Prospect Report: Nearing Season's End

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner, which means the end of the hockey year is rapidly approaching.

Believe it or not, some junior and overseas teams are already in postseason mode, and for those that did not qualify, that means summer.

Below is a rundown of who is still playing and who has put a bow on things.

AHL

• The young Wolves roster is going through some adversity and health struggles as the Central Division playoff race gets tighter and tighter. Although expected to return soon, Bradly Nadeau has been out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury (not a concussion), and the group has missed the goal-scorer's presence.
• Interim Head Coach Spiros Anastas addressed the turbulence on a recent broadcast, keeping his always-positive demeanor and accepting the challenge to get things straightened out. "I think skids like this are good. They're good tests to have. We hadn't faced a lot of adversity since Dec. 12, when a coaching change happened. Now we're facing it a little bit. I'd rather face it now than face it in our first week into the playoffs. It allows us to make some adjustments. It allows us to kind of test the fortitude of our roster, and it allows us to formulate our response."
• Despite the ups and downs, leading scorer Justin Robidas has continued to be exceptional and ranks tied for sixth among all AHL skaters with his 57 points this season. Unfortunately, he's been banged up as well, leaving last Sunday's game against Iowa.
• Elsewhere on the injury front, we send positive thoughts to forward Juha Jaaska, who has officially been ruled out for the year. Missing the entire season due to a lower-body injury, the 28-year-old was getting close to game action in January when he was activated off injured non-roster, where he'd been since the start of the season, but a setback stamped it was not meant to be. Signed to a two-year extension last summer, we hope to see him at 100% in September.

ECHL

• The Greensboro Gargoyles' inaugural season has just a handful of games remaining. Not in line to reach the Kelly Cup Playoffs in their first attempt, many roster pieces with value were moved out ahead of the trade deadline in an effort to better position the group for next year.
• Only a few NHL-contracted players have been up I-40 this season, but defenseman Bryce Montgomery is one of them. Playing just shy of 30 games with the team, the 2021 sixth-round pick has played an important role when in the lineup. The 23-year-old has one more year remaining on his entry-level contract.
• In net, Ruslan Khazheyev and Nikita Quapp have combined for 59 of the team's 65 goaltending appearances this season. The 21-year-old Khazheyev is also under contract for next season, while Quapp is currently set to become a restricted free agent.

NCAA

• Division I Men's Regionals begin this weekend, and three of Carolina's four collegiate prospects are in the dance.
• Jayden Perron and Michigan, as well as Charlie Cerrato and Penn State, will begin things in Albany. Perron, a third-round pick in 2023, finished the season with 37 points in 37 games for the Wolverines. Cerrato, who missed a bulk of the second semester due to an injury, returned earlier this month and totaled 27 points in 22 games. Already a late bloomer when selected in last year's second round, it's great to see the 21-year-old back healthy.
• In another section of the bracket, Michael Emerson will face his former school as Merrimack takes on Jackson Blake's alma mater, the University of North Dakota.

Juniors & KHL

• Ivan Ryabkin and the Charlottetown Islanders begin their run toward a Gilles-Courteau Trophy this weekend. Simply dominant since being reassigned on Jan. 5, the 2025 second-round pick produced an insane 42 points in 20 games to end the regular season, and was also recently named QMJHL Rookie of the Month. When his run in the postseason is complete, it is expected that Ryabkin will return to Chicago.
• As mentioned in last month's Prospect Report, defenseman Alexander Siryatsky's stock has trended upward almost all season long. Playing on the top pair for Metallurg (KHL), again, it's not about offensive production for him.  Going head-to-head against some of Russia's best, he's shown as a 19-year-old that he can defend as well as anybody.

For more information on the team's prospects, check out @CanesProspects on X.