Trade deadline shakes up AHL rosters | TheAHL.com

Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer

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Here, there, and everywhere, several well-known names around the AHL found themselves on the move as the NHL trade deadline passed Friday afternoon.

While NHL teams made roster shake-ups with an eye toward this spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs or a longer-term outlook, the aftershocks extend beyond that. For AHL teams, the potential to reshape playoff races with the final quarter of the regular season having arrived.

Sometimes that means gaining a key piece for a push to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Last year, for example, the Charlotte Checkers benefited significantly when the Florida Panthers acquired veteran netminder Kaapo Kähkönen, who ended up becoming the final piece to eventually take the Checkers to the Calder Cup Finals.

But there are also times when the trade deadline means losing an important roster player in order to benefit the NHL parent team. Some AHL teams had to surrender talent that could be part of the sweetener that gets a deal done for the NHL parent club with Stanley Cup hopes. Or with players moved off an NHL team’s roster, replacements are pulled up from its AHL affiliate for late-season additions.

So it goes this time of the year. And even more moves are still possible at the AHL level. The AHL deadline for trades and loans is this Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Then comes the annual late-season influx of new talent from the NCAA, Canadian Hockey League and elsewhere.

Here’s a look at some of the significant changes around the AHL:

Abbotsford Canucks
The defending Calder Cup champions added defenseman Jack Thompson from the San Jose Sharks organization for fellow blueliner Jett Woo. For Thompson, who turns 24 next week, it is an opportunity to showcase himself for future NHL duty with the parent Vancouver Canucks after appearing in 31 games for the Sharks in 2024-25. The 2024 AHL All-Star already has five points (two goals, three assists) in his first two Abbotsford appearances.

Belleville Senators
Graeme Clarke, acquired by the Ottawa Senators from the Washington Capitals, got right to work in his Belleville debut Saturday night with a pair of goals to go with two assists, helping the B-Sens to a 7-3 win against the Utica Comets to end a six-game losing streak. Belleville, a mid-pack team in scoring this season, got a former AHL All-Star (2024) who now has 17 goals in 51 games and had back-to-back 25-goal seasons with Utica. These late-season playoff chases have become something of a tradition for Belleville, and Clarke might be the offensive weapon that they need.

Calgary Wranglers
As the Calgary Flames make decisions for their future, forward Brennan Othmann gets a fresh start. A 2021 first-round pick by the New York Rangers, the 23-year-old put together a 21-goal rookie season with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2023-24 and had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 26 games with Hartford this season. Othmann, who has three points in 42 career NHL appearances, is a welcome addition for a Wranglers team fighting to get above the Pacific Division playoff line.

Grand Rapids Griffins
The league-leading Griffins came through the deadline relatively unscathed, a good break considering the parent Detroit Red Wings are chasing a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Justin Holl was dealt to the St. Louis Blues as part of the Justin Faulk trade, which takes away a key member of the Grand Rapids blue line. On the other hand, it will lessen the potential for any veteran logjams in the team’s lineup.

Hartford Wolf Pack
Fighting to stay alive in the Atlantic Division race, the Wolf Pack added significant speed to their roster in forward Aidan Thompson. The rookie out of the University of Denver – where he won a national championship in 2024 – came to the New York Rangers from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Derrick Pouliot. He had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 40 games for the Rockford IceHogs, and tallied two assists in his Hartford debut on Saturday.

Henderson Silver Knights
It wasn’t a trade, but an internal move that fortified the Silver Knights: forward Alexander Holtz cleared waivers and was assigned to Henderson on Friday. The Silver Knights are already a top-10 team offensively and become even more dangerous with Holtz, who scored 16 goals for the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24. The seventh overall pick in the 2020 Draft, Holtz had three goals and six assists in 28 games with Vegas this season.

Hershey Bears
Wyatt Bongiovanni came the other way in the Ottawa-Washington deal that landed Clarke with Belleville. Bongiovanni’s career blossomed with Belleville, where he broke out with a 22-goal effort last season. This entire season has been one of significant change for the Bears, who saw the core of their back-to-back Calder Cup championship teams move on last summer. For a group that is still coming together, Bongiovanni is one more change but someone who can provide some experience and steadiness.

The parent Capitals also picked up additional goaltending depth for the organization from the Vegas Golden Knights in a multi-player trade that brought in Jesper Vikman. The 23-year-old is out of action on a week-to-week basis, but he played 18 games for the Henderson Silver Knights before the deal.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms
One of the biggest prospects to move Friday was defenseman David Jiříček, who came to the Philadelphia Flyers from the Minnesota Wild. The 22-year-old was drafted sixth overall in 2022 and will be looking to get his career back on track after his second trade in 15 months. Jiříček had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 24 games for the Iowa Wild this season, and promptly scored a goal in his first game with Lehigh Valley on Saturday. Philadelphia management has been aggressive about reworking its organizational depth on the blue line this season, and with the Phantoms positioned for a possible playoff berth, they will count heavily on Jiříček for minutes and power-play help.

Active all season in adjusting the Lehigh Valley roster, the Flyers also brought in forward Boris Katchouk from Minnesota last week as additional scoring help for the Phantoms.

Ontario Reign
The Pacific Division-leading Reign secured some additional defensive help Monday, acquiring defenseman Nikita Novikov on loan from the Buffalo Sabres. Novikov is only 22, but he brings three seasons of AHL experience to Ontario along with two years in the KHL. Novikov had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 50 games with Rochester this season, and he joins a Reign blue line anchored by veterans Joe Hicketts and Samuel Bolduc.

Providence Bruins
Another first-round pick on the move is forward Lukas Reichel, who was traded to Boston by Vancouver. It’s another show-me opportunity for the 2020 first-round draft pick as he joins his third organization this season. Reichel has played 19 games in the NHL this season and also represented Germany at last month’s Olympics, and could be another potent addition to a stacked Providence roster.

The Bruins also added Alexis Gendron as part of a four-player swap with Philadelphia. Gendron scored 20 goals as a rookie with Lehigh Valley last season.

Rochester Americans
Perhaps the biggest AHL name on the move at the deadline was All-Star forward Isak Rosén, who went to Winnipeg in a multi-player deal with Buffalo. Rosén had 25 goals and 43 points in just 37 games with Rochester this season, along with seven points in 16 NHL games with the Sabres. The rest of Rochester’s core stayed intact, and they added depth in acquiring forward Kaleb Lawrence on loan from Los Angeles on Monday.

Rockford IceHogs
As the Chicago Blackhawks sort out their roster and make decisions, the IceHogs are feeling that impact, too; goaltender Drew Commesso, defenseman Sam Rinzel and rookie forward Nick Lardis were all in the Blachkawks’ lineup Monday night. Acquiring Derrick Pouliot, a First All-Star Team selection last season, from the New York Rangers gives the IceHogs added stability on the blue line, especially if more talent is summoned to Chicago.

San Jose Barracuda
The Barracuda will be living up to their name with the addition of defenseman Jett Woo, who has an ornery approach befitting the team’s moniker. He won a Calder Cup with Abbotsford, can be a shutdown defender, and adds some snarl. With the Barracuda making a run for the Pacific Division lead, he is made for a team capable of a lengthy postseason run.