Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Many familiar names from across the AHL have found new organizations and fresh opportunities this offseason as National Hockey League teams restock their pipelines heading into the 2024-25 season.
Here is a look at some of last year’s key AHL players from the Eastern Conference, and where they’ll be trying to make that final step to an NHL roster:
BELLEVILLE (OTTAWA)
A familiar Belleville forward is remaining with the Ottawa organization while several other established AHL names have signed with Ottawa as well.
Versatile two-way forward Garrett Pilon, a 2023 Calder Cup champion with Hershey, is back after signing a new two-year, two-way deal with Ottawa. Pilon led the B-Sens with 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 62 games. Ottawa also secured forward sniper Adam Gaudette, whose 44 goals with Springfield this past season led the AHL. Gaudette had a previous run with Ottawa, playing 50 games for the NHL club in 2021-22. Ontario forward Hayden Hodgson also signed with Ottawa. On the blue line, Jeremy Davies (Rochester) and Filip Roos (Rockford) have also joined the organization on NHL two-way deals while Wyatte Wylie (Ontario) will be with Belleville on an AHL contract.
Ottawa also dealt forward Egor Sokolov to Utah for forward Jan Jenik, who had 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games this past season for Tucson.
BRIDGEPORT (NEW YORK ISLANDERS)
Marc Gatcomb (Abbotsford) and Fredrik Karlström (Texas) are new faces in the Islanders organization.
Defenseman Wyatt Newpower (Grand Rapids) is off to Bridgeport on an AHL deal as is forward Justin Gill, who had back-to-back seasons with 40 or more goals in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and was an Islanders fifth-round pick in 2023. Veteran forward Brian Pinho is also staying with Bridgeport on a new AHL contract.
CHARLOTTE (FLORIDA)
Goaltender Chris Driedger, who backstopped Coachella Valley to the Calder Cup Finals, is back with the Florida organization to compete with Spencer Knight for playing time with the Panthers. New signee Ken Appleby and returnee Evan Cormier offer more depth in net.
Forward Rasmus Asplund has a new one-year, two-way contract after posting a career-best 44 points (nine goals, a team-leading 35 assists) in 67 games for the Checkers; he also has played 183 NHL games. Veteran forward Kyle Criscuolo has moved over from Utica on a new one-year AHL contract with the Checkers as well. He had 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 63 games with the Comets. For more help up front, Aidan McDonough, who had 11 goals as a rookie with Abbotsford this past season, has inked an AHL contract with the Checkers as has John Leonard (Tucson).
On the back end, fan favorite Trevor Carrick is back for a second go with the Checkers helping the club to the 2019 Calder Cup. Joining the Checkers on a two-year AHL contract, his 347 games are second-most in team history, and his 181 points rank first all-time among Charlotte blueliners.
CLEVELAND (COLUMBUS)
Change is all around the Columbus organization after Don Waddell took over as general manager.
Coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland re-signed forward Stefan Matteau and added forward Curtis Hall, who split this past season between Providence and Grand Rapids. The Blue Jackets also signed forward Dylan Gambrell, who had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 66 games for the Toronto Marlies.
HARTFORD (NEW YORK RANGERS)
The Rangers have added veteran Casey Fitzgerald, who had 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 69 games for Charlotte. Fitzgerald joins the organization on a two-year agreement.
Hartford also brought in scoring help for incoming head coach Grant Potulny by signing forward Nate Sucese to an AHL contract. Sucese, 28, broke out in his fourth pro season with Chicago with career-high numbers in goals (23) and points (37) while playing all 72 games for the Wolves.
HERSHEY (WASHINGTON)
Coming off back-to-back Calder Cup titles, the Capitals and Bears are not resting in restocking the organization for a run at a three-peat in Hershey.
The Bears went out and signed First Team AHL All-Star defenseman Brad Hunt to an AHL contract. At 35 years old, Hunt is seeking his first Calder Cup championship and is coming off a season with the Colorado Eagles in which he registered 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games. He also brings 288 games of NHL experience along with a gold medal with Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.
Up front, several familiar faces are staying in the Washington system. The Capitals are bringing back forwards Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges, and Riley Sutter. They also have brought in forwards Luke Philp (Rockford) and Spencer Smallman (Colorado) on one-year, two-way deals. Philp was limited to 15 regular-season games with Rockford by injury, but he had a 29-goal campaign for the IceHogs in 2022-23. Garrett Roe, whose overtime goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals kept the Bears’ season alive, is back on a new AHL deal, as is forward Matt Strome, who had the Calder Cup-clinching goal this past June.
On the blue line, Chase Priskie and Hardy Häman Aktell have new one-year deals with the Caps. The Bears also retained defensemen Logan Day, Nicky Leivermann and Dmitri Osipov on new AHL contracts.
LAVAL (MONTREAL)
Depth has been the theme of this offseason for the Rocket. New head coach Pascal Vincent will be leading a dramatically re-made group as the Rocket have added Vincent Arseneau, Alex Beaucage, Laurent Dauphin, Zack Hayes, Josh Jacobs, Vincent Sevigny, and Tyler Wotherspoon on AHL contracts.
LEHIGH VALLEY (PHILADELPHIA)
The Flyers landed forward Anthony Richard, who had 25 goals in 59 games for Providence this past season. The 27-year-old joins the Philadelphia organization with a two-year, two-way deal.
Lehigh Valley also retained forward Cooper Marody with a two-year AHL contract after he led the team with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games.
PROVIDENCE (BOSTON)
Boston is always active in free agency to build out a competitive depth chart, and this summer has been no different.
Joining the Boston organization are defensemen Jordan Oesterle (Calgary) and Billy Sweezey (Cleveland) along with forwards Cole Koepke (Syracuse), Riley Tufte (Colorado), and Jeffrey Viel (Manitoba). Oesterle is a puck-mover on the back end while Sweezey will offer plenty of grit. Tufte had 23 goals this past season for the Eagles while Koepke hit the 20-goal mark with Syracuse. Viel is a power forward who delivered 17 goals with Manitoba.
ROCHESTER (BUFFALO)
Forward Josh Dunne converted a strong postseason run with Cleveland into a new opportunity with the Buffalo organization. Another forward, Mason Jobst, earned an NHL contract with the Sabres following a strong effort with the Amerks, who will be led by new head coach Michael Leone.
Defensemen Colton Poolman (Calgary) and Jack Rathbone (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) along with goaltender Felix Sandstrom (Lehigh Valley) are new to the Buffalo organization. The Sabres also acquired forward Tyler Tullio (Bakersfield) from Edmonton. Defenseman Ethan Prow will return as will forwards Graham Slaggert and Brendan Warren. After a one-season detour, defenseman Peter Tischke is back with the Amerks.
SPRINGFIELD (ST. LOUIS)
The Blues signed Colorado defenseman Corey Schueneman. The 28-year-old had 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 64 games for the Eagles.
Springfield further bolstered new head coach Steve Konowalchuk’s blueline by adding Scott Harrington on an AHL contract. A veteran of 255 NHL games, Harrington spent this past season in Switzerland with Zurich SC, where he had four assists in 14 games.
SYRACUSE (TAMPA BAY)
The Lightning went to work on the organization’s defensive depth, bringing in Tobie Bisson (Laval), Derrick Pouliot (Texas), and Steven Santini (Ontario).
TORONTO (TORONTO)
The Marlies signed forward Alex Nylander, who churned out 11 goals in 23 games during a late-season NHL audition with Columbus. Before joining the Blue Jackets in a trade with Pittsburgh, Nylander had produced 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 43 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Marlies also kept rugged forward Kyle Clifford, who has 753 NHL games to his name.
Also new to the Leafs organization are defensemen Philippe Myers (Syracuse) and forward Cédric Paré (Colorado).
UTICA (NEW JERSEY)
Defenseman Colton White is back in the New Jersey organization after two years spent in the Anaheim system. White, who played five seasons as a Devils prospect, appeared in 53 games this past season with San Diego.
Forward Mike Hardman is another new face in the organization and is coming off a 22-goal, 37-point season with Rockford.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON (PITTSBURGH)
Along with new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Kirk MacDonald, Pittsburgh will have a made-over organizational depth chart.
Forward Jimmy Huntington was a force for Hershey during the Calder Cup Playoffs. Boko Imama (Belleville) brings leadership and a heavy forward presence to the organization. Coming over from Providence, experienced blueliner Dan Renouf adds leadership and a physical element. New signings Sebastian Aho (Bridgeport), Nate Clurman (Colorado), and Mac Hollowell (Hartford) all offer organizational depth on the blue line.
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM! Sports, and was most recently the co-host of The Hockey News On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
