Zeev Buium – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fallout from the Quinn Hughes trade, Connor Bedard’s injury, the Maple Leafs’ stars are slumping, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:50:22 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 16: Minnesota Wild defensemen Quinn Hughes (43) back-checks during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals on December 16, 2025, at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the fallout from the Quinn Hughes trade, Connor Bedard’s injury, the Maple Leafs’ stars are slumping, and so much more!

#1 The Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild made a monstrous trade last week with the Wild acquiring standout defenceman Quinn Hughes, sending centre Marco Rossi, defender Zeev Buium, left winger Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick to Vancouver. Hughes has 25 points (3 G, 22 A) in 29 games, his 0.86 points per game ranking ninth among defencemen. He is also being thrust into a big role with the Wild. He played a career-high 32:02 in Thursday’s win at Columbus, the most by an NHL player in a game decided in regulation this season.

#2 One of the things that the Canucks needed in a Hughes deal was to upgrade their centre position. With Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil injured, the Canucks did not have much firepower down the middle of the ice and even if they were healthy, Pettersson has not been delivering peak performance and Chytil was still trying to establish that he could be a bona fide second-line centre. Marco Rossi at least has the credentials to fit in a team’s top six. He has been hurt this season and has been held off the scoresheet in his first two games for the Canucks, but he does have 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 19 games and he had a career-high 60 points (24 G, 36 A) last season. With Petterson out, Rossi is centering Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser on Vancouver’s top line. It’s not as good as centering Kirill Kaprizov, but still a decent opportunity to generate offense.

#3 Perhaps the most intriguing piece going to Vancouver is that of 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium. He had 98 points (24 G, 74 A) in 83 games across two seasons at the University of Denver before joining the Wild late last season and he played in four playoff games for Minnesota. As a rookie, he has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 33 games, including two points in two games with Vancouver, and he is effectively taking over from Hughes on the Canucks’ top power play unit, so there is an excellent chance for Buium to step into a bigger role and thrive. It’s a super small sample, but his average ice time has increased two-and-a-half minutes per game in Vancouver compared to Minnesota.

#4 The upshot of the trade for Minnesota, when it comes to centre ice, is that Joel Eriksson Ek resumes his position of primary importance for the Wild. Eriksson Ek has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. Rookie Danila Yurov is showing that he can handle more responsibility, too, contributing 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past 14 games, so the Wild can run those two in the top two centre spots while continuing to look for potential upgrades.

#5 Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard has been on a tear in his third NHL campaign, putting up 44 points (19 G, 25 A) in 31 games, but he is on the shelf for a bit after suffering a shoulder injury in the final second of last week’s loss at St. Louis. Bedard is out for the rest of the month, to be re-evaluated in January. He obviously would like to be ready to go for the Winter Olympics, but in the meantime, the Blackhawks will try to fill that gaping hole in their lineup. Frank Nazar has moved up to the top line, skating between Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky, with veteran Jason Dickinson moving into the second-line centre role. Nazar had been slumping, with zero points in six games, before scoring in Thursday’s loss at Montreal.

#6 Trouble appears to be hovering around the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they have two wins in their past six games. Auston Matthews has nine points (5 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games, which is far better than the Leafs’ other big guns. William Nylander has zero goals, four assists, and 11 shots on goal in eight games this month. John Tavares has one assist and 12 shots on goal in his past seven games. Matthew Knies has one assist and 11 shots on goal in his past six games. When the stars are struggling like this, there may not be any coach that can have success, but it’s going to be worth keeping an eye on Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube because if he can’t get this fixed, a new voice could be on the way.

#7 It has been a real season for growth for Florida Panthers centre Anton Lundell, thrust into a bigger role when Aleksander Barkov was injured in the preseason. Lundell has seen his ice time climb from 16:43 per game last season to over 19 minutes per game this season and while there have been some ebbs and flows in terms of productivity, he does have seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games, giving him 27 points (11 G, 16 A) in 33 games this season.

#8 San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini is enjoying a spectacular sophomore season, with 53 points (18 G, 35 A) in 35 games but he’s not available, certainly on the waiver wire and not under many trade circumstances, either, but it could be worth tracking his wingers. With Will Smith injured, Collin Graf is skating on Celebrini’s right wing and Graf has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games. On the left wing is Igor Chernyshov, a second-round pick in 2024 who had 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 25 AHL games to earn his promotion to the big club and has chipped in a couple of assists and four shots on goal in his first two games. Both Graf and Chernyshov are worth a look, depending on how deep your league runs.

#9 When the Carolina Hurricanes signed Nikolaj Ehlers as a free agent in the offseason, it seemed like it would be a good fit, between a player who drives play and a team that has excelled in terms of outshooting opponents. Then the season started and Ehlers had no points through five games, and didn’t score his first goal until Game 12, but he has found his groove. He has 19 points (8 G, 11 A) with 58 shots on goal in his past 22 games. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis are the only Hurricanes forwards with more points and both play more than 19 minutes per game while Ehlers is averaging 16:27 of ice time per game.

#10 Seattle Kraken centre Chandler Stephenson got off to a slow start this season, managing a dozen points (4 G, 8 A) and 33 shots on goal in his first 25 games. Even as the season is slipping away from the Kraken, Stephenson has seven points (3 G, 4 A) with 20 shots on goal during a seven-game point streak. He is getting first unit power play time in Seattle, though his current wingers are Eeli Tolvanen and Frederick Gaudreau.

#11 Following a lukewarm start to his time with the Detroit Red Wings, goaltender John Gibson looks like he’s rounding into form. In his past five starts, all wins, he has a couple of shutouts and a .946 save percentage, giving him a slight statistical edge over Cam Talbot in the Red Wings’ timeshare in the crease.

#12 Veteran centre Alexander Wennberg is filling a big role for the Sharks. With some injuries up front, the 31-year-old pivot who is known for his solid two-way play, is handling more offensive responsibilities. In his past six games, Wennberg has nine points (2 G, 7 A) with 13 shots on goal, while averaging 20:30 of ice time per game. With William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli on his wings, Wennberg has more skilled linemates than he usually has and, with 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 35 games, he has a shot at his first 40-point season since 2016-2017.

#13 Ottawa Senators centre Dylan Cozens has had some bad luck on his way to getting outscored 21-14 during five-on-five play. The Senators carry play with him on the ice (53.7 CF%), but he has a .879 on-ice save percentage and that’s difficult to overcome. In his past five games, Cozens has produced seven points (1 G, 6 A) with 16 shots on goal while playing nearly 19 minutes per game, so he’s a valuable player for the Sens, even if goal differential is not working in his favour right now.

#14 Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson appears to be gearing up for the Winter Olympics. Since the calendar flipped to December, Karlsson has delivered 10 points (2 G, 8 A) with 31 shots on goal in nine games. He has also played 26:42 per game in that span, vintage ice time numbers for a 35-year-old defender on a team that is sitting outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

#15 One of the relative success stories in Pittsburgh this season has been Anthony Mantha, the towering winger who was signed as a free agent in the summer after he missed most of last season in Calgary with a torn ACL. Mantha has eight points (2 G, 6 A) and 22 shots on goal in his past nine games, giving him 22 points (11 G, 11 A) in 33 games. The last time he finished a season with a rate of two points every three games was in 2019-2020, so the Penguins have to be pleased with how their low-risk investment has turned out.

#16 Expectations are understandably modest for a 20-year-old rookie defenceman, just trying to get established in the league, so it’s not like Detroit Red Wings blueliner Axel Sandin-Pellikka is a high recommendation for fantasy managers. It’s more like keep an eye on this guy because this 2023 first-round pick might have a bright future. In his past eight games, he has seven points (2 G, 5 A) with nine shots on goal. A couple of those points have come via the power play, and he is getting time on PP2, so he's just scratching the surface.

#17 The all-time goal scoring leader in the National Hockey League is in a slump. Alex Ovechkin has no goals and two assists in his past six games, with 17 shots on goal in that time. That shot rate isn’t bad for most players, but it’s down for a noted volume shooter like Ovechkin. He is 40 years old, so there is plenty of reason to believe that he’s declining, but before this slump he had 14 goals in 28 games, so this decline is more recent. This slump has affected Dylan Strome, too, as the playmaking centre has just three points (1 G, 2 A) and 18 shot on goal in his past 13 games.

#18 New York Islanders centre Bo Horvat is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, a big loss to the Islanders as he leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 31 points. Mathew Barzal moves up the depth chart to fill the top line centre spot with Horvat out, but the bigger jump is that rookie Calum Ritchie is centering the second line, between Anthony Duclair and Maxim Shabanov. Ritchie has four points (2 G, 2 A) and seven shots on goal in his past eight games. He’s still trying to establish solid footing in the league, but this could be a good opportunity for him.

#19 Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper suffered an injury in a collision with Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen and that’s big deal because Kuemper has been excellent this season. His .917 save percentage ranks fourth among goaltenders with at least 20 starts. In his absence Anton Forsberg should get most of the starts, and the Kings have called up veteran Pheonix Copley, who had a .885 save percentage in 13 AHL games.

#20 Injuries continue to pile up in St. Louis, where Dylan Holloway is now out for six weeks with a lower-body injury, joining Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Nick Bjugstad on the injured list. That has brought some new faces into the Blues’ top nine. Robby Fabbri isn’t exactly a new face, having played for the Blues from 2015-2016 through 2019-2020, but he’s back after not having an NHL job at the start of the season. The Blues called up 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg from the AHL and claimed Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. None of those players is worth of much fantasy love at the moment but they’re getting chances that they weren’t before all of these injuries hit the Blues.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – This week, the good and the bad with the Ottawa Senators, a young Ducks centre steps into the spotlight, a Wild rookie offering upside on the blueline, and a Red Wings veteran who is ready to find the net.

Scott Cullen — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 21:13:15 +0000

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 24: Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium (8) skates with the puck during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild on April 24th, 2025, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the good and the bad with the Ottawa Senators, a young Ducks centre steps into the spotlight, a Wild rookie offering upside on the blueline, and a Red Wings veteran who is ready to find the net.

#1 With six goals in five games, Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto is tied with Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev for the early goal-scoring lead in the National Hockey League. While he is obviously not going to continue at a 98-goal pace, Pinto does have some underlying factors that could help this become his best season in the NHL. The first is that his ice time is up nearly a minute per game from last season and the second is that his rate of shots per game has climbed from 1.81 last season to 3.0 per game early this season. It’s the consistent shot generation that helps to keep production sustainable.

#2 The more immediate concern for the Senators is that team captain Brady Tkachuk will be out from six-to-eight weeks following thumb surgery. Tkachuk is not easily replaced, because there are so few players of his size and physical nature that can also produce offensively. Ridly Greig is getting a chance alongside Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux on Ottawa’s top line, and there is enough time for him to show what he can do in a bigger role.

#3 After making steady progress through his first two NHL seasons, Anaheim Ducks centre Leo Carlsson could be ready to bust out in his third season. He has started the year with six points (2 G, 4 A) and 13 shots on goal in four games. He currently has veterans Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn on his wings, but Carlsson has had success with Troy Terry on his wing and, last season, thrived with Cutter Gauthier. There are options for the Ducks, but it appears that 20-year-old Carlsson might be ready to be the driving force on his line.

#4 Expectations have been very high for Minnesota Wild defenceman Zeev Buium since he was taken with the 12th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He had 98 points (24 G, 74 A) in 83 games in two seasons at the University of Denver, but he has started with five points (1 G, 4 A) in four games this season for the Wild and, crucially, is quarterbacking Minnesota’s first power play unit.

#5 He has yet to score a goal through four games, but the rest of his numbers are very encouraging for Detroit Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat. He has generated 32 shot attempts and 15 shots on goal to go along with six assists in four games. That shot rate of 3.75 per game would be the highest rate of his career, despite fewer than half of his attempts making it on net. Prior to this season, he had hit the net on 54.3 percent of his shot attempts, so he is only down a little in this small sample, but he is putting up eight shot attempts per game and his previous career high during a full season was just under 5.9 shot attempts per game, so the opportunities are there and it’s fair to expect the goals to follow.

#6 As noted above, Chris Kreider is spending most of his time skating on Leo Carlsson’s wing in Anaheim, and he’s getting results early with five points (4 G, 1 A) and 12 shots on goal in four games. In all of his seasons with the Rangers, Kreider managed to average three shots on goal per game just twice and those were the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 seasons, when he scored 52 and 39 goals, respectively, the two best goal-scoring seasons of his career. If playing with Carlsson helps keep Kreider’s shot rate at this level, he could be primed for a bounce-back season with the Ducks.

#7 It’s not as though fantasy managers will be unaware of Washington Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas who broke through with 30 goals and 66 points last season, but one of the concerns about his production was that he was very dependent on percentages, scoring on 21.1 percent of his shots, and a lofty 14.3 on-ice shooting percentage at five-on-five. He is still getting those high percentages on his way to five points (3 G, 2 A) in Washington’s first four games, but he also has 13 shots on goal and is playing 18:55 per game, both of which are notably higher than last season when he averaged fewer than two shots on goal per game and played 16:27 per game.

#8 It’s easy enough to get underrated when playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, given the state of the team these days, but veteran winger Teuvo Teravainen is off to a nice start with six points (1 G, 5 A) in five games, though he has managed just three shots on goal. He’s more playmaker than shooter, but that total is still low. Nevertheless, Teravainen does seem to have a good thing going early in the year on a line with Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi, so it’s worth keeping an eye on his production.

#9 A couple of power play assists early helped to jumpstart Pavel Zacha’s season for the Boston Bruins. He has five points (1 G, 4 A) in five games while skating on a line with Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson at even strength, but Zacha is on Boston’s top power play unit and the opportunity to share the ice with David Pastrnak is a critical factor to point production for any Bruins skaters, it seems. Zacha is not a volume shooter, having never recorded even 150 shots on goal in a season, but four shots on goal in five games this season is still rather low.

#10 Seattle Kraken left winger Jared McCann is one of the more established goal scorers on the roster and is off to a nice start with four points (3 G, 1 A) in four games this season. Skating on Seattle’s top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, McCann has recorded 14 shots on goal and 28 shot attempts, both of which represent higher per-game rates (3.5 shots, 7.0 shot attempts) than he has been able to sustain in his career, so even if McCann isn’t going to keep scoring on a pace of 60-plus goals, he is getting the underlying numbers that will support strong offensive production.

#11 Seeking a fresh start in Philadelphia with John Tortorella no longer behind the bench, veteran Flyers centre Sean Couturier has seen his ice time jump by a couple of minutes per game compared to last season and he has five points (2 G, 3 A) with six shots on goal through four games. He has been on the wrong end of the shot counts early, with a 41.4 percent Corsi, but shot quality has played in Couturier’s favor with a 51.1 percent expected goals percentage during five-on-five play. Couturier last topped 50 points in a season back in 2019-2020, but he’s skating with Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov on Philadelphia’s top line, so he ought to have a chance to get there this season.

#12 When the Nashville Predators collapsed last season, some of their high-profile free agent signings ended up with lacklustre production. For example, Jonathan Marchessault went from 42 goals in Vegas in 2023-2024 to 21 goals for Nashville last season. Early this season, Marchessault has four points (2 G, 2 A) in five games, but his 15 shots on goal and 26 shot attempts move closer to the years of his best production in Vegas, so maybe that’s a positive sign for Nashville as a team and Marchessault when it comes to his individual production.

#13 With four goals in four games, it would be very easy to get excited about St. Louis Blues left winger Jake Neighbours. He has moved up to the top line, with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, so that’s encouraging, too, but Neighbours’ ice time is down nearly a minute-and-a-half per game from last season, and he has just six shots on goal in four games. If he’s going to stick with Thomas and Buchnevich, that is probably reason enough to be optimistic but be a little bit wary of his underlying performance.

#14 Coming off of a 41-point season, with his lowest points per game since 2016-2017, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly was a bit of a buy-low option coming into the season. He also had some upside because, with Mitch Marner leaving for Vegas, there was room for Rielly to quarterback Toronto’s No. 1 power play unit again. Thus far, Rielly has delivered, putting up five points (1 G, 4 A) and 14 shots on goal in five games. Rielly has only surpassed 200 shots in a season twice in his career, so that shot rate is very encouraging.

#15 A bargain acquisition in the offseason from the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators defenceman Jordan Spence has been excellent in the early going for the Senators. He has contributed four assists and seven shots on goal in three games and while he is averaging 18:30 of ice time per game, Spence is also dominating his five-on-five minutes, with a Corsi percentage of 67.6 percent and an expected goals percentage of 78.2 percent. It’s not going to be easy to get power play time with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot ahead of him on the depth chart, so maybe that limits Spence’s upside, but he is worth keeping tabs on.

#16 With the New York Rangers losing centre Vincent Trocheck to an upper-body injury that will keep him out a month, Mika Zibanejad has moved back into the middle of the ice for the Blueshirts. That has created an opening on the right wing in New York’s top six, and veteran winger Conor Sheary is getting a look in that role. He only has one assist and eight shots on goal in six games, but his ice time has gone up, and he has averaged 17:57 time on ice per game in his past two contests. It’s not enough to warrant picking up Sheary, but worth seeing if he can make the most of his opportunity.

#17 The Rangers have had huge problems scoring early in the season, managing just 11 goals through six games. Zibanejad has one goal on 24 shots, Alexis Lafreniere has one goal on 21 shots and Will Cuylle has one goal on 17 shots. These are players skating in top six roles. Add in Artemi Panarin with zero goals on 13 shots and J.T. Miller with one goal in 10 shots, and the most encouraging aspect for the Rangers is that these guys can’t all keep shooting at such low percentages. Eventually, the dam will break and pucks will start to go in the net, so maybe the Rangers offer some buy-low opportunities right now.

#18 Some players have just been snakebit early. Here are the players with the highest individual expected goals total in all situations that have yet to score. Number one is Connor McDavid with 2.29 ixG, followed by David Tomasek (2.09), Alex DeBrincat (2.04), Connor McMichael (1.96), and Nick Suzuki (1.94). The takeaway for any of them is that they are due to start scoring. As any slumping goal-scorer will tell you, they worry more when they aren’t getting the chances and these players are getting chances.

#19 At the other end of the spectrum, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Calle Jarnkrok has scored three goals despite recording just 0.5 individual expected goals, suggesting that he may not continue at his current goal-scoring pace. He is averaging 11:08 of ice time per game and has eight shots on goal, so expectations would be understandably modest, but those goals are not necessarily the product of lots of great opportunities.

#20 With Mackenzie Blackwood recovering from injury, Scott Wedgewood has been excellent in goal for the Avalanche, earning 4.71 goals saved above expected (GSAx) in four starts. Other goalies excelling early: Igor Shesterkin (7.20 GSAx), Thatcher Demko (5.38 GSAx), and Spencer Knight (3.74 GSAx). On the other hand, Linus Ullmark (-4.09 GSAx), Dustin Wolf (-4.04 GSAx), Alex Nedeljkovic (-3.65 GSAx), Adin Hill (-3.05 GSAx), and Samuel Montembeault (-2.81 GSAx) are goalies that have started multiple games and have allowed the most goals relative to expectations. It is very early, but good to have this information when evaluating goalie options.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

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 Calder Trophy Candidates

Brock Otten — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:15:15 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) waits for a face-off during his first NHL debut game during game five of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on May 15, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Ivan Demidov - RW - Montreal Canadiens

At this point, Demidov is the runaway favourite to capture this year’s Calder trophy. One of the top prospects in all of hockey is situated to have a huge offensive role for the Canadiens and obviously has the skill to put up points. The last time an NHL franchise had back-to-back Calder winners? 1967 and 1968 when Derek Sanderson and Bobby Orr captured rookie of the year for the Bruins.

Alexander Nikishin - D - Carolina Hurricanes

It must be nice when you’re a competitive team and you have a veteran pro defender that you can slot directly into your lineup as a potential impact player…on an ELC. Nikishin led all defensemen in scoring in the KHL two of the last three seasons and should get immediate ice time and responsibility in Carolina. The last time a defenseman has won the Calder trophy in back-to-back years? 1963 and 1964 when Kent Douglas and Jacques Laperrière won.

Ryan Leonard - RW - Washington Capitals

After signing late last year, Leonard jumped right into the Capitals lineup and played a role into the playoffs for Washington. The offensive production wasn’t significant; a single goal in 17 games including the playoffs. However, Leonard should be able to take on a larger role this year and it’s why the rugged, power winger is an early season Calder favourite.

Jimmy Snuggerud - RW - St. Louis Blues

Like Ryan Leonard, Snuggerud jumped right into St. Louis’ lineup from the NCAA at the end of the year. However, unlike Leonard, Snuggerud was an immediate offensive contributor. You could easily make the argument that he was one of St. Louis’ best players in the playoffs. He should carry that momentum into a prominent role with the Blues this year.

Zeev Buium - D - Minnesota Wild

Another high-profile NCAA player who jumped into the postseason lineup for his team after signing. Buium is likely to not only crack the Minnesota lineup this year but see powerplay time. He’s going to try to replicate what Lane Hutson did in Montreal last year and he has the talent to do it.

Sam Rinzel - D - Chicago Blackhawks

The most underrated Calder candidate heading into the season. Rinzel was exceptional for Chicago after signing late last season. He was seeing over 23 minutes per game, including over two on the powerplay and that led to some solid production. Don’t be surprised if that continues.

Zayne Parekh - D - Calgary Flames

While Parekh isn’t a lock to make the Calgary roster, there’s definitely an opening for him if he has a strong training camp. He’ll need to prove that he can defend at the NHL level, but if Calgary keeps him up, you know that they’ll give him powerplay time. We wrote similar things about Lane Hutson last year.

Maxim Shabanov - C - New York Islanders

Just how will Shabanov’s game translate to the NHL level? That’s the million-dollar question. We’ve seen some great success stories from KHL free agents in the last decade, but also others who don’t last the season. Shabanov will be given every opportunity to showcase his skill on a scoring line this year. What he does with that opportunity remains to be seen.

Michael Misa - C - San Jose Sharks

This is the part of the list where we hit the longer shots. The second overall pick in the 2025 draft is probably looking at a 50/50 chance to crack the Sharks roster full time. But, if he does, he’s going to be put in a scoring line role and have a chance to put up some great numbers.

Yaroslav Askarov - G - San Jose Sharks

Alexander Georgiev is gone, and Alex Nedeljkovic has been brought in to split time with the much-hyped Askarov. He’s plenty talented, but the question is…will the Sharks be good enough for his stat line to be impressive enough to win the Calder? It seems unlikely.

Sam Dickinson - D - San Jose Sharks

San Jose brought in some veteran defenders to help them reach the cap floor this year and that is going to make it more difficult for Dickinson to make the San Jose roster full time. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place; too good for the OHL, but unable to play in the AHL.

Ville Koivunen - LW - Pittsburgh Penguins

There’s definitely an opening in Pittsburgh for a younger player to come into camp and capture a role on a scoring line. The best chance at that could be Koivunen, who had a tremendous AHL season last year. If he plays alongside Sidney Crosby, what type of numbers would we be looking at?

Matt Savoie - RW - Edmonton Oilers

What was said about Koivunen goes double for Savoie; there’s a chance that one of Edmonton’s young wingers could get the opportunity to play with either McDavid or Draisaitl. Savoie had a solid first pro year in the AHL and could be ready for such an opportunity.

Artyom Levshunov - D - Chicago Blackhawks

A year ago, it would have seemed crazy to have Rinzel ahead of Levshunov as a Calder candidate for the Hawks, but here we are. Levshunov’s offensive game wasn’t quite as dynamic as expected in his first pro season in the system, and while he should crack Chicago’s roster, it would appear that Rinzel is ahead of him on the depth chart for powerplay time.

Easton Cowan - RW -Toronto Maple Leafs

“Cowboy” Cowan is in a position to battle for a roster spot in Toronto this training camp after a great run with the London Knights. It seems unlikely that he’ll put up the kind of offensive numbers to earn Calder votes, but what happens if he gets slotted beside Matthews or Nylander?

Jani Nyman - RW - Seattle Kraken

A power winger with a big shot, Nyman was terrific in his first pro season in North America last year, even earning an extended look with the Kraken. Will Seattle continue to explore his chemistry with star young pivot Shane Wright?

Scott Morrow - D - New York Rangers

Recently acquired in the K’Andre Miller trade with Carolina, Morrow is a tremendous young offensive defender. He was excellent in his first pro season last year and should have a great chance of making the Rangers this year. While he’s unlikely to supplant Adam Fox from the top powerplay unit, he could earn time on the secondary unit.

Matthew Schaefer - D - New York Islanders

Given how much time Schaefer missed last year between a bout with mono and the broken collarbone, it seems a bit far-fetched to pencil him into an NHL lineup, which is obviously a rarity for recent first overall picks. However, Schaefer is a gamer so don’t count him out completely.

Isaac Howard - LW - Edmonton Oilers

Given his experience at the pro level, it would appear that Matt Savoie would have a leg up on Howard for a prominent roster spot. A new member of the Oilers, Howard needed some time to adjust to the NCAA level and odds are he’ll need time to adjust to the pro level too. But, if he does crack the roster, he too has a chance to play alongside one of the big guns.

Rutger McGroarty - LW - Pittsburgh Penguins

It does seem likely that one of Koivunen or McGroarty cracks the Pens opening night lineup. However, we see Koivunen as more likely to put up the points necessary to be a Calder candidate at this point. But, as mentioned with Koivunen, if McGroarty can manage to earn time with Sid the Kid, he could put up some good numbers.

Gabe Perreault - LW - New York Rangers

After a standout two year run at Boston College, Perreault has turned pro and will set his sights on making the Rangers’ opening night roster. There’s an opening or two there, but Perreault will need to prove that his conditioning is up to NHL standards. The upside is obviously high.

Alex Bump - LW - Philadelphia Flyers

A fifth-round pick in 2022 out of high school, few prospects have improved as much as Bump has in recent years. An NCAA champion with Western Michigan this past year, Bump is now turning pro, and he could be a darkhorse candidate to not only earn an immediate NHL roster spot but be a solid contributor for the Flyers too.

Brad Nadeau - LW - Carolina Hurricanes

Based on pedigree, Nadeau should absolutely be higher on this list. He was one of the best players in the AHL in the second half of last year and looks NHL ready. The problem is that Carolina brought in Nik Ehlers this offseason to fill out an already deep forward group, and that likely leaves Nadeau on the outside looking in, barring an injury.

Logan Mailloux - D - St. Louis Blues

Recently acquired from the Canadiens for Zach Bolduc, Mailloux has a good chance of making the Blues in a third pairing role. Given that his ice time is likely to be pretty sheltered initially, it seems far-fetched to assume that he can be a true Calder candidate.

Danila Yurov - RW - Minnesota Wild

After a bit of a down year in the KHL, the former first round selection is finally crossing the pond this year and he has the inside track on a bottom six role with the Wild. Much like Marat Khusnutdinov last year (before the trade), it seems unlikely Yurov plays enough to put up the kind of points necessary to be a Calder candidate.

Beckett Sennecke - RW - Anaheim Ducks

It seems fitting to put a massive wildcard at number 26. Sennecke, the former third overall pick, seems blocked currently thanks to Anaheim’s forward depth. However, what happens with Mason McTavish? Or what happens if Sennecke puts on a show in training camp? He’s the kind of prospect you make room for. Odds are that he ends up back in the OHL for another season, but stranger things have happened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minnesota Wild Top-15 Prospects

1 - Zeev Buium

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

2 - Danila Yurov

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

3 - Liam Öhgren

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

4 - Riley Heidt

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

5 - Jesper Wallstedt

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

6 - Ryder Ritchie

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

7 - Hunter Haight

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

8 - Charlie Stramel

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

9 - David Spacek

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

10 - Adam Benak

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

11 - Aron Kiviharju

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

12 - Carson Lambos

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

13 - Rasmus Kumpulainen

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

14 - Justin Kipkie

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

15 - Aaron Pionk

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

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

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

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

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Minnesota 25 Prospects

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – PLAYOFF EDITION – Less obvious picks that will win your playoff pool

Scott Cullen — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:56:32 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the focus will be on the upcoming playoffs. Here are some players to target for playoff pools and it should go without saying that the focus will be on less obvious players because you don’t need me to tell you that Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar would be a good pick.

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 02: Florida Panthers Center Sam Bennett (9) dumps the puck in during the NHL regular season game between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 2, 2025, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire)

#1 It is quite common for NHL players to score at a lower rate in the playoffs, and it is only natural – they are only playing against the top half of the league in the postseason. Florida’s Sam Bennett, however, is built differently. Since 2019-2020, Bennett has scored 220 points (107 G, 113 A) in 379 regular-season games, which is a rate of .581 points per game. In the playoffs, since 2019-2020, Bennett has 45 points (19 G, 26 A) in 64 games, a rate of .703 points per game. He rose to the occasion during the 4 Nations Face-Off and it’s reached the point where it is fair to expect Bennett to elevate his game when the games matter more.

#2 The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Yanni Gourde from the Seattle Kraken at the trade deadline, bringing the feisty forward back to Tampa Bay, where he won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning. In his past three playoff appearances, Gourde has produced 34 points (17 G, 17 A) in 62 games. Even more importantly, he has been moved to left wing on Tampa Bay’s top line, skating alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and he finished the regular season with six points (1 G, 5 A) in the last eight games.

#3 It is not like Adrian Kempe is an unknown offensive quantity, having scored 139 goals across the past four seasons, but the Los Angeles Kings have routinely been bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers and that is despite Kempe putting up 19 points (11 G, 8 A) in 18 games over his last three playoff seasons. Skating on the Kings’ top line with Anze Kopitar and Andrei Kuzmenko, Kempe is likely to offer good value in this postseason, especially if this is the year that the Kings find a way to get past the Oilers.

#4 Carolina Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis has recorded back-to-back seasons with 67 points, including more than 30 goals in both seasons. He has also been a consistently productive player in the postseason, producing 27 points (13 G, 14 A) in 40 playoff games. He also had a strong finish to this regular season, putting up 21 points (9 G, 12 A) and 62 shots on goal in his last 18 games.

#5 Second year Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies is in a prime spot to generate offense, skating on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and he finished the regular season with a flourish, tallying 13 points (4 G, 9 A) with 30 shots on goal in his last 12 games. At 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Knies has the size to handle the more physical play which tends to show up in the playoffs and with an elite setup man like Marner and a finisher like Matthews, there are plenty of points to be found while skating on their wing.

#6 The Montreal Canadiens are naturally underdogs in their first round series against the top-seeded Washington Capitals, but in deep playoff pools, sometimes the play is to take a top player for a lower-seeded team. Consider Habs captain Nick Suzuki, who had 15 points (8 G, 7 A) with 22 shots on goal in his last 10 games, on his way to a career-high 89 points (30 G, 59 A) this season. In deeper pools, there comes a time where fantasy managers need to decide whether to take the sixth-best forward on the favored team or the best forward on an underdog and if the pool is relatively large, hitting on the right underdogs can have a huge effect.

#7 Vegas Golden Knights left winger Ivan Barbashev has been a reliable offensive performer since arriving in Vegas, producing 112 points (48 G, 64 A) in 175 games for the Golden Knights, but he was also an integral part of their Stanley Cup winning team in 2023, contributing 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in 23 games. Barbashev plays a hard game, with plenty of hitting, and is not shy about getting to the front of the net, so he is a quality support scoring option for Vegas.

#8 With the Winnipeg Jets dealing with injuries on the wing, including to Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilardi, opportunity has knocked loudly for Alex Iafallo, who has often been an over-qualified fourth liner this season. In his last 10 games of the regular season, Iafallo contributed seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 22 shots on goal, while playing frequently with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor on the Jets’ top line.

#9 Drafted 12th overall in last summer’s draft by the Minnesota Wild, defenseman Zeev Buium returned to the University of Denver for his sophomore season and accrued 48 points (13 G, 35 A) in 41 games. He is an intriguing deep league sleeper for playoff pools, as the skilled blueliner appears to be on his way to not only playing for the Wild in the playoffs but potentially quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. Minnesota has an uphill fight, taking on Vegas in the first round, but the Wild were a much stronger team with Kirill Kaprizov in the lineup this season and Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek both returned from injuries late in the season. If that improves the Wild’s chances of pulling off an upset, it also improves the chances of Buium having a productive postseason.

#10 Since St. Louis Blues left winger Dylan Holloway remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury, it has been important for the Blues to fill his spot in the lineup. While it was likely going to happen anyway, the Blues inked 2022 first-round pick Jimmy Snuggerud, who had 51 points (24 G, 27 A) in 40 games during his junior season at the University of Minnesota. Since joining the Blues, Snuggerud has chipped in four points (1 G, 3 A) with 10 shots on goal in seven games. He finished the regular season on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou, a quality spot for him to keep contributing offensively.

#11 Los Angeles Kings centre Quinton Byfield had some ups and downs during the season, but he really seemed to find his footing later in the season. In his last 32 games, Byfield had 31 points (12 G, 19 A) with 64 shots on goal. His most common linemate this season has been Kevin Fiala and they have been a dominant duo during five-on-five play, controlling 63.1 percent of shot attempts and 61.0 percent of expected goals.

#12 Ottawa Senators winger David Perron has endured a difficult regular season, managing just 16 points (7 G, 9 A) in 43 games, and he is 36 so maybe age is just catching up to him, but don’t ignore his playoff track record. In his past four playoff appearances, Perron has played a total of 62 games, recording 47 points (21 G, 26 A). He is past his peak years, obviously, but scored seven goals in a 13-game stretch in March, and plays a physical, agitating style that tends to translate well in the postseason.

#13 Just a couple of seasons ago, in 2022-2023, Cam Fowler recorded a career-high 48 points (10 G, 38 A) in 82 games for the Anaheim Ducks, the team that he had spent his entire career with until earlier this season when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues. Since joining the Blues, Fowler has produced 36 points (9 G, 27 A) in just 51 games. Eight of those 36 points were on the power play, so there might be even more upside there, as Fowler is now on St. Louis’ first power play unit and if the Blues are going to upset the Jets in the first round, they will likely need Fowler to continue at this level.

#14 Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli set career highs with 27 goals and 59 points this season and he is in a good spot for that production to continue, as Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel are his wingers at even strength. Cirelli also has had playoff success. In his past four playoff appearances, Cirelli scored 28 points (11 G, 17 A) in 57 games. He is likely to play plenty in a matchup role, because of his defensive acumen, but Cirelli can deliver offensively, too.

#15 The 2024-2025 season has been thoroughly unimpressive for Maple Leafs winger Max Domi, who finished with 33 points (8 G, 25 A) in 74 games, his lowest single-season point total aside from the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season. Nevertheless, Domi has been productive in the postseason, accumulating 23 points (7 G, 16 A) in 40 games across his past three playoff appearances, all with different teams (Carolina, Dallas, and Toronto). He is skating on Toronto’s second line, with John Tavares and William Nylander, so there should be scoring opportunities for Domi in this year’s playoffs, too.

#16 Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall has bounced around a lot and battled injuries in recent seasons and was mostly overlooked when the Hurricanes acquired him at the same time that they traded for Mikko Rantanen earlier in the season. However, once the Hurricanes traded Rantanen to Dallas, more responsibility was waiting for Hall, and he has responded favorably. In 18 games since the trade deadline, Hall contributed 15 points (8 G, 7 A) with 38 shots on goal. Hall also has 29 points (14 G, 15 A) in 39 career playoff games, so he has tended to show up in the postseason, even if it ends up being in small samples.

#17 At 35-years-old, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn fills more of a supporting role on the team. He finished with 49 points (16 G, 33 A) in 80 games, the third time in his career that he played more than 70 games and finished with fewer than 50 points. Benn finished the regular season with no goals and nine assists in his last 17 games. It can’t be ignored, though, that Benn has been a beast in the playoffs. He has reached double-digit point totals in five separate playoff runs and in the past two seasons, he has put up 26 points (7 G, 19 A) in 36 playoff games. He finished the regular season on a line with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen, which should give Benn quality chances to contribute offensively, though a late-season injury to Jason Robertson could cause the Stars to shuffle those lines.

#18 The Montreal Canadiens plugged winger Ivan Demidov into their lineup for the last two regular season games and Demidov responded with a goal and an assist in his first period of NHL action. Two games is obviously a super small sample size, but Demidov’s five-on-five shot rate (11.62 per 60 minutes) and point rate (5.81 per 60) were better than any other Habs skaters in those two games. His individual expected goals rate (1.29 per 60) ranked second behind Alex Newhook (1.85 ixG/60). Demidov is playing on a line with Newhook and Patrik Laine, while also getting second-unit power play time and if the Habs are going to pull off an upset against Washington, they might just need their precocious rookie to make a difference.

#19 Goaltenders with the best save percentage since the 4 Nations Face-Off (minimum 10 starts): Andrei Vasilevskiy (.927), Darcy Kuemper (.926), Connor Hellebuyck (.924), Scott Wedgewood (.924), Anthony Stolarz (.922), Adin Hill (.920), Sergei Bobrovsky (.914), Sam Montembeault (.912), Filip Gustavsson (.911), and Jordan Binnington (.910). That could be encouraging for any of the teams that employ those netminders, but Vasilevskiy’s Lightning and Kuemper’s Kings could use the lift that comes with strong goaltending.

#20 Goaltenders with the worst save percentage since the 4 Nations Face-Off (minimum 10 starts), among playoff goaltenders: Jacob Markstrom (.869), Pyotr Kochetkov (.879), Logan Thompson (.880), Stuart Skinner (.883), Charlie Lindgren (.887), Frederik Andersen (.890), Calvin Pickard (.899), and Mackenzie Blackwood (.899). Just as the Lightning and Kings could be more hopeful with strong goaltending, the Hurricanes, Capitals, Oilers, and Avalanche might be a bit more wary based on the goaltending they have received late in the regular season.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: Team USA cement themselves into World Juniors history

Kyle Watson — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 13:37:13 +0000

Team USA celebrate gold medal victory in the 2025 World Junior Championship. Photo by Kyle Watson.

OTTAWA — To say it was a momentous occasion for Team USA would be putting it lightly: this team made history at every corner they turned in Ottawa.

In their semifinal win over Czechia, Trey Augustine became the winningest American goaltender in World Juniors history.

Cole Hutson is the only defenseman to lead the tournament scoring outright.

David Carle is the only coach to win back-to-back gold medals for the USA.

I'd be willing to bet Teddy Stiga is the only player to score an overtime winner in the championship game with his first shot of the tournament, too.

It's fitting that with a group this deep, the Boston College freshman got to be the hero. When the "BC3" line was snakebitten early in the tournament, Danny Nelson came up with timely goals. Zeev Buium may have been on the ice for half of the tournament, but Hutson was the offensive catalyst on their blueline. Cole Eiserman tallied three goals seeing almost no ice time at 5-on-5.

In nearly every interview, Carle and his players detailed how his team were united under the goal of winning another championship. Stiga's moment in the limelight was emblematic of how Team USA came together to play their best hockey when it mattered most.

"Everyone is so grateful that we could do this together," James Hagens said after the game. "The group in that room is something special and it's something they can never take away from us."

Hagens spoke highly of Stiga, who he has played with for three seasons and is roommates with at Boston College.

"I love what he does out there. He gives it all whenever he steps on the ice and as a coach that's all you can for from a kid," he said. "Teddy is one of the hardest workers in the room, and it all paid off today. There's no other guy I'd rather see that go in [for]."

Teddy Stiga. Photo by Kyle Watson.

Stiga started the tournament as a healthy scratch in the opening game against Germany. He worked his way up from the 13th forward in the next match against Latvia and stuck as a third-line winger.

"In college, we rotate guys in and out of the lineup quite a bit, so it was a little more natural for us," explained head coach David Carle. "We wanted to keep everyone hot, so to speak and give opportunities. He made his mark in the games he had the opportunity."

"To have him out there, with his speed and how smart he is, he did a great job getting open and a great finish to put it five-hole."

TEDDY STIGA SCORES THE GOLDEN GOAL

TEAM USA WINS BACK TO BACK GOLD MEDALS!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/dkUcdLjRGB

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2025

Carle in a class of his own in junior hockey

There's a good chance most of his roster will be in the NHL shortly, but don't be surprised if David Carle beats them there.

"You see the track record he has, it's unbelievable," said captain Ryan Leonard. "His championships speak for themselves."

Having had his playing career end at age 18 due to heart problems, the now-35-year-old has done a lot of winning behind the bench at a very young age. Carle has won three national championships at the University of Denver, twice as a head coach (2024, 2022) and once as an assistant (2017). The overtime loss to Finland in this year's preliminary round remains the only blemish on his record at the World Juniors.

Team USA will have a shot at three-peating on home soil in 2026, with the tournament in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN.

Carle hasn't ruled out returning to the helm for another year, should he be available.

"I don't know, we haven't talked past this year, so I'm going to enjoy this night," he said with a smirk.

WORLD JUNIORS GOLD MEDAL GAME: Team USA gets a date with destiny

Kyle Watson — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 14:37:42 +0000

KANATA, ONTARIO - JANUARY 4: USAÕs Ryan Leonard #9 gets tangled up with Czechia's Jakub Fibigr #7 during Semifinal Round action at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on January 4, 2025 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andr Ringuette/IIHF)

OTTAWA — Team USA has a chance to make history, and Finland wants to display their "lion mentality" to the world. That's what stake today.

With a chance to become the first American team in World Juniors history to defend their gold medal, the only thing that stands in the way for David Carle's men is a Finnish group with fire in their eyes.

The 2025 World Juniors gold medal game marks the second time the two nations have met in the finals. In 2019 a late goal from Kappo Kakko led the Finns over Jack Hughes and the Americans in Vancouver.

This edition of Team USA are focused on their own path

Despite Michael Hrabal's best efforts, a vintage Gabriel Perreault and Ryan Leonard performance carried Team USA to a 4-1 win over Czechia in the semifinals.

You can see why the Washington Capitals were ready to try playing Leonard in the NHL this year. He plays every game like it's the gold medal game.

Watch him battle to get this puck to Perreault on the opening goal:

Gabe Perreault opens the scoring for Team USA after an amazing pass from Ryan Leonard!!!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/JkQvZDCNuJ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2025

Perreault returned the favour, setting up Leonard with 4:27 left to put a dagger in the heart of the Czechs — but it was 13th forward Cole Eiserman who scored the game-winner. It was a textbook finish from the USNTDP's all-time leading goal scorer:

Cole Eiserman SNIPES it!!!!

USA up 2-1#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/g4NbR8gnvT

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2025

The New York Islanders 2024 first-round pick is thriving in a limited role, coming up with timely scoring for head coach David Carle. Deployed mostly on the powerplay, Eiserman could be compared to a designated hitter in baseball.

"We don't win these games without him," said Carle after the win. "I can't say enough good things about the way he's handled it.

This was the USA's most complete victory in Ottawa so far. The top guys were clicking, they had timely penalty kills and Augustine recovered from letting in a weak tying goal. It's easy to get swept up in clichés in a major junior hockey press conference, but the Americans truly rely on all four lines (and Eiserman) to score. It's a top-to-bottom effort.

"Everyone's playing hard and embracing their role," explained defenceman Zeev Buium. "That was our message going into the tournament."

Eiserman insists he's not just helping his team on the scoresheet.

"[I want to do] whatever I can to help the team win, be a good person, a good teammate, a leader," said the 18-year-old. "That's something I've taken pride in this tournament, to try and let the guys know I'm there for them no matter what."

The Boston University freshman, playing at his first World Juniors, is one of many players who have stepped seamlessly into this group. The returning players, like Buium, Leonard, and Perreault are all finding another gear as the tournament closes.

Carle has maintained a positive environment for his team by getting the pressure out of the way early. He made sure they were aware of what would be on the line in Ottawa months ago:

"That was our first meeting in the summer, we spoke pretty honestly about the fact that our country had never [won gold in back-to-back tournaments,]" he said.

Addressing the elephant in the room well in advance, Carle's group has become a well-oiled machine with a razor's edge. They enter the final as a formidable force that will be heavily favourited.

"If we were thinking big picture, we wouldn't be here."

Finland remains a fixture in the World Juniors' medal round

Earlier in the day, Benjamin Rautainen scored the overtime winner as the Finns showed enough fight to defeat their rivals, Sweden, 4-3.

It's Team Finland's twelfth appearance in the gold medal game and the fourth in the last 12 tournaments. It's also worth noting that only Finland, USA and Canada won gold during that span.

It wasn't exactly a highlight-reel play — a trick shot that deceived Swedish netminder Melker Thelin.

"I didn't see it go in, but then I saw the bench," said goalie Petteri Rimpinen, who turned aside 43 shots in the win. "[Emil] Pieniniemi jumped on me and I almost cried in that moment, it was so awesome."

Finland's game-winning goal was a 'no-looker' on the power play#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/tUrHhPw8lf

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2025

"I think the goal means a lot for the team, for our whole country," said Finnish captain Aron Kiviharju.

"I've never seen anyone score a goal as big as he did tonight," he added. "Thank god he did for us."

Before the tournament, this wasn't a highly regarded Finnish squad. The nation has earned its reputation as a year-in-year-out contender but beyond Konsta Helenius, this group lacks blue-chip prospects. They were knocked out of the previous two editions of the U18s worlds at the quarterfinal stage.

Kiviharju, who was once regarded as the top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft before an ACL injury curtailed his draft-eligible campaign, says his team plays better with a chip on their shoulder.

"I think everyone knows each other well. Both groups have gone through some adversity: The 05s lost in Switzerland against Slovakia and last year the 06s lost in their home tournament against Sweden," explained the 18-year-old.

"We kind of have that revenge mindset in every game: we feel we have something to prove. That feeds us every day, to be the best we can as a team."

Rimpinen said his team decided to embrace the idea of being underdogs before they arrived in Ottawa.

"Nobody believed in us before the tournament, so this is great. Now we can just focus on winning."

After the game, Lizz Child of FloHockey asked Rimpinen about his necklace of a lion's head.

The netminder explained it bears the team's logo — Team Finland are known as Leijonat or "The Lions."

"That's the mentality for me. Lion mentality" explained the 18-year-old, who was passed over in last summer's NHL Draft.

They may have begun the tournament as underdogs, but now Finland can become the kings of the jungle.

Parting Notes

Trey Augustine became the winningest American goalie in tournament history with his 11th-career WJC victory
Zeev Buium played 28:34 in the Americans' win
Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius recorded an assist on all four Finnish goals
Heading into the final day, there is a five-way tie for the tournament-scoring lead
- Jakub Stancl (CZE) - 6 GP, 6 G, 9 PTS
- Dalibor Dvorsky (SVK) - 5 GP, 5 G, 9 PTS
- Axel Sandin-Pelikka (SWE) - 6 GP, 4 G, 9 PTS
- Gabe Perreault (USA) - 6 GP, 3 G, 9 PTS
- Cole Hutson (USA) - 6 GP, 2 G, 9 PTS
Petteri Rimpinen leads all goaltenders at the tournament with a .940 SV% on 215 shots
The best players of each team (selected by coaches)
- Canada
  - G Carter George (LAK)
  - D Tanner Molendyk (NSH)
  - F Brayden Yager (WPG)
- Czechia
  - G Michael Hrabal (UTAH)
  - F Petr Sikora (WSH)
  - Vojtech Husinecky
- Finland
  - G Petteri Rimpinen (DY+1)
  - F Konsta Helenius (BUF)
  - F Jesse Kiiskinen (DET)
- Germany
  - F Julius Sumpf (DY+2)
  - D Carlos Handel (2026)
  - G Linus Viellard
- Kazakhstan
  - Aslan Zhussupbekov
  - Kirill Lyapunov
  - Vladimir Nikitin
- Latvia
  - G Linus Feldbergs (DY+2)
  - F Eriks Mateiko (WSH)
  - D Peteris Bulans (DY+2_
- Switzerland
  - F Leo Braillard (DY+2)
  - F Simon Meier (DY+2)
  - F Andro Kaderli (DY+2)
- Slovakia
  - F Dalibor Dvorsky (STL)
  - F Roman Kukumberg (DY+2)
  - D Luka Radivojevic (2025)
- Sweden
  - D Axel Sandin-Pelikka (DET)
  - F David Edstrom (NSH)
  - F Felix Undger Sorum (CAR)
- USA
  - D Cole Hutson (WSH)
  - F Danny Nelson (NYI)
  - Ryan Leonard (WSH)

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: McKeen’s Medal and Player Predictions

McKeen's Staff — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 22:00:17 +0000

The 2025 World Junior Championships are set to kick off on Boxing Day (December 26), with Ottawa, Ontario hosting. Can Canada get back on the podium on home soil? Can the United States repeat? Members of the McKeen’s team have come together to bring you our predictions for the tournament.

Final Medal Standings Predictions

GOLD

USA - 9 votes
Canada - 8 votes

SILVER

USA - 6 votes
Canada - 6 votes
Sweden - 5 votes

BRONZE

Sweden - 8 votes
Czechia - 4 votes
Canada - 3 votes
USA - 1 vote
Finland - 1 vote

Who Wins Tournament MVP?

Ryan Leonard - 5 votes
Cal Ritchie - 2 votes
Gavin McKenna - 2 votes
Berkly Catton - 2 votes

Also receiving votes (1): Zeev Buium, Easton Cowan, James Hagens, Gabe Perreault, Bradly Nadeau, and Axel Sandin Pellikka

Who Wins Best Forward?

Ryan Leonard - 5 votes
Gavin McKenna - 3 votes
Gabe Perreault - 3 votes
Cal Ritchie - 2 votes

Also receiving votes (1): Dalibor Dvorsky, Berkly Catton, Otto Stenberg, and Easton Cowan

Who Wins Best Defender?

Zeev Buium - 8 votes
Axel Sandin Pellikka - 7 votes

Also receiving votes (1): Sam Dickinson and Tanner Molendyk

Who Wins Best Goaltender?

Trey Augustine - 14 votes
Carter George - 2 votes

Also receiving votes (1): Michael Hrabal

Which 2025 NHL Draft Eligible Prospect Has the Best Tournament?

Matthew Schaefer

“It's a close call between Schaefer and teammate Porter Martone, but I gotta go with my gut. Schaefer is the type of player who lives for big games like this. He'll provide solid defence, stellar and efficient transition play, and highlight-reel offence. He can do everything, and I could see him playing himself into more and more responsibility as the tournament goes on - even with the depth that Canada has on the back end. He'll prove to the world why he's a future 1D in the NHL.” (Felix Robbins)

“I think Matthew Schaefer will have the best tournament out of all the 2025 NHL draft-eligible players. Canada has a good defense corps, but they left off some great offensive players like Zayne Parekh and Carter Yakemchuk, so there's definitely room for Schaefer to see significant minutes at both ends of the ice. With the increased opportunity, Schaefer's tremendous skating ability, and Canada's offensive skill in the tournament, Schaefer really has a chance to thrive.” (Michael Moroz)

“He has met every challenge he's faced and even managed to exceed the very high expectations placed upon him. He's captained multiple gold medal-winning editions of Team Canada at previous age groups and stood out as one of the best players at every tournament or showcase game he's played in. Why would that stop at the World Juniors? Canada will rely on other D more but Schaefer will have a Dahlin 2018-esque tournament.” (Kyle Watson)

“The Canadian points record for a U18 defender at this tournament is 7 by Ryan Ellis. I think Schaefer can threaten that record. He was Canada’s best defender through the exhibition schedule and I think he ends up being the kind of player who rarely leaves the ice by the end of the tournament. Could this be Schaefer’s only WJC tournament for Canada? It seems like he’s the kind of player who rises to tackle any challenge and that could make him an NHL defender as early as next year.” (Brock Otten)

“Matthew Schaefer, even at only 17 years old, plays like a veteran and he is solid defensively with his mobility, in addition to creating offensively. He is the defenseman playing on the first powerplay unit for Canada and could have some ice time on the penalty kill. I was very impressed by his mature game in the first pre-tournament game against Switzerland where he looked like the number one defenseman for Canada that can do it all.” (Jeremy Rivet)

“I truly believe that if Schaefer is going to cement himself as the #1 pick in the draft, it could be here in this tournament. Whether it is U18s or the Hlinka-Gretzky, Schaefer performs and thrives on the big stage. I fully expect Schaefer to quarterback the Canada power play and earn more crucial minutes as the tournament goes on.” (Liam Staples)

“This a close one between Schaefer, Hagens, and Martone. Both Hagens and Martone will have a huge opportunity to repeat their U18 performances from April and claim this honour. However, I think Schaefer impacts his draft stock the most by becoming Canada’s all situations #1D by the end of the tournament and establishes himself as the draft’s #1 player.” (Ben Misfeldt)

“Despite his age, he'll be one of the best players on the Canadian roster and be a huge reason why they're successful. He'll also use the tournament to cement his new status as the frontrunner to go 1st overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Schaefer, I think he has a chance to grab a stranglehold on the #1 spot. Without Parekh on the roster in front of him, Schaefer might be able to push past Molendyk and Bonk onto the top PP unit and rack up some points.” (Jamison Derksen)

James Hagens

“James Hagens is in a great spot to succeed, he should play on the first line along with his Boston College linemates Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard. Hagens had been the front-runner for the #1 overall pick for a long time but he seems to be losing the spot to Matthew Schaefer and others. This is a great opportunity for Hagens to prove himself; do not put him out of the debate yet.” (Matej Deraj)

“He’ll be playing alongside Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault on a world stage, with Zeev Buium supporting from the back end, and other NCAA stars joining him on the PP. With an even stronger lineup, Hagens is slated to repeat his historical run at the U18s and catch lightning in a bottle once again.” (Sean Boyd)

“Playing on the big stage and wearing USA colors on a team filled with past and present teammates might just be enough to take Hagens' solid start to the next level. A line with Leonard and Perrault could be the perfect combo to put up record-breaking numbers at the WJC.” (Henry Lawrence)

Porter Martone

“Best position to succeed. His play style is pro and physical.” (Josh Klicka)

Victor Eklund

“For the average well-informed fan, the go-to answer should and would likely be US center James Hagens or perhaps Canadian winger Porter Martone. Due to Group B play and Sweden's probable role therein, I'm answering this question with the name Victor Eklund. Why? Because for anyone who has seen him in the HockeyAllsvenskan the past two years, you'll know we're talking about a winger who has no qualms or hesitation in being an active producer and skilled passer with and against men in a league that features a number of former NHLers and AHLers. His pro team Djurgarden is filled with prominent names in/on the Swedish and international scene, and he's right there contributing in a top 6 role. We love his involvement and sneaky intelligence with simply no back-down in situation where his performance belies his age. Time to go above and beyond against his peers, even if he's a good year younger than most in Ottawa this holiday season. He can do so here without having to be the star, but I'm thinking he will be.” (Chapin Landvogt)

What is the Biggest Surprise of the Tournament?

“I’ll give you two in a tournament that I don’t think has a ton of surprises. The first is that Kazakhstan gives Switzerland a close call in the round-robin and then makes a team sweat in the relegation round. Normally the promoted team from Division A doesn’t have many returning players, but this Kazakhstan team is bringing back a lot of the pieces that helped them earn promotion. It’s not the Nik Antropov era, but it’s still a chance to repeat in the main group. The second is that Sweden falls to Czechia in the round-robin and then loses in the quarterfinals to one of Canada, Finland, or the United States after the crossover. I’m just not sure this Swedish team creates enough offense through the middle of the ice to be a medal contender.” (Brock Otten)

“I guess they can no longer be called a surprise by any stretch of the imagination in light of their overall success in the past 5 WJCs, but expect the Czechs to not only finish top 2 in Group B play but then march right on to a bronze medal on the final day of the tournament. The program has not only caught itself from the developmental fallout of yesteryear (if we can call it that) but features up to 14(!) participants who are currently playing in North America, a clear advantage over just about all other European participants. *From a player standpoint, it shouldn't surprise anyone if 17-year-old David Lewandowski of Team Germany is a player we'll all be talking about and following a lot more after this tournament.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“Slovakia - this 05 group ended up 4th at the U18s two years ago and all the key players will be here. The obvious leader is Dalibor Dvorský, one of the best players of the tournament and an All-Star Team candidate. Dvorský has been great in the AHL and he’ll be ready to put Team Slovakia on his back. The returnees in defense (Maxim Štrbák, Luka Radivojevič) and offense (Juraj Pekarčík) should be able to help as well. Slovakia is also bringing some exciting talent in Tomáš Pobežal and Ján Chovan who should bring some secondary scoring. If this Slovak team is able to find a solid #1 goalie, they are able to make it to the semifinals again.” (Matej Deraj)

“Zeev Buium ties or breaks the record for most points scored by a defenceman in WJC history. Last year, Buium was the lone draft-eligible defenceman on a very offensively inclined blueline (blocked by guys like Lane Hutson and Seamus Casey) and STILL mustered 5 points in 7 games - all at even strength. This year, he's the guy - 1D, PP1 QB, all of it. With the increased role and ice-time, I think it'll be very hard to keep a talent like Buium off the score sheet 14 times.” (Felix Robbins)

“The biggest surprise will be just how big the gap is between Canada and the United States compared to all the other teams. The likes of Sweden, Finland and Czechia won't be true contenders, and there will be no feel-good Cinderella or underdog stories. Early on in the tournament, it will be obvious that it is a two-horse race this year, with those top nations cruising through the round-robin and early elimination games, while everyone else dukes it out to win bronze.” (Derek Neumeier)

“I'm curious to see what kind of performance Sweden will have in this tournament. They have 2 early first-round prospects on the backend, Willinder and Sandin-Pellikka. Can they push Sweden to the medal round? I do not think so. Sweden has the skill, but in my opinion, countries like Czechia and Finland have caught up to them talent-wise in this tournament. I think this will be another year where Sweden fails to win a medal and we see Czechia competing for a medal.” (Liam Staples)

“I think it will be that the USA will lose in the semi-final despite the quality of their roster, the fact that they won last year and that they have about 10 veterans from last year. I think because they are missing grit and leader players like they had last year with McGroarty, Snuggerud and Gauthier they will be missing an element that will make them fall short.” (Jeremy Rivet)

“Victor Eklund. He’s been the significant driving force for one of the best teams in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He’s one of few players at the World Juniors who has the experience of carrying a team to hard-earned wins at the professional level. He and Sandin-Pellikka should put on a show this year for Sweden.” (Sean Boyd)

“I’m gonna say that Tanner Howe scores at least two game-winners for Canada. I know he’ll be a depth forward on this team but it seems like every year there’s a 3rd or 4th liner that steps up when one of the top teams needs it most, and I feel like Howe can certainly be a catalyst for that with Canada.” (Jamison Derksen)

“Finland fails to medal again - they have been the talk of the tournament in years gone by, defying expectations and causing major upsets. This group, while led by talented names in Helenius, Halttunen, and Kumpalainen - doesn't have the depth or the grit to shock anyone this time around.” (Kyle Watson)

“Led by Dalibor Dvorsky, Slovakia makes the semifinals. He might just be the best player in the tournament and is playing very well in the AHL. Outside of him, Slovakia always plays hard and with good goaltending, they can come close to medaling at this year’s WJC.” (Ben Misfeldt)

“Finland. This appears to be one of the strongest rosters from Finland in the past few years. Haltunen, Helenius, Kiviharju might just give Finland enough offensive firepower to pull off an upset or two.” (Henry Lawrence)

“Gavin McKenna dominates and finishes the tournament leading the Canadian team in points, which struggled to score goals due to a lack of high-end veteran talent offensively.” (Jeremy Tremblay)

“I think even though people are saying Canada maybe didn't bring their best roster and are, on betting odds, not even favorites, easily win the gold without really ever struggling.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“USA will struggle immensely on defense and have to rely heavily on Augustine more than wanted.” (Josh Klicka)

“Kazakhstan stays alive in the top pool!” (Dave Hall)