Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The AHL has made its fame by delivering expertise to the NHL. It’s a constant course of. Gamers are ready and able to go. It’s dependable, too, which is why NHL organizations make investments closely into their AHL operations.
However the AHL is usually a dwelling for gamers who’ve already reached their NHL objectives, too. A number of had even gone on to prolonged NHL careers. These gamers, as soon as younger prospects themselves, now need one other alternative to get again to the NHL. Just a few had detours to Europe earlier than coming again to North America for an additional shot. There are gamers on AHL contracts making the transitioning into management roles. And nonetheless others are making a push to set themselves up for an NHL future. Even when there have been profession setbacks, these hopes maintain robust.
Let’s have a look at just a few of the acquainted AHL faces of the previous who’re as soon as once more again within the league this season.
Egor Afanasyev – San Jose Barracuda
After one season within the Kontinental Hockey League with CSKA Moscow, Afanasyev is again within the AHL to proceed pursuing his NHL hopes.
The affable 24-year-old ahead is with the San Jose Barracuda, his second NHL group after he spent three seasons primarily with the Milwaukee Admirals. He went to the Nashville Predators as a 2019 second-round decide and had 27 objectives for the Admirals in 2023-24. He was additionally part of two runs to the Western Convention Finals for the Admirals. Nashville despatched him to the San Jose Sharks in a June 2024 swap for ahead Ozzy Wiesblatt.
The Sharks retained his NHL rights final season and signed him to a one-year contract this previous Could. After going to coaching camp with the Sharks, he cleared waivers and went to the Barracuda. He has skated in three video games with the Barracuda and had a two-assist outing towards Milwaukee this previous Saturday evening.
Daniel Carr – Milwaukee Admirals
Carr made himself well-known to followers throughout the Central Division for his offensive exploits with each Milwaukee and the rival Chicago Wolves greater than a half-decade in the past.
A 71-point season with Chicago in 2018-19 received him the Les Cunningham Award because the AHL’s most precious participant, and he helped the Wolves attain the Calder Cup Finals that spring. He recorded 50 factors in 47 video games for Milwaukee in 2019-20 earlier than spending 4 seasons with HC Lugano in Switzerland.
Milwaukee acted aggressively this previous July to carry Carr again to North America on a two-year AHL contract. Up to now, Carr has shortly readjusted to the AHL recreation and has two objectives in his first 4 outings.
Ryan Graves – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
As Pittsburgh Penguins administration types out its long-term roster choices, some veterans have been caught up in that upheaval.
A type of gamers is Graves, an Eleventh-year professional defenseman who had an extended developmental interval as a prospect with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche earlier than breaking by way of to the NHL in 2018-19, enjoying 433 video games over the past seven years.
With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Graves has been in a position to be a mainstay on the blue line for head coach Kirk MacDonald and has a objective and 4 assists by way of seven video games for the undefeated Penguins.
Danton Heinen – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Like Graves, Heinen is again within the AHL after discovering himself pushed off the Pittsburgh roster. Heinen, who has reached double-digits in objectives 5 instances within the NHL, has skated in 566 video games with Boston, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Vancouver, and totaled 29 factors in 79 video games a yr in the past.
The ahead’s scoring contact has returned as he leads the AHL with 12 factors (4 objectives, eight assists) by way of seven video games.
Justin Holl – Grand Rapids Griffins
A number of prospects earned roster spots out of coaching camp with the Detroit Crimson Wings, an inflow of youth that ended up pushing Holl to Grand Rapids. For the veteran defenseman, the AHL will provide him one other probability simply because it did a decade in the past when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on an AHL contract.
A Calder Cup winner with the Marlies in 2018, Holl has performed 396 video games within the NHL with the Leafs and Wings.
Kyle Keyser – Colorado Eagles
Bringing Keyser again to North America on an AHL contract this previous summer time is trying like a prescient transfer for the Eagles.
Mackenzie Blackwood’s early damage put a pressure on the goaltending depth chart for the Avalanche, and having Keyser readily available has helped to alleviate a few of that burden with Trent Miner on NHL recall. After elements of 5 seasons within the Boston Bruins group, Keyser spent 2024-25 with Kunlun Crimson Star within the KHL. He turned in a 25-save shutout towards Rockford final Friday evening.
Brendan Smith – Cleveland Monsters
Smith has seen the AHL as a prime prospect – he was chosen to the AHL All-Rookie Workforce in 2010-11 – and now he’s experiencing the league as a seasoned veteran.
In his sixteenth professional season, Smith attended coaching camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier than becoming a member of Cleveland. He was a first-round draft decide when he skated in 152 video games with Grand Rapids earlier than sticking with the Crimson Wings full-time. He has gone on to make stops with the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars, totaling 726 NHL video games.
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at present covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
