AHL notebook: 5 rookies tested during Calder Cup Playoffs

The Calder Cup Playoffs put top rookie prospects through a test that can stretch nearly two months.

Twenty-eight of the 32 teams in the AHL are finished for the season. Coachella Valley and Milwaukee remain in the Western Conference Final while Hershey and Rochester compete in the Eastern Conference Final.

Here is a look at five key rookies who have played through the ups and downs so far:

Yaroslav Askarov, Milwaukee (Nashville Predators)

The 20-year-old goalie had a strong first season in North America.

Askarov was chosen with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and brought him to North America this season. He played 48 games and went 26-16-5 with a 2.69 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts. Among AHL rookie goalies, he ranked first in games and wins, tied for first in shutouts, and his save percentage was tied for second. He made 31 saves in his NHL debut, a 4-3 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 12.

Named the No. 1 goalie for the playoffs, Askarov helped Milwaukee to series wins against Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets) and Texas (Dallas Stars).

Askarov played the first two games against Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) in the Western Conference final, both losses, before Devin Cooley made 28 saves in a 3-1 victory in Game 3 on Monday. Askarov is 6-6 with a 2.70 GAA and .903 save percentage in 12 playoff games.

Ryker Evans, Coachella Valley

The 21-year-old defenseman has been relied on heavily by coach Dan Bylsma.

Chosen by Seattle in the second round (No. 35) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Evans represented Coachella Valley at the AHL All-Star Classic. He also was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and led all first-year players with 38 assists in 71 games. With six goals and 44 points, he finished as the top-scoring rookie defenseman in the league.

Evans has continued his strong play through series wins against Tucson (Arizona Coyotes), Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) and Calgary (Calgary Flames) and against Milwaukee, which trails the best-of-7 conference final 2-1. He has 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 16 games to lead all rookies and is tied for second in overall playoff scoring.

Ethen Frank, Hershey (Washington Capitals)

Undrafted out of Western Michigan University, the 25-year-old forward signed an AHL contract with Hershey on April 11, 2022, after he scored 26 goals in 38 games in his fifth and final NCAA season.

Frank made a quick impression around the AHL. His 30 goals in 57 games led all AHL rookies and his 49 points tied for fourth among first-year players. He also was part of a contingent that represented Hershey at the AHL All-Star Classic in February, where he set a league record in the Fastest Skater event with a time of 12.915 seconds and becoming the first skater in AHL history to complete the event in under 13 seconds.

Washington took notice and signed Frank to a one-year, two-way contract March 2 that starts next season.

The Calder Cup Playoffs have been more difficult. Frank has two assists in nine games and was scratched in Game 3 of the best-of-7 East Final against Rochester (Buffalo Sabres). He returned for Game 4 on Monday, when helped set up the tying goal in a 4-2 win. Hershey leads the series 3-2 after Rochester staved off elimination with a 4-1 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Hershey previously eliminated Charlotte (Florida Panthers) and Hartford (New York Rangers) to reach the conference final.

Jiri Kulich, Rochester

The 19-year-old forward was the AHL's hottest scorer coming into the series against Hershey.

Selected by the Sabres with the No. 28 in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kulich played for Czechia at the IIHF World Junior Championship, and then had a strong second half to tie for seventh in rookie scoring with 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 62 games.

An injury caused Kulich to miss the first two games of the first round against Syracuse (Tampa Bay Lightning). With Rochester trailing the best-of-5 series 2-0, he returned to play Game 3 and Rochester eventually won the series in five. He had six-game goal streak and Rochester swept Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) in the division final and scored against Hershey in Game 5 to give him 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 11 games.

Hendrix Lapierre, Hershey

The 21-year-old forward has been part of an effective line for Hershey with fellow prospect Aliaksei Protas and veteran playmaker Sam Anas.

Washington selected Lapierre in the first round (No. 22) of the 2020 draft. He played six games last season with the Capitals coming out of training camp, scoring once, before going to Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where had 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 40 games.

As a rookie with Hershey, Lapierre had 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 60 games. He has five points (two goals, three assists) in 12 playoff games.