AHL notebook: Top NHL prospects who changed teams by Trade Deadline

The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline passed Monday and had significant implications on the American Hockey League.

The top developmental league for the NHL saw several top prospects change teams, providing those players with new opportunities and impacting the AHL playoff race.
Here is a look at some of those prospects and their new homes:
Justin Barron, Laval (Montreal Canadiens)
The rookie defenseman (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) moved to the Canadiens from the Colorado Avalanche with a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for forward Artturi Lehkonen.
Barron, 20, will join the Canadiens, but he is eligible to play for Laval, their AHL affiliate, in regular-season and playoff games this season.
A two-way defenseman, Barron was taken in the first round (No. 25) of the 2020 NHL Draft. After a standout career with Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, he became a full-time pro in the AHL with Colorado, where he scored 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 43 games this season. He also played his first two NHL games with the Avalanche.
Morgan Barron, Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets)
The acquisition of Andrew Copp from the Jets cost the New York Rangers one of their top prospects.
The Jets acquired Barron (6-4, 220), the older brother of Justin, and two conditional second-round picks in the 2022 or 2023 NHL Draft and a fifth-round pick in 2023 for Copp and a sixth-round pick in 2023.
The 23-year-old forward had climbed the list of top prospects for the Rangers after he was selected in the sixth round (No. 174) of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played three NCAA seasons at Cornell. In 2019-20, he captained Cornell, scored 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 29 games, and was the Player of the Year in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference while also being a Hobey Baker Award finalist as the top player in NCAA men's Division I college hockey.
The Rangers signed Barron to an entry-level contract July 31, 2020. He played 21 games last season for Hartford, New York's AHL affiliate, and scored 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists). He also played his first five NHL games and scored once. In his second pro season, he played 13 NHL games and had one assist. He scored 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 25 games for Hartford.
A favorite in Hartford for his smart play and leadership, Barron's playing time with the Rangers was limited by a deep roster. He will have a chance to compete for the Calder Cup with Manitoba, one of the top teams in the AHL. A strong performance would make him an excellent candidate for a permanent role with the Jets.
Michael McNiven, Belleville (Ottawa Senators)
More than anything, McNiven, 24, needs games.
Caught amid a glut of goalie prospects with the Canadiens through the first five seasons of his pro career, the undrafted McNiven (6-1, 199) struggled to find playing time with Laval.
Montreal traded him to the Calgary Flames for future considerations March 2, but he never played for either the Flames or Stockton, their AHL affiliate.
Ottawa acquired him from Calgary for future considerations. The move offers the Senators further organizational goaltending depth and they can go with an Anton Forsberg-Filip Gustavsson tandem at the NHL level for the remainder of the season.
It also stabilizes the goaltending for Belleville. Ottawa's AHL affiliate will have a formidable tandem of McNiven and highly touted prospect Mads Sogaard though the stretch drive for a chance to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Nate Schnarr, Laval (Montreal Canadiens)
Amid a breakout season as a third-year pro, the 23-year-old forward is on the move for the second time in his career.
The Canadiens acquired Schnarr (6-3, 185) from the New Jersey Devils for goalie Andrew Hammond. Schnarr scored 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 43 games for Utica, the AHL affiliate of the Devils.
New Jersey had acquired Schnarr from the Arizona Coyotes with forward Nicholas Merkley, defenseman Kevin Bahl, a conditional first-round pick in the 2020 draft, and a conditional third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft for forwards Taylor Hall and Blake Speers on Dec. 16, 2019.
With Laval, Schnarr can be a strong two-way presence.
Zach Senyshyn, Belleville (Ottawa Senators)
Sometimes a first-round pick needs a new start. Senyshyn will get that with Ottawa.
The Senators acquired the 24-year-old forward (6-1, 205) and a fifth-round pick in 2022 from the Boston Bruins for defenseman Josh Brown and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2022.
The Ottawa native was assigned to Belleville by the Senators. He scored 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 51 games for Providence, the Bruins' AHL affiliate.
Selected in the first round (No. 15) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Senyshyn played five seasons for Providence. He also played 14 games with Boston, scoring three points (one goal, two assists).
Like McNiven, the speedy Senyshyn is a significant stretch-drive addition for Belleville while he auditions for a potential role in Ottawa.