The NHL trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and for the American Hockey League (AHL), the big moves are out of the way. Every team looks in the mirror and realizes that this is the group left for the home stretch, and they must work with what they’ve got. The Hartford Wolf Pack aren’t working with much as a last-place team, and they are desperately trying to make a playoff push.
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Part of that push involves Aidan Thompson, who was added at the trade deadline from the Rockford IceHogs in a swap with Derrick Pouliot. The New York Rangers hope he’s a young player who rediscovers his game at 24 and becomes a good NHL-caliber forward. The Wolf Pack hope he’s a key part of their late-season push and helps the younger skaters develop.
Thompson’s Adjustment to Hartford
These trades are always a whirlwind for the players, especially at the AHL level. “I just had no idea it was coming, just kinda out of the blue, we were in San Diego, so it was a 10-hour travel day yesterday,” Thompson noted after the morning skate on Saturday morning. This was his first trade, and with that comes the shock.
It’s also worth noting that he’s going from one playoff push to another. The IceHogs have the second-worst record in the Central Division while the Wolf Pack sit in last in the Atlantic. Now, he’s getting dropped into a team that must leapfrog two teams to sneak in as a wild card, a tall task but one they look to do.
Thompson is adjusting to the trade, and the extra layer is that he’s still learning the AHL game and adjusting from college. “The jump to pro, you play a lot more games, it’s more physically demanding, a little bit bigger, a little bit faster, so just continuing to improve,” he mentioned after practice, adding, “I would say schedule and travel are the biggest adjustment.”
It’s always interesting to see how players go from junior hockey or college to the next level. Many entered this season with the assumption that the grass was greener in college, especially with the money being poured into it. However, the game presents a unique set of obstacles for players adjusting to the AHL and certainly the NHL.
“I think there are times that a college player, first-year pro, the amount of games is overwhelming at times, and I think the junior players are more used to that,” Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny noted after practice. Thompson is still learning the ropes, and the hope is that at 24, he discovers what made him a great college hockey player.
What Thompson Adds to the Lineup
“I would say, a 200-foot player, mostly a playmaker,” Thompson stated. The forward, without question, has talent, and it’s why he stood out on the National Championship-winning Denver program. “He’s a good player, he’s a good skater, he has great edges, he’s got a great brain, and a great stick,” Potulny added.
For the Wolf Pack, he’ll likely play on the Dylan Roobroeck line with Brett Berard on the other wing. There’s also a good chance Thompson plays on the power play and makes the players around him better by opening things up. He’s only scored six goals and added 11 assists this season but was a standout in college with 42 goals and 75 assists in 120 games.
He comes to a team that’s played great offense lately. The Wolf Pack have 29 goals in their last seven games and are coming off a six-goal performance over the Bridgeport Islanders and a five-goal game against the Hershey Bears, a game where Thompson dished out two assists. So, adding Thompson just adds to that strength.
Will Thompson’s Presence Make a Difference
The move helps the Wolf Pack, at least in the short term. That said, there are big-picture concerns. They traded away Brennan Othmann and Pouliot at the deadline and replaced them with Thompson and Jacob Battaglia, two players who aren’t upgrades and might make the team worse.
The good news is that the Wolf Pack have played well lately. They’ve won five of their last seven games, and thanks to the statement victories, they are only four points out of a playoff spot. It’s been a rough season, yet they remain in the hunt, and if Thompson plays above his weight, the Wolf Pack can sneak in.
Other Notes From Hartford
The Wolf Pack had an optional skate on Saturday morning, and only the scratches were on the ice. The big one was Justin Dowling, who is day-to-day, and the last time he was on the ice was when he scored the game-winning shootout goal in the 12th round against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That was a week ago, and the lower-body injury is still lingering but he was skating well and should be ready soon, presumably by Wednesday or next weekend.
Travis Dermott, meanwhile, isn’t ready and is dealing with an upper-body injury. He’s week-to-week, and it’s another tough blow considering he was a great fit on the defense for the Wolf Pack.
The Hershey Bears were in town for the Saturday night game. Derek King talked about the Wolf Pack and how they are a better team than their record, something a lot of coaches around the league have stated. “They have a different team than when we last met them, and so do we,” King mentioned after the Bears morning skate, adding, “I’ve heard good things about the coach, they are well coached, they work hard.” The season, like the weather outside, is heating up, and it’s why this time of the year is fun, with every game having significance in the standings.
