeau and Justin Robidas are among the many staff’s main scorers, and Spencer Martin has offered veteran stability in internet. Chicago performs a good defensive recreation and resides inside the AHL’s top-five golf equipment in shots-against per recreation.

COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS
New head coach. A considerably reshaped veteran base. An ongoing shift to proudly owning much less expertise and extra high prospects because the Seattle Kraken have now amassed 4 draft courses. The 2-time defending Western Convention champions have needed to sift by means of a number of change, and it took them a while to stabilize themselves. However what has not modified is that the Firebirds are as soon as once more a high Pacific Division contender. Twenty-year-old Jani Nyman leads all AHL rookies with 16 targets this season.

COLORADO EAGLES
With a roster boasting the likes of two-time AHL MVP T.J. Tynan, sharpshooter Matthew Phillips, dependable captain Jayson Megna, and skilled two-way defensemen Jacob MacDonald and Calle Rosen, amongst others, it’s no shock that the Eagles are among the many league leaders in each offense and protection. And as all the time, they’ve been a reliable reserve of expertise for the Colorado Avalanche, sending no fewer than a dozen gamers as much as the NHL already this season.

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS
An 11-3-1-0 begin to the season put the Griffins in place to manage their future and so they have barely slowed down, poised to hit the All-Star break in first place within the Central Division. The skilled foursome of Sheldon Dries, Joe Snively, Dominik Shine and Austin Watson have carried a lot of the offensive output whereas high Crimson Wings prospects like Nate Danielson, Elmer Söderblom, Cross Hanas, William Wallinder and Shai Buium proceed their growth. Sebastian Cossa has change into one of many AHL’s elite netminders and gained his NHL debut earlier this season.

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS
Rookie ahead Braeden Bowman has been certainly one of Henderson’s greatest tales this season, incomes a one-year AHL contract final summer season after enjoying his overage season within the Ontario Hockey League with Guelph. Now Bowman, 21, has the staff lead with 9 targets to place himself in rivalry for an NHL deal in some unspecified time in the future. The Silver Knights have gained 5 in a row for the primary time in two years as they try to climb again into the Pacific Division playoff race.

IOWA WILD
Iowa’s goaltending image has needed to cope with a preseason harm to offseason signing Troy Grosenick and an off-year by high prospect Jesper Wallstedt. However rookies Liam Öhgren and Hunter Haight have mixed for 22 targets up entrance and 21-year-old David Jiricek brings a blue-chip resume on protection after a mid-season commerce from Columbus.

MANITOBA MOOSE
The Moose have proven glimpses of what they are often able to, together with a latest four-game win streak in street stops at Calgary, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids. Rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson, a second-round draft alternative by Winnipeg in 2022, had 12 factors in 17 video games earlier than struggling an harm in early December.

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS
The Admirals banked early-season factors, profitable eight of their first 9 video games. That begin has helped them to climate a barrage of remembers to Nashville, together with Vinnie Hinostroza, Kieffer Bellows, Nick Blankenburg, Zach L’Heureux, Fedor Svechkov, Spencer Stastney and Adam Wilsby. That’s a number of expertise to tug off a roster, however administration has been aggressive about bringing in assist. Ryder Rolston has 12 factors in 25 video games since coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks group in a commerce, and the Admirals have added veteran forwards Anders Bjork and Chase De Leo as midseason reinforcements.

ONTARIO REIGN
Ontario tore by means of the Western Convention between Nov. 13 and Jan. 3, going 15-2-0-1 to vault to second place within the Pacific Division. Samuel Fagemo already has 21 targets in 2024-25 and 51 targets in his final 72 regular-season contests, the equal of a full AHL season. The Reign have scored first solely 15 instances in 39 video games; if that quantity can enhance in order that the Reign usually are not enjoying from behind early, that may be yet one more strategy to make them much more harmful.

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS
Rockford has needed to climate dropping rookie Frank Nazar on a promotion to the Chicago Blackhawks. However AHL All-Star Cole Guttman leads the staff in targets (18), assists (20) and factors (38) whereas rookie Landon Slaggert has added instant contributions. Rockford’s top-10 energy play can punish opponents, and Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov are coming alongside on the blue line. And if the IceHogs have their full contingent come April, they could possibly be quite a bit to deal with.

SAN DIEGO GULLS
Head coach Matt McIlvane’s mandate in San Diego is to deliver alongside and nurture the Anaheim group’s prospects and supply a secure ambiance after the Gulls went by means of 4 head coaches in 5 seasons. Anaheim is constructing for the long run, which can imply gamers like All-Star rookie Sam Colangelo transfer forwards and backwards between Anaheim and San Diego. One space the place the Gulls may help themselves is by defending late leads; they’ve gained solely six of 11 video games (6-2-2-1) when main after two intervals.

SAN JOSE BARRACUDA
Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, the group’s huge offseason acquisition, is having an All-Star season with the Barracuda whereas additionally making 11 appearances so far with the mother or father Sharks. Rookies Collin Graf and Luca Cagnoni have been distinctive, and veteran Andrew Poturalski is main the league with 42 factors as he eyes a 3rd profession scoring title. The Barracuda look like positioned effectively to agency up their Pacific Division playoff positioning in stretch-drive time.

TEXAS STARS
What isn’t enjoyable about watching the Stars every night time? They’re the AHL’s highest-scoring staff, cell and possessing top-flight offensive imaginative and prescient. Their energy play can decide aside opposing penalty-killing models, and so they personal appreciable depth. Antonio Stranges has had a breakout season, rookie Justin Hryckowian has thrived, Matej Blümel has a team-best 18 targets, Arttu Hyry has tailored rapidly to the North American recreation, Kyle Capobianco stays one of many AHL’s greatest defensemen, and former Firebirds Cameron Hughes and Kole Lind deliver playoff-tested mettle to the Texas roster. As soon as once more the Stars are wanting like a big participant within the Western Convention.

TUCSON ROADRUNNERS
Josh Doan and Kailer Yamamoto confirmed up early within the season on project from Utah and rapidly contributed. Doan has since gone again to Utah, however the Roadrunners have a deep basis of forwards that includes Egor Sokolov, Andrew Agozzino and AHL All-Star Cameron Hebig, who has already set a brand new career-high in targets. Artem Duda, a second-round decide within the 2022 NHL Draft, has 16 factors and a plus-9 ranking from the Tucson blue line.



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