As we prepare for the NHL conference finals, it’s a good opportunity to check in on the next wave of NHL talent. The AHL playoffs are in their conference semifinals, so let’s see which prospects are standing tall. The first three come from the Texas Stars, who until recently, also had Logan Stankoven. Stankoven is playing with the Dallas Stars who are in the Western Conference final and has six points in 13 games through two rounds. Stankoven would be on this list as he had 57 points in 47 AHL games this season before the call-up.

Mavrik Bourque, C, Dallas Stars

Mavrik Bourque had a banner year for the Texas Stars of the AHL. He was a first-team all-star, scored the most points in the league, and was named the Les Cunningham Award as Most Valuable Player. Indeed, 77 points in 71 games played