AHL POWER RANKINGS: Deadline Approaching
Each Wednesday, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings, a look at the top Calder Cup contenders across the 31-team circuit and their player development picture.
No league in hockey is quite as unpredictable as the AHL, where teams regularly grapple with recalls of their top players along with the usual combination of injuries, slumps, and demanding schedules that any team in any league must face.
The NHL trade deadline offers still another wrinkle. The uncertainty and subsequent roster shake-ups may well not even end up benefitting the AHL team at all, especially if they see their carefully nurtured prospects on a plane out of town as part of an NHL deal. Then again, that dynamic can work the other way and provide a late-season influx of quality prospects if the NHL team is in seller mode.
Oh, and just for one more variable, the AHL has its own roster deadline after the NHL is through with its dealing.
1. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS (CAROLINA HURRICANES)
34-14-6-1 – 75 POINTS
A five-game road swing through the Atlantic Division ended with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers waxing the Checkers, 7-3, this past Sunday afternoon. Those seven goals set a season-high for a Charlotte opponent as the Checkers saw a 3-1 lead turn into a blowout. The Checkers took two wins on that five-game journey. As the Hurricanes continue their push toward a playoff spot, the organization’s NHL trade activity, if any, very much bears watching from a Charlotte standpoint. With Valentin Zykov and Phil Di Giuseppe lost on waivers, and Greg McKegg’s recall still ongoing, Charlotte could also use help at forward in what is sure to be a grueling Eastern Conference playoff field come April. A two-game weekend series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms back on Charlotte ice is next. Alex Nedeljkovic has taken on a heavy workload in net, Charlotte has yet to find a back-up answer.
Last Week: #1 – 11th week in a row
Issues at the Deadline: Forward help and improved back-up goaltending would iron out Charlotte’s last remaining weaknesses.
2. BAKERSFIELD CONDORS (EDMONTON OILERS)
31-15-2-1 – 65 POINTS
One of the AHL’s most remarkable midseason turnaround in years continued with three more wins, taking the Condors up to 15 consecutive victories that is tied for the fourth-longest in AHL history. This run has taken them from a mid-pack glut back in January to among the AHL elite. So far Oilers management has stayed true to its word to exhibit more patience with prospects and resist the temptation to recall them after a solid weekend or two. If Edmonton does send forward Jesse Puljujärvi to Bakersfield, as has been rumored, and he can play like Kailer Yamamoto has, that would be another massive boost for the Condors. For an organization badly in need of any good news amid another lost campaign at the NHL level, the Condors are more than doing their fair share.
Last Week: #3 (▲+1)
Issues at the Deadline: It might be best to not tinker with what the Condors have going for them.
3. SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (SAN JOSE SHARKS)
28-12-2-4 – 62 POINTS
Those rival San Diego Gulls delivered an 8-3 thrashing to the Barracuda on SAP Center ice to open the teams’ two-game get-together. San Jose sent its own response on Monday afternoon, burying San Diego under four first-period goals and going on to a 5-2 win to take a series split. AHL veteran forward T.J. Hensick, signed last week, played his first two games for the Barracuda, and forward Dylan Gambrell is back from the Sharks. Defenseman Nick DeSimone has a seven-game point streak (2-6-8) as part of a well-balanced Barracuda blue line. They hit the road this week and visit the Iowa Wild for a pair of games before going to see the rival Stockton Heat to finish out the weekend.
Last Week: #4 (▲+1)
Issues at the Deadline: Hensick filled a veteran spot, and the Barracuda roster does have more veteran slots available, but the organization has long shied away from loading up on veteran AHLers.
4. ROCHESTER AMERICANS (BUFFALO SABRES)
31-16-3-2 – 67 POINTS
Rochester closed out a four-game week by blowing out the lifeless Binghamton Devils, 5-1, at home. They did that after taking a 3-2 shootout win against the Syracuse Crunch the night before to break even in a home-and-home series. They welcome the desperate Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday night. Despite being tied for second in the AHL in points, the Amerks only have a seven-point lead on the fifth-place Belleville Senators in the North Division. So, the margin for anything more than a brief slump is minimal, especially with eight of their next nine games against North Division opponents.
Last Week: #5 (▲+1)
Issues at the Deadline: Defenseman Taylor Fedun has not been replaced since being traded to the Dallas Stars organization. Another blueliner would be ideal, but the Amerks have the veteran limit to consider.
5. SYRACUSE CRUNCH (TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING)
30-16-2-2 – 64 POINTS
As the games on the AHL’s always-busy second-half schedule pile up, falling into a slump quickly is a very real issue. That reality has hit the Crunch, who suddenly have dropped four of their past five games. Among those losses are a third-period blown lead on Monday afternoon in a 5-3 loss at the Toronto Marlies. The Crunch will see the Marlies again starting Friday for back-to-back games in Syracuse. That loss in Toronto started a run of eight games in 13 days as the Crunch make up games-in-hand. Head coach Ben Groulx has utilized a Connor Ingram–Eddie Pasquale goaltending rotation. They have the Laval Rocket in town on Wednesday night.
Last Week: #2 (▼-3)
Issues at the Deadline: Mostly they have to hope that the Lightning do not need to dip into the AHL roster to pull off an NHL trade deadline move.
6. GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS (DETROIT RED WINGS)
30-16-3-4 – 67 POINTS
A heretofore successful homestand has firmly carried the Griffins into the AHL’s top tier. They are 4-1-0-0 and finish their seven-game run at home this week before going back on the road. With a 20-5-1-3 mark at Van Andel Arena, the Griffins’ .759 home point percentage leads the AHL. Nineteen-year-old rookie forward Filip Zadina, taken sixth in the NHL Draft this past summer, has a four-game goal streak, including an overtime winner, and is up to 15 goals through 43 AHL games. The assignments of forward Martin Frk and defenseman Dennis Cholowski from Detroit are yet another boost for an already potent line-up. With so much talent on hand, the power play ranking last in the AHL remains a mystery.
Last Week: #7 (▲+1)
Issues at the Deadline: A power-play maestro along the lines of Jacob MacDonald of the Springfield Thunderbirds could really unlock this team’s considerable offensive potential.
7. CHICAGO WOLVES (VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS)
28-17-5-1 – 62 POINTS
A 12-8-4-1 mark at home is not in keeping with one of the AHL’s high-end teams and the strong fan support that the Wolves enjoy. So, there is no better time to turn that around than this week with three home games in four days, two of them against the Texas Stars. Their five-game homestand started well with a 2-1 overtime win with the Iowa Wild in town this past weekend. AHL leading forward Daniel Carr has yet another streak going, this one a seven-game point streak (6-4-10) after setting up the overtime game-winner that beat Iowa. Max Lagacé has performed well in net, and more from tandem partner Oskar Dansk would be a significant help.
Last Week: #6 (▼-1)
Issues at the Deadline: Brandon Pirri remains with the Golden Knights. Replacing that kind of offense is not feasible, but another forward would not hurt. The Wolves have veteran space, but there are no glaring needs for this team.
8. BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS (NY ISLANDERS)
30-18-5-2 – 67 POINTS
After a bit of a stumble, relatively speaking, the Sound Tigers have gone on a 7-2-1-0 charge that has put them firmly in hold of second place in the Atlantic Division. Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey arriving on conditioning assignments injected NHL veteran-level skill into the Bridgeport line-up for a pair of home weekend wins. Certainly forward Josh Ho-Sang acclimated well to their arrival, putting together a 4-2-6 effort in the two home wins playing alongside Ladd. While Ladd and Hickey returned to the Islanders after the weekend, Bridgeport did receive forward Michael Dal Colle after an extended NHL recall. With a .750 home point percentage that ties them for second in the AHL, the Sound Tigers have two more dates at Webster Bank Arena this weekend.
Last Week: Not Ranked
Issues at the Deadline: The Christopher Gibson-Jeremy pairing has had sub-.900 goaltending. Head coach Brent Thompson is managing a veteran-heavy line-up. That means having depth but juggling players can be tricky.
9. SAN DIEGO GULLS (ANAHEIM DUCKS)
27-16-3-3 – 60 POINTS
All in all, the Gulls survived a six-game road trip and can head back home to sunny San Diego holding seven of a possible 12 points. A light run for the next 10 days starts when the Roadrunners visit Wednesday. Next they get a San Antonio Rampage team arriving in town as part of a 10-game road trip. Goaltender Kevin Boyle remains in Anaheim with injuries to John Gibson and Chad Johnson, so that leaves San Diego’s duties with veteran Jeff Glass. He has had his share of struggles, though he did put up 40 saves on the Barracuda in the 8-3 road win.
Last Week: #8 (▼-1)
Issues at the Deadline: They have to hope that the chaos in Anaheim can settle down long enough to take them past the deadline. If the goaltending injuries in Anaheim drag on, that could put a significant strain on San Diego.
10. UTICA COMETS (VANCOUVER CANUCKS)
29-19-4-2 – 64 POINTS
Just about everything that could be thrown at an AHL has come the Comets’ way this season – they have lost their top two goaltenders, a top defensive prospect, and endured still more injuries to their defense corps. Yet they keep putting up victories and are on a seven-game point streak. They lost defenseman Ashton Sautner on recall to the Canucks, but finally have some clarity to their crease picture after six weeks. Vancouver rewarded AHL stalwart Michael Leighton with a two-way NHL contract after he had played on a PTO deal for the past month. After not being able to find a job for most of the first half, his .915 save percentage since going to the Comets has carried the team and taking pressure off young Ivan Kulbakov.
Last Week: Not Ranked
Issues at the Deadline: An established defenseman could really help firm up this roster for a team that has already cycled through 15 players at the position.
UNDER CONSIDERATION
OUT – 11. IOWA WILD (MINNESOTA WILD) – Last Week: #10
Back-to-back defeats in extra time sum up Iowa’s weekend. They smothered the Wolves and allowed only 13 shots yet came way with one point. Now the Wild have three home games in four nights. Two of them are against the Barracuda. Then a daunting six-game road trip that starts in California begins next week against those same Barracuda. Forward Kyle Rau is back from Minnesota.
Issues at the Deadline: As with so many other teams, blue-line help would be nice. But overall, this roster looks solid for now.
12. TUCSON ROADRUNNERS (ARIZONA COYOTES)
What a week the Roadrunners have ahead of them – a trip to San Diego followed by two games against the Condors.
Issues at the Deadline: Arizona management has often taken an energetic approach toward the Tucson roster. Emil Petterson and Jérémy Grégoire have already made a difference since coming over from the Milwaukee Admirals. With top-tier defenseman Kyle Capobianco out for the season, somehow the Roadrunners have to find a solution for his absence.
13. TORONTO MARLIES (TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS)
Chris Mueller’s injury continued a run of bad health for the Marlies this season.
Issues at the Deadline: The penalty kill is not nearly good enough for a contender. Kasimir Kaskisuo’s up-and-down performance of late dipped in his latest outing, and he was pulled after allowing two goals on two Syracuse shots.
14. PROVIDENCE BRUINS (BOSTON BRUINS)
The P-Bruins’ second of five consecutive 3-in-3 weekends did not require them to leave Providence, but they only picked up one win.
Issues at the Deadline: What does Boston do at the deadline, and how much, if at all, does that hit the Providence roster?
15. HERSHEY BEARS (WASHINGTON CAPITALS)
The Bears finally ascended the playoff line thanks to a 15-game point streak (14-0-0-1). They levied a damaging home-and-home sweep on their Pennsylvania rival, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Atlantic Division is an absolute grind with third place and sixth place separated by four points.
Issues at the Deadline: Forward experience, especially someone who can drive possession, would be really helpful. Hershey has to scratch for goals. The blue line is green, but it is hanging in there.
16. LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS (PHILADELPHIA FLYERS)
The back-to-back losses sting, at least for now.
Issues at the Deadline: The Flyers are carrying four goaltenders (plus injured Michal Neuvirth). That includes Mike McKenna. Among skaters, Lehigh Valley is dealing with an abundance of veterans to manage.
THE REST
17. TEXAS STARS (DALLAS STARS)
Just when Denis Gurianov returned from Dallas, Joel L’Esperance has now gone in the other direction. The Central Division window is closing rapidly, and the fourth-place Rockford IceHogs might be the only reasonable target at this point.
Issues at the Deadline: Goaltender Landon Bow remains in Dallas.
18. BELLEVILLE SENATORS (OTTAWA SENATORS)
These Senators are not going anyway, it would appear, and a 13-game point streak (9-0-0-4) has them directly in the thick of North Division contention. Plenty of work remains to be done, but a visit to Binghamton is a very winnable game. They go to Rochester the next night, so handling the Devils will be critical. They put some distance between themselves on sixth-place Cleveland.
Issues at the Deadline: There is not an NHL organization with more deadline drama than Ottawa. If Ottawa does wheel and deal, it could yield a haul of prospects. But it could also leave a few gaps on the NHL roster that needed to be filled by Belleville personnel.
19. ROCKFORD ICEHOGS (CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS)
Chicago management sent a statement to the Rockford dressing room by acquiring first-line talent Peter Holland on Monday.
Issues at the Deadline: Reward Chicago management’s faith.
20. WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS (PITTSBURGH PENGUINS)
The AHL Penguins are in a punishing fight to extend their playoff streak to 17 seasons come April.
Issues at the Deadline: Forward help is a must. Defenseman Ethan Prow’s 15 goals tie him for the team lead.
21. MANITOBA MOOSE (WINNIPEG JETS)
Eric Comrie has carried this team, though back-up Mikhail Berdin has impressed as a rookie.
Issues at the Deadline: If the Jets need to move prospects like Comrie out to make a Stanley Cup run, that could be a devastating loss, especially with another one of their six-game trips starting this week.
22. COLORADO EAGLES (COLORADO AVALANCHE)
Being swept by Stockton in a pair of road games leaves the Eagles’ playoff chances in peril. Another week like that, and that could be all for the Eagles.
Issues at the Deadline: The Avalanche are still hanging around the Western Conference playoff line, which makes the Eagles’ situation murky.
23. MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS (NASHVILLE PREDATORS)
They split two games with Manitoba to open a seven-game road trip. Still trying to catch Rockford, they also have to fend off three teams in close pursuit of them.
Issues at the Deadline: Top prospect Eeli Tolvanen’s name persists in rumors.
24. CLEVELAND MONSTERS (COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS)
A win here and a loss there will not be nearly enough, especially with a tough schedule ahead. They need a strong run immediately.
Issues at the Deadline: Much like Belleville, drama surrounds the NHL parent club. How that could affect Cleveland is anyone’s guess at this point.
25. SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS (FLORIDA PANTHERS)
After such a promising first-half start, another spring without playoff hockey looks to be ahead for Springfield fans.
Issues at the Deadline: The T-birds do have a glut of veterans.
26. SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE (ST. LOUIS BLUES)
Another season, another gargantuan February road trip. This one has yielded one win through six games with four more games still to go. A 3-12-0-0 start left them with little margin for error over the final five months of the season. They have fallen five points below the Central Division playoff line.
Issues at the Deadline: The Blues are rolling, but any major losses for the Rampage would be a surprise.
27. LAVAL ROCKET (MONTREAL CANADIENS)
The Rocket can play the spoiler role now, something they did this past weekend in Binghamton.
Issues at the Deadline: At this point, the Laval roster has mostly been picked over.
28. BINGHAMTON DEVILS (NEW JERSEY DEVILS)
An 0-3 weekend buried the Devils.
Issues at the Deadline: Which players might New Jersey wish to audition come March?
29. STOCKTON HEAT (CALGARY FLAMES)
Nine points down, they did deliver a blow to Colorado’s playoff chances this weekend.
Issues at the Deadline: Stockton has veteran AHLers who might help somewhere else.
30. HARTFORD WOLF PACK (NEW YORK RANGERS)
Put it this way – the Rangers traded their captain, Cole Schneider, in January when he ranked second in team scoring. Last week they shipped out goaltender Marek Mazanec. Holland, the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer, followed him out of town on Monday. Defenseman Chris Bigras went down with an injury last week.
Issues at the Deadline: Keeping some semblance of a positive atmosphere in Hartford.
31. ONTARIO REIGN (LOS ANGELES KINGS)
Ontario’s playoff chances died a long time ago.
Issues at the Deadline: Much like Binghamton, who will see NHL time as the regular season winds down?
