Top 10 AHLers ready for NHL duty in 2023-24

Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

You really need to follow the American Hockey League if you don’t already.

If you like watching the future of the game, the AHL is a great place to start. This past year had an exceptional crop of talent, with a ton of players ready to make the next step up to the NHL for 2023-24. It wasn’t just skater depth, either: some of the best talent came in the crease, including Calgary’s Dustin Wolf.

The fight for the 2024 Calder Trophy is going to be electric, led by Chicago’s Connor Bedard. But with a ton of quality players coming out of the AHL, expect this to be as good of a group as we’ve seen in quite some time.

Here’s a look at 10 players that should graduate to the NHL for the upcoming season:

Dustin Wolf, G, 22 (Calgary Flames)

Wolf can’t go back to the AHL. He’s way too good, simple as that. Wolf has won the top goaltender honors in both of his pro seasons, giving him a nice four-year streak after winning the same award in the WHL before that. All Wolf does is win, proving that teams made a big mistake not selecting him before the seventh round in 2019. The talent is there, with the 22-year-old recording a mind-blowing 77-20-7 record with seven shutouts and a .927 save percentage over 105 AHL games. He was excellent in his NHL debut as well, allowing just one goal on 24 shots in mid-April against San Jose. Daniel Vladar is still in the way for now, but if Wolf gets his chance, don’t be surprised if he’s the No. 1 over Jacob Markstrom before long.

Lukas Reichel, LW, 21 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Just about everyone thought Reichel was capable of being a full-time NHLer last year. But the Hawks were in full-on tank mode, and with Reichel being just 20 at the time, there was no reason to rush him. Taken 17th overall in 2020, Reichel had 57 points in 56 games with Rockford in 2021-22 before scoring 20 goals and 51 points this year. He also skated in 23 NHL games, recording seven goals and 15 points. The team is in dire straits next year, with very few high-quality forward options behind Connor Bedard. Really, there’s nothing in the way stopping Reichel next season.

David Jiricek, D, 19 (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Jiricek looked like a creature among mortals last year, showing very few signs of weakness in his first season in North America. Jiricek put up an impressive 38 points in 55 games with Cleveland to lead all U-20 defensemen. The Blue Jackets added some strength on the back end with Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, but Jiricek looks ready to challenge for a roster spot. The Blue Jackets are building something notable here, and Jiricek will be a huge part of the surge.

Simon Nemec, D, 19 (New Jersey Devils)

Speaking of high-profile defensemen, Nemec, the second pick in 2022, is one heck of a prospect. He had four fewer points than Jiricek while playing a key role with the AHL’s Utica Comets this season. The young Slovakian has spent the past few years playing against men, and while the AHL is a big jump from his native game in Slovakia, it didn’t seem to bother Nemec. The Devils have a good defensive crop, especially with Luke Hughes moving up, but Nemec is ready.

Tye Kartye, LW, 22 (Seattle Kraken)

Kartye’s rookie season was outstanding, with the undrafted free agent scoring 28 goals and 57 points in 72 games. He then stepped into Seattle’s top six during the playoffs before finishing off the AHL season by playing in the Calder Cup final. He had just one point in seven games in the eventual loss to Hershey, but Kartye’s season-long work gives you a reason to think he is ready to take the next step next year. Not bad for a forward that didn’t peak until his overage OHL campaign with the Soo Greyhounds.

Joel Hofer, G, 22 (St. Louis Blues)

Hofer impressed in his short NHL duty, leaving some to speculate as to whether he could overtake Jordan Binnington next year. It’s definitely not a stretch, especially after a tremendous year with Springfield. It was Hofer’s best season to date with a 27-15-5 record, five shutouts and a .921 save percentage, earning him a spot on the AHL’s second all-star team. He also was Canada’s backup at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, earning his second gold with Canada after his spectacular 2020 world junior performance. With a $775,000 cap hit, he comes at an excellent price, too.

Tyson Foerster, RW, 21 (Philadelphia Flyers)

Scoring has never been an issue for Foerster, who put up 20 goals and 48 points in his first year in the AHL. The 6-foot-2 winger also had seven points in eight NHL games, showing he could handle NHL duty with a team with low expectations and tons of roster flexibility. The Flyers will have that again next year, and Foester should factor into the team’s plans with his new No. 71. His skating is better than it was at this point a year ago, but it’s stil a work in progress.

Luke Evangelista, RW, 21 (Nashville Predators)

It’s only a matter of time until Evangelista – a dominant scorer at the U-16 and junior levels – made his mark in the NHL. After posting some of the best numbers of any U-22 player in the AHL, Evangelista was called up in late February and now has 15 points in 24 games. He was an excellent addition to the team’s top six, one that needed some extra scoring in the wake of injuries to Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. And while scoring at lower levels is one thing, it’s notable when it happens at various levels and then carries over to the next step. Evangelista should go full-time in 2023-24.

Arturs Silovs, G, 22 (Vancouver Canucks)

The Canucks rolled through a couple of backup goaltenders last season, but Silovs looks ready to take the throne next year. He went 3-2-0 in his first five games of NHL action and posted a 26-15-5 record with four shutouts for Abbotsford this year. His most notable performance came at the World Championship, where, after going 7-3-0 and leading Latvia to its first medal in IIHF history, he was named tournament MVP. Is he finally the right man to back up Thatcher Demko?

Lukas Dostal, G, 23 (Anaheim Ducks)

With John Gibson’s future in question, and no other NHL goalie currently signed, Dostal has the best chance to prove himself in the NHL. He was excellent in spot duty last year in his early-season NHL duty but had a bit of a rough patch to close things out. He played in the AHL all-star game after his good work in San Diego. Inconsistency has been an issue, but facing shots has never been. That being said, consistency will be key for him in the NHL.

Other notables: Simon Edvinsson, D, 20 (Detroit Red Wings), Marco Rossi, C, 21 (Minnesota Wild), Ryker Evans, D, 21 (Seattle Kraken), Yaroslav Askarov, G, 21 (Nashville Predators), Jiri Kulich, C, 19 (Buffalo Sabres)

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