Tristan Broz - F - Wilkes Barre
In his first season in the AHL last year, Tristan Broz put up 37 points in 59 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was one goal short of a 20-goal season as a rookie. Broz has picked up where he left off last season, scoring at an even faster pace. In his first three games, he’s scored three goals and a total of four points. The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the oldest forward groups in the league, which may give Broz an opportunity this year if he can keep up the pace. Whether some of the older guys get injured or are not simply living up to expectations, Broz could certainly earn himself a call-up, although Ville Koivunen will likely earn that ahead of Broz. Broz will get every opportunity this year to prove he’s NHL-capable, and if his scoring continues to improve, it’s hard to imagine he won’t get a call sooner rather than later.
Filip Mešár - F - Laval Rocket
Sometimes you can get the best out of a player when their back is against the wall. As a first-round pick in 2022, Filip Mešár didn’t have the production that many anticipated in the AHL last year. In 42 games, Mešár had an underwhelming 18 points. For an AHL rookie, it may not seem like the end of the world, but as a small skill forward in the Montreal system, there aren’t too many spots left. Mešár is a speedy winger with the hands that can easily match the blistering pace he sets with his hands. Unfortunately, Mešár is on the smaller side, so if his point production doesn’t improve, there isn’t a large incentive to bring him up to the NHL. Maybe he’s seen the writing on the wall because in his first four games, he’s notched three points. When his game is going, Mešár is an eye-popping player, and it will be interesting to see what the Canadiens do with him if he starts to live up to his first-round billing.
Jack Devine - F - Charlotte Checkers
From a 2022 seventh-round pick to the NCAA’s leading scorer last season, Jack Devine’s offensive game has taken some major strides in recent seasons. Now in the AHL with the Calder Cup runner-ups, the Charlotte Checkers, Devine has caught fire to start the season. He’s tied for second among all skaters with six points in four games and is tied for first in points among rookies. Getting first-line minutes and being an excellent puck distributor with a quality shot, Devine will be the straw that stirs the drink for the Checkers. Can a full season of Devine being in the lineup get the Checkers over the hump this year? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Radim Mrtka - D - Rochester Americans
For some players, reaching the AHL can take years after they’re drafted. For Radim Mrtka, it was only a couple of months before he was thrown into the fire. But if you asked Mrtka, he’d probably say it was the rest of the AHL that was getting thrown into the fire rather than himself. At 6-foot-6, Mrtka is a towering presence and loves to get involved in every scrum he can. Attackers are lucky when the defenseman uses his reach to disrupt a play because if he gets his body on them consistently, he’s a punishing force. Mrtka has shown he can flash some offense, too, which makes him a threat everywhere on the ice. Expect him to be an exciting and highly involved player in Rochester this year.
Calum Ritchie - F - Bridgeport Islanders
In a trade deadline deal that dealt Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche, the Islanders’ biggest piece of the return was Ritchie. After being drafted by the Avalanche in the first round in 2023, Ritchie has torn up the OHL with Oshawa, scoring 205 points in 139 games. Ritchie is an elite playmaker and facilitator, so when the offense runs through him, that’s when he finds success. He’s poised and excels at finding his teammates under pressure. Each year, for the first three years, Ritchie’s goal totals increased until last year, when his goal total was cut in half in the regular season. He’s a player who should shoot the puck more and play with a bit more urgency in his game. Opening the 25-26 season in Bridgeport, Ritchie has scored a point in each of the first two games. Ritchie should get a full year in the AHL to show his offensive capabilities and work on his defensive game, as the Islanders have no real reason to bring him up to the NHL at this point.
Noah Chadwick - D - Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has to be ecstatic with the rise of Noah Chadwick since he was drafted in 2022 as a sixth-round pick. For a defenseman with legitimate size, Chadwick is a mobile two-way defenseman. If he continues to improve, it’s not hard to see how he could be a top four, minute-eating defenseman in his prime. Even with the departure of Mitch Marner and a projected rising salary cap, Chadwick will be cost-controlled for the next few years, and getting his value on an ELC contract is a dream for a contender. Last season with Lethbridge of the WHL, Chadwick had 53 points in 66 games and then elevated his scoring in the playoffs with 14 points in 16 games. He’s already accumulated a point and a +5 rating in three games with the Marlies, so he’s off to a good start and should be an important player for the Marlies the whole year.
Ilya Protas - F - Hershey Bears
Five years after his brother, Alexei, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the third round, Ilya was selected by the same team in the same round. And if Ilya was “made in a lab” like his brother, Metropolitan Division fans' hearts might be in their stomach. In his third full season in the NHL, Alexei has blossomed into a 30-goal scorer, and his brother Ilya has similar goal-scoring qualities. With Windsor of the OHL last year, Ilya netted 50 goals in 61 games en route to 124 points. Like his brother, Ilya is big, plays two ways and has more offense to his game than just filling the net. He also similarly has the skating drawbacks, but it hasn’t seemed to slow down Alexei from producing at the highest level. Ilya will likely spend at least this season with Hershey, but his timetable for playing alongside his brother isn’t too far out.
Dalibor Dvorsky - F - Springfield Thunder Birds
Fresh off a 21-goal AHL season as a 19-year-old rookie, Dvorsky is primed to have an even better year with Springfield this season. 19-year-olds in the AHL don’t score 20 or more goals too often and Dvorsky was overshadowed a bit last season when fellow 19-year-old Bradly Nadeau scored 32 for Chicago. Some would argue that Dvorsky was more impressive as he played the whole season and found consistent success as a center, unlike Nadeau, who plays on the wing. In his second year in the AHL, the St. Louis Blues will be looking for Dvorsky to play a more complete game. That is getting better at the face-off dot and getting better defensively. It’s likely Dvorsky will be in Springfield another full year, but if he improves faster than expected and the Blues are back in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, Dvorsky could get called up again.
Gabe Perreault - F - Hartford Wolfpack
At the conclusion of his sophomore season at Boston College, Gabe Perreault inked his ELC with the New York Rangers. He played in five regular-season games at the end of the season, where he went without a point. Perreault showed he is an elite offensive playmaker while at BC, notching a 60-point season his freshman year and another 48 points last season. Despite the offensive prowess, he hasn’t played a season of professional hockey and has some skating drawbacks. These are probably significant in newly appointed head coach Mike Sullivan’s reasoning for sending him to Hartford to start the year. Notoriously hard on younger players, it’s not surprising Perreault is starting there, but with his offensive ability and lack of scoring depth on the Rangers, he could get called up at various points this season for a team that will likely be on the fringe of the playoff picture.
Carter Yakemchuk - D - Belleville Senators
There’s no doubt that Yakemchuk has all of the offensive tools to be an elite offensive defenseman; his question marks come in his own end. Although rumored to have been close to making the team right after his draft year, it’s clear going into this year that was probably not the case. While Yakemchuk had one of the best point totals from a defenseman in their draft year in WHL history, he needs to be better defensively and a year in the AHL will help with that. He’ll be getting top-pairing minutes and used in all situations in Belleville, but a year of developing into at least a decent defender at the pro level will be required. Should he make the continued improvements, there will be a spot for him in Ottawa’s top four next year.