Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Friday will bring the AHL’s own trade/loan deadline. Additions from the NCAA and Canadian Hockey League ranks are beginning to arrive.
It’s March, and the race to the Calder Cup Playoffs is at full-speed. With NHL organizations working to tweak their AHL affiliates, there has been an abundance of changes already. Let’s look at some of those moves with implications for AHL teams and the four divisional races.
Abbotsford Canucks
Forward Jujhar Khaira, a B.C. native added in a trade from Syracuse, brings NHL experience (337 games) as well as considerable size (6-foot-5, 214 pounds) to the Abbotsford lineup. The Canucks are both trying to nudge their way ahead in the Pacific Division standings, but they also have several teams in hot pursuit of them.
Belleville Senators
The Senators are in another late-season fight to lock down a playoff spot, and they got some help when Ottawa acquired Tristen Robins from San Jose. Robins, a 2020 second-round pick by the Sharks, scored 17 goals as a rookie in 2022-23.
Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte lost 2024 Calder Cup finalist Chris Driedger but maintained experience in net as former AHL goaltender of the year Kaapo Kähkönen came to the Florida organization in the swap with Winnipeg. Jesse Puljujärvi secured to a two-way NHL contract and remains with Charlotte, where he has four points in nine games.
Cleveland Monsters
Rookie defenseman Denton Mateychuk, in Columbus since December, was made eligible by the Blue Jackets to return to Cleveland at any point in the rest of the regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs. Mateychuk, who joined Cleveland on their run to the conference finals last spring, has looked at home as an NHL regular over 26 games with Columbus.
Colorado Eagles
As the Eagles fight with a glut of teams at the top of the Pacific Division for first place (and a first-round playoff bye), they added William Dufour thanks to a Colorado Avalanche trade with the New York Islanders. Dufour was the QMJHL’s player of the year and Memorial Cup MVP in 2021-22.
Hartford Wolf Pack
If the Wolf Pack can get into the Calder Cup Playoffs, they could pose difficulty for opponents. Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann are eligible to return from New York, and the Rangers also added some forward depth by acquiring Nicolas Aubé-Kubel from Buffalo and Brendan Brisson from Vegas.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Rookie forward Nikita Grebenkin joins the Phantoms following a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs; in his first AHL season, Grebenkin had 21 points in 39 AHL games with the Marlies and earned seven games in the NHL. Forward Givani Smith, a veteran of 168 games in the NHL, was acquired from Colorado.
Milwaukee Admirals
All season long the Nashville Predators have worked to keep Milwaukee’s roster strong following several NHL promotions. Marc Del Gaizo, Kieffer Bellows, Spencer Stastney and 2021 first-round draft pick Fedor Svechkov, who has played 33 games with the Predators, are all eligible to rejoin the Admirals.
Ontario Reign
Defenseman Brandt Clarke, who earned spots on the AHL All-Rookie Team and AHL Top Prospects Team last season, was papered to Ontario to make him available for the Reign. Clarke has 27 points in 58 games for Los Angeles this season.
Providence Bruins
Rookie forward Fraser Minten came to the Bruins organization in a trade with Toronto; in 26 games with the Marlies, the 20-year-old had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) and also skated in 15 games with the Maple Leafs (two goals, two assists). Oliver Wahlstrom has five goals in four games since joining Providence, and the team has also added defenseman Daniil Misyul (Utica) and Jake Gaudet (Cleveland). Marat Khusnutdinov, a trade addition from Minnesota, is AHL-eligible for the P-Bruins as well.
Rochester Americans
As the Amerks continue to wrestle with Laval for the number-one spot in the AHL, they have picked up another top weapon for their blue line after the Buffalo Sabres acquired Erik Brännström from the Rangers. Forward Jiri Kulich, who has been with the Sabres since mid-November, was made eligible to return to Rochester.
Rockford IceHogs
The IceHogs have opened up a 10-point lead over Iowa and Manitoba for the final playoff position in the Central Division, and added forward Aku Räty in the Chicago Blackhawks’ trade with Utah. With the Hawks positioned to audition young talent in the final weeks of the regular season, Räty supplies depth for the Rockford roster.
San Jose Barracuda
With 43 NHL games for Ottawa this season, newly acquired forward Zack Ostapchuk lends additional help for the Barracuda as they work to secure a playoff berth. Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, an AHL All-Star last season who has played 21 games for the Sharks in 2024-25, was made eligible to return to the Barracuda.
Springfield Thunderbirds
With defensemen Matt Kessel and Tyler Tucker seeing extended time in St. Louis, the Thunderbirds added help on the blue line by acquiring Calen Addison from Henderson. Addison, a right-handed shot, is an established power-play presence for a team that is already seventh in the AHL on the man-advantage. For the Thunderbirds, who are just four points out of second place thanks to a 13-3-0-3 run, this is a message to the roster that management believes they have the potential to do postseason damage.
Toronto Marlies
The Marlies lost Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin to NHL trades, but picked up Reese Johnson via a deal with Minnesota. Johnson’s experience includes 144 games in the NHL. The Marlies also got forward Alex Steeves back from the Leafs. Steeves, whose 31 goals in 43 games lead the league, struck twice in his first three games after returning to the AHL.
Utica Comets
It was a hectic deadline day for Utica, as the New Jersey Devils made several trades. Jonathan Gruden (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), Marc McLaughlin (Providence) and Daniel Sprong (Coachella Valley) will offer forward depth for the organization, and rookie defenseman Seamus Casey returned to the Comets as well.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Forward Chase Stillman came to the Penguins organization from New Jersey on Friday; the 2021 first-round pick had 14 goals as a rookie with Utica last season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which outscored Hartford and Belleville by a combined 15-4 in wins over the weekend, also saw All-Star forward Emil Bemström made eligible to return by Pittsburgh.
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
