AHL notebook: NHL prospects to watch in Calder Cup conference finals
Primeau of Canadiens, Valimaki of Flames among those in league's final four
By
Patrick Williams
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
The Western Conference final, which starts Friday, has Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes), the regular-season champion, facing Stockton (Calgary Flames). The Eastern Conference Final, which begins Saturday, will feature Laval (Montreal Canadiens) facing Springfield (St. Louis Blues).
Each series is a best-of-7.
Here is a look at five top NHL prospects who competing for the Calder Cup:
Nikita Alexandrov, Springfield
The 21-year-old forward showed considerable promise in his first full North American pro season.
Selected in the second round (No. 62) of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Blues, Alexandrov had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 67 games for Springfield. He divided the previous season between KooKoo of Liiga in Finland and Utica, an AHL affiliation the Blues shared with the Vancouver Canucks for one season. In 28 Liiga games he had nine points (three goals, six assists); he then had five points (three goals, two assists) during seven games with Utica. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with St. Louis on Aug. 1, 2019.
He has blossomed in the Calder Cup Playoffs into a point-per game player through two rounds with six points (two goals, four assists) and has taken on key responsibilities for Springfield, the lone undefeated playoff team in the AHL (6-0).
Vasiliy Ponomarev, Chicago
The highly productive Carolina farm system has another young forward talent developing with Chicago.
Ponomarev turned 20 on March 30 shortly before his assignment to Chicago following the completion of his season with Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. Carolina chose him in the second round (No. 53) of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract Oct. 20, 2020.
In 14 KHL games, he had two points (one goal, one assist). After going to Chicago to play for the fourth-best regular-season offense in the AHL (3.43 goals per game), he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 11 games. He has four points (one goal, three assists) in seven playoff games for Chicago.
Cayden Primeau, Laval
As the Canadiens' goaltending picture continues to unfold with the uncertainty about the health of starter Carey Price, the 22-year-old is making his case for a full-time role with Montreal.
A seventh-round pick (No. 199) by Montreal in the 2017 NHL Draft, Primeau's career began to rise with two strong seasons at Northeastern of the NCAA, where he was a Hockey East First All-Star Team selection each season. As a sophomore, he also was named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Year and won the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in college hockey. He turned pro and signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal on March 31, 2019.
In his third pro season with Laval, he was 16-12-3 with two shutouts, a 2.94 goals-against average, and .909 save percentage in 33 games. He also played 12 regular-season games with the Canadiens and was 1-7-0 with a 4.62 GAA and .868 save percentage.
In the postseason, he has gone 6-1 with a 1.93 GAA (sixth among AHL goalies) and .936 save percentage (sixth).
Juuso Valimaki, Stockton
With the Flames having been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference Second Round by the Edmonton Oilers, Valimaki will continue his season with Stockton.
Calgary assigned the 23-year-old defenseman to Stockton after the elimination, and he played Game 4 of a second-round series against Colorado (Colorado Avalanche). Before the assignment, he had divided his postseason between Calgary and Stockton and had played three AHL playoff games against Bakersfield (Edmonton). He has one assist in the AHL postseason.
Calgary selected Valimaki in the first round (No. 16) of the 2017 draft. After being out all of the 2019-20 season because of a knee injury cost, played 49 games with the Flames last season and had 11 points (two goals, nine assists). He divided this season between the NHL and AHL; in 35 games with Stockton, he had 18 points (two goals, 16 assists). He also had two assists in nine games for Calgary.
Dustin Wolf, Stockton
Wolf, a 21-year-old goalie, continues to be one of the most noteworthy stories in the AHL after Calgary drafted him in the seventh round (No. 214) of the 2019 draft.
Wolf was an AHL First Team All-Star selection and was also named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. After going 33-9-4 with a 2.35 GAA and .924 save percentage in 47 games, he won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award as the top goalie in the AHL. He also was a two-time winner of the top goalie award for the Western Hockey League while with Everett each of the past two seasons.
His play has carried into the postseason, where he is 6-1 with a 1.82 GAA (fourth-best among AHL playoff goalies) and .941 save percentage (third) in seven games. He shut out Colorado three times in four games, including a 40-save game Sunday to clinch the series.
