Western Conference picture in AHL comes into focus with player additions

Young prospects from the Canadian Hockey League, the NCAA, and Europe continue to flow into the American Hockey League with the Calder Cup Playoffs three weeks away.
The Western Conference field remains wide open, and no team has clinched a playoff berth. The top four teams in each of the four AHL divisions qualifies for the postseason.

Here is a second look at Western Conference teams who have added young talent as the playoff races intensify. Part 1,
focusing on additions in the Eastern Conference
, ran last week.

Central Division

Manitoba has delivered a steady flow of high-end talent to the Winnipeg Jets, yet remains a top contender for the Calder Cup.
A 19-0-1-0 run through November and December put Manitoba atop the Western Conference. The recalls of goaltenders Eric Comrie and Michael Hutchinson, defenseman Tucker Poolman, and forward Jack Roslovic to the Jets have slowed some of that momentum in February and March.
Reinforcements are on the way to Manitoba, which has eight wins in its past 18 games. Second-place Chicago (Vegas Golden Knights) is three points behind Manitoba and holds a game in hand.
The Jets signed Minnesota State-Mankato forward C.J. Suess to a one-year entry-level contract Monday. He agreed to an amateur tryout contract and will report to Manitoba.
Suess (5-foot-11, 190), 24, could be the latest find for the Jets. They drafted him in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2014 NHL Draft, and he has progressed through a four-season college career. After a 43-point season (22 goals, 21 assists) in 40 regular-season games, he was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year and was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Defending Calder Cup champion Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings) continues to try to find its footing in the standings, sitting third in the Central Division, five points ahead of Rockford and three behind Chicago. Czech defenseman Libor Sulak joined the team from Lahti (Finland) on friday.
Sulak (6-2, 207), 24, had 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 42 regular-season games for Lahti. Sulak did not play this past weekend but could be needed defensive depth for the organization, especially with Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green sidelined for the rest of the season.
Forward Victor Ejdsell had a layover with Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks) this past weekend before being called up to the Blackhawks under emergency conditions, but he provided a boost while he was there, registering an assist in two games before the recall. The Blackhawks acquired Ejdsell, 22, from the Nashville Predators in the deal for Ryan Hartman at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 26.
Ejdsell (6-5, 214) had 34 points (20 goals, 14 assists) in 50 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League. In 2016-17, he was named the most valuable player in the second-division Allsvenskan.
Rockford, fourth in the Central with 78 points, two behind Grand Rapids, is in a battle with Iowa (Minnesota Wild) and Milwaukee (Nashville), who have 78 and 75 points, respectively.

Pacific Division

Division leader Tucson is living without top rookie forward Dylan Strome, who is on recall with the parent Arizona Coyotes, along with defenseman Trevor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin.
San Diego, at 72 points, remains in pursuit of Tucson. The Anaheim Ducks brought in help for San Diego with the signing of forward Kiefer Sherwood from Miami-Ohio to a two-year entry-level contract. Sherwood (6-0, 194), 22, had an overtime goal in his AHL debut. Undrafted, he had 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 36 regular-season games this season before turning pro.
San Antonio is trying to fight its way into the top four in the division and the St. Louis Blues sent it forward Austin Poganski on Monday. Poganski (6-2, 210), 22, was the captain at the University of North Dakota and had 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 40 regular-season games. St. Louis selected him in the fourth round (No. 110) of the 2014 draft.
San Jose (San Jose Sharks) and Bakersfield (Edmonton Oilers) remain alive as well. The Sharks reassigned Swiss forward Noah Rod, a second-round pick (No. 53) in the 2014 draft, to their AHL affiliate. Rod (6-0, 195), 21, moves from Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League A, where he had nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 25 regular-season games.

Eastern Conference

With Ottawa eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the progress of goaltender Filip Gustavsson, 19, with Belleville will be a major storyline.
Gustavsson, a key piece in a Feb. 23 trade with Pittsburgh that sent Derick Brassard to the Penguins, made his AHL debut with Belleville on Sunday with a 37-save performance in an 8-2 win against Laval.
Gustavsson (6-2, 185) was 9-11-0 with a 2.07 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 22 regular-season games with Lulea in Sweden's top league.

Setting the playoff stage

Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Flyers) has clinched a berth in the Atlantic Division. Providence (Boston Bruins) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins) continue to fight for second place and could be on track to meet in their fifth playoff series in the past six seasons. Fourth-place Charlotte (Carolina Hurricanes) holds a nine-point lead on fifth-place Bridgeport (New York Islanders).
The North Division playoff field is set. AHL-leading Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) will be joined by Syracuse (Tampa Bay Lightning), Rochester (Buffalo Sabres), and Utica (Vancouver Canucks), although the order of those four remains to be seen.
Belleville, Binghamton (New Jersey Devils), Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets), Hershey (Washington Capitals), Laval (Montreal Canadiens), and Springfield (Florida Panthers) each have been eliminated from playoff contention.