The AHL is playing under unique circumstances this year. Nearly all 31 NHL teams have CHL players playing on their AHL team, and because of the COVID season, these same prospects are unveiling their potential to fans swiftly. The AHL has historical been a fantastic feeder league to the NHL. Many lesser-known prospects are taking the main stage by storm – some have already leveraged their AHL performances to get called up – a luxury only introduced under the COVID season. Today Fantalytica will highlight a glut of prospects playing in the AHL that are worthy of acquisition. As a dynasty or keeper participant, the AHL is a league you need to constantly monitor. Players get called up daily – the waiver wire should be watched more frequently. Gems are found there. Let’s go over them, shall we?
We’ve pulled seven NHL prospects playing in the AHL from our prospect platform. The platform allows a user to input their unique fantasy league scoring, which in turn calculates unique performance projections for every NHL prospect. With this in mind, we used our default settings to find the seven best players.
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NHL Prospects Under the Radar: AHL
Philip Tomasino, Top NHL Prospect
We were extremely high on Tomasino going into the 2019 NHL Draft. We had him at 13. His play in the AHL is slowly validating our claim – you may have missed the boat on acquiring him before he hit the professional ranks, but it’s absolutely worth your time to kick tires on him. Plus-Minus is obviously not a great stat in 2021, but it must be stated that he’s +10 after 12 games – he’s playing responsibly in his own zone, and producing solid offensive numbers. Tomasino is a future top 6 player for the Predators.
Zayde Wisdom, Good NHL Prospect
Wisdom is an 18-year-old playing in the AHL (born in Toronto). To say that’s impressive is an understatement. Taken in the 4th round at the most recent NHL draft, Wisdom is off to a blazing hot start for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, stamping 11 points in 16 games (7 goals, 4 assists). We aren’t surprised to see his general stock rising, although we’re quite surprised at his performance in the AHL. The AHL is a very good league and as an 18-year-old it’s usually a supreme challenge to excel. Seeing Wisdom contribute tells us he will be one of the best players taken in the back half of the 2020 NHL Draft. In mildly deep leagues, he may be available. If he is, pick him up TONIGHT.
Nick Robertson, Great NHL Prospect
No real surprise to see Robertson producing in the AHL. Any Toronto fan knows – Robertson is awesome. It’s really difficult to find anything bad to say about Robertson’s game, too. After 10 games, Robertson has 9 points with the Marlies, and for a 19-year-old, it’s simply impressive. It may be difficult to crack a spot in the Maple Leaf’s top-9, but rest assured, Robertson will be a great player for a long time for the Maple Leafs. Acquiring Robertson now will bring fruitful returns for your fantasy team later.
Riley Damiani, Great NHL Prospect
Our favorite player of the year, Riley Damiani. Currently playing for the Texas Stars, Damiani has claimed his spot at 1C. After 14 games, Damiani has 18 points – good for 6th overall in scoring and 1st in U21 scoring. Some of you may be learning about him for the first time, and after being taken two years ago in the 5th round, Damiani is quickly outplaying his 5th round value. Dallas seems to be mildly barren with high-end prospects, so Damiani could easily be a full-time NHL player by the end of the year (if he keeps going on his tangent). He’s a ‘can’t miss’ prospect. Full speed ahead to acquire him.
Arthur Kaliyev, Great NHL Prospect
Some say he fell down the draft board last year. If you claimed this, you’d be right. Kaliyev is off to a great start for the Ontario Reign, the AHL team of the Los Angeles Kings. After 22 games and 14 points, Kaliyev is trending upwards, heavily. He’s averaging around 2.5 shots a game, which could (down the road) provide you 300 shots in an 82 NHL game season. If you’re in a bangers dynasty/keeper league, Kaliyev is a guy you simply need to have. With the prospect pipeline, the Los Angeles Kings have accrued, Kaliyev has no shortage of playmakers waiting to feed him goals on a nightly basis.
Joachim Blichfeld, Good NHL Prospect
The oldest player featured here, Blichfeld is not to be taken for granted. After 13 games and a couple of NHL games, Blichfeld has produced a point per game (in 13 games) and a stifling 65 shots. He’s starting to give the San Jose Sharks no choice but to find room for him on their powerplay. Blichfeld has found success at every level of his career, so its probable he finds success in the NHL one day. Taken in the 7th round (Woah!), Blichfeld is looking like another steal (Victor Olofsson comparison). Due to his age, he could be the easiest prospect to acquire on this list. We’re high on this kid, you should be too.
Garrett Pilon, Good NHL Prospect
The Washington Capitals have a depleted prospect pool, and for good reason. Most fans completely disregard the prospects they have brewing, which is also for good reason. There’s one exception though, Garrett Pilon. Another 22-year-old, Pilon is finally finding his game at the AHL level. After two previous seasons of notching 30+ points, Pilon is finally at a point per game pace. He works incredibly hard every game and has momentary flashes of insane skill. Pilon could earn a call up soon for the Capitals, so keep an eye on him. He finally looks like a prospect that needs to be acquired for your team.
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