AHL notebook: Prospects with NHL experience to watch in postseason push

With the American Hockey League regular season down to its final two-plus weeks, some NHL teams have opted to send top prospects with NHL experience to their AHL affiliates to face the pressure and scrutiny that comes with the push to the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Here is a look at five players who will be counted on by their AHL teams down the stretch:
William Eklund, San Jose (San Jose Sharks)
The Sharks could have opted to keep Eklund on their roster for the rest of the regular season.
The 20-year-old forward showed more than enough promise during a two-week recall to the Sharks earlier this month. In those eight games, Eklund had two goals and an assist. He also averaged 19:50 time on ice per game, including an NHL career-high 22:17 against the St. Louis Blues on March 9.
The Sharks have been eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their AHL affiliate is seven points out of a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Sharks returned Eklund to the AHL on March 19 to give him more time to help the affiliate qualify for the postseason.
Joel Hofer, Springfield (St. Louis Blues)
The goalie took a significant step forward last spring when Springfield went on a run to the Calder Cup final.
With Charlie Lindgren, then with the St. Louis organization, on recall to the Blues in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hofer handled all of the goaltending responsibilities for Springfield as a rookie.
Hofer came to the Blues organization as a fourth-round pick (No. 107) in the 2018 NHL Draft. Midway through his second pro season, St. Louis signed the 22-year-old to a two-year contract extension on Jan. 3.
Hofer got an extended look with the Blues on recall earlier this month and made 33 saves in a 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets on March 19. In five games with the Blues, he went 3-0-1 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.
With Jordan Binnington back from a two-game suspension and the Blues 11 points behind Winnipeg for the second wild card in the West, St. Louis returned Hofer to Springfield. He is 23-14-4 with Springfield and is fourth in the AHL in save percentage (.920) and 11th in GAA (2.54). Even with the recall to St. Louis, his 40 games still tie him for third among AHL goalies.
Pyotr Kochetkov, Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes)
With Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta set as the goalie tandem for the Hurricanes, Kochetkov can get more playing time with Chicago.
His return to Chicago on Wednesday comes at a most opportune time. The defending Calder Cup champion can make one final push for a playoff berth; they are six points behind Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks). With nine games to go, Chicago has two more head-to-head games.
The 23-year-old has excelled with Chicago in his 20 games with the team. He is 13-5-2 with a 2.39 GAA and .916 save percentage. In 24 games for the Hurricanes, he is 12-7-5 with a 2.44 GAA and .909 save percentage. Carolina, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division, selected him in the second round (No. 36) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Akira Schmid, Utica (New Jersey Devils)
Utica has its goaltending tandem in place once again.
New Jersey, in competition for the Metropolitan Division title, returned Akira Schmid on Saturday. That same night, Nico Daws also returned to the Utica lineup and had 35 saves in a 1-0 shootout loss to Rochester (Buffalo Sabres).
With Mackenzie Blackwood back from injury, the Devils opted to send Schmid down rather than go with a three-goalie system. The 22-year-old has not played an AHL game since Feb. 19. A fifth-round pick (No. 136) in 2018, Schmid played well with the Devils. In 17 games this season for New Jersey, he is 8-5-2 with a 2.24 GAA and .918 save percentage. He's 10-6-3 with a 2.53 GAA and .908 save percentage in 20 games for Utica.
Utica trying to fend off both Syracuse (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Rochester for second place in the North Division with eight games to go in the regular season.
Cole Sillinger, Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets)
After 143 NHL games, Sillinger got his first look at the AHL this past weekend.
The 19-year-old forward had gone through a trying season with the Blue Jackets, who have been eliminated from the playoffs. In 64 games with Columbus, he had 11 points (three goals, eight assists). As a rookie last season, he had 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 79 games.
Sillinger, who went to Columbus at No. 12 in the 2021 NHL Draft, will get heavy minutes with Cleveland, another team fighting for a playoff berth in the North Division. He played three games in three days this past weekend and had three assists.
Cleveland is one point behind ahead of Laval (Montreal Canadiens) for the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division.