The AHL is absolutely a superior league to anything Europe has to offer. It's also much better at specifically preparing players for the NHL and NHL game speed.
I never really understood why Bichsel was getting so much hype recently and seemed to have fan expectations to make the NHL as a teenager. Just because he's physically matured doesn't mean he's ready for the NHL at all. This tournament seems to have clearly shown that.
He probably needs at least two years in the AHL before he's ready, if he ever is. He's going to have to improve his skating, learn how to handle and play the puck properly, and perhaps most importantly leverage his size and physicality in a way that won't result in a steady stream of penalties. Without marked improvement in all of these areas, he should not sniff the NHL, even in the case of multiple defensive injuries.