Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
The AHL has made its reputation by delivering talent to the NHL. It’s a consistent process. Players are prepared and ready to go. It’s reliable, too, which is why NHL organizations invest heavily into their AHL operations.
But the AHL can be a home for players who have already reached their NHL goals, too. Several had even gone on to lengthy NHL careers. Those players, once young prospects themselves, now want another opportunity to get back to the NHL. A few had detours to Europe before coming back to North America for another shot. There are players on AHL contracts making the transitioning into leadership roles. And still others are making a push to set themselves up for an NHL future. Even when there have been career setbacks, those hopes hold strong.
Let’s look at a few of the familiar AHL faces of the past who are once again back in the league this season.
Egor Afanasyev – San Jose Barracuda
After one season in the Kontinental Hockey League with CSKA Moscow, Afanasyev is back in the AHL to continue pursuing his NHL hopes.
The affable 24-year-old forward is with the San Jose Barracuda, his second NHL organization after he spent three seasons mainly with the Milwaukee Admirals. He went to the Nashville Predators as a 2019 second-round pick and had 27 goals for the Admirals in 2023-24. He was also a part of two runs to the Western Conference Finals for the Admirals. Nashville sent him to the San Jose Sharks in a June 2024 swap for forward Ozzy Wiesblatt.
The Sharks retained his NHL rights last season and signed him to a one-year contract this past May. After going to training camp with the Sharks, he cleared waivers and went to the Barracuda. He has skated in three games with the Barracuda and had a two-assist outing against Milwaukee this past Saturday night.
Daniel Carr – Milwaukee Admirals
Carr made himself well known to fans across the Central Division for his offensive exploits with both Milwaukee and the rival Chicago Wolves more than a half-decade ago.
A 71-point season with Chicago in 2018-19 won him the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player, and he helped the Wolves reach the Calder Cup Finals that spring. He recorded 50 points in 47 games for Milwaukee in 2019-20 before spending four seasons with HC Lugano in Switzerland.
Milwaukee acted aggressively this past July to bring Carr back to North America on a two-year AHL contract. So far, Carr has quickly readjusted to the AHL game and has two goals in his first four outings.
Ryan Graves – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
As Pittsburgh Penguins management sorts out its long-term roster decisions, some veterans have been caught up in that upheaval.
One of those players is Graves, an 11th-year pro defenseman who had a long developmental period as a prospect with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche before breaking through to the NHL in 2018-19, playing 433 games over the last seven years.
With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Graves has been able to be a mainstay on the blue line for head coach Kirk MacDonald and has a goal and four assists through seven games for the undefeated Penguins.
Danton Heinen – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Like Graves, Heinen is back in the AHL after finding himself pushed off the Pittsburgh roster. Heinen, who has reached double-digits in goals five times in the NHL, has skated in 566 games with Boston, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Vancouver, and totaled 29 points in 79 games a year ago.
The forward’s scoring touch has returned as he leads the AHL with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) through seven games.
Justin Holl – Grand Rapids Griffins
Several prospects earned roster spots out of training camp with the Detroit Red Wings, an influx of youth that ended up pushing Holl to Grand Rapids. For the veteran defenseman, the AHL will offer him another chance just as it did a decade ago when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on an AHL contract.
A Calder Cup winner with the Marlies in 2018, Holl has played 396 games in the NHL with the Leafs and Wings.
Kyle Keyser – Colorado Eagles
Bringing Keyser back to North America on an AHL contract this past summer is looking like a prescient move for the Eagles.
Mackenzie Blackwood’s early injury put a strain on the goaltending depth chart for the Avalanche, and having Keyser on hand has helped to alleviate some of that burden with Trent Miner on NHL recall. After parts of five seasons in the Boston Bruins organization, Keyser spent 2024-25 with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL. He turned in a 25-save shutout against Rockford last Friday night.
Brendan Smith – Cleveland Monsters
Smith has seen the AHL as a top prospect – he was selected to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2010-11 – and now he is experiencing the league as a seasoned veteran.
In his 16th pro season, Smith attended training camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets before joining Cleveland. He was a first-round draft pick when he skated in 152 games with Grand Rapids before sticking with the Red Wings full-time. He has gone on to make stops with the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars, totaling 726 NHL games.
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.