The quarter-pole of the American Hockey League season is approaching and the race to the Calder Cup Playoffs is in full swing.
Here is a look at some key players, including one familiar NHL name, who will be counted on to secure a postseason berth in the NHL’s top developmental league. Playoff qualification varies among the AHL’s four divisions but clinching first place guarantees avoiding a potential best-of-3 first-round series. In all, 23 teams across the four divisions qualify for the postseason.
This week we look at Western Conference players. A breakdown of Eastern Conference prospects was published March 6.
Matej Blumel, Texas (Dallas Stars)
The 24-year-old has become one of the elite forwards in the AHL and potentially another top find by Dallas management.
Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round (No. 100) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Blumel instead signed with Dallas as free agent June 6, 2022, following three years in the Czech league with HC Pardubice.
In his first two seasons with Texas, he had a combined 50 goals in 130 regular-season games. This season, however, he has moved into a tie for the AHL lead with 33 goals in 52 games. He is also second in the league with 58 points. He had a hat trick March 15 against Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) and had his fifth two-goal game of the season March 18 against Ontario (Los Angeles Kings).
He also has played seven games with Dallas this season and has one goal. Texas is in a battle for first place in the Central Division and will continue to rely heavily on Blumel as he also continues to work toward a full-time role with Dallas.
Kirill Kudryavtsev, Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks)
The Canucks may have found a potential bargain in this 21-year-old rookie defenseman, selected in the seventh round (No. 208) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Kudrtyavtsev has quickly shown that he can be a reliable option for coach Manny Malhotra as Abbotsford works to move into the top half of the Pacific Division standings. He has 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 53 games, tied for sixth in scoring among AHL defensemen.
Tristan Luneau, San Diego (Anaheim Ducks)
NHL general managers want their prospects to face pressure, be it throughout the regular season or in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Luneau, a 21-year-old rookie defenseman, is getting all of that with San Diego. Anaheim took him in the second round (No. 53) of the 2022 draft, and he has had a standout season with San Diego. His 42 points (six goals, 36 assists) in 53 games tie him for third in scoring among defensemen, second among rookie defensemen, and he leads all rookie defensemen in assists. He also has played six games with the Ducks.
Having nearly fallen out of contention, San Diego has used a hot second half to move back into contention for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
Olivier Rodrigue, Bakersfield (Edmonton Oilers)
The 24-year-old goalie has been with Bakersfield for parts of five seasons and continues to battle for a future role with Edmonton. The Oilers took him in the second round (No. 62) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
In 37 games for Bakersfield, he is 18-13-7 with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. His 37 games rank third among AHL goalies, and he has taken much of that workload in a tandem with veteran Collin Delia.
Bakersfield is contending with Tucson (Utah Hockey Club) for a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs and is eighth in the Pacific Division, two points out of a playoff spot.
Kailer Yamamoto, Tucson (Utah Hockey Club)
This former NHL forward has spent most of this season in the AHL.
Selected in the first round (No. 22) of the 2017 NHL Draft by Edmonton, Yamamoto has played a combined 306 NHL games with the Oilers, Seattle Kraken, and Utah. In that time, he has 134 points (58 goals, 76 assists). After playing last season with Seattle and finishing with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 59 games, he signed with Utah as a free agent Oct. 6, 2024.
He has played three games with Utah but has mainly featured for Tucson, where he has 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) in 49 games, tied for the eighth-most points in the AHL this season.
Tucson is trying to fend off Bakersfield for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
