The 2026-27 AHL season is set to begin Friday and it may be one of themost star-studded seasons in terms of prospects in some time. With high-level collegiate and junior performers, as well as some players who already have a little bit of pro experience under their belts, this AHL campaign should be a great showcase for the future of the NHL.
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That is certainly true in the league's North Division, which includes the AHL affiliates of the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Here's a look at some of the top prospects you won't want to miss from the AHL's North Division this season while watching on FloHockey.
Jacob Fowler, G, Laval Rocket (MTL)
Perhaps some were surprised to see Fowler sent to the AHL, but the Montreal netminder needs to play a lot and Jakub Dobeš seemingly staked his claim on the No. 1 job with the big club.
Fowler is heading back to Laval, where he should play a ton. He had a .916 save percentage in 27 games with the Rocket and I’d expect he sees most of the starts as long as he’s in the AHL.
After 17 games of NHL experience, Fowler can continue getting the time he needs to be ready when Montreal needs to call on him in case of injury to either Dobeš or Samuel Montembault.
David Reinbacher, D, Laval Rocket (MTL)
A strong training camp with the Habs left many wondering if Reinbacher would be on the everyday roster out of camp, but he’s heading back to Laval. It’s probably the right call. The No. 5 pick in 2023, Reinbacher has taken a little longer than some of his highly-drafted peers, but he’s also had a lot of injuries along the way.
Last season, Reinbacher had 24 points in 57 games for Laval. It’s not a bad number, but there should be higher expectations for him with another year of experience under his belt. The better he plays earlier in the season, the more likely it is he becomes a real call-up option for Montreal.
Kashawn Aitcheson, D, Hamilton Hammers (NYI)
Aitcheson is always entertaining with his high-scoring, hard-hitting style. The 17th overall pick from 2025 is coming off of another stellar OHL season, posting a career-best 70 points including 28 goals scored.
BARRIE DIDN'T HEAR NO BELL...
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) May 9, 2026
The Colts tie the game with three seconds remaining as Kashawn Aitcheson finds the back of the net on the power play. Overtime is up next on FloHockey!@OHLBarrieColts | @OHLHockey | @NYIslanders #OHL #OHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/7ojEmNAZKs
Now Aitcheson is ready to embark on his first professional season, starting with the newly-relocated Hamilton Hammers. Aitcheson gives the new club a player that should be familiar to Ontario-based fans thanks to his exploits in both the OHL and with Team Canada at the World Juniors. He will be worth buying a ticket for.
Cole Eiserman, RW, Hamilton Hammers (NYI)
Another high-scoring first-round draft pick, Eiserman got a brief taste of the AHL last season with the Bridgeport Islanders, which moved to Hamilton this summer. Eiserman had nine points in 12 regular-season games after a somewhat down scoring season as a college sophomore.
Between Eiserman and Aitcheson, the Hammers have two guys who absolutely mash pucks on the power play. It will be interesting to see if they end up on the same unit as both have made scoring from the faceoff circles a big part of their games.
Anton Silyaev, D, Utica Comets (NJD)
Selected 10th overall in 2024, Silayev is making his first foray into North American pro hockey. He has KHL experience, so it should allow him to transition a bit easier, but there will be an adjustment. Silayev is 6-foot-7, but mobile and handles pucks decently well.
What will be interesting to watch is if his offensive game accelerates at all from where it has been. He had just three points last season in the KHL and that was something teams believed he could develop more based on his draft year. It’s going to be an interesting project to track this season.
Sam O’Reilly, C, Syracuse Crunch (TBL)
After a star turn in the OHL last season, earning MVP honors for the regular-season, playoffs and Memorial Cup, O’Reilly couldn’t be more highly-regarded as he turns pro.
Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, the Lightning are hoping they got the better end of the deal as they have a two-way center with scoring pop and high hockey sense. O’Reilly is a competitor, too, with three straight trips to the Memorial Cup, winning each of the last two years, first with the London Knights and then the Kitchener Rangers. Seems like Tampa’s kind of guy.
Ben Danford, D, Toronto Marlies (TOR)
After a strong junior season, Danford joined the Marlies for their magical run to the 2026 Calder Cup. He saw significant time over the course of the playoffs and more than held his own over 16 postseason contests.
KEEP THE PUCK, KID 🫡
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 13, 2026
No better time for Ben Danford to score his first goal in @TheAHL than in the Calder Cup Finals!
Presented by @FortuneTiresUSA@TorontoMarlies @OHLHockey #CalderCup #FortuneTiresUSA pic.twitter.com/eb9mV3zo1h
Now Danford will be a fully-fledged member of the Marlies with a substantial role as a top defense prospect in the Maple Leafs system. Danford is a quality two-way defenseman who excels more in his own end than he will in terms of point production. Either way, he has tremendous skating ability and mature hockey sense. That taste of pro in the playoffs should prepare him well for this year.
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