Prospects tournaments showcase younger expertise

Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author

A few of the AHL’s younger abilities from final season are showcasing themselves this weekend at NHL prospects tournaments.

Let’s break down a number of the NHL organizations who could have acquainted AHL names on the ice as they prepared themselves for this upcoming season.

BUFFALO SABRES (ROCHESTER AMERICANS)Buffalo’s annual September prospects match has develop into one of the crucial in style of its form within the AHL, and Sabres followers could have loads of acquainted Rochester names readily available.

Rochester ahead Isak Rosén will skate for the Sabres after a 28-goal effort with the Amerks final season. He then added 5 objectives in eight playoff video games because the Amerks went to the North Division Finals. Buffalo took him 14th general within the 2021 NHL Draft, and he already has three AHL campaigns behind him. Together with Rosén, there are prime forwards Konsta Helenius and Anton Wahlberg, who every broke into the North American professional ranks final season with Rochester. Helenius, like Rosén, is a first-round choose, and he offered 14 objectives in 65 regular-season video games as an 18-year-old in 2024-25. Wahlberg, simply 19 final season, chipped in 11 objectives in 63 video games for Rochester.

Together with the Sabres, the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins are all taking part within the match.

CAROLINA HURRICANES (CHICAGO WOLVES)Contemporary off a 32-goal season with the Wolves, ahead Bradly Nadeau headlines the Carolina roster dealing with counterparts from the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Nadeau, chosen thirtieth general within the 2023 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes, took shortly to the professional sport final season with Chicago. His 32 objectives in 64 video games topped all AHL rookies, and he took spots on the AHL All-Rookie Workforce in addition to the AHL High Prospects Workforce.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (ROCKFORD ICEHOGS)After going second general to the Hawks within the 2024 NHL Draft, defenseman Artyom Levshunov spent most of his 19-year-old season within the AHL with Rockford. Taking part in 52 video games for the IceHogs, he had 22 factors (5 objectives, 17 assists). He additionally acquired 18 video games with Chicago on the NHL degree.

The Hawks are in St. Paul, Minn., for the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase together with the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues.

DETROIT RED WINGS (GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS)A heavy Grand Rapids presence shall be on the Detroit roster for a pair of video games towards the Dallas Stars in Frisco, Tex.

Three first-round picks with Griffins ties shall be readily available, beginning with defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. He spent final season within the Swedish Hockey League with Skellefteå earlier than getting right into a pair of late-season video games with the Griffins. Detroit took him because the seventeenth choose of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Becoming a member of him there are forwards Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Nate Danielson. Brandsegg-Nygård spent final season alongside Sandin-Pellikka with Skellefteå earlier than additionally having a short look with the Griffins; the Purple Wings made him the fifteenth choose within the 2024 NHL Draft. Danielson, chosen ninth general in 2023, had a 39-point rookie season with the Griffins in 2024-25.

Detroit additionally could have 2021 second-rounder Shai Buium, who confirmed effectively as a rookie on the Grand Rapids blue line final season.

EDMONTON OILERS (BAKERSFIELD CONDORS)A two-game provincial battle with the Calgary Flames will afford prime prospect Matthew Savoie one other probability for the highlight.

The speedy Savoie excelled final season with the Condors, recording 54 factors (19 objectives, 35 assists) in 66 video games and likewise going to the AHL All-Star Basic. He got here to the Edmonton group in a July 2024 take care of Buffalo after the Sabres selected him ninth within the 2022 NHL Draft.

FLORIDA PANTHERS (CHARLOTTE CHECKERS)Not even three months after the Checkers went six video games within the Calder Cup Finals towards the Abbotsford Canucks, the Panthers have their prospects again in motion.

Led by Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear, defensemen Marek Alscher and Mikulas Hovorka supply professional expertise whereas forwards Ben Steeves and Brett Chorske together with defenseman Eamon Powell all stepped into the Charlotte lineup late final season in time for the crew’s playoff run. Additionally readily available shall be ahead Sandis Vilmanis after a stable first season with Charlotte.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS (MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS)A stable Milwaukee presence shall be readily available in Florida for a Nashville roster that may function ahead Joakim Kemell and defenseman Ryan Ufko.

Kemell was chosen seventeenth within the 2022 NHL Draft by Nashville and already has performed 39 Calder Cup Playoff video games throughout three seasons with Milwaukee. Final season he completed with 40 factors (19 objectives, 21 assists) in 65 video games for the Admirals. Ufko made a rapid adjustment to the professional sport and led all Milwaukee blueliners with 30 factors (eight objectives, 22 assists) whereas taking part in all 72 video games for the Admirals.

NEW YORK RANGERS (HARTFORD WOLF PACK)The Rangers make their annual September journey to Pennsylvania to face the Philadelphia Flyers at PPL Heart, the house of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Two prospects headline the New York roster. One is ahead Brennan Othmann, who’s attempting to interrupt by and earn a full-time NHL job after two professional seasons. Othmann cut up final season between New York and the Hartford Wolf Pack; he turned in 12 objectives in 27 AHL video games whereas additionally dressing for 22 NHL video games.

Second-year defenseman Scott Morrow is getting his first look in a Rangers jersey after they acquired him from Carolina within the Ok’Andre Miller deal this summer time. Morrow, a harmful offensive presence, had 39 factors with the Wolves final season and joined Nadeau on the AHL High Prospects Workforce.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS)A number of acquainted names from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster are in Buffalo this weekend.

Defenseman Owen Pickering, who represented Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the AHL All-Star Basic final February is readily available after splitting this previous season between the NHL and AHL. So is ahead Ville Koivunen, whose 56 factors (21 objectives, 35 assists) in 63 video games led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring. Ahead Tristan Broz tied for third on the crew with 19 objectives as a rookie and is on the Pittsburgh roster.

In web is Sergei Murashov, who confirmed appreciable promise in restricted time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton whereas additionally creating on the ECHL degree with the Wheeling Nailers.

SAN JOSE SHARKS (SAN JOSE BARRACUDA)The Sharks will proceed to lean closely on the Barracuda to assist them by their ongoing rebuilding course of, and that expertise shall be on show on the Golden State Rookie Face-off in Irvine, Calif. The Anaheim Geese are internet hosting the Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

Undrafted ahead Collin Graf completed with 35 factors (eight objectives, 27 assists) in 40 video games for the Barracuda and went on to get a 33-game look with the Sharks. He’ll be in Irvine together with Barracuda regulars Filip Bystedt and Luca Cagnoni. Bystedt, a 2022 first-round choose, is a ahead who had a 31-point season with the Barracuda in 2024-25. Cagnoni tied for the AHL rookie lead in factors by a defenseman with 52 (16 objectives, 36 assists) in 64 video games to earn a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Workforce.

ST. LOUIS BLUES (SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS)One other member of the 2024-25 AHL High Prospects Workforce is again on the ice in competitors this weekend.

Ahead Dalibor Dvorsky will lead the Blues after posting 45 factors, together with 21 objectives, in 64 video games for the Thunderbirds as a rookie. He additionally went to the AHL All-Star Basic. His busy season included representing Slovakia at each the IIHF World Junior Championship in addition to the IIHF World Championship, plus two video games with the Blues. St. Louis made him the tenth general choose within the 2023 NHL Draft, and he simply turned 20 this previous June.

UTAH MAMMOTH (TUCSON ROADRUNNERS)Defenseman Maveric Lamoureux, chosen twenty ninth within the 2022 NHL Draft, had a robust begin to his professional profession final season with Tucson.

He performed 42 video games for the Roadrunners and likewise earned 15 video games with Utah. The Mammoth are in a match hosted by the Colorado Avalanche that additionally options the Vegas Golden Knights.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS)Calder Cup champions Kirill Kudryavtsev and Jonathan Lekkerimaki shall be again on the ice as Vancouver faces the Seattle Kraken in a pair of video games in Washington State this weekend.

Every participant took key roles as Abbotsford earned the Vancouver group its first-ever Calder Cup championship this previous June. After a robust rookie season on the Abbotsford blue line, Kudryavtsev performed 21 of 24 playoff video games. Lekkerimaki had 19 objectives in simply 36 regular-season video games for Abbotsford. The ahead went fifteenth to Vancouver within the 2022 NHL Draft.

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.