The AHL’s rookie class this season is an interesting one. While several top first-year players have earned permanent recalls to their NHL teams, many more have been marinating in the top developmental league as they prepare for their chance.
The race for the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award for the AHL’s rookie of the year remains wide open. With plenty of season left for players to separate themselves, we wanted to take stock of where things stand as the home stretch of the regular season.
A couple of notes for this list. Players like Denton Mateychuk and Frank Nazar aren’t on the list as it appears they’ll be staying with their NHL clubs for the remainder of the season. Otherwise, players had to have played at least 26 AHL games this season to be included on the list. Additionally, this is not a ranking based on which player is the best prospect. This is merely ranking them based on their performance so far this season.
Top 15 AHL Rookies So Far This Season
1. Ville Koivunen, LW, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)
Acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last season, Koivunen was one of the key pieces in the return from the Carolina Hurricanes and thus far has exceeded expectations for his first season in North America. The Finnish forward averaged nearly a point per game in his final season in Liiga and has shown no drop off in his production with the WBS Penguins. He leads all AHL rookies with 44 points, but also is top three in points per game among active rookie forwards. His game on the puck has really taken a step, but he’s also always been a reliable presence away from it with a high-energy style that is difficult to play against. The Pens are letting Koivunen overbake in the AHL, which is good recipe for a team that is in its own transitional phase.
2. Justin Hryckowian, RW, Texas Stars (DAL)
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Northeastern University, Hryckowian has been among the top rookies all season in the AHL. He’s already appeared in five games with Dallas and is one of the few rookies over 0.90 points per game in the AHL this season. Hryckowian is the kind of player who can play just about anywhere in your lineup. He gives maximum effort shift by shift and has shown the ability to read and make plays at the pro level. His 26 assists put him third among all AHL rookies, while he is second behind Koivunen with 39 points. Hryckowian is just the latest in a fairly…
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