As the AHL season begins, FloHockey’s AHL beat writer Patrick Williams will be keeping a semi-regular top 10 in a power rankings of sorts. Check back regularly to see if your favorite team made the list.
Here’s the first go-round for the new season.
Ranking The AHL’s Top 10 Teams So Far In 2024-25
1. Hershey Bears
The defending Calder Cup champion Bears loaded up again this summer, but opening the season with five games in eight nights would be a test for any club. For a team that has gone into deep June the past two seasons, those demands are that much more pronounced, something that head coach Todd Nelson has acknowledged. Until the Bears are able to iron out the normal early-season inconsistencies, they have enough to win games on talent alone. In the past, the Bears sometimes lacked all-out firepower; this season’s team is averaging four goals per game.
2. Toronto Marlies
Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, a 2021 fourth-rounder, had shown some potential last season in the KHL. But he came to North America with only 21 games in that league behind him. Through three games, he already has a shutout and is looking like he could be an excellent half of the Marlies’ net tandem with Matt Murray. Alex Nylander has given the Marlies another elite scorer and someone who has made up for the offseason loss of Kieffer Bellows.
3. Calgary Wranglers
Dustin Wolf’s long-awaited promotion to the Calgary Flames had made the Wranglers something of an open question this season, but the Wranglers have gotten off to a 4-1-0-0 start with newcomer Devin Cooley more than handling the job in net.
Rory Kerins, Walker Duehr, and Jakob Pelletier are one-two-three in AHL scoring so far.
4. San Jose Barracuda
The Barracuda made dramatic offseason changes that already look to be taking hold. Start with goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who has two shutouts over his first three starts. San Jose’s top five scorers are all rookies. Luca Cagnoni is a rookie defenseman with four goals in his first five games. A dangerous contingent of veterans has not yet put up big numbers. When those older players do, San Jose could be even more of a handful for opponents.
5. Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte was another very active team this past summer. Consistently a team capable of making noise from one season to the next, the Checkers have another strong group in place. Aidan McDonough, who had to settle for an AHL deal in the summer, is one of the AHL’s top stories so far with six goals through four games.
6. Milwaukee Admirals
Few things in hockey are as reliable as the Admirals and success even though head coach Karl Taylor has had to manage a fairly significant amount of turnover after his club reached the Western Conference Finals the past two seasons. One question involves the Nashville Predators. If the parent club continues to struggle, how long until a call is put in for reinforcements from Milwaukee?
7. Laval Rocket
It’s a sure bet that the Rocket will be among the AHL’s most scrutinized teams this season. For one, they play amid the always-attentive Montreal Canadiens fan base. But this is also a team with legitimate prospects up and down the roster. Logan Mailloux’s recall to the Canadiens is a significant loss, however.
8. Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas appointed assistant general manager Jason Spezza to help lead an overhaul of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton operation in the offseason. Starting with new head coach Kirk MacDonald, a new collection of strong veterans was brought in. Pittsburgh will need time to replenish its prospect pool, but the in the meantime this roster could make Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a more potent challenger to Hershey.
9. Grand Rapids Griffins
The production is not there yet for the Griffins, who do have a base of scorers that should come through soon enough. But allowing five goals in four games will buy time for the offense to find itself.
10. Texas Stars
This is another solid Texas club even though the AHL’s most valuable player in Maverik Bourque and its rookie of the year, Logan Stankoven, have both graduated to the Dallas Stars. Coming off a season at Northeastern in which he was a Hobey Baker Award nominee, Justin Hryckowian is an early good-news story for Texas.
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