The Kids' Table: Waiting for the Call

Anticipation: it surrounds this time of year for every youngster. In just nine days, kids across the world will run downstairs and scream with joy when they see a bunch of presents that "Santa Claus" left for them – oh, come on, I'm sure there are a few readers who still believe in him, right? I remember the most anticipation I ever had for a Christmas morning was the year Sega Genesis came out. Maybe you remember getting one too, setting it up immediately and being forced to play that dolphin game until you could go to the store Dec. 26 to pick up Sonic the Hedgehog.

Now that we've got the nostalgia out of the way, let's get back to anticipation, a word used so heavily when we talk about some of the top prospects in the NHL. Fans patiently wait while their NHL hopefuls compete at the lower levels with the thought of one day getting the call. Kids may be dreaming of their Christmas presents right now, but AHL prospects have visions of call-ups dancing in their heads.

At this point in the season, we've seen plenty of call-ups and demotions, but there are still plenty of promising young players in the AHL. Some of these guys have seen NHL ice before and are itching to get another shot; others are still waiting for their first crack. This week, we take a look at players who have fan bases waiting in anticipation.

Brandon Montour, D, ANA – There have already been rumblings that Montour should get a look, as the Ducks' current defensive core has clearly regressed a bit from last season. Anaheim's blue line doesn't really have a solid veteran presence, and although Montour likely wouldn't provide that, he's one of the top-scoring blueliners in the AHL with five goals and 17 assists in 23 games, and would bring some youthful exuberance.

Philip Samuelsson, D, ARI – Most of the Coyotes' prized prospects are in juniors, so there isn't much to work with in Springfield. Luckily, Samuelsson has been around a while, having been drafted in 2009, and he's already sniffed the NHL a bit. He's never been a big point producer, but he has a credible nine points in 19 games, and who knows what Samuelsson might be capable of alongside Arizona's young forwards.

Austin Czarnik, C, BOS – A big free-agent signing out of Miami (OH) earlier this year, Czarnik's really thrived with AHL Providence, picking up 15 points in his first 19 games. He's a bit undersized, but uses his speed well and isn't afraid to go in front of the net to score goals. Sounds like a prototypical Bruin to me.

Nicholas Baptiste, RW, BUF – The Sabres are already one of the youngest teams in the league, and Baptiste would only lower that figure, which is exactly what fans want to see. He's off to a slow start in his first taste of professional hockey, with just 10 points in 24 games, but Baptiste is a power winger who does his best work on the walls and would be a nice complement to the skill of Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly or Sam Reinhart.

Ryan Hartman, RW, CHI – Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has said that a group including Hartman could probably produce at the NHL level, though Chicago doesn't really have a need for a right wing with Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa. But the 2013 first-round pick really doesn't have much else to prove in Rockford, where he's scored 10 goals in 24 games, so if there's an injury, he'll most likely get his shot.

Mikko Rantanen, RW, COL – Since being sent down after six games with the Avalanche, Rantanen has torn up the AHL, scoring eight goals to go with 14 assists in 18 games and making it look quite likely that he'll see NHL ice again this season. Sure, he's still very young at the age of 19, but the slick Finn is showing that he's ready for a higher level of competition.

Julius Honka, D, DAL – With five goals and 15 points in 26 games, Honka is having a very nice sophomore season for Texas as an encore to his impressive rookie campaign in 2014-15. The Stars aren't winning with defense anyway, so bringing up another offensive-minded blueliner wouldn't be a bad idea, especially considering what we've seen from John Klingberg so far in his career.

Mitch Callahan, RW, DET -- Aside from the fact that this kid has an amazing hockey name, what's not to like about a sixth-round draft pick by Detroit? We've seen what Ken Holland can do with late-round selections and Callahan has progressed nicely over the past three seasons in Grand Rapids, though he owns a fairly modest 12 points (eight of them goals) in 22 games this year. Sure, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Anthanasiou are a bit more exciting, but they're probably not ready yet.

Adrian Kempe, LW, LA – The Kings' 2014 first-round pick has been playing with the big boys lately, but will be loaned to team Sweden for the 2016 World Junior Championship later in the month, which will give Kings fans a chance to see their blue-chip prospect perform on a big stage. He seems like a safer bet to make an NHL appearance later in the season if injuries begin to set in for a veteran LA squad.

Michael McCarron, C, MON – I mentioned McCarron earlier in the season as one of the more surprising rookies in the AHL, and while he was mired in a bit of a scoring slump recently, he's broken out with three goals in the last two games and is always an imposing force at 6-foot-6. The Habs could really use that on their forward lines, but they're also in first place, so it's unlikely that McCarron will get the call this soon, even though Montreal fans have got to be itching to see him take the Bell Centre ice.

Kevin Fiala, LW, NAS – Fiala's statistics aren't gaudy, but that's likely because he's always been ready for the NHL. The Swiss product was pretty magical at last year's WJC, and Fiala will probably make his way to Finland later this month to showcase his skills a second time around. Perhaps the Predators will consider giving him another look after that.

Matt Lorito, LW, NJD – He's a little old for a prospect at 25, but Lorito showed some promise in a few games with Albany toward the end of last year, racking up 12 points in 11 games, and he's followed that up by developing into one of the AHL's top scorers in his true rookie season. Sure, he's another undersized (and undrafted) forward, but with four goals and 17 helpers in 24 games, Lorito could provide some extra scoring punch for the Devils in a bottom-six role.

Petr Straka, LW, PHI – The Flyers are desperate for a goal-scoring spark, and Straka is currently tied for first in the AHL that category, having potted 15 this season. Straka got a very brief look from Philly last year and was able to contribute a few points in limited action, so perhaps it's time for Ron Hextall to bite the bullet and give the young Czech another shot.

Dominik Simon, C, PIT – The Penguins just cleaned house and fired coach Mike Johnston, so perhaps that means Simon will get his shot; he's certainly earned it, having racked up 11 goals and 14 assists in the AHL this year. Problem is, Daniel Sprong is still on Pittsburgh's roster and not even playing, which essentially blocks Simon, who has the fourth-most points in the AHL right now. If he keeps it up, the Penguins won't have much of a choice other than to see what he can do alongside their elite forward talent.

William Nylander, C, TOR – The Leafs will continue to stress that they won't rush Nylander up to the big leagues, but I'm just not convinced anymore. He's about to lead Sweden at the WJC, and after he crushes it on international ice again, he'll go back to being the AHL's leading scorer (14 goals and 33 points in 25 games). At this point, it'll probably only stunt his growth if the Penguins allow him to beat up on lesser competition for another whole season.