Three Players Likely to Make NHL Debut This Season

Which AHL players are most likely to make their NHL debuts this season?

Oct 1, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom (42) plays the puck near the blue line against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The AHL is loaded with talent, and organizations like the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, and Dallas Stars are hoping to receive major contributions from their affiliates before the end of the season. Each team enters the second half of the season with unique needs and pressures, which is why they each have a player likely to make their NHL debut by the end of the season.

Yegor Sidorov - Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have a variety of intriguing young prospects, and there's plenty of youngsters eager to make their NHL debut. One player to keep an eye on is 2023 third-round pick Yegor Sidorov. After an 88-point campaign in the Western Hockey League after being drafted, he's made a seamless transition to the professional game.

Through his first 29 games, he has nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points. The Ducks could have some openings emerge in the second half of the season, and the need for a scoring winger could elevate Sidorov to the NHL in just his first professional season.

Antonio Stanges - Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are a team that builds from within, and with an ever-present need for more production in the bottom-six, they may turn to former fourth-round pick Antonio Stranges for reinforcements. The 22-year-old winger is having an excellent season in the AHL with the Texas Stars, leading the team with 12 goals and 29 points in 27 games. He's already eclipsed his previous career bests in the AHL this season, showing a marked improvement in his playmaking and determination to get to the net.

The Stars may target a veteran name to add to their forward group, which would eliminate any chance Stranges has of debuting this season. But it seems just as likely that he follows in the footsteps of fellow draftees like Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque who were given opportunities first when the team had them.

Adam Engstrom - Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens are likely to be sellers at the Trade Deadline, which could leave several spots open on their blue line for the rest of the season. The organization loves former first-round pick Logan Mailloux, but there's a case to be made that Adam Engstrom is having the better season and is more deserving of a call up.

Through 30 games of his first season in the AHL, he's looked like a season veteran. It makes sense, since he was a standout player with Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League last season. He's accustomed to the rigors of the professional game that pairs well with his poise and calmness on the ice. He has three goals and 13 assists for 16 points to lead all Laval Rocket defenders and could see playing time in Montreal before the end of the year.

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