AHL notebook: NHL Western Conference top new prospects

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

A change to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association 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 top young new faces in the AHL from Western Conference NHL organizations. A look at the Eastern Conference class can be found here.

Justin Carbonneau, Springfield (St. Louis Blues)

The 19-year forward's 51 goals were tied with Chicoutimi forward Maxim Masse (Anaheim Ducks) for first in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League last season. Carbonneau is showing a solid scoring touch at the pro level with four points (three goals, one assist) in eight games.

St. Louis selected Carbonneau in the first round (No. 19) of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Braeden Cootes, Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks)

Another 19-year-old forward, Vancouver chose Cootes in the first round (No. 15) in the 2025 draft.

The rebuilding Canucks are opting to take a slow approach with Cootes, starting him in the AHL after he played three NHL games last season. He missed Abbotsford's two games last weekend with a lower-body injury, but had six points (three goals, three assists) in six games entering Wednesday. He had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 4-3 victory at Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) on Oct. 10.

Cootes split last season in the Western Hockey League between Seattle and Prince Albert and had 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 45 games, and 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 20 playoff games for Prince Albert. He also represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he scored twice in seven games.

Caleb Desnoyers, Tucson (Utah Mammoth)

The forward was chosen by the Mammoth with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft and is another member of a deep 19-year-old class.

Desnoyers had 78 points (22 goals, 56 assists) in 45 games last season for Moncton (QMJHL) and 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 21 playoff games. He also had six assists in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors.

He had four points (two goals, two assists) in eight AHL games through Wednesday.

Carter George, Ontario (Los Angeles Kings)

George is sharing time with fellow goalie prospects Erik Portillo and Hampton Slukynsky.

He turned pro after three standout seasons in the OHL split between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie. Los Angeles took him in the second round (No. 57) of the 2024 NHL Draft. His 1.76 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in four games for Canada at the 2025 WJC led all goalies and he was 4-0 with a 3.25 GAA and .869 save percentage at the 2026 WJC.

The 20-year-old was 2-0-0 with a 1.94 GAA and .907 save percentage entering Wednesday. He had a shutout in his pro debut with 33 saves at San Jose (San Jose Sharks) on April 12, 2025.

Tij Iginla, Tucson (Utah Mammoth)

Tucson has been a hotbed for first-round talent in recent seasons.

Last season, the roster featured two key Utah first-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, forward Daniil But (No. 12) and defenseman Dmitri Simashev (No. 6). That pair has graduated to Utah, and the Mammoth are hoping for similar progress from Desnoyers and Iginla.

Iginla, Utah's first-round pick (No. 6) in the 2024 draft, is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla and plays a power-forward game similar to his father. The 20-year-old skated three seasons in the WHL for Kelowna. He had 90 points (41 goals, 49 assists) in 48 games last season and 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in nine playoff games. He also had eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games for Canada at the 2026 WJC.

He had four assists in eight games with Tucson through Wednesday.

Brady Martin, Milwaukee (Nashville Predators)

The 19-year-old should be a strong, dependable forward in Nashville for a long time.

In the meantime, the Predators have opted to give him development time in the AHL after choosing him in the first round (No. 5) of the 2025 draft. He was limited to 24 games last season for Sault Ste. Marie because of an injury. Martin also got a brief look with Milwaukee in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, where he scored one goal in three games. It was a busy season for Martin, who had eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games for Canada at the 2026 WJC.

He had three goals in six games this season entering Wednesday.