AHL notebook: Playoff races sharpening games of top prospects

Playoff experience during the development process for prospects is invaluable, particularly at the American Hockey League level.

Charlotte which won the 2019 Calder Cup while an affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, is a perfect example of the benefits for players competing deep into the postseason in a pro league.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, now with the Detroit Red Wings, helped to anchor the title run by Charlotte in his third season as a pro. He won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the top goalie in the AHL and was a First All-Star Team member before starring in the postseason.
Martin Necas had a 52-point regular season (16 goals, 36 assists) and added 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in the postseason as a AHL rookie. He joined Carolina on a full-time basis the next season. Defenseman Jake Bean has become a regular with the Columbus Blue Jackets after being named to the AHL All-Rookie Team with Charlotte after a 44-point (13 goals, 31 assists) regular season. He added five points (one goals, four assists) in 10 AHL playoff games. Forward Nicolas Roy continued to progress through the regular season before scoring 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He was the main piece in a trade later that year that landed forward Erik Haula from the Vegas Golden Knights.
The way that playoff run accelerated the development of key prospects wouldn't have happened if Charlotte hadn't made the postseason. It also illustrates why NHL organizations place an emphasis on putting their prospects in the position to compete for the Calder Cup.
The race for playoff spots in the AHL this season is intense and many teams are playing under playoff-like pressure already with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Here are five prospects who are experiencing their first taste of a late-season battle for playoff competition in the top developmental league with the hope of turning that push into a lengthy run through the AHL playoffs.
Roby Jarventie, Belleville (Ottawa Senators)
The 19-year-old has an opportunity to be an important part of the push to make the playoffs by Belleville, which is in a four-team race for the final two spots in the North Division.
Jarventie has 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 59 games. Ottawa chose the forward in the second round (No. 33) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Ottawa has used Belleville in recent seasons to develop several top prospects, including forwards Drake Batherson and Josh Norris. Jarventie could be next in that pipeline.
JJ Peterka, Rochester (Buffalo Sabres)
The Sabres are counting on Peterka to help accelerate their rebuild.
Experience in high-stakes hockey with Rochester is a step toward that goal for the 20-year-old forward, which Buffalo selected in the second round (No. 34) in 2020.
Rochester joins Belleville among the four teams battling for the final two spots in the North Division playoffs
Peterka leads AHL rookies in scoring with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 60 games; his 22 goals tie are fourth among rookies.
Jack Quinn, Rochester
Like Peterka, the Sabres want Quinn, also a 20-year-old forward, to have heavy ice time and a major role with a team competing to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Mononucleosis and a lower-body injury sustained during a callup with the Sabres on Jan. 20 have cut into the workload in the first full pro season for Quinn, who was drafted at No. 8 in 2020.
Quinn ranks fourth in AHL rookie scoring with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 35 games. His 23 goals place him in a second-place tie with Alexander Holtz of Utica (New Jersey Devils), three behind Jakob Pelletier of Stockton (Calgary Flames) in the rookie goal-scoring race.
Marco Rossi, Iowa (Minnesota Wild)
Locked in difficult Central Division playoff struggle, Iowa needs to make up some ground during the stretch.
Rossi could help in that regard. The 20-year-old forward is tied for sixth in rookie scoring with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 54 games. Minnesota selected him at No. 9 in 2020.
Rossi has had to overcome COVID-19 complications and myocarditis that interrupted last season and has become a focal point of the Iowa lineup. He had a goal and an assist Tuesday to lead Iowa to a 6-1 road win against Tucson (Arizona Coyotes).
Adam Scheel, Texas (Dallas Stars)
Like Iowa, Texas is in a playoff fight. Texas is three points ahead of Iowa, but has played one more game.
Scheel has an excellent opportunity to face high-pressure competition down the stretch. The 22-year-old rookie led Texas to a pair of crucial road wins this past weekend against Grand Rapids (Detroit), one of the teams that Texas is competing with in the Central Division race.
Scheel is 11-8-6 in 28 games with a 2.86 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.
He signed a two-year entry-level contract with Dallas on April 1, 2001 after completing his junior season at the University of North Dakota (NCAA).