AHL Top 30 Midseason Update

DiPietro still on track for stardom with Islanders

By Kevin Winter, Special to CNNSI.com

BOSTON (Ticker) -- At the beginning of the 2001-2002 season, SportsTicker released a list of its top 30 prospects in the American Hockey League.

Here is the update at the All-Star break. The player rankings remain the same.

1. Rick DiPietro, G, Bridgeport (Islanders) -- Coming into this season, DiPietro knew that he would be the focal point of the Islanders' minor league farm system. So far, he has been. The top pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft has appeared in just under 70 percent of games for the Sound Tigers. When he hasn't been between the pipes in Bridgeport, DiPietro has spent some time with the parent club, backing up either Garth Snow or Chris Osgood.

2. Ron Hainsey, D, Quebec (Canadiens) -- Considered to be one of the game's top two-way defenseman after two seasons at UMass-Lowell, Hainsey has not disappointed. The 20-year-old has registered seven goals and added 17 assists in 40 games for the Citadelles. Hainsey, a former first-round selection, 13th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, ranks fourth on the team with a plus-11 rating.

3. Ari Ahonen, G, Albany (Devils) -- Ahonen found himself in a battle with Scott Clemmensen for the top netminding position in Albany, and both have seen nearly an equal amount of action. The 27th overall selection in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Ahonen has struggled as of late, going winless in his last eight starts since January 4.

4. Maxime Ouellet, G, Philadelphia (Flyers) -- The Philadelphia organization has become extremely deep at the goaltending spot, and Ouellet is one of the primary reasons. Despite the emergence of Neil Little this season, Ouellet has seen the majority of action in net and is 14-9-7 in 31 games. After playing in two games for the Flyers last season, Ouellet has yet to appear in an NHL game this year.

5. Jani Rita, LW/RW, Hamilton (Oilers) -- After spending the last three seasons in the Finish Elite League, Rita has made the transition to the North American style of hockey with relative ease. The 13th overall selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, he has 19 goals and 15 assists in 55 games this season. The 6-foot-1, 206-pounder, who is a rugged winger with a hard shot, has three multi-goal games this season.

6. Mike Mottau, D, Hartford (Rangers) -- For the second straight season, Mottau is proving what kind of a two-way player he is along the blue line. The former Hobey Baker winner at Boston College has scored seven goals and added 25 assists and has played in all 52 games for the Wolf Pack this season. Offense is not his only forte. The 6-foot-0, 192 pound Mottau is tied for third on the team with a plus-13 rating.

7. Mika Noronen, G, Rochester (Sabres) -- If Noronen felt slighted by not making the Sabres' lineup out of training camp, the 22-year-old Finish netminder has showed few signs of disappointment. He has fallen off the pace of his first two seasons in the league. But, despite an 11-14-10 record, Noronen still boasts a 2.66 goals against average to go along with a .901 save percentage.

8. Raffi Torres, LW, Bridgeport (Islanders) -- Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury elected to leave Torres down the minor leagues this season for some grooming. Like most other things this season for New York, the move has paid off. Torres has struggled to the tune of only 12 goals and seven assists in 34 games with Bridgeport (he went 0-1-1 in 14 contests with the Islanders). Torres, who averaged 37 goals over three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, missed the last five games before the All-Star break with an ankle injury.

9. Daniel Tkaczuk, C, Worcester (Blues) -- It might be the acclimation to a new team, but something has slowed Tkaczuk down. The sixth overall selection by the Calgary Flames in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, who came over to the Ice Cats this summer in the Roman Turek trade, he has just five goals and 20 assists in 51 games. In his two previous seasons in the AHL, Tkaczuk had 68 goals, 103 assists and 171 points in 180 career games.

10. Jamie Lundmark, C, Hartford (Rangers) -- A lot has been made about New York's first-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, and the 21-year-old has more than held his own. Lundmark has 16 goals, which ranks fourth on the team, and 18 assists in 51 games for the Wolf Pack. The one problem, at least statistically, is that the 6-foot, 174-pound center owns a minus-17 rating.

11. Mikhail Kuleshov, LW, Hershey (Avalanche) -- Coming out of training camp, it was expected the Kuleshov would adapt quickly to the North American game. His 15 points in 49 games for a non-scoring defenseman is not a problem in the eyes of many. But, a minus-10 rating could be. According to Colorado head coach Bob Hartley, a lack of playing time in preseason games due to a knee injury is all that prevented Kuleshov from making the club.

12. Jason Chimera, C, Hamilton (Oilers) -- Chimera continues to improve his scoring output in the AHL and is on pace to establish career highs in goals and points. Through 54 games this season, the former fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers has 17 goals and 51 points to go along with a career-high 34 assists. However, the 22-year-old, who was the last player cut by Edmonton coming out of training camp, has struggled of late. He has just one goal in his last 17 games.

13. Barret Jackman, D, Worcester (Blues) -- One of the knocks on Jackman coming out of training camp was that he needed to add discipline to his physical play. The former first-round pick in 1999 leads the Ice Cats with 213 penalty minutes. Although he can handle the puck well and runs the point on the power play, Jackman's style has not changed this season. He is still one of the biggest hitters in the AHL and one of the toughest players in the league.

14. Kyle Wanvig, RW, Houston (Wild) -- This season has been bit of a struggle for this former 55-goal scorer in the Western Hockey League. Wanvig has only six goals, seven assists and a minus-seven rating in 33 games. The second-round selection by the Minnesota Wild in the 2001 draft has been out of action since December 30 with an ankle injury. He is expected to return after the All-Star break.

15. Jeff Farkas, C, St. John's (Maple Leafs) -- After 53 games, Farkas is not on his career scoring pace that was set last season, but his numbers continue to impress. Farkas, who was a third-round pick by Toronto in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft out of Boston College, has 11 goals and 27 assists on a team features seven double-digit goal scorers and one that has seven players with 20 or more points. Farkas closed out the pre All-Star break with at least one point in 12 of his last 14 games.

16. Mathieu Chouinard, G, Grand Rapids (Senators) -- Compared to last season, Chouinard's won-loss numbers are rather disappointing. But, the 21-year-old, formerly a second-round pick by Ottawa, has lowered his goals against average from 2.64 to 2.48. Despite just an 11-12-1 record, Chouinard has allowed more than three goals in a game just four times. In his 12 losses, the Griffins scored three goals or more just twice.

17. Ramzi Abid, LW, Springfield (Coyotes) -- After playing only 17 games a year ago due to a wrist injury, Abid has rebounded nicely in his first full season of hockey in the minor leagues. Abid, who was first selected by Colorado in the 1998 draft and then re-selected by Phoenix in the third round of the 2000 draft, has 10 goals and 12 assists in 41 games. Abid has recorded 157 penalty minutes this season, second-most on the team.

18. Andy Hilbert, C, Providence (Bruins) -- Hilbert has been as consistent as they come this season, with 15 goals and 22 assists for a team-leading 37 points. The parent club in Boston has done a better job this season of bringing minor league players to the NHL on a more consistent basis. With injuries to Martin Lapointe and other forwards at times this season, the versatile Hilbert has been the beneficiary of some playing time with Boston and scored a goal in his first-ever NHL game.

19. Mathieu Garon, G, Quebec (Canadiens) -- With the success of Jose Theodore in Montreal this season, Garon has been overshadowed in the Montreal organization. The 24-year-old has a 17-8-8 record, a 2.73 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 34 games for the Citadelles. The second-round pick of the Canadiens back in 1996 has been called-up to Montreal three times this season, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.37 GAA.

20. Matt Pettinger, LW, Portland (Capitals) -- With all the injuries that Washington has suffered up front this season, it is not surprising that the 21-year-old Pettinger has played in just nine games for the Pirates. The former second-round selection in the 2000 draft was called up by the Capitals twice in October and has yet to return. Pettinger, who had three goals and three assists while with Portland, has recorded six goals and added two helpers in 48 games for Washington.

21. Branislav Mezei, D, Bridgeport (Islanders) -- Mezei was thrown into the fire last season on Long Island with injuries to New York's defensive corps. This year, Mezei has a goal, seven assists and is a plus-10 rating in 45 games for the Sound Tigers. The 6-foot-5, bruising defenseman, who is currently with the Islanders, has appeared in in 13 NHL games.

22. Mike Van Ryn, D, Worcester (Blues) -- One of the prized, young two-way defenseman in all of hockey, Van Ryn has split equal time this season between the Ice Cats and St. Louis. In 24 games with Worcester, Van Ryn had two goals and seven assists. He was recalled by the Blues on December 18 and has recorded a goal, five assists and a plus-eight rating in 24 games. With defensemen Rich Pilon and Steve Halko out indefinitely and Al MacInnis suffering from a foot injury, Van Ryn may become an integral part of St. Louis' postseason run.

23. Jonathan Cheechoo, RW, Cleveland (Sharks) -- Over a season-and-a-half in the AHL, Cheechoo is quickly establishing himself as one of the top young scorers and playmakers in the game. The second-round pick by San Jose in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft posted 66 points in his rookie season a year ago. Cheechoo had 18 goals and 19 assists in 33 games before being shut down in earlier January due to a concussion which has forced him to miss the last 16 games and prevented him from playing for Canada in the AHL All-Star Classic. He is expected to return after the break.

24. Brian Gionta, RW, Albany (Devils) -- With all of the River Rats' struggles this season, Gionta had been one of the lone bright spots for New Jersey's top farm team. Gionta, a third-round selection by the Devils in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, had nine goals and 14 assists in 33 games before being recalled by New Jersey on January 22. Since his most recent promotion, the 23-year-old Gionta has appeared in 10 games for the Devils. Overall, Gionta has a goal and two assists in 13 games for New Jersey on the season.

25. Alexander Riazantsev, D, Hershey (Avalanche) -- Durability has become one of Riazantsev's main attributes over the course of his career. The 21-year-old defenseman from Moscow logged almost 30 minutes of ice time during 66 games for the Bears last season. This season, not much has changed for the 5-foot-11 blueliner. Riazantsev has five goals and 12 assists and has played in 53 of Hershey's 57 games this season.

26. Petr Schastlivy, LW, Grand Rapids (Senators) -- With a lot of depth up front in the NHL, Ottawa was looking forward to Schastlivy spending a full season in the minors honing his skills. The 22-year-old had a scorching start to the season, scoring a team-high 22 goals and 13 assists in 31 games. He was recalled by the Senators on December 28 and played in one game before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Schastlivy, who dealt with an injury-plagued 2000-01 season, is expected back next season.

27. Brooks Orpik, D, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Penguins) -- Orpik came into his first season in the AHL as being a heavy-hitting defenseman who is not afraid to throw his weight around. The 18th overall selection by Pittsburgh in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Orpik had a slow start to his rookie campaign but has picked up his play as of late. He has recorded an even plus/minus rating or better in 18 of his last 19 games and is just one of six active players on the Penguins' 23-man roster to own an even rating or higher.

28. Eric Chouniard, C, Quebec (Canadiens) -- His play away from the puck was heavily criticized a year ago. But, this season, Chouinard has turned his play around. Chouinard, who had 23 points in 34 games a year ago for the Citadelles, has 13 goals and 20 assists in 43 games this season.

29. Jonathan Girard, D, Providence (Bruins) -- Girard is another member of the Boston organization who has benefited from injuries to the parent club. Prior to the acquisition of veteran defenseman Gord Murphy, it was Girard who had been filling in for the injured Kyle McLaren. The 21-year-old Girard has five goals, 19 assists and a minus-12 rating in 30 games for Providence. He also appeared in 30 games for Boston but was returned on January 29.

30. Mikael Samuelsson, RW, Hartford (Rangers) -- Eight games in the AHL is all it took for the 25-year-old Samuelsson to make it to Broadway. Samuelsson was recalled to New York on November 5 and has been there ever since, collecting five goals, seven assists and a plus-eight rating in 44 games.

 

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