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AHL Announces Inaugural Top Prospects Team

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Ahead of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals, which starts tonight between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears, the AHL has released a new award that will intrigue hockey fans across the country. The AHL Top Prospects Team is a group of players that may not be in the minor leagues for much longer.

This year’s group includes:

Tyson Foerster, Lehigh Valley Phantoms

The 21-year-old Foerster was selected 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2020 and is one of the OHL players forced into the AHL during the 2020-21 season. Even as a teenager, he showed great scoring ability and returned this year to put up 20 goals and 48 points in 66 games.

Foerster made his NHL debut as well, suiting up eight times with the Flyers and putting up seven points—a taste of what will come next for the young forward.

Jiri Kulich, Rochester Americans

The Rochester club has seen several talented forwards come through in recent years, and Kulich is just the latest after being selected 28th overall in 2022 by the Buffalo Sabres. Coming over from the Czech Republic at just 18, he proved he was ready for North American professional hockey by scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 62 games.

Kulich was even better postseason, where he potted seven goals in 12 games. Only turning 19 in April, he was among the league’s youngest players this season.

Lukas Reichel, Rockford IceHogs

Anyone who has watched Reichel this season can see his time in the minor leagues should be over. The 17th overall selection in 2020 made his NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks last season and looked overwhelmed. Not so a year later, when he scored seven goals and 15 points in 23 games in the NHL.

The 21-year-old forward has been a dynamic offensive threat since the moment he joined Rockford, with career totals of 108 points in 111 games to this point.

David Jiricek, Cleveland Monsters

If it were a more important season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jiricek might not have played a full season in the minor leagues. The 19-year-old defenseman was a menace at the AHL level, scoring six goals and 38 points in 55 games.

Known more for his size and blistering shot during his draft year, the 2022 sixth-overall pick showed improved poise and vision, leading to some lofty expectations in Columbus. Before long, he’ll be a full-time anchor on the Blue Jackets’ blue line.

Simon Nemec, Utica Comets

The other top defenseman from the 2022 draft class was Nemec, who didn’t disappoint in his rookie season. Selected second overall by the New Jersey Devils, the 19-year-old defenseman put up 12 goals and 34 points in 65 games.

Nemec has a wildly entertaining style that sees him fly all over the ice, making unpredictable plays regularly. While he may still take some unreasonable risks, he has a higher ceiling than almost any defensive prospect in the league, and should add that excitement to the Devils group soon enough.

Jesper Wallstedt, Iowa Wild

It was a pretty solid North American debut for Wallstedt, who posted a .908 save percentage in 38 AHL games. The big Swede was the 20th overall pick in 2021 and could buck the trend of goaltenders taking years to develop.

There was obvious growth in Wallstedt’s game during his first season in the AHL, and despite being just 20, he should already be factoring into the Minnesota Wild’s decision-making in net. They already have a young starter in Filip Gustavsson but may not need a backup for long.

Full 2023 List Of Expiring Draft Rights

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June 1: As of 5 p.m. ET on June 1, none of the below players were signed and all are either free to re-enter the draft or become free agents.

May 26: When drafting a player out of North America or any European country with a transfer agreement, a team acquires exclusive negotiating rights for a set amount of time. Each year on June 1, a long list of players see those rights expire and become unrestricted free agents (or choose to re-enter the draft, depending on specific circumstances).

CapFriendly has compiled a complete list for the deadline in just a few days. Some players listed below have already signed overseas; others will have agreements announced soon after their current rights expire.

Anaheim Ducks

Sean Tschigeri (130th overall, 2021)

Arizona Coyotes

Axel Bergkvist (200th overall, 2019)
Manix Landry (139th overall, 2021)
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg (107th overall, 2021)
Valentin Nussbaumer (207th overall, 2019)

Boston Bruins

Matias Mantykivi (185th overall, 2019)

Calgary Flames

Jack Beck (168th overall, 2021)
Lucas Feuk (116th overall, 2019)
Cole Huckins (77th overall, 2021)
Cole Jordan (141st overall, 2021)
Cameron Whynot (89th overall, 2021)

Carolina Hurricanes

Bryce Montgomery (170th overall, 2021)
Robert Orr (136th overall, 2021)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Eric Hjorth (104th overall, 2019)

Dallas Stars

Jacob Holmes (143rd overall, 2021)
Conner Roulette (111th overall, 2021)
Samuel Sjölund (111th overall, 2019)

Detroit Red Wings

Gustav Berglund (177th overall, 2019)
Albert Grewe (66th overall, 2019)
Oscar Plandowski (155th overall, 2021)
Pasquale Zito (166th overall, 2021)

Edmonton Oilers

Patrik Puistola (73rd overall, 2019)

Florida Panthers

Braden Hache (210th overall, 2021)

Los Angeles Kings

Lukas Parik (87th overall, 2019)

Montreal Canadiens

Frederik Nissen Dichow (138th overall, 2019)
Joe Vrbetic (214th overall, 2021)

New Jersey Devils

Nikola Pasic (189th overall, 2019)

New York Rangers

Leevi Aaltonen (130th overall, 2019)

Ottawa Senators

Carson Latimer (123rd overall, 2021)
Ben Roger (49th overall, 2021)
Chandler Romeo (202nd overall, 2021)

Pittsburgh Penguins

Santeri Airola (211th overall, 2019)
Ryan McCleary (194th overall, 2021)

San Jose Sharks

Benjamin Gaudreau (81st overall, 2021)
Liam Gilmartin (167th overall, 2021)
Max McCue (156th overall, 2021)

St. Louis Blues

Tyson Galloway (145th overall, 2021)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Cameron MacDonald (160th overall, 2021)

Toronto Maple Leafs

Kalle Loponen (204th overall, 2019)
Josh Pillar (127th overall, 2019)

Vancouver Canucks

Arvid Costmar (215th overall, 2019)
Connor Lockhart (178th overall, 2021)

Washington Capitals

Martin Hugo Has (153rd overall, 2019)
Dru Krebs (176th overall, 2021)

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Carl Lindbom

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The Vegas Golden Knights have inked goalie Carl Lindbom to a three-year, entry-level contract, says the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. PuckPedia reports the deal carries an $840,000 cap hit.

Lindbom, 20, slipped all the way to 222nd overall in the 2021 Draft after he was limited to just eight junior games in the Swedish J20 Nationell season, posting a subpar .890 save percentage in the process. It’s been a sharp rise for Lindbom since then, and his numbers suggest a budding goalie with a potential NHL future.

In fact, Lindbom, who had his birthday just days ago, has gone from draft blip to professional world-beater in Sweden’s second-tier league, the Allsvenskan. Along with posting two shutouts in seven appearances for Sweden at the 2023 Men’s World Juniors, Lindbom took home Rookie of the Year and Goalie of the Year honors with the Allsvenksan’s Djurgårdens IF.

He posted a staggering .930 save percentage, seven shutouts, a 1.86 goals-against average, and a 25-11-0 record in 36 games, adding a .941 save percentage in five SHL qualification matches. Unfortunately, an injury in his fifth game knocked him out for the rest of the postseason, and Djurgården would lose to MoDo in the Allsvenskan championship series, keeping them in the second-tier league for 2023-24.

Lindbom is likely destined for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights next season, where he’ll gun for a starting role with 24-year-old Jiri Patera, who made his NHL debut for the Golden Knights in 2022-23.

Capitals Notes: Draft Rights, Fehervary, Dowd, Sandin

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Many NHL-drafted but unsigned players are set to become free agents today if they don’t sign within the next four hours. Today, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir confirmed two Capitals prospects will hit the open market: Czech defenseman Martin Has and Canadian defender Dru Krebs.

Krebs, the brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs, was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. While he had a strong year in 2020-21 in limited action due to COVID, the 2021-22 campaign was nightmarish for him, finishing with just 19 points in 66 games with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and a staggering -58 rating. He rebounded nicely this season, but the 20-year-old’s flaws displayed after his draft year likely signal an NHL future isn’t in the cards.

Has, 22, was a member of Washington’s 2019 draft class. The fifth-round pick played unsigned in the Capitals organization this year, registering 12 points in 50 games as a member of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.

  • Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan told reporters today that the team hasn’t begun speaking to pending restricted free agent defenseman Martin Fehervary about an extension yet, but “expects discussions to pick up soon.” Fehervary, Washington’s second-round pick in 2018, is coming off his entry-level deal. In his sophomore season with the Caps, the 23-year-old consistently played a top-four role and posted 16 points in 67 games.
  • MacLellan also said center Nic Dowd underwent core surgery recently, aiming to fix an ailment that was bugging him near the end of the season. Dowd is expected to recover in time for training camp in September. The 33-year-old bottom-six center has two seasons remaining at a cap hit of $1.3MM and is coming off a career-high 13 goals.
  • Lastly, in more positive news for Washington, MacLellan revealed the injury Swedish defenseman Rasmus Sandin sustained near the end of this year’s Men’s World Championship isn’t serious and carries no long-term concern. Sandin was electric for Washington after coming over from Toronto near the end of the season, posting 15 points in 19 games and averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. The 23-year-old former first-round pick will look to step into a consistent top-four role with the Caps next season, potentially alongside John Carlson.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Vsevolod Komarov

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed 2022 fifth-round pick Vsevolod Komarov to a three-year, entry-level contract, per his agent, Dan Milstein.

Buffalo selected the promising two-way defender with the 134th overall selection, a pick they acquired from the New Jersey Devils as compensation for taking on the last season of defenseman Will Butcher’s contract in 2021-22. The Sabres officially announced the signing just minutes after Milstein did, and PuckPedia reports the deal carries an $865,000 cap hit.

Komarov, 19, is headed to this year’s Memorial Cup after capturing the 2023 QMJHL championship with his Québec Remparts, which boast one of the best two-way defense corps in the entire CHL. He was a big part of that this season, and his +38 rating tied for first among defensemen on the team.

A right-handed defender, Komarov has good size at 6-foot-2 and possesses a strong shot, something that’s impressed the Sabres’ director of player development, Adam Mair.

When we saw him at rookie camp and development camp, we sort of thought that he was primarily a defender. Which he is, and he’s an excellent one. He’s big, he’s long, he’s competitive, and strong in front of the net. But he’s started to add some offense to his game in Quebec. They have a good team and he’s a big part of what they’re creating. He’s been put on the power play. He’s taken a big step this year in terms of his puck play and his offensive contributions.

In 2022-23, Komarov tallied 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 62 games with the Remparts. He added a goal and seven assists in 18 playoff games.

Komarov’s signing marks another step forward for the Sabres’ 2022 draft class, which is yielding very promising. He becomes the fifth member of the draft class to sign an entry-level contract, joining forwards Matthew Savoie, Noah Östlund, Jiri Kulich, and Viktor Neuchev.

List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup

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After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.

Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.

Anaheim Ducks

C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)

Arizona Coyotes

RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)

Boston Bruins

none

Buffalo Sabres

RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)

Calgary Flames

LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)

Colorado Avalanche

none

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)

Dallas Stars

C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

none

Edmonton Oilers

none

Florida Panthers

LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)

Los Angeles Kings

none

Minnesota Wild

C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)

Montreal Canadiens

C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)

Nashville Predators

LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)

New Jersey Devils

RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)

New York Islanders

LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)

New York Rangers

LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)

Ottawa Senators

none

Philadelphia Flyers

LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)

Pittsburgh Penguins

none

San Jose Sharks

none

Seattle Kraken

C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)

St. Louis Blues

C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

none

Toronto Maple Leafs

C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)

Vancouver Canucks

C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)

Washington Capitals

C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)

Winnipeg Jets

C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)

Buffalo Sabres Assign Matthew Savoie To AHL

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One of the Buffalo Sabres’ best prospects will get his first taste of professional hockey. The team reassigned forward Matthew Savoie to the AHL’s Rochester Americans today, and he will join them ahead of their Eastern Conference Final series against the Hershey Bears.

Selected ninth overall in 2022, the speedy, well-rounded forward slipped a few spots south of where most public scouts anticipated. Other teams’ loss was Buffalo’s gain, as Savoie posted another strong season with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice in his post-draft year and didn’t look entirely out of place with the Sabres during training camp last fall.

After helping guide the Ice to the WHL’s championship series with 29 points in 19 playoff games, eventually losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds, Savoie now joins another high-pressure environment in Rochester. The Americans are among the final four AHL teams left standing after sweeping the Toronto Marlies in three games in the North Division Final.

Could it be a precursor to Savoie earning a spot with Buffalo out of camp next season? Definitely, if at least on a nine-game trial before he would need to return to Winnipeg for a final season of junior hockey.

West Notes: Lehner, Burakovsky, Iginla

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One name oft forgotten in the Vegas Golden Knights goalie carousel this season is Robin Lehner, who spent the entire 2022-23 campaign on long-term injured reserve. After missing the tail end of the 2021-22 campaign with a significant shoulder injury, it was actually off-season hip surgery that kept Lehner out for the year.

The Swedish netminder remains one of the best around when healthy, but Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon today didn’t have any update on Lehner’s status moving forward. McCrimmon noted Lehner is still undergoing rehab on both of his hips, but didn’t have a recent update on his progress. Lehner’s absence hasn’t hindered the Golden Knights much this season, and he could be a trade candidate if he does get healthy to clear some cap space. The 2019 Vezina Trophy nominee is locked in at a $5MM cap hit through 2025, making him an affordable option for a team in need of a starting netminder.

  • Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis offered some clarity today on the injury that kept star winger Andre Burakovsky out of the lineup down the stretch of the season. Per Francis, Burakovsky tore his groin on his first shift after the All-Star break and suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery, sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. The 28-year-old was having a spectacular first season in Seattle before the injury, scoring 39 points in 49 games in a top-six role.
  • After selecting him in 12th overall in last week’s WHL Prospects Draft, the Edmonton Oil Kings have officially brought 14-year-old Joe Iginla, son of Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla, into the organization on a scholarship and development agreement. Iginla posted monster numbers at the U15 level this season with his dad coaching, scoring 65 points in 27 games, and even got some looks in U16 and U17 play. Iginla is not NHL draft eligible until 2026 and is not expected to join the Oil Kings until the 2024-25 season.

Joseph Woll Returned To AHL

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The Toronto Marlies and Rochester Americans will resume the AHL’s North Division Finals on Wednesday evening, with the former receiving quite the reinforcement. Joseph Woll, fresh off taking over the Toronto Maple Leafs net in their second-round series, has been returned to the AHL.

Woll, 24, has been tremendous for the Marlies this season, posting a 16-4-1 record and .927 save percentage. He carried over that strong play to the NHL, where he went 6-1 in the regular season and registered a .915 in four playoff appearances.

The young netminder appears to be on track for a full-time NHL job next season, though nothing about the Maple Leafs looks set in stone at this point. If he does land a spot, it will provide the team with a significant salary cap advantage.

Woll signed a three-year extension in February 2022 that keeps him under contract through 2024-25 at a very affordable $767K cap hit. With uncertainty surrounding the future of Matt Murray, and Ilya Samsonov headed for restricted free agency, Woll could be the answer to some of Toronto’s long-standing goaltending issues.

The team has had trouble developing its own netminding prospects but showed great patience with the 62nd overall pick from 2016. Woll went to college for three years, suffered several injuries early in his pro career, and has generally progressed slowly (as goaltenders sometimes do).

For now, he’ll try to help the Marlies turn around the best-of-five series and stave off elimination, before entering a crucial offseason of training ahead of his big NHL opportunity.

New York Islanders Sign Christian Krygier, Jacob Pivonka To AHL Deals

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The AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders have signed a duo of New York Islanders drafted prospects, defenseman Christian Krygier and forward Jacob Pivonka, to AHL contracts for the 2023-24 season. The team also signed undrafted free agent forward Riley Piercey out of juniors from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds.

After finishing their collegiate careers, Krygier’s and Pivonka’s NHL signing rights are set to expire on August 15. While the AHL signings imply the Islanders won’t be offering them entry-level contracts before then, the deals allow the Islanders to keep them within the organization and continue to evaluate them. After August 15, however, Krygier and Pivonka would still be free to sign NHL contracts with any team at any time.

The Islanders selected Krygier in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old defenseman played his fifth and final season for Michigan State University in 2022-23, recording a goal and three assists in 28 games whilst serving as an alternate captain. The son of former NHLer Todd Krygier and the brother of Los Angeles Kings prospect Cole Krygier, he is a physical defenseman first and foremost, recording 228 penalty minutes during his 158 games at Michigan State. He appeared in two games with Bridgeport on a tryout after the conclusion of his collegiate season, posting a -1 rating and one shot on goal.

Pivonka, also 23, was selected three rounds earlier in 2018. The 5-foot-11 center transferred from Notre Dame to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for his final collegiate season, hitting double-digit goals for the first time in the NCAA. Known mostly for his speed and puckhandling abilities, Pivonka went pointless in four games with Bridgeport on his tryout to end the 2022-23 season.

Piercey, who will also try and earn an entry-level deal with the Islanders, plays a power forward type game. The 21-year-old winger stands at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and put up 70 points and 65 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Firebirds this season. After back-to-back 20-goal campaigns in junior hockey, Piercey will try and make an impact in Bridgeport’s bottom-six and impress the Islanders’ front office.

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