Charlie Stramel – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT: Top 200 NHL Affiliated Prospects – Biggest Risers and Fallers

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:37 +0000

Comparing the current ranking of prospects in our report to their previous ranking in our summer yearbook (which is a top 300), these are the affiliated prospects who have improved their stock the most this season.

Adam Jiricek

Adam Jiricek (STL)

Previous Ranking: 97, New Ranking: 24

Jiricek’s first year in North America (in the OHL) was all about adjustment and injury recovery. Now fully healthy, he’s been among the OHL’s best defenders and was named the top defenceman at this year’s WJC’s.

Harrison Brunicke (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 178, New Ranking: 25

Started the year in the NHL with Pittsburgh before being sent back to the WHL post WJC’s. Brunicke is really figuring out how to get the best out of his vast athletic potential.

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 22: Nick Lardis #76 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during a game against the Nashville Predators on March 22, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

Nick Lardis (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 102, New Ranking: 26

There was definitely some concern about how Lardis’ skill set would translate to the pro level given his frame. However, he’s been an immediate impact player and is rocketing up Chicago’s depth chart.

Alexander Zharovsky (MTL)

Previous Ranking: 222, New Ranking: 31

Talk about a breakout. Zharovsky took the KHL by storm in his draft plus one year. We knew he had among the highest upside of any forward in last year’s draft due to his creativity and skill, but we didn’t expect him to be fulfilling it so quickly.

Matvei Gridin (CGY)

Previous Ranking: 150, New Ranking: 43

Gridin was viewed as a boom or bust prospect who needed to round out his game to be a successful pro. He’s been terrific in the AHL as a rookie and has adjusted to the pro game way quicker than many expected.

Roman Kantserov (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 136, New Ranking: 47

Kantserov just continues to get better and has emerged as the best offensive player in the KHL. While the recent track record for KHL to NHL success is bleak, Kantserov has to be ranked highly because of the upside he possesses.

Will Horcoff (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 175, New Ranking: 60

Even if the offensive production decreased post World Juniors, Horcoff still had a tremendous year that saw him emerge as one of the most dangerous players in college hockey between the dots.

Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 196, New Ranking: 68

Nestrasil was one of the better freshmen in the NCAA this year with UMass. He just keeps getting better and better and with his frame and IQ, he seems like a safe bet to be a quality NHL player so long as his skating continues to improve.

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 21: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) makes a save during the third period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota Wild on November 21, 2025, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Sergei Murashov (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 181, New Ranking: 73

Murashov’s growth in his second year in North America has been prolific. He’s been lights out in the AHL and even earned a cup of coffee in the NHL. The future starter for the Penguins in all likelihood.

Stephen Halliday (OTT)

Previous Ranking: 207, New Ranking: 85

Has there been a prospect in hockey more annually underrated than Halliday? He’s the USHL all time leading scorer. He was great in college. He was great in the AHL. And he’s been great in limited NHL action.

Charlie Stramel (MIN)

Previous Ranking: 263, New Ranking: 87

We all owe Stramel an apology for writing him off so early after he initially struggled at Wisconsin. He was one of the best players in college hockey this season for Michigan State and is back on track to be a quality NHL player.

Max Plante (DET)

Previous Ranking: 197, New Ranking: 90

Plante was great as a freshman at UMD, but he was even better as a sophomore, emerging as one of the NCAA’s best forwards and this year’s Hobey Baker winner.

Dean Letourneau (BOS)

Previous Ranking: 254, New Ranking: 96

What a difference a year can make. Letourneau was always going to be a long-term project, but he was written off by many after a rough freshman year. This year, he was one of BC’s best and most consistent players.

Benjamin Rautiainen (TB)

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked, New Ranking: 97

You might be asking yourself how the Lightning keep finding these guys to help keep them relevant. Rautiainen has exploded to be the top player in Liiga, a year after being drafted in the fourth round.

Eddie Genborg (DET)

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked, New Ranking: 102

Drafted for his physical approach, Genborg has improved his on puck play significantly and was an impact player in the SHL this year.

Comparing the current ranking of prospects in our report to their previous ranking in our summer yearbook (which is a top 300), these are the affiliated prospects who have seen their stock fall the most this season.

Mikhail Gulyayev (COL)

Previous Ranking: 62, New Ranking: 147

While the KHL can be tough on young defenders, we keep waiting for Gulyayev’s breakout to happen. Instead, he’s had a regression this year and that has to be concerning to the Avalanche.

Sam Colangelo (ANA)

Previous Ranking: 84, New Ranking: Not Ranked

The only player to go from being ranked inside of our top 100 to being not ranked (outside of our top 200). Colangelo just hasn’t been able to get over the hump and establish himself as an NHL player.

Brennan Othmann (CGY)

Previous Ranking: 90, New Ranking: 177

His third pro season was supposed to be a breakout year for him, where he would finally establish himself as an NHL player. Instead, he’s had his worst year statistically and found himself in a new organization after a trade to Calgary.

Carson Rehkopf (SEA)

Previous Ranking: 106, New Ranking: Not Ranked

Rehkopf had a pretty stagnant year in the OHL last year, but there was some hope that he could turn things around as a first year pro. Instead, a lack of consistency continues to plague him.

Joshua Roy (MTL)

Previous Ranking: 108, New Ranking: 198

It’s starting to look like Roy’s NHL future may come with another organization. He’s seen himself passed by other forward prospects for a role in Montreal and his AHL production has stagnated.

MCKEEN'S HOCKEY TOP 200 NHL-AFFILIATED PROSPECTS

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Michael Misa	SJ	C	19	6-1/185	San Jose (NHL)	45	9	12	21	10
2	Porter Martone	Phi	RW	19	6-3/205	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	25	25	50	78
3	Anton Frondell	Chi	C	19	6-2/205	Djurgardens (SHL)	43	20	8	28	16
4	Caleb Desnoyers	Uta	C	19	6-2/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	45	22	56	78	36
5	Zayne Parekh	Cgy	D	20	6-0/180	Calgary (NHL)	37	4	5	9	8
6	Brady Martin	Nsh	C	19	6-0/185	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	24	8	16	24	37
7	Daniil But	Uta	LW	21	6-6/215	Utah (NHL)	29	3	4	7	8
8	Dmitri Simashev	Uta	D	21	6-5/200	Utah (NHL)	28	0	1	1	23
9	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	21	6-1/215	Laval (AHL)	27	19	7	2.23	0.916
10	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	23	6-6/230	Grand Rapids (AHL)	39	26	8	2.33	0.915
11	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	21	5-11/170	Chicago (AHL)	52	27	29	56	24
12	Jake O'Brien	Sea	C	18	6-2/175	Brantford (OHL)	53	28	65	93	28
13	Tij Iginla	Uta	C	19	6-0/190	Kelowna (WHL)	48	41	49	90	29
14	Radim Mrtka	Buf	D	18	6-6/220	Seattle (WHL)	43	1	33	34	38
15	Igor Chernyshov	SJ	LW	20	6-2/190	San Jose (NHL)	28	9	10	19	6
16	Cole Hutson	Wsh	D	19	5-10/165	Boston University (NCAA)	35	10	22	32	26
17	James Hagens	Bos	C	19	5-11/195	Boston College (NCAA)	34	23	24	47	24
18	Konsta Helenius	Buf	C	20	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	63	21	41	62	22
19	Michael Hage	Mtl	C	20	6-1/190	Michigan (NCAA)	39	13	39	52	14
20	Roger McQueen	Ana	C	19	6-6/195	Providence (NCAA)	36	11	16	27	45
21	Gabe Perreault	NYR	LW	21	5-11/180	NY Rangers (NHL)	49	12	15	27	10
22	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	21	6-4/180	Chicago (NHL)	54	4	10	14	44
23	Carter Yakemchuk	Ott	D	20	6-3/210	Belleville (AHL)	54	10	30	40	36
24	Adam Jiricek	StL	D	19	6-2/180	Brantford (OHL)	55	19	40	59	33
25	Harrison Brunicke	Pit	D	20	6-3/195	Kamloops (WHL)	24	2	22	24	20
26	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	20	5-11/165	Chicago (NHL)	41	10	5	15	10
27	Nate Danielson	Det	C	21	6-2/185	Detroit (NHL)	28	2	5	7	4
28	Yegor Surin	Nsh	C	19	6-1/190	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	57	15	22	37	43
29	Braeden Cootes	Van	C	19	6-0/185	Sea-PA (WHL)	45	24	39	63	8
30	Jackson Smith	CBJ	D	19	6-4/200	Penn State (NCAA)	35	11	15	26	40
31	Alexander Zharovsky	Mtl	RW	19	6-1/165	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	59	16	26	42	38
32	Victor Eklund	NYI	RW	19	5-11/170	Djurgardens (SHL)	43	6	18	24	22
33	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	21	5-11/170	Abbotsford (AHL)	21	13	7	20	8
34	Scott Morrow	NYR	D	23	6-2/210	NY Rangers (NHL)	29	0	6	6	4
35	Kashawn Aitcheson	NYI	D	19	6-2/200	Barrie (OHL)	56	28	42	70	97
36	Liam Greentree	NYR	RW	20	6-3/215	Windsor (OHL)	52	38	36	74	63
37	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	21	5-11/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	60	4	19	23	14
38	Justin Carbonneau	StL	RW	19	6-2/205	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	60	51	29	80	64
39	Ilya Protas	Wsh	LW	19	6-3/185	Hershey (AHL)	69	29	37	66	40
40	Cole Reschny	Cgy	C	19	5-11/185	North Dakota (NCAA)	36	6	29	35	22
41	Anton Silayev	NJ	D	20	6-7/210	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	61	1	2	3	10
42	Rutger McGroarty	Pit	LW	22	6-1/200	Pittsburgh (NHL)	24	3	3	6	4
43	Matvei Gridin	Cgy	RW	20	6-2/190	Calgary (NHL)	37	6	14	20	2
44	Isak Rosen	Wpg	RW	23	6-0/175	Buf-Wpg (NHL)	37	6	4	10	0
45	Cole Eiserman	NYI	LW	19	6-0/195	Boston University (NCAA)	32	18	10	28	14
46	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	21	5-9/165	Hershey (AHL)	72	20	40	60	24
47	Roman Kantserov	Chi	RW	21	5-9/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	63	36	28	64	57
48	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	21	6-3/215	Seattle (NHL)	28	4	3	7	6
49	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard	Det	RW	20	6-1/205	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	20	24	44	42
50	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	20	6-2/200	San Jose (AHL)	61	21	24	45	46
51	Jett Luchanko	Phi	C	19	5-11/185	Gue-Bfd (OHL)	38	7	36	43	34
52	Cayden Lindstrom	CBJ	C	20	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	31	3	7	10	94
53	Trevor Connelly	VGK	LW	20	6-1/160	Henderson (AHL)	46	14	35	49	18
54	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	22	5-11/160	Coachella Valley (AHL)	63	21	35	56	18
55	Isaac Howard	Edm	LW	22	5-11/190	Bakersfield (AHL)	47	24	26	50	12
56	Lynden Lakovic	Wsh	LW	19	6-4/200	Moose Jaw (WHL)	22	18	11	29	8
57	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	21	6-2/185	Laval (AHL)	57	5	19	24	56
58	Trey Augustine	Det	G	21	6-1/195	Michigan State (NCAA)	34	24	9	2.11	0.929
59	Yegor Zavragin	Phi	G	20	6-2/185	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	12	5	7	2.63	0.919
60	Will Horcoff	Pit	C	19	6-5/200	Michigan (NCAA)	40	25	14	39	64
61	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	22	6-3/215	Nashville (NHL)	47	6	2	8	17
62	Sam O'Reilly	TB	C	20	6-1/190	Ldn-Kit (OHL)	56	29	42	71	22
63	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	21	5-11/180	St. Louis (NHL)	32	3	7	10	5
64	Brayden Yager	Wpg	C	21	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	68	10	20	30	10
65	Joshua Ravensbergen	SJ	G	19	6-6/190	Prince George (WHL)	46	32	13	2.51	0.919
66	Cole Beaudoin	Uta	C	20	6-2/210	Barrie (OHL)	54	33	56	89	29
67	Michael Hrabal	Uta	G	21	6-7/215	Massachusetts (NCAA)	29	19	9	1.95	0.937
68	Vaclav Nestrasil	Chi	RW	19	6-6/185	Massachusetts (NCAA)	34	13	18	31	8
69	Stian Solberg	Ana	D	20	6-2/205	San Diego (AHL)	71	12	12	24	102
70	Maveric Lamoureux	Uta	D	22	6-7/215	Tucson (AHL)	65	5	15	20	75
71	Sascha Boumedienne	Wpg	D	19	6-2/185	Boston University (NCAA)	35	2	8	10	14
72	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	22	6-2/185	Laval (AHL)	45	10	24	34	18
73	Sergei Murashov	Pit	G	22	6-0/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	38	24	9	2.20	0.919
74	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	22	6-4/180	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	68	7	21	28	28
75	Pyotr Andreyanov	CBJ	G	19	6-0/205	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	26	13	8	2.59	0.919
76	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	21	6-1/185	Winnipeg (NHL)	32	1	4	5	12
77	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	24	6-4/200	San Jose (NHL)	50	5	7	12	22
78	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	22	6-1/195	San Diego (AHL)	70	10	31	41	29
79	Carter Bear	Det	LW	19	6-0/180	Everett (WHL)	53	36	41	77	56
80	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	22	6-4/205	San Jose (AHL)	65	22	38	60	22
81	Sacha Boisvert	Chi	C	20	6-3/190	Boston University (NCAA)	26	3	14	17	28
82	Julius Miettinen	Sea	C	20	6-3/200	Everett (WHL)	52	35	41	76	29
83	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	21	6-0/180	Springfield (AHL)	59	6	8	14	18
84	Cullen Potter	Cgy	C	19	5-10/170	Arizona State (NCAA)	24	12	14	26	16
85	Stephen Halliday	Ott	C	23	6-4/210	Ottawa (NHL)	30	4	7	11	2
86	Marek Vanacker	Chi	LW	20	6-0/175	Brantford (OHL)	60	47	35	82	33
87	Charlie Stramel	Min	C	21	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	37	19	25	44	32
88	Alex Bump	Phi	LW	22	6-0/195	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	36	11	15	26	22
89	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	21	6-0/165	Coachella Valley (AHL)	49	10	24	34	12
90	Max Plante	Det	LW	20	5-11/175	Minnesota Duluth (NCAA)	40	25	27	52	23
91	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	22	5-10/165	Utica (AHL)	29	1	18	19	13
92	Jack Nesbitt	Phi	C	19	6-5/185	Windsor (OHL)	55	25	33	58	67
93	Mikhail Yegorov	NJ	G	20	6-5/190	Boston University (NCAA)	35	16	15	2.73	0.904
94	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	22	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	55	22	36	58	2
95	Ilya Nabokov	Col	G	23	6-0/180	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	38	22	7	2.74	0.901
96	Dean Letourneau	Bos	C	20	6-7/215	Boston College (NCAA)	36	22	17	39	22
97	Benjamin Rautiainen	TB	C	20	6-0/175	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	59	25	52	77	20
98	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	23	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	37	13	20	3.08	0.901
99	Bill Zonnon	Pit	RW	19	6-2/185	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	35	14	32	46	6
100	Riley Heidt	Min	C	21	5-10/180	Iowa (AHL)	71	8	17	25	38
101	Juraj Pekarcik	StL	LW	20	6-2/185	Springfield (AHL)	69	11	24	35	10
102	Eddie Genborg	Det	RW	19	6-2/205	Timra (SHL)	43	9	16	25	24
103	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	22	5-11/185	Laval (AHL)	58	13	20	33	28
104	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	21	6-2/195	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	46	6	13	19	22
105	Luca Cagnoni	SJ	D	21	5-9/180	San Jose (AHL)	67	8	35	43	22
106	Cameron Reid	Nsh	D	19	6-0/190	Kitchener (OHL)	57	15	41	56	29
107	Eric Pohlkamp	SJ	D	22	5-11/205	Denver (NCAA)	43	18	21	39	33
108	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	21	6-0/175	New Jersey (NHL)	33	2	6	8	14
109	Felix Unger Sorum	Car	RW	20	5-11/170	Chicago (AHL)	72	17	49	66	20
110	Milton Gastrin	Wsh	C	18	6-1/195	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	39	10	14	24	4
111	Carter George	LA	G	20	6-1/195	OS-Soo (OHL)	46	23	17	2.73	0.907
112	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	21	6-4/185	Calgary (NHL)	18	2	2	4	2
113	Dmitri Buchelnikov	StL	LW	22	5-10/170	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	44	14	11	25	10
114	Ryker Lee	Nsh	RW	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	15	15	30	26
115	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	21	5-11/185	Calgary (NHL)	34	2	5	7	4
116	Terik Parascak	Wsh	RW	20	6-0/180	Prince George (WHL)	61	33	46	79	53
117	EJ Emery	NYR	D	20	6-3/185	North Dakota (NCAA)	38	3	10	13	32
118	Logan Hensler	Ott	D	19	6-3/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	23	4	8	12	20
119	Emil Hemming	Dal	RW	19	6-1/205	Barrie (OHL)	46	26	37	63	22
120	Blake Fiddler	Sea	D	18	6-5/220	Edmonton (WHL)	63	11	25	36	38
121	Jakob Ihs Wozniak	VGK	RW	19	6-3/190	Bjorkloven (Allsvenskan)	36	9	14	23	12
122	Cameron Lund	SJ	C	21	6-2/195	San Jose (AHL)	37	9	16	25	12
123	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	22	6-0/175	Pittsburgh (NHL)	39	2	5	7	10
124	Artyom Duda	Uta	D	22	6-1/185	Tucson (AHL)	27	2	11	13	22
125	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	22	6-1/185	Hershey (AHL)	41	14	20	34	47
126	Gracyn Sawchyn	Fla	C	21	5-11/160	Charlotte (AHL)	35	6	17	23	12
127	Jack Ivankovic	Nsh	G	19	6-0/175	Michigan (NCAA)	35	25	8	2.15	0.921
128	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	21	5-8/160	Philadelphia (NHL)	43	5	12	17	16
129	Bryce Pickford	Mtl	D	20	6-1/185	Medicine Hat (WHL)	55	45	38	83	56
130	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	SJ	D	20	6-0/180	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	32	3	10	13	14
131	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	22	6-3/185	Coachella Valley (AHL)	35	19	10	3.13	0.901
132	Kieron Walton	Wpg	C	20	6-6/210	Sby-Pbo (OHL)	62	40	48	88	26
133	Ryan Ufko	Nsh	D	23	5-10/180	Milwaukee (AHL)	52	11	33	44	20
134	Tarin Smith	Ana	D	20	6-1/185	Everett (WHL)	65	16	55	71	98
135	Semyon Vyazovoy	Sea	G	23	6-2/170	Salavat Yulayev Ufa (Rus)	53	27	18	2.13	0.931
136	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	20	6-3/195	Rochester (AHL)	68	9	29	38	20
137	Tyson Jugnauth	Sea	D	22	5-11/170	Coachella Valley (AHL)	72	9	36	45	44
138	David Edstrom	Nsh	C	21	6-3/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	53	8	14	22	28
139	David Spacek	Min	D	23	5-11/175	Iowa (AHL)	59	7	29	36	16
140	Carl Lindbom	VGK	G	23	6-1/165	Henderson (AHL)	35	24	5	2.16	0.926
141	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	22	6-0/180	Winnipeg (NHL)	25	3	3	6	6
142	Amadeus Lombardi	Det	C	22	5-10/165	Grand Rapids (AHL)	47	16	26	42	22
143	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	21	5-11/175	Syracuse (AHL)	56	12	15	27	10
144	Henry Mews	Cgy	D	20	6-0/190	Michigan (NCAA)	10	0	9	9	6
145	Eric Nilson	Ana	C	19	6-0/165	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	3	8	11	41
146	Ben Danford	Tor	D	20	6-1/190	Osh-Bfd (OHL)	45	3	17	20	13
147	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	21	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	54	1	2	3	14
148	Henry Brzustewicz	LA	D	19	6-2/200	London (OHL)	59	19	35	54	57
149	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	22	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	48	10	19	29	56
150	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	20	6-3/200	Notre Dame (NCAA)	36	13	16	29	32
151	Luca Marrelli	CBJ	D	20	6-2/185	Cleveland (AHL)	32	4	12	16	10
152	Dylan Duke	TB	LW	23	5-10/180	Syracuse (AHL)	72	32	27	59	42
153	Jack Devine	Fla	RW	22	5-11/175	Charlotte (AHL)	63	18	25	43	57
154	Daniil Prokhorov	NYI	RW	19	6-6/220	Dynamo Moskva (KHL)	23	1	0	1	2
155	William Zellers	Bos	LW	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCAA)	38	18	16	34	29
156	Ethan Wyttenbach	Cgy	LW	19	5-10/180	Quinnipiac (NCAA)	40	25	34	59	20
157	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	21	6-1/170	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	13	14	27	14
158	Dmitry Gamzin	NYI	G	23	6-3/175	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	40	22	10	1.49	0.938
159	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	20	6-3/205	San Jose (AHL)	69	16	19	35	45
160	Lukas Fischer	StL	D	19	6-3/180	Sar-Soo (OHL)	65	8	36	44	88
161	Semyon Frolov	Car	G	19	6-3/200	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	7	4	1	1.83	0.929
162	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	23	5-11/180	Providence (AHL)	57	17	25	42	51
163	Mason West	Chi	C	18	6-7/220	Fargo (USHL)	38	10	15	25	12
164	Shane Vansaghi	Phi	RW	19	6-3/210	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	4	7	11	28
165	Dominik Badinka	Car	D	20	6-3/185	Chicago (AHL)	68	6	8	14	16
166	Lucas Pettersson	Ana	C	20	6-0/175	Brynas (SHL)	41	10	10	20	0
167	Sawyer Mynio	Van	D	21	6-1/175	Abbotsford (AHL)	58	3	18	21	42
168	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	24	5-11/190	Henderson (AHL)	49	8	39	47	32
169	Quinn Hutson	Edm	RW	24	5-10/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	67	30	33	63	84
170	Vojtech Cihar	LA	LW	19	6-1/180	Kelowna (WHL)	31	12	19	31	14
171	Heikki Ruohonen	Phi	C	19	6-1/205	Harvard (NCAA)	28	6	13	19	18
172	Tristan Broz	Pit	C	23	6-0/180	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	47	16	23	39	41
173	Maksymilian Szuber	Uta	D	23	6-3/190	Tucson (AHL)	65	11	16	27	67
174	Kirill Kudryavtsev	Van	D	22	5-11/200	Abbotsford (AHL)	44	2	18	20	4
175	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	22	6-3/185	Minnesota Duluth (NCAA)	33	19	13	2.25	0.908
176	Hampton Slukynsky	LA	G	20	6-1/180	Western Michigan (NCAA)	39	27	11	2.30	0.915
177	Brennan Othmann	Cgy	LW	23	6-0/190	Hfd-Cgy (AHL)	40	9	14	23	62
178	Lasse Boelius	Ana	D	19	6-1/190	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	40	1	7	8	8
179	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	21	6-0/195	Manitoba (AHL)	65	8	8	16	18
180	Charlie Cerrato	Car	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (NCAA)	23	7	20	27	20
181	Cole McKinney	SJ	C	19	6-0/200	Michigan (NCAA)	40	8	12	20	28
182	Michal Postava	Det	G	24	6-2/205	Grand Rapids (AHL)	25	17	6	1.71	0.937
183	Justin Robidas	Car	C	23	5-8/175	Chicago (AHL)	58	23	37	60	14
184	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	22	5-10/195	Coachella Valley (AHL)	63	11	24	35	26
185	Carson Wetsch	SJ	RW	20	6-1/205	Kelowna (WHL)	65	22	50	72	80
186	Vsevolod Komarov	Buf	D	22	6-2/182	Rochester (AHL)	55	4	7	11	60
187	Dylan Roobroeck	NYR	C	21	6-6/190	Hartford (AHL)	72	11	15	26	90
188	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	21	5-9/165	Cleveland (AHL)	68	14	32	46	66
189	Tim Washe	Ana	C	24	6-3/215	Anaheim (NHL)	39	2	3	5	14
190	Aiden Fink	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/160	Penn State (NCAA)	30	10	28	38	20
191	Florian Xhekaj	Mtl	LW	21	6-2/175	Laval (AHL)	64	17	12	29	182
192	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	24	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	16	11	5	16	14
193	Brodie Ziemer	Buf	RW	20	5-11/195	Minnesota (NCAA)	36	23	13	36	26
194	Nathan Behm	Chi	RW	19	6-2/200	Kamloops (WHL)	67	38	48	86	41
195	Ivan Ryabkin	Car	C	19	5-11/205	Chicago (AHL)	31	1	9	10	60
196	Jacob Quillan	Tor	C	24	6-1/205	Toronto (NHL)	23	1	2	3	2
197	Herman Traff	Ana	RW	20	6-3/215	Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan)	51	23	18	41	32
198	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	22	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	57	23	22	45	32
199	Sandis Vilmanis	Fla	LW	22	6-1/190	Charlotte (AHL)	48	17	21	38	26
200	Miroslav Holinka	Tor	C	20	6-1/185	Edmonton (WHL)	59	37	43	80	24

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #24 Minnesota Wild – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:01:57 +0000

SOUTH BEND, IN - NOVEMBER 14: Michigan State Spartans forward Charlie Stramel (15) reacts after a play during a men's college hockey game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on November 14, 2025 at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend IN. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 24th (Last Year - 14th)
GM: Bill Guerin Hired: August 2019
COACH: John Hynes Hired: November 2023

It has been a slow build in Minnesota, and one that veered slightly off course for a few seasons. But with Kirill Kaprizov locked into a long-term deal and players like Matt Boldy continuing to develop into one of the NHL’s premier goal scorers, general manager Bill Guerin decided to take a major swing.

Taking advantage of a turbulent situation in the Pacific Northwest, Guerin made one of the most significant moves in franchise history. Parting with a trio of key future assets, along with the club’s 2027 first-round pick, he acquired star defenceman Quinn Hughes. The price was steep, but landing one of the world’s elite blueliners instantly elevated the Wild into legitimate contender status.

Minnesota’s sharp drop in the prospect rankings, however, is not solely tied to the Hughes trade. The more significant factor has been the graduation of several highly regarded prospects, including Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren (both now traded), and Danila Yurov, who have all moved beyond prospect status and into the NHL picture. Their departures have naturally thinned what was previously considered one of the league’s mid-range pipelines. Now leading the next wave is Charlie Stramel (87th), who is thriving in his junior season at Michigan State as an assistant captain and one of the program’s top offensive contributors. The former first-round pick appears poised to sign his professional contract this spring as he prepares to make the transition to the pro ranks.

Another player enjoying a breakout campaign is 2025 fourth-round selection Adam Benák, a recent Western Michigan commit. The skilled forward has emerged as one of the OHL’s top point-per-game producers while playing a key role for a strong Brantford Bulldogs squad. Meanwhile, at the professional level, prospects such as Riley Heidt (100th), David Špaček (139th), and Hunter Haight are gaining valuable AHL experience and could push for NHL opportunities in the near future.

With Quinn Hughes now anchoring the blue line and a talented forward core already in place, Minnesota appears firmly committed to maximizing its current competitive window. The organization has already sacrificed significant draft capital, including its 2026 first-round pick and second-round selections in the next three drafts. All signs point toward pushing their chips toward contention. The window is open, and the time to capitalize is now.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
Min	1	Charlie Stramel	C	21	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	37	19	25	44	32
Min	2	Riley Heidt	C	21	5-10/180	Iowa (AHL)	71	8	17	25	38
Min	3	David Spacek	D	23	5-11/175	Iowa (AHL)	59	7	29	36	16
Min	3	David Spacek	D	23	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
Min	4	Ryder Ritchie	RW	19	6-0/175	Boston University (NCAA)	36	7	10	17	28
Min	5	Adam Benak	C	19	5-8/165	Brantford (OHL)	48	28	49	77	29
Min	6	Aron Kiviharju	D	20	5-10/185	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	48	6	11	17	6
Min	7	Hunter Haight	C	22	5-10/175	Iowa (AHL)	54	18	14	32	22
Min	7	Hunter Haight	C	22	5-10/175	Minnesota (NHL)	9	1	1	2	4
Min	8	Carson Lambos	D	23	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	70	8	11	19	48
Min	8	Carson Lambos	D	23	6-1/200	Minnesota (NHL)	1	0	0	0	0
Min	9	Justin Kipkie	D	20	6-4/205	Arizona State (NCAA)	35	4	9	13	16
Min	10	Theodor Hallquisth	D	18	6-2/185	Troja-Ljungby (Allsvenskan)	30	0	3	3	14
Min	10	Theodor Hallquisth	D	18	6-2/185	Orebro (Swe J20)	17	0	6	6	29
Min	10	Theodor Hallquisth	D	18	6-2/185	Orebro (SHL)	8	0	1	1	2
Min	11	Caedan Bankier	C	23	6-2/190	Iowa (AHL)	66	10	10	20	18
Min	12	Jack Peart	D	23	5-11/185	Iowa (AHL)	61	4	11	15	24
Min	13	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	20	6-2/190	Iowa (AHL)	48	1	4	5	24
Min	13	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	20	6-2/190	Iowa (ECHL)	24	5	11	16	16
Min	14	Rieger Lorenz	LW	22	6-3/210	Denver (NCAA)	43	17	18	35	38
Min	14	Rieger Lorenz	LW	22	6-3/210	Iowa (AHL)	3	0	0	0	4
Min	15	Carter Klippenstein	C	19	6-3/180	Brandon (WHL)	38	11	17	28	74

1. Charlie Stramel, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

Sometimes it is worth it for a prospect to play four years in college, Charlie Stramel is proof of why. Ever since transferring to Michigan State, he has added an offensive dimension sorely needed in his game, without losing the two-way prowess that made him special. Stramel’s strong and quick skating is the foundation of his play in every zone. He is a great backchecker, forechecker and is great at annoying opponents during rushes. Adam Nightengale has fully awakened his offensive game, as Stramel nearly eclipsed 20 goals and 50 points this season. Much of the improvement has stemmed from offensive IQ, getting Stramel to become more involved in the offensive zone, and the results have been incredible. The Minnesota Wild are desperate to get this young man over to St. Paul for their playoff run. He is going to be a solid depth center for them this season, and many to come. Is Stramel a potential top six center? Even with this year's breakout, it seems unlikely. However, he has so many quality pro intangibles, it would be wise not to underestimate him.

2. Riley Heidt, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Riley Heidt has faced some expected struggles in his rookie AHL season and hasn’t been able to translate his high-octane playmaking to the next level thus far. This was always the concern with Heidt as a prospect and one of the main reasons his elite WHL scoring ability did not translate into his draft stock being anything higher than a late 2nd round pick. As a smaller player with average skating, it’s incredibly difficult to create the separation needed for offensive creation at higher levels, especially on the playmaking side. However, Heidt is still very young and many players struggle in their first professional season. Next season will be crucial for him to rebound and start showcasing the elite playmaking ability that allowed him to excel in junior. He’s still a ways away from getting a proper look in the NHL at this point but the ceiling remains fairly high with natural offensive ability. In terms of his ceiling, I still think it’s possible he can become a top six player, though a big rebound is needed before that can happen.

3. David Spacek, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Spacek is in his third full season of professional hockey and has emerged as a projectable bottom pairing defenseman in the NHL. He’s a safe defenseman who coaches can trust and is dependable when it comes to putting in a full effort every game. Despite playing in the AHL, he cracked Team Czechia’s roster for the Olympics, which is no easy feat. Spacek also earned his first crack at the NHL, having played in two games so far this season. I would expect him to start earning more time in the big leagues and eventually carve out a role as a bottom-pairing defenseman by the end of next season. Given his play style and career trajectory to this point, it’s unlikely he develops into a top four defenseman but his floor is high and there are signs he’s already outgrowing AHL hockey. Look for him to potentially earn a spot out of training camp next season.

4. Ryder Ritchie, RW, Boston University (NCAA)

Ritchie made the much-anticipated move to college hockey this offseason, heading to Boston University, and he has actually shown some solid strides as a prospect. In a year where almost every Terrier has taken a step back, Ritchie has led all BU freshmen in points, exhibiting some great flashes of his shot and playmaking ability. He’s even made adjustments to improve his game away from the puck, Ritchie has been steadily developing as an offensive threat. However, his move to the NCAA has proved that his upside is as limited as some feared. His skating is still average, and he will likely never be a play driver at any level. Additionally, he doesn’t have the willingness to use his 6’2 frame to play a more two-way game. Ritchie is still showing a limited game as he did in the WHL, however, the offensive upside in spite of his lack of speed gives many hope that with another year in college, he can round into a solid support scorer in the NHL.

5. Adam Benak, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Selected 102nd overall in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. Benak spent last season playing with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, recording 59 points in 56 games. After being selected second overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Brantford Bulldogs, Benak decided to make the move to play in the CHL this season. Benak got off to a real hot start with the Bulldogs recording 20 points in his first 10 games. Benak is currently averaging over 1.5 points per game playing on Brantford’s top line. Benak is a highly skilled playmaking center who can shift to the wing. Listed at 5-foot-8, Benak had little difficulty transitioning to the USHL and OHL, showcasing his elite creativity with the puck while producing at a high rate. There is no question he possesses the offensive skill, skating ability, and hockey IQ to project as a scoring winger at the NHL level. The challenge for Benak will come with handling the physical side of pro hockey as an undersized forward. He will need to find a way to bring a high level of consistency to every aspect in his game on the ice. He will need to continue working on winning puck battles against larger opponents through anticipation and body positioning, maintain a high tenacity on loose pucks, and find ways to avoid being closed out of plays. Minnesota is hoping Benak falls towards his ceiling potential and become a mid-round pick player that teams possibly regret overlooking on drafting earlier due to his size.

6. Aron Kiviharju, D, HIFK (Liiga)

Aron Kiviharju, selected 122nd overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2024 NHL Draft, remains one of the most intellectually gifted defenders in his cohort. Once considered a consensus top-tier prospect early in his draft cycle, Kiviharju’s trajectory was interrupted by a significant knee injury in his draft year, causing him to slip in the draft. Since then, he has focused on steady development with HIFK in Liiga, cementing his reputation as a cerebral, high-IQ game manager who prioritizes processing speed over raw physical force. Kiviharju’s game is built on a foundation of elite anticipation and vision. While he is not the biggest defender at 5-foot-10, he relies on active stick-work, tight gap control, and exceptional positioning to negate rush attempts and kill plays efficiently. The primary developmental hurdle remains physical maturity and translating his high-end offensive awareness against heavy professional competition. Projection-wise, Kiviharju profiles as a potential middle-pair NHL defenseman and a specialist on the second power-play unit. His success at the next level will depend on his ability to continue adding strength to his frame to withstand the grind of the professional game while maintaining the elite processing speed that defines his ceiling.

7. Hunter Haight, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

In his sophomore AHL season, Haight has largely failed to increase his stock as a prospect. He has been an average AHL player for almost two seasons now, earning a five game NHL stint in the process. Haight has always been a prospect that scouts like based on his projectable tools. I liked him a lot back in his draft year and thought it was a fine pick by the Wild at #47. The progression hasn’t been ideal since then. The tools are all there – Haight is an above average skater, has good puck handling and can even mix it up physically. There are times he looks like a legit NHLer. For some reason, it is yet to all click for him despite being over 100 games into his pro career. For him, the floor is as a top six AHLer, similar to what he is now. If he can use his tools more effectively, I see a player who can mesh in the bottom-six despite his lack of size.

8. Carson Lambos, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Time is running out for the former first-round pick to live up to expectations. There just hasn’t been significant progression in his development since he was drafted. The knock on Lambos has always been that he lacks any elite traits that will make him an impactful defenseman at the NHL level. This is still very evident in his game and is something that is incredibly difficult to overcome. He's not particularly big or physical, his skating is average and he doesn’t provide much offense from the back end. The concern is that his skating and hockey sense won’t be able to keep up with the NHL pace. He’s already a serviceable AHLer and continues to improve but at this point the ceiling for Lambos is that of a bottom-pairing defenseman. It’s hard to see him reaching top-4 potential the Wild hoped for when they picked him. That being said, he played his first NHL game this season. Perhaps the Wild see him as being fairly close to NHL ready.

9. Justin Kipkie, D, Arizona State University (NCAA)

The aggressive and speedy NCHC conference was a perfect destination for Justin Kipkie. With his solid speed and great dexterity, he has adapted to the quickness of his opponents well, supporting his team on entries and defending the rush. The WHL prepared him at the latter, with his strong stick and gap control being his best facets at killing plays. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble at times, pinching too hard or trying to jump into plays prematurely, leaving him out of position to defend. Kipkie will likely be trusted with more minutes next season as a sophomore, as he has become more disciplined throughout his year. At that time, you could probably expect an uptick in offensive production as he continues to make the adjustment from the WHL to the NCAA. Kipkie's projection remains that of a solid bottom pairing type who could aid in the transition game.

10. Theo Hallquisth, D, Örebro HK (SHL)

While picking long-term project Hallquisth at 52nd overall in the 2025 NHL Draft is still seen as a reach, the Wild should be pretty pleased about how he’s coming along. The young RHD is logging serious minutes in the HockeyAllsvenskan with Troja-Ljungby, where he sees time on both the PK and PP. He’s even getting into SHL games with Orebro. Hallquisth is a mobile, physical defenceman who defends the rush well and is a very reliable passer. There is almost no risk to his game - Hallquisth isn’t someone who makes things happen, he’s more of a play settler and calming presence. He’s got a quick shot from the point, but otherwise his offensive zone play is limited. His gap management and skating quickness have taken steps and look very solid at the pro level. However, defending the cycle is a bit of a challenge currently. Like many young defencemen, he is prone to lapses in concentration and makes mistakes. Hallquisth is at his best when he keeps his game simple. Continued improvement to his overall mobility, physical strength and defensive reads may bear fruit for the Wild in a couple of years. Hallquisth projects to be a defence-first bottom pair defenceman who can PK.

11. Caedan Bankier, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Not a lot of growth from Bankier over these last few seasons and that has to be concerning to the Wild. A former WHL standout and Canadian WJC team member, Bankier may be on the bubble to be qualified.

12. Jack Peart, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Even throughout Peart’s NCAA time, he never really found that next level as an offensive defender. No question he’s intelligent, but average sized, jack of all trades type defenders have a pretty low hit rate. Now in his second pro season, the ceiling looks limited.

13. Rasmus Kumpulainen, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Playing in his first pro season, Kumpulainen has struggled to adapt. He’s spent half the year in the ECHL for that reason. The big pivot is a solid two-way player, but he looks a long way off.

14. Rieger Lorenz, LW, University of Denver (NCAA)

Lorenz is in the midst of his best NCAA season as a senior at the University of Denver, but the former AJHL standout has failed to really breakthrough offensively as a star at the college level. As such, he could be on the bubble to be signed when this NCAA season ends.

15. Carter Klippenstein, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

The offensive ceiling as a pro is pretty limited. But that’s not why the Wild drafted Klippenstein in the fourth-round last year. He has the size, skating ability, defensive IQ, and physicality to develop into an elite fourth line center and penalty killer.

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:36:01 +0000

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 18: Minnesota Wild forward Liam Ohgren (28) controls the puck during the second period of an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken on April 18, 2024, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 14th (May 2025 - 7th)
GM: Bill Guerin Hired: August 2019
COACH: John Hynes Hired: November 2023

The Minnesota Wild are finally emerging from the shadow of the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts, freeing up nearly $13 million in cap space. While a portion of that will be earmarked for Kirill Kaprizov’s looming extension, GM Bill Guerin now has real flexibility to shape the roster.

That timing aligns perfectly with a young core featuring Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi (unsigned), Brock Faber, and newly signed Zeev Buium—players poised to drive the franchise forward.

Buium, McKeen’s sixth-ranked prospect, is as dynamic as they come and is set to push for an NHL role in 2025-26 after an outstanding NCAA career. Once he graduates, Danila Yurov will take over as the system’s top prospect. Fresh off signing his entry-level deal, Yurov joins Minnesota after five years in the KHL, where he tallied 88 points in 209 games. At 21, his playmaking and vision could translate immediately to NHL production.

Several other prospects are on the cusp of breaking through. Liam Öhgren impressed in his first North American season, producing 37 points in 41 AHL games, and should compete for a roster spot out of training camp. In net, Jesper Wallstedt is expected to challenge for the backup job behind Filip Gustavsson with Marc-André Fleury now retired. Early on, a timeshare between the pipes isn’t out of the question.

Riley Heidt, meanwhile, is turning pro after a prolific WHL career that saw him record 370 points in 281 games. His creativity and offensive instincts will be assets as he adjusts to the AHL game.

While Minnesota added intriguing talent such as Adam Benak at the 2025 draft, the absence of a first-round pick limited the overall impact of their class. Still, with multiple high-end prospects on the verge of making the jump and newfound financial flexibility, the Wild are positioned to become one of the NHL’s most intriguing young teams in the short term.

Minnesota Wild Top-15 Prospects

1 - Zeev Buium

Zeev Buium was just as good in his sophomore season compared to his freshman year, solidifying himself as a top-tier offensive defenceman. Early in the year, he displayed strong breakout capabilities, maintaining composure under pressure and making smart decisions with the puck. His skating and agility have remained elite, providing him with the ability to create space and generate offensive opportunities. As the season progressed, Buium’s defensive game matured, showcasing sound positioning, effective gap control, and reliable man-to-man coverage. His active stick and awareness allow him to break up plays and transition quickly. While his high-risk plays can lead to turnovers, his offensive contributions and skating often outweigh the occasional mistake. Strengths include his dynamic skating, puck-handling, and hockey IQ, excelling in all situations with significant ice time. To elevate his game further, reducing unnecessary risks and refining decision making will be key. Zeev Buium projects as a top-line NHL defenceman with first line power play potential, providing both offensive production and defensive reliability.

2 - Danila Yurov

After recovering from shoulder surgery, Danila Yurov took some time to find his game this season but quickly returned to elite form. Once a raw talent, he’s now one of the most dynamic players in the KHL. Yurov plays at a high pace, using his speed to drive offence and pressure opponents defensively. He creates chances off the rush, breaks up plays with an active stick, and consistently wins puck battles. His shot has developed into a major weapon over the past few years. His wrist shot and one-timer are both dangerous and he does a great job working himself into space to create quality looks. While strength in battles remains a concern, he’s improved significantly, learning to use positioning and stickwork to stay competitive. Yurov officially signed his ELC in May, ending fan’s anxieties as he gears up for his first North American season. He looks NHL ready and could challenge for a top six role in Minnesota next season.

3 - Liam Öhgren

Liam Öhgren split the 2024-25 season between the NHL and AHL. While his NHL production was minimal, he hovered around a point-per-game mark with Iowa. Despite injury concerns in his development years, Öhgren played nearly 65 pro contests. He terrorized AHL goalies with his snappy, accurate release, picking corners with ease. In transition, Öhgren is clinical, regularly achieving clean zone entries using his stickhandling and speed changes. What stands out is how he constantly switches up his approach, creating space and time. He also drives hard to the net, causing chaos, and cleaning up pucks around the net. Öhgren will be a fixture on Minnesota's second or third line for years to come and has a good shot at a full-time NHL role in the bottom six this year alongside fellow Minnesota youngster Danila Yurov. He may never have elite production in the NHL, but he brings lots of value off the puck and in the defensive zone.

4 - Riley Heidt

The 2025-26 Cougars campaign ended earlier than expected, following an opening-round loss to a lower-seeded opponent, but it certainly wasn't for a lack of effort or results from Heidt, their captain and best player. The cerebral center was a linchpin for his team, scoring points in bunches while also consistently helping to elevate the play of those he shared the ice with. The continued progression of his off-puck play is also worth mentioning, as it went from something of a weakness in his draft year to a genuine strength nowadays. After a fairly stable tenure in Prince George that spanned five seasons it will be interesting to see how Heidt translates his game to the AHL level and how long the Wild will want him to grow there before he's ready for the ultimate challenge of the NHL. If all goes according to plan, he could become a top six pivot in Minnesota.

5 - Jesper Wallstedt

It’s not a secret that Jesper Wallstedt took a massive dip in performance this past season. He’s been known as one of the best goalie prospects in many people's eyes for the past couple of years, but now that’s being drawn into doubt. He still possesses a strong skill set, which is promising, including great positioning, anticipation, footwork, and athleticism. The problem is that he seems to have lost all confidence and lacks consistency from game to game. He’s always been a reserved goalie, someone who’s very methodical. But now it looks to almost hinder him. He lacked the same swagger and intensity seen previously. He looks defeated after allowing a bad one and opens the gates. He also struggled with his rebound control, which has given him the tendency to easily get burned on rebound shots. His previous play and skill set should still leave one hopeful about his future. His future rides on how he plays next year. If he turns it around, he can still end up a starter, if not, it will be exceedingly difficult to reach that once promising potential.

6 - Ryder Ritchie

Last summer Ritchie felt that he and his former club, the Raiders, weren't fully on the same page, which led to him requesting a change of scenery. That decision couldn't have worked out much better for him on the ice, as he was traded to the championship-winning Tigers, led by superstar-in-the-making Gavin McKenna (certainly not a bad guy to hang out with and pick things up from). Playing in more of a secondary role helped him find his game a little better after an up-and-down prior season, and he's now looking much more like the guy who earned WHL Rookie of the Year honors in 2022-23. The son of former NHLer Byron Ritchie, Ryder is a winger with a good, balanced blend of different smarts and skills, the kind of player who can find a way to fit and contribute on any line but might never be the best option to drive one at the NHL level. He’s a quality complement to the rest of the Wild’s prospect pool.

7 - Hunter Haight

Hunter Haight was selected in the second-round for his two-way game and potential as a middle lineup depth piece. This year, he surprised many by posting over half a point per game in his first pro season. Haight is always in the right place, active off the puck, and constantly adjusting his angles to create opportunities. He drives to the net with such fluidity, almost as if the puck is glued to his stick, able to get a quick release in tight with precision. His defensive game is solid as well. He closes gaps quickly and shows a willingness to block shots. This season has been encouraging for Haight's development, and after one more year in Iowa and an offseason to get stronger, I could see him transitioning to the NHL. He looks like a future asset for Minnesota's bottom six. Haight’s biggest barrier is his size, which, at his level of skill, might barricade him from receiving NHL looks, given the plethora of depth talent Minnesota possesses.

8 - Charlie Stramel

A first-round selection in 2023, Stramel’s sophomore season at Wisconsin was pretty much an unmitigated disaster, leaving little hope that he was anything more than a wasted high selection. However, following a move to Michigan State through the transfer portal, Stramel has re-invigorated hope in his NHL chances. The big pivot had a solid junior year for one of the best teams in the country, and he’s going to return to the Spartans for his senior year, where he’ll likely take on even greater responsibility. At this point, Stramel isn’t likely to be a top six forward. You could probably make the argument that his draft projection wasn’t even that optimistic. However, he still possesses many attributes that you look for in a bottom six center in today’s era; he’s got size, he can skate, he can play a power game, and he plays both ends of the rink. Let’s see if he can build off his first solid offensive showing at the NCAA level.

9 - David Spacek

David Spacek’s rise through the ranks comes as a surprise to many, as the 2022 fifth rounder nearly tripled his point totals from his first North American pro season. Spacek has shown that he can produce from his days in the QMJHL to 2024-25 with the Iowa Wild. Spacek has a high level of energy on the ice, itching to be involved in play and eager to work in the corners. Despite being a little on the smaller end at 6-foot-0, Spacek battles hard in front of the net to establish positioning and engages physically whenever possible. Spacek’s skating is another positive trait, allowing him to join the rush and get back in time to break up the counterattack. One area I would like to see him improve is his first pass under pressure; he tends to throw the puck away to get it out of his end and could benefit from a touch more patience. He projects as a bottom-pairing defenceman who can provide offence while competing hard in his end.

10 - Adam Benak

The hockey world temporarily stood still during the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky tournament for the 5-foot-8 Czech Forward Adam Benak. Even though his hype tapered off during his season, his year with Youngstown was great, being a point-per-game player. The draw of Benak’s game comes down to his skill and offensive strengths. His creativity in the offensive zone is advanced, especially for a player his size, warranting the chance Minnesota took on him in the fourth round. However, his skating drawbacks and physical limitations with his size are very real and are critical in talking about his NHL viability. We have ranked him as Minnesota’s 10th-best prospect, next to another short-statured, similarly hyped Aron Kiviharju. Brantford took Benak second in the CHL Import Draft and should seriously see some great things from the Czech as he looks to show the hockey world why he was once regarded so highly.

11 - Aron Kiviharju

Injuries and primarily size-related concerns eventually saw the once highly touted U18 star become a fourth-round pick in 2024, but he quickly let GM Bill Guerin know about how astute a pick he had ultimately made. Now Kiviharju has finally gotten in a full season of Liiga play in his DY+1 and also captained the silver medal winning Finnish side at the WJC, averaging just over 21+ minutes of TOI over seven contests. Another season of Liiga play is on dock.

12 - Carson Lambos

With multiple layers of blueline deception, Lambos entered pro play two seasons ago as an agile defender who understands timing, dekes, and how to generate offence. A healthy shot from the point helps. But despite an average of approximately 20 minutes of TOI per night this past winter, his offensive totals only slightly improved. At his best, Lambos shows the patience to make a positive impact. Although clearly knocking on the door, Lambos faces solid organizational competition.

13 - Rasmus Kumpulainen

Kumpulainen’s size/skill package had him looking like an exciting prospect in his draft year, especially after he put in a solid POINT-PER-GAME U18 Worlds performance. He followed that up with a good, but not great, season of OHL play with the Oshawa Generals. Having signed his ELC, the crafty puck-protector was then loaned to Liiga outfit Lahti this past season and experienced his fair share of struggles, also seen in his yeoman WJC. Crucial year ahead to get back on track.

14 - Justin Kipkie

It’s not that often nowadays that unsigned draftees get re-drafted, but Minnesota decided not to let Arizona-drafted Kipkie slip through to free agency this past summer, selecting him in the fifth round after a big offensive campaign (including 13 points in 11 playoff games) as the captain of the Victoria Royals. There’s some irony in his Arizona connection because Kipkie is now taking his wares to Arizona State University, where he’ll look like the elder statesman on a very young blueline.

15 - Aaron Pionk

Pionk’s older brother Neal is already a well-paid blueline star for the Winnipeg Jets. Unlike his older brother, Aaron has actually been drafted. Already an exceptional high school and then USHL player, the younger Pionk is coming off a sophomore season of college hockey that saw him best his solid freshman performance by six points and +10 +/- improvement. In addition to sound two-way ability, Pionk excels in closing gaps and stopping opponents off the rush. Will he build on that this season?

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #7 Minnesota Wild – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Sat, 31 May 2025 12:29:49 +0000

Minnesota Wild forward Liam Ohgren (28) (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

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Minnesota 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #8

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 13:00:05 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 8th (Previous Rank - 5th)
GM: Bill Guerin Hired: August 2019
COACH: John Hynes Hired: November 2023

The Minnesota Wild are saddled with nearly $15 million in dead cap space due to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. This financial squeeze only intensifies the need for young, affordable talent to step up.

Despite holding McKeen’s eighth-ranked prospect system, there are limited names ready to make an immediate NHL impact. Marat Khusnutdinov (ranked 99th) is one of the few exceptions, having come over from the KHL and suited up for 16 games in Minnesota last season. Liam Öhgren (98th) also grabbed two points in four NHL games but will likely spend more time in Iowa before securing a full-time spot.

All eyes are on Jesper Wallstedt, the 11th-ranked McKeen’s prospect overall and the second-rated goaltender. Having spent two years in the AHL, Wallstedt will likely remain in Iowa for another season, with Marc-André Fleury signing a one-year extension. But make no mistake about it, Wallstedt is the future between the pipes at the Xcel Energy Centre.

The Wild were fortunate to land one of the more intriguing defensive prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft when Zeev Buium (ranked 25th) fell to them at 12th overall. Despite being projected as a top 10 pick by most, Buium slipped and instantly became Minnesota’s top defensive prospect. Coming off a stellar freshman season at the University of Denver, which included accolades such as NCAA (NCHC) Best Offensive Defenceman and a U20 WJC Gold Medal, expectations are sky-high in his sophomore year. The hope is that he signs his pro papers by season’s end.

Meanwhile, Danila Yurov (36th) continues to develop well in the KHL. Coming off a historic season, he posted 49 points in 62 games to mark the best season for a second-year player in KHL history. Expected to return to Metallurg Magnitogorsk to defend his championship, Yurov should provide a significant talent boost for the Wild if he makes the jump to North America after the 2024-25 season.

Although the Wild may lack youthful talent ready to make the leap, their core group of young players is already well established. Led by 27-year-old Kirill Kaprizov, the team features youngsters like Matt Boldy (23), Marco Rossi (22), and the recently extended Brock Faber (21), they will hold down the fort until the list of reinforcements are ready to make the jump.

Minnesota Wild Top-15 Prospects

1. Jesper Wallstedt

With the Wild re-upping Marc-Andre Fleury for one final, farewell season it looks likely that Wallstedt will be heading back to the AHL for his third tour of duty there. And really, that’s probably for the best. His game is steadily progressing down there, he’s going to get the lion’s share of the starts for Iowa once again, and the NHL can be utterly vicious to young goalies if they’re not absolutely, completely ready to face it. Wallstedt sure does seem like he’s close to being ready, though. The group of skaters in front of him throughout 2023-24 wasn’t very good, and the club easily could have sunk near the bottom of the league standings if it wasn’t for their star young netminder and team MVP keeping them afloat. Much like many of the world’s best goalies, his large frame, tight technique, and unflappable mindset help him make stopping pucks look simple.

2. Zeev Buium

The top of the 2024 draft was so crowded that Buium easily could have been selected a lot higher than he was, and some other teams surely would have done so if they were the ones picking, but the Wild certainly aren't complaining about how that worked out for them. He wrapped up a true dream season for himself right before that, which included winning both a World Junior gold medal as well as an NCAA Frozen Four championship, the latter of which occurred alongside his older brother, Detroit prospect Shai. His game revolves around doing everything at a high pace, and he's masterfully methodical and precise with how he drives the puck through zones and opens things up offensively. He doesn't quite have the skating of Quinn Hughes or the offensive vision of Adam Fox, but the best-case scenario for him would be to become something of a blend of the two.

3. Danila Yurov

Yurov has finally started to get the ice time in the KHL that he so clearly deserved, and lo and behold, the results so far have been magnificent. He led his entire Magnitogorsk Metallurg team in scoring during the regular season, and not content to stop there, he continued to play a key role for the club as they romped through the playoffs and captured the league championship. There are few forwards out there who can boast having a bag of tricks as deep as his, with smooth hands that can drive possession with care and then extend it through mazes of sticks and skates. The Wild must be thrilled by his progression, because they want to be more competitive as soon as possible, and Yurov, achieving professional success already, might be able to make an impact in the NHL immediately, whenever he crosses the pond.

4. Riley Heidt

The Wild were able to wait all the way until 64th overall in the 2023 draft to pick Heidt, and the organization must still be outright thrilled by that stroke of good fortune, especially with the work he’s done dragging the Cougars from the WHL basement up to being one of the best teams in the league. He's a monstrous offensive threat and point producer, thanks primarily to his exceptional hockey sense and playmaking ability. He's also intensely focused, biding his time patiently to read the play and pick his spots before striking with surgical precision. There's a certain aura about him offensively, where he always seems to be in control and a step or two ahead of his victims. He's also making a lot of necessary progress with his off-puck engagement and resiliency. Prior worries about his ability to translate his game to the NHL level are starting to fall away quickly.

5. Liam Öhgren

Ohgren has had to fight through two straight injury-plagued seasons, so it was a nice gesture when Minnesota called him up late in the year after they were eliminated from the playoffs. And then he returned the favour by scoring his first career NHL goal, which probably felt great for both parties. He is a stocky bulldog of a forward who is great at driving pucks into high-danger areas, and then he also has an aptitude for getting them across the goal in ways both dirty and clean. How he plays takes its toll on his body, but the results speak for themselves. He’s also a born leader who has worn a letter on multiple Tre Kronor sweaters, which he could very likely do again at some point in the future, and his trophy case is already occupied by a number of differently coloured medals.

6. Marat Khusnutdinov

Khusnutdinov had a rather muted opening trial with the Wild, but the franchise is hoping that him getting his feet wet this spring will be a valuable stepping stone that will make him just that much better in the fall when he embarks upon his first full campaign in North America. Make no mistake, though, he showed some flashes of the razzle-dazzle that he was well-known for over in Russia. He can be truly electrifying with how he flies through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, and once he gets more accustomed to the smaller ice surface of the NHL, he should be able to resume doing this as a regular occurrence. How well will he be able to handle the physical grind of an 82-game season? That’s the big question, and the answer will heavily influence how much value he brings.

7. Ryder Ritchie

Ritchie must feel glad to be done with 2023-24, which was a season riddled with injury issues, inconsistency, and bad puck luck while playing for a bad Raiders team. At least he was able to end his playing time on a high note, walking away with a gold medal from the U18s as a member of the Canadian squad, while scoring at a point-per-game clip. He had entered his draft year as one of the top prospects to watch after a stellar rookie season and impressive showing at the 2023 Hlinka tournament, where he also won a gold medal for Canada, so Minnesota is betting that he can rekindle more of his previous fire moving forward. He's a slippery, skilled winger who loves to attack and can single-handedly create scoring looks for himself or his teammates, while also having a lot of smarts and commitment for his defensive duties.

8. Carson Lambos

Are there any other prospects out there whose stock has fallen as much as Lambos’s has in recent years? Once considered a possible Top 10 pick in the 2021 draft, he ended up sliding down to the 26th selection that year. Things haven’t gone much better since, with stagnated development throughout the remainder of his tenure in the WHL, getting snubbed by Hockey Canada for their 2023 World Juniors roster, and then a wholly pedestrian debut season in the AHL. While he’s certainly not a liability in any of the key areas of the defense position, he doesn’t really excel in any of them either. It’s almost like he’s a player without a clear identity, and that’s always a cause for concern. Luckily for him and for the Wild, there’s still a lot of time left for him to figure things out, and he won’t be rushed along.

9. Daemon Hunt

Hunt is the type of defenceman who has a knack for winning over his coaches, because he seems to always find a way to get the job done, even if it's not always pretty or exciting. If he needs to bear down and defend hard, he can do it. If his team needs a goal and he needs to ramp up the pace, he can do that, too. The best way to describe him might be "low maintenance," and every team needs at least a few guys who fit that description. He’s wise and mature beyond his years, and comes across as someone with natural leadership tendencies, too. It's easy to foresee him repeatedly earning roster spots over more highly-touted peers and grinding out a long and popular NHL career, even if he rarely draws in on a team's top two defensive pairings or becomes any kind of special teams specialist.

10. Charlie Stramel

The 2023-24 season is one that Stramel surely wants to forget. His draft year was strong, strong enough that he got selected 21st overall by the Wild, but he unfortunately followed it up by taking a step backward. His point production slowed down, his overall impact on games waned, his ice time was cut, and he was left off the American roster for the World Juniors despite being included the prior two times. Unsurprisingly, he opted to enter the NCAA transfer portal after it was all said and done, leaving the struggling Wisconsin program for the up-and-coming Michigan State and a reunion with his former coach Adam Nightingale, which might be a career-saving change of scenery for him. There's still enough of a foundation in place for him to eventually become a physical two-way forward in the NHL, but he'll desperately need to find some way to snap out of his funk.

11. Aron Kiviharju

At the start of last season, it would have been unheard of to think that Kiviharju would slide to the 4th round of the draft. However, his progression hit a roadblock, raising questions about his NHL upside. His hockey sense is undeniably great, but for a defenceman of his size, his skating and puck skills might not be as good as they need to be. Many past defenders who resembled him struggled to succeed. Will he be able to buck that trend?

12. Ryan O'Rourke

O’Rourke garnered a lot of fans during his OHL days with his no-nonsense, shutdown brand of defending. The concern that has surfaced, however, is whether his individual tools are good enough to be that kind of player in the pros. He’s not especially big, tough, or athletic, and now he’s much less able to neutralize opponents than he used to be. His character is high and he has experience being a leader, but can those traits help him turn the tide?

13. Hunter Haight

A trade from Barrie to Saginaw in 2022-23 helped provide a short-lived reset for Haight, but overall, he continues to look like a prospect who won't quite live up to his draft status. He plays fast and competes well, but his on-ice impacts and results don't always move the needle as much as they should. At this point it's tricky to envision what kind of role he would fill on an NHL roster.

14. Caeden Bankier

Bankier is a nice find for Minnesota coming out of the 2021 draft, as none of the players in the dozen picks immediately before him or after him are looking as impressive thus far. He protects pucks adeptly with his frame and hands, and he reads the play well enough to get pucks on his stick in offensive situations. There’s NHL potential here as someone who can dress as a checker while also being able to move up the lineup when called upon.

15. Rasmus Kumpulainen

Leaving Finland to go play in the OHL was the best thing for Kumpulainen's career, even though his progression as a player is still moving incrementally. He's a big body who's good at slowing things down and protecting the puck with his reach and strength. Unfortunately, he's a bit of a one-note kind of player. Could he become a 4th-line center who is heavy on the puck down low? Absolutely. Anything more than that, though, is doubtful.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #5 Minnesota Wild – Organizational Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 11:21:26 +0000

A very disappointing season for the Wild, after two 100-point seasons. It led to a coaching change early in the season but did not result in a playoff berth. GM Bill Guerin’s hands have been largely tied by the salary cap and over $15 million dollars in dead cap space for the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contracts. Those are reduced to less than $2 million following the 2024-25 season and should provide some welcome oxygen to the organization. It is a big reason why they have not been able to make a big splash in free agency, or at the trade deadline to push this team past the first round of the playoffs. They enter the year with less than $6 million in cap space. Any advancement will likely have to come from within. The core has shown they can do it in the past, and they boast some exceptional young talent in Kirill Kaprizov (27-years old), Joel Eriksson Ek (27) and Matthew Boldy (23).

Marco Rossi (22) graduated to the NHL this season and showed glimpses of his potential, firing 21 goals. Brock Faber (21) emerged as a budding star this season and in the Calder Trophy discussion. 24-year-old Filip Gustavsson struggled in 2023-24 after a promising 2022-23, but not unusual for a young goalie. Marc-Andre Fleury has signed for one more year to ease the pressure on the youngster, while the 9th ranked affiliated prospect on our list, Jesper Wallstedt, continues to develop in the AHL, where he has been excellent. In addition to that core, they boast the fifth best prospect pool among NHL teams, giving them hope for further roster additions. Along with Wallstedt, Danila Yurov ranks 25th by McKeens, after a breakout season in the KHL with 49 points in 62 games. He could have an immediate impact if he decides to come to North America. A deep pool and a strong scouting and development team will look for more gems to emerge from that group.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Jesper Wallstedt	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	`21(20th)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
2	Danila Yurov	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`22(24th)	62	21	28	49	35
3	Riley Heidt	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	`23(64th)	66	37	80	117	42
4	Liam Ohgren	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	`22(19th)	26	12	7	19	12
					Minnesota (NHL)	`22(19th)	4	1	1	2	0
5	Marat Khusnutdinov	C	21	5-11/175	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	`20(37th)	55	6	14	20	10
					Minnesota (NHL)	`20(37th)	16	1	3	4	6
6	Carson Lambos	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	`21(26th)	69	4	10	14	64
7	Ryan O'Rourke	D	21	6-0/180	Iowa (AHL)	`20(39th)	70	3	9	12	62
8	Charlie Stramel	C	19	6-3/215	Wisconsin (B1G)	`23(21st)	34	3	5	8	20
9	Caedan Bankier	C	21	6-2/190	Iowa (AHL)	`21(86th)	51	13	10	23	22
10	Daemon Hunt	D	21	6-0/200	Iowa (AHL)	`20(65th)	51	3	26	29	29
				6-0/200	Minnesota (NHL)	`20(65th)	12	0	1	1	0
11	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	18	6-2/190	Oshawa (OHL)	`23(53rd)	58	28	28	56	48
12	Samuel Walker	RW	24	5-11/160	Iowa (AHL)	`17(200th)	70	14	31	45	24
13	Adam Beckman	LW	22	6-1/170	Iowa (AHL)	`19(75th)	51	19	14	33	24
				6-1/170	Minnesota (NHL)	`19(75th)	11	0	2	2	12
14	Vladislav Firstov	LW	22	6-1/185	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	`19(42nd)	67	17	18	35	68
15	Hunter Haight	C	20	5-10/175	Saginaw (OHL)	`22(47th)	68	25	42	67	28

1. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Iowa Wild (AHL)

With the Wild re-upping Marc-Andre Fleury for one final, farewell season it looks likely that Wallstedt will be heading back to the AHL for his third tour of duty there. And really, that’s probably for the best. His game is steadily progressing down there, he’s going to get the lion’s share of the starts for Iowa once again, and the NHL can be utterly vicious to young goalies if they’re not absolutely, completely ready to face it. Wallstedt sure does seem like he’s close to being ready, though. The group of skaters in front of him throughout 2023-24 wasn’t very good, and the club easily could have sunk near the bottom of the league standings if it wasn’t for their star young netminder and team MVP keeping them afloat. Much like many of the world’s best goalies, his large frame, tight technique and unflappable mindset help him make stopping pucks look simple.

2. Danila Yurov, RW, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

3. Riley Heidt, C, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

The Wild were able to wait all the way to 64th overall in the 2023 draft to pick Heidt, and the organization must still be outright thrilled by that stroke of good fortune, especially with the work he’s done dragging the Cougars from the WHL basement up to being one of the best teams in the league. He's a monstrous offensive threat and point producer, thanks primarily to his exceptional hockey sense and playmaking ability. He's also intensely focused, biding his time patiently to read the play and pick his spots before striking with surgical precision. There's a certain aura about him offensively, where he always seems to be in control and a step or two ahead of his victims. He's also making a lot of necessary progress with his off-puck engagement and resiliency. Prior worries about his ability to translate his game to the NHL level are starting to fall away quickly.

4. Liam Ohgren, LW, Farjestad BK (SHL)

Ohgren has had to fight through two straight injury-plagued seasons, so it was a nice gesture when Minnesota called him up late in the year after they were eliminated from the playoffs. And then he returned the favour by scoring his first career NHL goal, which probably felt great for both parties. He is a stocky, bulldog of a forward who is great at driving pucks into high-danger areas, and then he also has an aptitude for getting them across the goal in ways both dirty and clean. How he plays takes its toll on his body, but the results speak for themselves. He’s also a born leader who has worn a letter on multiple Tre Kronor sweaters, which he could very likely do again at some point in the future, and his trophy case is already occupied by a number of differently coloured medals.

5. Marat Khusnutdinov, C, HK Sochi (KHL)

Khusnutdinov had a rather muted opening trial with the Wild, but the franchise is hoping that him getting his feet wet this spring will be a valuable steppingstone that will make him just that much better in the fall when he embarks upon his first full campaign in North America. Make no mistake, though, he did show some flashes of the razzle-dazzle that he became well-known for over in Russia. He can be truly electrifying with how he flies through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, and once he gets more accustomed to the smaller ice surface of the NHL he should be able to resume doing this as a regular occurrence. But how well will he be able to handle the physical grind of an 82-game season? That’s the big question, and the answer will heavily influence how much value he brings.

6. Carson Lambos, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Are there any other prospects out there whose stock has fallen as much as Lambos has in recent years? Once considered a possible Top 10 pick in the 2021 draft, he ended up sliding down to the 26th selection that year. Things haven’t gone much better since, with stagnated development throughout the remainder of his tenure in the WHL, getting snubbed by Hockey Canada for their 2023 World Juniors roster, and then a wholly pedestrian debut season in the AHL. While he’s certainly not a liability in any of the key areas of the defense position, he doesn’t really excel in any of them either. It’s almost like he’s a player without a clear identity, and that’s always a cause for concern. Luckily for him and for the Wild, there’s still a lot of time left for him to figure things out, and he won’t be rushed along.

7. Ryan O'Rourke, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

O’Rourke garnered a lot of fans and admirers during his OHL days with his old school, no-nonsense, shutdown brand of defending. The concern about him that is starting to nag now, however, is whether his individual tools are actually good enough to be that kind of player effectively at the professional level. He’s not the biggest of guys, or the toughest of guys, or the most athletic of guys, and now he’s finding himself unable to neutralize opposing forwards like he used to before. There are still things to like about him, though. His character rates highly, his shot is heavy, and he has a lot of experience being a leader. Him becoming an NHLer in the future is far from certain, and if he does carve out a roster spot it will most likely be as a bottom-pair defenseman and secondary penalty killer.

8. Charlie Stramel, C, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

9. Caedan Bankier, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Bankier is shaping up to be a very nice find for Minnesota coming out of the 2021 draft, as none of the players in the dozen picks immediately before him or the dozen immediately after him are as valuable as prospects as of this point in time. You can really tell just how great of a job the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers did nurturing his development during his time with them. He protects pucks very adeptly with his frame and smooth hands, and he reads the play well enough to consistently get the puck on his stick in prime offensive situations. He knows how to score points within a tight system. His odds of having a long NHL career are pretty good, because he should be able to hold his own in a checking role while also being able to chip in points and move up the lineup when called upon.

10. Daemon Hunt, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

Hunt is the type of defenseman who has a knack for winning over his coaches, because he seems to always find a way to get the job done, even if it's not always pretty or exciting. If he needs to bear down and defend hard, he can do it. If his team needs a goal and he needs to ramp up the pace, he can do that too. The best way to describe him might be "low maintenance," and every team needs at least some guys who fit that description. He’s wise and mature beyond his years, and comes across as someone with natural leadership tendencies, too. It's easy to foresee him repeatedly earning roster spots over more highly touted peers and grinding out a long and popular NHL career, even if he rarely draws in on a team's top two defense pairings or becomes any kind of special teams’ specialist.

PROSPECT CRITERIA: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 games (30 for goalies) and less than 25 in one season (25 for goalies).

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #11

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:00:12 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 10: Austria's David Reinbacher #5 takes a slapshot against Sweden in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on August 10, 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Top 20 Montreal Canadiens Prospects

1. David Reinbacher - D

Going 5th overall in this summer’s draft, a world of new expectations has been mounted upon the shoulders of the young Austrian defender who wasn’t even thought of as a surefire second rounder as late as the summer of 2022. This catapulting up the ranks automatically brings along unexpected pressures with it, each now compounded by his being diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease, which brings about cartilage and bone fragmentations in the knees. It is fully expected that the medical faculty will be able to get the problem under control, but the inherent risk is now only heightened. Nonetheless, Reinbacher is coming off a season for the ages in Switzerland’s top league where he eclipsed the 20-minute ice time mark in 20 of his 49 games on the season and put up an offensive stat- line that ultimately blew away anything seen from an 18-year old defenseman at any point in Switzerland’s top league history. Mark Streit? Roman Josi? They didn’t even come close at that age. Two WJCs and a strong showing at the men’s World Championships topped off a very busy year in which the swift-skating, offensively adept defender wowed the scouting world. He’ll be in Montreal’s main camp, then we find out where he’ll spend the upcoming season.

2. Lane Hutson - D

Standing at 5-10”, 161 pounds, there have been a large number of doubters when it comes to Hutson. This was despite a greater than point-per-game performance with the USNTDP as a defender in his draft year. Skip forward to last season, and what Hutson did as an NCAA freshman is nothing short of remarkable. Scoring the most points for a defender at his age since Brian Leetch (48 in only 38 games), Hutson was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He’s an extremely fun player to watch due to how well he sees the game and how light he is on his feet. He can dance along the blue line or storm up in transition, creating chances in the process. His defensive game seems to have improved from his draft year, with excellent positioning, quick attacks, and an active stick getting in lanes. With the path he’s on, the NHL is just a matter of time.

3. Joshua Roy - RW

Coming into the QMJHL in 2019-20 as the first-overall pick in the QMJHL Draft, there was a ton of excitement around the young forward. He played well in his rookie season, setting the stage for a strong draft year. He was good in that season as well but didn’t take the step forward that was hoped for. Still, the Canadiens bet on him, selecting him 150th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He responded with a 119-point season, leading the league in points and getting a nod as a First-Team All-Star. He followed that up with another dominant QMJHL season last year. Roy is an excellent possession player, protecting the puck well with quick, creative hands. His small-area game is excellent. He has done very well at adjusting his game in the moment. He seems like a safe bet to be a top nine contributor and is a candidate to make the jump next season.

4. Sean Farrell - C

It’s no longer a question of when Farrell will make the jump to the NHL since the young prospect has already made that jump. After a strong season in the USHL, Farrell slid in the 2020 NHL Draft all the way to the Canadiens' 124th pick. He responded with a 101-point season with the Chicago Steel and being honored as both the USHL and the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year. He then made the jump to Harvard University, contributing over one point per game as a freshman. Last season he took another big step forward and was named a Hobey Baker Award Finalist. The Habs rewarded him with an NHL contract, and he made the jump to the league. Farrell is smaller at 5- 9”, 174-pounds, but his offensive intelligence shines every time he hits the ice. He’s well on his way to becoming a top six offensive factor.

5. Owen Beck - C

Selected in the 2022 NHL Draft, 33rd overall, Beck is one of the many OHLers the lost their entire 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. He came back in 2021-22 as an OHL rookie and impressed, being named to the Second All-Rookie Team and as the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. He’s taken another step forward this season, thanks to his drives through the middle of the ice, his blazing speed, and his ability to dictate the pace of play. That resulted in a nod to Team Canada at the 2023 World Juniors where he won a gold medal, as well as an emergency call-up to the NHL where he played one game with the Canadiens. Look for Beck to make the move to the AHL next season as he attempts to carve out a role as a strong 3C in the NHL as someone who can play in any situation.

6. Logan Mailloux - D

There’s an asterisk next to Mailloux’s name as a Canadiens prospect due to comments earlier this year from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He noted that if and when the team wants to bring him to the NHL, they’ll review the situation. But he did leave the door open for “redemption and rehabilitation” so Mailloux’s future remains to be seen*. The defender is a big body at 6-3”, 212 pounds, who plays an extremely confident game. He’s always ready to carry the puck on his own or jump into the rush. He needs to work on his timing though, as he can get caught taking risks and making poor decisions. He has a very hard shot and isn’t afraid to get physical. If all things work out for Mailloux, he has the potential to be a second-line defender, but this story doesn’t seem to be over just yet.

*The NHL has since opened the door for Mailloux to play.

7. Filip Mesar - C

After selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Canadiens continued to look to Slovakia in the first round and nabbed Mesar at 26th overall. The winger already had two seasons of men’s hockey under his belt, playing with HK Poprad in the top-Slovak men’s league. He was immediately signed and came overseas, nearly made the NHL roster, then nearly stuck in the AHL, but ultimately was sent to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers for the season. He’s a very strong skater who excels at getting off the wall and plays with a high level of confidence. He plays hard and fast, enough to help him succeed in the NHL. He might not be an overly offensive player in the league, but he’ll be a consistent contributor able to impact the game on every shift, likely in a middle-six role. He should jump to the AHL - at least - this season.

8. Riley Kidney - C

Kidney just seems to make consistent forward progress in his development. Ever since making the QMJHL in 2019-20, his stock has been rising, leading to back-to-back 100+ point seasons in the league. As is a theme with Canadiens prospects, they selected him 63rd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, just before his first 100-point explosion. While he has shown the ability to bury the puck, it’s his playmaking ability that truly stands out, and he displays excellent vision and a knack for creating chances. He continues to get better and better and creates opportunities for himself as well, getting to the middle of the ice regularly. Kidney is strong off the puck as well, a competitor who always looks to get the puck back. He likely fits as a strong, bottom six forward and a candidate to move up when needed. His transition to the next level will be telling to his future ceiling.

9. Adam Engstrom - D

One of the fastest rising prospects in the Montreal system, Engstrom has gone from a third rounder last year to one of the top defensive prospects in a deep prospect pool because of his strong debut in the SHL. He was fantastic for Rogle, an organization with a reputation for developing high end defenders. An intelligent two-way blueliner, Engstrom does so many things well. He starts the breakout well thanks to great instincts and quick feet. He can quarterback the powerplay. He has great defensive awareness and understands how to use his mobility to help him be aggressive in his own zone. So what are the next steps? Engstrom will return to Rogle of the SHL this year and will look to establish himself as one of the top defenders in all of Sweden. Maybe that takes one year, maybe two. Our guess has Montreal looking to bring him over following this season, especially if his positive progression continues.

10. Jakub Dobes - G

Goaltender Dobes had his eyes set on the NHL and moving up in the hockey world, heading overseas from Czechia two years before his draft year, starting early in AAA and high school hockey. He moved up to the NAHL and then USHL, catching the attention of the Canadiens, who drafted him 136th overall in 2020. After one more season in the USHL, he moved to NCAA Ohio State where he stood out as a rookie. With a strong sophomore season under his belt as well, the Canadiens saw enough, signing him to his entry-level deal. He has good size at 6- 4”, 201 pounds, challenges attackers, and tracks the puck with ease. His movement can be a struggle, especially laterally, where he can get caught. Stepping into the pros this season will help to shed some light on how he projects. For now, he likely looks like a depth, AHL goaltender.

11. Jacob Fowler - G

A 2023 draft selection, Fowler’s 2022-23 season could not have gone any better. He was the USHL’s Goaltender of the Year and captured a USHL championship. He should be the immediate starter for a great Boston College team next year and will be focusing on improving his agility and quickness throughout his college career.

12. Oliver Kapanen - C

As you might expect from the nephew of former NHL’er Sami Kapanen, Oliver is a speedy, two-way center with a chance to develop into a solid middle six option for the Canadiens. He is coming off his best season to date in Liiga and may only need one more year in Finland before making the jump.

13. Emil Heineman - LW

Heineman is a powerful and quick North/South winger with a great shot and scoring touch. He was an immediate impact player at the end of the year for Laval. Hopefully he can keep that going over a full season this year.

14. Mattias Norlinder - D

Norlinder’s development hasn’t exactly gone the way many had anticipated. A strong offensive defender thanks to his excellent mobility and instincts at the point, Norlinder’s had trouble with consistency in the AHL. This is likely a big year for his development.

15. Jan Mysak - C

After a solid few years in the OHL, it feels like Mysak was really hurt by the Covid situation as his development stalled during that difficult 2020-21 season. His first true pro season last year wasn’t great; he needs to find a way to play between the hash marks like he did in the OHL. It’s still too early to give up on the former second rounder.

16. Cayden Primeau - G

It would appear that Montreal has grown tired of Primeau’s inconsistent play at the AHL level and his inability to truly take that next step forward, as they signed Dobes and drafted a few netminders this year. The former top prospect will need to pass through waivers to be sent down so he will need a huge camp to win back admiration.

17. Jayden Struble - D

Even though his offensive game never developed in college (with Northeastern) the way many thought it might, Struble still offers value as a potential defensive defender thanks to his athleticism and physicality. He will play his first pro year with Laval this season.

18. William Trudeau - D

Trudeau, an intelligent two-way defender and puck mover, had a terrific rookie year with Laval last season and really opened some eyes in the organization. If he can continue to improve his skating, he could be an option for the Canadiens in the near future.

19. Xavier Simoneau - C

The odds are stacked against the diminutive pivot, but don’t completely count him out. The talented playmaker has that feisty demeanour and the speed you look for from smaller players. He showed a lot of promise in his first pro season with Laval.

20. Vinzenz Rohrer - C

A feisty and versatile forward, Rohrer can slide up and down the lineup due to his consistent effort and energy. He made a shocking choice to leave the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL for the Swiss men’s league for this upcoming season and it will be interesting to see how he performs at a pro level.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #8

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:27:30 +0000

Jesper Wallstedt.

Top 20 Minnesota Wild Prospects

1. Jesper Wallstedt - C

Wallstedt has all the tools necessary to become a premier starting goaltender in the NHL, and it's only a matter of time until that potential turns into reality. The Iowa Wild were careful with his workload last season, having him split net duties with veteran Zane McIntyre, but the stoic Swede is no stranger to pressure and probably could have handled more responsibility without even breaking a sweat, despite his young age and it being his first season outside of Sweden. He oozes composure and is well beyond his years in terms of technique and ability to read the play. The phrase “work smarter, not harder” fits him like a glove, as he never seems to scramble or panic, and makes a lot of stops look easy, simply by being in the exact position he needs to be in and letting his form and natural size do the work.

2. Marco Rossi - C

Rossi being robbed of an entire year of hockey due to Covid-related illness at one of the most pivotal times of his development is an utter tragedy. He made a laughingstock of opposing OHL teams in his final season in Ottawa and seemed primed and ready to keep that momentum going. However, anyone who is familiar with him knows that his drive to improve is nearly unparalleled and that if he really wants to become one of the best players in the world (and he does), then it's going to happen eventually. Don't read too much into him coming up short in his first attempt to jump to the NHL. He's almost impossible to strip the puck from, which is a rarity for a player his size, and good luck stopping him from sending it where he wants it to go. Minnesota will pry the door wide open for Rossi this season.

3. Danila Yurov - RW

Yurov was a major wildcard in his draft year, being viewed by some scouts as a possible top 10 talent, while also being viewed with scepticism by others due to the quality of development he was receiving in Russia. After two years of splitting time equally between the junior MHL and the professional KHL he spent the vast majority of his 2022-23 season playing in one of the best leagues in the world, albeit with modest results in terms of offensive production. The bad news is that his ice time was lacking, averaging well below 10 minutes per game. Yurov has the potential to become a well-rounded top six scorer and play-driver at the NHL level, with high-end puck skills, shooting talent, and defence-unravelling processing, but his current developmental situation is raising genuine concerns that his growth will remain stunted until he leaves his homeland.

4. Liam Ohgren - LW

Öhgren's 2021-22 season was a tale of two draft years: he absolutely torched Sweden's top junior league to the tune of 33 goals and 25 assists in just 25 games but managed only a meagre one goal and one assist in 25 appearances in the SHL. This statistical discrepancy led to some questions about how translatable his scoring ability is to the professional level. And while the HockeyAllsvenskan is not on the same level as the SHL, he is nevertheless showing how scalable his game can be. He uses his strength and sturdy frame to fight through checks and win positioning in prime areas and has the shot mechanics and scoring touch to fill the back of the net. He isn't the fastest or most elusive forward but knows how to maximize what he does have when attacking off the rush.

5. Brock Faber - D

The Wild had a lot of defensive depth even before Faber's 2022-23 season ended and he signed his entry-level contract, so it speaks volumes that the team insisted on getting him into their lineup before the end of the regular season to better gauge what he can do against NHL competition. He is a local boy through and through, growing up in Maple Grove and then playing his college hockey about a 15-minute drive from the Wild's home arena. And as if that didn't already raise fan expectations enough, he was a star player on one of the best school teams in the country. The good news is that he takes his game to another level under the bright lights. A sublime skater who also thinks as fast as he moves, Faber left an impact in his NHL debut and isn't going to slow down one bit from here.

6. Marat Khusnutdinov - C

It is going to be fascinating to watch how Khusnutdinov transitions to North America and tries to find his way there, whenever he decides to make that leap. On the bigger ice surface in Russia, he is electrifying. His skating is magnificent, his energy never runs out, and his eyes light up every time he gets the chance to touch the puck. There are few prospects who can go for a Globetrotter-like skate through and around opposing players like Khusnutdinov. He is going to have to get a lot more used to getting hit, stick-checked, and angled to the outside once h moves over to play on the smaller ice surfaces in North America. That said, as hard as it is to single-handedly drive possession in that sort of way in the NHL, Khusnutdinov is one of the few rare talents who could actually make it work.

7. Carson Lambos - D

Lambos has spent the past three seasons on a very strong WHL Winnipeg ICE team, and while that might seem like a good thing overall, questions have arisen about whether it might have been a detriment to his individual development in some ways. Once considered one of the best defensemen in the world for his age group, his stock started to fall early in his draft season and hasn't really recovered since. Most notably, he was omitted from Canada's 2023 World Juniors roster despite having represented his country at the tournament in 2022. His game is balanced and doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, however he hasn't turned into a genuine difference-making, impact player like was once expected. The ICE are so talented and so deep that some of their players don't get enough of the stress-testing that often leads to growth. Turning pro could be a rude awakening for Lambos.

8. Adam Beckman - LW

Beckman has had a few cups of coffee in the NHL already, and while they haven't yet led to his first NHL goal or a full-time role, both of those things seem inevitable. He is a north-south, goal-scoring winger who applies a lot of power to both his skating stride and his shots. Allow him to generate a head of steam and some space with the puck and it usually leads to a quality scoring chance, and without the puck he can close on opponents quickly on the forecheck. His game undeniably tilts more to the offensive side than the defensive side, but with his reach and how easily he can cover ground in a straight line he can still be a disruptive force. With the right linemates and the right usage Beckman could become a 20-goal scorer in the NHL at his peak.

9. Riley Heidt - C

A player’s stats never tell his full story, but in Heidt’s case they paint a fairly accurate picture. A split of 25 goals and 72 assists last season showcases his proclivity for playmaking, and 43 of his 97 points coming with the man advantage make it obvious where his offense shines the brightest. He’s the type of player that a coach wants to have the puck more than any others. He is a true play driver, with a stellar knack for receiving pucks, getting them under his control, keeping them safe under his guard, and then making sure they get where he wants them to go. His head is constantly up and scanning the ice in front of him, and he can handle, pass or shoot the puck without having to redirect his vision. For a smaller forward he plays with a sneaky amount of bite and pestilence. Getting his skating up a notch or two long term is essential, to consistently gain enough separation space to overcome his lack of strength. Despite some limitations with his game, he still projects comfortably as a second-line NHL center and top-unit powerplay specialist.

10. Charlie Stramel - C

While Stramel would not have been our first choice at 21st overall, we understand why the Wild selected him where they did. Even though we had him ranked 61st heading into the draft, we expected him to be a first-round pick. Entering the NCAA as a freshman with a fair amount of prospect hype, his disappointing season with a disappointing Wisconsin program placed a lot of doubt on his upside. Stramel has a big frame at 6- 3” and 215 pounds, and he started to find out how to use that size to his advantage over the course of the season. With his size and strength, he’s extremely difficult to knock off the puck or even off balance. However, consistency was a major issue last year. Will the coaching change to former Minnesota State bench boss Mike Hastings have a profoundly positive effect on his development?

11. Caeden Bankier - C

A big two-way center, Bankier was excellent in the WHL last year, emerging as one of the top pivots in the league. He looks on track to become a quality middle six option for Minnesota in the future and will turn pro this year.

12. Rasmus Kumpulainen - C

The Wild’s second round pick in 2023, Kumpulainen is a rangy pivot with a penchant for driving the net and playing a power game down low. Recently drafted by Oshawa in the CHL Import Draft, there will be a push to get him there to continue his development. The OHL would be a great place for him to focus on improving his skating.

13. Ryan O’Rourke - D

Thus far, O’Rourke’s offensive game hasn’t translated to the pro level, but he remains a solid prospect because of his defensive acumen. A staunch, physical defender, he should become a serviceable #4-6 for Minnesota if he can continue to improve his skating.

14. Samuel Walker - C

Walker, an undersized scoring forward, was signed by Minnesota after the Lightning failed to come to an agreement with him following his senior year at the University of Minnesota. He is coming off a terrific first year in the AHL with Iowa, even getting into some games for the Wild.

15. Jack Peart - D

A strong two-way defender, Peart had a very good sophomore year at St. Cloud State and he has a chance to be one of the better defenders in the NCAA this year if he continues to progress.

16. Hunter Haight - C

Haight’s game really took off following a trade to Saginaw this year and he will look to be a huge piece of their Memorial Cup push this season. The key for Haight is maintaining his physical intensity. He is at his best when he brings a physical element to match his skill.

17. Daemon Hunt - D

Hunt is a similar player to O’Rourke in the sense that his offensive abilities aren’t likely to translate to the pro level, making him more of a mobile, stay-at-home type. The two are likely on a similar timeline and will be battling for a depth spot soon.

18. Vladislav Firstov - LW

Firstov, a big power winger, left UConn to play in the KHL last season. That move was a good one for his development as he was one of the top rookies in the league. He will now return to North America to play in the AHL this year and expectations are high.

19. Mikey Milne - LW

A relentless competitor and a winger with a unrelenting motor, Milne knows exactly what he is and what he can be for the Wild in the future. He’s not going to be a top six option, but if his offensive game continues to develop, he could end up being a great bottom six forward and penalty killer.

20. David Spacek - D

Spacek is coming off a great season that saw him continue his high level of play in the QMJHL, while also helping Czechia to a Silver medal at the WJC as one of the tournament’s best defenders. He is now focusing his attention on turning pro in the AHL and the key will be improving his footwork and mobility.

2023 NHL DRAFT: A Review

Chase Rochon — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:10:53 +0000

Another long year of amazing hockey has come and passed as we oficially end the 2023 scouting season and shift from the star-studded offensive draft class to the defensive-heavy 2024 NHL draft. This year's class was super fun and had the potential to bring the big stars and deep depth that we saw in the 2015 draft. This makes it very difficult to rank the winners and losers as every team acquired some very talented athletes in their organization that should make an impact for many years to come. Some teams acquired some elite star players at draft positions they didn't think would be possible at lower picks and later rounds. Those picks make the difference between good and great drafting by ﬁnding those diamonds in the rough.

NHL hockey operations departments are made up of the best of the best in the industry and have been through more drafts and different case studies over more years than I have been alive, which creates some hesitation in handing out grades for teams that we felt drafted poorly or passed on talent or upside. It is important to remember that teams take into consideration so many intangibles and factors outside any eye test or analytics can tell us. They have considerable resources and information networks public scouting teams can only dream of.

Most importantly, people need to remember these young athletes are human beings that just had the best week of their lives and treating them disrespectfully and pre-judging a young man that has yet to fully develop mentally and physically is completely unfair. I think every fan base should be showing love and support for the future players that are going to put in blood sweat and tears for the team you cheer for and go to war against the opposition.

With all that in mind, here is how I think all 32 teams performed at the 2023 NHL Draft based on my own rankings as well as the wonderful team at McKeen’s that I have the pleasure working alongside.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 29: Canada's Connor Bedard #16 backhands the puck while Austria's Tim Geifes #21 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 29, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

#1 Chicago Blackhawks (A+)

1 Connor Bedard (F)

19 Oliver Moore (F)

35 Adam Gajan (G)

44 Roman Kantserov (F)

55 Martin Misiak (F)

67 Nick Lardis (F)

93 Jiri Felcman (F)

99 Alex Pharand (F)

131 Marcel Marcel (F)

167 Milton Oscarson (F)

195 Janne Peltonen (D)

It feels very ﬁtting that the number one ranked team had the number one pick this year in the generational talent of Connor Bedard, who is expected to make an immediate impact. Kyle Davidson clearly agrees by bringing in some veteran support this summer in Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry. This pick was obvious. What makes the Blackhawks stand out is what might be my favourite selection of the entire draft in Oliver Moore at 19th overall, where I, alongside Davidson, was in shock this player was still on the board—followed by selecting one of if not one of the best goaltenders in Adam Gajan. We absolutely loved Nick Lardis at McKeens, and we ﬁnd this to be amazing value in the early third round. Roman Kantserov, Martin Misiak, Alex Pharand and Marcel Marcel are other great pickups to round out the real depth of this draft class for the Blackhawks as they build the next generation in Chicago.

#2 Columbus Blue Jackets (A)

3 Adam Fantilli (F)

34 Gavin Brindley (F)

66 William Whitelaw (F)

98 Andrew Strathmann (D)

114 Luca Pinelli (F)

156 Melvin Strahl (G)

194 Oiva Keskinen (F)

224 Tyler Peddle (F)

The Blue Jackets' dreams came true when Adam Fantilli was still waiting for them at third overall, as the rookie Hobey Baker winner would have been selected ﬁrst overall in any other draft. Followed up by his Michigan teammate Gavin Brindley who we at McKeens had ranked #26. William Whitelaw ranked at #39 by McKeen’s, and Andrew Strathmann, ranked #39 by me, are amazing values. I really like Luca Pinelli at #114 and thought it was a great move to trade for the last pick in the draft and select Tyler Peddle, who was in attendance and should have been selected much higher. This will be the draft that could really put the Blue Jackets over the top to be a future contender in the Metro.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers (A)

7 Matvei Michkov (F)

22 Oliver Bonk (D)

51 Carson Bjarnason (G)

87 Yegor Zavragin (G)

95 Denver Barkey (F)

103 Cole Knuble (F)

120 Alex Ciernik (F)

135 Carter Sotheran (D)

172 Ryan MacPherson (F)

199 Matteo Mann (D)

The Flyers got a player with arguably the highest upside in the class in 7th overall in Matvei Michkov alone, which is enough to rank them this high. Aside from whether there is any truth to rumours that he somehow orchestrated his way to Philadelphia, he was genuinely excited to be drafted by the organization. The possibility that he will be coming to play in North America perhaps sooner rather than later could completely alter the landscape of the rebuild for GM Daniel Briere. They followed up by selecting Oliver Bonk, who our Ontario scouts adore at McKeens, including myself. Bonk will continue to develop in London. The Carson Bjarnson pick could age very well as a good young goaltender with a long road of development ahead. Denver Barkey and Alex Cienik are great value picks at 95th and 120th.

#4 Seattle Kraken (A-)

20 Eduard Sale (F)

50 Carson Rehkopf (F)

52 Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (F)

57 Lukas Dragicevic (D)

84 Caden Price (D)

116 Andrei Loshko (F)

148 Kaden Hammell (D)

168 Visa Vedenpää (G)

180 Zeb Forsfjäll (F)

212 Zaccharya Wisdom (F)

Seattle has been consistently one of the better drafting teams since they entered the league, and they continued that streak in Nashville. Eduard Sale is very much a gamble with questions about his compete lvel and lack of production against pros. However, he possesses elite ﬁnishing ability and was dominant against players his own age. He has a very high ceiling that I believe can be developed properly in the OHL, followed by the development team in Seattle. At the end of the day, with such a great prospect pool, you can take a swing for upside at #20 overall and can add a true top-line ﬁnisher for Shane Wright or Matty Beniers. The Kraken continues to favour the CHL and loaded up with more players in Carson Rehkopf, Lukas Dragicevic and Caden Price in the late second round. They had all been viewed as late ﬁrst/early second round talents. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard has the potential to bring some real energy to the bottom six and PK and become a really good role player for the team. I had him ranked at #30th betting on his high motor and relentless pressure with some ﬁnishing ability.

#5 Carolina Hurricanes (A-)

30 Bradly Nadeau (F)

62 Felix Unger Sörum (F)

94 Jayden Perron (F)

100 Alexander Rykov (F)

126 Stanislav Yarovoy (F)

139 Charles-Alexis Legault (D)

158 Ruslan Khazheyev (G)

163 Timur Mukhanov (F)

190 Michael Emerson (F)

222 Yegor Velmakin (G)

Bradley Nadeau was the highest player selected from the BCHL after having a monster year. He was ranked #27 by McKeens, which makes for a good pick late in the ﬁrst. Where Carolina impressed us was how well they drafted in the later rounds picking up some of the biggest steals of the draft in Jayden Perron who we ranked 34th and Timur Mukhanov ranked 98th. As they typically do, Carolina drafted great to add to the loaded prospect pool.

#6 Buffalo Sabres (A-)

13 Zach Benson (F)

39 Anton Wahlberg (F)

45 Maxim Strbak (D)

86 Gavin McCarthy (D)

109 Ethan Miedema (F)

141 Scott Ratzlaff (G)

173 Sean Keohane (D)

205 Norwin Panocha (D)

Draft after draft Buffalo ﬁnds themselves selecting some great players but I think Zach Benson could be the final elite piece they need to take them back to the playoffs and end the long drought. Benson is the smartest player in the draft after Connor Bedard. They followed up with good picks in Anton Wahlberg and Maxim Strbak. I really like the value of Ethan Miedema and Scott Ratzlaff in rounds 4 and 5.

#7 St. Louis Blues (B+)

10 Dalibor Dvorský (F)

25 Otto Stenberg (F)

29 Theo Lindstein (D)

74 Quinton Burns (D)

76 Juraj Pekarcik (F)

106 Jakub Stancl (F)

138 Paul Fischer (D)

170 Matthew Mayich (D)

202 Nikita Susuyev (F)

Dalibor Dvorský and Otto Stenberg could be an amazing one-two punch down the middle in the near future as the Blues shift towards the future and away from the team that won them the 2019 Stanley Cup. I think Dvorsky and Stenberg both have been underrated as they tend to be looked at as “safe picks” - a term that I sometimes hate because it shouldn’t discount the true skill these players have. Because they are viewed as having lower ceilings than some other top names in the class they fell at the draft, and St. Louis took full advantage and selected the best player available. The rest of the Blues draft was very average, not making any poor selections but also not taking any swings on some big names with upside.

#8 Washington Capitals (B+)

8 Ryan Leonard (F)

40 Andrew Cristall (F)

104 Patrick Thomas (F)

136 Cameron Allen (D)

200 Brett Hyland (F)

206 Antoine Keller (G)

The Capitals may not have had the luck they had hoped for in having Michkov fall to them, but they were very quick to the podium to select the NTDP gritty winger in Ryan Leonard. He brings a hard game and that’s no slight on the raw skill this kid has. After this year’s playoffs, NHL teams are looking to mold their roster after the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights and Leonard ﬁts that profile. Many, including myself, expected Andrew Cristall to fall on draft day but to 40th overall was quite surprising and Washington took full advantage, taking some risk on a junior perimeter player. Going into the draft year we expected Cameron Allen to be the ﬁrst OHL player off the board, but after a brutal season his stock plummeted. It’s hard to believe this talented young player entirely forgot how to play hockey and I think the Caps were willing to take this bet at 136.

#9 Colorado Avalanche (B)

27 Calum Ritchie (F)

31 Mikhail Gulyayev (D)

155 Nikita Ishimnikov (D)

187 Jeremy Hanzel (D)

219 Maros Jedlicka (F)

The Avalanche wouldn’t have expected to select Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev with these very late ﬁrst rounders who we ranked 19th and 24th. This is great value at these picks. I ﬁnd it very interesting that they went with a very smart player who has a low ceiling and a high ﬂoor in Ritchie but then took a bit of a gamble on Gulyayev who is the polar opposite with a high ceiling and low ﬂoor. Not having many picks, and not many high ones, they can consider it a win if Colorado can get a couple NHLers from such minimal selections.

#10 Los Angeles Kings (B)

54 Jakub Dvorak (D)

78 Koehn Ziemmer (F)

118 Hampton Slukynsky (G)

150 Matthew Mania (D)

182 Ryan Conmy (F)

Jakub Dvorak has been such an underrated player all season long because he hasn’t been playing due to injury and is not flashy and doesn’t have much of a highlight reel but he might be the best defensive defenseman to come from this draft class. Big frame players like Dvorak are rare and hard to ﬁnd and are typically viewed as underrated even in the NHL because they are never noticeable with the puck. Dvorak shut down all the top players in the U.S. NTDP top line, Dvorsky, Michkov and even Connor Bedard at international competitions. He makes life so hard for attackers and will be a nightmare for goal scorers in the NHL and people will wonder how he was selected so late. The Kings followed this up with good picks in Koehn Ziemmer and Matthew Mania.

#11 Florida Panthers (B)

63 Gracyn Sawchyn (F)

127 Albert Wikman (D)

159 Olof Glifford (G)

191 Luke Coughlin (D)

198 Stepan Zvyagin (F)

Florida was another team that capitalized on an underrated player who slid on draft day in Gracyn Sawchyn. He played on a star-studded Seattle Thunderbirds team and didn’t get the opportunity to play top minutes but that didn’t stop him from putting up over a point per game. He will continue to grow under a great development program as he gains more ice time and expect him to put up monster numbers in the WHL for the next two seasons.

#12 Dallas Stars (C+)

61 Tristan Bertucci (D)

79 Brad Gardiner (F)

125 Aram Minnetian (D)

157 Arno Tiefensee (G)

189 Angus MacDonell (F)

221 Sebastian Bradshaw (F)

Dallas had very minimal draft capital and made the absolute most of it to no one's surprise as they usually do. Amazing value in Tristan Bertucci and Aram Minnetian.

#13 Vegas Golden Knights (B-)

32 David Edstrom (F)

77 Mathieu Cataford (F)

96 Arttu Kärki (D)

192 Tuomas Uronen (F)

Vegas selecting David Edstrom almost felt destined to happen as the last pick of the first round as we expected him to be selected in the ﬁrst round. Great pick for the Stanley Cup winners. Arttu Karki was also my favorite Finnish defense this year and I think 96 is excellent value for a player of his skill.

#14 San Jose Sharks (B-)

4 Will Smith (F)

26 Quentin Musty (F)

36 Kasper Halttunen (F)

71 Brandon Svoboda (F)

123 Luca Cagnoni (D)

130 Axel Landén (D)

132 Eric Pohlkamp (D)

196 David Klee (F)

203 Yegor Rimashevsky (F)

The Sharks drafted the highly skilled forward Will Smith very high, and I know he has gained some real hype over the past few months to get into the top 5 but personally having him just outside the top 10 makes it very hard to justify so much talent and other options at pick 4. This is a take that really could come back to bite me but I just don't love what Smith and Musty bring to the table outside of the high offensive skill that they clearly both have. In terms of value picks I think Halttunen is the Sharks best pick. If he played in London last season, he would have been called on day one of the draft and still has the opportunity to come over next season and be one of the best players in the league right away. The Sharks drafted very well but 13 other teams just did better.

#15 Calgary Flames (B-)

16 Samuel Honzek (F)

48 Étienne Morin (D)

80 Aydar Suniev (F)

112 Jaden Lipinski (F)

176 Yegor Yegorov (G)

208 Axel Hurtig (D)

The Flames had a solid draft and got a player we can expect the be a safe NHLer in Samuel Honzek that was expected in this range. I think Etienne Mornin could be the steal for them. This is a player that is extremely intelligent, and I personally have a lot of faith will continue to have success in his own development each season and could be viewed as a late ﬁrst rounder in the near future. Aydar Suniev at 80th overall is also great value.

#16 Montréal Canadiens (B-)

5 David Reinbacher (D)

69 Jacob Fowler (G)

101 Florian Xhekaj (F)

110 Bogdan Konyushkov (D)

128 Quentin Miller (G)

133 Sam Harris (F)

144 Yevgeni Volokhin (G)

165 Filip Eriksson (F)

197 Luke Mittelstadt (D)

Montréal might be the most talked about team post draft for all the wrong reasons so being dead in the middle at 16 may come as a surprise to most. The dislike for me comes from picks 101-197 where they took seven guys they could have gotten in rounds 6 or 7, and unfortunately some of those picks were in rounds 4 and 5. Jacob Fowler is a good goalie that could be huge for them, with the organization having such little depth in that department. Now Reinbacher who is the talk of Twitter and unfortunately for terrible reasons. The only argument I can understand against him is that Michkov should have been the pick, but there were many question marks surrounding the Russian and his intentions, leaving the Habs in a situation with lots of uncertainty at pick #5. So, they understandably took a player with a lot of certainty in elite defenseman David Reinbacher. He has been the only player under 18 shutting down grown professional athletes and ex-NHLers for two years. If that's not impressive enough he didn't just defend, he also produced higher than anyone in their DY-2 and DY-1 ever.

David has a good head on his shoulders and will develop all the necessary skills to round out his game to become a high-end defenseman who will eat lots of minutes and make a huge impact. He may not put up great offensive numbers or make highlight reel plays. That's ok, he plays defense for a reason. Leave that for the loads of talented players you already have and let Reinbacher make the other team's life a living hell and win hockey games, because that's what it's all about.

#17 Arizona Coyotes (B-)

6 Dmitri Simashev (D)

12 Daniil But (F)

38 Michael Hrabal (G)

70 Jonathan Castagna (F)

72 Noel Nordh (F)

81 Tanner Ludtke (F)

88 Vadim Moroz (F)

102 Terrell Goldsmith (D)

134 Melker Thelin (G)

160 Justin Kipkie (D)

162 Samu Bau (F)

166 Carsen Musser (G)

Arizona may have not drafted our best player available in their slots, but they took an interesting strategy to this year's draft that might have been the best option based on the current state of the team. Dmitri Simashev was our number one ranked defenseman in the class while Danill But has displayed shades of Evgeni Malkin at times. Both played on the same team this past season. This put Arizona in a safer situation to swing on upside and internally develop them together and could very well be a big payoff. Hrabal is the pick that gives some extra value as my personal favorite goaltender in the class. Drafting all players over 6'0" is another interesting strategy that is hard to disagree with. Middle of the pack supports my mixed feelings on the drafting of the Coyotes.

#18 Winnipeg Jets (C)

18 Colby Barlow (F)

82 Zachary Nehring (F)

146 Jacob Julien (F)

151 Thomas Milic (G)

210 Connor Levis (F)

Winnipeg is facing a lot of potential turnover on their roster this season. Colby Barlow makes an excellent pick for the Jets, bringing in a character Canadian guy, on and off the ice, as a key piece to build upon. You can expect Barlow to score lots of goals in the near future. The rest of the picks are very average, so they receive an average grade.

#19 New York Rangers (C)

23 Gabe Perreault (F)

90 Drew Fortescue (D)

152 Rasmus Larsson (D)

178 Dylan Roobroeck (F)

183 Ty Henricks (F)

Gabe Perreault was good value at 23rd as I thought his production this season would lead to him going much higher than he should have and I think this was a good range for him. A smart player who can be a great complement to some high-end skill just like he did with the NTDP. The rest of the picks were not very average.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (C)

9 Nate Danielson (F)

17 Axel Sandin Pellikka (D)

41 Trey Augustine (G)

42 Andrew Gibson (D)

47 Brady Cleveland (D)

73 Noah Dower Nilsson (F)

117 Larry Keenan (D)

137 Jack Phelan (D)

147 Kevin Bicker (F)

169 Rudy Guimond (G)

201 Emmitt Finnie (F)

Detroit's draft was very interesting to me because I find it hard to criticize Steve Yzerman’s picks which have been excellent in the past with some home runs to show for it. Nate Danielson and Axel-Sandin Pellika are great players who will be NHLers and good ones. They just didn't strike me as the types of players Detroit has recently drafted with some hard nose battlers that are going to be warriors. I think it might take a while for either to become impact playoff players relative to some of the skill still left on the board, such as Oliver Moore at pick #9 and still available at #17. They pass with a C as most other picks were good, but just that they were good and not great, where teams ahead of them made some great picks.

#21 Edmonton Oilers (C)

56 Beau Akey (D)

184 Nathaniel Day (G)

216 Matt Copponi (F)

Beau Akey is a good pick that has a good path in front of him to reﬁne his offensive talents and become a threat from the point for the Colts over the next couple of seasons and get a real chance to make the Oilers. Hard to judge a team with such little options at the draft.

Leo Carlsson of Sweden at a practice session during the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on May 25, 2023 in Riga.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

#22 Anaheim Ducks (C-)

2 Leo Carlsson (F)

33 Nico Myatovic (F)

59 Carey Terrance (F)

60 Damian Clara (G)

65 Coulson Pitre (F)

85 Yegor Sidorov (F)

97 Konnor Smith (D)

129 Rodwin Dionicio (D)

161 Vojtech Port (D)

I think passing on Fantilli will be something that will haunt Anaheim for a long time and really hurts their grade even though they are getting a great talent in Leo Carlsson. Unfortunately, I have a hard time seeing Carlsson being the 2nd best player that comes from this class and when they are a top team in the league soon this selection might be the difference between a contender and a champion. Other than that, Myatovic, Terrance and Pitre are solid picks.

#23 Vancouver Canucks (D+)

11 Tom Willander (D)

75 Hunter Brzustewicz (C-)

89 Sawyer Mynio (D)

105 Ty Mueller (F)

107 Vilmer Alriksson (F)

119 Matthew Perkins (F)

171 Aiden Celebrini (D)

Willander was ranked 23rd by us at McKeens and is a great defenseman who happens to be in a star studded offensive heavy draft. I think the Canuks were guilty of drafting for need rather than best player available and that affected the grade. Other than that, there isn’t too much to like in the class other than Hunter Brzustewicz at 75 was a great selection.

#24 Nashville Predators (C-)

15 Matthew Wood (F)

24 Tanner Molendyk (D)

43 Felix Nilsson (F)

46 Kalan Lind (F)

68 Jesse Kiiskinen (F)

83 Dylan MacKinnon (D)

111 Joseph Willis (F)

121 Juha Jatkola (G)

143 Sutter Muzzatti (F)

175 Austin Roest

218 Aiden Fink

Nashville was the host of this year’s draft and advised by new GM Barry Trotz in an interview to take some swings on high upside to add some high-end skill to the prospect pool. Well, they just didn’t do any of that and delivered a mediocre draft outside of top prospect Matthew Wood. What makes their draft so disappointing is that after 10 consecutive picks, the next best value pick was David Poiles last pick in Aiden Fink in the 7th round. Expectations were high and far from reached.

#25 Tampa Bay Lightning (D)

37 Ethan Gauthier (F)

115 Jayson Shaugabay (F)

179 Warren Clark (D)

193 Jack Harvey (F)

211 Ethan Hay (F)

Tampa will ﬁnd a way to develop these players, especially Ethan Gauthier, because that’s what they do best within their system. I just believe they could have done it with the better options available and left talent on the table with every pick.

#26 New Jersey Devils (D+)

58 Lenni Hämeenaho (F)

122 Cam Squires (F)

154 Chase Cheslock (D)

164 Cole Brown (F)

186 Daniil Karpovich (D)

New Jersey was very inactive and didn’t take many swings this year and they are in a situation where they didn’t need to. Lenni Hameenaho was ranked 84 for us at McKeens and was a bit of a reach.

#27 Ottawa Senators (D)

108 Hoyt Stanley (D)

140 Matthew Andonovski (D)

204 Owen Beckner (F)

207 Vladimir Nikitin (G)

215 Nicholas VanTassell (F)

Ottawa did not have many picks and none very high. Hoyt Stanley is the only pick which has had some hype going into the draft and been noticeable this season. I wouldn’t expect anyone from the class to make the roster.

#28 Pittsburgh Penguins (D-)

14 Brayden Yager (F)

91 Emil Pieniniemi (D)

142 Mikhail Ye. Ilyin (F)

174 Cooper Foster (F)

217 Emil Järventie (F)

223 Kalle Kangas (D)

Another situation where good players were selected but when I look at this class, and Emil Jarventie is the best value pick in the 7th round, that is an issue for me. Yes, Brayden Yager is an excellent player with a deadly shot and a good head on his shoulders. It’s hard to give high grades when top 5-10 talents were still available where he was picked. This strikes me as more of a situation where the Penguins scouting staff were left to make the pick, more so than Dubas, and they went with the guy they targetted going into the draft rather than the best player available.

#29 Toronto Maple Leafs (D-)

28 Easton Cowan (F)

153 Hudson Malinoski (F)

185 Noah Chadwick (D)

The Easton Cowan pick is very difficult to grade because it really could go both ways. I understand the pick because you’re getting, debatably, the hardest working player in the class whose development is skyrocketing at a high pace under the teachings of the Hunters in London. You can expect this growth to continue over the next couple seasons. It woudl appear the Leafs aren’t selecting the 28th best player currently and are banking on Cowan being a ﬁrst round talent in 3-5 years, an approach I agree with. The issue I have with this pick is I really think you could have selected him later, and possibly much later. The 2nd round Is still a reach but at least you’re not leaving talent on the table in this deep draft and getting the maximum value out of each pick. I just think this was some poor asset management and the Leafs just focused on getting their guy. Time will be the true indicator.

#30 New York Islanders (D)

49 Danny Nelson (F)

113 Jesse Nurmi (F)

145 Justin Gill (F)

177 Zach Schulz (D)

209 Dennis Good Bogg (D)

Islanders drafted some good leadership in a pair of Captains in Danny Nelson and Zach Shulz. When that is the best thing to be said about the selections that is an issue.

#31 Boston Bruins (F+)

92 Christopher Pelosi (F)

124 Beckett Hendrickson (F)

188 Ryan Walsh (F)

214 Casper Nässén (F)

220 Kristian Kostadinski (D)

Beckett Hendrickson is the only reason they aren’t ranked 32nd.

#32 Minnesota Wild (F)

21 Charlie Stramel (F)

53 Rasmus Kumpulainen (F)

64 Riley Heidt (F)

149 Aaron Pionk (D)

181 Kalem Parker (D)

213 Jimmy Clark (F)

The Wild are the only team that gets an F grade. It’s not because I don't like the players in Charlie Stramel and Rasmus Kumpulainen because they are prospects I had on my personal board, but it’s very hard to justify these picks with the options still available on the board at the time of the picks. These are just too far off the board to not trade back and still get the player you want. We at McKeens ranked both these players as 3rd round talents.

2023 NHL DRAFT: Round by round review – Brock Otten’s favourite picks and questionable selections.

Brock Otten — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:19:13 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 28: An NHL microphone setup for press conferences during the Upper Deck NHL Draft, June 28, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

The 2023 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone. I was fortunate enough to be in Nashville for the event, representing McKeen’s. Covering the draft is always such a whirlwind, as you try to balance conversations and social media analysis, while paying attention to each and every selection. Every year, when I reflect back on the draft, especially day two, it seems like I come across a few players that make me say, “wait…they got drafted!”

The draft itself also represents the conclusion of a season’s worth of hard work. It’s not just the draft guide. It’s all the coverage leading up to that; live viewings, video work, reports, notes, etc. This year, 99 out of McKeen’s Hockey’s Top 100 were drafted. While the accuracy of an independent scouting organization’s coverage is not truly assessed until five or ten years down the line (in comparison to actual NHL draft position), the immediate feedback given by that sort of parallel (with the opinion of NHL scouts) is encouraging and fulfilling.

So, let’s talk about my review of the draft. Chase Rochon, who was with me in Nashville, has written a comprehensive article that ranks and grades the performance of each team through his lens. I’m going to be doing something a little different. For each round, I’m going to highlight my two favourite picks and the pick that I have the most questions about. I’m also going to highlight five of my favourite players who went unselected this year.

Round One

Favourite Selection - Oliver Moore, 19th to Chicago

The opinions on Moore’s offensive upside vary. But at 19th, even if he only ends up as an Andrew Cogliano type role player, the value is great. But, if he does end up as a Dylan Larkin type, it suddenly becomes one of the best, if not the best pick in the first round. The best skater in the draft and one of the better defensive forwards in the draft, Moore was a personal favourite of ours at McKeen’s.

Favourite Selection - Ryan Leonard, 8th to Washington

Simply put, I would have taken Leonard earlier than this and preferred him to a few of the players who went ahead of him. Every year we look around the NHL playoffs and see teams finding success because of players like Leonard. This is someone who can have a similar impact in the league to the Tkachuk brothers. Leonard can really do it all on the ice; his game is so mature and consistent. This is the perfect selection for a team who wants to keep their competitive window open. Leonard may only need one year in the NCAA with Boston College.

Questionable Selection - Charlie Stramel, 21st to Minnesota

I know that his season in Wisconsin didn’t go according to plan, but why were NHL scouts so willing to give him a pass for poor play when they weren’t willing to do the same for the likes of Cam Allen or Caden Price. Because he’s a big, athletic pivot? So is a guy like David Edstrom and he went later in the first, despite showing a much steeper development curve than Stramel. If I was the Wild, I would be doing everything in my power to get him out of Wisconsin next year and into the WHL, where his power game would be highly appreciated.

Round Two

Favourite Selection - Lukas Dragicevic, 57th to Seattle

I’m far from a Dragicevic hype man. I think his game is flawed and I didn’t think he deserved to be a first-round pick (unlike others on the McKeen’s team). However, in the late second round? The upside is well worth the risk outside of the top 50. Seattle is a team that has drafted extremely well, and they could afford to bank on Dragicevic’s insanely high offensive potential. They drafted Ty Nelson last year and his defensive game made great strides this year. Dragicevic can do the same.

Favourite Selection - Danny Nelson, 49th to New York Islanders

Nelson was one of the most improved players in the second half of the draft year after switching to pivot full time and emerging at the U.S. shutdown center on the U18 team. He’s got size. He’s athletic. His on puck play and scoring ability improved greatly over the year. Is he someone that is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential? Did playing behind two unreal centers in Smith and Moore hide his abilities?

Questionable Selection - Brady Cleveland, 47th to Detroit

Quite frankly, I just feel that there were better defenders on the board still at this pick. I don’t see the upside with Cleveland. I think he can be an NHL defender in some capacity. He is a physical rock in the defensive end. But I don’t see the mobility or skill that would lead to him playing a significant role for Detroit in the future. This is especially true since I believe Detroit drafted a better shut down type in Andrew Gibson only a few picks earlier.

Jacob Fowler

Round Three

Favourite Selection - Nick Lardis, 67th to Chicago

We ranked Lardis 32nd fully knowing that he would end up falling a bit in the draft. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. Lardis was one of the OHL’s best players in the second half and in the first round of the playoffs. His speed is electric, and his shot will play. Other parts of his game will need to improve, but the upside is quite high. He could be a great linemate to Connor Bedard in the future.

Favourite Selection - Jacob Fowler, 69th to Montreal

I’ve said many times on social media and in work for McKeen’s, that Fowler is my favourite netminder in the class. He’s like DJ Khaled, all he does is win. He was terrific in the USHL this year. He was terrific at the WJAC’s. He is so composed and focused in the crease. Sure, there is a need for him to improve his quickness and agility, but that can happen in the NCAA with Boston College, where he could start for a great team and be a Mike Richter contender as a freshman.

Questionable Selection - Emil Pieniniemi, 91st to Pittsburgh

Simply put, we didn’t see the upside with Pieniniemi. We ranked him 191st for a reason. The profile grades out about average across the board and that screams projection concerns. What is he at the next level? I may have been able to put all of Pittsburgh’s selections in my questionable selection spot, if I’m being honest.

Round Four

Favourite Selection - Larry Keenan, 117th to Detroit

In reality, the third or fourth round was probably the right spot for Keenan to go. He’s a major long-term project. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t love the pick. A similar player in Sam Rinzel went in the first-round last year. Keenan combines size, mobility, and skill together to give him outstanding upside if everything hits. I also love that he is heading to Penticton and then UMass, two outstanding programs. His development will be in good hands.

Favourite Selection - Luca Pinelli, 114th to Columbus

I wasn’t as high on Pinelli as some of my contemporaries who cover the OHL, but even I can admit that this was terrific value for Pinelli. If his quickness improves, he could be a really good middle six player at the NHL level; someone who can bring serious versatility to a coach in the future. His motor never quits and his vision/sense in the offensive end is high end.

Questionable Selection - Konnor Smith, 97th to Anaheim

The allure of Smith is that he’s a mammoth defender who plays an ultra-aggressive defensive game. He’s a real throwback to yesteryears. But the mobility, puck skill, and puck management will all need to improve drastically in order for him to be an NHL player. Other similar defenders have been taken out of the CHL in recent years and many have not even been signed. Inside the top 100, I would have had many other preferences…especially if the target was a potential shut down type.

Round Five

Favourite Selection - Cam Allen, 136th to Washington

Allen did not have a great year, there’s no denying that. But he was arguably the top defender available heading into this season. He still has upside, even if his decision making leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully an offseason reset, in combination with consultation from NHL coaches at development, helps to get him back on the right track. In the fifth round, you won’t find better value.

Favourite Selection - Eric Pohlkamp, 132nd to San Jose

The USHL defenseman of the year award is a pretty prestigious one to win. Guys like Owen Power, Neal Pionk, Brandon Montour, and Jeff Petry have won it in recent years. Pohlkamp is a very interesting player. His game does need a fair amount of refinement; it can be very erratic. However, he also has some very good tools, including mobility, a mammoth point shot, and a physically aggressive approach. He’ll be able to take on an immediate top four role in Bemidji State next year and we should get an idea pretty quickly as to how well his game translates to the NCAA level.

Questionable Selection - Melvin Strahl, 156th to Columbus

Strahl is a goaltender who wasn’t on our radar this year. In fact, I don’t think he was really on the radar of any independent scouting organization. For good reason it would appear too, as he struggled in the J20 this season, even getting demoted to the J18 level. I would have definitely preferred a handful of other netminders at this spot, if goaltending was the target.

Jeremy Hanzel. Photo by Brian Liesse.

Round Six

Favourite Selection - Jeremy Hanzel, 187th to Colorado

Our Western scouts at McKeen’s loved Hanzel as one of the top re-entry guys available this year. He was outstanding for Seattle through the season and into the playoffs/Memorial Cup. On a Thunderbirds team that was stacked with NHL talent, Hanzel was often the team’s best defender. I would be shocked if he returns to the WHL for his overage season. He could have an immediate pro impact similar to Ryker Evans.

Favourite Selection - Filip Eriksson, 165th to Montreal

Kind of a random one here as there were a bunch of great value picks in the sixth round. We actually didn’t even have Eriksson ranked, but I would have had him ranked on my own list. He didn’t play a ton this year due to injury, but he was good at the J20 level and even looked comfortable in the SHL in a cup of coffee. The athletic tools need to improve, but the IQ will play. Can the speed and strength improve as he plays more? These are the types of players you take in the later rounds.

Questionable Selection - Yegor Yegorov, 176th to Calgary

Another questionable goaltending selection if you ask me. The stats weren’t terrific by MHL standards (to give you an idea, a .915 save percentage placed him 42nd among MHL goalies this year). He also was part of a three headed goalie platoon this year, posting the weakest stats of the three. Stats aren’t everything of course, but I love our Russian scouts and Yegorov really wasn’t someone who was brought to our attention by them. Again, give me Stephen Peck, Alexander Hellnemo, or Noah Erliden here over Yegorov.

Round Seven

Favourite Selection - Aiden Fink, 218th to Nashville

Fink piled up the accolades this year in the AJHL. He was the league’s MVP. He won the Centennial Cup. He was one of the best players at the WJAC’s. He’s small and he’s not a dynamic skater. That recipe was sure to make him fall. But in the seventh? That’s outstanding value for Fink, who has terrific offensive potential. Penn State will be a great spot for him too.

Favourite Selection - Tyler Peddle, 224th to Columbus

Mr. Irrelevant! Peddle took quite the mighty tumble thanks to a pretty indifferent season in the QMJHL this year on a middling Drummondville team. But he still has great power forward potential, particularly as a goal scorer. The athletic profile is interesting and at the back of the seventh round that could end up being a great pick for the Blue Jackets. The next Josh Anderson?

Questionable Selection - Sebastian Bradshaw, 221st to Dallas

Hard to truly argue against a seventh-round selection. They’re all longer shots. But Bradshaw is an interesting one. He’s a big kid, but he only played in the AYHL this year with Elite Hockey Academy, a school in Connecticut. He wasn’t the leading scorer on his team, and he didn’t exactly light up Ontario U16 and U18 before making the move south of the border. A London Knights U18 draft pick, Bradshaw seems headed to play for Brooks of the AJHL next year. A solid destination, no doubt, but I would have wanted to see him play at a higher level first. Especially given some of the players still on the board

Best of the Unselected

1. Francesco Dell’Elce - Defense, St. Andrew’s College, CISAA

This one shocked me. I knew that some scouts were concerned about his slight frame and defensive IQ, but I didn’t think that he’d go completely undrafted. His offensive potential from the blueline is through the roof and I think that alone was worth a late selection. He’ll have a great chance of being selected in the coming years. He’s going to play with BCHL powerhouse Penticton next year and then head to UMass after that. Strong play at either of those spots could put him on the re-entry radar over the next few drafts.

2. Stephen Peck - Goaltender, Avon Old Farms, USHS Prep

Another one that shocked me considering that both Slukynsky and Guimond were selected. Peck helped Avon Old Farms capture the New England Prep Championship this year and he was one of my favourite goaltenders eligible this year. Tracks the play really well and is incredibly composed in his crease. He’s got a scholarship to Michigan in his back pocket, but likely suits up in the USHL or NAHL next year.

3. Joe Connor - Center, Avon Old Farms, USHS Prep

Speaking of Prep champion Avon Old Farms, insert their leading scorer Joe Connor, who had a really good year for a Prep level player. He was good for the U.S. at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer. He played great in the prep circuit and was also solid in a cup of coffee in the USHL. Do I wish he were a more dynamic skater given his lack of size? Absolutely. But he competes hard in all areas of the ice, and I really like his odds of becoming a quality NCAA player for Northeastern in the future.

4. Hannes Hellberg - Wing, Leksands IF J20, J20 Nationell

In my opinion, Hellberg was one of the top re-entry guys available this year after he was named the J20’s top forward this year and led the J20 circuit in playoff scoring. Hellberg also only missed being first time draft eligible this year by a few weeks, with an early September birth date. He’s a big winger with a great goal scoring touch. I know that Hellberg already signed with HockeyAllsvenskan for next year, but I would have loved to see him come to the CHL to find success like Lucas Edmonds.

5. Ondrej Molnar - Wing, Erie Otters, OHL

Look, I understand why Molnar wasn’t selected. An undersized winger who had trouble getting inside the dots at the OHL level this year while playing for a bad team. Additionally, that floorball incident in Slovakia hangs over his head, forcing the move to the OHL and preventing him from competing internationally. Yet, this is also a player who came into the season as a first-round candidate because of his skill and ability to impact the game in transition. The offensive potential is still sky high.

Charlie Stramel – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT: Top 200 NHL Affiliated Prospects – Biggest Risers and Fallers

Adam Jiricek (STL)

Harrison Brunicke (PIT)

Nick Lardis (CHI)

Alexander Zharovsky (MTL)

Matvei Gridin (CGY)

Roman Kantserov (CHI)

Will Horcoff (PIT)

Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI)

Sergei Murashov (PIT)

Stephen Halliday (OTT)

Charlie Stramel (MIN)

Max Plante (DET)

Dean Letourneau (BOS)

Benjamin Rautiainen (TB)

Eddie Genborg (DET)

Mikhail Gulyayev (COL)

Sam Colangelo (ANA)

Brennan Othmann (CGY)

Carson Rehkopf (SEA)

Joshua Roy (MTL)

MCKEEN'S HOCKEY TOP 200 NHL-AFFILIATED PROSPECTS

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #24 Minnesota Wild – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 24th (Last Year - 14th) GM: Bill Guerin Hired: August 2019 COACH: John Hynes Hired: November 2023

1. Charlie Stramel, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

2. Riley Heidt, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

3. David Spacek, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

4. Ryder Ritchie, RW, Boston University (NCAA)

5. Adam Benak, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

6. Aron Kiviharju, D, HIFK (Liiga)

7. Hunter Haight, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

8. Carson Lambos, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

9. Justin Kipkie, D, Arizona State University (NCAA)

10. Theo Hallquisth, D, Örebro HK (SHL)

11. Caedan Bankier, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

12. Jack Peart, D, Iowa Wild (AHL)

13. Rasmus Kumpulainen, C, Iowa Wild (AHL)

14. Rieger Lorenz, LW, University of Denver (NCAA)

15. Carter Klippenstein, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Minnesota Wild Top-15 Prospects

1 - Zeev Buium

2 - Danila Yurov

3 - Liam Öhgren

4 - Riley Heidt

5 - Jesper Wallstedt

6 - Ryder Ritchie

7 - Hunter Haight

8 - Charlie Stramel

9 - David Spacek

10 - Adam Benak

11 - Aron Kiviharju

12 - Carson Lambos

13 - Rasmus Kumpulainen

14 - Justin Kipkie

15 - Aaron Pionk

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #7 Minnesota Wild – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #8

Minnesota Wild Top-15 Prospects

1. Jesper Wallstedt

2. Zeev Buium

3. Danila Yurov

4. Riley Heidt

5. Liam Öhgren

6. Marat Khusnutdinov

7. Ryder Ritchie

8. Carson Lambos

9. Daemon Hunt

10. Charlie Stramel

11. Aron Kiviharju

12. Ryan O'Rourke

13. Hunter Haight

14. Caeden Bankier

15. Rasmus Kumpulainen

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #5 Minnesota Wild – Organizational Overview – Top 15 Prospects

1. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Iowa Wild (AHL)

2. Danila Yurov, RW, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

3. Riley Heidt, C, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

4. Liam Ohgren, LW, Farjestad BK (SHL)

Prospect System Ranking – 24th (Last Year - 14th)
GM: Bill Guerin Hired: August 2019
COACH: John Hynes Hired: November 2023