The last couple of days have been busy in NHL training camps as teams continue to make roster decisions for the upcoming season. This has involved a few Finnish prospects who have been assigned to the American Hockey League. Considering how many Finnish youngsters will be playing in the league, it is definitely shaping up to be an interesting season. On a more positive note, players such as Ville Heinola (Winnipeg), Henri Jokiharju (Buffalo) and Oliwer Kaski (Detroit) still remain with the NHL clubs as they are looking to make the opening night rosters.
The Dallas Stars sent forward Joel Kiviranta to the AHL’s Texas Stars. Kiviranta, who signed as a free agent following a strong season in the Liiga and a solid World Championship tournament, made a good impression in the preseason.
Moreover, Janne Kuokkanen, Eetu Luostarinen (Carolina) and Aleksi Saarela (Chicago) have also been assigned to the AHL. All three are top-tier prospects for their respective teams and are coming off strong seasons, so it will be interesting to monitor their development this season. Luostarinen improved in many aspects of the game in the past Liiga season.
Yesterday’s player movement saw Otto Koivula (NY Islanders) and Tarmo Reunanen (NY Rangers) being sent to the AHL. Koivula made a seamless transition from wing to the center in the AHL last season and has continued to make strides. He has a chance to be one of the first call ups for the Isles this season. Reunanen impressed in the Traverse City prospect tournament earlier this month and his development continues to be trending upwards.