Aside from winning your fantasy league, one of the best feelings is identifying the next big thing. Having the rookie of the year is a boastful achievement you can hold over your league mates. An impactful rookie that scores 40 goals as Auston Matthews did in 2016-17, or Mathew Barzal and his 85-point rookie campaign on your team can take your team from a contender, to a Championship.
Here are the top prospects coming to the NHL that can have an immediate impact on your fantasy team.
Gavin McKenna, LW - 2026 Draft
McKenna has been forecast as the top prospect for the 2026 Draft for years. He dominated the WHL with 244 points in 133 career games. With the NCAA opening its doors to CHL players, McKenna seized the opportunity to move to Penn State to play against much more challenging competition. The transition was challenging at first, but after a strong performance at the WJC with Canada posting 14 points in seven games, he returned to the NCAA with some swagger. McKenna scored 25 points in the next 12 games, including dropping 10 points in one weekend vs Ohio State. True, his production has dipped at the NCAA level compared to his lofty WHL production. And while he is used to playing older competition, that may be a concern for some. Don’t be fooled, the NCAA is a very high level of hockey that will only better prepare McKenna for hockey at the NHL level. Look for McKenna to break out into the NHL and have an immediate impact as a contender for the Calder Trophy.
Cole Hutson, D - Washington Capitals
Older brother Lane Hutson is the reigning Calder winner, and it is very reasonable to expect Cole to push for his own Calder Trophy season when he signs with the Capitals. Comparing their career stats, Cole is right on pace with his older brother's production and trajectory. Both are undersized, dynamic offensive defenders that have followed identical paths. Given the success his brother has enjoyed, the slightly bigger and drafted slightly higher Cole Hutson should take the NHL by storm like Lane did once he makes the jump to the NHL.
Ivar Stenberg, LW - 2026 Draft
Don’t look now, but the Swedish winger is the number one ranked prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft by several prominent scouting sources. Regardless of where he ends up being drafted, Stenberg has a very NHL ready profile that he brings and should be able to step into an NHL roster in his first training camp. He has good size, plays a complete all-around game and has tremendous offensive upside. Having played prime minutes in a prominent role at the SHL level as an 18-year-old and producing 33 points in 43 games, including 10 points at the WJC, he will be an impact player right out of the gate.
Anton Frondell, C/LW - Chicago Blackhawks
Another Swede playing a prominent role in the SHL as an 18-year-old is Frondell. The 2025 third overall selection scored 28 points in 43 games for Djurgardens. Frondell also played a key role winning the Gold for Sweden at the WJC scoring eight points. The heavy shooting winger has offensive upside, size, and an NHL-ready game. He signed his ELC and was loaned to the SHL for the current season, expect his NHL debut soon and his rookie season to be impactful.
Porter Martone, RW - Philadelphia Flyers
Martone continues to trend quickly towards being an impactful offensive player in the NHL. The Flyers' sixth overall selection from the 2025 NHL Draft dominated the OHL in his draft year, scoring 98 points in 57 games. Like McKenna, he was ready for NCAA competition to challenge his development. The 6-foot-3 winger has proven to be up to the task as he has scored 25 goals and 50 points through the first 28 games with 78 PIM to boot. Martone was a force for Canada as well at the WJC with six goals and nine points in seven games. Still only 19-years-old, it would not be unreasonable for him to play his sophomore season at Michigan State, but he signed his ELC and made an impact in his first seven games in the NHL with three goals and four assists. The big winger will be a fan favorite in Philly for a very long time.
James Hagens, C - Boston Bruins
Drafted seventh overall by the Bruins after he had been ranked as the top prospect in the 2025 Draft heading into his draft season, is going to look like a steal for the Bruins. Since Hagens fell into the Bruins' lap, he has had a brilliant season with Boston College, racking up 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points. He had two points in the Bean Pot Championship victory and scored seven for USA at the WJC. Hagens has only been held off the score sheet five times this season and is a consistent producer as well as a reliable two-way player. The Bruins signed him after his junior season ended with the Eagles, and Hagens quickly secured a top role in Providence with potential to have an impact with the NHL team next season.
Zayne Parekh, D - Calgary Flames
His first year at the pro-level has had some ups and downs. Injuries have limited his games played, but with only four games at the AHL level the rookie defender posted two goals and five points. He was loaned to Canada for the WJC where he dominated with 13 points in seven games. The Flames trade of Rasmus Andersson secures Parekh's role as the team's undisputed top offensive defender and his role with the big team moving forward. Parekh will have played more than 25 games in the 2025-26 season, making him ineligible for the Calder in the coming season. That said, look for Parekh to have a breakout season in the coming year as he finds his footing in the NHL and on the Flames.
Tij Iginla, LW - Utah Mammoth
After climbing the draft rankings to sixth overall in 2024, injuries limited him to just 21 games in his D+1 season, where he still managed to post 32 points. As a senior in the WHL, Iginla delivered a 90-point campaign in just 48 games and is leading the WHL in points per game with a 1.88 PPG pace. Iginla was also one of Canada’s top players at the WJC with eight points. He is the son of Hall of Famer Legend Jarome Iginla, but there is no nepotism here; Tij is legit and could win the Calder in his NHL rookie season.
Igor Chernyshov, LW - San Jose Sharks
The Russian power forward may be under the radar in a few fantasy leagues. He was a second-round pick by the Sharks in 2024 from Russia, and his D+1 season was delayed due to injury. He made his North American debut late in the OHL season, playing in the final 23 games for Saginaw, where he posted 19 goals and 55 points. This year, he is making his pro debut and has appeared in at least 25 NHL games, notching 16 points, alongside the young Shark superstars and producing. He has spent a lot of the current season in the AHL, where he scored 33 points in 41 games. The big winger has size and skill and will be a big part of the Sharks' rebuild.
Ilya Protas, LW - Washington Capitals
After being selected in the third round from the USHL by the Washington Capitals in 2024,
Protas has seen his stock skyrocket. His D+1 season was spent in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, where he posted eye-popping stats to the tune of 50 goals and 124 points through 61 games. After dominating the OHL, he moved up to the AHL as a 19-year-old rookie and produced 28 goals, 62 points in 66 games with the Hershey Bears before making an immediate impression, scoring four points in two games. At 6-foot-5, he is a commanding physical presence, but he could use his size in a more aggressive way. It’s just a matter of time before he joins his big brother Alexei in the NHL, and Ilya could have more offensive upside.