After any season a team is going to see a handful of players depart with a new crop coming in to take their place. With a championship team this number is often higher, as players tend to cash in elsewhere, taking advantage of a long playoff run. After the success of last season, the Charlotte Checkers could find themselves without almost half of their Calder Cup winning roster.
The main goal of the American Hockey League is to develop players into future NHLers for their affiliated franchises. Each year teams tend to see a player or two take that next step in their career’s by making the “big club” full time.