American Hockey League
Syracuse goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was awarded with the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 14. He won both of his starts and allowed just one goal on 56 shots. That gave him a 0.50 goals-against average and a .982 save percentage for the week. Vasilevskiy had an even start to his pro career, but he’s been much better of late and it earned him a recall to the Lightning when Ben Bishop was injured. The 20-year-old Russian is a tremendous prospect and he has the tools to be a very good starter at the NHL level. David Pastrnak of the Providence Bruins notched two goals and three assists in four games. He trails Alexander Khokhlachev, who had five points last week as well, by one point for the team lead. Pastrnak has 23 points in 21 appearances and Khokhlachev has 24 in 24 contests. AHL rookie Charles Hudon leads the league in scoring with 31 points in 28 games. The fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 draft registered one goal and three helpers in three contests last week. Oklahoma City center Anton Lander contributed five assists in three games for Edmonton’s AHL affiliate. He ranks seventh in the league with 26 points in 25 matches this campaign.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Kevin Roy of Northeastern University produced two goals and three assists in an 8-3 win over Massachusetts. Roy was a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012. He has 16 points in 16 games this season. Pittsburgh prospect Jake Guentzel contributed three helpers in two games against St. Cloud State. He has 16 points in 13 matches this season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Guentzel was chosen in the third round (77th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Dominic Toninato tallied three goals in two outings for the University of Minnesota-Duluth versus Michigan Tech. The Bulldogs split the series and Toninato’s two markers on Dec. 12 gave his squad a 3-1 victory. He was a fifth-round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2012 draft. Daniel O’Regan scored his 12th goal of the season in a 5-1 win over Rensselaer last Saturday. The 2012 fifth rounder of the San Jose Sharks has combined with highly-touted 2015 prospect Jack Eichel on 17 of his 22 points this season.
Kontinental Hockey League
Vladivostok Admiral goaltender Ivan Nalimov was the KHL’s top rookie of the week after he posted a 92.21 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average in three appearances. The 20-year-old netminder posted his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over Lada when he stopped 24 shots. Nalimov was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2014 draft.
Unfortunately, there won’t be a Prospects Report next week because of World Junior training camps and a lack of games in the NCAA, but we will be back the week after.
