Capitals, Flames, Sharks Hold Top AHL Teams

The Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks have to be impressed with their AHL teams so far this season.

Ivan Miroshnichenko (10) takes the puck deep into Firebirds territory. The Hershey Bears hosted the Coachella Valley Firebirds Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals at Giant Center on Monday June 24, 2024. The Bears defeated the Firebirds, 5-4 in OT to claim their 13th Calder Cup Championship and their second in a row. / Travis Boyd/Special to the Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK

While the Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks are on two very different paths this NHL season, their AHL teams are much more similar. While the NHL teams are playing one way, that isn't necessarily reflected by their AHL counterparts.

The Capitals, Flames, and Sharks are the perfect examples. While the Caps are looking like an early contender in their division, the Flames are on the bubble between being a playoff team and a lottery team, and the Sharks are muddling through another rebuilding year with a young core. Despite the varied results at the NHL level, all three of these AHL clubs look like contenders in their own right.

Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

The defending Calder Cup champions of the AHL are a wagon once again. They have the best record in all of the AHL so far and that looks to continue.

They are led by 20 year-old winger and recent first round draft pick Ivan Miroshnichenko. He has seven goals and 14 points in his first 14 games of the season, and he looks like a dynamic player that could be an impact player for the Capitals very soon.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Another one of the most solid teams in the AHL, this team is in many ways what the NHL team is building. They have a star goalie in Yaroslav Askarov. They have a strong defense that has multiple quick, puck-movers capable of scoring in bunches in Shakir Mukhamadullin and Luca Cagnoni. And they have a blend of skill and grit in their forward group with NCAA stand-out Colin Graf leading the team in scoring and 2022 first-round pick Filip Bystedt playing strong, two-way hockey. It's led to an 8-4 record to start the year, second in their division only to this next team.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

The Flames are still an enigma as they approach the 20-game mark, but their AHL affiliate is having no issues against their competition. They are 11-3 so far and should continue making noise in their division as long as center Jakob Pelletier continues collecting points the way he already is.

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