AHL Trade/Loan Deadline Day 2020
Monday, March 2nd, 2020 marks the trade/loan deadline for the American Hockey League (AHL), meaning today is the final day that AHL teams can execute trades involving players on AHL contracts or have their NHL counterparts agree to "loan" players between their AHL affiliates whilst those NHL-contracted players rights' remain with their original team.
A good example of an NHL-contracted player being loaned to a different AHL club came over the weekend when the New York Islanders shipped out disgruntled prospect forward Josh Ho-Sang to the AHL's San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis). Ho-Sang, 24, is an Islanders' pending restricted free agent this summer, but with a long-term injury to Rampage forward Nathan Walker the team needed help at the forward position and an agreement was made for the rest of the 2019-20 season.
While not as many deals occur on the AHL's Monday 3pm ET deadline, there are still several teams that will be active in at least seeing what's available as a last-minute depth addition for the stretch run leading into the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Identifying The Landscape of the AHL Trade/Loan Marketplace
Teams InsideAHLHockey.com thinks will be willing to part with veterans/depth players
Teams out of realistic playoff contention, like Bakersfield (EDM), Bridgeport (NYI), Cleveland (CBJ), Lehigh Valley (PHI), Manitoba (WPG) and San Jose (SJS) may be more eager to shed some AHL salary and/or be willing to loan NHL-contracted players to other AHL affiliates in an attempt to open up ice time down the stretch for their younger players to gain valuable playing experience.
Teams InsideAHLHockey.com thinks will be active/aggressive in trying to acquire depth pieces for the stretch run
In the Eastern Conference, the safe bet is that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and head coach/AHL GM Mike Vellucci will be doing their due diligence prior to Monday's 3pm ET deadline. Entering the first week of March in sixth place in the Atlantic Division and tied with fifth place Springfield with 62 points despite having played one extra game, the Penguins could use an extra jolt to their roster for the stretch run.
Vellucci has been no stranger to making moves with the Penguins since taking over head coaching and AHL GM duties over the summer. Recent additions Riley Barber and Phil Varone have helped bolster the forward core, but surely the Penguins could be in the market for more scoring help.
One name I can't help but throw out there as a possible option the Penguins could pursue is that of rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Greg Carey. A near 30-goal scorer annually at the AHL level, Carey has managed 15 goals and 12 assists on a struggling Phantoms squad this season. He formed quite the duo with Varone while the two were in Allentown in 2018, which also happens to be the year Varone was the AHL's MVP.
Something to keep an eye on, perhaps, but that's if the Phantoms would be willing to let Carey finish out the season on a contending team - albeit a rival.
Other teams that might be active in acquiring depth players today: Charlotte, Hartford, Syracuse, Toronto, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Ontario and San Diego.
AHL Trade/Loan Tracker
Bridgeport acquired forwards Terry Broadhurst and Cedric Lacroix from Charlotte in exchange for forward Ryan Bourque.
Springfield sent forward Matt Marcinew to Stockton in exchange for future considerations.
The Los Angeles Kings loaned defenseman Daniel Brickley to AHL Manitoba (WPG), while the Winnipeg Jets loaned forward Michael Spacek to AHL Ontario (LAK).
Check back throughout the day for all the latest transactions affecting AHL teams during today's trade/loan deadline.
