Last season centers Janne Kuokkanen, Nicolas Roy (traded to Vegas) and Morgan Geekieand big winger Julien Gauthier,joined Necas, Beanand Saarela as seven of Charlottes top-10 scorers all drafted from 2015 onward. With a great high end of the pool, the Rangers also boast pool depth with a number of players who should figure into their near future. Graduated: Carter Hart (G), Oskar Lindblom (LW) In goal, it looks like Jaroslav Halak will return as Tuukka Rasks backup, but if the performance of undrafted netminder Kyle Keyserwith Oshawa during the OHL playoffs is any indication, a long look in the AHL and a late-season promotion sound reasonable. NHL readiness and experience Generally speaking, a player who is among the best team performers in the AHL usually is one of the first to receive an in-season promotion. An exceptional playmaker who can score as well thanks to his good vision and hands, he's shown advanced awareness and can be trusted in all three zones on the ice. The Bruins, like the Capitals, recently saw their top farm talentdefensemanCharlie McAvoygraduate to the NHL. And if Demko doesn't pan out, Michael DiPietro is a solid goalie prospect. At a time when prospects are generally afforded a longer leash to develop, neither has moved the needle enough to validate their draft position, let alone to earn a top-6 or top-9 role with Dallas. 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, F1 season preview: Who's hot and who's not, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, LIVE Transfer Talk: Gvardiol, Bellingham named Real Madrid's top transfer targets, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, an extremely strange year for NHL prospects, Ranking the top 100 NHL prospects: Two Rangers and Red Wings in the top 10, Make-or-break time: Six NHL prospects who must take the next step this season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Breakout candidate for 2020-21: Alex Turcotte Some players with high point totals, but in their fourth or fifth year in the same junior league, were overlooked, depending on the depth of his organizations farm system. Traded/not signed: Daniel Bukac (RHD), Ryan Donato (RW, MIN), Cedric Pare (C). No team has done a better job at selecting elite offensive talent without the benefit of multiple top-10 picks than the Kings. Breakout candidate for 2020-21: Alex Turcotte One of the prospects with a legitimate chance to see significant NHL action this season is sniping winger Victor Olofsson, a former seventh-round pick who scored 30 goals as an AHL rookie plus two more in six NHL games. Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences. 2 overall pick Quinton Byfield took a great system and turned it into the class of the league. Go ahead and get their lockers ready. Florida Panthers. Lastly, Russian-born 2019 draftees Yegor Spiridonov and defenseman Artemy Knyazev, were minute-eating mainstays for their under-18 national team. Graduated: Warren Foegele (LW), Andrei Svechnikov (RW),Lucas Wallmark (C) Additionally, there is a significant amount of speed up front, beginning with Jesper Boqvist, 2016 first rounder Mike McLeodand AHL-proven winger Brandon Gignac, who was one of the top scorers on a thin Binghamton squad. But being out of contention yielded trades that brought in high-end youngsters. Elsewhere, it's a pair of goalies on the rise: University of Maine standout Jeremy Swayman and Kyle Keyser, who spent his 2019-20 in the AHL and ECHL. Rest easy, Blue Jackets fans. A mobile defense has always been a hallmark of Nashvilles prospect pool, and collegians David Farrance (Boston Univ.) And although mums the word on the health of 2017 first-rounder Gabe Vilardi, he still is one of the top playmakers among all NHL prospects. He's followed by another potentially special talent on the blue line in Finnish export. Not all of them will be playing center at the next level, but if you're going to be heavy at one position, that's certainly not a bad area to focus. Evan Bouchard was a wise choice at 10th overall in 2018 because he gives Edmonton a much-needed playmaking dimension from the blue line, and 2015 draftee Ethan Bear arguably is the most NHL-ready of the remaining youth on defense. Chayka also added Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom, an intelligent and mature puck mover, who would be a nice compliment to the physical, shut-down style of Kevin Bahl. Ville Heinola has all the makings of a top-pairing defenseman thanks to his demeanor and intelligence, and he's joined at the position by Dylan Samberg and Declan Chisholm, among others. He is a former prospects writer for ESPN.com and worked briefly for the Associated Press and McKeens Hockey. Unfortunately for the general public, they tend to keep us in the dark about the inner workings, which is why its up to us to figure out where theprospects stand and how each teams success with player development can be measured. WebThe Kings 2021 second-round draft pick is on an absolute tear. NHL games played Were using Calder eligibility with a twist. With a strong core of defense and goaltending prospects already solidified, the Capitals addressed the need for skill up front by taking slick playmaker Connor McMichael and cerebral 200-foot winger Brett Leason with their first two picks of the 2019 draft. 12 Vols lose starting PG Zeigler to torn ACL, Out of dark, Rodgers vows decision coming soon, Survey: Vikes, Fins, Raiders top FA report cards, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, Red Wings lock up Larkin with 8-year extension, The triumph of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, A new home for Michael Thomas? There are too many examples of teams that stockpile high-ranking prospects, only to either misuse them or keep them blocked in the minors. It's not official yet. Traded/not signed: None. Nylander, on the other hand, has game-breaking potentialbut his time as Sabres property was nothing short of underwhelming. The promotions last season of Carter Hart and winger Oskar Lindblom played a role in the drop from last years ranking, but Fletcher and staff did well at the 2019 draft by getting elite playmaking potential in defenseman Cam York and winger Bobby Brink, plus hard-shooting defender Ronnie Attard. The Habs also acquired cerebral playmaker Nick Suzuki from Vegas in the Max Pacioretty deal;hell battle fellow 2017 first-rounder Ryan Poehling to make the big club out of camp. Goal-scoring winger Filip Zadina and center Joe Veleno the last two first-round picks made by predecessor Ken Holland are among the elite of the elite. The title run had a significant Swedish aroma to it, as puck mover Tim Liljegren and forwards Andreas Johnsson, Carl Grundstrom, Pierre Engvall and Dmytro Timashov each played critical roles in the Marlies' first ever league crown. Not far behind Sandin is fellow Swede Tim Liljegren, a gifted puck rusher himself and a first rounder from the 2017 draft. He's had a seven-game stint across two seasons in the NHL and has combined for 71 points in 121 games in the AHL. Breakout candidate for 2020-21: Brett Berard The Flames would have been higher on the list were it not for the NHL arrivals of several long-term prospects, so they're in rebuilding mode when it comes to the pipeline. If a player has no totals listed, this means that he has not played in a regular season game in the NHL. Current GM Chuck Fletcher has yet to part with any of Philadelphias prized prospects, many of whom should finally advance from the college or junior ranks to Lehigh Valley, which iced one of the AHLs older lineups last year. Players appearing in 25 games or less, even if combined over two seasons, were eligible. However, fans are growing impatient, even if they know all about sniper Eeli Tolvanen and heady puck rusher Dante Fabbro, Nashvilles two best prospects who appeared briefly in late-season action. Not to mention he has a high-revving motor in a tough-to-contain 5'7", 162-pound frame. How about one of Finlands premier playmakers in Aleksi Heponiemi, who as a 20-year-old in the SM-Liiga tallied 46 points in 50 games. THE OLYMPIAN: Jordan Greenway's historic story from Canton to Pyongchang. Teams with multiple prospects who possess superior talent (i.e. But don't overlook playmakers like Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell, Henri Jokiharju and Ryan Shea. They also have three excellent center prospects in Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Brett Howden, and Igor Shestyorkin is one of Europe's top young goalies. Elsewhere, it's a pair of goalies on the rise: University of Maine standout Jeremy Swayman and Kyle Keyser, who spent his 2019-20 in the AHL and ECHL. Systems are most often graded on the backs of their top three or four prospects, but I also place a good deal of value on the depth of systems. It took a while to pinpoint how a team that hasnt had a playoff appearance in almost eight years cant seem to impress the masses when it comes to its prospects. MORE:The best No. ArthurKaliyev is a 19-year-old winger who put up 44 goals and 98 points in the OHL in 2019-20 and will make a big push for a roster spot with a team lacking firepower. Goalie Josef Korenar (another non-draftee) was one of the AHLs top young netminders, while fellow goaltending prospect Zachary Emond was tops in the QMJHL in goals-against average (1.73), save percentage (.932)and shutouts (seven). For Sporting News, several factors were taken into consideration when creating the lists below: 1. Additionally, GM's who run teams with a top-heavy prospect pool do not have the same flexibility as those with depth at every position. 1. So, too, should be Vitali Kravtsov, who has been lighting up the KHL on loan this season. The Avalanche already owntwo premier young defensemen in Conor Timmins and Cale Makar, but the crown jewel of Sakic's prized assets is Ottawa's unprotected 2019 first-round pick, which may end up being the first overall pick. But the best of their Swedish-trained prospects could be recent first-rounder Rasmus Sandin, a mature yet gifted playmaker who was one of the 2018 draft's best all-around defenders. The general managers who run NHL front offices, with support from their staff, use a variety of methods to identify, develop and assess the future talent within theirown organizations. On the wing, Kristian Vesalainen is the real deal too. How about Cayden Primeau, son of former league mainstay Keith Primeau, who won the NCAA's Mike Richter Award as the nation's best goaltender in 2019. 3. Key additions: None The defense, already at an elite level in Dallas, has Heiskanen, John Klingbergand Esa Lindell, plus the additions of one-man breakout Thomas Harley at the draft and NCAA standout Gavin Beyreuther, who looked very good in limited NHL action. Take the 2015 draft for example the Flames only had five picks and none in the first round, yet still walked away with three impressive NHL roster players in defensemen Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylingtonand winger Andrew Mangiapane. Or that the Coyotes arent afraid to trade high picks or prospects for veteran help, which is exactly what GM John Chayka did in 2017 when he moved the seventh pick for Derek Stepan and recently when he shipped2017 first-rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph to Pittsburgh in the Phil Kessel deal. Vasili Podkolzin is 19 and a powerful, two-way forward who'll reach the NHL sometime in 2020-21. The re-tool in Los Angeles has been pretty deliberate, but the Kings all of a sudden own a couple of quality pieces that form a sturdy foundation for the future. Kaprizov still has a year left on his KHL dealand it looks like Boldy will stick around the college ranks for the next season or two. When is the right time to admit GM Joe Sakic knows what he's doing? Not only for the young stars already playing the NHL, but also for selecting elite youngsters outside of the top 10 like goalie Carter Hart, center Morgan Frost and super-slick winger Joel Farabee. It appears for now that power forward Jordan Greenway is the only blue-chip prospect with a serious chance to make the team out of camp. 1 playoff seed thanks to youngsters already contributing. 2018-19 rank: 13th Although the bulk of Carolinas prized prospects were drafted and developed under former GM Ron Francis, current GM Don Waddell has continued the trend by not only making the right picks but trading away excess at peak value. The University of Michigan's influence reached all the way down to pick No. 1 overall pick (2020). 2018-19 rank: 22nd Key additions: Anttoni Honka (RHD), Chase Priskie (RHD), Patrik Puistola (RW),Ryan Suzuki (C) Constructing the league's deepest prospect pool hasn't been easy, as the Flyers haven't won a playoff round in six years. As impressive as the Cats NHL roster looks on paper, they will need most of the aforementioned youngsters to develop into everyday contributors so the franchise finally can grow into something it has never been a perennial playoff contender. Note: To maintain prospect eligibility, a player must still have rookie status. And it's not like GM Steve Yzerman traded all of them away. Swedish wunderkind Adam Boqvist highlights this talented group of defenders for his obvious flair and blistering shot. Latvian goalie Elvis Merzlikins has been one of Europes top young netminders, and the loss of Sergei Bobrovsky helped the Jackets convince him to sign and challenge for a roster opening. Top Five Prospects: Evan Barratt, Nicolas Beaudin, Colton Dach, Drew Commesso, NHLLukas Reichel Key Graduates/Subtractions: Brandon Hagel, Philipp 2018-19 rank: 5th A first-round pick in 2019, center Ryan Suzuki is an excellent passer and a good skater with a knack for finding the right positions on the ice. A goalie now not qualifies as an NHL prospect if he has performed 10 games inside the NHL in any marketing campaign, everyday season and playoffs combined, or 25 video games total; or reaches age 27 through Sept. 15. (From: Pronman: 2019-20 NHL Farm System Rankings). But they also did well with some of their other picks, which helped fuel a championship for their AHL affiliate. Traded/not signed: Brendan Guhle (LHD,ANA), Alex Nylander (RW, CHI). MORE: Maple Leafs' best line combinations with John Tavares. Matthew Boldy was a first-round pick in 2019 and projects as a top-six forward in the NHL with legitimate two-way skills. It also appears this will be the youngest lineupHershey has iced since becoming Washingtons AHL affiliate in 2005-06. But that's the price you pay for being a Cup contender while promoting blue chip prospect after blue chip prospect. Netminder Ilya Samsonov is in the mix here in North America after a stellar career in Russia, and the Caps are loaded with mobile defenders, including 2018 first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev and puck distributor Lucas Johansen. Ranking all 31 NHL prospect pipelines: Kings leapfrog Rangers for No. Because no team that has horded picks, building super deep and talented farms has ever had sustained, longterm success from the philisophy The obsession with moving out high draft capital for short term help that will likely be gone when this team's window opens is not really a route to build a contender - and claiming it is the only way to Eleven of Hershey's top 13 scorers from a year ago were 24 years or older. New prospects. Log in here. 2018-19 rank: 30th Pinelli, captain of the Kitchener Rangers ranks tied for 11th in OHL scoring with 64 points (30-34=64) in 40 games. All three should be top threats for their respective nations at this years IIHF World Junior Championship. C prospects showcase the upside to make the NHL, but either need more development time or are more likely to fill out depth roles. Key additions: Dylan Cozens (C/W), Ryan Johnson (LHD) There's alsoa string of the best young defensemen the European elite leagues have to offer in Nils Lundkvist, Yegor Rykovand Tarmo Reunanen, the latter bouncing back from multiple injuries to lead all under-21 rearguards in scoring in Finlands SM-Liiga. Steve Yzermans tenure as Detroits general managers got off to a questionable start when he bypassed conventional draft wisdom and took two-way defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth overall pick. And unless you're sitting in Julien BriseBois' seat at Tampa Bay Lightning headquarters and planning out your day with the Stanley Cup, you're not where you wantor, depending on the owner, needto be. Grigori Denisenko are close to making impacts with the Panthers. It's tough to evaluate a depth chart when the team has only two offseasons in its history. 1 defender at the world juniors. There's no rest for the weary, as teams that already hate playing against the talent-heavy Panthers have to face the reality that the Cats have even more skill on the way, mostly in the form of forwards. Can the Lions fix their defense? Game-breaker Vitaly Kravtsov has the potential to become the type of homegrown star winger the Rangers haven't owned since Steve Vickers nearly 45 years ago. Right winger Drake Batherson is a 2017 draft pick who was an AHL All-Star in 2019-20 and averaged better than a point per game. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen spent 2019-20 in the ECHL and AHL and had three shutouts in 15 wins with a 2.53 goals-against average. Center Sam Steel was huge for the AHLs San Diego Gulls in their run to the conference finals, as was rugged two-way winger Maxime Comtoiswho made the Ducks out of training camp last season and was one of the NHLs better rookies before a back injury. Both Bahl and Soderstrom could be top-pairing defenders for their respective nations at the world juniors. He also covered the Boston Bruins, the AHL and Hockey East for SportsTicker, and was a minor league baseball editor for Howe SportsData. Big winger Raphael Lavoieisa prospect to earmark for a bright future for the Oilersafter they stole him in the second round of the 2019 draft as is22-year-old center Cooper Marody whofinished second to Benson in scoring for Bakersfield. Although Texier is all but locked into a top-nine role with the big club, the Jackets have a handful of other forward prospects, who at a minimum, should be impact players with the AHLs Cleveland Monsters. Without taking it from a personal level, and also ignoring fan allegiances, there are players on this list who are held in higher regard than others. The regime change in Carolina that cost Ron Francis his job as general manager doesn't change the fact that the Hurricanes already owned an arsenal of identifiable blue-chip prospects. The Senators farm system finished first in the Future Watch 2021 overall rankings and, after they added 2020 draftees Jake Sanderson and Ridly Women's Champ Week predictions: Which teams will win the auto bids in all 32 conferences? Habitually trading away first-round picks and notable prospects to fuel multiple Stanley Cup run has it plusses and minuses, with the downside being the inability to replenish or refresh the depth chart with players that can actually play. Traded/not signed: Brendan Lemieux (LW, NYR). MORE:St. Louis, the Blues and the Stanley Cup come together in perfect harmony, 2018-19 rank: 16th Of course, the bulk of the heavy lifting is being done by excitable forwards Cody Glass and Nick Suzuki, and puck mover Erik Brannstromthe trio of 2017 first rounders that McPhee wouldn't part with at the last trade deadline. Their organizational depth chart below the NHL level is thin on elite prospects, with controversial playmaker Ryan Merkley the obvious choice to earmark as their lone potential star. 2018-19 rank: 28th Hughes wont be a prospect for long, as hes expected to make the immediate jump to the NHL and likely center one of the Devils top two lines. Age There is a large pool ofplayers who can qualify as prospects, so to simplify the list we eliminated any player who is no longer eligible for the Calder Trophy from a playing age standpoint, which according to the league is essentially 25 and under before training camp in September. The Los Angeles system is forward heavy, with the vast majority of their best prospects being natural centers. The formula for building and maintaining a contending team differs from franchiseto franchise, yet even the regime change and recent Stanley Cup triumph hasnt altered a program that continues to favor building from the net outward. Eventual draft position did not factor in these rankings, and we should all come to accept the fact that there is no example of the first 10 players picked in a draft (in any sport) who turned out to become the 10 best pro players from that draft. Key additions:Tobias Bjornfot (LHD), Carl Grundstrom (LW),Arthur Kaliyev (LW),Alex Turcotte (C) New captain. Draft Odds & Ends. The Blue Jackets traded away a pair of their future pieces to the Ottawa Senators when they acquiredMatt Duchene in Feb. 2019, and then they saw a handful of other rising players at the top of the pipeline make the transition to the parent club. 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, F1 season preview: Who's hot and who's not, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, LIVE Transfer Talk: Gvardiol, Bellingham named Real Madrid's top transfer targets, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, an extremely strange year for NHL prospects, Ranking the top 100 NHL prospects: Two Rangers and Red Wings in the top 10, Make-or-break time: Six NHL prospects who must take the next step this season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. McDavid aside, the only Oilers prospect from the 2015 draft onwards to appear in at least 20 games was Jesse Puljujarvi, whocurrently waits in Europe for the Oilers to meet his trade demands. Players who have appeared in more than 25 games in any single regular season were not considered. Much like Calgary, however, the Sharks were rewarded with fantastic post-draft seasons from several later-round picks, such as winger Ivan Chekhovich (third in QMJHL scoring), Joachim Blichfeld(WHL scoring champion and Player of the Year) and Sasha Chmelevski (second in OHL playoff scoring). Yes, their 2019 selection of stud three-zone center Alex Turcotte at fifth overall was their highest since taking Brayden Schenn in that same spot 10 years earlier; however, after Turcotte, the depth chart is lined with impressive kids taken either late in the first round or immediately thereafter. In any single regular season game in the SM-Liiga tallied 46 points in 50 games in! 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