It is never too early to start considering your fantasy teams for next season, especially for those in keeper pools.

This week, I will go through each Western Conference team and look at players who (1) spent at least 30 games in the AHL and (2) should get some playing time in the NHL for the rest of the year, or next season.

I will only consider players who are 25 years old or younger. There are certainly some blue-chip prospects playing in the AHL who will make the NHL one day, but this exercise aims to highlight the players who could make that jump sooner rather than later.

Anaheim Ducks – San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Olen Zellweger – D – (20 years old): 44-12-25-37 AHL

The Ducks have tried to take it slowly with Zellweger, but I imagine he will stay the rest of the season in the NHL, rather than in San Diego. He's had a decent rookie pro season with 37 points in 44 games in the AHL and now has 13 NHL games under his belt. He was able to generate 129 SOG in 44 games in San Diego but had just 16 SOG in 13 games with Anaheim.

Pavel Regenda – F – (24): 39-16-13-29

Regenda is in his second pro season in North America and has seen his production drop from 0.5 to 0.74 points per game in the AHL. He is a restricted free agent, but I think how he does in the last part of the season will dictate whether he stays in North America next year. He's shown a little more physicality with 11 hits in five games, compared to just eight hits in 13 games with Anaheim last year.

Tomas Suchanek – G – (20): 12-6-3 record, 92.1 save percentage

Suchanek is an undrafted, unsigned 20-year-old playing on a minor league salary with San Diego. Until he signs with Anaheim, he probably isn't available in most leagues, but he might be someone to keep an eye on.

Arizona Coyotes – Tucson Roadrunners

Josh Doan – F – (22): 57-22-19-41

Doan is in his rookie pro season and has had an excellent year with 22 goals in 57 games on 140 SOG. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a few games in Arizona after the Coyotes are officially eliminated from the playoffs.

Aku Raty – F – (22): 43-12-22-34

Raty was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and came over to North America for 2023-24 to play. He matched his 0.79 points/game that he had in 2022-23 with Ilves in Liiga, where he had 42 points in 53 games.

Matthew Villalta – G – (24): 24-14-3, 90.8

Since 2016-17, Villalta has done nothing but win. In the OHL, he had 98 wins in 133 games with the Soo Greyhounds over three years. In 149 AHL games over five years, he has 82 wins, including 24 in 41 games this year. He's a dark horse and a candidate for very deep keeper leagues.

Calgary Flames – Calgary Wranglers

Matt Coronato – F – (20): 40-15-27-42

Coronato has also played 21 games with the Flames this year and has two goals and three assists. He looked a little out of his depth earlier in the season when he played 15 games but has looked more comfortable in the past six games he has dressed since March 7th. I think he'll be a regular by next year.

Adam Klapka – F – (23): 51-16-19-35

Klapka is a huge man at 6-8 and 235 lbs. He plays physically but can also put up some points. He is in his second season in the AHL after coming over from the Czechia league after 2021-22. In 111 AHL games, he has 29 goals and 31 assists, with his points per game go from 0.42 to 0.69. He has 141 SOG in 51 games this year. In four games with the Flames in January he posted 13 hits.

Rory Kerins – F – (21): 45-12-16-28

Kerins was drafted in the 6th round in 2020 and put up 118 points in 67 games in the OHL as a 20-year-old in 2021-22. It was a disappointing rookie pro year where he was sent to the ECHL, played 38 games and had 37 points. He hasn't torn up the AHL by any means but 28 points in 45 games for a 21-year-old is not too shabby.

Jeremie Poirier – D – (21): 10-1-9-10

I broke my own rule for games played with Poirier as he has missed most of the season due to injury. He had a very promising 41 points in 69 games as an AHL rookie in 2022-23 and was hoping to build on it. I'd like to see him get a few games in Calgary as he has just returned to the AHL in early March.

Dustin Wolf – G – (22): 20-11-3, 92.3

Wolf is not a secret to most people in hockey pools. He has played 140 AHL games since 2020-21 and has won 97 of them with a save percentage never dipping below 92.3. He has started the past two games for the Flames, winning both while posting quality starts. He now has a record of 3-3-1, with a save percentage of 90.0. He should see a few more starts with the Flames and maybe more if Jacob Markstrom is out.

Chicago Blackhawks – Rockford Icehogs

Ethan Del Mastro – D – (21): 55-7-26-33

Del Mastro was a fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2021. He's had a very good rookie AHL season and might have passed some other prospects on defense in the Blackhawks organization. While the offense might not translate to the NHL, his defensive game should see him up in the NHL sooner than later.

Colton Dach – F – (21): 31-9-9-18

While Dach has struggled to stay healthy since 2021-22, his 31 games this season are the most he has played in a year since then. He has proven that he can shoot the puck (71 SOG in 31 games) and produce at the AHL level.

Drew Commesso – G – (21): 12-13-4, 90.1

Commesso has been up and down in his rookie pro campaign. He elected to turn pro after three college seasons, and another year probably wouldn't have hurt him at Boston University. He is the future in the net for Chicago, but needs another year or two.

Colorado Avalanche – Colorado Eagles

Riley Tufte – F – (25): 52-17-19-36

Tufte is at the later end of players to be included here, but he is progressing still. His point-per-game pace in the AHL has increased from 0.28/g in 2019-20 to 0.69/g this year. For a big forward (6-6, 230) he shoots the puck a lot (165 SOG in 52 games) but isn't as physical as one would expect. In 18 career NHL games, he has two goals, one assist and 23 hits. His pathway is a lot more accessible in Colorado than it was in Dallas.

Ivan Ivan – F – (21): 55-12-16-28

Ivan was recently signed to an NHL deal a few weeks back after surprising a few people with his production and play at the pro level. In 2022-23, he had 90 points in 65 games in the QMJHL as a 20-year-old.

Oskar Olausson – F – (21): 39-11-9-20

While this season hasn't been a breakthrough for the 28th overall pick from 2021, progress is progress. He has the exact goal and assists output in 39 games that took him 63 games to get in 2022-23.

Sam Malinski – F – (25): 35-4-14-18

Malinski turned pro at the end of 2022-23 after three years with Cornell University. He's done well in the AHL at 0.52 pts/g and has managed to play 23 games with the Avalanche and put up 10 points (0.43/g). With Bowen Byram being dealt to Buffalo, Malinski could find himself in the conversation as the 6th or 7th defender in Colorado in 2024-25.

Justus Annunen – G – (24): 14-5-4, 90.8

Sometimes an opportunity for a goalie at the NHL level is born out of necessity not performance. Annunen was having an AHL season at arguably a step back from 2022-23 but he was recalled by the Avalanche and has managed a record of 4-2-1 with a save percentage of 92.9. It's a very small sample size, but he has proven that he can play in the NHL and may have even passed Ivan Prosvetov on the depth chart.

Trent Miner – G – (22): 7-6-1, 91.9

Miner had played six AHL games since 2020-21 and 76 games in the ECHL before getting called up to the AHL at mid-season. Since then, he's had a record of 7-6-1 with a save percentage of 91.9. The interesting thing was that his save percentage was never below 91.0 in the ECHL. He can play.

Dallas Stars – Texas Stars

Mavrik Bourque – F – (22): 57-21-44-65

Bourque was the 30th overall pick in 2020 and has taken off in his second AHL season. He has seen his points per game go from 0.67 to 1.14. He should challenge for a roster spot in Dallas next year.

Logan Stankoven – F – (21): 47-24-33-57

Stankoven now has five goals and nine points in his first 11 NHL games (he had five goals and three assists after six games). I don't think this kid will see the AHL again but Dallas has one of the deeper rosters heading into the playoffs. He is a lock for the NHL next year.

Matej Blumel – F – (23): 57-24-23-47

While Blumel could very well be benefitting from the presence of Bourque and Stankoven, he has improved from 58-19-25-44 to 57-24-23-47 from 2022-23. He is competing for a bottom-six role, while Stankoven and Bourque are looking at top-six.

Oskar Back – F – (24): 58-7-29-36

Back is a big center who doesn't shoot the puck much (he hasn't scored more than 10 goals in a season since he had 12 in 2014-15 as a 14-year-old). He has progressed in each of his three AHL seasons and is now at 0.61 pts/g.

Christian Kyrou – D – (20): 50-7-13-20

As an offensive defender, Kyrou has a bit of a log jam ahead of him in Dallas with Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. That shouldn't take away from his rookie campaign in the AHL where he has put up 0.4 pts/g.

Remi Poirier – G – (22): 15-13-3, 90.6

Poirier is a sixth-round pick from the 2020 draft who is in his second pro season. He split 2022-23 between the AHL and the ECHL but dominated at the ECHL level going 19-2-1 with a save percentage of 92.8. He's gotten himself to the number three or four goalie in the depth chart for Dallas at this point.

Edmonton Oilers – Bakersfield Condors

Philip Broberg – D – (22): 35-2-21-23

Broberg was the 18th overall pick in 2019 and some consider him a bit of a bust already. To me, it's a little premature as he has played just 73 games in the AHL where he has put up 50 points, while he has played 79 games in the NHL with just 11 points. He is being asked to play two entirely different games at either level and it hasn't helped his development. I think his future lies somewhere that isn't Edmonton but with Vincent Desharnais out with an injury perhaps it opens a door for him in Edmonton once again.

Raphael Lavoie – F – (23): 50-24-15-39

Lavoie was the 38th overall pick in 2019 and hadn't played an NHL game until this year when he got seven games with the Oilers. He averaged just over seven minutes per game and went pointless with 13 hits. His AHL production has gone from 0.46 to 0.78 pts/game over three years. He is a restricted free agent at the end of 2023-24.

Olivier Rodrigue – G – (23): 14-8-4, 91.8

Rodrique was a second-round pick in 2018 and turned pro in 2020-21. He's improved his save percentage in every season he has played since then but has never played more than 29 AHL games in a year. He has the misfortune of having Jack Campbell in the AHL this year, albeit it seems that Campbell has found his game once again.

Los Angeles Kings – Ontario Reign

Samuel Fagemo – F – (24): 40-36-17-53

It is becoming very clear that Fagemo needs to play in a top-six capacity when he gets the chance to play in the NHL, but he is only getting bottom-six opportunities. That might be the kindest way to say that he is not defensively sound as an NHL player. Still, there must be intrigue for a player who has scored 59 goals in his past 96 AHL games. I have to think he gets another shot at the NHL level after this AHL production, but he was put on waivers and re-claimed by the Kings.

Akil Thomas – F – (24): 56-17-19-36

Thomas has had his first healthy season since 2020-21. The former second-round pick from 2018 has put his name back on the radar in the NHL as he has produced at a 0.64 pts/g pace.

Brandt Clarke – D – (21): 36-8-26-34

Clarke has had an up-and-down first pro campaign split between the AHL (36 games) and the NHL (16 games). He's put up 0.94 pts/g in the AHL and six points in 16 games with the Kings. In his last four games before being sent back to the AHL he averaged just over seven minutes per game. As with most young offensive defenders, his play away from the puck and in the defensive zone will need to improve for him to get regular minutes.

Alex Turcotte – F – (23): 30-7-16-23

Turcotte was the fifth overall pick in 2019 and had an underwhelming draft plus one season at the University of Wisconsin in 2019-20. Turcotte decided to turn pro after one year in college and played just 32 AHL games in 2020-21 where he had 21 points. Since then, he hasn't played more than 32 AHL games in a year and saw his production stall between 0.53 and 0.67 points per game. This year he has increased his production slightly to 0.77/g and has been rewarded with 19 games with the Kings where he has four points, while averaging 9:23 per night. It's become evident that while he might belong in the NHL, it might just be in the bottom six moving forward. I'm not sure where the production might come from at the NHL level.

Erik Portillo – G – (23): 17-10-3, 92.4

Portillo is in his first pro season after leaving the University of Michigan after three years there. He's had a very good year and one would think he is a front-runner to be one of the two goaltenders in Los Angeles in 2024-25.

Next week, we will look at the AHL players from Minnesota through to Winnipeg.

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