RANKING THE NHL’S PROSPECT POOLS

In this blog, I will be ranking All 32 teams’ Prospect pools from best to worst, and briefly go over some of the top prospects in the system.

1. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets already had a really good group of prospects heading into the 2023 NHL Draft, but they walked away from it with the best prospect pool in the entire NHL.
Columbus had the 3rd pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, which they used to select Adam Fantilli, who was regarded as the 2nd best prospect in the draft, and has the makings of an elite number 1 center, something Columbus has been missing. Depending on who you talk to, David Jiricek is regarded as the best prospect defenseman in the entire league and has all the making of a true elite number 1 defenseman. Joining him on the blueline is his fellow Czech countryman, Stanislav Svozil, who isn’t anything special but he proved he can be a solid shutdown defenseman, along the lines of Mattias Ekholm. Corson Ceulemans is yet another blueliner who is highly touted, which means that Columbus’ blueline will be outstanding in the future. Kirill Marchenko will graduate from this list, as he is likely to be on the NHL roster, but they still have some good forward prospects such as Jordan Dumais, Luca Del Bel Belluz, and James Malatesta.

2. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have accumulated an embarrassment of riches over the past few NHL drafts, with three recently drafted players, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale being impactful NHL players at their young ages. Anaheim was atrocious last year and had the worst record in the NHL but ended up with the 2nd overall pick, which they used to select Leo Carlsson. Leo Carlsson is a forward who excels both at center and wing and is an all-situational type of player; he reminds me of a Filip Forsberg/Gabriel Landeskog hybrid. Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov are the top defensive prospects for Anaheim; Zellweger has elite skating and excellent offensive ability and could be an outstanding top 4 offensive defenseman. Pavel Mintyukov was highly sought after in the leadup to the 2022 Draft, but there was a ton of attention on the other top defenders in the draft class and he ended up going to the Ducks at 10th overall. Mintyukov has been playing on another level this year and has been one of the very best defensemen in the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Nathan Gaucher, Sasha Pastujov, and Tristan Luneau are the other noteworthy prospects that Anaheim has in the system; all of whom should be impact players in two years.

3. Minnesota Wild

The Wild knew that they needed to find key contributors who can provide a ton of value to the team while on entry-level contracts so that they could capitalize on their most talented player in franchise history, Kirill Kaprizov. That was the reasoning behind trading away one of their top scorers in Kevin Fiala to the LA Kings for Brock Faber and a first-round pick that they used to select Liam Öhgren. On the surface, the Kings won the trade, but Minnesota got back two legitimately good prospects who will be massive parts of their team moving forward. Marco Rossi is listed as a prospect, but he is more than likely to make the team this season and if he develops properly could find himself in a top 6 role very soon. Danila Yurov is a highly touted prospect who fell right into Minnesota’s lap because of the “Russian Factor” despite being a top 10 talent in his draft. Charlie Stramel is a big center who fits the style of the Minnesota Wild, however, he was not as good as players selected after him such as Gabe Perreault, Otto Stenberg, Quinten Musty, Calum Ritchie, Bradly Nadeau, Tanner Molendyk, Theo Lindstein, and Mikhail Gulyayev. Jesper Wallstedt has solidified himself as the top goalie in the league after the season he had and looks to be the goalie of the future in Minnesota.

4. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres had one of the most productive days in recent franchise memory on day one of the 2022 Draft. They added Matthew Savoie, Noah Östlund, and Jiri Kulich to their prospect pool all in the span of a few hours. Not to mention they already had Isak Rosen, and Jack Quinn, both highly skilled forwards waiting in the wings as well. As if their forward group wasn’t impressive enough, they also drafted Zach Benson in the 1st round of the 2023 NHL Draft; Benson is a smaller player, but he is creative and dynamic with the puck and it wouldn’t shock me if he challenges for a spot out of camp. The D core isn’t as impressive but they still got a decent group that is led by their 2nd round pick from this year’s draft, Maxim Strbak, along with Ryan Johnson, Nikita Novikov, and Vsevolod Komarov. Devon Levi is the top goalie prospect for the Buffalo Sabres and is expected to challenge for the team starting position this season, along with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie.

5. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackahwks realistically shouldn’t be this high on this list but they are because they have a prospect who is a sure bet to a surefire superstar on day one and will make the team this year. That player is none other than Connor Bedard, the number 1 pick in the 2023 draft was the most hyped prospect since Connor McDavid and has lived up to them thus far. Joining Bedard in Chicago will be some other talented prospects such as Kevin Korchinski, Ryan Greene, Frank Nazar, and Ethan Del Mastro. Lukas Reichel will graduate from this list and should be playing on a line with Connor Bedard this year. Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are the top Defensive prospects for Chicago, Korchinski is a dynamic offensive-minded defenseman, who could compete for a roster spot in the 2023-24 and Del Mastro is a defensive defenseman who could be a shutdown defender. Frank Nazar is a dynamic, play-driving forward, who can play multiple forward positions, while Ryan Greene is a solid center, who fits better in the bottom 6.

6. Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have been going through one of the most patient rebuilds in NHL history, slowly putting together a great group of prospects that should one day be impact players for them. Detroit’s top prospect is Simon Edvinsson, the smooth skating, 6 foot 4, Swedish defenseman is adjusting well to North America and has the potential to be an excellent two-way defenseman despite being a massive outlier size-wise. Marco Kasper was seen as a bit of a reach in the 2022 Draft at eighth overall, but he has been a revelation in the SHL this year where he has earned the responsibility of being a top-six center and is leading the league in U20 scoring. William Wallinder has also taken another step in the SHL, where he leads all U21 players in scoring despite being a defenseman, and Carter Mazur has transformed into one of the best goal-scorers in all of college hockey. Goalie Sebastian Cossa was hyped as one of the best goalie prospects in his draft year, but he was disappointed last year and demoted to play in the ECHL after struggling in the AHL. Cossa might take a little longer to develop being that he is 6’6, but in time, he could develop into a starter. Detroit had two first-round picks in the 2023 Draft, which was used to select Nate Danielsen (9th ovr) and Axel Sandin Pellikka (17th ovr). Danielsen projects as a solid two-way center with goal-scoring abilities, while Sandin Pellikka could be a really good puck-moving defenseman in the future.

7. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers seemed to finally be committed to a proper rebuild, and they have done a great job of gathering together a group of highly skilled prospects for the future.
Their top prospect is the newly drafted Russian forward, Matvei Michkov, who was drafted 7th overall in the 2023 Draft; he is a generational talent but is committed to Russia until 2025.
What Matvei Michkov will bring to the Philadelphia Flyers is a legit superstar talent that could be a top 10 player in the league, which they haven’t had since Eric Lindros. Cutter Gauthier,
the 5th overall pick in the 2022 draft, made the transition from the wing to center for Boston College in the NCAA this year where he has scored 11 goals in his first 15 college games. He just turned 19 but already possesses the strength, size, and skating ability of a pro player. Gauthier is also very smart defensively and is very good in battles along the boards. Tyson Foerster has also been very good in the AHL this year for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, making the transition from the OHL to the AHL look like a breeze. Bobby Brink is another top prospect to for Philadelphia, he could become a contributor for the team as soon as this season. Emil Andrae is their top defensive prospect and newly drafted 1st round pick Oliver Bonk should be a large part of Philadelphia’s defense in the future.

8. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have had one of the most exciting prospect pools in the NHL but it has taken the hit with Luke Hughes expected to play a top 4 role on the defense this year and with Shakir Mukhamadulin being traded away in a package for Timo Meier. Simon Nemec is the Devils’ top prospect and is one the NHL’s top defensive prospects overall; his potential is sky-high, and if the Devils develop him properly, could turn out to be a Cale Makar/Adam Fox-type defenseman, he is that good. Besides Simon Nemec, Seamus Casey, and Topias Vielen are good defensive prospects who could be impact defensemen a little further down the road. Alexander Holtz will likely graduate from this list and should be a regular on the team this year, as will Nolan Foote, who most likely will play on the 4th line this year. Top forward prospects for New Jersey are Chase Stillman, Josh Filmon, and Graeme Clarke. Although the Devils didn’t have a 1st round pick in 2023, they snagged Lenni Hameenaho in the 2nd round, and Cam Squires in the 5th round.

9. Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes feel like a team that has been at the bottom of the league for a decade solely because of the intense lows they’ve experienced recently. With many draft assets at their disposal over the last 3 years, Arizona seems to have built a really good prospect pool not because they are good at drafting but because they had so many picks. The only reason the Coyotes aren’t higher on this list is that Dylan Guenther has graduated from the NHL and has been excellent there. Their best prospect is Logan Cooley, who is a remarkable offensive driver who was the first center selected in the draft, taking one pick before Shane Wright. Few prospects in the world have the dynamic skill and hockey IQ that Cooley possesses and he will be a top-line NHL player if all goes well. Victor Soderstrom should graduate from this list and be a permanent fixture on the Coyotes’ blueline this year. Conor Geekie and Maveric Lamoureux were two other players selected in the 1st round of the 2022 draft, they will be a large part of their team in the coming years. Arizona had two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, which they used to select Dmitry Simashev (6th ovr.) and Daniil But (12th ovr.); both are tall Russian players, who fit the category of a boom or bust pick.

10. Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have been a great team for the last decade or so, but that hasn’t stopped them from building one of the very best prospect pools in the NHL. Calgary has made a few excellent choices toward the end of the first round that give them a very positive outlook despite the disappointing season they are experiencing at the moment. Matt Coronato is an incredibly talented offensive player who has been tearing up the NCAA ever since being drafted in 2021. He’s not the only Flames prospect who has been impressive recently, Connor Zary and Matthew Phillips have both been really impressive; Matthew Phillips lead the AHL in points before his callup late in the season, and Connor Zary was second in AHL scoring among U22 players. Dustin Wolf, who is the Flames’ top goaltending prospect and the goalie of the future, lead the AHL in wins and goals against average. Adding Samuel Honzek in the 2023 NHL Draft
will further improve their prospect pool.

11. Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are in a similar spot to the Penguins where they’ve been competitive for so long that their prospect pool isn’t as good, but they made up for that pretty well in the 2022 Draft where they added Ryan Chesley, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Henrik Lapierre, and more. The addition of Ivan Miroshichenko was huge, he was seen as a no-doubt top-10 prospect with a chance of going in the top five, but he fell on draft day due to “The Russian Factor” as well as his Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis. He has returned to league play this year and appears to be right back on track toward becoming a legit top-six NHL forward which would be a massive development for Washington. Hendrix Lapierre is also a great prospect with excellent puck skills who has been quite successful in the AHL this year as a 20-year-old. Ryan Chesley is the top defenseman in the system for Washington, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him make the
roster as soon as the 2024-25 season. Their top prospect might be the newly drafted Ryan Leonard, a pure goal-scoring power-forward, who has the potential to be a Matthew Tkachuk-like player. Leonard will be a top 6 forward in the NHL in no time.

12. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets have had five first-round picks in the last four drafts, all landing between 10 and 30. Their ability to find solid NHL talents in that range has been impressive, with four of those picks landing in their top five and the other (Cole Perfetti) already establishing himself as an excellent NHL player. The Jets have several talented forwards in their pipeline now: the three that stand out the most to me are Chaz Lucius, Brad Lambert, and Rugter McGroarty. McGroarty is the best of the three; He is a centerman who plays a very direct game, attacking the middle of the ice whenever possible to create the best chance. He’s a very capable playmaker with an NHL shot, but his best asset is his work ethic. McGroarty’s mindset and leadership qualities really stand out, and it would be shocking if he is a Captain one day in the NHL. Brad Lambert and Chaz Lucius were both highly touted prospects, but they slid in the draft, falling right into Winnipeg’s lap. Defenseman Elias Salomonsson and Ville Heinola are the top defensive prospects in the system; Heinola in particular is the player that has the best chance to make the roster out of camp. Colby Barlow was selected by Winnipeg in the first round of the 2023 draft as a dynamic goal-scoring forward, who could be a top 6 forward one day.

13. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens are another team that has slid down this list a bit this time around simply because some of their best prospects have broken out into the NHL this year, but their farm system will surely get better with the new prospects coming into the system in the next few years. In the 2023 Draft, the Montreal Canadiens drafted David Reinbacher with the 5th overall pick after months of speculation over who they might draft. Reinbacher is a big and mobile defenseman who could step right in and be the Habs’ number 1 defenseman as soon as 2024-25 if they send him back to Europe and have him develop like Moritz Seider did. Another top defensive prospect they have is Lane Hutson, a dynamic offensive defenseman with a brilliant offensive mind and pristine skating mechanics. Standing at 5-foot-8, Hutson isn’t your grandfather’s NHL defender, however, he is very well suited for the modern game and has the shiftiness and agility to stay upright even when opposing players try to take him out. Filip Mesar is also a great pro prospect with the hands and power to someday become an elite provider of transition offense. Other top prospects in the pipeline include Filip Mesar, another 1st round pick in the 2022 draft, Owen Beck, and Joshua Roy; all of these forwards could be impact players down the road for Montreal.

14. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars’ amateur scouting staff has been on fire over the last handful of years, from selecting three franchise cornerstones in the 2017 Draft (Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger) to nabbing Logan Stankoven in the second round of the 2021 Draft. This is a remarkable prospect pool for a team that is already being led by its best young players in the NHL. Logan Stankoven is one of my very favorite prospects in all of hockey. He had the skill of a top-10 pick but was passed on in the draft because NHL general managers were worried that his size (or lack thereof) wouldn’t make him an impactful pro player. Stankoven’s skill, skating, and work ethic are all remarkable which leads me to believe he will be an excellent top-six forward at the next level someday. Lian Bichsel is another intriguing prospect who is on the exact opposite end of the size spectrum, standing at 6-foot-5. Bichsel has already played over 50 total games in the SHL and has a reliable defensive game that leads me to believe he could anchor a top-four d-pairing in Dallas someday as the shut-down, stay-at-home type of defender. Two other forwards who could be impactful players down the road for the Dallas Stars are Mavrik Bourque and Connor Roulette, both are highly talented forwards with top 6 potential.

15. St. Louis Blues

Each of the top three prospects in the St. Louis Blues organization (Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, and Zachary Bolduc) was selected with the team’s own first-round selections in the three most recent drafts. Jimmy Snuggerud has played so well since being selected 23rd overall in the 2022 Draft; he has scored 29 points in his first 24 NCAA games for the University of Minnesota as one-third of their uber-talented top line alongside, Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley. Snuggerud also impressed at the 2023 World Juniors with 13 points in seven games, helping Team USA win bronze. Zachary Bolduc narrowly missed the cut for Team USA at the same tournament which clearly lit a fire under him. In his first 10 games after returning to the QMJHL, Bolduc scored 13 goals and 20 points. The player who is closest to making the NHL though is Jake Neighbours, who is a big power-forward, who will initially start on the 4th line but could work his way up in the lineup. St. Louis had three first-round picks, which were used to select Dalibor Dvorsky (10th ovr), Otto Stenberg (25th ovr), and Theo Lindstein (29th ovr).
All three of these players will be worthy of paying attention to down the road and could via for a roster sport as soon as the 2024-25 season.

16. Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators have been in the NHL’s “mushy middle” for several years now, good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to do much damage once they’re in. That’s why it’s a bit of a surprise that they have such a solid prospect pool, they haven’t had the premium draft picks to select the most franchise-changing prospects, yet they’ve still built a solid foundation of young players. Their top prospect of course is Yaroslav Askarov, who is
one of the top prospect goalies in the NHL and was fourth in wins among all AHL goalies at the time of writing and has earned the fourth most ice time as well. Another successful year in the AHL will likely guarantee that Askarov will be in line for a roster spot the following season. The Predators also have Joakim Kemell in their pipeline, a great offensive winger with the potential to absolutely fill up the scoresheet in the NHL someday. Luke Evangelista is another prospect in the pipeline who could compete for a roster spot this year, and more than likely will make the roster. Ryan Ufko and Jack Matier are the Predators’ top Defensive prospects for Nashville. The newest member of the Nashville Predators is Matthew Wood, who was drafted 15th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft; he is a tall forward, with natural goal-scoring ability.

17. San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are starting to put together a really good prospect pool and it could get even better in the coming years, as the Sharks are projected to be one of the worst teams in the entire league this season. William Eklund, Filip Bystedt, and Thomas Bordeleau are the top prospects currently for the Sharks, with William Eklund being the prospect who is most likely to make the team out of camp. Eklund is a dynamic playmaking, winger, who could be one of the franchise pieces moving forward. While Filip Bystedt and Thomas Borderleau aren’t blue chip prospects, they are solid prospects, who could be a middle six center down the road. San Jose Sharks drafted Will Smith (4th ovr) and Quentin Musty (26th ovr) in the 2023 NHL Draft. Will Smith is a blue-chip prospect and could be the face of this franchise for many years to come, he reminds me of Jack Hughes, in terms of his playstyle and shiftiness with the puck. Quentin Musty is a pure sniper and goal be a great goal-scorer in the league someday.

18. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a great track record when it comes to the draft as well as developing their drafted prospects, which is why they land so high on the list despite being one of the very best teams in the NHL over the last several years. They have a large number of prospects who look like future NHL players and several who could play in the middle or upper half of the lineup. Alexander Nikishin isn’t the most well-known NHL prospect, and that’s because he has played in Russia ever since being drafted 69th overall by the Hurricanes in 2020. He is a big defender (6-foot-4) who is incredibly mobile and has shown a lot more offense in the KHL this year than ever before. Although he is still signed with his KHL team for another two full seasons, he is already one of the best defenders in the entire league at just 21, so it goes without saying that he will be an incredibly impactful NHL player in a few years assuming Carolina can convince him to move to North America. Other impactful prospects in the system include Scott Morrow, and Aleksi Heimosalmi, both very offensive defensemen, as well as the newly drafted Bradly Nadeau, who could be could be a play-driving forward down the road.

19 Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers has been a revelation in the NHL for the Seattle Kraken this year, quickly working his way out of their prospect pool and establishing himself as an emerging star in the league. The Kraken have done a great job of developing their prospect pool early on in their existence, and have also taken a huge step forward this year, becoming a dangerous playoff team in just their second-ever season. 2022 1st-round pick, Shane Wright is their top prospect, and although this year didn’t go as planned, he is still a highly touted prospect who has the potential to be a core player for the Kraken down the road. Eduard Sale was selected in the 1st round of the 2023 NHL Draft by Seattle, he was a highly touted prospect out of Czechia, that has all the makings of a dynamic playmaking winger. Ryker Evans, Jagger Firkus, David Goyette, and Ty Nelson are other prospects to look out for Seattle, although they most likely will not make the roster until at least the 2024-25 season.

20 New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have gone from having one of the best prospect pools in the NHL several years in a row to having one of the best young cores in the NHL as those players, who have established themselves as key contributors at the game’s highest level. Despite making such a huge jump toward becoming an annual contender, the Rangers still hold all their future first-rounders and will likely continue growing their prospect pool. The New York Rangers stole Gabe Perreault with the 23rd pick in the 2023 NHL Draft; Perreault was projected to be a top 15 pick but fell out of the top 20. Brennan Othmann is undoubtedly the Rangers’ top prospect these days. He plays a direct offensive game and scores a ton of goals while getting under his opponent’s skin, sometimes playing the role of agitator in a similar way to Matthew Tkachuk. Othman is a great net-front winger on the powerplay, reminding me of current Ranger Chris Kreider at times. The Rangers also have some great variety in their prospect pool with goalie Dylan Garand and Adam Sykora who is a two-way forward that seems to never run out of energy or effort to give. Dylan Garand, Adam Sykora, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Zac Jones are other prospects for the Rangers to look out for come training camp.

21. Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have authored one of the most impressive re-tools/re-builds in recent years. Most of their best prospects have made the NHL, weakening their prospect pool, but they still have some solid young players who will be important in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup. Brandt Clarke and Tobias Bjornfot are both likely going to play in the NHL, this weakens their prospect pool on defense a ton, but they still have some talent back there.
Francesco Pinelli, Kenny Connors, Jack Hughes, and Alex Turcotte are the top prospects for the LA Kings heading into the 2022-23 season. Former 5th overall pick Alex Turcotte is the prospect that I want to focus on because he is getting overlooked by everyone including the LA Kings. While he most likely isn’t going to be the player that he was drafted to be, Turcotte still has the potential to be a middle 6 center with a top-6 upside. Despite not having the blue-chip prospects in their system, they have some quality prospects who look to be solid prospects.

22. Ottawa Senators

Ottawa is the biggest faller since the last edition of this article, but that’s actually a good thing. The reason they’ve fallen is that Jake Sanderson and Shane Pinto have earned full-time spots on their NHL roster, improving the NHL squad while decreasing the overall talent of the prospect group. There are still quite a few prospects to be excited about here. Ridly Greig is every head coach’s dream as a two-way center with a limitless motor and a physical play style. As a 20-year-old rookie in the AHL this year Greig has managed to score at just under a point-per-game pace. Greig isn’t long for the AHL and the Sens’ prospect pool will likely take another hit soon when he cracks the NHL roster. Zach Ostapchuk is also trending in the right direction, taking a massive step forward in his production in the WHL this year. Tyler Boucher and Roby Jarventie are other forwards who could be impactful prospects and maybe compete
for a roster spot out of camp. Jacob Bernard-Docker is the only defensive prospect of note, and while he isn’t anything flashy he should be a reliable defensive defenseman for Ottawa.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have only used one first-round pick in the last four drafts, but have managed to mine some really valuable selections in the second and third rounds in recent years. In fact, each member of their “Top Five Prospects” list above was selected in the second or third rounds. Matthew Knies is the crowning jewel of the Maple Leafs’ prospect pool. The 57th overall pick in the 2021 Draft has quickly made each and every NHL team regret passing on him, scoring 33 points in 33 NCAA games as a freshman in the 2021-22 season. Knies looks the part of a big, strong top-six winger and he should fill that role for Toronto by the 2024-25 season. Nick Robertson is so close to graduating from lists like this. I’ve really liked him in the NHL this year, but the unfortunate news of his season-ending surgery ensures that you will almost certainly find him in the off-season edition of this article once again. Topi Niemela is the Leafs’ top defensive prospect and could be a mainstay on the Blueline as soon as the 2024-25 season. Nicholas Moldenhauer is the other prospect to look out for; the Versatile, 200-foot-player could become a solid middle-six defensive center down the road.

24. Colorado Avalanche

Colorado’s prospect pool isn’t what it once was, but after adding two high-quality players in the first round of the 2023 Draft, the Avs Farm system is way better than what it was early this year.
In the 2023 Draft, Colorado had two first-round picks, which they used to select Calum Ritchie (27th ovr) and Mikhail Gulyayev (31st ovr); both were once hailed as top 10 caliber talents at the preseason rankings, but due to other players playing better or them having down years, they both fell into Colorado’s lap. Calum Ritchie is a big center, who has the potential to be a great power forward one day, while Mikhail Gulyayev is a top-4 caliber defenseman, who is undersized but has massive offensive upside. Oskar Olausson and Jean-Luc Foudy both play for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL and Foudy even earned a nine-game tryout at the NHL level this year when the Avs were experiencing some of the worst injury luck any team has seen this year. I wouldn’t be shocked if either of these two players make the team out of cap this season. Justus Annunen is another noteworthy prospect; he is one of the top goalie prospects and has the potential to be the goalie of the future in Colorado.

25 Vegas Golden Knights

After stockpiling prospects and picks during their expansion draft, the Vegas Golden Knights have leveraged the vast majority of their draft capital and prospect pool depth to become the consistent juggernaut that they are today. Vegas still possesses all of their future first-round picks and has very little cap space so a trade before this year’s draft seems unlikely which bodes well for their prospect pool. Lukas Cormier has made the transition to the pro game this year with the Henderson Silver Knights, and he has managed it well. He has a great shot, which he can use to produce rebounds for his teammates, and his playmaking vision is advanced. Brendan Brisson (Vegas’ first-rounder in 2020) is also a valuable prospect, with the skating and hands to attack through pressure and make smart passes or cuts to the net. Neither is far from the NHL and could be huge additions to the Golden Knights considering the value they could provide on their entry-level contracts. 2023 1st round pick, David Edstrom is a big center, who was drafted for his defensive abilities, but also has the potential to grow offensively if they decide to trade away William Karlsson to free up cap space. Other top prospects include Zach Dean and Matyas Sapovaliv, who could be solid depth players in the future.

26. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are the only team that didn’t make the playoffs, but also have such a poor far system to work with; truly a terrible position to be in as an organization. Typically teams are motivated by a real chance at winning hockey’s most important trophy and that’s why they trade top draft picks and prospects, Vancouver was motivated by almost making the playoffs. Linus Karlsson should be a good addition in the near future after being the Swedish Hockey League’s (SHL) rookie of the year in 2021-22, and Danila Klimovich has shown some real improvement in the AHL lately. 2023 1st round pick, Tom Willander, has the potential to be a reliable top-4 defenseman, who plays both ends of the ice, but he will need some time to develop into a true elite two-way defenseman. The biggest wildcard right now is Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who has been nothing but frustrating since being selected 15th overall in the 2022 Draft. He struggled to produce and was even benched for significant portions of the 2023 World Junior Championships.

27. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded away all but two of their last eight first-round picks, and both of the players, Samuel Poulin and Owen Pickering are on their top prospects list.
It feels like Samuel Poulin has been talked about as the Penguins’ top prospect for several years now, and that’s because he has. After being drafted in the first round of the 2019 Draft, Poulin has been the top dog in Pittsburgh’s prospect pool with no real competition. He has that now in Pickering who has an intriguing playmaking game for a defenseman to go with his size (6-foot-4), strength, and heavy slapshot. 2023 1st round pick, Brayden Yager, was a top 5 prospect in the mid-term ranking, but his stock plummeted towards the end of the year because of questions regarding whether he projects as a true center in the NHL. Regardless, Yager is still a legitimate top 6 forward and might make the roster sooner than later.

28 Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers Prospect pool is going to be a lot thinner now that Dylan Hollaway and Philip Broberg will be playing in the NHL full time and Reid Schaefer was traded in a package along with a 2023 1st round pick for Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton still holds all its future first-round picks and although they will likely trade at least one of them soon as they try to capitalize on the historic stretch of play that Connor McDavid has been on over the last few seasons. With McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins all being capable of playing center in the top-six, the Oilers are in need of wingers who can produce next to any of their centers and luckily for them Xavier Bourgault is a player who would fit in perfectly in the Oilers top 9. Besides Borgault, Matvei Petrov is a highly skilled forward who could do some damage alongside McDavid or Draisailt; Petrov has unbelievable upside, but he is still a work in progress.

29. Florida Panthers

The Panthers’ prospect pool has looked a whole lot leaner since Spencer Knight and Anton Lundell broke into the NHL full-time during the 2021-22 season. That’s not even mentioning the fact that they have traded away their next three first-round picks, leaving their farm system depleted for the next few years. The Panthers don’t have a ton of depth in their prospect pool, so they’ll need one or two of their prospects to really break out at the NHL level soon in order to stay competitive. Luckily, I think there’s a good chance Mackie Samoskevich can be that for them in a year or two. Samoskevich was good as a freshman for the University of Michigan last year despite playing most of his minutes as a middle six forward. This year, the team’s top four scoring forwards have all moved on to pro hockey and Samoskevich has filled that hole incredibly well. While Samoskevich isn’t likely to crack the roster out of camp in the 2023-24 season, he will be poised to make the roster the following season. Other noteworthy prospects for Florida include Justin Sourdif and Grigori Denisenko, both of whom could compete for a roster spot out of camp this season.

30. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been to the Stanley Cup Final for three consecutive seasons, winning the Stanley Cup twice in that span. They have gone all in for several years now, and that won’t end anytime soon considering they’ve already traded away their 2023 and 2024 1st round picks in the trade that landed them Brandon Hagel from the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite only using two of their own first-round picks between 2018 and 2024, the Lightning have a handful of solid prospects including 2022 first-rounder Isaac Howard and Jack Thompson, an electric player who played in the OHL last year and adapted well to the AHL this year. Other prospects of note for Tampa Bay include Dylan Duke, Hugo Alnefelet, and Niko Huuhtanen.

31. New York Islanders

After trading away Aatu Raty in a trade-in for Bo Horvat, the Islanders’ farm system is rather thin, but they still have some solid prospects who could be impact players down the road. The Three players I really want to highlight are William Dufour, Calle Odelius, and Simon Holmstrom; while none of these prospects are true blue-chip prospects, they each have a chance to make a real impact in the NHL. William Dufour is the best of the three; after scoring nearly two points per game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last year, Dufour made the jump to pro hockey this year and has adjusted with ease. He could get a real shot to make the roster out of camp as soon as this upcoming season. Calle Odelius and Simon Holmstrom are a little further behind in their development, but in time could be useful players for the Islanders.

32. Boston Bruins

Boston is another team that is suffering from success when it comes to its prospect pool. They’ve used just two of their first-round picks in the last five years, trading the rest to build the juggernaut of a team that they currently are. Fabian Lysell is the best prospect in the Bruins’ prospect pool by a good margin, scoring just below a point-per-game rate in the AHL this year as a 19-year-old but had an incredibly disappointing showing at the 2023 World Juniors, where he scored zero points in seven games. Lysell could be a valuable piece of depth offense for the Bruins as soon as next season but if they want him to be a top 6 caliber player, they should let him play in the AHL another year. Other noteworthy prospects for the Bruins include Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, and John Beecher; while none of these players are projected to be impact players they could be valuable depth players on the team.

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