The American Hockey League (AHL) All-Stars were announced this week. There’s a good chance you don’t care about that, and it’s hard to blame you. The players aren’t as excited either this time around (last season, they went to Coachella Valley for some fun in the sun; this season, they head to Rockford). These selections are worth looking at in the big picture, especially considering how this season is playing out.
The first team that stands out is the Providence Bruins, who have three All-Stars. It makes sense because they’ve been the best team in the Atlantic Division, and the real surprise is that they couldn’t find a way to add more Bruins to the list (since at least five or worthy of the nod). The other surprise was the Grand Rapids Griffins for the opposite reason, as they only have three names on the list, which is the same as the Chicago Wolves. Considering the Griffins are the AHL’s best team, three selections is low.
A few of the team’s selections are in the NHL at the moment and are poised to stay at that level as well. Denver Barkey, Gabe Perreault, and Nick Lardis are three standout prospects, and Konsta Helenius was recently called up by the Buffalo Sabres, adding his name to the list. The good thing about the AHL All-Star break is that it comes at the same time as the Olympic break. So, teams can send their prospects down for the game and have more development time.
This list also highlights the coaches who were selected for the event. Each division has one coach representing it, and the big four names are worth diving into since they are the coaches to watch down the road. Like the AHLers, these young coaches are sure to make an impact someday in the NHL.
- Ryan Mougenel has turned the Providence Bruins into a juggernaut and coaches a different style but one that brings out the best in his team. He’s 49, and after multiple seasons with the Bruins, it’s only a matter of time before he gets a chance in the NHL.
- Pascal Vincent is the veteran of the group, as a 54-year-old who had a shot with the Columbus Blue Jackets but after a one-and-done season, he was hired by the Laval Rocket. With the job he’s done, the question is whether another shot is coming.
- Dan Watson is in his third season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and it’s all coming together this time around. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins coach Kirk MacDonald said it best when his name was brought up. “Watty with the job he’s done can lose every game from here, and they’ll still make the playoffs.”
- Mark Letetsu is making a strong first impression with the Colorado Eagles. He was hired to replace Aaron Schneekloth, who left to become an assistant for the Seattle Kraken, and the 40-year-old is already showing promise as one of the next great AHL coaches.
Other AHL Notes
It’s around this time of the year when the scouts, talent evaluators, and team representatives from the European teams travel to the AHL. It’s always fun to chat with them and hear an outside perspective on hockey. They are a reminder that the grass is greener on the other side, or so it seems.
It’s the dog days of the NHL, and at this point in the season, many players wonder if life in the AHL is worth it. For veterans or players whom the NHL has given up on, it’s easy to look at Europe as a great place to settle down and earn more for a few seasons. It’s why many players left the AHL to play overseas this offseason, hoping for a better life there.
The reality is that’s not usually the case. Multiple players signed in the KHL this offseason, and the Russian league is the wild west of hockey, where there are plenty of crazy stories. It’s also a league where there isn’t stability, and players can have their contracts terminated midseason, something that’s resulted in multiple players returning to the AHL this season. The KHL is the wild west, and Sweden or Switzerland don’t have those extremes. However, life is still challenging for some in a new country where daily life is different.
On a different note, one of the scouts was from the Swedish league, so I had to ask about Ivar Stenberg. Without hesitating, he said that Stenberg should go number one in this year’s draft. This is presumably a biased perspective but the scout followed it up by noting that Stenberg is a star in a league where players his age don’t stand out. Anton Frondell, for example, has been healthy scratched multiple times this season in the same league, so for a young player like him to play well turns heads.
The follow-up question was about Stenberg’s game and what makes him a future star. His overall skill was one answer where he’s a great all-around player but the one attribute that separates him is his shot, which is a pro-level snipe that can pick apart any goaltender. Stenberg isn’t a center and instead plays on the wing, which will be an issue for some teams in the top five.
That said, he’s a game-changing winger with the overall playmaking ability and scoring touch that looks a lot like Nikita Kucherov or Kirill Kaprizov. Teams can build around him, and it’s why he can become the first Swedish prospect taken at one since Rasmus Dahlin in 2018 and the first forward since Mats Sundin in 1989.
Quick Hits: Marner, Predators & more
The first Mitch Marner rematch took place on Thursday night in Vegas, where the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in a thrilling overtime contest. The next one will be Friday night in Toronto, which will be Marner’s first game back since leaving the team in the offseason.
If the recent game was any indication, the upcoming battle will be a wild one. The Maple Leafs fans traveled to Vegas and could be heard on the broadcast booing Marner. So, an arena packed with Maple Leaf fans will certainly come prepared.
A big plus to this rematch is that both teams have found their footing lately. The Golden Knights have underachieved for most of the season, yet with seven wins in a row, they sit in first place in the Pacific Division. The Maple Leafs were the league’s biggest disappointment for two months but nine wins in their last 13 games have them back in the wild card mix in the Eastern Conference.
- The Bowness coaching bump worked. The Blue Jackets have four wins in a row and suddenly look like the Sabres from a few weeks back. The hot streak might make them reconsider their approach to the trade deadline.
- One team that won’t reconsider its approach is the Vancouver Canucks. They’ve lost 10 games in a row and 12 of their last 13. It’s only a matter of when and not if the Canucks will trade some of the big names on their team.
- Everyone anticipates a Kiefer Sherwood deal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Elias Pettersson is traded as well, especially if the Canucks are rebuilding. He would be a fun name to watch because he has the talent to be a star but it’s not working out with the Canucks. Maybe another team gives him a shot?
- The seven-straight win Golden Knights are only getting stronger as they added Rasmus Andersson in a trade with the Calgary Flames. The Flames added Zach Whitecloud and a young defense prospect in the deal, a great return, but they need forwards and must add them in future trades. The offense remains a mess, and Whitecloud doesn’t help the cause.
