First Half Review: Eastern Conference | TheAHL.com

Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer

This past weekend, the AHL was officially halfway through its 2024-25 regular season schedule.

Three months of competition has begun to provide NHL management with some (though not all) answers as to their prospects and their respective AHL affiliates.

What's working? What's not? As the pressure mounts on teams to compete for a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs, which rookies are expected to take a big step in the second half? Are there any veterans who can come in and help?

How will the March 7 NHL trade deadline, if any, impact AHL rosters? Will a top prospect leave in a trade to support his NHL parent team? If NHL front offices choose to trade and build for the future, will a group of rookies arrive?

Some teams have begun to change their image. The Milwaukee Admirals need scoring help after multiple recalls from the Nashville Predators, and they acquire a proven forward Chase DeLeo Off AHL waiver; veteran signed an AHL contract with Charlotte after starting the season overseas. There was a forward swap between Anaheim and San Jose on Wednesday Justin Bailey with the San Diego Gulls and Pavol Regenda vs. San Jose Barracuda. Checkers sign former AHL All-Star forward CJ Smith. This morning, Belleville added a veteran with 1,043 NHL games Sam Gagner On trial.

There will definitely be more decisions and actions taken. How is each AHL team doing in the first half of the season?

Let’s take a look at the Eastern Conference first. A team-by-team review of the Western Conference will follow.

bellville senator
The B-Sens are eight points below the North Division playoff line with six games remaining against the team they're chasing, the Syracuse Crunch. Despite the turmoil in net caused by injuries and recalls, the Ottawa Senators have still been able to stay competitive. They've been doing their job for Ottawa, sending several players to their parent clubs at various points this season. forward Wyatt Bongiovanni It's a great story, with 13 goals scored in just 23 games. Last season, Belleville proved it was capable of competing for a playoff spot.

bridgeport islander
Chris Terry Has been his usual efficient self and was named an AHL All-Star Brian Pinho Developed great scoring touch in Bridgeport. rookie forward Alex JeffriesAs a fourth-round pick in 2020, he has successfully transitioned to the professional arena. Isaiah George and Mark Gatcombe They made their NHL debut this season on Long Island.

Charlotte Checkers
The Checkers have one of the AHL's best offenses and are capable of dominating when they're at their best. The front office brought in several players on AHL contracts during the offseason, and those moves have been successfully completed. Start with the top scorer John Leonard and AHL All-Star defenseman Trevor Carrick. Ken ApplebyAnother AHL signee this offseason, he has a league-high four shutouts. The Checkers were hit hard by injuries in the first half, but they remained a top contender.

cleveland monsters
Monsters have seen three top players depart, including linebacker David Giricek Traded to Minnesota Wild and AHL All-Star draft pick Denton Matechuk and Luca del Bel Beluz Earned a lasting following with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But the Monsters are there, still in the lead of the North Division. head coach Trent VogelhuberHis team drew attention last spring when it reached overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, and even after a major turnover and a plethora of new faces, his team has remained the same fighting style.

Hartford Wolf Pack
AHL All-Star Prospects Dylan Garland Another step forward to become one of the league's top netminders. first round pick Brennan Osman Returning after a long injury absence. Brett Berard, Victor Mancini and Matt Lempe Both earned a lasting following with the New York Rangers.

hershey bears
The Bears, aiming to become the first team since the Springfield Indians in 1962 to win three consecutive Calder Cup championships, must battle through a challenging first half of the schedule. top sniper Ethan Frank It's the Washington Capitals, but the Bears are making progress too Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix LaPierrethe Jack A. Butterfield Trophy winner as the MVP of last year's Calder Cup playoffs. The Bears are heading into March on a 10-game road trip; however, the good news for them is that they are a respectable 13-1-3-0 on the road so far.

lava rocket
LaVar's roster is loaded with prospects and is fun to watch on any given night. Rather than rushing out to recruit young talent, the Montreal Canadiens have opted for more training with their new head coach in Laval Pascal Vincent. Joshua Roy, Owen Baker, Jared Davidson, Adam Engstrom, Logan Melux and Florian Chekay Provides a strong young core and goaltending Jakub Dobes have hit the habitat and become a quick success story as they've become entrenched in controversy.

Lehigh Valley Phantom
Despite having a fair amount of games on the schedule against Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Phantoms have managed to keep themselves above the Atlantic Division playoff line. goalkeeper Alexei Kolosov Returns from Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, could take some of the workload off Carl Peterson. Sam Toumala and Ole Lexel Provide offensive strikes while Jacob Gaucher Leads the club with 14 goals.

Providence Brown Bear
It's another quintessential Providence season: start slowly, find yourself, and keep crying as the calendar begins to roll into December. After a 6-7-2-0 start, the Bruins surged to a 15-6-1-1 record, putting them in the thick of the playoff discussion. The Boston Bruins recall has made its way into Providence's lineup, but their depth makes them dangerous. Georgy Merkulov Another strong season and Michael DiPietro Has become one of the top goaltenders in the league.

rochester americans
Amerkes competes with Charlotte for the highest-scoring team in the East, and they can run and gun against any team on the schedule. Devin LevyThe arrival of November quickly energized Team USA as they broke through the schedule with a 13-2-0-0 run. AHL All-Star Forward Isaac Rosen production has continued, and Brett MurrayHis 17 goals so far equal his total from last season.

Springfield Thunderbirds
St. Louis Blues first round pick Dalibor Dvorsky As a 19-year-old forward playing in the AHL, he performed very well. push forward Matt Love After team's slow start results well, goalkeeper Colten Ellis When he first got a regular AHL workload, he performed well. The Thunderbirds currently sit outside the top six playoff teams in the Atlantic Division, but are just two points behind. This team went 9-1-2-1 earlier in the season and can be a threat.

Syracuse Crunch
Ninth year professional goalie Brandon Halvorson Boasting one of the best stories in the AHL this season, he rebuilt himself into an All-Star as a second-round pick in 2014 after a career plagued by injuries. Derek Pouliot and Connor Sherry lead the offense while the rookie Dylan Duke Has a team-best 11 goals.

Toronto Gliss
Like Halverson, Matt Murray has been trying to revive his career. The two-time Stanley Cup winner missed most of last season due to injury but posted a .934 save percentage in 15 games to help the Marlies win the title. Led by a two-time AHL All-Star, Toronto's typically deep lineup returns Alex Steves and his league-high 21 goals.

Comet Yucca
With a 0-10-1-2 start that nearly derailed them, the Comets have spent the last two months above .500 (13-9-1-0) and are doing well to resume their season. Isaac Poulter Found a rhythm in the network and provided a good complement Nicodos interim head coach Ryan Parentwho replaced Kevin Dineen November 6th. Simon Nemec After returning from New Jersey, he had 19 points and a +7 rating in 27 games.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Last summer, change was the theme in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Kirk McDonald After arriving on the bench, Pittsburgh management brought in several veterans to bolster their AHL affiliate's roster. But how will all these new faces fit in? It turns out, very good. They succeeded despite no injuries to their forwards jimmy huntingtona key offseason signing. Emil Benstrom Team scoring leader, 21-year-old forward koivuning town In his first full AHL season, he scored 27 points in 33 games.

About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor for SiriusXM NHL Network Radio . In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.