Charlotte Checkers’ roster is almost unrecognizable as AHL/NHL turnover continues

You’ll need a scorecard to identify Checkers players on the ice if you haven’t watched them since early in the 2019-20 season.

A remarkable midseason makeover continued this week, with the Charlotte Checkers acquiring a forward and another goalkeeper.

All of this is needed because several key players in the Charlotte lineup are gone. They’ve either been called up by the Checkers’ parent team, the Carolina Hurricanes, or have been traded to other NHL organizations so the Hurricanes can obtain help in their playoff drive.

Charlotte’s current leading scorer is a defenseman, Jake Bean (nine goals, 37 assists). The top four scorers and eight of the top 10 from last year’s American Hockey League championship team are gone.

But first-year Checkers’ coach Ryan Warsofsky has kept his team in solid American Hockey League playoff position, and Charlotte is coming off a 6-3 road victory Sunday over Atlantic Division leader Hershey.

Now comes a six-game homestand, opening with contests Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.) at Bojangles’ Coliseum against the Utica Comets.

After picking up several new players last week, Charlotte added two more this week.

Goalkeeper Keith Kincaid, 30, has played in 157 NHL games and came to Charlotte from the Montreal Canadiens’ organization. He played well in the victory at Hershey.

Also added was forward Ryan Bourque, 29, who was picked up from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Bourque, son of NHL Hall-of-Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, has played nine seasons in the AHL. He had four goals and seven assists in 49 games this season with Bridgeport Sound.

There is still no word about the possible return to Charlotte of goalies Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg. They were called up by the Hurricanes after Carolina lost both its goalies to injuries in a game at Toronto two weeks ago.

Nedeljkovic, last season’s AHL Goaltender of the Year, is 0-1-1 and a 3.11 goals-against average with the Hurricanes. Forsberg is 0-1 with a 4.41 average.

Here’s a look at the past week, and what lies ahead for the Checkers:

Last Friday: The Checkers dropped a 5-3 decision at Lehigh Valley, with Jake Bean, Mark Cooper and Max McCormick scoring goals.

Saturday: Callum Booth made 21 saves in goal, and the Checkers bounced back with a 4-2 victory at Lehigh Valley. Steven Lorentz scored a short-handed goal.

Sunday: Charlotte showed no weariness, playing its third game in three days, and trounced AHL Atlantic leader Hershey 6-3 on the road. Kincaid made 28 saves in goal, and Morgan Geekie scored three goals and an assist. It was his first AHL hat trick. Stelio Mattheos (two goals) and Bean (three assists) helped the cause.

The week ahead: Charlotte is home Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.) against Utica, which is third in the AHL North. The Checkers then host North cellar-dweller Cleveland at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. The Checkers will wear jerseys inspired by the 1980 U.S. Olympic team at Saturday’s game, and Ken Morrow, a member of the 1980 squad, will take part in the ceremonial opening puck drop.

The standings: The Checkers are solidly in fourth (the final playoff spot) in the AHL Atlantic, with 68 points. They trail Hershey (76), Providence (74) and Hartford (73). Tied for fifth, six points behind Charlotte, are Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Checkers have 19 games (nine away, 10 at home) remaining in the season.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle