AHL

The NHL’s 50-contract limit per organization, combined with the AHL’s veteran rule, means there are always a few spots on affiliates’ rosters for players not contracted with their NHL parent club. AHL-only contracts are a good way to add experienced talent to aid in prospect development without using up a precious NHL contract slot. They’re also frequently used to evaluate undrafted free agents before deciding whether to commit to them on an entry-level deal.

In the past few years, some notable quick ascensions from AHL deals to NHL playing time have occurred, most recently the Avalanche’s Ivan Ivan and the Capitals’ Ethen Frank. The Sharks recently tore up forward Colin White’s deal with their AHL affiliate and replaced it with an NHL two-way commitment. We’ll likely see more of those moves before the trade deadline as teams look to add recall options and reward depth players for strong performances. 

Here are some free agents to watch who could be in line for an NHL contract soon, whether it’s midseason or during free agency:

Calen Addison, D, Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

Addison already has over 150 NHL games under his belt, but the 24-year-old’s limited utility outside of being a power-play quarterback led to him needing to settle for minor-league playing time. Selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2018 draft, he was traded to the Wild in the 2020 Jason Zucker deal. Addison managed 38 points in 92 games with Minnesota before being traded again to the lowly Sharks early in the 2023-24 campaign. In San Jose, he finished the season with a -35 rating and only 12 points in 60 showings. That led to a non-tender, and Addison couldn’t land an NHL contract in training camp on a tryout with the Senators, either.

Despite that track record of teams quickly cutting bait with the 5’11” righty, he’s never had a tangibly negative impact on his team’s even-strength possession numbers in limited minutes. His team-worst -20 rating in 35 AHL games with the Golden Knights’ affiliate is a bit of an eyesore, but the team has struggled overall defensively. His 22 points are tied for 13th in the league among defenders and could put him back in consideration for a two-way deal, whether in Sin City or elsewhere over the summer.

Braeden Bowman, F, Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

Sticking in Nevada, the 21-year-old Bowman has impressed in his first professional season. After going undrafted through three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, Bowman ranks fifth on the Silver Knights with 19 points through 38 games and is tied for second on the team with nine goals. He leads the league in scoring among rookies not affiliated with NHL clubs. The 6’2″ winger also captained Guelph last season, leading them with 37 goals in 68 games.

Brandon Halverson, G, Syracuse Crunch (TBL)

Halverson was a second-round pick of the Rangers in 2014 and even got a cup of coffee with them in a relief appearance in the 2017-18 season. However, the Michigan native’s development flamed out, and he became an ECHL full-timer shortly thereafter. Now 28 and two seasons removed from suiting up in the German second-tier pro league, Halverson has dominated the league with a sparkling .925 SV%, 2.02 GAA, and four shutouts in 24 appearances for Syracuse. With backup Matt Tomkins as Tampa Bay’s only current recall option and eight open contract slots, it’s hard to see why the Bolts haven’t snapped him up yet with a two-way deal to keep him from leaving the organization.

Cameron Hebig, F, Tucson Roadrunners (UTA)

The 28-year-old Hebig is in his seventh professional season, the past five of which have been spent in the Coyotes/Utah organization with Tucson. He jumped to the pros in 2018 after receiving an entry-level contract from the Oilers, but they didn’t qualify him upon expiry in 2020, and he’s spent the last half-decade on AHL deals with the Roadrunners. That patience could pay off, as the versatile 5’10” forward is amid a career year with 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points through 34 games. That’s good for second on the team, as is his +13 rating.

Boris Katchouk, F, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

Katchouk played at least 50 NHL games every year between 2021-22 and 2023-24, but that wasn’t enough to secure an NHL offer on the open market this summer following a non-tender from the Senators. He appeared in training camp with the Ducks on a tryout, and while his performance wasn’t sufficient to land him a two-way contract, it did get him an extended look with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate. His decision was wise, as the 6’2″ physical winger has rediscovered his offensive mojo. After ending last year with four points in 21 games for Ottawa following a waiver claim from the Blackhawks, he has 27 points in 33 AHL games with WBS. That ranks third on the team, and his +10 rating is tied for first. It could be enough for teams to consider him an option as a bottom-six complementary scorer.

Matt Luff, F, Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)

Luff, 27, had seen NHL ice in five straight seasons until 2023-24. He was under a one-way league minimum deal with the Red Wings but was injured for most of the campaign and only saw AHL action when healthy. He landed a training camp tryout with the Panthers but was promptly released. The 6’3″ right-winger had four points in six games for AHL Charlotte on a PTO before they, too, released him, and Springfield moved quickly to give him a guaranteed deal for the rest of the year. He’s exploded for his second point-per-game AHL season in the last four years, potting 11 goals and 15 assists through 26 appearances.

Zach Metsa, D, Rochester Americans (BUF)

Perhaps no one has a more intriguing case for a contract on this list than Metsa, who’s broken out for 28 points and a +7 rating in 40 appearances with Rochester in his second professional campaign. The 26-year-old captained Quinnipiac to a national championship in 2023 and received NHL interest then, but the righty’s 5’9″ frame was a pressing concern. The likelihood of him becoming a full-time NHLer is slim, but he ranks third in the league in points from the blue line and is at least deserving of a call-up opportunity, whether it’s in Buffalo or elsewhere.

Jack Millar, D, Ontario Reign (LAK)

Millar, 24, is a hulking 6’5″ righty in his first pro campaign after a four-year run at Colorado College. The stay-at-home defender has seven assists through 34 games but leads the Reign with a +19 rating and has largely stayed out of the box with only 15 PIMs. That’s a good mix of talent for an under-25 skater and will likely earn him at least a brief NHL look somewhere down the line.

Dominik Shine, F, Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)

Shine is a Michigan lifer, now in his ninth season with the Griffins after four years with Northern Michigan University. The 31-year-old forward has never inked an NHL contract, though. That could be in line to change soon, as after nearly a decade of middling fourth-line/middle-six production, he’s broken out for 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points through 40 games. He’s just one point short of his career high, set last season, and leads the team in scoring ahead of NHL-experienced veterans like Sheldon Dries, Joe Snively and Austin Watson.

Jake Wise, F, Colorado Eagles (COL)

A third-rounder by the Blackhawks in 2018, he didn’t land an NHL contract after a sometimes tumultuous collegiate tenure with Boston University and Ohio State and became a free agent. After an inconsistent rookie AHL campaign split between two clubs last year, he’s looking more comfortable this season in the Avalanche organization. He’s skated in 32 games for an Eagles squad that’s seen a lot of in-season turnover up front thanks to a rash of injuries on their parent club, tied for second the team with 12 goals through 32 games. He’ll be 25 next month and posted 39 points in 40 games for OSU in his final collegiate season.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.