Alan Quine – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:43:02 +0000

The Pacific Division is the hardest division in the American Hockey League to come to conclusions upon. Out of the league's four sub-classes, the Pacific Division consists of the fewest teams, with seven, rather than the customary eight, they play the fewest games (68), and have different travel guidelines and restrictions that limit the array of teams to schedule games against.

In addition, the division features perhaps the largest disparity between the talent level of the clubs. You have a team like Bakersfield that will casually reel off a 17-game winning streak, and teams like Ontario, who have already effectively been eliminated from postseason contention with more than a dozen games left on the calendar. 26 points separate the Condors and the Reign in the standings.

However, the prospects involved still have the same job to do, and in a sense, their efforts are amplified because of the frequency of common opponents and the aspect of there being fewer games from which to impress your organization. With that, let's take a look at the Pacific Division's brightest young guns from February.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 18: Edmonton Oilers center Cooper Marody (65) skates up ice during their NHL preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 18, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Edmonton won 4-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

The Condors are a killing machine, a club that has won 19 out of their last 21 games and are being led by a couple of top Edmonton Oilers prospects. Tyler Benson (4th in Oilers' preseason prospect rankings) and Cooper Marody (5th) are the team's two leading scorers and have been absolute dynamite over a historically hot streak.

Benson's (9-37-46) first pro season has been an exhibition on what he can do when his health cooperates, as the play-making left wing's creativity, hockey IQ, and discipline have all been on full display. The 20-year-old drives play and carries his own line with his intellect and vision and looks like a surefire middle-six NHL assist machine, even if he severely lacks a finishing touch to his team-leading shot totals (141, 6.3%).

Marody (13-30-43), since coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers last year, has had an equally impressive rookie pro season. The stocky, muscular centerman has displayed his wicked wrist shot -- while improving his hands down low in the zone and his specialty moves in one-on-one situations -- in the process of earning a short, albeit scoreless, recall to Edmonton.

The two have similar ceilings, as versatile middle-sixers. However, if I were an Oilers fan, I would be a little worried about the front office's supposed plan to let their top prospects become "overripe" in the AHL, which might stunt the development of these two forwards. They look like NHL-ready players already, especially in Marody's case, because he is already 22 years old.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

As a first-year pro who needed to prove himself capable of scoring in the pros -- something he did at will in the WHL -- Jayden Halbgewachs has to be pretty satisfied with himself this season. Despite a pretty concrete third-line role with less power play time than he probably should be getting, Halbgewachs (12th) has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at times in 2018-19.

With 26 points (10-16-26), the former Moose Jaw Warriors star has proved to be a worthy free agent signing for the Sharks organization, who inked the undrafted Halbgewachs to a contract in December of 2017. He exhibits quick hands whether passing or stickhandling, and is a very fast decision-maker, which translates well to the NHL. Though he is undersized and is not the fastest skater, his agility and technical skating skill plays up his otherwise average skating.

San Jose got a very intriguing prospect at the trade deadline in 21-year-old Swede Jonathan Dahlen, who entered his third farm system in as many years in the deal that sent him from Vancouver to the Sharks organization. Dahlen (5th in Canucks' preseason prospect rankings) has been a solid addition to the Barracuda top-six, totaling four assists in four games since the trade.

Dahlen possesses silky-smooth hands and a top-tier hockey IQ, while his improved skating speed has made him a dangerous offensive player. He could stand to shoot more, especially on the rush, but coaches love pass-first wingers who can carry their own line like this. Also, of interest, Dahlen told hockeynews.se that his offensive game was being stifled while playing for the Utica Comets, the Canucks' AHL affiliate. A change of scenery will likely suit the left-hander well going forward.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

The Gulls received some help via trade for the last fourth of the AHL schedule, in the form of former Iowa Wild forward Justin Kloos, an undrafted 25-year-old with some quiet NHL potential. What the future holds for Kloos remains to be seen, but for short-term assistance in the AHL, the Ducks got a steal.

Kloos (16th in Minnesota's preseason prospect rankings) is a hard-working middle-six checking forward with the touch and offensive senses of a depth scorer. His shot is a legitimate weapon in the attacking zone, and something he is very willing to let loose, but he also possesses solid vision and stick skills. His presence has already made a difference for the San Diego offense (1-7-8 in 11 games).

In a tight postseason race, the addition of Kloos comes at the right time, due to the absences of Sam Steel (1st), Isac Lundestrom (2nd), Troy Terry (3rd) and Max Jones (8th), all of whom made a massive mark on the Gulls' offense earlier this season. Steel, Terry, and Jones are kicking it with the lowly Ducks in the NHL, while Lundestrom plays out his assignment in Sweden.

Gulls faithful will hope Kalle Kossila (15th) can step up, as the 25-year-old center has been a near point-per-game player in the AHL this season and has what it takes to carry a line and a team, at least at the AHL level. Though his stints in the NHL to this point have been less than promising, Kossila (13-17-30) is a mature, skilled playmaker who consistently gets everyone involved in plays.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles remain a very intriguing team with their depth in scoring, and a sizable amount of that depth scoring is coming from an interesting bunch of prospects in the Avalanche system. The impressively resurgent A.J. Greer (18th) and solid rookie, 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut (4th) are a start, but it extends beyond those two.

Defenseman Nicolas Meloche (15th), a former high second-rounder whose development path to this point has been very rocky, is back on the right track. The 6-3", 205 lb rearguard is leveraging his great size more, using his bulk to pester opposing forwards down low in his zone, and pinching more against the boards in the offensive zone.

What Meloche (6-14-20) needs to work on more is his willingness to shoot, rather than over pass (which is his fallback move). His shot can be a weapon at even strength and on the power play, and to use it more consistently and more frequently should be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old right-hander. He isn't the most fleet-of-foot skater, though he is pretty quick for a big man, and will need to find a way to contribute offensively somehow.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Tucson's lineup got a facelift with the addition of former Milwaukee Admirals forward Emil Pettersson, who was acquired via trade with the Nashville Predators organization. Pettersson (13th in Nashville rankings) might be past his realistic NHL chances, but can provide a boost to a stagnant offense.

Pettersson (0-5-5 since the trade) is a smart and reliable two-way center whose hustle and competitiveness can be infectious, and a decently skilled offensive threat who appears on the power play. With the Coyotes in the thick of the playoff race in the NHL's Western Conference, it won't be now that they give the Swede a try, but his play this season could earn him a recall and an NHL debut eventually.

An under-the-radar guy with NHL specs is Michael Bunting, who is seemingly getting better by the game. Though the AHL All-Star, not ranked in our preseason Coyotes prospect rankings, lacks any skill that ranks above the average tier, he is a consistent producer and plays with a physical edge on the Roadrunners' top two lines. Bunting (11-17-28), a fourth-round selection in 2014, made his NHL debut this season, and has since played with the competitive drive and leadership qualities of a future major-league star.

Tucson's other league All-Star, Kyle Capobianco (7th), will be out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury suffered shortly after a well-deserved promotion to the NHL. The Roadrunners will miss his smooth skating, passing skills, and three-zone awareness, things that they really can't replace. Capobianco (7-25-32) had been the team's leading scorer for a good portion of the season.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

This season, the Heat have been a team of redemption for a lot of players. Once high-profile prospects who flamed out under their initial draft teams, like Alan Quine (ineligible), Kerby Rychel (17th), and Curtis Lazar (ineligible) have taken refuge in the Stockton locker room, providing a veteran boost to an otherwise pretty young team.

The Flames system doesn't quite benefit from the presence of this type of player, though. For example, Lazar was summoned by the parent club in mid-February but has yet to appear in a game. Calgary and Stockton alike must see contributions from their top prospects before anyone else.

Guys such as Dillon Dube, for instance. Dube (2nd) has been dynamite for the Heat since being assigned by the Flames after being held to just five points in 23 NHL games. The two-time World Junior Championship competitor for Canada has improving rink sense that are helping him round out an otherwise electric offensive game that features above average ranks in shot tools, energy/hustle, puck skills, and acceleration/footwork.

Matthew Phillips (6th) has proven, despite his 5-7" size and how he fell to the sixth round of the 2016 draft, that he can be a pro-caliber player with the right opportunity. Having torn up the WHL with Victoria for four seasons, his last a 112-point campaign, his offensive skills are obvious.

He is a quick, head-down skater with lightning-like top speed and sick hands, especially in tight. His shot is as fast as that of someone six inches taller and has been used on the power play as a legitimate weapon in the slot. Phillips (11-18-29) is an absolute pest on and off the puck in all three zones, as well. He will probably need another year to develop, but his size and skillset, from a style standpoint, make him kind of like a Diet Johnny Gaudreau.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

A quick stick tap for defenseman Matt Roy. The first time I took his game in, I didn't think anything of him, but he kept improving and become a leader -- on and off the ice -- of a thin Ontario team, and earned a recall to Los Angeles, where he has spent the last ten games. Roy (not ranked), a right-handed Michigan Tech alum, is a true shutdown defenseman whose stick positioning, physicality down low, and shot-blocking, make him a penalty kill staple anywhere he goes.

The 24-year-old started the season behind guys like Alex Lintuniemi (16th) and Sean Walker (20th) on the depth chart, as well as on the pecking order for potential NHL promotion/staying power. Roy (8-21-29) has arguably surpassed both of them.

Another person who has impressed greatly in spite of the circumstances is rookie winger Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired by the Kings in a late-January trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Jake Muzzin to The Six. Grundstrom (4th in Toronto's preseason prospect rankings) is a rugged but speedy forward with excellent hands and purposeful passing, earning a recent recall to the NHL with that versatile skillset and overall creativity.

Grundstrom (3-7-10) is only 21 and will assist the rebuilding Kings in getting back to the top of the mountain. L.A.'s farm system was ranked 16th out of 31 in our preseason farm system rankings, and the middling prospect core became significantly better with the presence of Grundstrom.

McKeen’s 17-18 Yearbook Updates

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 21:20:54 +0000

It is early in the pre-season, but Ryan Dadoun brings a round up of the news so far. Nothing earth shattering, but lots to keep an eye on. McKeen's will do an update end of day Monday based on injuries, camp performance, etc.

In the meantime here is what you need to know.

Anaheim

Hampus Lindholm – Shoulder injury will probably keep him out until early November. That’s not surprising given the initial projections from when he had surgery in May, but it’s his absence is more probable now than it was over the summer.

Ryan Kesler – The hope is to have him back by Christmas after he underwent hip surgery in June. Over the summer it looked like he might be back in November, so the recent news here has been discouraging.

Antoine Vermette – Might end up being the one to fill the void left by Kesler. He’s been practicing on a line with Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. If we’re talking about standard fantasy leagues though, Vermette’s value is still borderline at best.

Arizona

Jason Demers – The Coyotes acquired him from the Florida Panthers. Arizona views him as a top-four defenseman, but it’s not clear who his defensive partner will be. He got a decent, but not great, amount of power-play time in Florida last season while Keith Yandle/Aaron Ekblad served as the team’s primary defensive options with the man advantage and he’ll probably end up in a similar situation in Arizona behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson/Alex Goligoski when it comes to power-play ice time.

Boston

Torey Krug – He suffered a non-displaced jaw fracture on Tuesday and was projected to miss at least three weeks from that date. That will cost him most of training camp and at least three regular season games.

Buffalo

Alexander Nylander – He suffered a lower-body injury on Sept. 8 and hasn’t skated at all in training camp as a result. Good news is that the Sabres think he’ll resume skating in near future, so maybe he’ll still return with enough time to spare to make his case for a roster spot.

Carolina

Lee Stempniak – More of a side note for now, but he’s been dealing with an undisclosed problem that might be more serious than initially believed. He has soreness in his hip/back and had an MRI on Thursday, so we’ll see what the results of that are.

Detroit

Andreas Athanasiou – Still hasn’t signed. There’s the threat of him heading to the KHL and even if he does re-sign in the not too distant future, he’ll be a young player that’s missed a good chunk of training camp/preseason play.

Edmonton

Ryan Strome – It’s a bit of a stretch to mention at this stage, but the Oilers seem to be going with a top line of Maroon, McDavid, and Strome so far. As a fun aside, McDavid also thinks Strome is a good sleeper pick in fantasy leagues. (https://www.nhl.com/news/edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-sees-ryan-strome-as-fantasy-sleeper/c-290885390?tid=277729150)

Drake Caggiula – Similarly, it might be too early to read into it, but so far Drake Caggiula is being tested on the second line with Draisaitl and Lucic.

Los Angeles

Marian Gaborik – Is taking some contact as he recovers from a knee injury. Still unclear if he’ll play in the preseason, but it’s progress.

Nashville

Ryan Ellis – This happened a couple weeks before training camp, so you probably already have it in your projections, but just in case he’s out for four-to-six months with a knee injury. That has led to them mixing up their defensive pairings though. Ekholm and Subban were split up so that Ekholm is now with Josi (although Ekholm-Weber has also been experimented with) and Subban is with newcomer Emelin.

New Jersey

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 21: New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) waits for play to begin during the third period of the NHL preseason game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 21, 2017, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Nico Hischier – Another stretch, but for what it’s worth Nico Hischier has stood out in preseason games so far, upping what were already good odds of him making the team. Hynes suggested that Hischier has forced talks of him having a bigger role than previously projected. Hischier-Hall is an interesting combo, though of course it’s another preseason pairing so who knows.

NY Islanders

Alan Quine – Quine sustained an upper-body injury in mid-September that was projected to cost him four-to-six weeks. So he’s missing training camp and a couple weeks of the regular season in all likelihood.

Ottawa

Colin White – Suffered a broken left wrist on Monday and is projected to miss six-to-eight weeks. He had been seen as being in a good position to make the team, especially due to Derick Brassard being a question mark. Although…

Derick Brassard – His recovery from shoulder surgery is ahead of schedule, per what Guy Boucher said today. He still might not be ready for the start of the regular season.

Clarke MacArthur – Unfortunately even after his strong playoff showing, he ended up failing his physical. Sucks to say, but it may be that his playing career is over.

Erik Karlsson – As of Thursday he still wasn’t skating due to his foot injury. He’s unlikely to be ready for the start of the season and who knows if he’ll be begin the curve once he finally is given the green light to play.

Philadelphia

Travis Sanheim – It’s still tentative, but he’s off to a good start and seems to have improved his chances of making the team. Had 10 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.

Sean Couturier – The Flyers are toying with using Claude Giroux as a left winger. Couturier could be the beneficiary if that happens as he could move up in the depth charts as a result, possibly even on a line with Giroux and Jakub Voracek (which they did test out in practice, but that doesn’t mean they’ll actually use it in games).

St. Louis

Zach Sanford – Suffered a dislocated left shoulder that will keep him sidelined for the next five-to-six months.

Jay Bouwmeester – Has a fractured left ankle that will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Along with Sanford, these ones are fringe just because they didn’t have much in the way of fantasy value even when healthy.

Alexander Steen – Suffered a hand injury in the Blues’ first preseason game on Tuesday that will cost him at least three weeks (at which point he’ll be re-evaluated). Certainly he’s the most noteworthy of the three fantasy wise.

Toronto

Patrick Marleau – It’s looking like Patrick Marleau won’t play alongside Matthews in even strength as Babcock’s preference appears to be a trio of Zach Hyman, Matthews, and William Nylander. Marleau and Matthews should share the ice in power play situations though.

Joffrey Lupul – Team’s says he failed his physical, but now it looks like the league wants to look into it after Lupul’s claim of cheating followed by his retraction(deletion)/apology. Probably doesn’t matter fantasy-wise either way. Even if Lupul is deemed fit to play he’ll probably end up in the AHL at most.

Vegas

James Neal – Has a broken hand that was projected to sideline him for two-to-four weeks. He’s one week into that timetable at this point so perhaps he’ll be okay for the season opener. Still sucks to miss training camp on a brand new team though.

Washington

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Washington Capitals left wing Jakub Vrana (13) makes a pass during an NHL game on March 16, 2017, at the Verizon Center, in Washington, D.C. between the Washington Capitals and the Nashville Predators. Nashville won 2-1 in overtime.
(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire)

Jakub Vrana – More grain of salt stuff, but the Capitals have been giving him top-six opportunities. He played alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov in Wednesday’s preseason game and tonight it looks like he’ll be with Backstrom and Oshie (Kuznetsov/Ovechkin aren’t playing).

Winnipeg

Tyler Myers – Feels 100% after only playing in 11 games last season.