Each week, FloHockey prospect analyst Chris Peters breaks down notable performances in the AHL that NHL fans should be paying attention to.

Here’s a look at some of the players we were tracking this weekend including a top defense prospect making his professional debut.

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Artyom Levshunov Has Arrived

Saturday marked the highly-anticipated professional debut of Artyom Levshunov, who was selected second overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. After missing the first few weeks of the season due to an offseason foot fracture, Levshunov was able to hit the ice with the Rockford IceHogs in their road series with the Manitoba Moose.

Levshunov didn’t waste a lot of time to get involved. He was on Rockford’s top power play unit with fellow first-round defenseman Kevin Korchinski, and saw a lot of ice at even strength. Levshunov showed good mobility and confidence with the puck. He also handled himself well enough in the defensive zone, but did show a couple instances where his awareness could have been better.

He had one assist and five shots on goal over the series split with Manitoba. 

Artyom Levshunov and the Rockford IceHogs are back at it at 3 pm ET👀
After a 5-3 victory against Manitoba yesterday, they look to repeat this afternoon!

📺: https://t.co/qmiCQxtpqS#AHL #RFDvsMB pic.twitter.com/RQMRBpGB0h

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) October 27, 2024

Getting a late start in the season may not have been ideal, but Levshunov being able to spend time in Rockford to get his pro legs under him will only help get him up to speed now. The IceHogs have a number of key prospects on their roster now, with Levshunov, Korchinski and forward Frank Nazar among the real core prospects that figure to be important to the Blackhawks’ ongoing rebuild around Connor Bedard.

The IceHogs have had a bit of an up-and-down start so far this season with a 2-3-0-0 record so far in what looks to be a very challenging Central Division. 

They’ll face one of those particularly tough Central squads Friday night on the road when they take on the red-hot Grand Rapids Griffins before returning to home ice Saturday night for a date with rival Chicago Wolves.

Milwaukee's Joakim Kemell Has Incredible Five-Point Night

After a relatively quiet first two weeks of the season, with just one goal over his first five games for Milwaukee, Kemell exploded for six points over a pair of games in a home-and-home series against the Chicago Wolves.

Kemell had an assist on Friday night before putting together a staggering five-point night that saw him score three goals off of six shots on target, with a power-play tally and the game-winner.

It was a breakthrough game for the Nashville Predators 17th overall pick from 2022. The Finnish sniper looked impressive in the Saturday night showcase where the Admirals dominated. 

What a night to be named Kieffer or Joakim and play for the @mkeadmirals or @Chicago_Wolves 👀#AHL #MILvsCHI pic.twitter.com/tUHvD4O14L

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) October 27, 2024

At his best, Kemell is a confident finisher who can pick corners, drill one-timers and has the skill to beat defenders one-on-one. Now in his second full season in North America, there has to be a step towards being a more consistent producer, pushing towards a point per game and scoring 25 or more goals for the season, if not better.

With the additions Nashville made in the offseason, the Predators’ top six is going to be a tough one to crack even next season. We’ll see if this one big night is enough to springboard the 20-year-old into a true breakout campaign.

Kemell and the Admirals head to Canada for a weekend series with the Manitoba Moose starting Friday night.

Collin Graf, Rookies Fueling San Jose’s Hot Start

While San Jose’s NHL team just tied a record for most consecutive losses to start a season, their AHL affiliate has won five of their first six games fueled by youth. 

Four of the team’s top five scorers are first-year AHL players led by Collin Graf. His seven assists and nine points lead the Barracuda and all AHL rookies through six games this season. Fellow first-year players Luca Cagnoni and Filip Bystedt are both near the top of that leaderboard with seven points apiece.

After a decorated collegiate career at Quinnipiac, Graf was one of the hottest undrafted free agents in the NCAA last spring. The Sharks were able to win his rights and got him into seven NHL games at the end of last season.

Graf did not make the NHL roster out of camp, but has responded by being an offensive driver for the red-hot San Jose Barracuda. He should be a recall option if need be, but one would think the Sharks could benefit more by letting their prospects bolster a highly-competitive team. 

The Barracuda currently sit four points out of first place with two games in hand on leader Calgary. They’re a legit contender in the Pacific. 

The Sharks organizations needs not look any further than perennial contender Tampa Bay Lightning to see the benefits of allowing more of its prospects flourish in the AHL before making the jump to the big club where it’s been an especially tough go of late. Tampa's Stanley Cup dynasty had a lot of players trained up through their AHL system first, including a Calder Cup winning team.

Learning to win matters and the Barracuda are very likely to win a lot more games than their NHL parent club this season.

Tucson's Egor Sokolov Finding The Net Frequently

In the early days of free agency last summer, the Ottawa Senators and Utah Hockey Club made a trade for restricted free agents on expiring entry-level contracts. Utah sent Jan Jeník to Ottawa, and received Egor Sokolov in return. Both players signed one-year contracts with their new organizations.

The move gave two players that hadn’t quite broken through to the NHL a new opportunity and a one-year deal gave them something to play for.

Both have adjusted well to their new surroundings, but Sokolov in particular has made an outsized impact with his new club.

In six games with the Tucson Roadrunners, Sokolv has five goals and eight points to lead the team in both categories. Four of those goals came last weekend as he scored twice in each game against the Bakersfield Condors. He netted the game-winner in each victory in Tucson’s weekend sweep of the Edmonton Oilers’ affiliate, including one in overtime Saturday night.

Selected in the second round in the 2020 NHL Draft as a re-entry, Sokolov has been a legitimate goal scorer in the AHL. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound winger has a heck of a shot and puts himself in good scoring positions. 

At 24 years old, this feels like a season where he has to prove he can break through. Now in his fifth AHL season, Sokolov has gotten 13 games in the NHL coming into the 2024-25 campaign. A hot start at least gives Utah something to think about if they feel like they need to inject some more scoring to their lineup.

Prospect News And Notes

Justin Hryckowian, LW, Texas Stars

The Texas Stars forward is second in AHL rookie scoring with eight points. The undrafted college free agent has points in five of the six games played this season and has been in the middle of everything for the Stars as they experience life after Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque, who were among the AHL’s best forwards last season.

Dylan Peterson, C, Springfield Thunderbirds

The St. Louis Blues prospect has been making a good impression with the Springfield Thunderbirds this season. He has four goals and six points through his first eight games this season and has also gotten into a pair of fights, dropping the gloves with veteran players in the process. The 2020 third-rounder was never an especially productive player in college, but he could impact the game with his physicality. He’s not backing down from anyone as a first-year pro.

Domenic DiVincentiis, G, Manitoba Moose

Through his first three professional starts, DiVincentiis has looked like anything but a rookie. He has allowed no more than two goals in any game and already has two starts with 30-plus saves. DiVincentiis has a .947 save percentage through three starts and shined brightly in the Moose’s win over Rockford Sunday with 30 saves and one goal allowed.

Luke Tuch, LW, Laval Rocket

Playing a little less than an hour from his hometown in a game against the Utica Comets, Luke Tuch put on a show for friends and family. The AHL rookie scored each of his first two professional goals as the Rocket earned a narrow 4-3 win over the winless Comets. Tuch has a good shot and uses his bigger frame well. Through six games this season, Tuch is up to four points and looking more comfortable with each passing week. Laval is back on home ice this weekend for a pair of games with the Providence Bruins.

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