Tristan Luneau – McKeen's Hockey

AHL: WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025-26

Michael Moroz — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:35:37 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Calgary Flames Defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz (48) watches play during a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Calgary Flames on April 17th, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

Hunter Brzustewicz - Calgary Wranglers

One player to keep an eye on this season is Hunter Brzustewicz, a talented offensive defenceman who is entering his second full season with the Calgary Wranglers. Brzustewicz is a former third round pick of the Vancouver Canucks who ended up in Calgary as part of the Elias Lindholm trade, and he was viewed as a piece that could be a future power play quarterback at the NHL level. Brzustewicz did not disappoint offensively in his first pro season, where he put up five goals and 27 assists for 32 points in 70 games, with many coming on the power play. Brzustewicz’ game has even made great steps in the defensive zone, where the knock on his game in junior was his ability to defend in his own zone, so there’s a real chance that we see Brzustewicz get more games with the Flames this season. He’s still a couple of seasons away from full time NHL deployment, but he’s an exciting prospect to watch in the Flames’ organization.

Luca Cagnoni - San Jose Barracuda

There’s simply no other way of putting it - Luca Cagnoni might be the most skilled player in the American Hockey League. When the puck is on his stick, he’s always a threat to create offensive chances for himself and his teammates. He can find teammates with no-look passes, can spring players on breakaway passes from his own zone, and his shiftiness as a skater allows him to stun opposing players in the offensive zone. The knock on Cagnoni’s game has always been his size, as he is quite easy to knock off the puck, especially at the pro level, but Cagnoni’s game in the offensive zone is so dynamic that it’s hard to envision a scenario where he doesn’t become a full time NHL player. Cagnoni’s game is very similar to Lane Hutson, and while it might take him a bit longer than Hutson to become a full-time NHL player, there’s a very good chance that Cagnoni becomes a power play dynamo for the San Jose Sharks in a couple of seasons.

Matvei Gridin - Calgary Wranglers

Matvei Gridin is a talented offensive forward who can score from almost anywhere, and he’s showcased that skill at both the USHL and CHL levels over the past couple of seasons. Gridin started this season with the Calgary Flames and looked quite good in some of his games for a nineteen-year-old who is only entering his fourth full season in North America, and first at the pro level. Now that he has been sent down, look for Gridin to boom offensively while he figures out his defensive game at the pro level. He will have ample time to play the flank on the power play with the Wranglers where he will get great opportunities to score, and working with Brett Sutter in Calgary will better prepare him for the demands of the pro defensive game. It might take Gridin a bit of time to adapt to the AHL after starting in the NHL, but don’t be surprised if we see him back with the Flames at some point this season.

Riley Heidt - Iowa Wild

It’s hard to find a player that scored more at the CHL level than Riley Heidt over the past three years. Heidt torched the scoresheet with the Prince George Cougars in the WHL, where he put up a whopping 304 points in 194 regular season games over his last three seasons with the Cougars. Now that he has graduated into the pro ranks with the Iowa Wild, look for Heidt to continue his scoring success while he acclimates the rest of his game to the pro level. It’s always a tough task for a player to learn how to play positionally and compete against men, especially coming out of junior, but Heidt has the skills and awareness to make quick work of the AHL game. Heidt is an unkind presence in the offensive zone who is unwilling to shy away from tough battles, and he competes very well for a player with a smaller size. Combine Heidt’s no-quit attitude with his elite offensive skill, and you have a player that should be a regular contributor in the NHL very soon. It’s definitely possible to see Heidt get games with the Minnesota Wild this season.

Kirill Kudryavtsev - Abbotsford Canucks

Kirill Kudryavtsev might be the most intriguing prospect in the entire Canucks’ system. He was selected as a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft from the Soo Greyhounds, where he went from being an offensive defenceman to an all-situations defenceman who could be used in the final moments of a close game. Kudryavtsev then took his talents to the pro level with the Calder Cup-winning Abbotsford Canucks, where he contributed offensively while being a strong presence defensively, ending up at +18 in 21 playoff games while logging important minutes on the blueline. This season, we should expect Kudryavtsev’s offensive game to continue to grow, where he should get more looks on the power play as a sophomore pro. He may never become a top-unit power play quarterback at the NHL level, but he is tracking well as a future top four defender who can be counted upon at both ends of the ice.

Atro Leppänen - Bakersfield Condors

Atro Leppänen was a bit of an unknown commodity in the Finnish professional ranks until the 2023-2024 season. Playing most of his professional career in the Finnish Mestis, Leppänen did not make the full time jump to the Finnish Liiga until he was 24 but immediately excelled as an offensive puck distributor and power play quarterback with Sport. Now entering his first full season in North America, Leppänen had many good moments for the Edmonton Oilers in the preseason and was one of their later cuts on defence. There’s no doubt that Leppänen’s offensive ability is already at the NHL level. He’s a smart playmaker with a strong first pass, and he can make difficult plays in tight against opposing players. Leppänen’s defensive game still needs a bit of work, however, especially with regard to adding urgency to his game. He still has to learn that he has less time to make plays on the North American sheet, but once he does, look out. There’s a real chance Leppänen becomes a full time NHL player.

Tristan Luneau - San Diego Gulls

Tristan Luneau has been a dominant offensive defenceman at the CHL and AHL levels over the past couple of seasons. Originally a second-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2022, Luneau excelled as an minute-munching all-situations defenceman for the Gatineau Olympiques, and was named the QMJHL’s best defenceman in 2022-2023. Now in his second full season with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, Luneau is on the cusp of making it as a full-time NHL player. He particularly excels with the puck on his stick, as he has silky hands that allow him to distribute the puck to open teammates with ease. He’s also very shifty and deceptive when he walks the blueline, which allows him to draw defenders in, making space for his teammates. Luneau has even added a bit of weight and strength to his game, which has allowed him to make a quick transition to defending against men in the pro ranks. Luneau ultimately projects as a top four defenceman who can contribute at both ends of the ice for the Anaheim Ducks.

Tanner Molendyk - Milwaukee Admirals

Tanner Molendyk is one of the best skating defencemen in the American Hockey League, and he hasn’t even played a full season yet in the pro ranks; he’s just that good with his feet. When he’s on his game, Molendyk is a one-man breakout machine who can skate the puck out of trouble to make time and space for his teammates. He’s also a very capable playmaker in the offensive zone, and has the ability to quarterback a power play in the pro ranks. One knock on his game is that he isn’t the biggest defenceman in the world, but Molendyk makes up for it with his skating. He can also make a big hit when needed, although that isn’t the biggest part of his game. Look for Molendyk to put up strong offensive numbers for the Milwaukee Admirals this season and potentially get a couple of games with the Nashville Predators.

Oliver Moore - Rockford IceHogs

Drafted in the first round back in 2023, Oliver Moore is entering his first full pro season with the Rockford IceHogs after a strong nine game stint with the Blackhawks last season. Moore played college hockey at the University of Minnesota and excelled as a dependable two-way player with blazing speed; perhaps the best in all of college hockey last season. Offensively, Moore’s toolkit is a combination of goal scoring and playmaking; his breakaway speed generates many chances to score, but he’s more of a playmaking type when he’s on the power play. Defensively, Moore’s speed and edgework always allows him to stay in good position, where he rarely gets burned in the defensive zone against opposing players. Moore ultimately projects as a top six forward who can play dependable minutes at both ends of the ice, and he should have a big season in store for Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs fans this season.

Josh Samanski - Bakersfield Condors

Josh Samanski may be a bit of an unknown commodity to Edmonton Oilers and Bakersfield Condors fans, but that won’t last very long. Signed out of the German DEL, Samanski is a big power forward that competes well in the hard areas of the ice. He’s got very good hands and skating for a man of his size, and he’s a capable playmaker who should be able to put up solid offensive numbers as a first year North American professional. Like many other first year North American pros, it may take Samanski a bit of time to adjust to the American Hockey League game, but he showed very well in training camp with the Edmonton Oilers and looks to be one of Edmonton’s better young prospects in their minor league system. Expect to see Samanski play middle-six minutes at both ends of the ice for the Condors this season, and there’s a chance he may even get a look with the big club come mid-January.

McKeen’s 2025-26 Hockey Pool Yearbook Feature – Fantasy Prospect Rankings

Peter Harling — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:47:09 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 12: Boston defenseman Cole Hutson (44) handles the puck during the championship game of the NCAA D1 Frozen Four between the Boston University Terriers and the Western Michigan Broncos on April 12, 2025, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)

When preparing for a fantasy draft or evaluating prospects for a trade in your fantasy league you need to understand the difference between rankings, and fantasy rankings. The difference can be subtle, or significant depending on your leagues scoring and format. Generally speaking, fantasy rankings are based on projected point production. I have found that the vast majority of readers who read and follow my work are in dynasty keeper leagues with peripheral stats, or bangers leagues. The following rankings are based on projected point production and include added value to players who can contribute other stats, such as hits, blocks, PIMs, and faceoff wins. In fantasy hockey, we have a limited number of prospect roster spots and as such I put higher value on prospects who have a quicker ETA to the NHL or have superstar upside. This will help you identify the top 30 forwards, 20 defencemen and ten goalies to target in your fantasy leagues. To be considered a prospect skaters must be under 26-years-old as of September 15th, 2024, and have played in under 60 career games, or less than 35 in a single season. For goalies, less than 30 career games played, or 15 in a single season.

Forwards

1 - Ivan Demidov, RW – Montreal Canadiens

Demidov made his NHL debut with much anticipation and expectations, and he did not disappoint with a two-point showing in his first game. There is a lot of hype surrounding Demidov and if he lives up to the potential, he could very well go down as one of the all-time scoring leaders in Montreal and flirt with 1,000 career points, joining the ranks of legends like Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, and Henri Richard.

2 - Ryan Leonard, C – Washington Capitals

The big man on campus was the Hockey East Player of the Year and scoring champion with 49 points in 37 games at Boston College. He also captained Team USA to a WJC Gold Medal and then made his NHL debut in Washington scoring his first career goal. Leonard will be an NHL regular starting in the 2025-26 season and should be a Calder contender in his rookie season. His value in multi-category leagues is even higher.

3 - Isaac Howard, LW – Edmonton Oilers

Hot off a Hoby Baker Award winning season as a senior with Michigan State, Howard and the Lightning were at a contract impasse. Rather than lose him as an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Lightning traded him to the Oilers. Howard should see an opportunity to crack the Oilers roster in a top six role given their lack of prospect depth. His new ELC will fit in the Oilers budget and playing with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl could push Howard into the forefront of the Calder race.

4 - Beckett Sennecke, RW – Anaheim Ducks

A late season surge pushed Sennecke up the draft ranking all the way to third overall in his draft season. He has carried that momentum into hi D+1 season scoring 86 points in 56 games for the Generals. Don’t make the same mistake Team Canada made by erroneously omitting him from the 2025 WJC roster, Sennecke is a play driving forward with tremendous hockey sense and skill as well as size at 6-foot-4. Sennecke has another year of junior eligibility but could make the Ducks roster as soon as this season.

5 - Michael Misa, C – San Jose Sharks

Drafted second overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, Misa has been the first overall selection in all my fantasy drafts and mock drafts. Misa has been a highly anticipated fantasy prospect since becoming the latest OHL exceptional status recipient. He has a Memorial Cup Championship on his resume, is coming off a 134-point campaign and will spend his D+1 season developing in the NCAA against bigger, stronger, faster competition that will only make him more NHL ready for his ETA of 2026-27.

6 - Jimmy Snuggerud, RW – St. Louis Blues

After posting 51-points as captain of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and a finalist for the Hoby Baker, Snuggerud made a splash in the NHL with the Blues. Playing in the Blues final seven regular season games, he notched four points and then duplicated that performance in the playoffs. Snuggerud looks to be a lock for a top six role with the Blues and could be a solid Calder sleeper candidate if his early chemistry with Robert Thomas continues.

7 - Gabe Perreault, LW – New York Rangers

A lot of super-star players have come from the USNTDP, but Perreault holds the single season point record with 132 points in the 2022-23 season. Perreault just completed his sophomore season at Boston College and posted 16 goals and 32 assists in 37 games with the Eagles. He also was a key player in the USA WJC Gold Medal with 10 points in seven games. Perreault is a dynamic playmaker that also has a nose for the net and can finish. He played in five NHL games to close the season and while not a lock to make the Rangers out of training camp, he is their top prospect and a fantasy must own.

8 - Berkley Catton, C – Seattle Kraken

Catton was the 2024 draft class leading scorer with his 115-points, which puts him in the company of an elite group of players the likes of Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Connor Bedard to post such lofty production in their draft year. I am not suggesting that Catton has that kind of NHL and fantasy value, but he is the Krakens most dynamically gifted offensive player and has tremendous upside.

9 - Ilya Protas, LW – Washington Capitals

When the Capitals drafted Alexei Protas’ younger brother in the third round, it might have appeared to be a pick motivated by nepotism. Then Ilya moved from the USHL to the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires and had a breakout season to the tune of 50 goals, and 124 points (second in OHL scoring) and now looks like a steal of a third-round pick. Since he was drafted from the USHL, he can move up to the AHL for the coming season and further his development. Look for the Protas brothers to be a force in the Nations capital for the foreseeable future.

10 - Tij Iginla, LW – Utah Mammoth

The first pick in Utah’s franchise history, Iginla was on pace for a stellar D+1 season with 14 goals and 31 points in 21 games with Kelowna before a hip injury ended his season early. After surgery, the expectation is that he will return to Kelowna for an important season of development in the WHL, and with Canada at the WJC before he joins the NHL. Tij was drafted higher than his father, Hall-Of-Famer and Calgary legend Jarome Iginla, can Tij match his old mans career status?

11 - Porter Martone, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

Two things stand out with Martone: his dynamic offensive game and his size. However, for all you banger leaguers reading, don’t be fooled to think he is going to rack up hits and PIM’s as that is not really his game. He is a finesse playmaking winger. Martone has committed to take his development to Michigan State in the NCAA for his D+1 season in hopes that playing against older, stronger and better competition will make him NHL ready for the 2026-27 season.

12 - James Hagens, C – Boston Bruins

The consensus number one ranked prospect heading into the 2025 draft was Hagens. He played his draft year in the NCAA with Boston College and despite posting solid numbers as a freshman, he was unable to keep pace with Macklin Celebrinis’ pace from the previous season, and he fell on draft day to the Bruins. It is quite possible that Hagens ends up being the best fantasy prospect from his draft class, but he will return for at least one more year in the NCAA. Look for a spike in his production and for him to challenge for a Hoby Baker nomination.

13 - Cayden Lindstrom, C – Columbus Blue Jackets

Lindstrom is a unicorn as a 6-foot-4, 214-pound center that scored 46 goals and 46 points in 32 games with Medicine Hat in his draft year. He combines skill, skating, smarts, and size in such a rare and dominant package. A well documented herniated disc back injury that ended his draft season after 32 games and all but eliminated his D+1 season minus a few playoff, and Memorial Cup games is the other side of his story. Lindstrom will play the coming season in the NCAA with Michigan State where he will try to regain his health, conditioning and further his development. If he can realize his massive potential, he has franchise upside and would be a dominant player in multi-category leagues. Or, he could have a set back from his back injury and follow Nolan Patrick’s career path. High risk, but high reward potential.

14 - Arseni Gritsyuk, RW – New Jersey Devils

Gritsyuk may be a sleeper prospect, but don’t sleep on the Russian sniper. He is coming in hot from the KHL where he posted 17 goals and 44-points in 49 games. While he was only a fifth-round pick from the 2019, the now 24-year-old is NHL ready and will step into a top six role in New Jersey. He may not have the same offensive upside as some of the players in the range of his ranking but given his advanced development the wait time is zero, which moves the needle.

15 - Dalibor Dvorsky, C – St. Louis Blues

The AHL can be a meatgrinder that chews up and spits out teenage hockey prospects. Despite that, Dvorsky played last year as a 19-year-old and posted 21 goals and 45 points in 61 games with Springfield and was second in league rookie scoring. Dvorsky also shone at the WJC last year with Slovakia, scoring nine points in just five games. His play earned him an NHL cup of coffee, two games but he failed to record any points playing limited minutes. Dvorsky still needs more AHL development, but his promising development suggests the 10^th overall pick from the 2023 draft is well on his way to becoming an NHL regular and a fantasy must own player.

16 - Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW – Vancouver Canucks

His first full season in North America was a success as the Canucks 2022 15^th overall pick split time between the NHL and Abbotsford in the AHL. In the AHL he posted 28 points in 36 games and another seven in 16 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup Championship. In his 24 NHL games the Swedish winger posted six points while averaging 12:30 of ice time. Expect him to be a full time NHL player this year and to see elevated minutes, leading to numbers similar to what he produced in the AHL.

17 - Brad Nadeau, RW – Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes must feel like the drafted a top ten player with their 30^th overall pick from 2023. As a freshman in his D+1 season at University of Maine, Nadeau posted 19 goals and 46 points in 37 games. He followed up that with an impressive rookie season in the AHL to the tune of 32 goals and 58 points in 64 games with the Chicago Wolves. His underwhelming production at the WJC with Canada was curious, but the entire team underwhelmed. Nadeau made his NHL debut on April 16^th and earned his first career point against Montreal. Look for his sophomore season to see more NHL opportunities as he plays his way into a top six role with the Canes.

18 - Anton Frondell, C – Chicago Blackhawks

Drafted third overall by the Hawks in 2025, the Swedish center brings size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, a high-level hockey sense, and skill level to his game. He would be better slotted as a second line center at the NHL level as his two-way game is more his calling card as opposed to a go-to offensive driver. The 18-year-old will likely play two more seasons in the SHL before crossing over to North America, meaning a little more wait time and a limited offensive ceiling compared to his draft status.

19 - Danila Yurov, RW – Minnesota Wild

The 21-year-old Russian saw his production dip from 0.79 to 0.54 points per game in the final year of his KHL contract. Despite the disappointing production, with 209 career KHL games of development he has signed with the Wild and will play in North America to the delight of fantasy managers who roster Yurov. With Yakov Trenin, Vlad Tarasenko, and Kirill Kaprizov providing some fellow Russian support, he should adjust quickly and could play his way into a top six role sooner than later.

20 - Caleb Desnoyers, C – Utah Mammoth

Desnoyers could be the most underrated player in the 2025 draft, which says a lot sine he was selected fourth overall. A 6-foot-2 center Desnoyers has excellent hockey sense, size, skating, skill and compete. He has played a key role and produced all season starting with a point per game to lead Canada to Gold at the Hlinka. He was the first line center for Team CHL at the Prospects Challenge and was a point per game again. With his club team in Moncton, he posted 84-points in 56 games and lead the Wildcats in playoff scoring with 30-points in 19 games to be named playoff MVP, and a league championship. He is the best two-way player, and that takes nothing away from his offensive game.

21 - Rutger McGroarty, C – Pittsburgh Penguins

After being acquired from the Jets for Brayden Yager, McGroarty made his pro debut and impressed, splitting time between the NHL and AHL. In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton he played 60 games, notching 14 goals and 39 points. While he only played in eight NHL games, he impressed with three points, playing a physical game as well showing he can have an impact away from the puck. With the Pens looking to rebuild, he is a corner stone player going forward, starting now.

22 - Quentin Musty, RW – San Jose Sharks

Musty had a frustrating season. It began by holding out for a trade from Sudbury in the OHL. A deal never happened so he resumed playing and scored 59 points in 33 games before an injury put him on the shelf until the playoffs. He returned for game two but despite four points, the Wolves were swept in four by Kingston. He will turn pro now and play his rookie season in the AHL. The 6-foot-2 winger has size and played a power game at the OHL; he could be an impactful top six winger with his size and shot.

23 - Calum Ritchie, C – New York Islanders

When the Islanders acquired Ritchie at the NHL trade deadline, he instantly became their top prospect. Ritchie started the season in the NHL with the Avalanche where he played seven games and scored his first career goal with his signature shootout move (a spectacular deke as he fakes the shoot like he fanned then quickly backhands it home). He returned to the Oshawa Generals where he dominated with 70 points and 50 PIM in 47 games and led the Generals back to a league championship rematch vs London. Ritchie should be a regular on Long Island this fall.

24 - Matthew Savoie, RW – Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers added Savoie in a trade with Buffalo, and he instantly became the Oilers top prospect. Savoie is an undersized forward at 5-foot-9, 179 pounds but he is also a prolific offensive player. He posted some hefty point totals in the WHL and in his first full pro season, he scored 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games in Bakersfield. He made his debut in Edmonton as well, playing in four games and recorded his first career point. He has the skill to play and produce in the NHL, but size is a concern.

25 - Igor Chernyshov, LW – San Jose Sharks

The big Russian winger made the move to North America after the Sharks selected him with the first pick of round two in the 2024 NHL Draft. His debut was delayed following an off-season shoulder surgery, but when he resumed playing with Saginaw in the OHL he dominated with 19 goals and 55 points in just 23 games. Saginaw was eliminated in the first round, and he was called up to play two AHL games with the Barracuda. It is expected he will play the coming season in the AHL, to further his development, but he has NHL top six winger upside with his size, skating and shooting ability.

26 - Easton Cowan, C – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leaf's top prospect is poised to bring his game to the NHL for the coming season. In his final year in the OHL with the London Knights, Cowan led the OHL in playoff scoring (39-points in 17 games), added a second straight league championship, and led the Memorial Cup in soring to lead the Knights to victory. He is slightly undersized at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds but he plays a physical game to complement his dynamic skill and vision.

27 - Andrew Cristall, LW – Washington Capitals

A true boom-or-bust player. Cristall is as dynamic an offensive player as you will find. His career WHL point production is off the chart with 412 points in 248 games (1.66 points per game). He finished his WHL career with Spokane in the playoffs where he scored 21 goals and 41 points in 19 games. How could such a dominant player be a bust? He is just 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds as the NHL trends towards size again. Also, his defensive game and compete level is a liability. These factors kept him off the Canada WJC roster. If he plays in the NHL, he will be great, but there have been plenty of prolific junior scorers that never made the NHL.

28 - Cole Eiserman, RW – New York Islanders

“Goal” Eiserman is a polarizing player. His offensive upside is significant. He is the all-time NTDP goal scoring leader, was a key player for USA winning Gold at the 2025 WJC with seven points. As a freshman at Boston University, he scored 25 goals and 36 points in 39 games. His play away from the puck is where scouts have concerns with his game. Eiserman will return for his sophomore season with the Terriers where he will continue to score goals, and more importantly develop his overall game.

29 - Jake O’Brien, C – Seattle Kraken

Perhaps the player from the 2025 draft class with the most upside is O’Brien. The 6-foot-2 center has tremendous vision and hockey sense, a late June birthday means he has plenty of development road head where his potential can grow. While his physical game is lacking as his slender 176-pound frame needs to fill out, there are very few flaws in his game overall.

30 - Liam Ohgren, LW – Minnesota Wild

Ohgren made his North American debut last season and had a tremendously successful rookie season in the AHL scoring 37 points in 41 games on a poor Iowa Wild team. His play earned him an NHL audition of 24 games, but he was limited to an average of 11:06 in ice time and only managed five points. Ohgren should be ready for a bigger role in Minnesota, and his point production should increase with more playing time.

Defence

1 - Zayne Parekh, RD – Calgary Flames

Parekh dominated the OHL in his draft year and then returned for his D+1 season and posted 33 goals, 107 points and 96 PIM. He was an egregious omission from the Team Canada WJC roster and made his NHL debut on April 17^th scoring his first career NHL goal in a 5-1 win over LA. Parekh is still junior eligible as a 19-year-old but is almost assured to be a full time NHL player this season. It should not take long for him to secure a top four pairing and first power play role in Calgary. Parekh could have a similar rookie season as Lane Hutson had and be a Calder candidate.

2 - Cole Hutson, LD - Washington Capitals

Hutson 2.0 is a similar player to his older brother Lane. Cole is developing in the NCAA at Boston University and posted 48 points in 39 games in his freshman season. His real breakout however was on the World stage with USA at the WJC where he led the tournament in scoring with 11 points in seven games. Cole has another season with the Terriers coming up before he is ready to join the Capitals in the NHL. When he arrives, it is not out of the question for him to have the same impact Lane Hutson had, or even better.

3 - Matthew Schaefer, LD – New York Islanders

The top pick from the 2025 Draft class has signed with the Islanders, and all signs point towards him making the Islanders out of training camp and becoming an NHL rookie. A shoulder injury limited him to just 17 games in Erie last season, so a return to the OHL would not be the worst scenario for his long-term development.

4 - Zeev Buium, LD – Minnesota Wild

All Buium does is win. At 19-years-old his trophy case already includes a World Championship, an NCAA Championship, two WJC Golds and a U-18 Gold. Buium made his NHL debut in the playoffs and recorded his first career point playing in four games. Buium is not only a lock to make the Wild roster, but he should also be a top pairing impact player right out of the gate.

5 - Alexander Nikishin, LD – Carolina Hurricanes

The 23-year-old Russian blueliner has been one of the most anticipated players to come from the KHL for several years. The 6-foot-4, 216-pound defender captained SKA St. Petersburg for two seasons and posted career KHL stats of 54 goals and 177 points in 288 games. He has signed in Carolina and made his NHL debut in the playoffs, earning his first career point in four games. He will have to compete with Shane Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller for top power play deployment but count on Nikishin playing big minutes in his rookie season.

6 - Artyom Levshunov, RD – Chicago Blackhawks

The 2024 second overall pick only played 18 NHL games in his rookie season, but as a 19-year-old he produced 22 points in 52 AHL games with Rockford. Can he breakout as the Hawks top pairing and first power play quarterback in his sophomore season? He will have to outplay Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski to do so, but it is a real possibility as soon as this fall.

7 - Luca Cagnoni, LD – San Jose Sharks

All Cagnoni is missing to be ranked higher is size and draft pedigree. At 5-foot-9 he comes up short by todays NHL standards, and as a fourth-round pick, he lacks the golden ticket first round picks get. However, his on-ice production speaks volumes, scoring 16 goals and 52 points in 64 games as a AHL rookie with the Barracuda. Cagnoni is the future first power play quarterback in San Jose on a unit that will include Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa. Cagnoni could be a fantasy beast!

8 - Sam Dickinson, LD – San Jose Sharks

Where will Dickinson play in the 2025-26 season? He posted 91 points in 55 games, won a second consecutive OHL Championship and a Memorial Cup Championship. He has another year of junior eligibility remaining, so the AHL is not an option, but has signed an NHL contract so the NCAA is not an option either. He has nothing left to learn in the OHL, so he looks ready to make the jump to the NHL.

9 - Axel Sandin-Pellikka, RD – Detroit Red Wings

ASP is a rising star and the Wings top prospect. The 5-foot-11 right shot defender has tremendous poise on the ice, sees the ice very well, carries the puck and dictates the play with authority. After a solid SHL career of 52 points in 107 games including an SHL Championship, he made his debut in the AHL to close the season. A full year of AHL development is to be expected under GM Steve Yzerman, but a future blueline anchored by Mo Seider, Simon Edvinsson and ASP sets up the Red Wings for a decade.

10 - Tristan Luneau, RD – Anaheim Ducks

After injury limited Luneau to just 13 combined AHL and NHL games in his rookie season, he returned in 2024-25 to post near point per game production with the Gulls with 52 points in 59 games. The 6-foot-1 right shot offensive defenceman has great upside, but he also has his work cut out for him to crack the Ducks top four with competition the likes of Jacob Trouba, Jackson Lacombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov.

11 - Carter Yakemchuk, RD – Ottawa Senators

There were a lot of skeptics when Ottawa selected the 6-foot-4 right shot offensive defenceman at seven ahead of Zayne Parekh, Zeev Buium and Sam Dickinson at the ’24 Draft. A lot of those critics were silenced when Yakemchuk nearly made the Sens roster after a tremendous preseason performance. He was returned to the WHL for his senior year and was slightly underwhelming seeing his point totals dip and failing to be make the Canadian WJC roster. His pro career will begin, likely in Belleville for a season before assuming the top pairing role on the right side in Ottawa next to Jake Sanderson.

12 - Sam Rinzel, RD – Chicago Blackhawks

Rinzel had a breakout season in 2024-25. It was not just his 10-goal, 32-point performance as a sophomore at University of Minnesota, but his nine game NHL audition in which he averaged over 23 minutes of ice time including an average of 2:24 powerplay time on ice where he delivered five points. The 21-year-old is the early favorite to be the first power play quarterback heading into the upcoming season. Don’t sleep on Rinzel, he has some big upside.

13 - Seamus Casey, RD – New Jersey Devils

The 5-foot-10 right shot offensive defenceman had a strong rookie season starting in the NHL with an eight-game run with the Devils where he posted three goals before an AHL assignment. Overall, he racked up 18 points in 30 AHL games and finished the season back in the NHL with New Jersey. With Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, and Simon Nemic in the fold, getting ice time, let alone power play time will be difficult barring injury.

14 - Scott Morrow, RD – New York Rangers

Acquired from Carolina along with a first and second round pick in the K’Andre Miller trade, Morrow could fill the gap from Miller out of camp behind Adam Fox on the Rangers second pairing. Morrow had a strong rookie season the year prior posting 39 points in 52 games with the Chicago Wolves and had a 14-game NHL run with the Hurricanes scoring six points.

15 - Logan Mailloux, RD – St. Louis Blues

Acquired from Montreal for Zac Bolduc this summer, Mailloux is now the top defensive prospect in the Blues system. Mailloux is NHL ready after a second AHL campaign with 80 points and 165 PIM in 135 career games, and five points in eight career NHL games. Mailloux will no longer be considered a prospect as he will make the Blues roster full time, and battle Justin Faulk and Cam Fowler for top power play deployment.

16 - David Reinbacher, RD – Montreal Canadiens

The 6-foot-2 Austrian defender made a splash in his AHL debut in 2023-24 when he posted five points in the final 11 games in Laval. Injuries kept him out of action until he returned for the Olympics with Austria and finished the season again in the AHL with Laval. His six points in 13 playoff games with the Rocket are promising but a nearly full season lost to injury suggest he may need a time in the AHL before he is ready for Montreal. The departure of Logan Mailloux improves his stature in Montreal.

17 - Oliver Bonk, RD – Philadelphia Flyers

Widely considered to be a shutdown defender, a red flag in fantasy, Bonk has considerable fantasy value. At 6-foot-2 he has decent size and can play a physical role and contribute hits and blocks. But he has also contributed significant offensive numbers with 150 career regular season points in 189 games with the London Knights. Bonk was deployed as the net front presence on the power play regularly with London and was tried as the first powerplay quarterback for Canada at the WJC. His pro career will begin with a season in the AHL with Lehigh Valley before he becomes a top four NHL regular.

18 - Tanner Molendyk, LD – Nashville Predators

Nashville has a strong track record of drafting and developing top quality NHL defencemen. Tanner Molendyk is the latest and he nearly made the Predators out of training camp last year before returning for his final year in the WHL. He was a point per game player with Saskatoon and Medicine Hat and at the Memorial Cup. Molendyk will be an AHL rookie this season, but it likely won’t be long before he is patrolling the Predators blueline in a top four capacity.

19 - Hunter Brzustewicz, RD – Calgary Flames

His fantasy value took a big hit when the Flames drafted Zayne Parekh. Brzustewicz is an offensive defenceman that posted a 92-point season in the OHL, and in his AHL rookie campaign last year impressed with five goals and 32 points in 70 games with the Wranglers. Brzustewicz was a key piece in return from the Elias Lindholm trade so the Flames are invested, he has great offensive and fantasy upside, but the Parekh addition will take some of that critical power play ice time up.

20 - Tom Willander, RD – Vancouver Canucks

After two seasons in the shadow of a Hutson with the Boston University Terriers, Willander may be an underrated fantasy defenceman. With all the top offensive deployment at BU going to the Hutson’s, lane and Cole, Willander still managed to produce 49 points in 77 career games with the Terriers. His play with Sweden at the WJC was impressive as well with five points in seven games. Willander is a strong skating, puck moving two-way defender with offensive upside. Willander was signed by the Canucks and will start his professional career in the AHL with defending Calder Cup Champions Abbotsford.

Goalies

1 - Yaroslav Askarov – San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are building something special and Askarov should be a key piece of that puzzle. A top ranked goalie prospect for years, the move from Nashville and out from under Juuse Saros, gives Askarov has the opportunity to seize a starting role in San Jose. With the young core and foundations now in place, it’s just a short matter of time before this team becomes a powerhouse, and Askarov is a fantasy star.

2 - Jesper Wallstedt – Minnesota Wild

There is no sugar coating this, Wallstedt had a terrible season posting brutal numbers in both the AHL, and NHL in his third season in North America. Despite the setback, Wallstedt remains an elite goalie prospect and with the Wild building a defence that consist of Brock Faber, Zeev Buium, and David Jiricek the future still remains very bright.

3 - Jacob Fowler – Montreal Canadiens

It is difficult to understand how Fowler was not the top goalie selected in his draft year. Five other goalies went before he was selected 69^th overall in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Since then, he has established himself as an elite prospect playing at Boston College in the NCAA. Fowler has won a WJC Gold Medal with USA, a Hockey East Championship, and was named the Goalie of the Year winning the Mike Richter Award. Fowler is trending to be the next great Montreal Canadiens goalie following the likes of Ken Dryden, Patrick, Roy and Carey Price.

4 - Ilya Nabokov – Colorado Avalanche

A late bloomer, Nabokov was drafted in 2024 by the Avalanche after a breakout season in the KHL as a 21-year-old, where Nabokov won a Gagarian Cup and playoff MVP. Nabokov has signed his ELC with Colorado but has been loaned back to play the 2025-26 season in the KHL to ensure he gets playing time. Expect him to finish the season in the AHL as the KHL season ends in March, allowing him a small sample of North American hockey before being full time in 2026-27.

5 - Sebastian Cossa – Detroit Red Wings

The Wings 2021 15^th overall draft pick has now played three full seasons of professional hockey with time in the ECHL, AHL, and he made his NHL debut in December with a 6-foot-5 shootout win over Buffalo. The past two seasons have been consistent and strong for Cossa, playing 40+ games in Grand Rapids and posting 20+ wins. The addition of John Gibson suggests that Detroit thinks he needs a little more development before he becomes their starting goalie.

6 - Drew Commesso – Chicago Blackhawks

On last years list I suggested Commesso was on track to develop into the Hawks starting goalie for the Connor Bedard glory years. Since then, the Hawks acquired Spencer Knight, and he appears to be the incumbent franchise goalie for the foreseeable future. Commesso had another impressive year of development in the AHL and is still quite capable of being an NHL starting goalie. Where and when are less certain now.

7 - Trey Augustine – Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings added insulation to their goaltending future when they selected Augustine 41^st overall in 2023. Since then, he has been developing with Michigan State U. in the NCAA with a career record of 42-16-6, two Big Ten Championships and two WJC Gold Medals with USA. Augustine will play his junior season with the Spartans and will also need some AHL development time. He is further away than Cossa, but his upside could be higher.

8 - Niklas Kokko – Seattle Kraken

Kokko made his North American debut last season, and it was a strong one posting a 20-10-2 record in the AHL with a 2.26 GAA and .913 SV%. His strong play earned him an NHL recall, and he had a rough start coming in to relieve Joey Daccord in a 7-2 loss to the Blues where he allowed two goals on six shots. With Grubauer and Daccord under contract for the next two seasons, the 21-year-old Finnish netminder can continue to develop in the AHL with Coachella. He is a prospect on the rise.

9 - Mikhail Yegorov – New Jersey Devils

The Devils selected the Russian goalie from the USHL with their second-round pick in 2024 and Yegorov started his D+1 season back in the USHL with Omaha. Committed to Boston University in the NCAA, the Terriers were having goaltending concerns and brought “Big Mike” in just in time for the Bean Pot Tournament where he was outstanding leading the Terriers to victory. Yegorov played in 18 games total with an 11-6-1 record and 2.15 GAA. Still only 19-years-old, the 6-foot-5 netminder is a long way from the NHL, but he is showing tremendous potential.

10 - Hampton Slukynsky – Los Angeles Kings

Perhaps Slukynsky is still a little under the radar and not quite a household name in less deep dynasty leagues, but that is about to change. Selected 118^th overall by the Kings, Slukynsky posted a 19-5-1 record as a freshman at Western Michigan and a sparkling 1.90 GAA. His trophy case includes USHL Goalie of the Year, Championships from the USHL, NCAA National and NCHC, and Gold Medals with USA from the U-18, WJC and World Championship. He is still just 20-years-old and needs a lot of development time before the NHL, but his stock is rising fast!

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #8

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:18:19 +0000

Beckett Sennecke #45 of the Oshawa Generals (Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media)

Prospect System Ranking – 8th (May 2025 - 5th)
GM: Pat Verbeek Hired: February 2022
COACH: Joel Quenneville Hired: May 2025

The Anaheim Ducks missed the playoffs for a seventh straight season in 2024-25, but brighter days are on the horizon. The club’s young core is beginning to ripen, and the prospect pipeline remains among the league’s best.

For the seventh consecutive year, Anaheim made a top 10 selection at the NHL Draft, this time landing Roger McQueen—an imposing talent who might have gone in the top five if not for a lingering back injury. They followed that by selecting Eric Nilson in the second round, another addition to their top 10 prospects list.

The foundation in Anaheim is already strong, with recent graduates Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and a youthful blue line led by Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Jackson LaCombe. That group will now be guided by Joel Quenneville, a controversial but accomplished head coach whose experience could be the catalyst for a breakthrough.

Several prospects are knocking on the NHL door. Sam Colangelo emerged as a surprise AHL rookie standout, producing 40 points in 40 games for San Diego before earning 32 NHL appearances. On defense, Tristan Luneau impressed with 52 points in 59 AHL games and is pressing hard for a roster spot despite a crowded back end.

Stian Solberg, meanwhile, had a strong audition in the American League to cap off his 2024-25 campaign. His physical game is NHL ready, though he’s still likely a couple of years from making his debut.

In the CHL, Beckett Sennecke continues to headline the system after another stellar year in Oshawa, amassing 209 points in 180 career junior games. With little left to prove at that level, a nine-game NHL audition in 2025-26 seems probable.

With Quenneville’s guidance and a blend of NHL-ready prospects alongside an emerging core, Anaheim appears poised to end its playoff drought. The Ducks’ youth movement is ready to take flight—and contention could arrive sooner rather than later.

Anaheim Ducks Top-15 Prospects

1 - Beckett Sennecke

No one was more shocked to see Sennecke drafted third overall last year than Sennecke himself, which made for some outstanding memes. However, he was worthy of a high selection thanks to his high-end physical tools, high-end skill, and improving frame. He got off to a late start this past year thanks to a foot fracture, but he had a positive draft year plus one as an offensive leader for the Oshawa Generals. He dominated puck touches the way that you would expect, using his soft hands and reach to help protect the puck and prolong possession. He excels near the crease and has worked hard to improve his release, making him more dangerous in the scoring area. As he continues to build strength, his physicality and off puck play is also becoming more consistent. The projection for Sennecke has not changed; he remains a potential top six forward and should challenge for a roster spot as early as this coming season.

2 - Roger McQueen

The concerns that NHL teams had about McQueen's back issues going into the 2025 draft were justified, but at a certain point the potential reward of drafting him outweighed any potential risks. For the Ducks in particular, who have stockpiled a lot of great young assets in recent years, especially at forward, they were perfectly positioned to roll the dice on him when they did, at 10th overall. The big, smooth, versatile pivot brings a variety of different and desirable attributes to the table and could reach quite a high ceiling once he's fully developed, if everything goes according to plan and he can stay healthy. Every NHL team wants more guys with his package of size and skill. After missing so much time last season due to injury his recent decision to join Providence College in the NCAA in the fall is a gamble, as their schedule of games will be much shorter than Brandon's in the WHL, and he'll have a lot of rust to shake off.

3 - Tristan Luneau

Turning the page and hoping for continued luck regarding health, Tristan Luneau will be looking to crack the NHL lineup for the Anaheim Ducks. Two years in a row he’s had stints with the main club and with a good preseason he might be part of the lineup on day one. The Quebec-born defenceman possesses solid skating ability, using lateral and crossover movements to create space for himself offensively. With his good hockey IQ, he scans for the best options in breakouts and supports his team in zone entries. While Tristan is almost point-per-game at the AHL level, he does not possess a dynamic offence that will translate to the NHL. But a future as a top four defenceman playing the second power play unit is not too far off a reach.

4 - Stian Solberg

The jump from Norwegian pro hockey to the SHL was a tricky adjustment to make for Solberg. Yet somehow, the jump to the AHL was seamless. His style of hockey is perfect for North America. The smaller ice surface lets him close gaps quicker and inflict pain on opponents, his favourite thing to do. He’s tapping into some of his upside at the offensive blueline and puck moving through the neutral zone, which was on full display at the World Championships. He still needs to work on his back skating and his defensive reads, but that’ll come with in time. All things considered, he doesn’t look all that far off from NHL ready. For Solberg, the key is to keep doing what you’re doing. Listen to your coaches and trainers, keep getting reps, and keep playing your brand of hard-nosed hockey. It’s a matter of when, not if, Solberg will earn his spot in Anaheim’s bottom four.

5 - Sam Colangelo

Sam took great steps this past season. Making the switch from any junior/college league is tough but Colangelo adjusted quite well. Pretty much had a 50/50 split, he was point per game at the AHL level in 40 games and had solid production at the NHL level when he got called up for 32 stints. For being a bigger guy, Sam has good north-south skating ability. The strength in his skating lies in transitioning through the neutral zone and possesses solid power in his first strides. He’s got a solid shot but it’s not going to beat goalies cleanly on a consistent basis at the NHL level. However, Sam is good at finding open space and with his strong net-front presence he will find opportunities to finish rebounds. His defensive game still needs work, especially if he wants to have a permanent spot with the big club. It’ll be interesting to see if the experience in his first pro year and another summer of training will result in Sam turning into a more complete player.

6 - Tarin Smith

Smith is one of the best-kept secrets in the WHL right now, but that likely won't last for long, especially after he was just invited by Hockey Canada a few months ago to participate in the World Junior Summer Showcase. The Silvertips emerged as the best team in the league this regular season and he was an essential piece of their success, using his explosive skating ability to drive play up ice and create offensive opportunities for both himself and his teammates. While Everett’s playoff dreams were stopped earlier than expected this past spring, the team should be a top championship contender in 202025-26, which will be valuable experience for Smith. Even though the Ducks are loaded with young defenceman, both inside and outside of the NHL, their success with fellow puck-rushers in Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger suggests that they will find ways to utilize Smith's talents whenever he's ready.

7 - Eric Nilson

Nilson’s versatility and two-way play were key factors in Djurgarden sweeping the major Swedish junior championships (J18 and J20) this season. Despite being pushed down the lineup by other talents, Nilson’s upside is immense. He’s an explosive, shifty skater and dynamically skilled on the puck. He reads the game far, far beyond the junior level. He was only held out of pro competition because of his poor physical strength. A major knock on Nilson has been his teenager-like build and his ability to put on weight, but genetics and his commitment to MSU hockey for the 2025-2026 season could completely eliminate those concerns. It should also help him get some strength behind his shot and help him drive inside more. He’ll never hold an NHL job if he never gets bigger, but Nilson could be one of the biggest steals of the draft if his development goes as expected, with his NHL ceiling being that of a second line center who can impact play in all three zones.

8 - Sasha Pastujov

The Anaheim Ducks seem to have an abundance of offensive talent at their minor league club, and Sasha Pastujov is part of that group. Like Sam Colangelo, Sasha was point per game in his second pro season but did not get to spend time with the NHL club. There have been question marks about his skating and off-puck play but Sasha has removed those doubts. He skates hard and consistently gets up to speed in odd man rushes, while also improving his defensive game in both effort and making plays. The shot has always been good, and he continues to score in multiple different ways. It’s going to be a bloodbath to battle for a roster spot with the Ducks but thanks to his progression in his overall game there is a possibility for him to make an impact.

9 - Ian Moore

At 23 years old, Ian Moore is certainly one of the elder statesmen on this list, but the 2020 third-round pick just turned pro after a full four years at Harvard University. Moore, Harvard’s captain in his Junior and Senior seasons, played in all situations for the Crimson. When he was drafted, it looked as if he may be able to parlay his skating and confidence with the puck into a bit more offence, but he has since become a more responsible two-way blueliner. The mobile 6-foot-3 defender supplied some offence at the college level but will not be relied on for many points as a pro. While he isn’t an offensive creator, he can be counted on to move the puck effectively and get it up ice. Defensively, he uses his skating very effectively as a rush defender, which is a deadly combination with his large frame. Moore should be able to contribute in Anaheim as a bottom-pair blueliner within the next year or two.

10 - Lucas Pettersson

It was a tough season for Petterson. The SHL proved to be too tough for him at his current stage of development. He didn’t have enough offensive oomph to play in MoDo’s top six and didn’t have enough physicality or resilience to play in the bottom six. In addition, he was left off of Sweden’s WJC. If it weren’t for his loan to Ostersunds IK in the HA, there would be bust allegations being lodged against him. He racked up 19 points in 29 games and looked like a dynamic talent with sure-fire top six NHL upside. He can push the pace with high-end skill, high-end skating, strong IQ and creativity… he just does it so inconsistently. He also doesn’t have that physical game that you need to stick it at levels beyond the NHL yet. Despite the challenging year, Pettersson signed his ELC and will get another go around in the SHL on loan with Brynäs. There, he’ll be mentored by former NHLers like Jakob Silfverberg and the legendary Nicklas Bäckström. If that doesn’t help him take a big step, I don’t know what will.

11 - Damian Clara

At 6-foot- 6, Clara possesses a strong technical foundation and moves efficiently in the crease. He flashed some potential in a two-game AHL stint last season once his Liiga campaign had concluded. Despite not being the quickest goalie, Clara has NHL potential thanks to his size and technical ability. He will be making the jump to the SHL with Brynas this fall and should be splitting time with long time pro Collin Delia.

12 - Rodwin Dionicio

Dionicio has NHL size at 6-foot- 2, 205 pounds, and has flashed offensively at every level. Yet, a turbulent AHL season saw him return to Switzerland midstream, where he split time in the NLA and the junior level. Dionicio is not a great mover but has the sense and vision to potentially be a third pairing, power play point man in the NHL. He’ll get another crack at AHL duty this season.

13 - Yegor Sidorov

The skilled Sidorov improved as the year went on in the AHL. In the early going, he still flashed junior habits, often flying the zone and cheating for offence. By season’s end, though, he was a much more active forechecker and showed improved strength along the boards. The NHL path in Anaheim might be difficult, but another solid AHL season for the 21-year-old could set him up for NHL duty down the road.

14 - Maxim Masse

Masse has an NHL frame and a solid skating stride. A responsible player, he also possesses a heavy shot and has the hockey sense to find teammates. The only question is how much of that offence in the QMJHL will translate at the next level, but he has the details and work rate to be a long time NHLer. Sidelined by injury last season, expect him to take another step offensively for Chicoutimi this year.

15 - Nathan Gaucher

Gaucher has struggled to replicate his junior production in the AHL, posting 19 points in 56 games in his second pro season. Nevertheless, Gaucher still possesses NHL tools thanks to his size and strength. Although he doesn’t possess a standout offensive trait, he’s a clever passer in small areas and got power play time as a net-front presence in San Diego. Look for him to try to earn a call-up to Anaheim this season.

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #5 ANAHEIM DUCKS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:19:41 +0000

PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Beckett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals is drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round during the NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)

Subscribers can download the PDF in subscriber downloads.

Please note you can scroll through the PDF document here as well

Anaheim 25 Prospects

2025 NHL PROSPECT REPORT: Top 200 NHL Affiliated Prospects (Top 50 Free) – Biggest risers in 2024-25

Brock Otten — Tue, 13 May 2025 11:36:55 +0000

You will find at the bottom of this article a chart with the top 50 prospects in the NHL currently. 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. 25 Risers for 2025. Subscribers can access the top 200 prospects with links to the players page and full profiles here.

We are releasing our team rankings in descending order from the worst prospect pool to the best on our site over the next few weeks. Subscribers can read the full profiles and the team overview and learn about the future stars of your favourite team. If you would like to subscribe you can link here.

RALEIGH, NC - APRIL 12: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Scott Morrow (56) looks to pass the puck during the NHL game between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes on April 12, 2025 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)

Scott Morrow - Defense - Carolina Hurricanes

Previous Ranking: 65, New Ranking: 20

In his first full pro season after signing out of UMass, Morrow has been an immediate impact player. He was one of the top offensive defenders in the AHL and has since performed very well in a late season call up with the Hurricanes.

Tristan Luneau - Defense - Anaheim Ducks

Previous Ranking: 84, New Ranking: 32

The rich get richer. After missing most of last season due to injury, Luneau has returned with a vengeance this season. He’s been a two-way standout at the AHL level and should push for a full time roster spot in the very near future…even with Anaheim’s incredible U25 depth.

Liam Greentree - Wing - Los Angeles Kings

Previous Ranking: 87, New Ranking: 35

A late first round selection of the Kings last year, Greentree was one of the best players in the OHL this past season, helping the Windsor Spitfires go from worst to first. The power winger continues to improve his skating and looks the part of a future NHL standout.

Cole Hutson - Defense - Washington Capitals

Previous Ranking: 246, New Ranking: 44

Few affiliated prospects in the game improved their stock more than Cole Hutson this year. Look at the resume: One of the highest scoring defenders in the NCAA as a freshman, A WJC gold medal and a spot on the tournament all-star team, and a National Championship appearance with Boston University.

Owen Pickering - Defense - Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous Ranking: 131, New Ranking: 49

Sure, the Penguins prospect pool is hurting and that’s given Pickering a chance to perform at a high level with significant ice time as a rookie pro, but he’s handled it extremely well and looks the part of a longtime top four defender for Pittsburgh.

Sam Rinzel - Defense - Chicago Blackhawks

Previous Ranking: 125, New Ranking: 51

Rinzel has always been considered a long-term project, the Hawks knew this when they drafted him in the first round out of Minnesota High School hockey in 2022. But the pick is bearing fruit now. Rinzel was one of the top defenders in the NCAA this year and he looks near NHL ready.

Oliver Kapanen - Center - Montreal Canadiens

Previous Ranking: 142, New Ranking: 52

One of the biggest risers in our yearbook this past summer, thanks to a strong performance at the World Championships for Finland, Kapanen continues to rise. He nearly made the Canadiens full time this year and then was a near point per game player in the SHL. An intelligent two-way center, he looks like an NHL lock.

Luca Cagnoni - Defense - San Jose Sharks

Previous Ranking: 231, New Ranking: 60

We’re approaching the “sometimes you’re just wrong on a prospect” space with Cagnoni, a player that we’ve been skeptical about previously. But, he’s made the leap to the pro level just fine, with his offensive talent translating effortlessly.

Isaac Howard - Wing - Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous Ranking: 157, New Ranking: 61

The former first round selection exploded in his junior season with Michigan State and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker. Improvements to his strength and conditioning have done wonders for his play with the puck. The question is…will he sign with Tampa Bay?

Owen Beck - Center - Montreal Canadiens

Previous Ranking: 132, New Ranking: 65

You could probably make the argument that Beck has looked better as a first year pro in the AHL than he did over his three OHL seasons. His game just screams long time NHL standout thanks to his speed, tenacity, and IQ. But the skill has translated better than expected.

Dmitri Buchelnikov - Wing - Detroit Red Wings

Previous Ranking: 134, New Ranking: 66

Year to year improvement is the hallmark of a strong prospect and Buchelnikov has done just that. He was one of the top rookies in the KHL two years ago. This past year, he emerged as an offensive star. Next stop NHL? Detroit will have to wait because he still has contract time left with his KHL team.

Nick Lardis - Wing - Chicago Blackhawks

Previous Ranking: 152, New Ranking: 69

Putting a wrist injury behind him, Lardis exploded in his final junior season to be the first OHL player to score 70 goals since John Tavares. He was dominant in every fashion. Lardis is such a dangerous player because of the combination of his skating ability and shot. His progression this year has given him a more optimistic outlook as a top six contributor for the Hawks.

Igor Chernyshov - Wing - San Jose Sharks

Previous Ranking: 185, New Ranking: 72

Talk about meeting the hype of a long-awaited debut. When Chernyshov’s shoulder rehab finally finished and he suited up for the Saginaw Spirit (OHL), he immediately became one of the OHL’s elite players, leading the league in points per game this season.

Leevi Merilainen - Goaltender - Ottawa Senators

Previous Ranking: 196, New Ranking: 90

Merilainen has really turned things around after a couple disappointing post draft years. He’s improved every year as a pro and has been fantastic in limited starts for the Senators this season. Have the Senators finally found their netminder of the future?

Ilya Protas - Wing - Washington Capitals

Previous Ranking: Outside Top 300, New Ranking: 91

One of two prospects to go from being unranked previously, to inside of our top 100. Protas was one of the best players in the OHL this season with Windsor. His skating does still need work, but everything else about his game is top notch. Protas is a highly intelligent player.

Colton Dach - Center - Chicago Blackhawks

Previous Ranking: 227, New Ranking: 96

Even if injuries continue to be an issue (a recent elbow injury has limited his NHL participation), he’s had a terrific season split between the AHL and the NHL. The big, power pivot is the ideal middle six pivot for the Hawks rebuild.

William Stromgren - Wing - Calgary Flames

Previous Ranking: Outside Top 300, New Ranking: 99

The other prospect to climb from outside of the top 300 to inside the top 100, Stromgren is an elite skating winger whose offensive skill set has finally caught up to his feet. He’s been one of the best players in Calgary’s system this year and has put himself in contention for a roster spot next year.

Ilya Nabokov - Goaltender - Colorado Avalanche

Previous Ranking: 250, New Ranking: 102

Nabokov has proven this year that he’s no fluke, after coming out of nowhere to capture the KHL rookie of the year and KHL playoffs MVP awards last year. He’s been equally strong in Russia and Colorado may look to bring him into the fold sooner, rather than later.

Luca Del Bel Belluz - Center - Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous Ranking: 238, New Ranking: 103

A strong shooting and creative pivot with a center lane mentality, Del Bel Belluz had a terrific second pro season in the Jackets system. Not only was he a standout at the AHL level, but he’s produced offensively when called upon by the Blue Jackets.

Roman Kantserov - Wing - Chicago Blackhawks

Previous Ranking: 230, New Ranking: 104

An undersized, but highly skilled winger, Kantserov exploded offensively in the KHL this season, more than doubling his output from the previous year. He has another year on his KHL contract, but after that? He could be a big part of Chicago’s rebuild.

Elias Pettersson - Defense - Vancouver Canucks

Previous Ranking: 300, New Ranking: 106

Not every high-end defensive prospect needs to be a world beater offensively. Pettersson has climbed the prospect rankings thanks to his attention to detail at both ends and his outstanding upside as a defensive stalwart. He hasn’t looked out of place as an NHL player this season.

Mikhail Yegorov - Goaltender - New Jersey Devils

Previous Ranking: 253, New Ranking: 110

It’s no exaggeration to suggest that Yegorov may have saved Boston University’s season, after making the jump from the USHL at midseason. He shored up their shaky netminding, helping them reach the National Championship.

Alex Bump - Wing - Philadelphia Flyers

Previous Ranking: Outside Top 300, New Ranking: 120

A breakout star in the NCAA with Western Michigan, Bump may just be one of the most underrated affiliated prospects in hockey. He’s a dynamic creator in transition and could be a real diamond in the rough for the Flyers.

Jesse Kiiskinen - Wing - Detroit Red Wings

Previous Ranking: Outside Top 300, New Ranking: 133

The Andrew Gibson for Kiiskinen swap between the Predators and Red Wings has worked out incredibly well in Detroit’s favor after Kiiskinen’s breakout season in Liiga, where he was a near point per game player as a U20.

Tarin Smith - Defense - Anaheim Ducks

Previous Ranking: 269, New Ranking: 144

Drafted in the third-round last year, Smith’s offensive upside was considered a major strength and he’s shown that this year, emerging as one of the WHL’s most dangerous scoring blueliners with Everett. As he continues to improve defensively, the sky is the limit.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	Acquired	TM - 2024-25 Stats	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Ivan Demidov	Mtl	RW	19	5-11/180	`24(5th)	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	65	19	30	49	22
2	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	20	5-11/190	`23(8th)	Boston College (HE)	37	30	19	49	46
3	Sam Dickinson	SJ	D	18	6-3/205	`24(11th)	London (OHL)	55	29	62	91	39
4	Artyom Levshunov	Chi	D	19	6-2/205	`24(2nd)	Rockford (AHL)	52	5	17	22	59
5	Berkly Catton	Sea	C	19	5-10/175	`24(8th)	Spokane (WHL)	57	38	71	109	30
6	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	23	6-4/215	`20(69th)	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	61	17	29	46	32
7	Yaroslav Askarov	SJ	G	22	6-3/175	T(Nsh-8/24)	San Jose (AHL)	22	11	9	2.45	0.923
8	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	20	5-11/170	`22(15th)	Abbotsford (AHL)	36	19	9	28	0
9	Beckett Sennecke	Ana	RW	19	6-2/175	`24(3rd)	Oshawa (OHL)	56	36	50	86	66
10	Zeev Buium	Min	D	19	6-0/185	`24(12th)	Denver (NCHC)	41	13	35	48	44
11	Zayne Parekh	Cgy	D	19	6-0/180	`24(9th)	Saginaw (OHL)	61	33	74	107	96
12	Anton Silayev	NJ	D	19	6-7/210	`24(10th)	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	63	2	10	12	37
13	Tij Iginla	Uta	C	18	6-0/190	`24(6th)	Kelowna (WHL)	21	14	18	32	13
14	Daniil But	Uta	LW	20	6-5/203	`23(12th)	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	54	9	19	28	16
15	Axel Sandin-Pellikka	Det	D	20	5-11/180	`23(17th)	Skelleftea AIK (SHL)	46	12	17	29	22
16	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	21	6-1/175	`22(24th)	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	46	13	12	25	10
17	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	19	6-1/200	`23(10th)	Springfield (AHL)	61	21	24	45	22
18	Matthew Savoie	Edm	C	21	5-9/180	T(Buf-7/24)	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	19	35	54	28
19	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	21	6-0/180	`22(30th)	Manitoba (AHL)	61	7	28	35	28
20	Scott Morrow	Car	D	22	6-2/195	`21(40th)	Chicago (AHL)	52	13	26	39	47
21	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	19	5-10/165	`23(30th)	Chicago (AHL)	64	32	26	58	36
22	Dmitri Simashev	Uta	D	20	6-4/198	`23(6th)	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	56	1	5	6	4
23	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	19	5-11/165	`23(23rd)	Boston College (HE)	37	16	32	48	25
24	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	`23(5th)	Laval (AHL)	10	2	3	5	10
25	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	21	6-1/200	`22(19th)	Iowa (AHL)	41	19	18	37	10
26	Carter Yakemchuk	Ott	D	19	6-3/200	`24(7th)	Calgary (WHL)	56	17	32	49	82
27	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	22	6-6/229	`21(15th)	Grand Rapids (AHL)	41	21	15	2.45	0.911
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	20	6-1/180	`23(11th)	Boston University (HE)	39	2	22	24	8
29	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	19	5-10/170	`23(28th)	London (OHL)	46	29	40	69	41
30	Calum Ritchie	NYI	C	20	6-2/185	T(Col-3/25)	Oshawa (OHL)	47	15	55	70	50
31	Cayden Lindstrom	CBJ	C	19	6-3/215	`24(4th)	Medicine Hat (WHL)	0	0	0	0	0
32	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	21	6-1/195	`22(53rd)	San Diego (AHL)	59	9	43	52	21
33	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	20	5-11/190	`22(12th)	Columbus (NHL)	45	4	9	13	20
34	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	20	6-1/215	`23(69th)	Boston College (HE)	35	25	7	1.63	0.940
35	Liam Greentree	LA	RW	19	6-3/215	`24(26th)	Windsor (OHL)	64	49	70	119	59
36	Michael Hage	Mtl	C	19	6-1/190	`24(21st)	Michigan (B1G)	33	13	21	34	23
37	Konsta Helenius	Buf	C	18	5-11/190	`24(14th)	Rochester (AHL)	65	14	21	35	28
38	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	20	6-2/185	`22(23rd)	Minnesota (B1G)	40	24	27	51	29
39	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	20	6-6/233	`22(18th)	Dallas (NHL)	38	4	5	9	41
40	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	19	6-2/200	`23(26th)	Sudbury (OHL)	33	30	29	59	14
41	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	21	6-0/190	`21(150th)	Laval (AHL)	47	20	15	35	10
42	Jett Luchanko	Phi	C	18	5-11/185	`24(13th)	Guelph (OHL)	46	21	35	56	46
43	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	21	5-9/165	`22(46th)	Utica (AHL)	30	3	15	18	8
44	Cole Hutson	Wsh	D	18	5-10/165	`24(43rd)	Boston University (HE)	39	14	34	48	64
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	22	6-3/215	`21(31st)	Laval (AHL)	63	12	21	33	74
46	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	22	6-3/215	`21(20th)	Iowa (AHL)	27	9	14	3.59	0.879
47	Cole Eiserman	NYI	LW	18	6-0/195	`24(20th)	Boston University (HE)	39	25	11	36	27
48	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	21	6-1/185	`22(20th)	Hershey (AHL)	53	23	19	42	28
49	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	21	6-4/180	`22(21st)	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	47	2	11	13	10
50	Nate Danielson	Det	C	20	6-2/185	`23(9th)	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	12	27	39	33

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #4

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Brock Otten — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:00:10 +0000

_{LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) skates with the puck during an NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 13, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 4th (Previous Rank - 7th)
GM: Pat Verbeek Hired: February 2022
COACH: Greg Cronin Hired: June 2023

It’s been seven years since the people of Anaheim have experienced playoff hockey. While this drought may be frustrating, the silver lining is the organization has now churned out one of the more potent prospect pipelines in the entire NHL.

The Ducks have elevated their prospect pool significantly, now boasting three players in McKeen’s top 30 rankings. Leading the charge is Olen Zellweger (ranked 22nd), who made waves in his rookie campaign on the San Diego Gulls’ blueline. GM Pat Verbeek continued to stockpile talent by acquiring high-pedigree names such as Cutter Gauthier (ranked 6th) via the Jamie Drysdale trade and drafting Beckett Sennecke (ranked 28th) with the third overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft.

Zellweger, who split time between Anaheim and San Diego last season, is now competing with fellow rising star and 2023-24 graduate Pavel Mintyukov for a top four spot on the Ducks’ roating six. Gauthier, a Hobey Baker Finalist, joins the Ducks full-time after an impressive NCAA career, tallying 102 points in 73 games. He’s already made his presence felt by picking up an assist in his first NHL game. Meanwhile, Sennecke will continue his development with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL.

On the farm, prospects such as Sasha Pastujov (244th), Jan Myšák, Tyson Hinds (254th), Nathan Gaucher (201st), and Tristan Luneau (84th) are either starting or continuing to build their AHL careers with an eye on future NHL opportunities. Verbeek also added some intriguing talent to the pipeline through the draft, including defencemen Stian Solberg (88th) and Tarin Smith (269th). Both bring contrasting styles of play but add intriguing depth and versatility to the Ducks’ future defensive core.

As the team explores potential trade options for longtime goaltender John Gibson, Lukas Dostal has officially staked his claim as the NHL backup. Meanwhile, Damian Clara, the club’s 2023 second-round pick, continues to shine overseas. As a rookie goaltender in the Allsvenskan, Clara posted an incredible 25-8-0 record and went 10-1-0 in the playoffs, securing a championship and promotion to the SHL. He was named Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

The Ducks now boast one of the top prospect systems in the NHL, and their youthful core is already showing great promise. With Leo Carlsson (19), Mason McTavish (21), Pavel Mintyukov (20), Troy Terry (26), and Trevor Zegras (23) leading the charge—Zegras’s situation still to be determined—the Ducks are set for a bright future filled with skill, youth, and excitement.

Anaheim Ducks Top-15 Prospects

1. Cutter Gauthier

The Ducks and Flyers shocked the hockey world when they pulled off a blockbuster at the beginning of January. Anaheim sent often injured younger defender Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia and Philadelphia sent top prospect Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim. Gauthier was coming off a gold medal victory with Team USA at the IIHF World Juniors, a tournament where he was named the best forward and an all-star. As one of the top young players outside of the NHL, Gauthier has vaulted to the top of Anaheim’s star-studded prospect pool. He had a remarkable sophomore season for Boston College and was a Hobey Baker candidate. His 37 goals were the second most scored in the NCAA in the last 25 years. He excels as a North/South attacker because of his strong skating ability, coupled with his dynamic goal scoring ability. Whether he plays center or wing at the pro level remains to be seen, but his two-way ability also shows significant potential. Gauthier has signed with Anaheim and has a good chance of earning a top nine role this season; he is a preseason Calder favourite.

2. Olen Zellweger

Zellweger’s transition to the pro level was pretty seamless. He really gained confidence through a late season callup to Anaheim. An AHL all-star last season, Anaheim was able to be patient with Olen given their depth and position in the standings. This really helped him gain confidence in his ability to defend at the pro level, which was the only truly questionable part of his game coming into the year. There was no question that the offensive ability would translate, but could he excel in the defensive end? The answer to that question was yes…at least at the AHL level. The late season callup to the NHL proved he still has work to do to defend at that level. A tremendous four-way mover, Zellweger rarely gets boxed in the defensive zone and is a breakout machine. He also uses said mobility to quarterback the powerplay with remarkably efficiency. A heads-up passer and high IQ player, it seems inevitable at this point that Zellweger will become a high-end offensive defender at the NHL level…perhaps as early as next season. His ability to add strength and improve his physical intensity will dictate his ultimate ceiling as a two-way player.

3. Beckett Sennecke

The Ducks shocked the hockey world (and Sennecke himself) when they selected him at third overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. The lanky winger oozes upside due to his athleticism and rare combination of size and skill. On the back of a tremendous second half performance (including the playoffs), Sennecke rocketed up draft boards late in the year. The Oshawa Generals forward is the complete package as a potential power winger. He is explosive on his edges and moves well for a bigger player who has recently undergone a massive growth spurt. He is creative and skilled with the puck, capable of consistently escaping pressure. He shows well as both a goal scorer and a playmaker, exhibiting better vision and passing ability than your average bigger winger. The key for Sennecke is to bulk up to add strength to his frame, helping him be a more consistent off puck player. He will most certainly return to Oshawa this year in hopes of becoming one of the league’s elite players. He has the upside to be a longtime top six forward for Anaheim.

4. Tristan Luneau

Last season was a bit of a year to forget for Luneau. The former QMJHL defender of the year started the year well and even earned ice time in Anaheim. He was then loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships and that’s when things went downhill. Luneau contracted the flu, then acquired a serious knee infection that saw him hospitalized. This effectively ended his season. But such a flukey thing does not tarnish Luneau’s upside or his likelihood of becoming a high-end NHL defender. The strong skating, two-way defender is a high-end processor whose offensive game and puck carrying ability have improved greatly since being selected by Anaheim in the second round. He will never be confused for a physical stalwart, but he uses his mobility and defensive awareness to keep the play in front of him. Hopefully Luneau can come to camp healthy this year and battle for a roster spot again. Although last year’s issues may cause Anaheim to be patient with Luneau, meaning that an AHL stint may be in store for him just as it was for Zellweger last season.

5. Stian Solberg

Whenever a team trades up to secure a player’s rights, it’s an indication of how greatly said team coveted said player. Insert physical Norwegian defender Stian Solberg, who the Ducks moved up to 23rd to select. Much like third overall pick Beckett Sennecke, Solberg was a late riser thanks to his strong performance at the World Championships for Norway. Solberg is a modern-day shutdown defender thanks to his size, mobility, and physical approach. He flashes greater upside as an offensive player and that will be the focus for him this coming season as he leaves Norway for Sweden; he has signed to play with Farjestad of the SHL. Solberg had struggles with his decision making with the puck at times this year and will need to work to make quicker decisions under pressure. Anaheim is hoping that Solberg can grow in Sweden the same way Moritz Seider did when he left Germany to aid in his development.

6. Damian Clara

The Big Italian netminder had an excellent draft plus one year in Sweden playing for Brynas of the Allsvenskan. Despite being only 19, he established himself as one of the top netminders in the league and was subsequently named the league’s top junior (or new player/ROY). An excellent athlete for his size, Clara has terrific upside as an NHL netminder, a reason why he was selected in the second round by the Ducks last year. Next year, Clara will take his talents to the SHL with Farjestad (playing along with recent first rounder Stian Solberg); a logical stepping stone to one day playing in the NHL. Clara is an impressive athlete for a bigger netminder, but the focus will be on refining that athleticism to make him a more consistent stopper. If he can replicate his success in the SHL, he’ll push his way to the top of many goaltending prospect lists.

7. Sam Colangelo

Lots of discussion about the NCAA’s transfer portal in recent months, but it’s designed to help players like Colangelo. It was obvious that his game had plateaued at Northeastern, and a move to Western Michigan helped to truly unlock Colangelo's potential as a power forward. He led WMU in goal scoring last year and has worked hard to put himself back on the map as a potential middle six player for the Ducks in the future. After a late season signing, Colangelo actually scored his first career NHL goal and proved that he might just be ready to battle for a roster spot this coming season. His transition to the pro level should be pretty seamless given his strength, strong two-way ability, and high IQ. However, there’s also a chance that Anaheim would prefer to see him play out some time in the AHL with more offensive responsibility, rather than have him see limited minutes with the big club.

8. Nathan Gaucher

Last season was Gaucher’s first as a pro with San Diego of the AHL and the offensive numbers don’t jump off the page at you. That said, Gaucher was never drafted to be an offensive juggernaut. With terrific speed, strength, and two-way awareness, the plan all along was for him to develop into a versatile middle six player for Anaheim who could help shut down the opposition’s best. While the offensive game was inconsistent as a rookie pro, the defensive and physical components of his game still earned praise and that’s what is most important. Anaheim is likely to let Gaucher repeat in the AHL this season, with the goal of improving his offensive production. Then they can ease him into the big club’s lineup slowly in a bottom six role in the future when his offensive confidence is at its highest.

9. Rodwin Dionicio

The selection of Dionicio as a draft re-entry in 2023 is bearing some pretty spectacular fruit early on. Dionicio emerged as one of the OHL’s top defenders last year and won a Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit later in May. Dionicio is an electrifying offensive talent. He routinely carries the puck from end to end, showcasing his high-end puck skill and creativity. As a powerplay quarterback, he consistently helps to breakdown coverage with his ability to work inside, beating pressure at the point. Dionicio is also a highly physical player who has a penchant for the big hit and who makes opposing players earn touches and open space when he is on the ice. The decision making still wavers; he is and can be a high risk/high reward player. As such, the transition to the pro level could be challenging for him. However, with patience, he could become a very productive and entertaining NHL player.

10. Lucas Pettersson

A strong skating, two-way pivot, Pettersson was the 35th overall pick by the Ducks in the most recent NHL draft. He excels on both sides of the puck thanks to a high IQ. Offensively, Pettersson is equal parts goal scorer and playmaker and he has a terrific understanding of how to leverage his speed to create chances. Defensively, he competes hard in puck pursuit and can be counted upon in all situations. Despite being recently selected by Saginaw in the CHL’s Import Draft, the expectation is still that Pettersson returns to Sweden to make MoDo full time in the SHL. Even if it’s in a limited role, earning full time minutes in the SHL would be crucial for Pettersson’s development as he learns to adjust to the speed and strength of the pro game. He looks to have upside as a potential middle six contributor for Anaheim in the future.

11. Carey Terrance

Terrance is a speedy and versatile two-way forward. Moving forward, the key for Terrance is finding consistency offensively. If he can find a way to truly unlock his speed and improve his puck skill and carrying ability, Terrance could end up improving his outlook and upside as a pro. If not, he could still end up a very valuable bottom six player and penalty killer ala Paul Byron.

12. Yegor Sidorov

Sidorov just keeps getting better and it’s improving his outlook and progression as an NHL player. He upped his physical intensity level and it resulted in greater consistency as a scorer and play driver. Sidorov is highly creative with the puck and his quick release gives him great upside as a scorer at the pro level. Sidorov will turn pro next year, likely playing in the AHL in order to adjust to the pace of the pro game and the size/strength of pro level players.

13. Sasha Pastujov

His transition to the pro level has definitely been a bit of a bumpy ride. However, Pastujov closed out last year on a major high and that’s provided a lot of optimism about his future. Pastujov is still such a dangerous player in small spaces because of his quick hands and quick release. Ultimately, how much he can improve his skating and off-puck play will be the key to him becoming an NHL player in the future for the Ducks.

14. Tyson Hinds

Much to the surprise of no one, Hinds, the former winner of the QMJHL’s Kevin Lowe trophy (as the QMJHL’s top defensive defender), was an immediately impactful player on the defensive side of things at the pro level last year. However, his offensive game showed some growing pains and that will be the focus in his second pro year, to improve his decision making and confidence with the puck.

15. Maxim Masse

An early third round selection by Anaheim in 2024, Masse was originally thought to be the top player eligible from the QMJHL, but he slipped to 66th due to concerns over his pace and skating ability. A confident goal scorer, Masse will look to round out his game and improve his quickness in the QMJHL this coming season. Similar to the chance Anaheim took on Sasha Pastujov, the Ducks will be hoping Masse can eventually contribute as a middle six winger.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #7 Anaheim Ducks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Brock Otten, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 15:04:53 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) skates with the puck during an NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 13, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

The Anaheim Ducks have now missed the playoffs for six straight years, never finishing higher than sixth in their division. In the second season under GM Pat Verbeek, he continued much as he did in his first, moving out veterans at the deadline for picks and prospects. This year saw Sam Carrick and Adam Henrique end up on the Oilers for a first-round pick and a fifth. The years of futility have returned high draft pick after high draft pick and 2024 will be no different with the third overall pick. They have now picked second overall (2023 – Leo Carlsson), 10th (2022 – Pavel Mintyukov), third (2021 – Mason McTavish), sixth (2020 – Jamie Drysdale) and ninth (2019 – Trevor Zegras). All of those picks have graduated to the NHL, yet the organization ranks seventh among NHL teams in prospect strength, leaving arguably the deepest group of young potential stars in the league. Drysdale (along with a second-round pick) was moved for the 4th overall ranked affiliated prospect in Cutter Gauthier, and he is expected to make an impact in the NHL as soon as next season. A second-round pick in 2021, Olen Zellweger (ranked 15th by McKeens), is also on the cusp of making the team after appearing in 26 games last year.

The Ducks have the most graduations in the last five drafts in the NHL. That will not change anytime soon, as next year’s third overall pick will be a high-end player that should see the NHL before too long joining Gauthier and Zellweger. They are also in no danger of falling out of the rankings for the best prospect pool with seven picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft. They also have a deep pool to draw on with nine of their top ten prospects ranked with our top 200.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Cutter Gauthier	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	T(Phi-1/24)	41	38	27	65	18
2	Olen Zellweger	D	20	5-9/180	San Diego (AHL)	`21(34th)	44	12	25	37	16
					Anaheim (NHL)	`21(34th)	26	2	7	9	4
3	Tristan Luneau	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	`22(53rd)	7	1	2	3	4
					San Diego (AHL)	`22(53rd)	6	0	2	2	2
4	Nathan Gaucher	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	`22(22nd)	72	10	15	25	68
5	Rodwin Dionicio	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	`23(129th)	60	25	48	73	108
6	Damian Clara	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	`23(60th)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
7	Yegor Sidorov	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	`23(85th)	66	50	38	88	66
8	Carey Terrance	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	`23(59th)	56	29	23	52	25
9	Sam Colangelo	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`20(36th)	38	24	19	43	23
10	Sasha Pastujov	RW	20	6-0/187	San Diego (AHL)	`21(66th)	46	10	13	23	14
11	Tyson Hinds	D	21	6-3/188	San Diego (AHL)	`21(76th)	71	2	8	10	42
12	Nico Myatovic	LW	19	6-2/180	Seattle (WHL)	`23(33rd)	34	9	21	30	20
13	Coulson Pitre	RW	19	6-1/170	Flint (OHL)	`23(65th)	55	27	28	55	41
14	Noah Warren	D	19	6-4/216	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	`22(42nd)	50	6	7	13	35
15	Drew Helleson	D	23	6-3/205	San Diego (AHL)	T(Col-3/22)	59	4	14	18	44

1. Cutter Gauthier, LW, Boston College (NCAA)

The Ducks and Flyers shocked the hockey world when they pulled off a blockbuster at the beginning of January. Anaheim sent often injured young defender Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia in return for top prospect Cutter Gauthier. Coming off a gold medal victory with Team USA at the IIHF World Juniors, and named the best forward and an all-star, he has vaulted to the top of Anaheim’s star-studded prospect pool. He’s had a remarkable sophomore season for Boston College and is a Hobey Baker candidate. His 37 goals are the second most scored in the NCAA in the last 25 years. He excels as a North/South attacker because of his strong skating ability, coupled with his dynamic goal scoring ability. Whether he plays center or wing at the pro level remains to be seen, regardless where he plays, his two-way ability shows significant potential. Unquestionably turning pro at the conclusion of this season, he could be an impact player as early as next year.

2. Olen Zellweger, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Zellweger’s transition to the pro level has been pretty seamless and it resulted in a late season call up. An AHL all-star this season, Anaheim was able to be patient with Olen given their depth and position in the standings. This has helped him gain confidence in his ability to defend at the pro level, which was the only truly questionable part of his game coming into the year. There was no question about his offensive ability, but could he excel in the defensive end? The answer to that question has been yes…at least at the AHL level. A tremendous four-way mover, Zellweger rarely gets boxed in the defensive zone and is a breakout machine. He also uses said mobility to quarterback the powerplay with remarkably efficiency. A heads-up passer and high IQ player, it seems inevitable he will become a high-end offensive defender at the NHL level…perhaps as early as next season. His ability to add strength and improve his physical intensity will dictate his ultimate ceiling as a two-way player.

3. Tristan Luneau, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

It’s been a bit of a year to forget for Luneau. The former QMJHL defender of the year started well and even earned ice time in Anaheim. He was then loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships and that’s when things went downhill. Luneau contracted the flu, then acquired a serious knee infection that saw him hospitalized. This effectively ended his season. But such a flukey thing does not tarnish Luneau’s upside or his likelihood of becoming a high-end NHL defender. The strong skating, two-way defender is a high-end processor whose offensive game and puck carrying ability have improved greatly since being selected in the second round. He will never be confused for a physical stalwart, but he uses his mobility and defensive awareness to keep the play in front of him. While there is hope he can battle for a roster spot, this year’s issues may cause Anaheim to be patient, meaning that an AHL stint may be in store just as it was for Zellweger this season.

4. Nathan Gaucher, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Gaucher is finishing up his first season as a pro with San Diego of the AHL and the offensive numbers don’t jump off the page at you. That said, Gaucher was never drafted to be an offensive juggernaut. With terrific speed, strength, and two-way awareness, the plan all along was for him to develop into a versatile middle six player for Anaheim who could help shut down the opposition’s best. While the offensive game has been inconsistent as a rookie pro, the defensive and physical components of his game have still earned praise and that’s what is most important. Anaheim is likely to let Gaucher repeat in the AHL next season, with the goal of improving his offensive production. Then they can ease him into the big club’s lineup slowly in a bottom six role in the future when his offensive confidence is at its highest.

5. Rodwin Dionicio, D, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

The selection of Dionicio as a draft re-entry last year is bearing some pretty spectacular fruit early on. Dionicio has emerged as one of the OHL’s top defenders and will be playing for a Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit later in May. Dionicio is an electrifying offensive talent. He routinely carries the puck from end to end, showcasing his high-end puck skill and creativity. As a powerplay quarterback, he consistently helps to breakdown coverage with his ability to work inside, beating pressure at the point. Dionicio is also a highly physical player who has a penchant for the big hit and who makes opposing players earn touches and open space when he is on the ice. The decision making still wavers; he is and can be a high risk/high reward player. As such, the transition to the pro level could be challenging for him. However, with patience, he could become a very productive and entertaining NHL player.

6. Damian Clara, G, Brynas IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)

The Big Italian netminder has had an excellent draft plus one year in Sweden playing for Brynas of the Allsvenskan. Despite being only 19, he established himself as one of the top netminders in the league and was subsequently named the league’s top junior (or new player/ROY). He also helped Brynas get promoted to the SHL after posting a .931 SV% and a 1.68 GAA in the Allsvenskan playoffs. An excellent athlete for his size, Clara has terrific upside as an NHL netminder, a reason why he was selected in the second round by the Ducks last year. Next year, Clara will take his talents to the SHL with Farjestad; a logical stepping stone to one day playing in the NHL. If he can replicate his success in the SHL, he’ll push his way to the top of many goaltending prospect lists.

7. Yegor Sidorov, RW, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Sidorov just keeps getting better and it’s improving his outlook and progression as an NHL player. His 50 goals this year for Saskatoon put him in a tie for fourth in the WHL. Sidorov also currently leads the WHL playoffs in goal scoring, as of writing this profile. He upped his physical intensity level and it resulted in greater consistency as a scorer and play driver. Sidorov is highly creative with the puck and his quick release gives him great upside as a scorer at the pro level. Recently signed by the Ducks, Sidorov will turn pro next year, likely playing in the AHL in order to adjust to the pace of the pro game and the size/strength of pro level players. Realistically, Sidorov is a bit of a boom or bust prospect. His goal scoring prowess will either translate to the NHL level and he'll end up as a top six forward and powerplay option, or he'll end up overseas as a scoring option in a Euro league.

8. Carey Terrance, C, Erie Otters (OHL)

One of the OHL’s most underrated players, Terrance had a good year for the Erie Otters even if he failed to hit the point per game mark. Because of his speed and strong two-way commitment level, he brings such versatility to his coaches. Offensively, his best asset is his shot, something that helped him score 29 goals and lead Erie in goal scoring this year. Terrance also was a member of the U.S.’ gold medal winning WJC squad, but he did not see game action. Moving forward, the key for Terrance is finding consistency offensively. If he can find a way to truly unlock his speed and improve his puck skill and carrying ability, Terrance could end up improving his outlook and upside as a pro. If not, he could still end up a very valuable bottom six player and penalty killer ala Paul Byron.

9. Sam Colangelo, RW, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

Lots of discussion about the NCAA’s transfer portal in recent months, but it’s designed to help players like Colangelo. It was obvious that his game had plateaued at Northeastern, and a move to Western Michigan helped to truly unlock Colangelo's potential as a power forward. He led WMU in goal scoring this year and has worked hard to put himself back on the map as a potential middle six player for the Ducks in the future. Recently signed, Colangelo finished out the year at the pro level with Anaheim and San Diego, even scoring his first NHL goal. He did not look out of place, which should come as no surprise given that his transition to the pro level should be pretty seamless because of his strength, strong two-way ability, and high IQ.

10. Sasha Pastujov, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Given Pastujov’s lack of dynamic skating ability, there was certainly some concern heading into his first pro season this year. Just how well would he transition to the AHL? It’s definitely been a bit of a bumpy ride. The first half was mired with inconsistency and a lower body injury, but he actually closed out the year on a major high and that’s provided a lot of optimism about his future. Pastujov is still such a dangerous player in small spaces because of his quick hands and quick release. He’s active in puck pursuit in the offensive end and continues to work hard to improve his quickness. Ultimately, how much he can improve his skating and off puck play will be the key to him becoming an NHL player in the future for the Ducks.

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 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #2

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 13:44:48 +0000

Anaheim Ducks Top 20 Prospects

MONTREAL, QC - JULY 07: Anaheim Ducks pick Pavel Mintyukov shakes Gary Bettman hand during the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 07, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

1. Leo Carlsson - C

Probably one of the most NHL-ready players coming out of the 2023 draft, it was clear that the well-built 6’3” forward was a certainty to be selected between the 2nd and 6th overall pick this summer. But when Anaheim announced his name as the second overall pick, there was a sense of surprise in the air at Bridgestone Arena. The selection becomes less surprising when one considers that Carlsson has been playing SHL hockey since he was a wiry 16-year-old putting up 3-6-9 (G-A-P) numbers in 35 SHL games while already statistically dominating Sweden’s U20 circuit. Now ranked as Anaheim’s top prospect, Carlsson is coming off a year in which his 10-15-25 numbers in 44 regular season games had him only behind Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Elias Lindholm, and Niklas Backstrom (just barely) for the best ever season among first year draft-eligible players in Sweden’s top league pro league. He then proceeded to add nine playoff points to his totals. His season was further rounded off by another 3-3-6 and +5 numbers over seven WJC contests before checking in with 3-2-5 over eight games at the men’s WC. With an ELC in his pocket, a full-time move to North America could happen as soon as this fall.

2. Pavel Mintyukov - LW

The Ducks are surely over the moon that they were able to land a prospect of Mintyukov' caliber with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Not only does he possess an enormous amount of raw skill, but he also has an ideal frame and doesn't have any significant weaknesses. He went from playing on a high-flying, firewagon Saginaw team to a much more structured Ottawa club, finishing the season leading all OHL defenders in assists (64) and points (88) and winning the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. He shines the brightest with his offensive play and boy does he shine bright, but with the right development work he could become a premiere off-puck defender as well. If he reaches his full ceiling, he will be a true number-one defenseman who logs boatloads of ice time and contributes significantly on both sides of special teams.

3. Lukas Dostal - G

Sometimes playing on a bad team — or even two bad teams — can have its advantages. Both the Ducks and their AHL-affiliate San Diego Gulls squads struggled last season, which made it easier to give more starts to their hotshot young netminder to see what he can do. As it turns out, Dostal can do a lot, even with little to work with. That's not exactly a surprise, given his prior success in Europe, but it's been strongly reinforced more recently. His stats and record last season don't tell the whole story, as he faced high quantity – many of which were high quality - shots at both levels, pulling out some heroic performances to keep games close and even steal a few wins. He's fast, flexible, and does a great job of being controlled with his movements. His mental game is sharp and focused, while also equally competitive and calm. After getting 19 NHL games last season, look for Dostal to make the permanent jump this campaign.

4. Olen Zellweger - D

When you're a small defenseman you have to be very good in multiple areas in order to be successful in the NHL. Luckily for Zellweger (and the Ducks), not only is he good in multiple areas, but he’s also flat-out exceptional in them. His ability to see the ice and read the play in front of him is almost unparalleled for his age group, and he applies that across all 200 feet of ice, whether that's breaking pucks out of his own end, carrying them through the neutral zone, or picking spots to attack offensively. He's poised under pressure but can also unleash a killer instinct. The two-time winner of the WHL’s Top Defenseman Trophy and 2022-23 CHL Defender of the Year, Zellweger is poised to step into the pros and continue standing out.

5. Tristan Luneau - D

Luneau was the first overall pick in the 2020 QMJHL draft, and it's fair to say that he didn't quite live up to those expectations in his first two years in the league. However, the foundation was always there for him to break out, and he did that in a huge way last season, exploding for a team-high 83 points in 65 games and leading Gatineau to one of the best records in the league, resulting in him being named the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year. There's so much to like about his game: his hockey sense is impressive, he has size and reach, his footwork is clean and mechanically sound, he's dangerous with the puck, and he relishes being a leader and top player on his team. There are a lot of different directions where his game can evolve from here.

6. Nathan Gaucher - C

Gaucher plays a very specific style of hockey and fills a very specific kind of role, but his value comes from the fact that he's one of the best prospects in all of junior hockey who regularly takes on that kind of workload and assignment. He's a shutdown center through and through, with everything that entails including lots of penalty killing, closing out leads late in games, taking important faceoffs, defensive matchups against the top players on opposing teams, and dishing out some snarl and physical punishment. All of it culminated in him being named the Best Defensive Forward in the QMJHL last season en route to QMJHL and Memorial Cup championships. He scored at a point-per-game clip in the QMJHL, but that won't be a big part of his game at higher levels. What Gaucher does might not be glamorous work, but he was a first-round pick by the Ducks and appeared in two World Juniors with Canada because he makes a big difference with how he plays.

7. Jacob Perreault - RW

Perrault had a choice of where to play during the 2021-22 season: stay in the AHL under the continued transfer exemption caused by COVID-19, or head back to the OHL. He chose to stay in the AHL and after a season of seemingly stalled progression you may wonder if it was the wrong choice. His raw natural ability in the offensive zone has always been apparent, especially as someone who can finish plays by getting the puck into the back of the net. The questions have always been about his all-around play and transitioning his scoring from a junior style to more of a professional style. As of right now, those questions remain unanswered. In fairness, some injury troubles and a bad team around him haven't helped. There is still untapped potential with Perreault, but the path is steeper than it was previously.

8. Jackson Lacombe - D

LaCombe's 2022-23 season ended in heartbreak, as his top-ranked University of Minnesota team was eliminated in the Frozen Four championship game by Quinnipiac. Even worse, he was on the ice for the overtime goal that sealed it. But you can't fault him for the loss, because he played his heart out, including blocking a shot with his face earlier in the game. That's not a fun way to end an NCAA career, but he is more than ready now to turn pro. Heck, he might even jump straight into the Ducks lineup, because the roster space is certainly there. He is an impressive skater, two-way contributor, fierce competitor, and natural leader, all of which are always valued in the NHL. He doesn't project as a true power play quarterback, but he'll be a guy who finds ways to produce points from the back end.

9. Tyson Hinds - D

Hinds had size and athleticism going for him in his draft year, while the other main elements of his game were still works in progress. But work on them he did, with the help of Anaheim's development staff. A season and a half later he made Canada's roster for the World Juniors, which is an impressive amount of growth for the former third-round pick. The Ducks selected him for his long-term upside, but this much growth this quickly probably surprises even them. The current package he brings is very enticing, adding much-improved puck skill and 200-foot play to his existing size and athleticism. Defensemen like Hinds eat a lot of minutes because they are so versatile. His floor is very high, and the ceiling keeps looking higher and higher as time goes on.

10. Nico Myatovic - LW

Myatovic's game is built primarily around strength and power, and he has an abundance of both. There aren't many, if any, better forecheckers in all of junior hockey. He chases after dump-ins with the momentum of a runaway freight train, and if he can't cleanly win the footrace to the puck, he's more than happy to land a crushing body check or use his long reach to disrupt the opposing defender's attempt at escaping. He's also an expert at killing penalties and defending empty net situations for similar reasons, aggressively applying pressure high in the zone and routinely forcing the puck out and down the ice. It's not like he's a black hole offensively, either. He can handle the puck well enough at full speed to contribute on the rush, and he is legitimately dangerous around the goal mouth because he does such a great job fighting to get there and then to stay there. The way he plays isn't glamorous, but he brings a lot of value to a roster, as evidenced by how much of a difference-maker he was with the Seattle Thunderbirds in their 2023 WHL championship run.

11. Carey Terrance - C

A versatile forward who brings an element of speed, Terrance plays a high energy, two-way game but has upside as a scorer. He returns to the Erie Otters this year as part of a strong, young group on the upswing.

12. Drew Helleson - D

A defense first defender who just completed his first pro year and even got in a few games with Anaheim. With his length and mobility from the right side, Helleson profiles as a steady #4-5 who can anchor a penalty kill and pair well with an aggressive offensive type. He could challenge for a roster spot this year.

13. Noah Warren - D

Recently moved to Victoriaville, the move should help Warren gain more offensive responsibility to help him round out his profile in his final junior season. The former high pick still profiles as a physical, stay-at-home type and still has top four upside.

14. Coulson Pitre - RW

A recent 3rd round selection by the Ducks, Pitre is a competitive, complementary winger. His hockey sense is a major strength and it allows him to pair well with higher skilled play drivers, as he opens up space for them. Should be a go-to offensive player in Flint (OHL) this year.

15. Sasha Pastujov - RW

The real test for Pastujov begins this coming season at the pro level. He has torched the OHL but there are still concerns over his lack of pace and overall skating affecting his transition to the next level. The upside is still high, and this season should give us an indication of how far away he truly is.

16. Calle Clang - G

Acquired from Pittsburgh in the Rakell trade, Clang got his first, small taste of the AHL last year and will continue with San Diego full time in 2023-24. He is unquestionably Anaheim’s top goaltending prospect after Dostal right now and will be given ample time to continue developing.

17. Benoit Olivier Groulx - C

Time is running out for Groulx, a former high selection and QMJHL star. He is no longer exempt from waivers and this upcoming training camp will be a huge one for him. His offensive game has yet to truly develop at the pro level, but he can still offer value as a defensively oriented checker on the bottom lines.

18. Ian Moore - D

Moore, an athletic two-way defender, has progressed well at Harvard through his first two years in college. He is returning for his junior year and the Ducks will be looking for him to take another step offensively. He still likely projects as more of a Drew Helleson-esque stay at home type.

19. Brayden Tracey - LW

This upcoming season will be a huge one for the former first round pick. A talented goal scorer, Tracey’s offensive production at the AHL level has been disappointing thus far. He has had trouble adjusting to the pace of the pro game. His days in the system could be numbered if he does not take a step forward this year.

20. Sam Colangelo - RW

Colangelo is hoping that a transfer to Western Michigan (from Northeastern) for his senior year can help him unlock his potential as a dominant two-way winger. He uses his size well to be disruptive and to protect the puck, but his on-puck play and production has remained inconsistent. He still has middle six upside.