CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Signing players to AHL contracts can be a low-risk way for teams to stock their prospect pool.
Players on AHL deals are signed by the AHL team itself, and aren't technically property of the club's NHL affiliate. That means they don't count toward the NHL team's 50-contract limit, and they aren't bound to the predetermined contract lengths that NHL entry-level deals have.
It's common for undrafted free agents to sign one-year AHL contracts out of junior or college and look to play well enough to earn an NHL contract. Two players from the Penguins' recent Stanley Cup teams -- Conor Sheary in 2016 and 2017 and Carter Rowney in 2017 -- were able to turn AHL contracts into NHL opportunities. On the current team, Casey DeSmith is an example of a player who played well enough on an AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre to earn an NHL contract.
Felix Robert is the most recent example of a player who was able to turn an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre into an NHL contract. He spent two years in Wilkes-Barre on AHL deals after his junior career in the QMJHL ended, and he made major strides. He was Wilkes-Barre's No. 2-leading scorer last season and earned offers from multiple NHL teams this summer -- the Penguins included. He elected to sign his entry-level deal with the Lightning instead.
Wilkes-Barre has a number of new and returning players signed to AHL deals for the coming season, and one of the more intriguing ones is left wing Brooklyn Kalmikov, signed to a one-year deal out of the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats this offseason.
Kalmikov, 21, drew the attention of the Penguins last season, his overage year in the QMJHL. He began the year playing for the rebuilding Victoriaville Tigres and scored four goals in the first five games of the season before the Tigres traded him to Moncton for a draft pick. Kalmikov finished the year as the Wildcats' leader goals (34), assists (38), points (72), power-play assists (21) and shots on goal (193) in 62 games with the team, earning the team's most valuable player award as well.
Kalmikov, who attended the Penguins' development camp last month in Cranberry, told me that the Penguins spoke with his agent throughout the year before making the offer at the end of Kalmikov's season.
This was the first time Kalmikov had the opportunity to attend an NHL development camp. He had been invited to the Maple Leafs' camp in 2020, but the camp was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19.
"It's been great being around all these great players and around the coaching staff here and everybody," he said of the opportunity. "I'm learning a lot from all these guys, it's great. For me, I think it's good for my development. I'm happy to be here."
Kalmikov told me that he'd describe himself as a "skilled forward."
"I like to play in the offensive zone, create some O-zone plays," he said.
He said that the two players he tries to model his game after are Patrick Kane and Evgeny Kuznetsov, because they're both "great with the puck, great at making plays."
Oftentimes, skilled forwards coming from the offense-first QMJHL struggle with the defensive responsibilities that come with playing professional hockey. In the Penguins' system, we've seen it before with someone like Daniel Sprong, or Sam Poulin early last season and Nathan Legare for most of last season. Players with strong two-way games in the QMJHL to begin with though can have an easier time making the jump to pro hockey, like we saw with Robert.
While Kalmikov's biggest strength is what he can bring on offense, he understands the importance of having a strong two-way game and prides himself in his defensive game. He was used in junior on the penalty kill and was deployed often for defensive zone starts.
"I'm good in my defensive zone," he told me. "It always starts from our defensive zone and then we go to the offensive zone."
Kalmikov's biggest focus as he prepares for his first professional season is adding some size and strength to his 6-foot, 174-pound frame, because he knows he's going to have to be stronger on the puck in order to find success at the AHL level.
"My one-on-one battles, I want to be stronger on the puck for sure," he said. "I think that will come, my body will be stronger. I just want to work on my battles in the corners and stuff like that, and to get bigger will help me in those one-on-one battles."
The Penguins' prospect pool is one of the most -- if not the most -- shallow in the league. Having someone like Kalmikov come in and pan out like Robert did would go a long way toward increasing the depth of the pool.
If Kalmikov does prove to be another diamond in the rough, they'd do well to sign him when they can and not let this one slip away too.
