The AHL is a developmental league. Yes, you want to win, but first and foremost the league is a tool for teams to develop their prospects, to help them get ready for the NHL. Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and, before this year, the LA Kings had farm teams that didn’t win much, but were considered successful.
Why is that?
Those teams developed players for the big club. Each year, one or two young players would emerge to fill a role on the NHL team from the AHL club. Here’s the thing, for each prospect that makes it, at least two players fall short of the goal. Some become solid AHL’ers, others fall out of pro hockey completely.
Really, the AHL is a trial and error league. It’s still great hockey (Trust me, it really is, I’ve been to tons of games!) but it’s all about seeing who can make it. Thing is, you’ll never know who can make it and who won’t if you don’t play your young guys.
The Edmonton Oilers have had on-ice success with their AHL clubs. The last five seasons, their affiliate has reached the playoffs, they’ve even advanced to the conference finals twice in that span. In their favor as well has been the development of some NHL players.
Jeff Petry, Martin Marincin, Oscar Klefbom, Justin Schultz, Magnus Paajarvi, Anton Lander, Chris VandeVelde, Colin McDonald, and a cast of others have come through the system since the Barons began play in the fall of 2010.
Here’s the thing, only Klefbom, Schultz and Lander have become full-time Oilers and have a spot in the lineup for 2015-16. That’s three of twenty-three players on the NHL roster. Not good at all.
Too Many Veterans In The AHL?:
Sadly, I think the answer to this question is yes. Last season, the Barons played forwards Justin Williams and Ryan Hamilton in key roles in the top-six. Joining them for a portion of the season was AHL’er Matt Ford, another minor league veteran. That’s three of the top-six forward spots occupied by players with, quite frankly, little to no NHL future.
Players like Mitch Moroz, prospects with a chance, were kicked to the pressbox to watch the games from above. I’m not saying Moroz should be on the first line, but you drafted the kid pretty high, play him and see what you’ve got!
This has been the case in years past, too. For years we have seen players who are AHL veterans take key spots on the Barons roster while prospects take the back seat.
If Edmonton ever wants to develop players for the big league team, this trend needs to stop right now.
Play The Following Please:
In 2015-16, the Oilers have a chance to change the tune here. Forwards Greg Chase, Kyle Platzer, Bogdan Yakimov, Anton Slepyshev, Andrew Miller, Iiro Pakarinen, Kale Kessy, Mitch Moroz and Jujhar Khaira should be playing close to every night. These are all prospects with, at this stage, the tools to at least be real NHL hopefuls.
Not all of the above guys will make it, but some of them will. You need to see who can swim and who will sink. Slepyshev could be the depth scorer Edmonton needs in a year or two, while Yakimov has third line center written all over him.
On defense, make sure Joey LaLeggia, Dillon Simpson and Jordan Oesterle play their minutes. You need to see if LaLeggia and Oesterle can defend at the pro level, see if these guys have the chops to potentially add some pop to the NHL blue-line in due time.
Oh, and if Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse or Griffin Reinhart get sent down, play them in the most prominent role possible. Sure, Brad Hunt might have more of an impact in October of 2015 in the AHL, but I promise you Nurse or Reinhart will have the bigger impact in the NHL in short order.
Finals Thoughts:
Guys like Phil McRae, Matt Ford and Ryan Hamilton are nice to have, heck you need one or two of them. That said, Edmonton has gone overboard with the AHL veterans the last few years, and they need to tone it down. The Bakersfield Condors must become more of a developmental tool for the Oilers than the Barons were.
Play the young kids and see if they can show the needed chops to take the next step. Placing Mitch Moroz, Kale Kessy or Jujhar Khaira in the pressbox does no one any good.
It may cost the AHL club a few wins in 2015-16, but I promise you the Oilers will be better off for it in the future. Let the kids develop in the AHL, let them hone their skills and learn the pro game. Eventually, they’ll produce the same results anyways.
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