AHL notebook: NHL Eastern Conference top new prospects

A deep crop of young talent is again on hand in the American Hockey League.

A change to the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement has allowed 19-year-olds from the Canadian Hockey League who were first-round selections in the NHL Draft to join the AHL instead of having to be sent back to the CHL club that holds the rights of the player. The boost in premier talent has been immediately noticeable.

Here’s a look at some of the AHL’s top young new faces from Eastern Conference NHL organizations. A look at the Western Conference class will follow in two weeks.

Kashawn Aitcheson, Hamilton (New York Islanders)

After a dominant run in the Ontario Hockey League, Aitcheson is taking the next step at the pro level. 

Selected by the Islanders with the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old was named an OHL First All-Star Team selection and won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. He was also chosen to the Canadian Hockey League First All-Star Team, and his 28 goals and 70 points with Barrie each led the OHL at the position. 

He has one assist in four games with Hamilton this season.

Trey Augustine, Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings)

Another in a long line of recent strong goaltending prospects in the Red Wings pipeline, Augustine was chosen in the second round (No. 41) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

The 21-year-old played three seasons at Michigan State, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, voted as the top player in NCAA hockey, in his junior season in 2025-26, when he finished 24-9-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and three shutouts. As a result, the Big Ten named him its top goaltender and made him a member of its First All-Star Team. 

Augustine, who signed with Detroit on March 31, 2026, is 0-1-1 with a 3.90 GAA and .857 save percentage in two games with Grand Rapids, where he will split time with fellow prospect Michal Postava.

Carter Bear, Grand Rapids

After having 77 points (36 goals, 41 assists) to help Everett of the Western Hockey League reach the Memorial Cup tournament last spring, Bear is turning pro as a 19-year-old forward. 

Selected by the Red Wings with the No. 13 pick in the 2025 draft, he has a goal and an assist in three games with Grand Rapids.

Cole Beaudoin, Hartford (New York Rangers)

The 20-year-old has already earned playing time with the Rangers this season; he has no points in four games. The forward made his AHL debut with a goal and two assists in Hartford’s season-opening 5-2 win at Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Flyers) on Oct. 3. He has six points (one goal, five assists) after getting an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

A key piece of New York's future, he was acquired in a trade along with defenseman Sean Durzi and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Utah Mammoth for forward Vincent Trocheck. Utah had taken Beaudoin with the No. 24 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft after he played four seasons, one as captain, for Barrie of the OHL. He was returned to Hartford on Wednesday.

Cole Eiserman, Hamilton 

The 20-year-old forward turned pro after two seasons at Boston University and signed with the Islanders on March 18. He finished with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 12 games last season for Bridgeport, the Islanders’ former AHL affiliate.

Chosen by the Islanders with the No. 20 pick in the 2024 draft, he has three points (one goal, two assists) in four games for Hamilton.

Liam Greentree, Hartford

Like Beaudoin, Greentree came to the Rangers organization via trade.

After the Los Angeles Kings took Greentree with the No. 26 pick in the 2024 draft, the 20-year-old forward was a key return piece of the trade that sent forward Artemi Panarin to the Kings on Feb. 4.

Greentree, who played four seasons with Windsor of the OHL, had 74 points (38 goals, 36 assists) in 52 games last season. He has begun his AHL career with four points (two goals, two assists) in five games for Hartford.

Jesse Kiiskinen, Grand Rapids

The 21-year-old forward arrived this season in the AHL with pro experience.

Kiiskinen was chosen by the Nashville Predators in the third round (No. 68) of the 2023 draft before Detroit acquired him in a trade on June 25, 2024. He played four seasons in Liiga, the top pro league in Finland, before coming to North America, including last season, when he had 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) in 54 games for HPK.

He had a hat trick and an assist for Grand Rapids in a 5-1 win against Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes) on Sunday, and he has gotten off to a fast start this season with seven points (five goals, two assists) in five games.

Radim Mrtka, Rochester (Buffalo Sabres)

Mrtka got an eight-game look in the AHL last season before the Sabres returned him to Seattle of the WHL, where he had 34 points (one goal, 33 assists) in 43 games.

After further seasoning in the WHL, Mrtka, selected by Buffalo with the No. 9 pick in the 2025 draft, should get a regular turn with Rochester this season; so far he is without a point in four games.

Bill Zonnon, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Zonnon received playing time late in the Calder Cup Playoffs last spring and more than showed he could handle the AHL, with seven points (four goals, three assists) in 11 games to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton  reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 20-year-old forward, taken by the Penguins with the No. 22 pick in the 2025 draft, has five points (three goals, two assists) in four AHL games this season; he previously played four seasons with Rouyn-Noranda and Blainville-Boisbrand of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.