AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 04: Texas Stars forward Jason Robertson looks for the puck during game against the Tucson Roadrunners on October 04, 2019 on October 04, 2019, at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire)
November is always an interesting month of play in the American Hockey League. You start to see which of the teams that started October red hot are contenders, and which are pretenders, and we begin to see the rebirth of talented teams that kicked off the season near the bottom of the standings.
This normalization of team results extends to players, as well. The shrewd veterans brought in to help develop prospects finally get going, while some incredible young players slow down after a scorching start and improve upon their flaws without the early butterflies and pressure to succeed.
Coaches begin to understand how to balance their two primary objectives; winning and prospect development, while lineup deployment comes together and everyone finds a way to contribute to the club as the season turns to December.
Speaking of prospect development, we are going to take a look at some of the promising pupils competing in the AHL’s Central Division. Checking in on the clubs from the American Midwest, the state of Texas, and Manitoba, you will find some useful information on notable prospects as well as some news and notes from around the division.
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
Record:20-4-3-2, 45 points, .776% points percentage
The Admirals might be the best team in the AHL, and if not the best, they are absolutely the scariest. After winning 13 in a row, the club sits first in the league in points (45) and points percentage (.776) with an absurd 20-4-3-2 record.
Milwaukee has scored more goals (103) than any team in the AHL, while allowing fewer goals (69) than all but three other teams. A lot has been made of how dangerous this team is from a cohesive standpoint, as the roster boasts some high-end prospects and sought-after veterans, but their success boils down to individual players as well.
Milwaukee forward Yakov Trenin was named the AHL’s Player of the Week, while Tommy Novak was given the Rookie of the Month Award in November. The two are part of a core of ten Admirals players with double-digit points through the first two months of the season. Head coach Karl Taylor and his club look better than ever before and should be just as lethal down the road.
Jeremy Davies, 6th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Predators farm system (28-2-11-13): One of the pieces that came back to Nashville in the P.K. Subban trade that occurred at the last NHL Draft, Davies was a remarkably underrated asset for the Predators to acquire, as he posted just under a point-per-game in his last two years at Northeastern. That point-scoring prowess came from his ability to skate with the best of them, with and without the puck, and helping to transition the play in the neutral zone. His shot from the point is accurate, albeit a little soft, but is adept at generating rebounds for forwards. Physically, he gives up size (5-11”, 187 lbs) for his uncanny strength and tenacity, having not looked out of place in his short pro career. The Predators have a logjam of Grade A defensemen in their system, with Davies being just another one of them, but he carries a second-pairing potential with him so long as he can progress in his play-reading capabilities, which would make the former seventh-rounder an absolute steal.
Anthony Richard, 9th (28-7-2-9): Richard is off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2019-20 campaign. Generally a versatile playmaking forward with lots of energy and an up-ice demeanor, the 2015 fourth-rounder has been stagnant in what was supposed to be a big developmental year for the young forward. After scoring three points in the first two games of the season, Richard -- last year’s team leader in scoring -- has just five in his last 23, mostly due to a lack of assertiveness and drive. Now demoted to the Ads’ third line, Richard is due for a breakout, and his smarts, peskiness, and somewhat-improved skating can assist in that. His deployment on both the power play and penalty kill is promising in that he can contribute even without scoring, but you would like much more offensive production from the struggling winger.
Alexandre Carrier, 13th (29-4-15-19): Last season, Carrier impressed me by developing his offensive game; the skills were always there, but a certain passivity kept him from truly exploding until last campaign, where he used his skating, puck-handling, and vision to become a menacing puck-rusher for Milwaukee. With that squared away, our eyes turned to his flawed defensive game, which has since been bolstered by an increased willingness to engage physically and trust in his legs to get the puck out of the zone. Deployed on the Admirals’ first defensive pair as of late, he has burst onto the scene as a complete d-man with loads of offensive potential, currently sitting at fifth in AHL defensemen scoring.
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Record: 13-10-2-2, 30 points, .556% points percentage
As their parent club continue on an improbable ascent up the Central Division standings, with points in 14 of their last 15 games, Iowa is sitting pretty at second in the AHL’s Central classification with help from veterans acquired this past offseason as well as some emerging prospects.
Iowa set a franchise record (since their move to Des Moines from Houston before the 2013-14 season) with 37 wins last season, culminating in their first postseason appearance in the Hawkeye State. The Wild are on pace to beat that mark with a 41-win pace through 22 games this season.
It’s a remarkable job by Tim Army, who has done an excellent job mixing lines and has his club playing a solid two-way game.
Connor Dewar, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Wild farm system (16-3-1-4): Dewar came to the Minnesota system in an unusual way. Undrafted in his first year of eligibility, the WHL stalwart was picked up in the third round of the 2018 draft by the Wild with a draft selection that was not initially theirs; a Vegas draft pick that was dealt to Minnesota in exchange for Alex Tuch, during the Golden Knights’ pre-expansion draft maneuvering. Now playing in his debut pro season, Dewar has been shaky, but at times, brilliant. His wrist shot is blazing fast and well-located, and his skating, though sloppy at times, is quick and upstart. After being stapled to the bottom-line with certified goons like Mike Liambas to start the season, the 20-year-old is playing top-six center minutes thanks to his reliable, disciplined playing style down the middle. I would like to see him use his shot more instead of his default idea of ill-advised passes.
Louie Belpedio, 11th (27-1-7-8): Belpedio has not had an easy start to his second full year in the pro ranks, but there are some grounds for optimism in his developing defensive game. The right-shot, puck-moving blueliner has long been an impactful guy in transition and physically, but his play-reading and stick-readiness have improved in a more reserved role this season. Deployed in a depth role with veteran Matt Register, Belpedio has done a lot to get back onto Minnesota’s radar for a spot with the NHL club. However, it seems as though Brennan Menell (and deservedly so) has supplanted him on the depth chart, so the former American World Junior participant will have to do more to get back to the big league.
Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
Record:14-10-0-1, 29 points, .580% points percentage
Looking to bounce back after an poor 2018-19 season, the IceHogs got younger, faster, and more energetic compared to their prior season’s roster, which sputtered to a seventh-place finish in the Central Division.
Led by a pair of brothers, Dylan and Tyler Sikura, the IceHogs are helping accelerate the ongoing rebuild of their parent club. Winners of six out of their last ten, the IceHogs have fought valiantly after a slow start to get back into playoff contention.
Rockford’s roster features several of Chicago’s best and most intriguing prospects, including Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, and MacKenzie Entwistle. Even if the Blackhawks (12-15-6, 30 points, last in NHL Central Division) lack entertainment value, Chicago fans can always drive just an hour and a half west to Rockford.
Adam Boqvist, 2nd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blackhawks’ farm system (15-1-5-6): The 2018 first rounder has found an offensive touch in his first North American professional season after being re-assigned from the Blackhawks, whose roster he made out of training camp, early this season. Inventive and creative with the puck on his stick, Boqvist boasts the deceptive skating speed and beautiful hands to produce offensively from the neutral zone in, as well as the shooting prowess and positional awareness to be a sneaky high goal-scorer. With that said, his defensive game is still incomplete; most notably his tracking of developing plays and his lack of physicality against the boards and behind the goal.
Kevin Lankinen, Unranked (6-3-1, 2.58 GAA, .927 Sv%): What Lankinen has done to even get himself on the radar of an NHL team is nothing short of incredible, but the highly entertaining Finnish netminder is nowhere close to done. In a crowded crease featuring Collin Delia and Matt Tomkins, the 24-year-old free agent signee has starred, leading the club with a 0.927 Sv%, which is top-20 in the AHL. A pure competitor in every way, Lankinen employs a high-energy, high-octane style of netminding that lacks mental composure but oozes athletic ability. Moves from side to side well and can catch up to anything he might not initially get, using his quick feet in a low-to-the-ice style that minimizes rebounds. Lankinen’s patience and shot tracking will need to improve for the goalie to succeed in the top-flight league.
San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
Record: 10-10-5-3, 28 points, .500% points percentage
After years of bouncing from parent club to parent club, even hosting two NHL teams at once, the San Antonio Rampage finally have two things that have plagued them over the past few seasons: organizational consistency and veteran support.
The Blues made efforts to bulk up their AHL affiliate with veteran guys with Mike Vecchione, Nathan Walker, and Derrick Pouliot, who are their three leading scorers thus far this season. The Rampage, who have finished last in their division four years running, are reaping the benefits.
A revival of a club that has not won a playoff game in eight years, the fans in the Alamo City deserve this. The postseason is not guaranteed, but to even be in the running is a nice change of pace.
Jordan Kyrou, 1st in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blues farm system (16-9-6-15): I’ll contend that Kyrou is one of the best players in the AHL right now, and his NHL future is both certain and near, with a recall on December 9. The top-ranked prospect in a revamped St. Louis system, the 2016 third-round selection dazzled with San Antonio thanks to his speed, footwork, and improved wrist shot/shot selection. His fiery speed has always been there, but his increased aggressiveness in using his shot (he is averaging over three shots on goal per game with the Rampage this season) is a major step up to me. The fact that he can play all three forward spots, with center being his best position, is also a great positive and means that it is possible he has already played his last AHL game.
Mitch Reinke, 9th (15-2-8-10): After a 13-game absence from the San Antonio lineup due to an upper-body injury, Reinke jumped in and immediately produced two assists from the blue line in his first game back on the ice. That performance more or less exemplifies what Reinke can bring to the Blues in the near future, and as he did with San Antonio last season, earning AHL All-Rookie honors with a 76-12-33-45 season stat line. A right-handed, puck-moving, smooth-skating defenseman that went undrafted is such an absurd thought that he has to have some flaws, right? Well, his initial blue line defense is flawed, with a lack of stick activity and a too passive style defending one-on-one to make an impact in a depth NHL role. Otherwise, the 23-year-old is one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the Blues system.
Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Record: 14-15-0-0, 28 points, .483% points percentage
After a 1-7-0-0 start, the Moose ripped off nine wins in their next ten games. Since then, however, they have found consistency and steadiness within a lineup that features several of Winnipeg’s most heralded prospects.
Jansen Harkins (11th) is the AHL’s third-leading scorer as he continues blossoming into the second-rounder he was drafted as in 2015, while defensemen Logan Stanley and Sami Niku (though currently battling an injury) progress into NHL-caliber two-way talents and forward Kristian Vesalainen (1st) has started to implement his skill into the game.
Head coach Pascal Vincent has done a magisterial job in properly mixing his roster combinations of veterans and young guns, and the team is showing it out on the ice.
Logan Stanley, 4th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Jets farm system (15-1-4-5): Coming back in late November to play his first game since October 18, Stanley did not look rusty at all in his return to AHL action. The towering defenseman’s calm and easy-going playing style benefited him after a long absence, as he was able to re-insert himself into the lineup and play his game without making adjustments. His defensive game is stout and incredibly mature, with his length and physical size making him difficult to get inside position on while his smarts give him the ability to move the puck out to middle-ice with relative ease. His booming slapshot makes him a lethal power-play option as well, though I would like to see him use his shot more. His journey to the NHL has been hindered by his slow skating and sloppy puck-handling at times, but the 2016 first-rounder is still only 21 and has time to make it all up.
Sami Niku, 5th (16-3-9-12): Niku is one of the most confusing and enigmatic prospects in professional hockey. One day he will look like a surefire top-four NHL defenseman, the next, he can play like the seventh-round draft pick and NHL longshot he was supposed to be. The defenseman will be on the shelf for the next 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, but beforehand, was playing with that up-and-down style he has been noted for. If he can only find consistency, his combination of elite skating, heads-up vision, and puck-moving skills can make him a go-to option for a Jets team that needs offense from the blue line.
Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
Record: 12-15-2-0, 26 points, .448% points percentage
The Wolves’ sudden fall from the reigning conference champion to back half of the division table has been a kick in the gut for the club and for AHL fans in the Windy City. 4-5-1-0 in their last ten games, Chicago has bled goals and has not found the offensive output to compensate.
However, help has come in an unorthodox way, in the form of Valentin Zykov, after the Vegas forward failed a drug test, was suspended 20 games, and then waived and assigned to the AHL club. The 2013 second-round pick is a proven AHL scorer (33 goals in 2017-18 with Charlotte) and has already chipped in two assists in as many games.
Brandon Pirri also recently joined the fray, but nevertheless, this club will need to see the emergence of some younger players like Lucas Elvenes to have any chance at making a charge back into a postseason spot. Losing as many veterans as they did from last season (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, etc) has depleted Rocky Thompson’s bench, but the season is still far from over.
Jake Bischoff, 8th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Golden Knights farm system (22-0-3-3): There are calls from Vegas fans to replace Deryk Engelland, an older and immobile defenseman, with Bischoff, an AHL regular who played well in a short stint with the Knights. While I have little familiarity with the Vegas coaching systems and what they value out of their defensemen, Bischoff could stick with the NHL club right now with little adjustment necessary. Originally a 2012 seventh-round pick of the New York Islanders, the Minnesotan has blossomed into the rugged, defensively solid blueliner the Knights envisioned when they acquired him in a swap near the 2017 expansion draft. He is a good skater for a big guy and has a rocket of a shot. Patient and observant with and without the puck, he displays intelligence in all three zones, but especially behind his own blue line, where he loves to take the body and is skilled at stealing the puck. He is probably a better defensive option than Engelland, but I don’t make the lineup decisions.
Jimmy Schuldt, 15th (28-4-9-13): After being a near point-per-game player at St. Cloud State, the undrafted defenseman was a highly sought-after prospect who ended up signing with Vegas in April of 2019. Since making his pro debut at the end of last season (a one-game cameo with the Golden Knights), Schuldt has had some on-and-off glimpses of why he was so revered coming out of college. He is exciting to watch with the puck, as he makes creativity reads, crisp passes, and has great footwork despite below-average top speed. His size (6-1”, 205 lbs) allows him to be effective in his own zone, showing some nastiness around the boards and the willingness to make open-ice hits at times. However, for all of his raw talent, he is prone to some turnovers and can have a few defensive errors. All in all, I think he can be a solid middle-pair defender, but with time.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage
For fans of prospect development, the Griffins are one of the most fun teams to watch in all of pro hockey. The Red Wings, through their organizational rebuild of recent years, have more or less instituted a highly-aggressive, short-schedule development path for top prospects that places them in the AHL immediately and forces them to compete against grown men from the outset of their career.
The results have varied, from the struggles of Filip Zadina to the emergence of Moritz Seider as a future star, but nonetheless, Grand Rapids is home to one of the most entertaining teams in the league.
Three seasons removed from the Calder Cup title run of 2017, the Griffins will need a good next couple of months to get back into position to potentially charge up for another run at the hardware.
Filip Larsson, 13th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Red Wings farm system (2-5-0-0, 4.01 GAA, .843 Sv%): Larsson has gotten both sides of what can plague a goaltender’s early development. Step one, being arguably too inexperienced to jump directly into pro hockey, and step two, being hung out to dry by a very young defense in front of him. After elite performances in the USHL and NCAA in seasons past, Larsson has looked mentally lost in his five starts, allowing at least four goals in all of them, which have been mixed in with some ECHL re-assignments. At just 21, it is both reasonable and not completely unexpected for the Swede to struggle in the AHL, but his potential is still promising. His balance is elite and fueled by his high-end athleticism, which also allows him to move laterally with ease and flash quick glove and blocker hands. With time, he should figure it out.
Dominic Turgeon, 18th (27-6-7-13): As the Griffins roster becomes younger and increasingly prospect oriented, prospects with some level of experience have been turned to for top-six minutes on the struggling club. One of those guys is the 23-year-old fourth-year AHLer Turgeon, who has been commanding top-six minutes since puck drop on the season after mostly playing in a depth role throughout his first few seasons. He has done well with the increase in time, turning his offensive game from utterly useless to somewhat respectable, which could help the Red Wings see him as a future NHL player. Offense is not really his thing, and he has become one of the best defensive forwards in the league because of it; he plays a very safe, disciplined game down the middle and loves to help out in the defensive zone, directing traffic and stepping in front of shots. If he ever becomes an NHL regular, it will be because of that 200-foot game.
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)
Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage
The monkey has finally been lifted off of the Texas Stars’ collective back. The Stars endured a franchise-record 12-game losing streak before winning a 7-6 shootout thriller against Rockford on home ice recently. The feeling in and around the Texas locker room was as though they had won the Calder Cup.
The club was destined for some growing pains, as the roster includes as many as a dozen first-year North American pros. The 12-game losing streak put the club, Western Conference champions two seasons ago, at the bottom of the AHL standings.
Sometimes a lack of pressure can be beneficial for the development of young prospects. Being able to play your game and work on your flaws without the worries of dropping matches in the process can be a blessing in disguise. That is certainly what the Dallas Stars are hoping will occur in Cedar Park for the remainder of what looks to be a lost season, even after the move of former head coach Derek Laxdal up to the NHL club after the surprise firing of Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery.
Jason Robertson, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason ranking of Stars farm system (28-11-10-21): Robertson’s trouble as a skater was destined to plague the first few months of his pro career, and anyone who watched his domination of the OHL last season (115 points in 62 games) acknowledged it. The Michigan native has managed well as a scorer on his AHL Texas roster, leading the team in goals and being tied for the highest point total in the locker room. However, his skating has absolutely hindered his development into an NHL caliber player, as his sluggish foot quickness and relatively low top speed have given him some struggles. On the flip side, he is a first-year pro who boasts a physically-commanding package of power forward tools, such as supreme balance, gorgeous hands (especially in tight areas), and a blistering wrist shot that has gotten him power-play time since the outset of the season. The reigning AHL Player of the Week will need to make his simple skating stride at least respectable, and be more reliable on the defensive end, to become the surefire NHLer scorer he can be.
Riley Tufte, 8th (25-0-4-4): Since being drafted out of the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Tufte has had the “bust” label thrown at him many times, and in fairness to the fact that he is a first-year pro on a struggling AHL club (last in the league in points), he is not doing much to subdue the bust talk. Still seeking his first pro goal after 16 games, the two-time NCAA men’s national champion has received mostly third-line minutes and has been unimpressive in that time with the Stars this season. A big man with some quick heels for his size, he has demonstrated some glimpses of promise, using his physical advantages to set up teammates and his maturity and discipline to play very solid defensive hockey. Overall, he has gone missing for shifts -- and games -- at a time and has not played up to his first-round hype this season at all.