AHL Roundup: Tangradi nets hat trick, Frattin returns

Each Monday, NHL.com will take a look back at the weekend that was in the American Hockey League with an emphasis on the young stars and top prospects that are continuing their development. Here are some of the highlights from the past few days in the AHL:

FRIDAY

FIRST STAR

Eric Tangradi, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Tangradi had a hat trick in a 3-1 victory for the Penguins against Bridgeport. A second-round pick by Anaheim in 2007 who was traded to Pittsburgh in the Ryan Whitney-for-Chris Kunitz swap, Tangradi has spent the past three seasons shuttling between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the parent club. He has just one goal in 40 NHL games, but has been productive at the AHL level and remains one of the franchise's top forward prospects. The 23-year-old has nine goals in 15 AHL contests this season -- he had 33 in 79 games in the previous two seasons combined.

SECOND STAR

Gustav Nyquist, Grand Rapids

Nyquist had a goal to start a Griffins' rally late in the second period and then scored in overtime in a wild 6-5 victory at Lake Erie. A fourth-round pick by Detroit in 2008, Nyquist spent three seasons at the University of Maine before collecting 22 goals and 58 points in his first campaign with Grand Rapids last year. The 23-year-old has a team-leading eight goals and 17 points in 14 contests this season for the Griffins. Tomas Jurco (second round in 2011) also had two goals nine seconds apart for Grand Rapids.

THIRD STAR

Matt Frattin, Toronto

Frattin, previously out with a knee injury, made his season debut and scored twice for the Marlies in a loss to Hamilton. A fourth-round pick in 2007, Frattin had 24 goals for the Marlies in 36 games between the regular season and Calder Cup playoffs last year while playing 56 games (eight goals, 15 points) for the Maple Leafs in his rookie season after four years at the University of North Dakota. Brendan Gallagher (Montreal, fifth round in 2010) had two goals for the Bulldogs and is now tied for the team lead with five tallies.

NOTES: Cam Atkinson (Columbus, sixth round in 2008) had two goals to help Springfield defeat Norfolk. … Chris Brown (Phoenix, second round in 2009) had a goal and a team-high six shots for Portland in win at Connecticut. Brown is tied for second on the Pirates with five goals in 14 games as a rookie after three years at the University of Michigan. … Mika Zibanejad (Ottawa, first round in 2011) and Mark Stone (sixth round in 2010) each scored his first goal of the season for Binghamton in a win against Adirondack. … Ryan Spooner (Boston, second round in 2010) had two assists for Providence in a win against Manchester. Spooner leads the Bruins with 11 points in 12 games. … While Barry Brust's shutout streak has garnered attention for Abbotsford, Leland Irving (Calgary, first round in 2006) stopped 36 of 38 shots to help the Heat win at Rochester. Sven Baertschi (first round in 2011) had his team-leading sixth goal for Abbotsford. … Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay, free agent in 2011) had his team-leading ninth goal and Dustin Tokarski (fifth round in 2008) stopped 20 of 21 shots as Syracuse routed Hershey. … Justin Schultz (Edmonton, free agent in 2012) had two assists as Oklahoma City beat Milwaukee. Schultz, a rookie defenseman whose courtship after four years at the University of Wisconsin garnered plenty of attention this past summer, leads the AHL with 21 points in 15 games. … Phil McRae (St. Louis, second round in 2008) had a pair of goals, including one in overtime, to lead Peoria past Chicago. … Zac Dalpe (Carolina, second round in 2008) scored twice for Charlotte in a win against San Antonio.

SATURDAY

FIRST STAR

Nazem Kadri, Toronto

Kadri had four assists as the Marlies blitzed Hamilton. A first-round pick in 2009 and former London Knights star, Kadri's development has been dissected like few other prospects, but he's currently on a roll. After a slow start (three points in his first nine games), Kadri had 11 in his next five and now has 14 in 14 games. The 21-year-old has eight goals and 19 points in 51 career NHL games, but he has 105 in 117 career AHL contests -- including 10 in 11 Calder Cup games.

SECOND STAR

Niklas Svedberg, Providence

Svedberg turned aside 36 of 37 shots in a 2-1 win for the Bruins at Portland. Svedberg signed with Boston as an undrafted free agent in May after leading Brynas to the Elitserien title in Sweden. He had four shutouts in 13 playoff games for Brynas after splitting duties during the regular season with former NHL goalie Johan Holmqvist. Svedberg has a 2.17 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 10 appearances for Providence.

THIRD STAR

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oklahoma City

Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and an assist as Edmonton's kid line lit up Milwaukee. Jordan Eberle had three assists and Taylor Hall added a pair of assists. A 2012 Calder Trophy finalist, Nugent-Hopkins is second on the Barons with seven goals and third behind Justin Schultz and Eberle with 17 points in 14 games. Schultz and Eberle are 1-2 in the AHL in points and Nugent-Hopkins is among a group of players tied for third.

NOTES: Garrett Mitchell (Washington, sixth round in 2009) scored twice and Braden Holtby (fourth round in 2008) had 23 saves for Hershey in a 4-1 win against Wilkes/Barre-Scranton. … Andres Nilsson (N.Y. Islanders, third round in 2009) stopped all 25 shots for Bridgeport in a victory against Manchester. He's 3-0 with a 1.67 GAA for the Sound Tigers. … Adam Henrique (New Jersey, third round in 2008) had two assists to help Albany defeat St. John's. … Chris Kreider (N.Y. Rangers, first round in 2009) scored his second goal of the season in a 2-1 win for Connecticut at Worcester. … Robin Lehner (Ottawa, second round in 2009) stopped 49 of 51 shots and Derek Grant (fourth round in 2008) had two goals as Binghamton defeated Rochester. Columbus prospect Tim Erixon (Calgary, first round in 2009) had a goal and an assist to help Springfield beat Norfolk. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (free agent in 2012) had two assists and leads the Falcons with 15 points. … Brett Connolly (Tampa Bay, first round in 2010) and Cory Conacher (free agent in 2012) each had a goal and an assist as Syracuse defeated Adirondack.

SUNDAY

FIRST STAR

Johan Larsson, Houston

Larsson had a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the third period, as the Aeros defeated Rockford. A second-round pick by Minnesota in 2010, Larsson spent the past two seasons with Brynas in the top Swedish league, winning a title with the aforementioned Niklas Svedberg last year. He had 12 goals and 36 points in 49 games a year ago, and now has five goals and 10 points in 16 games for the Aeros, who are still without top prospects Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin because of injury. Goaltender Matt Hackett stopped 34 of 36 shots in the victory.

SECOND STAR

David Ullstrom, Bridgeport

Ullstrom had two goals and an assist for the Sound Tigers in a win at Providence. It was his first two goals of the season after Ullstrom, a fourth-round pick by the New York Islanders in 2008, had 24 tallies in 40 games for Bridgeport last season. Nino Niederreiter also scored for the Sound Tigers, and now has a team-leading nine goals and 16 points in 14 games. Niederreiter, the fifth pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, had one goal in 55 games as a rookie for the Islanders last season.

THIRD STAR

Radko Gudas, Syracuse

Gudas had a goal and two assists as the Crunch defeated Hershey. A third-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2010, Gudas had seven goals, 20 points and 195 penalty minutes for Norfolk last season before the Lightning switched affiliations. He has a goal and six points in 11 games this season for the Crunch. Tyler Johnson scored his 10th goal to tie for the AHL lead, while Brett Connolly and Richard Panik (second round in 2009) each had a goal and an assist for Syracuse.

NOTES: Ben Scrivens (free agent in 2010) pitched a 24-save shutout and Matt Frattin scored his third goal in two games since returning from a knee injury to help Toronto crush Abbotsford. … Zach Boychuk (Carolina, first round in 2008) became the fourth player in the league to reach 10 goals in a shootout win for Charlotte against San Antonio. Boychuk joins teammate Drayson Bowman, Syracuse's Tyler Johnson and Abbotsford's Roman Horak in a four-way tie for the AHL lead.