Key Returnees:
(from Lowell):
C Keith Aucoin (85 points)
C/W David Gove

Key Newcomers:
C Ben Guite
(Career high 22 goals with Providence)
LW Brad Isbister
(Eight NHL seasons; with Boston last year)

* Picks up players from Colorado in swap with Lowell of Affiliation after New Jersey Devils purchase Lowell club.

A strong veteran infusion will be helpful for the Albany River Rats, but despite having two NHL clubs to pick from, there are not strong prospects on Tom Rowe's club. Still, anything would be an improvement over the past seven seasons. It has been that long since any Albany club has made the playoffs.

Key Returnees:
C Grant Potulny
(23 goals in a strong sophomore season)
G Kelly Guard
(Last year's back up to Billy Thompson)

Key Newcomers:
RW Ryan Vesce (Springfield)
Josh Hennessy (Cleveland)
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2006 No. 29 )

A good blend of vets and youth, particularly with the additions of Vesce (free agent) and Hennessy (trade with San Jose), both of whom were among the AHL's top 10 rookie scorers. However, the B-Sens will dearly miss LW Denis Hamel and the 56 goals he potted last year (and 124 in three seasons with Bingo). Hamel has finally received the much deserved promotion to Ottawa.

Key Returnees:
C Robert Nilsson
(Former No. 1 pick by the Isles)
G Wade Dubielewicz
C Ryan O'Marra
(Injured to start the season).

Key Newcomers:
RW Peter Ferraro (Ageless...Okay, he's 35)
D Mark Wotton (Hershey)
RW Petteri Nokelainen (NYI No. 1 pick in 2004)

One never knows what to expect with the Isles, who chose the untested Dan Marshall, the former Isles' Director of Player Development, who has never coached above the junior level, to polish up the likes of Nilsson, Nokelainen, and O'Marra. The Sound Tigers have been a sound club in years past, but they may be full of fury signifying nothing much this season. We'll see.

Key Returnees:
C Joey Tenute
RW Eric Fehr
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2006 No. 5)
LW Tomas Fleischmann
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2005 No. 45)
D Lawrence Nycholat
Head Coach Bruce Boudreau

Key Newcomers:
C Alexandre Giroux
(68 goals the past two years with Hartford)

Basically the same cast that won the Calder Cup last season, which was largely the same group that missed the playoffs as the Portland Pirates the season before that. Who says Bruce Boudreau can't win the big ones? He'll be winning them in the NHL before too long. The biggest question will be whether Fehr and Fleischmann will get themselves NHL ready. Especially Fleischmann, who has been a tease the past couple of years.

Key Returnees:
C Martin St. Pierre
,D Danny Richmond
(acquired midseason from Lowell)
G Corey Crawford
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2006 No. 48)

Key Newcomers:
RW Michael Blunden
(Chicago's second round pick in 2005)

St. Pierre racked up 22 goals and a spot on the AHL All-Rookie team with the Ads last season. Blackhawks are rebuilding their farm system, which was thin on talent (as one Hawks' exec told MLN, "All our prospects are already in Chicago.") The emergence of St. Pierre was a good start. Blunden could develop into a primo power forward. The development of Crawford, another Hawks' second rounder (in 2003) could prove interesting.

Key Returnees:
LW Tony Voce
(28-27-55)
LW Ben Eager
(Big body, big potential)
D John Slaney
(AHL career points leader among blue liners)
RW Stefan Ruzicka (16 goals as a rookie)
G Martin Houle

Key Newcomers:
C Ryan Potulny (University of Minnesota)
Head Coach: Craig Berube

Phantoms suffered a serious drop off last year after capturing the Cup in 2005. Potulny, the NCAA's top scorer last year (38 goals, 63 points) will likely give the Phantoms a huge lift. Two prime questions to be answered are how well Berube will fill the shoes of longtime coach John Stevens (now an assistant with the parent Flyers) and whether Slaney actually will go on playing forever.

Key Returnees:
D Matt Jones
C Yanick Lehoux
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2005 No. 14)
C Ryan Stone
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2006 No. 42)
LW Daniel Carcillo
C Erik Christensen
D Noah Welch
C Maxime Talbot
D Alain Nasreddine
RW Dennis Bonvie
(MLN FAB50 Hockey 2005 No. 20)

Key Newcomers:
C Connor James (Manchester)
Matt Carkner (Cleveland)
C Rob Schremp
Head Coach Todd Richards

The WBS Pens are flat-out loaded, and should be considered a strong Calder Cup bet. Then again, such was expected of the Penguins last year when they roared to a 51 win season, only to fizzle in the playoffs. As if they weren't loaded enough, Wilkes-Barre wound up with big center Robbie Schremp, a No. 1 pick by Edmonton (25th overall) in 2004. The Oil is placing its talent with five different AHL clubs this year. Richards, an assistant with Milwaukee the past few years, worked his connection with new Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero to land the job in Wilkes-Barre, his first as a head coach.