This article is part of our The Kids' Table series.
If you live in a part of the world that's fortunate enough to have all four seasons, you probably appreciated the weather over this past weekend. It seems every year there's a point in February or March (way too early) in which Mother Nature decides to tease the crap out of us with a 60-degree Saturday, reminding everyone that spring is right around the corner. I have fond memories not too long ago of the day when spring reared its beautiful head, walking out the door and saying, "Oh my God. It's really, really warm out." This was normally followed by some "recreational activities" that forced me to drop everything I was doing and pay ode to a wonderful day.
When it comes to AHL prospects this season, we've seen an influx of young players developing quite rapidly. They started this season off slow, but have been making the temperature rise steadily over the last couple months. One player who hasn't had to deal with much cold weather, but has been getting hotter and hotter is San Antonio Rampage forward Mikko Rantanen.
To quote the great Mugatu, Rantanen is "so damn hot right now." Colorado's 2015 first-round selection was expect to make the jump to the NHL sooner rather than later, but Patrick Roy and company thought it best for him to get more seasoning in the AHL. Through the first couple of months, Rantanen seemed to be doing fine, but he hit something of a rookie wall after
If you live in a part of the world that's fortunate enough to have all four seasons, you probably appreciated the weather over this past weekend. It seems every year there's a point in February or March (way too early) in which Mother Nature decides to tease the crap out of us with a 60-degree Saturday, reminding everyone that spring is right around the corner. I have fond memories not too long ago of the day when spring reared its beautiful head, walking out the door and saying, "Oh my God. It's really, really warm out." This was normally followed by some "recreational activities" that forced me to drop everything I was doing and pay ode to a wonderful day.
When it comes to AHL prospects this season, we've seen an influx of young players developing quite rapidly. They started this season off slow, but have been making the temperature rise steadily over the last couple months. One player who hasn't had to deal with much cold weather, but has been getting hotter and hotter is San Antonio Rampage forward Mikko Rantanen.
To quote the great Mugatu, Rantanen is "so damn hot right now." Colorado's 2015 first-round selection was expect to make the jump to the NHL sooner rather than later, but Patrick Roy and company thought it best for him to get more seasoning in the AHL. Through the first couple of months, Rantanen seemed to be doing fine, but he hit something of a rookie wall after dealing with an injury from late December to mid-January. But the young Finnish forward has stepped his game up late in the season for San Antonio, scoring six goals and 13 points over nine games in February. That gives Rantanen 45 points in 36 games this season, good for seventh in AHL scoring.
The Avalanche enter Wednesday only two points ahead of the Wild for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and an injury to a key player could mean Rantanen's services become required. This obviously isn't the Avs' plan for their young prospect, but Rantanen may be able to force the team's hand. Keep the Rampage's leading scorer in mind in case of a call-up, considering Rantanen would be a great find in deep keeper leagues as a stash prospect. Here are a few more AHLers on the rise:
Riley Barber, RW, Hershey Bears
During the first three months of the season, Barber managed just five goals and 14 points in 32 games. This may seem like decent numbers for a rookie in the AHL, but what he's done since Jan. 16 has been pretty remarkable. Barber has 13 goals and 26 points in 16 games, putting up multi-point efforts in eight of those contests. He's currently on a 10-game point streak that has boosted him to 16th in the AHL in scoring this season.
I've always been high on Barber since witnessing him at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships for the United States. He was captain in 2014 and finished his WJC career as a point-per-game player (12 in 12). Barber was a sixth-round pick back in 2012, so you know he's got a chip on his shoulder, which should serve him well when he's competing for a roster spot with the Capitals next season. If Barber is still available in your deep keeper or dynasty league, I suggest adding him immediately.
Hunter Shinkaruk, LW, Stockton Heat
Like many others, I was pretty surprised a few days ago when the Canucks decided to deal Shinkaruk to the Flames for forward Markus Granlund. Heading into the 2013 NHL Draft, Shinkaruk was one of my favorite prospects, reminding me a lot of the type of game Zach Parise used to bring to the Devils. Injuries derailed his draft-year campaign in juniors, which hurt his stock considerably, though I still have high hopes for the Calgary native. He's strung together a nice February with four goals and seven points in eight games, and a trade to the Flames makes his NHL prospects even more enticing. Calgary is already loaded with young talent -- Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett -- so once Shinkaruk lands on that roster, there's a decent chance he'll play on a dynamic scoring line.
Kevin Gravel, D, Ontario Reign
Technically, Gravel isn't in the AHL, as he was called up by the Kings after Christian Ehrhoff was waived a few weeks ago. He hasn't seen much action for Los Angeles, but the opportunity and potential are certainly there. Jason Lewis over at Hockey Prospectus has a terrific scouting report on Gravel, which included this promising passage:
"Exceptional. The single best asset of his game. Everything Gravel does at the AHL level so far is instant. Outlet passes, transitioning, getting the puck out of tight situations. He is one of the quickest-thinking defenseman I have seen in the AHL. Always seems to find an open man, and if he can't it is low-risk board-and-out play. Defensively rock solid. Gap control is strong, uses his reach very well, uses the body and positioning very well. Starting to take more risks offensively which is also a good sign. Simple and efficient with a very high panic threshold."
To me, hockey IQ is probably the most important trait for any young prospect. Strength will come with age and ability will develop over time, but if you don't think the game well enough, you won't be able to survive at the next level. Gravel's statistics don't scream offensive upside, but just being surrounded by the talent the Kings have on their roster should elevate his game. We already know that Gravel is essentially next in up in terms of blueliners for Los Angeles, so he could land in the Kings' top-six ranks by next season. He's something of a risky pickup, but it never hurts to be ahead of the game.
Linus Ullmark, G, Rocester Americans
I'll start off by saying I'm not exactly high on the Sabres' current contingent of goaltenders. Sure, Robin Lehner is only 24 years old and is playing behind a very young defense, but his health raises a lot of question marks. Ullmark was named CCM/AHL Player of the Week on Monday after allowing just three goals on 97 shots (a .969 save percentage) in back-to-back wins last week. What was most impressive was Ullmark's resilience despite being peppered with shot after shot in each game. If he can handle that type of abuse, then imagine what type of goaltender he'll be once the Sabres solidify their roster.
The Swedish product is only 22 years old and has already played 19 games for Buffalo this season, which is valuable experience early in his career. He's gotten a taste of the NHL game, but will likely spend a few more seasons in the AHL developing. I don't envision this Sabres squad becoming a contender over the next couple of seasons, but by the time Ullmark is ready, it could be the perfect storm if you decided to scoop him up now and stash him away.
