Early Takeaways from the AHL Playoffs
The month of May brings the playoffs into full frame and it is no different in the AHL. In some ways, it becomes an arms race to add other prospects from different leagues who could help in a run for the Calder Cup. That is the case for some teams, who have seen instant results from some of the top prospects within the NHL organization they are affiliated with. The early returns some of these AHL teams are seeing are immense, helping them to success in the start of the playoffs.
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Jett Luchanko proving invaluable for Lehigh Valley
The 13th overall pick from last year’s NHL draft, Luchanko was added to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster after his season with the Guelph Storm in the OHL came to an end. He snuck into nine games in the regular season, only adding three assists in the process, but when the playoffs started he became a different beast.
In five games, he has five points, all assists. He has mainly been a 3rd line center for the Phantoms at even strength, and does get some power play time. What makes Luchanko special to watch is his patience and playmaking. This play is a prime example of that.
He sees the defender lay out and makes the great decision to be patient and hold on, waiting for the defender to get up and get out of position. This also allows his teammate to find a gap in the coverage and he gets rewarded. It is plays like that that make it hard to imagine that Luchanko will head back to the OHL next season. Continuing his play will only strengthen his case for an NHL spot.
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A Pair of Cleveland Prospects Shine
Even though Cleveland lost their series against Laval, it wasn’t because some prospects did not live up to the hype. After spending the majority of the season with the Blue Jackets at the NHL level, Denton Mateychuk was sent to the Monsters and immediately provided a boost to the defense. In his five playoff games, he had three goals and two assists for five points.
Mateychuk’s offensive ability is some of the best at the AHL level. His mix of skating and offensive IQ allows him to make something out of almost nothing. His ability to make the near impossible pass look simple while also being able to shoot creates issues for defenders wanting to slow him down.
The other half of the Monsters’ dynamic duo was Luca Pinelli, who was only added to the roster after his OHL team, the Ottawa 67’s, was eliminated in the playoffs. After getting two assists in his first three AHL games, Pinelli became a different beast in the playoffs. In six playoff games, he had two goals and two assists for four points.
While he is undersized, standing at 5-9, he makes up for it by showing 100% effort every time he steps on to the ice, never wanting to take a shift off. An exceptional shooter, he tries to involve himself in the offense in any way he can. While his playoff run was short, it gave a great glimpse into a potentially bright future for the young forward.
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Young Goalies Stealing the Show
Like I mentioned above, young goaltenders are making a lot of noise so far in the AHL playoffs. So far, the leader in the clubhouse is Devon Levi, who is sporting a 0.67 goals against average and a spectacular .978% save percentage. Both those statistics are good enough for 2nd out of all AHL goaltenders.
But Levi is not the only goalie proving to be a workhorse in the playoffs, as the Laval Rocket were able to add a stellar rookie to the roster right before the playoffs. After spending two seasons being one of the best goalie in all of college hockey, Jacob Fowler made the jump to the professional ranks, where he has not slowed down. After posting a 2.32 goals against average and a .914% save percentage in the regular season, Fowler stepped into the starting role with Montreal having to call up some reinforcements for the playoffs. In the three playoff games he has started, he has an astounding 1.00 goals against average and a .953% save percentage, including a shutout.
Other notable AHL starters include Remi Poirier, Yaroslav Askarov, and Drew Commesso. Poirier sports a 1.00 goals against average and a .958% save percentage. It should be noted that he has only played in two games, with one of those games being a shutout. Askarov has a 1.68 goals against average and a .935% save percentage in six games played. Commesso, who has backstopped the upstart Rockford IceHogs, has a 1.86 goals against average and a .942% save percentage.
Nick Bass