AHL notebook: NHL prospects to watch from East in Calder Cup Playoffs

The American Hockey League's Calder Cup Playoffs are down to 16 teams.

After a best-of-3 play-in round pared down the postseason field from 23 teams, play continues this week. As always, a deep crop of top prospects in the NHL's top developmental league will face ever-increasing pressure as the playoffs proceed. The next two rounds will feature a best-of-5 format before shifting to best-of-7 for the conference finals and the Calder Cup Final.
Here is a look at five top Eastern Conference prospects competing in the AHL postseason. A look at the Western Conference pool will follow next week.
Roni Hirvonen , F, Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs)
The Maple Leafs have relied heavily on their AHL affiliate this season and have made sure to restock the AHL roster for the postseason.
Hirvonen, a 21-year-old forward, has been reassigned to the AHL after completing his season with HIFK in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland. He had 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 57 games on loan to HIFK, and four points (two goals, two assists) in 11 playoff games.
Selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round (No. 59) of the 2020 NHL Draft, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs on May 13, 2022.
Toronto, the North Division regular-season champion, will face Utica (New Jersey Devils).
Fabian Lysell , F, Providence (Boston Bruins)
Providence, the Eastern Conference regular-season champion, will be counting heavily on Lysell for postseason success.
The 20-year-old had 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 54 games as an AHL rookie.
Lysell, selected by the Bruins with the No. 21 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, had pro experience prior to joining the AHL; he had three points (two goals, one assist) in 26 games with Lulea of the Swedish Hockey League in 2020-21. Last season he had 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 games with Vancouver of the Western Hockey League and 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 12 WHL playoff games.
Providence will meet Hartford (New York Rangers), with Game 1 of their series Friday.
Connor McMichael , F, Hershey (Washington Capitals)
A strong second half has made up for lost time for McMichael, selected by the Capitals with the No. 25 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
The 22-year-old center had a strong start to his pro career with Hershey in 2020-21. Playing with now-retired NHL veteran Matt Moulson, McMichael had 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 33 games and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.
He earned a full-time role with Washington last season, with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 68 games. But after six scoreless games with the Capitals this season, he was sent to Hershey, where he took on a leadership role and finished with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 57 games.
Hershey finished second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and will play Charlotte (Florida Panthers).
Simon Nemec , D, Utica (New Jersey Devils)
Nemec continues to impress as a 19-year-old defenseman in the AHL.
The Devils took Nemec with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and chose to assign him to Utica to learn the North American pro game. That decision already has paid off as Nemec tied for the lead among AHL rookie defensemen wtih 12 goals and was fifth with 34 points.
Nemec also went to 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and had five points (one goal, four assists) as Slovakia's captain.
Utica coach Kevin Dineen has relied heavily on Nemec and regularly uses him in key situations. Late in the third period of a play-in series against Laval, with Utica behind 1-0, Nemec assisted on the tying goal by defenseman Reilly Walsh with two seconds left in regulation, then sent a pass through heavy traffic to forward Samuel Laberge to set up the winning goal in overtime that led Utica to a series sweep.
Mackie Samoskevich , F, Charlotte (Florida Panthers)
Charlotte coach Geordie Kinnear has wasted no time in utilizing Samoskevich, who came to the AHL late in the regular season after two seasons at the University of Michigan.
Kinnear used Samoskevich on a line with veterans Riley Nash and Cory Conacher in Charlotte's first-round series against Lehigh Valley. After a Game 1 loss, Samoskevich had an assist in each of the following games to help Charlotte win the series.
The 20-year-old forward, selected by Florida with the No. 24 pick in the 2021 draft, elected to leave Michigan and sign a professional tryout agreement with Charlotte on April 11 after he had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 39 NCAA games. He also was a member of the Big Ten All-Rookie Team in 2021-22 and went to the Frozen Four in each of his two seasons with Michigan.