I thought we could check in on some of the young prospects who are in the AHL and see how they are doing and what progression/regression that they might be showing.

I'm not going to include players who are currently in the NHL or players over the age of 25.

Check out Part One here!

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville)

Joakim Kemell (20.6) (F) (14-5-6-11) 1st round (17th) in 2022

Reid Schaefer (21.2) (F) (14-8-1-9) 1st round (32nd) in 2022

Ryan Ufko (21.5) (D) (14-0-3-3) 4th round in 2021

Fedor Svechkov (21.6) (F) (7-5-3-8) 1st round (19th) in 2021

Ozzy Wiesblatt (22.7) (F) (13-1-4-5) 1st round (30th) in 2020

Kemell and Svechkov are on the cusp of the NHL. Kemell has now played 95 AHL games and produced 65 points. Svechkov has played 64 AHL games with 47 points. They are both a year or two away but could see cups of coffee in the NHL this year (Svechkov was called up on Saturday night to the Predators and played 7:34 with one SOG).

Schaefer produced just under a point per game in the WHL, so might not be a point producer at the NHL level. He now has 30 points in 77 AHL games and has had a great start to 2024-25 with eight goals in his first 14 games.

There was some excitement with Ryan Ufko after he turned pro following his third college season at UMass-Amherst. He played nine games with Milwaukee and had six points then played 15 AHL playoff games and put up 10 points. He hasn't had the start to 2024-25 that was hoped. He needs to produce to play at the NHL level.

Wiesblatt was looking for a fresh start in Nashville after just 29 points in his first 85 AHL games as a member of the San Jose Sharks. He was traded to Nashville during 2023-24 and has played 29 games with 11 points in Milwaukee. His prospect window is closing.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)

Angus Booth (20.6) (D) (15-1-4-5) 4th round in 2022

Jakub Dvorak (19.5) (D) (10-0-2-2) 2nd round in 2023

Francesco Pinelli (21.6) (F) (15-2-4-6) 2nd round in 2021

The King's prospect pool has dried up a little with a few recent graduates. I'm not including Samuel Fagemo, Tyler Madden, Reilly Walsh or Jack Studnicka as they are all 24-25 years old and not really prospects any longer.

Booth is a rookie pro out of the QMJHL. He's a defensive defenseman, so probably needs a year or two in the AHL at the very least.

Dvorak just came over to North America in 2023-24 after he split his season between the Czechia league and the WHL. He is in his rookie North American campaign and will need a year or two in the AHL.

Pinelli will need to improve on his 20 points in 67 games as a rookie in the AHL from 2023-24 to get a chance in the NHL. He is on pace for 30 points in 75 games. 

Rockford Icehogs (Chicago)

Artyom Levshunov (19.1) (D) (12-1-4-5) 1st round (2nd) in 2024

Kevin Korchinski (20.4) (D) (15-1-6-7) 1st round (7th) in 2022

Frank Nazar (20.8) (F) (14-8-8-16) 1st round (13th) in 2022

Colton Dach (21.9) (F) (15-5-6-11) 2nd round in 2021

Drew Commesso (22.3) (G) (3-4-0 87.2) 2nd round in 2020

The Rockford Icehogs are currently led by Nazar, Dach, Levshunov, Korchinski and Commesso who are all younger than 23 years of age. It is a very young AHL team.

Nazar's time in the AHL might be short, if he continues to play as he has after 14 games. I'm sure the Blackhawks would like him to get more than 50 games at this level, before becoming a regular in the NHL.

Korchinski played all of 2023-24 in the NHL with Chicago and was over his head at times. He has started 2024-25 in the AHL and will need to work on his play away from the puck. He might need 30-40 games to improve before he gets another look with the big club.

Having Levshunov play in the AHL at his age is a luxury that not many clubs have. He was hurt for most of the pre-season and just needs to play some games. He is more physically ready for the NHL than Korchinski at the same age, so he could get the call up sooner than later if he plays well.

Dach has been a pleasant surprise at this level since debuting in 2023-24. He's played 63 games in the AHL and has 38 points. He projects as a third-line player so any offense will be a bonus.

The Blackhawks have high hopes for Commesso but he has struggled to start 2024-25. He will have a longer rope than most young goalies in the AHL to turn it around.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim)

Noah Warren (20.3) (D) (14-0-1-1) 2nd round in 2022

Yegor Sidorov (20.4) (F) (16-3-6-9) 3rd round in 2023

Nathan Gaucher (21.0) (F) (17-0-1-1) 1st round (22nd) in 2022

Sam Colangelo (22.9) (F) (14-9-6-15) 2nd round in 2020

Warren doesn't project to be more than a defensive defender, but will surely need a year or two in the AHL to improve his game.

Colangelo has had a great start to 2024-25 and was recently called up to the Ducks where he played his first two games of 2024-25 with Anaheim. He had five SOG and averaged 10:05 per game. He might be up and down at some points, depending on injuries and how his play is going. He's very close to a regular role.

Sidorov had 50 goals in 66 games in 2023-24 which was his last year in the WHL. He is a rookie in the AHL and has had a decent start and is someone to keep an eye on.

Gaucher doesn't seem to be building off of his 25-point AHL rookie campaign in 2023-24. He's a physical player, but he might be pigeonholing his role to that of a future fourth-liner. If that is the case, it was an expensive first round pick.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)

Kasper Halttunen (19.4) (F) (6-2-2-4) 2nd round in 2023

Luca Cagnoni (19.9) (D) (15-5-10-15) 4th round in 2023

Filip Bystedt (20.8) (F) (12-4-4-8) 1st round (27th) in 2022

Collin Graf (22.2) (F) (15-5-14-19) free agent in 2024 (undrafted)

Thomas Bordeleau (22.9) (F) (10-2-0-2) 2nd round in 2020

Shakir Mukhamadullin (22.9) (D) (8-0-2-2) 1st round (20th) in 2020

Yaroslav Askarov (22.4) (G) (6-3-0 93.9) 1st round (11th) in 2020

Haltunnen started the year in the AHL and was decent. He has since been sent back to the OHL with the London Knights and has three points in his first three games there.

Cagnoni just continues to defy expectations. He has hit the ground running as a first-year pro and has put up more than a point per game in the AHL after posting 90 points in 65 games in the AHL in 2023-24. I think we will see him get some games in the NHL sooner than later.

Bystedt has now played 19 AHL games and has produced 15 points. The Sharks should be patient with him and give him 50-60 AHL games before they give him an extended look in the AHL.

Graf has put himself in a position after 19 points in 15 games to perhaps be the first forward called up to the Sharks if there is injury on the NHL roster. The free agent signing out of college played seven games in 2023-24 and had two points. He will get some cups of coffee in 2024-25.

Bordeleau played 27 games for the Sharks in 2023-24 but it appears that he is going a little backwards and might have been passed on the depth chart by Graf and Bystedt.

I thought Mukhamadulin was a lock to make the Sharks roster in 2024-25 but he was injured for most of the pre-season and has had a bit of a slow start in the AHL. I think he will get another look if he puts a string of good games together sooner than later.

Askarov got the call up to the Sharks and got his first start as a member of the team. He had a good game as he made 29 saves on 31 shots in a shootout loss. Unless the Sharks can find a trading partner to deal Vitek Vanecek, don't be surprised if Askarov's stay in the NHL is very short.

Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis)

Dalibor Dvorsky (19.4) (F) (17-6-7-13) 1st round (10th) in 2023

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (20.8) (F) (17-3-7-10) 3rd round in 2022

Colten Ellis (24.1) (G) (5-4-1 91.9) 3rd round in 2019

The Blues are a little thin on their prospects at the AHL level with Dvorsky being perhaps the lone blue-chip one there.

Dvorsky has the size to play at the NHL level, but I expect the Blues to give him 40-50 games at the AHL level before they give him an extended look in the NHL. He could get a game or two early, but his early pace of 50-60 points in the AHL should be a good stepping stone.

The Blues hope that Kaskimaki develops into a top-six forward who can produce at the NHL level. He's had a decent start to his North American pro debut but will probably need a season or two in the AHL.

There is a logjam in the net for St. Louis with Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer currently ahead of Ellis. Ellis has been between the ECHL and the AHL for a few years now, so needs to prove he can maintain his play for 30 games or more at the AHL level.

Texas Stars (Dallas)

Lian Bichsel (20.5) (D) (15-2-5-7) 1st round (18th) in 2022

Christian Kyrou (21.2) (D) (11-3-6-9) 2nd round in 2022

Chase Wheatcroft (22.5) (F) (15-3-8-11) free agent in 2023 (undrafted)

Antonio Stranges (22.8) (F) (13-6-9-15) 4th round in 2020

Bichsel is close to the NHL. He had a good pre-season and is an injury away from joining the Stars in the NHL. He should get some cups of coffee in 2024-25.

Kyrou appears to be building off of his rookie AHL campaign in 2023-24 where he had 23 points in 57 games and has started 2024-25 with nine points in his first 11 games. He will need to play well away from the puck to get a call up as the Stars are unlikely to rely on him for offense at that level in the short-term.

After putting up 107 points in 68 games with Prince George as a 20-year-old, Wheatcroft was signed by Dallas as a free agent. He played just 47 AHL games in 2023-24 and put up 16 points. He has had a good start in 2024-25 with 11 points in 14 games. He's a darkhorse to make it to the NHL, but if he continues to progress anything can happen.

Entering the 2024-25 season, Stranges was almost written off as a prospect in Dallas. He'd played 83 AHL games with 36 points over three seasons. He has 15 points after his first 13 games and could find himself in the NHL for a game or two. A great turnaround so far.

Tucson Roadrunners (Utah)

Artem Duda (20.6) (D) (14-1-5-6) 2nd round in 2022

Josh Doan (22.8) (F) (9-4-2-6) 2nd round in 2021

Julian Lutz (20.9) (F) (12-0-4-4) 2nd round in 2022

Egor Sokolov (24.4) (F) (15-8-8-16) 2nd round in 2020

Duda is the first member of the Toronto Metro University to sign an NHL contract. He's had a strange developmental route since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2022. He has played in the KHL, MHL, VHL, USports and now the AHL. He is going to need a year or two to prove he can play at this level.

Doan started the year on the NHL roster and was sent down to the AHL after struggling with just a goal and an assist after nine games with Utah. He started slowly in the AHL with two points in his first seven games but had quite a weekend with two goals and two assists in two games. He should see himself back in Utah soon.

Utah doesn't appear to develop young Europeans conventionally. Lutz is another example of a European player coming to North America and not playing at a level one would assume. He played in the USHL in 2023-24 which is usually the path to the US college route. He signed with Utah after 68 points in 50 USHL games. He will need a year or two in the AHL.

Sokolov has had his kicks at the NHL can twice before in Ottawa where he played eight games in 2021-22 and five games in 2022-23. He has now played 254 AHL games and put up 196 points. He has had a great start to 2024-25 and probably deserves another shot with Utah for a few games. He's a big winger who isn't the best skater, which is holding him back from making the jump.

Thank you very much for reading and if you have any comments, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15