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The AHL Leader
by PuckStopsHere on 11/12/08 at 12:28 PM ET
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It is often valuable to look at the leaders in the AHL to learn about which NHL franchises have depth and players available who might make a significant NHL impact. Currently, the first place team in the AHL is the Portland Pirates. They have a 9-2 record (with one overtime loss). This gives them 19 points in 21 games. They are the Buffalo Sabres minor league affiliate. So not only is Buffalo off to a good start with 19 points in their 14 games, which has them in seventh place, they have plenty of depth in the minors.
Portland is led by AHL top scorer Mark Mancari. He has 21 points so far this season. At 23 years old he still has a shot at a legitimate NHL career. Thus far he has only played 3 NHL gamers in his life.
Other players with NHL possibilities include Tim Kennedy who has jumped to the AHL after a successful college career at Michigan State. Nathan Gerbe is another player who had a successful NCAA career. He played with Boston College. Thus far he has not been held back by his small size (he is 5’ 5”). He has ten goals so far this season. On defence, Marc-Andre Gragnani is a good prospect. He played two NHL games last season. Goaltending duties have been shared by Jhonas Enroth and Adam Dennis. Enroth has experience playing internationally for Sweden.
Buffalo has significant depth both at the NHL and AHL level. They should be able to handle injuries better than most clubs because of this depth. It will make the Buffalo Sabres a very durable team this year.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Portland+Pirates,
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Good article, PuckStopsHere! I always love a solid AHL article.
A couple of notes:
- Portland has 19 points in 11 games.
- Portland is does not have the most points, but the best winning percentage, so they aren’t the first place team in the AHL as it stands. Bridgeport, Manitoba, Chicago, Hamilton, and Hersey have 19-or-more points this season as well, but have played more games.
- After Mancari, Kennedy, and Gerbe, there are no other players in double-digits in points. They are looking to be a one-line team who has gotten some key contributions early on. They’ll need more secondary scoring as the season progresses and injuries make their appearances.
- Tyler Bouck, who is no longer a spring chicken, will be a solid player all year for Portland, especially in the leadership department.
- Marek Zagrapan should be better than 4pts in 11 games, especially with that -5 lurking in his stats.
Posted by Teebz on 11/12/08 at 04:15 PM ET