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AHL Releases First Round Playoff Schedule

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The AHL has released the schedule for the first round of its Calder Cup Playoffs. Lots of squads are down top players with so many parent clubs still in contention, so the first round is always ripe with upsets. The schedule can be found here.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had the league’s best record, and looks to have their best opportunity at a championship since their inception. Out West, the Chicago Wolves have gone from out of the playoffs and potential loss of affiliate to a dominant 1st seed performance. The action starts on Thursday, April 20th. The first round of semifinals includes a full 16 teams, but the series are only 5 games long.

The quality of play in the AHL only gets better as the years go by, and every hockey fan owes it to him/herself to catch a local playoff game when possible. Future stars and intriguing prospects can be caught up close and personal before they make an impact in the show. In terms of who to keep an eye out for:

San Jose – Daniel O’Regan (C) – 23G 35A

Stockton – Mark Jankowski (C) – 27G 29A

Chicago – Kenny Agostino (LW) – 24G 59A

Hershey – Christian Djoos (D) – 13G 45A

Wilkes-Barre – Casey DeSmith – .926 SV% 2.01 GAA

Providence – Zane McIntyre – .930 SV% 2.03 GAA

West Notes: Reddekopp, Keller, Agostino

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed officially signed Chaz Reddekopp to a three-year entry-level deal. The 20-year old seventh-round pick of the Kings in 2015 was set to become a free agent should the team not have gotten him under contract by June 1st. A big defender, Reddekopp had 43 points in a breakout campaign with the Victoria Royals, but still wasn’t shy about dropping the gloves to defend a teammate.

With Reddekopp now signed the Kings have just one player, Matt Schmalz, whose exclusive rights would expire this June should they not get him under contract. After two disappointing years since being drafted, Schmalz may be left to fend for himself this summer.

  • Clayton Keller and Noah Hanifin have been added to the Team USA squad for the upcoming World Championships in Germany. That will make four teams for Keller this year, as he’s suited up for Team USA at the World Juniors, finished his first year at Boston University, signed and played three games with the Arizona Coyotes and will now represent his country once again alongside other NHL stars. The young forward helped lead the Junior squad to gold in January, and will try to take this team to the podium as well.
  • Kenny Agostino has been named the AHL’s Most Valuable Player after an 83 point season. The 24-year old played seven games with the St. Louis Blues, but spent most of his season dominating the lower level with 59 assists in 65 games. Picked by the Penguins in the fifth-round in 2010, Agostino hasn’t made an impact at the NHL level yet and wasn’t even tendered a contract by the Flames last summer—they acquired him in the Jarome Iginla deal of 2013. The Blues signed him to a one-year deal, making him an unrestricted free agent again at season’s end.

Blues Recall Kenny Agostino

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Fresh off securing a playoff berth last night, the St. Louis Blues have added even more firepower to their red-hot team in the AHL’s leading scorer. The team announced today that they have recalled forward Kenny Agostino from the Chicago Wolves on an emergency basis and he is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow against the Central Division rival Nashville Predators.

There is no word yet on what warranted Agostino’s emergency recall or if he is replacing a major contributor in the lineup, but coach Mike Yeo and the Blues could do much worse than giving the 24-year-old left winger a shot down the stretch. Agostino already has a goal and two assists in seven games with St. Louis this season and has been on a tear in the minors, recording 79 points in 63 games, including nearly an assist per game. Agostino is in his first season with the Blues organization after signing as a free agent this summer – a move that is paying off in spades so far for GM Doug Armstrong and company. Just three years removed from a prolific career at Yale University, Agostino, then a Penguins prospect, was dealt to the Calgary Flames in the Jarome Iginla trade in 2013 while still in college, but has seen a major uptick in offense in 2016-17 relative to his first to pro seasons with the Flames organization.

The Blues are 7-1-2 in their last ten games and are rolling toward the postseason. A win tomorrow against Nashville would go a long way in locking down that second spot in the Central Division and a first-round date with the Minnesota Wild. Should Agostino play, he should be able to jump in and contribute right away in the crucial game and may even earn a spot on the postseason roster with his play over the next week. If not, the AHL Wolves have already clinched a playoff spot as well, so Agostino is postseason bound, one way or another.

Afternoon Transactions: Oilers, Hurricanes, Blues, Wild, Capitals

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Assorted transactions from around the NHL this afternoon:

  • The Oilers announced (via Twitter) that they have assigned defenseman Jordan Oesterle to the Bakersfield Condors. The 24-year-old was recalled to the NHL earlier this month. In two games with the Oilers this season, Oesterle hasn’t recorded a point, although he has compiled three goals and 15 assists in 26 AHL games.
  • The Hurricanes announced that they have recalled forward Phil Di Giuseppe from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 23-year-old has recorded one goal and one assist in 18 games with the Hurricanes this season, and he’s collected 20 points in 33 games with the Checkers.
  • The Blues have assigned forward Kenny Agostino to the AHL, reports Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat (via Twitter). The former fifth-rounder has played in seven games with St. Louis this season, compiling one goal and two assists. In 48 AHL games, Agostino collected 18 goals and 42 assists.
  • The Wild announced that they have returned right winger Alex Tuch back to Iowa of the AHL.  Minnesota’s first round pick (18th overall) back in 2015 has played in six games with the big club this season, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 10:42 of ice time per night.  He’s having a strong rookie year at the minor league level though, scoring 12 goals and 13 assists in 36 games with Iowa.
  • The Capitals announced they assigned center Jakub Vrana to Hershey of the AHL.  He was recalled on Friday but didn’t play over the weekend.  The 20 year old has a goal and two assists in 12 games with the Capitals this season and has put up 25 points in 33 games with Hershey.  Washington is off until Wednesday and there’s a good chance they’ll recall Vrana before that time but they will save a bit of cap space in the meantime by sending him down for a few days.

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