The AHL's 16-team playoff field is set.
The Calder Cup Playoffs start with 23 teams before seven teams are eliminated during best-of-3 series in the first round. Each of the next two rounds will use a best-of-5 format, and teams will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions.
Leading the way will be Providence (Boston Bruins), the AHL’s regular-season champion with 54 wins and 110 points; the 54 wins are a league record for a 72-game season. Providence will face Springfield (St. Louis Blues) in one Atlantic Division series. The other divisional series will feature Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Hershey (Washington Capitals).
In the North Division, first-place Laval (Montreal Canadiens) leads Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) 1-0. Syracuse (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) have already begun their series, which is tied 1-1.
Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings) is the Western Conference regular-season champion and will face Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets) in the Central Division. Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes) and Texas (Dallas Stars) have already started their series; Texas won the opener.
In the Pacific Division, Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) holds a 1-0 lead in its series against Ontario (Los Angeles Kings. The other series will match up Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) and Henderson (Vegas Golden Knights).
Kraken prospect Fisker Molgaard standing out
The Coachella Valley roster looks quite different from the ones that went to the Calder Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025. As the Kraken have been able to cycle in draft classes into the AHL, Coachella Valley’s roster has taken on a much younger look.
One of those key prospects is forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard, who was selected by Seattle in the second round (No. 52) of the 2023 NHL Draft and leads all Calder Cup Playoff goal-scorers with four in six games.
Fisker Molgaard, who had two assists in 13 games with Seattle this season, returned to Coachella Valley in the final week of the regular season and then helped the team eliminate Bakersfield in three games in a best-of-3 series.
After a 6-1 loss in Game 1, Fisker Molgaard had two goals in Game 2, a 5-4 home win that avoided elimination. He then had a goal and two assists in Game 3, a 6-2 win that allowed Coachella Valley to advance.
He then scored a goal to help Coachella Valley to a 3-0 win against Ontario in the opener of the best-of-5 division semifinals.
The 21-year-old had 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) in 49 games with Coachella Valley in his first season in North America.
Oilers prospect Marjala shows promise
Though Bakersfield was eliminated, forward Viljami Marjala carried a strong regular season into the postseason with six assists in three games.
Marjala’s 43 assists during the regular season were 10th in the AHL, and he also played all 72 games for Bakersfield. The 23-year-old had 17 goals to finish with 60 points, third in team scoring.
Chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (No. 159) of the 2021 NHL Draft, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Oilers on June 7, 2025. Before coming to the Edmonton organization, he played three seasons with TPS of Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, and was named Liiga rookie of the year in 2023-24.
Connelly, Bowman excelling in Golden Knights system
Though Vegas has traded prospects and draft picks in bids for deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoff, the organization has also started to replenish its prospect base at the AHL level.
One of those prospects is forward Trevor Connelly, tied for fourth in playoff scoring with five points (one goal, four assists) in two games as Henderson swept San Jose (San Jose Sharks) in a best-of-3 series. The Golden Knights selected Connelly with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and the 20-year-old was fifth on Henderson in his first pro season, with 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists) in 46 games.
With Henderson’s series against Colorado not starting until Friday, the Golden Knights recalled Connelly and forward Braeden Bowman from their AHL affiliate. Bowman split his regular season between Vegas and Henderson; in 54 NHL games, he had 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) and 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 20 AHL games. The 22-year-old had a goal and an assist in two playoff games.
Vegas signed Bowman as an undrafted free agent to a two-year entry-level contract March 2, 2025. He had started his pro career in 2024-25 with Henderson on an AHL contract.
