AHL: Making Stops Along the Way

The Manitoba Moose and Rochester Americans finished first and second respectively in the AHL's North division. However, the Hamilton Bulldogs, who finished third, enjoyed the last laugh by defeating both teams in the playoffs en route to winning the Calder Cup against the Hershey Bears. McKeen's reviews several Amerks' and Moose players such as Alexander Edler that had an impact this season.

Manitoba Moose

Alexander Edler (Van), D, Manitoba

The Swedish rearguard made great strides in his pro debut, as he saw regular NHL action in over 20 contests this season .. still slight at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds .. when he puts on the weight, he should be a very serviceable defender, capable of logging many key minutes .. has good puck skills and rushes up the ice regularly with the puck .. understands and recognizes when he is being pressured and does an effective job of riding the puck out of the zone .. a constant on the PK, he is smart with his position and challenges forwards to the outside but is quick enough to identify changes and makes the appropriate adjustments to stay true to the system and not abandon the box .. his big frame serves him well, as he blocks shots .. he can be beaten down low when his reach is not as effective .. has great poise for a young player however, he does look awkward at times but that is largely due to his growing body, increased strength, and balance .. he should be able to be a regular in the NHL but will most likely be partnered with an offensive-minded defenseman .. at 21 years of age, he is clearly one of the Canucks best defenders in the system.

Luc Bourdon (Van), D, Manitoba

Started the season with the Canucks but was returned to his junior team after nine games .. Bourdon wore many jerseys this season, as he once again helped Canada win gold at the World Juniors for the second in a row .. he was dealt to Cape Breton in the new year and subsequently led them to the semifinals before bowing out to Val-d'Or in a heartbreaking seven-game series .. was immediately assigned to Manitoba for the Calder Cup playoffs .. adds instant size and mobility to the back end .. slick-skating defender possesses solid reverse movement and can switch directions swiftly .. he has a galloping first step, which looks awkward in appearance but is effective .. big defender at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, yet he lacks upper-body strength and is not able to contain forwards against the glass .. although with a 1987 birth date, some of the players he is playing against are 10-to-12 years older .. makes a solid first pass and is able to see the ice well .. he is learning on the job and needs to constantly move his feet after making a pass .. was guilty of trying to pinch with a one-goal lead in the final five minutes of the game and did not see another shift after that .. Canucks are optimistic for his future.

Jason Jaffray (Van), LW, Manitoba

Leading scorer for the Moose during both the regular season and the playoffs .. great vision and sensational passer, he exhibits outstanding patience and can hold onto the puck until the last second .. his skating holds him back from joining the rush, as he has a slight hiccup in his stride and does not garner much speed once he gets going .. ok along the boards but not very physical, as he gets pushed around a bit .. his strength is his anticipation and ability to get to open areas .. lacks physical play, yet he will go to the net but does not stay there long .. a finesse player who should be able to continue to contribute at the AHL level however, it is doubtful that the undrafted winger will see considerable time, if any at the NHL level.

Rochester Americans

Mike Card (Buf), D, Rochester

Buffalo's eighth-round selection in 2004 made his professional debut this season and a month later, was called up for a brief audition with the Sabres for four games on two separate call-ups .. still learning the pro game, as he watches plays unfold and is slow to react on occasion .. an ok skater, he moves swiftly as his long stride helps him cover the ice .. his footwork is also ok however, his speed could be worked on .. he is more of a defensive defenseman .. his numbers in the WHL were good but he lacks the requisite puck skills to be considered a PP QB .. at times, his lack of experience hurts him, as does his poor decision-making .. at times, he will take poor penalties out of laziness and undisciplined play .. coming along slowly as a potential No. 6 defender.

Michael Funk (Buf), D, Rochester

Funk saw time with the Sabres due to a rash of injuries on Buffalo's back end earlier in the year .. his career path is very similar to that of Card, as they are both graduates of the WHL and were drafted in the same season .. plays with grit and determination, as he competes very hard each shift .. a fluid skater, his mobility and side-to-side movement are definite assets to his game .. plays his position soundly .. he contributes well and does many little things including blocking shooting lanes and diving in front of shots .. he is an effective body checker, as he looks to finish his checks and drive forwards out wide by separating them from the shooting lane and then making them pay the price when he catches up to them on the wall .. protects his net well in front, as he is aggressive but clean .. did not handle the puck much but is capable however, his role as a defensive defenseman seems better suited for him.

Noah Welch (Fla), D, Rochester

The key-player involved in the Gary Roberts trade with Pittsburgh .. massive at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds .. left-handed-shooting rearguard is a puck moving defender with good puck handling ability .. he plays with an edge and will always be involved in a scrum .. strong upper body, he usually wins battles along the boards .. at times, he is too lackadaisical with the puck.. he needs to make faster plays especially out of his zone .. he struggles with smaller, quicker players in all areas of the ice, as he has a tendency to over commit and gets burned by them in one-on-one situations .. a decent skater, he is agile and remarkably coordinated for his size .. considering the Panthers gave up Gary Roberts to acquire his services, it is believed that he will challenge for a roster spot next year and work his way up the depth chart, as he shows considerable potential despite the rawness in his game.

Dylan Hunter (Buf), LW, Rochester

Enters his first season of pro hockey after recording back-to-back, 100-point campaigns during his final two years of junior hockey .. plays primarily on the PK .. he is a relatively smart player however, at times, he gets drawn out of position .. his speed is a major area of concern, as he struggles to keep up and must use his feet more .. decent stride and technique however, virtually no first-step quickness .. decent offensive skills, he gets his stick ready and is able to read plays .. still far away but he produced modest point totals considering his playing time.

Stefan Meyer (Fla), LW, Rochester

Amerks' Rookie-of-the-Year last season failed to build on his point totals and actually saw his PIM numbers decline as well .. was less physical this season and picked his spots better but was also not the receipt of many rookie calls that tend to go against first-year players in a new league .. still struggles to find his game, as he looked confused on several shifts and was behind most plays .. he hits but despite his listed size (6-2, 205), he appears much smaller .. his hits do not have much of an impact and his balance, especially his lower half, suffers a great deal due to lack of balance .. tries doing too much and does everything at top speed, as opposed to slowing his game down when needed .. he has good speed and is able to get to loose pucks first but too often he fails to manufacture a play and is guilty of many turnovers .. he had a problem finding the back of the net, as he only scored 13 times and one game he recorded a hat trick .. the sophomore slump applied and he will look to overcome this setback next season.

David Booth (Fla), Rochester

Booth played four years at Michigan, enjoying a stellar CCHA career .. played the better parts of the season with the Panthers recording ten points in 48 contests .. returned to the AHL for the Amerks playoff drive that was unfortunately short-lived, as they were beaten in six games to the Hamilton Bulldogs in the opening round .. a very mature player, his skill set and decision-making were very instrumental in creating offensive chances .. he is slightly bow-legged but he always came back to support the defense leading to chances the other way .. quick transition from forward to defense and vice versa .. can take and receive passes well in full flight and makes strong plays with the puck too the net .. strong down low, he is well balanced and his core strength enables him to compete in tight spaces .. very intelligent and industrious type-of-player, he is not afraid to get dirty or pay the price to win hockey games .. has certainly moved up the depth chart in the Panthers organization however, his point totals should still be fairly low, as he will likely be employed in a fourth-line shutdown role.

Clarke MacArthur (Buf), LW, Rochester

No one suffered more from the numbers and cap-space game this season .. playing on an incredibly rich and deep Sabres' team, he was eventually sent down once all the injured players returned to the lineup just before the playoffs .. he did not look out of place during his 17-game call-up, as the two years of pro experience served him well in a fourth-line capacity .. when playing in the NHL, he gave the fourth line a different dimension, as he was dangerous with the puck and showed imagination and a finishing touch .. a PP specialist for the Amerks, he not only recognized changes in defensive systems but made the appropriate changes almost instantaneously, which resulted in goals .. his release is quick and his boomer of a slapshot makes him lethal on the half boards .. is very effective in his ability to control the puck down low .. he has sandpaper to his game, as he plays aggressive and will challenge anybody in the corner for a loose puck .. should be an NHL regular, as the Sabres will most likely do some shuffling in the off-season.

Mike Ryan (Buf), LW, Rochester

Ryan has improved his game considerably this season and due to his uncanny speed and hockey sense, he was able to stick with the Sabres for a 19-game call-up .. had the opportunity to play with many skilled players in the NHL and although he looked slightly out of place with the pace of the game, he was able to keep up .. goes to open areas of the ice .. makes firm decisions with the puck and does not lose it easily .. skating is his best asset, as he is quick from a standstill and reaches full acceleration in two strides .. shows good puck skills and a fast release .. needs to focus more on his defensive game at the AHL level to once again make the leap to the NHL.

Anthony Stewart (Fla), RW, Florida

Former first-round draft pick has disappointed with his complete lack of effort and consistency .. was recalled briefly by the Panthers in an attempt to motivate him to play harder at the AHL level .. can score at will, as his hands are velvet-soft and for a player of his size, he is very agile .. swift and able skater, he can explode past players and make strong plays to and around the net .. doesn't always make the best play, as he tries to be too cute with his passes .. lazy player who watches the play some shifts as opposed to moving to it and initiating .. is the type of player that will play well once every six shifts but will score on that one, frustrating you to no end on others .. takes poor, selfish penalties .. has all the skill but does not seem to understand the work necessary to play at the next level .. whether that is attitude or hockey sense will be determined however, at this rate of development he should toil in the AHL for many years.

Mark Mancari (Buf), RW, Rochester

Full marks have to go to coach Randy Cunneyworth for completely turning Mancari around .. two years removed from junior and he already had his first taste of the NHL with a brief three-game call-up earlier this year .. has totally re-created himself and if he played with this much jam in junior, he would have been a top second-round pick .. playing with more urgency, as he is hitting everything that moves and finishing his checks, something he didn't do in junior where he was known as the friendly giant .. reading plays better and becoming more aware of his positioning .. leaves himself exposed after making a pass or a play and is often the receipt of a big hit .. a swift, ultra-smooth skater who can play either defense or forward .. experimented with playing defense but moved back to forward during the middle of the season however, he plays the point on the PP .. has all the skills to play in the NHL and looks like he has turned a big page in his development.

Patrick Kaleta (Buf), RW, Rochester

Another prospect from the 2004 draft class that saw icetime with the Sabres .. Buffalo native plays an in-your-face-type-of game and frustrated players to no end with his annoying tactics .. more of a special team's player with his ability to chase down the puckcarrier and be active in loose pucks on the pk .. he shows good defensive diligence .. takes borderline stupid penalties .. great speed in the straight away, slightly choppy on his turns and balance .. pesters players however, he will need to drop his gloves if he is going to play a Matthew Barnaby style for the Sabres.

Janis Sprukts (Fla), C, Rochester

The Florida scouting staff first noticed him when playing for Riga at the World Championships four seasons ago .. a big, hulking centre who gives the Amerks size and a presence up the middle .. wide, gangly skater, his coordination has settled down and he is slowly becoming a productive player offensively .. opens up room with his size however, his shot is average yet, he can release it from anywhere .. decent puck skills, he shelters the puck in his feet and drives to open areas of the ice to set up .. tends to cough up the puck when pressured and desperately needs to work on his defensive play .. was named the Amerks MVP this season.

Marek Zagrapan (Buf), C, Rochester

Zagrapan benefited from the rash of injuries to the Sabres, resulting in many of his linemates being called up, opening up more icetime for himself .. is the type of player that needs to be a top-two-line scorer to be effective and his increased icetime renewed his confidence .. decent stride and healthy acceleration, he still needs to take control of games by rushing the puck up the ice more .. solid stick handler, he has a plethora of moves .. he is very clever with the puck in terms of passing and when and where he shoots it .. appeared thicker toward the end of the season .. more of a finesse game, he must engage at times because his lack of physical play did not make him very endearing to his teammates, especially in the playoffs.