If you want to be one of the best teams in the NHL in the Salary Cap Era, you have to draft and develop your own prospects so you can build for the future with young contributors on cheap entry-level contracts. When you look at some of the top teams in the league like the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, you see teams that have developed a ton of their talent through the draft.
Related: The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects – Preseason Ranking
In general, there wasn’t a ton of motion with this edition of the list, though the Wild graduated a few of their top prospects and sent a handful of other young assets to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Quinn Hughes. The Wild were certainly the biggest faller, but they made the right call in my eyes, cashing in on a deep prospect pool to raise the ceiling of their team. Without further ado, here are the midseason farm system rankings at roughly the halfway point of the 2025-26 season.
Much like the top 100 prospects article, this ranking is going to be based on the quality and potential of each team’s prospect pool. Players are listed in no particular order. I will be using Corey Pronman’s definition of “prospect” for this, so if you’re confused about why players like Berkly Catton or Matthew Schaefer aren’t on the list, this is why. “A skater no longer qualifies as an NHL prospect if he has played 25 games in the NHL in any campaign, regular season and playoffs combined, or 50 games total; or reaches age 25 by Sept. 15. A goalie no longer qualifies as an NHL prospect if he has played 10 games in the NHL in any campaign, regular season and playoffs combined, or 25 games total; or reaches age 25 by Sept. 15.” (From: “Pronman: 2019-20 NHL Farm System Rankings”).
32. Toronto Maple Leafs
Previous Ranking: 26
Top Five Prospects: Victor Johansson, Ben Danford, Nikita Grebyonkin, Artur Akhtyamov, Miroslav Holinka
The Toronto Maple Leafs are past their building window so it would be a shock to see them land much higher on this list since they’ve traded several high picks and good prospects in recent years. Easton Cowan is now a full time NHLer and is no longer eligible for this list, and their ranking wasn’t helped when they traded away Fraser Minten to the Bruins along with their 2026 1st round pick (and their 2025 1st was already traded at the time as well).
Ben Danford is a two-way workhorse defender for the Brantford Bulldogs, playing tons of minutes each night. His biggest weakness is his play with the puck, which looks rushed and, at times, uncomfortable. However, his skating, playmaking, and defensive game more than make up for it in my opinion. Danford looks like the type of player who could very well be a good two-way depth defender in the NHL, capable of reliably handling even strength minutes. His ceiling isn’t particularly high but I am comfortable projecting him to play NHL games.
31. Edmonton Oilers
Previous Ranking: 27
Top Five Prospects: Samuel Jonsson, Roby Jarventie, Paul Fischer, Beau Akey, Isaac Howard
About a year ago, the Edmonton Oilers’ prospect pool was in as rough of a spot as it ever has been during the Connor McDavid era (and probably still going back to the pre-Taylor Hall era as well). The Oilers have been doing the only sane thing a team with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can do, going all-in by trading prospects and picks year after year. However, that leaves the cupboards pretty bare after a few years. They did well to add Matt Savoie in exchange for Ryan McLeod and Isaac Howard from Tampa Bay, but with Savoie not being eligible for the list, the prospect pool isn’t particularly strong.
After a very disappointing freshman season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Isaac Howard was a leading offensive player in the NCAA for two seasons following his transfer to Michigan State University. Howard is a bit undersized (measures around 5-foot-10/11), but has a strong enough frame that he’s not as easy to knock off of pucks as you might expect.
While he’s a good skater, Howard’s skill is his defining trait, making defenders miss their checks and leaving a lot of opponents reaching in. Howard has had difficulties creating plays for himself at the pro level and Edmonton’s bottom-six isn’t exactly full of high-end players for him to work with. There’s quite a bit of boom or bust potential in Howard’s projection at this point, especially considering the centers he could end up playing with.
30. Florida Panthers
Previous Ranking: 32
Top Five Prospects: Gracyn Sawchyn, Matvei Shuravin, Simon Zether, Jack Devine, Linus Eriksson
The Florida Panthers certainly don’t have the deepest prospect pool, and the top prospect in the their pool over the last few seasons, Mackie Samoskevich, had a strong year rookie season in the NHL in 2024-25, graduating himself from this list. The Panthers have moved several valuable picks and prospects in recent years, but it has all been worth it for their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. Their prospect pool has certainly seen better days, but I doubt they are too upset about that these days.
Gracyn Sawchyn has a very high motor and is constantly skating and making small, smart plays all over the ice. Sawchyn is reliable defensively and is a great forechecker, making him an absolute nuisance for opposing forwards who aren’t likely to get a lot of space when he’s on the ice. He forces turnovers at a remarkable rate, and while his shot and playmaking aren’t special compared to an average NHLer, they are good enough. The real calling card of Sawchyn’s offensive game is his hands. I remember counting on one hand the number of 2023 draft eligible players with quicker side-to-side hands than him and he is quite confident using that advantage to blow by or through defenders.
29. Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous Ranking: 31
Top Five Prospects: Ethan Gauthier, Sam O’Reilly, Dylan Duke, Ethan Czata, Dylan Gill
The Tampa Bay Lightning has been in the bottom five of this ranking for almost four years running, as a result of their aggressive pursuit of more Stanley Cups. Tampa has been all in for years now and they’re clearly trying to find a new balance of young talent on cheaper deals. If Conor Geekie hadn’t established himself in their NHL lineup yet, Tampa might have found themselves a few spots higher, but I’m sure they’re happy with him where he is.
Sam O’Reilly, picked up in the Isaac Howard deal, may have the lower ceiling between the two traded prospects, but he plays a premium position and fits Tampa Bay’s timeline and needs better. O’Reilly is a reliable two-way center prospect who creates offense around the net and below the goal line, largely due to his strength and ability to win puck battles. He skates at an NHL level and has decent playmaking vision as well. I see a player with clear bottom-six forward potential, though you’d like to see a bit more offense if you want him to be your 3C.
28. Dallas Stars
Previous Ranking: 28
Top Five Prospects: Cameron Schmidt, Ayrton Martino, Emil Hemming, Aram Minnetian, Christian Kyrou
The Dallas Stars have had one of the best groups of young players for several years now, though that strength has draining out of their prospect pool as youngsters like Lian Bichsel, Mavrik Bourque and Wyatt Johnston have establish themselves as NHL players. As a result of their success at the NHL level, the Stars have only used a total of two picks in the first two rounds of the past three combined drafts, so it makes sense that they don’t rank very high here.
Cameron Schmidt has been a very polarizing player in the prospect world as a very undersized winger who is a high-end skater with a ton of offensive skill. If he were 6-feet tall he almost certainly would have been in the conversation in the 10-16 range of the 2025 Draft, but coming in at just 5-foot-8, his size was a major reason that he fell late into the third round. Schmidt will need to outwork much larger opponents if he wants to succeed in the NHL, and he has shown a high enough compete level to be a real menace someday.
27. Colorado Avalanche
Previous Ranking: 30
Top Five Prospects: Mikhail Gulyayev, William Zellers, Ilya Nabokov, Francesco Dell’elce, Sean Behrens
The Colorado Avalanche moved plenty of prospects and draft picks over the last few years, and their prospect pool has begun to really reflect that. After trading Calum Ritchie and their 1st round pick in either the 2026 or 2027 Drafts, it’s unlikely that the Avalanche will work their way back up this list anytime soon. The possible arrival of Mikhail Gulyayev to North America in the next six months is the biggest storyline to watch here.
Mikhail Gulyayev is a great offensive defender who was the talk of the prospect world as a 16 and 17 year old, but hasn’t had much attention lately. Part of that is likely due to his size as a 5-foot-10 defenseman, but I think the larger part is that he never got the chance to display what he could do on the international stage with Russia banned from all IIHF events such as the World Junior Championship. Gulyayev is an effortless skater with great hockey IQ, making him a dangerous transition rusher and passer.
26. Ottawa Senators
Previous Ranking: 25
Top Five Prospects: Carter Yakemchuk, Logan Hensler, Xavier Bourgault, Hoyt Stanley, Blake Montgomery
This might be lower than some would expect for the Senators to land, but come on, look at that list. Now, there’s no reason to panic, the reason their prospect pool looks so bare is simply because most of their best young players have graduated from this list and into the NHL full-time. If this were a ranking of the best young cores then the Senators would find themselves significantly higher on this list (closer to top-10 than bottom-10 for sure) on the backs of players like Jake Sanderson, Ridley Greig and Tim Stutzle.
Carter Yakemchuk has an enviable physical makeup as a right-shot defender who already measures at 6-foot-4 (was 6-foot-2 to start his draft year), 207 pounds and he has produced a ton of offense at the junior level. His skill is impressive for a defender of his size and his size and physicality combine to make him intriguing as an NHL prospect. Yakemchuk challenges opposing players one-on-one like a forward, constantly setting himself up for incredible dekes. The problem is, he doesn’t succeed 100% of the time and can put himself in tough positions to recover defensively when things go wrong.
25. Vegas Golden Knights
Previous Ranking: 29
Top Five Prospects: Trevor Connelly, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Lukas Cormier, Mathieu Cataford, Carl Lindbom
In the past I have been very critical of the Vegas Golden Knights’ tendency to trade their best prospects and picks to win-now, and I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong. I was wrong in thinking that Vegas’ “it’s just business” mentality wouldn’t work and that they should have held onto more of their futures. Obviously it all worked out for them with their first Championship in franchise history and that’s not even mentioning the fact that they’re still ranked higher than a handful of teams on this list.
Trevor Connelly is a skilled winger with dynamic skating and a penchant for making the most jaw-dropping move possible. His hands are really quick and he plays with a ton of deception which makes him dangerous with the puck even when it looks like there’s no play to be made. However, Connelly has had some high-profile discipline issues, and will need to reign in his decision making, on and off the ice, if he wants to be given consistent high deployment in the NHL.
24. Los Angeles Kings
Previous Ranking: 24
Top Five Prospects: Carter George, Henry Brzustewicz, Koehn Ziemmer, Hampton Slukynsky, Liam Greentree
The Los Angeles Kings’ prospect pool is a shadow of its former self, with prospects like Brandt Clarke, Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev establishing themselves as NHLers and other young players like Brock Faber and Rasmus Kupari being traded for more established players. Clarke has been a mainstay on this list for LA since he was drafted back in the 2021 Draft, so it’s not surprising the Kings’ ranking took a bit of a hit now that he’s a regular in their lineup.
Liam Greentree is a big winger who looks like he could be a great all-round player in the NHL someday if he can make some improvements to his speed and acceleration. Greentree does most things well, fighting hard in puck battles, making smart passes, and handling defensive responsibilities well. His greatest strength is his shot which looks like a quality NHL tool though his skill with the puck is worthy of mention as well. The biggest barrier in the way of NHL success for Greentree at the moment is his skating. He’s got okay speed once he gets going, but his first few steps are sluggish and he could use some explosiveness to help him accelerate more quickly.
23. Pittsburgh Penguins
Previous Ranking: 23
Top Five Prospects: Owen Pickering, Harrison Brunicke, Bill Zonnon, Emil Pieniniemi, Will Horcoff
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in a constant state of mortgaging the future for current success for the last decade or two as they tried to make the most of the primes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s careers (quite successfully I might add). As a result they only selected in the first round three times in the 10 drafts from 2015-2024. However, the 2024-25 season seemed to be a bit of a turning point, with the Penguins yet again missing the playoffs and selling at the trade deadline. This ended up allowing them to make three picks in the first round of the 2025 Draft, giving their prospect pool a nice infusion of talent.
William Horcoff is a beast of a hockey player. At 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds, this 19-year-old has a lot more skill and a smoother shot than you’d typically expect of a big man. He moves well for his size, and he sees the ice well, with enough skill and IQ to project as a strong NHLer. Horcoff will likely struggle a bit with the pace of professional play at first, since his size and strength advantage in the NCAA gives him more time and space than the pros will ever give him. Regardless, I think there’s a chance he could end up as a good second line center.
22. Minnesota Wild
Previous Ranking: 6
Top Five Prospects: Riley Heidt, Charlie Stramel, Carson Lambos, Ryder Ritchie, Rasmus Kumpulainen
The Minnesota Wild have had one of the best prospect pools in the NHL for a very long time, dating back to when they had dreams of signing Kirill Kaprizov and were left waiting for a few extra years. Now, the Wild find themselves in the bottom half of the list for the first time since I started doing this exercise, but that’s a good thing. Players like Jesper Wallstedt and Danila Yurov have been off to great rookie seasons, and the Wild cashed in on their excellent prospect pool in order to land Quinn Hughes back in December. The prospect pool has taken a real hit, but the NHL squad has become a whole lot more dangerous in a very top-heavy Central Division.
Charlie Stramel’s development hasn’t been a rollercoaster, but more of a yo-yo. After two years at the University of Wisconsin, Stramel’s stock was at its lowest, but he has bounced back remarkably since transferring to Michigan State University where he has re-established himself as not just a legitimate NHL prospect, but as a future middle-six piece.
Stramel is a big, physical center who competes hard and projects to supply the Wild with a bit of depth offense. With Marco Rossi being sent to Vancouver as part of the Quinn Hughes trade, there is a whole down the middle in Minnesota’s middle-six, and I think Stramel will be able to fill that very soon.
21. New Jersey Devils
Previous Ranking: 22
Top Five Prospects: Anton Silayev, Kasper Pikkarainen, Lenni Hämeenaho, Mikhail Yegorov, Daniil Orlov
The New Jersey Devils are in a strange spot this season. Their roster features plenty of names that were once on this list, with guys like Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Dawson Mercer all contributing in the NHL. However, the Devils have had an up and down season and there’s not a ton of help coming from the prospect pool. Anton Silayev looks like a great defensive defenseman and Lenni Hämeenaho could be a solid middle-six piece, but there’s not a ton of depth past that.
Anton Silayev was the early story of the 2024 Draft, going from an unknown defender in Russia’s junior system the prior year to an elite defensive prospect who was tearing up the KHL. Silayev is 6-foot-7, but he moves like he’s 6-foot-2, and he has shown great two-way play across two full KHL seasons. Silayev’s combination of length and skating makes him a true outlier in the hockey world, and one capable of becoming a one-man defensive unit in his prime.
20. New York Rangers
Previous Ranking: 21
Top Five Prospects: Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, Malcolm Spence, EJ Emery, Carey Terrance
The New York Rangers have many incredibly talented young players who have already broken into the NHL full time which is why they aren’t higher on this list, although they still have a good number of players I think will have real value in the NHL someday. Malcolm Spence looks like he could factor into the Rangers’ bottom-six forward group in just a few years while Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann each have a chance at cracking the top-six group.
Gabe Perrault continues to look like someone who could be a power play specialist at the next level with great skill and smarts in the offensive zone. He can pick apart opposing defenses with pin-point passes, creative dangles and sly fakes, and his effort level is admirable. Perreault was one of the most creative and intelligent players from the 2023 Draft and he is great at weaving his way out of trouble when defenders collapse around him, either with a pass or his lightning-quick hands.
19. Boston Bruins
Previous Ranking: 20
Top Five Prospects: James Hagens, Fabian Lysell, Dean Letourneau, William Moore, Dans Locmelis
After making just 31 selections in previous six NHL Drafts combined (5.1 selections per year), with only five of those being in the first two rounds (three first rounders and two seconds), the Boston Bruins made a full 7 picks in the 2025 Draft for just the second time since their infamous 2015 Draft class. That lack of draft capital is bound to leave you near the bottom of a list like this, but their injury issues and a few savy trade-deadline moves have given them a good bit more talent, with their first true top-end prospect in a decade with James Hagens.
James Hagens is a dynamic skater with a ton of skill, giving him a tool kit that brings to mind recent NTDP stars like Jack Hughes, Logan Cooley, and Will Smith. His edgework is phenomenal, which makes his movements in open ice extremely difficult to anticipate. Hagens uses his edges, as well as subtle fakes, to make defenders miss and burst into space with possession. Hagens is an excellent playmaker, drawing eyes and bodies to himself before placing a perfect pass on a teammate’s blade.
18. Winnipeg Jets
Previous Ranking: 17
Top Five Prospects: Brayden Yager, Sascha Boumedienne, Brad Lambert, Elias Salomonsson, Colby Barlow
The Winnipeg Jets have a good group of forward prospects, with very little to show when it comes to prospects on the backend. Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow all have good chances to become at least top-nine mainstays for the Jets someday, with each of them having varying levels of top-six upside. They will need to diversify their prospect pool sooner than later unless they want to be left with no young options on the backend internally.
Brayden Yager was talked about in the scouting world for nearly as long as Connor Bedard, being drafted third overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and winning the CHL Rookie of the Year award following the 2021-22 season on the back of a remarkable 34-goal, 59-point rookie season. His transition game, defensive play, and wicked wrist shot make him an all around threat at the junior level. After being traded one-for-one for Rutger McGroarty to the Jets, Yager looks poised to remain in the Canadian Prairies for the foreseeable future. He grew up in Saskatchewan, played his junior hockey there (in Moose Jaw and now Lethbridge, Alberta), and has now made the jump to the AHL (Manitoba Moose) with his WHL career behind him.
17. Vancouver Canucks
Previous Ranking: 19
Top Five Prospects: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Sawyer Mynio, Braeden Cootes, Alexei Medvedev, Kirill Kudryavtsev
The Vancouver Canucks have risen significantly in this ranking over the past two years, rising all the way to from 30th, with the addition of Braeden Cootes and the resurgence of Jonathan Lekkerimaki as a legitimate top-six potential prospect standing out as the main reasons. If this was a ranking of U23 groups in the NHL, Vancouver’s addition of Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium would have shot them up this list. However, those two players aren’t eligible here so the Canucks stick fairly close to where they were ranked last.
Braeden Cootes is a center prospect who earned a ton of admirers following his remarkable performance for Team Canada at the U18s last Summer where he captained Canada to a gold medal. He was also Canada’s top scorer in the tourney which was encouraging because it proved what a lot of people already believed which was that his relatively low scoring in the WHL last season was due to the dearth of offensive talent surrounding him and that he has more to show on that end of the ice. Cootes is a coach’s dream as a hard-worker who never drops his coverage and who forechecks as hard as he can. He actually began the season with the Canucks before returning to captain the Seattle Thunderbirds once again.
16. Columbus Blue Jackets
Previous Ranking: 15
Top Five Prospects: Cayden Lindstrom, Stanislav Svozil, Jordan Dumais, Jackson Smith, Luca Del Bel Belluz
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made some massive changes over the last few years, from trading away Seth Jones for the picks that became Cole Sillinger and David Jiricek, to landing the late Johnny Gaudreau in the biggest surprise of the 2022 Free Agency period. Several of their best young players have already entered the NHL like Adam Fantilli and Denton Mateychuk, but the Blue Jackets still have a good pipeline, led by Jackson Smith and Cayden Lindstrom.
Cayden Lindstrom has been a favorite of mine from the 2024 Draft class going back a few years now. He’s a massive power forward (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) who is incredibly quick and difficult to knock off the puck. His size advantage is part of what made him a nearly immovable object in the WHL, but he also has great hands, a strong shot, and really good puck protection instincts. Lindstrom has missed significant time in two consecutive campaigns due to a back injury, and that missed time has really started to add up. I sincerely hope he recovers and gets back on track.
15. Philadelphia Flyers
Previous Ranking: 18
Top Five Prospects: Porter Martone, Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, Oliver Bonk, Jack Berglund
With Matvei Michkov making his NHL debut last year, the Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect pool quickly became less exciting. Guys like Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk project as meaningful contributors down the line, but there isn’t exactly anyone who should be expected to seriously move the needle in Philly anytime soon. That was, until they landed Porter Martone with the sixth selection of the 2025 Draft, adding another premium offensive talent to their prospect pool
Porter Martone is a skilled power forward who dominated the OHL in his draft season. His size and high-end skill make him a handful for junior defenses, and I think it was a great decision for him to move on to the NCAA this season with Michigan State University. Martone’s size is great and all (6-foot-3), but the real reason it excites scouts is his excellent playmaking, high-end compete level, and his great hands. In the draft process, Martone compared himself to the Tkachuk brothers, and while I think he’s got a lot of their DNA as a high-skill power forward, he isn’t a pest like the Tkachuks. He battles hard for pucks and doesn’t back down from a challenge, but I’m not quite sure he has that Rat X-Factor like the Tkachuks.
14. Nashville Predators
Previous Ranking: 16
Top Five Prospects: Brady Martin, David Edstrom, Tanner Molendyk, Cameron Reid, Yegor Surin
The Nashville Predators have been in a weird position over the last few seasons, with their best players aging and slowing down a bit despite Juuse Saros being one of the league’s best goalies on a yearly basis. They ultimately looked poised to take a bit of a step back two seasons ago, trading guys like Mattias Ekholm and Tanner Jeannot each for massive returns. Regardless, they went all in on the 2024 Free Agency Class, handing out a lot of money that has already not aged particularly well.
Brady Martin is a highly competitive and physical center prospect who endeared himself to NHL scouts in his draft year through his tenacity and tendency to throw absolutely show-stopping hits. Don’t try to put Martin into a box as just a hard worker with minimal skill, however, because he has enough skill and finesse with the puck to create good looks for himself and his teammates. Martin has a ton of hallmarks of an excellent do-it-all power forward, battling hard for pucks, making opponents look twice over their shoulders with his physical presence, and creating tons of offense down the middle of the ice, especially near the crease.
13. St. Louis Blues
Previous Ranking: 12
Top Five Prospects: Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau, Theo Lindstein, Otto Stenberg, Adam Jecho
The St. Louis Blues began their retool in the 2022-23 season, and committed to giving themselves the best chance to succeed in the future, entering the 2023 Draft with three first rounders. Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Theo Lindstein are all legit NHL prospects and adding them to a pipeline that already had a guy like Jimmy Snuggerud gave their prospect pool a huge boost. A few of those guys have graduated out of the prospect pool, but they’ve done well since then, adding Adam Jiricek and Justin Carbonneau with first round picks.
Justin Carbonneau is a powerful winger who dominated the QMJHL in his draft season with his lightning-fast hands and his ability to change the point of release on his wrist shot at the last moment. While he’s not the most cerebral player, sometimes relying on the playmaking and decision making of teammates, he has the skill to create excellent chances out of thin air. A right-handed sniper is valuable in today’s NHL, and one who scored 46 in the Q while filling out an athletic, powerful frame is doubly so.
12. Washington Capitals
Previous Ranking: 10
Top Five Prospects: Cole Hutson, Andrew Cristall, Lynden Lakovic, Terik Parascak, Milton Gästrin
The Washington Capitals have been going all-in for more than a decade and while it was ultimately a success with their Stanley Cup victory in 2018, their prospect pool was a sight for sore eyes for a very long time. The Capitals have flirted with the NHL’s mushy middle since their Cup win, but blew away all expectations for them last season by winning the President’s Trophy. Despite all this, they have done a great job of compiling some really great prospects through the draft, who should help them with the franchise’s upcoming transition at the end of the Ovechkin-era.
Andrew Cristall is one of the most creative and slippery prospects in the hockey world. He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up, making their jobs much easier. Only time will tell if his game will translate to the NHL level given his 5-foot-10 frame, but it sure has translated to the AHL where he is one of the Hershey Bears’ top scorers. I don’t think it’ll take long for him to make their roster, and I expect he’ll end up factoring into their top-six soon.
11. Carolina Hurricanes
Previous Ranking: 8
Top Five Prospects: Kurban Limatov, Bradly Nadeau, Dominik Badinka, Felix Unger-Sörum, Nikita Artamonov
Teams as good as the Carolina Hurricanes shouldn’t have prospect pools as good as this team does. Despite being one of the best teams in the NHL over the past five years, the Hurricanes keep finding ways to improve their prospect system. Some of that is through shrewd scouting, which led to them drafting Bradly Nadeau near the end of the first round and Felix Unger-Sörum late in the second round of the 2023 Draft, and some of it is through remarkable development curves with prospects like Alexander Nikishin.
Bradly Nadeau had a dominant draft season in the BCHL, with the goals and points accumulating until they were impossible to ignore. He led the league in goals, assists, and points as a 17-year-old. Nadeau’s game translated well to the NCAA, scoring 46 points in 37 games as a freshman before making the leap to the AHL where he excelled, scoring 32 goals and being in the top-20 for league-wide scoring as a 19 year old. He’s got a wicked shot and the speed to be an absolute terror in transition. The only thing standing in the way of Nadeau becoming a goalscoring top-six winger could be his size, standing at 5-foot-10, though his skating and compete level are strong and he plays for one of the few teams in the NHL that isn’t afraid of players under 6-feet.
10. New York Islanders
Previous Ranking: 14
Top Five Prospects: Danny Nelson, Victor Eklund, Cole Eiserman, Kashawn Aitcheson, Daniil Prokhorov
Before the 2024 Draft, the New York Islanders hadn’t made a first round selection since they took Simon Holmstrom 23rd overall in the 2019, and it showed in their prospect pool. In the two years since they have selected four times in the first round, adding the three most talented prospects in their pool, not even including Matthew Schaefer who has graduated from this list on the back of a remarkable rookie season as an 18-year-old.
Victor Eklund is a skilled and competitive winger who had an excellent season in the Allsvenskan last year. He impressed in a Sweden’s second tier league as a draft eligible, and has again been impressive in the SHL despite being just 19 years old. Eklund’s skill and skating are strong traits, but it’s his compete level that makes him a special prospect. There isn’t a puck battle that Eklund won’t give his all to, a race for a free puck that he won’t throw himself into. Eklund is a dog and he’ll be a favorite of Islanders fans and coaches very soon.
9. Anaheim Ducks
Previous Ranking: 11
Top Five Prospects: Lucas Pettersson, Maxim Massé, Stian Solberg, Roger McQueen, Eric Nilson
The past few seasons have been forgettable for the Anaheim Ducks. That might not have been a bad thing for them as they have continued to build a strong pipeline through the draft, with difference makers at every valuable position. However, the majority of those players (Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, etc.) have graduated to the NHL and the Ducks’ prospect pool is finally starting to look a bit more pedestrian. The 2024-25 season didn’t look too hot down in Anaheim, but that meant they got the chance to add another high-upside piece in Roger McQueen with the 10th overall pick.
Roger McQueen is a 6-foot-5 center with excellent hands and strong skating. He missed nearly all of his draft season, playing a grand total of just 20 games, as a result of a nagging back injury that he and his camp believes is behind him. In an NHL landscape where each team is looking for the next Tage Thompson, there were a lot of teams interested in McQueen very early on in the 2025 NHL Draft, but ultimately it was the durability question that saw him slide slightly to 10th overall. As you’d expect of a player his size, McQueen is strong around the net physically, and he has uncommon dexterity for a big man. If he reaches anything near his ceiling, then the Ducks have added another excellent forward to their future top-six.
8. Seattle Kraken
Previous Ranking: 9
Top Five Prospects: Jake O’Brien, Carson Rehkopf, Jagger Firkus, Blake Fiddler, Julius Miettinen
The Seattle Kraken are in a really strange place for a team that has only played a handful of seasons in franchise history. Typically, expansion teams are really bad for several years until their accumulation of draft picks turns into a strong prospect pool which eventually grows into a good NHL team. The Kraken, however, have bounced around the standings in their first four seasons making high draft picks something that they can’t rely on. They have done an admirable job of accumulating talent anyway, with 2025 first rounder Jake O’Brien leading the way as their clear top prospect.
Jake O’Brien is a center prospect with the size, skill, and playmaking ability to become an important member of the Kraken. He has great hockey IQ, especially when it comes to his playmaking, finding teammates easily through traffic or off of no-look plays, though it also shows itself in the routes he takes off the puck, which put him in great position to receive passes or two intercept them. While he already has a pro-sized frame, O’Brien’s June birthday means he was on the younger side for the 2025 Draft class and has a bit of extra runway to put on some muscle.
7. Buffalo Sabres
Previous Ranking: 7
Top Five Prospects: Radim Mrtka, Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, Anton Wahlberg, Adam Kleber
The Buffalo Sabres’ young core has a huge amount of talent, with an embarrassment of riches on their NHL roster with guys like Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power holding down the fort on the backend and Tage Thompson consistently performing like a star centermen. Following the 2024 Draft, the Sabres decided that prospect Matthew Savoie was not needed, given the large number of undersized, skill-based forwards in their prospect pool. That certainly dropped them in this ranking, but they still have a good number of high-end prospects waiting in the wings.
Radim Mrtka did himself a big favor at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup a year and a half ago. Mrtka is a massive (6-foot-6), right-shot defender who played huge minutes in all-situations for Czechia in that tournament, helping drive them to a silver medal finish. He is a very natural puck carrier and mover in the offensive zone, walking the blueline better than you’d expect for an 18-year-old of his size.
Mrtka made the move to North American last season to join the Seattle Thunderbirds, and has been an absolute two-way work horse for them from the moment he arrived. He was on the first power play unit and the first penalty killing group as well, regularly logging ice times exceeding 30 minutes a night! Mrtka’s defensive potential is sky high given his massive size and strong skating, but his offensive game inspires some confidence as well.
6. Calgary Flames
Previous Ranking: 13
Top Five Prospects: Zayne Parekh, Samuel Honzek, Hunter Brzustewicz, Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter
The Calgary Flames are going to look very different over the next couple of seasons, and they’ve begun to build a really solid group of young players. The Flames have quietly done a really solid job of managing their assets during a massive fire-sale (pun-intended) over the two years or so, trading Jakob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, and now Rasmus Andersson amongst other players. As a result, the Flames have added some nice young talent like Cole Reschny (1st round pick received in Markstrom trade) and Cullen Potter (1st round pick received in Matthew Tkachuk trade).
Zayne Parekh has been a really fun player to follow throughout his junior career, constantly involving himself on offense, pinching in along the boards when needed, and creating a ton of chances for himself and his teammates as a result. For my money, he was the most talented offensive creator on the backend in the 2024 Draft, however, Parekh’s defensive game leaves a bit to be desired. He is smart enough to anticipate opposing attackers, and can make good checks with his stick, but the physicality is lacking at this point, which has lead to some struggles in puck battles at the NHL level early in his career.
5. Detroit Red Wings
Previous Ranking: 3
Top Five Prospects: Carter Bear, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Sebastian Cossa, Eddie Genborg, Trey Augustine
The Detroit Red Wings haven’t had much to celebrate over the last seven or eight years, except for their prospect pool. Although many of those players haven’t panned out (I’m looking at you Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno), the Red Wings have continued to develop one of the league’s deepest pipelines in terms of both NHL quality and star potential. The youth movement in Detroit has been a huge reason for their resurgence this year with Axel Sandin Pellikka and Nate Danielson both graduating from the prospect pool.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (MBN) is a Norwegian winger who is known for his high work ethic and his shot. He isn’t going to produce a ton of highlight reel plays with his skill, but he works harder than just about anyone all over the ice. Brandsegg-Nygård’s best attribute is his shot, which he gets off quickly and powerfully. MBN cracked the Red Wings’ opening night lineup and has been excellent in the AHL so far. Detroit has had a great start this season, but they are still in need of players willing to get to the guts of the ice and create offense through grit and power, and thankfully MBN has those qualities in spades.
4. Montreal Canadiens
Previous Ranking: 5
Top Five Prospects: David Reinbacher, Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Jacob Fowler, Vinzenz Rohrer
The Montreal Canadiens have continued to build their prospect pool despite several important players, like Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and Juraj Slafkovsky, graduating into full-time NHL spots. The Canadiens have a great young core already in the NHL, which is largely how they made the playoffs last season, so having such a strong prospect pool as well means that they are quite likely to be a dangerous team in the NHL for a long time.
Despite missing nearly all of his draft-1 season to injury, Michael Hage has re-established himself as a high end prospect, and was drafted 21st overall in the 2024 Draft. He has a really well-rounded tool kit as a 6-foot-1 center who skates well, has excellent skill with the puck and created chances at will in the USHL and NCAA over the past two and a half seasons. Hage doesn’t have the most dangerous shot but it’s not a weakness by any means, and he competes well on defense and through traffic in the offensive zone. Ultimately, a lack of elite traits may hold him back a little but Hage certainly has a chance to be a top-six forward in the NHL.
3. Utah Mammoth
Previous Ranking: 4
Top Five Prospects: Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, Maveric Lamoureux
The Arizona Coyotes are no more, and in their place, the Utah Mammoth holds their spot on this list. The team showed improvement last year, scoring 89 and finishing 20th in the league, largely due to the continued excellence of Clayton Keller, and both Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther shining as solid supporting pieces. The Mammoth are set to capitalize on the high-end prospect pool created by the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, though winning one of the draft lotteries for the 2025 Draft certainly helps as well, leading to the addition of Caleb Desnoyers as a future leader down the middle for Utah.
Under new ownership, the Utah Hockey Team looks poised to take another significant step forward in the coming season, led by a youth movement that should make them an imposing group for many years to come. Tij Iginla will certainly help push the team in that direction. His game relies heavily on speed and he’s able to do a ton of damage on the rush at the junior level because of it. Iginla has an excellent wrist shot as well, but he isn’t the most gifted playmaker or physical guy. Regardless, he works hard and is often the first guy in on the forecheck.
Caleb Desnoyers is a really well-rounded prospect who impressed for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer before his draft year with his hardworking style earning him a major role. Desnoyers has been heavily relied upon in the QMJHL due to his responsible play in all zones and his success in the faceoff dot. I don’t think his skill is elite, but he’s got more than enough skill to produce given his strong hockey sense that allows him to involve himself in plays at just the right moment. Desnoyers competes hard and will be an effective pro on both sides of the puck. He doesn’t exactly project as an elite point-scoring center in the NHL, but he should be an excellent connective piece down the middle in Utah’s top-six.
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Previous Ranking: 2
Top Five Prospects: Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert, Sam Rinzel, Vaclav Nestrasil, Roman Kantserov
The Chicago Blackhawks were obviously not going to stick at the top of this list for long after Connor Bedard joined the NHL, but the development of their group and a couple more top-3 draft picks have made sure they didn’t fall far. Chicago has learned the hard way that tearing a team down and tanking is easy, but building the group back up to the point they can compete for the playoffs is much tougher. Thankfully, they are set to have a steady stream of high-end young talent joining their roster for the next few seasons, all over the lineup.
Anton Frondell is a two-way center who is built for the pro game. His size, shot, and two-way consistency make him a great bet to help steady the top-six forward group for the Chicago Blackhawks down the line. Frondell racked up points at a remarkable rate for his age in the Swedish Allsvenskan last season, and was an integral piece of Djurgårdens’ promotion to the SHL. His international play has been inconsistent over the past few years, but strong league play in excellent professional leagues has earned him lots of attention, and his ability to protect the puck against bigger and older competition will serve him well when he joins the Blackhawks. .
1. San Jose Sharks
Previous Ranking: 1
Top Five Prospects: Igor Chernyshov, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Michael Misa, Quentin Musty, Filip Bystedt
The San Jose Sharks have been near the top of this ranking from the moment they won the 2024 Draft lottery and landed Macklin Celebrini. However, Celebrini has made the leap into the NHL, along with Yaroslav Askarov and Will Smitht. The fact that they still rank first is a testament to the massive influx of young talent set to hit the Sharks’ lineup over the coming seasons.
Two years after we saw Connor Bedard going first overall, and three after Shane Wright went fourth overall, another CHL exceptional status player went in the top-5 of the NHL draft with Michael Misa being selected second overall by the Sharks. Misa plays an extremely well rounded game, with a really strong foundation of skills that should make him a great top-six forward in the NHL. Misa is an excellent skater, with the skill and hockey sense to be a great power play asset for San Jose
The biggest question around Misa to start his draft year was if he could really step up offensively and become “the guy” in Saginaw. Well, Misa’s 62 goals and 134 points in 65 OHL games have soundly answered that. Misa’s fit is going to be very interesting with the Sharks, given they have Macklin Celebrini as a no-doubt first line center and Will Smith as a possible 2C for the future. Smith showed signs of great chemistry with Celebrini as a winger as last season went on so I think that opens the door for Misa to stay at center in the NHL.
