Ranking Every NHL Team's Prospect Pool for the 2024-25 Season

For some teams the cupboards are bare; for others, they're so full there's no way every talented guy waiting in the wings is going to get an NHL opportunity.

It's a spectrum that oftenbut not alwaysexists in an inverse relationship to an organization's chances of playoff success.

But at the end of the day, the question remains: which NHL team has the best prospect pool? We crunched the numbers, and the results probably won't surprise you.

Releasing these rankings at the start of the preseason allowed us to include transactions that happened later in the offseason and that significantly shifted the position of certain teams' prospect pools.

Yaroslav Askarov and Rutger McGroarty, anyone? There are also players included in each pool that have a shot at making the NHL full-time this season (or, in the case of Macklin Celebrini, for example, are essentially guaranteed to do so).

At the current moment, though, they still count as prospects.

The Bruins have been prioritizing their in-season chances, unafraid to deal assets to get what they need to succeed in the playoffs.

When you have players like Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak on your roster that's a legitimate avenue.

But then guys start to retire or move on, and you have to contend that you're left with nearly bare cupboards.

(Not that the Bruins are currently in danger of falling off a contender cliff, mind you.) Nearly bare doesn't mean that there's nothing of value there, however.

The Bruins might be last on our list, but there are a few guys worth watching closely.

A fascinating prospect in the Bruins' system, and arguably their top prospect right now, is 6'7" Boston College forward Dean Letourneau.

There's not another prospect out there with Letourneau's specific skill sethe effectively combines his size and physicality with high-end puck skills and solid hockey sense.

He's a fascinating project, and while he's going to take a little longer to put it all together if he can do it he'll be a real asset.

Guys to watch outside of Letourneau include: The Panthers haven't drafted in the first round in three years, but they won the Cup and are still contenders (which frankly isn't always a guarantee) moving forward.

We're pretty sure any NHL team will take that trade-off.

While their prospect pool isn't the deepest as a result, there's still value.

Take winger Mackie Samoskevich, for example, who is probably headed to the NHL sooner rather than later.

He looked great making the jump to the pro game last season, playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

His puck-handling skills are fantastic and he pairs that with great vision; he's more a playmaker than a scorer for sure.

His defensive decision-making has improved, but we'd like to see further growth in his decision-making with the puck, as he can sometimes favor the risky play.

Other notable Panthers prospects: The Edmonton Oilers are legitimate Cup contenders, whichdespite this being the clear trajectory the last few yearsstill feels odd to type.

They're also trying to build their prospect pool without sacrificing their ability to make roster-boosting trades at or before the deadline.

That's not an easy line to walk.

It's also not one they've done entirely successfully, but they have added guys who will legitimately help the team on lower-priced contracts in the future.

We're pretty sure they'll take the tradeoff.

One notable addition? Matthew Savoie, who was acquired in the trade with the Buffalo Sabres after the start of free agency and who is now their top prospect.

He could be very useful for the Oilers potentially as soon as this season (but more likely next).

Savoie is an interesting player in that he's an offense-creator who wants nothing more than to push the pace of the game, but his hockey sense (slightly above average-to-good) doesn't keep pace with his shooting and puckhandling skills, which are high-end.

Still, if you throw him on a line with a creative, dynamic center, magic could happen.

Luckily the Oilers happen to have a couple of those.

Some other Oilers prospects to keep an eye on: The Lightning have finally said goodbye to former captain Steven Stamkos and trying to retool, rather than rebuild.

Stretching the window as long as possible is common practicenew captain Victor Hedman is still at the top of his game and they signed Jake Guentzeland that doesn't always lead to a good prospect pool, though it makes sense when you're in win-now mode.

It's when you move from win-now to a period of transition that more eyes are on who you have waiting in the wings.

As far as top prospects go, center Conor Geekieacquired in the Mikhail Sergachev tradeis the Lightning's main man.

Don't be shocked if he ends up an NHL regular this season.

Geekie pairs size and physicality with a high-end skill set including excellent puck skills and vision, and his attention to detail makes him effective at both ends of the ice.

Other Lightning prospects worth watching: The Golden Knights are another team in win-now mode, and that usually means using the future to boost the present.

That being said, there's always value to be found in those prospect pools, particularly if a team's scouting and development staff have patience.

Trevor Connelly is undoubtedly the most skilled prospect in the Golden Knights' pool, but he also has a history of concerningto put it mildlyoff-ice incidents.

We'll focus on pure skill here rather than re-hashing those, but know that they leave a significant caveat on our thoughts about his future.

Skillset-wise, Connelly is a phenomenal skater whose speed allows him to create space for himself and his teammates.

His dynamic playmaking stems from his high-end vision.

His defensive responsibility needs work, but college hockey (he's with the Providence Friars of the NCAA) is a great place to focus on that.

Other intriguing Golden Knights prospects: The Kings have a solid group, but the issue is that by definition most of their guys don't count as prospects anymorethey're in that weird in-between space where they haven't quite established themselves as NHL regulars.

We're going to look at a few of them anyway, though, because they're still assets to the organization.

Can the Kings put it all together and turn into a competitive playoff team soon? If they do, these guys will probably be a part of it.

Liam Greentree is undoubtedly their top prospect who does still count as a prospect, with the Kings managing to nab him at 26th back in June.

The winger has an elite skill set, from shooting to passing to hockey sense, and he's a threat from anywhere on the ice.

The trick is going to be improving his skating so that he can utilize those skills night in and night out at the NHL level.

More intriguing Kings prospects (in a loose sense of the term): The Crosby-Malkin-Letang window isn't over yet, folks.

Or at least that's what the Penguins' front office is hoping, and is trying to convince everyone else of as they attempt to retool on the fly in small but valuable ways.

Whether that plan pans out for them remains to be seen.

There's legitimate value in the prospect pool, regardless, in a much brighter way than the organization has seen in several years.

The top prospect here is forward Rutger McGroarty, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets this summer for Brayden Yager.

It's a trade that benefits both sides and particularly benefits the Penguins in these rankingsthey'd probably be a couple of spots down without him.

McGroarty, who is a brilliant and tenacious player, could challenge for an NHL spot as soon as this season, but spending the season with Wilkes-Barre of the AHL would also be beneficial for his development and the Penguins' contract situation might necessitate it.

Other notable prospects include: While Ottawa's prospect pool is a deep one in terms of volume and utility, it doesn't have many of our favorite players.

Sometimes the choices the Senators make at the draft make us scratch our heads and ask why? That being said, there are some intriguing projects in Ottawa's poolones we'll be watching carefully to see whether they boost their chances of really making an impact on the NHL lineup.

Without question, the top prospect in their system right now is defenseman Carter Yakemchuk.

He had the best shot in the 2024 draft class, and his puck-handling skills are perhaps even better.

His weakness shows most particularly in his skating mechanics and his defensive awareness.

Fortunately, both of those things can be taught.

Yakemchuk is competitive and has a solid work ethic, so we have a good feeling about his ability to pick them up and utilize them on Ottawa's blue line in the future.

More Senators prospects worth keeping an eye on: The Islanders' system is better than last year.

That's something we can say for certain.

Outside of their top few prospects, however, there's not a lot that stands out as glaringly good and NHL-bound.

The Isles' top prospect right now is Cole Eiserman, a goal-scoring wunderkind who could be seen as a steal if he rounds out his game the way he needs to to be an NHL regular.

His shooting is phenomenal, but we are begging the Islanders to focus on helping him develop beyond being one-note.

Learn from what happened to players like Oliver Wahlstrom before him.

We'd like to see him focus more on developing his ability to create plays, because his passing isn't anything to sneeze at, and he also needs to improve his defensive reads.

Eiserman has got the brains to achieve this if he puts his mind to it.

Here's hoping it happens.

More Islanders prospects with potential: Congratulations, Devils, you have finally graduated enough of your high-end prospects to your NHL team that you no longer qualify as a top prospect pool.

Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are in the NHL, the team is starting to make a serious playoff push.

Let's look at what they have left in the cupboard, though, because as they try to get further into their contending window they're going to find these guys useful.

Their top prospect at the moment is Anton Silayev, a defenseman who the Devils snagged at 10th overall this year.

He's fascinating because he's raw as they come but the potential is extremely high.

He's 6'7" but his skating is elitenot elite for his size, but elite in general.

He has terrific mobility and almost an elegance to his movements.

Now we want to see his puck skills and the way he reads the play to improve to match ithe's a project and needs time, but the Devils can give it to him.

Other notable Devils prospects: The Jets are still very much in their contending window, and their prospect pool ranking reflects that.

Still, even with the trade of top prospect Rutger McGroarty (who forced their hand), they're looking at a pool that still provides both depth and options that could help them sooner rather than later.

Brad Lambert takes the top spot in this prospect pool and we're hoping this is the year he finally puts it all together.

Some people wanted to call him a bust last year, but he showed throughout the season that he's committed to improving his game and utilizing the tools we know he has.

His skating is elite, and he's terrific with the puck, particularly on zone entries.

He's improved his defensive work as well, including his decision-making.

Now we'd like to see those playmaking abilities continue to improve.

Other Jets prospects we're watching: After spending some seasons being the butt of a lot of league jokes, the Canucks have found themselves in the position of legitimate contenders.

As such, their prospect pool isn't the best.

Still, there are some high-end guys that they're likely hoping to be able to rely on in the not-too-distant future.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki is the top prospect currently in the Canucks' pool, with an elite shot and high-end puck-handling skills.

He looked fantastic at the 2024 World Juniors.

It will be good for him to have a full season in the AHL to adjust to the North American game, rather than being tossed directly into the pressures of the NHL, but if he gets NHL time we're confident he can handle it.

More notable Canucks prospects: Something the Leafs have been good at lately when it comes to scouting is identifying an area of competitive advantage and stacking up those prospects.

Smaller, intelligent forwards, larger but mobile defensementake your pick.

And some of those are graduating out of their pool, but some are still hanging around.

Who else could capture the top spot in this pool but Easton Cowan? Cowan is another player who would be better served facing adversity at the NHL level rather than tearing apart the OHL with the London Knights and potentially developing bad habits.

The winger is annoying as can be and has terrific hockey sense to boot.

He'll be an effective NHL player regardless, but we don't know whether his offense will translate to the NHL because when you play in London's top six it isn't exactly difficult to find offensive opportunities.

More intriguing Leafs prospects: The Rangers have built a contender, and yet they still have an impressive top-end of their prospect pool.

That's going to extend their window in a pretty sustainable way.

It's not an easy needle to thread, so kudos to their scouting staff.

Gabe Perreault is the highlight here.

Mark my words on this: he'll be the steal of the 2023 NHL Draft.

His puck skills and his hockey sense are truly elite, and his lack of size isn't going to hold him back from using them.

He's got the benefit of developing in NCAA hockey where he's already playing against other guys who are bigger than him.

His playmaking is phenomenal and will continue to be so.

We'd like to see his skating make strides (if you'll forgive the pun) to support it.

Other intriguing Rangers prospects: The Avalanche are another top-heavy prospect pool that doesn't quite have the depth of other teams but does have some significantly talented guys who should bring very real value to the NHL lineup sooner rather than later.

(This will mean Colorado dropping down these rankings once they are no longer prospects, but then isn't that the goal in the end?) Calum Ritchie is without question the top guy here his puck skills and hockey sense are elite, he applies heavy pressure to opponents, reads the ice at such a high level, and uses what he sees to drive play.

He also uses that vision to anticipate where the play is going when he doesn't have the puck.

In short, he's got an excellent ceiling.

It would be great to see him improve his skating and add top-end speed to his game, but he's already impressive without it.

Other intriguing Avalanche prospects: The Predators got rid of Askarov, and Luke Evangelista is a full-time NHLer now, but they still have a pretty deep prospect pool and honestly, respect.

Especially since they're building an NHL lineup that's pushing to win now.

Remember how they signed Steven Stamkos this offseason? It's a wild and lawless world out there.

Matthew Wood is the top guy here and we've got faith that he's going to put it together, but it's probably going to take a minute.

He's got the potential to be one of the top guys in college hockey if he takes further strideshe's such a dynamic player, he has a deadly shot, he's shifty and creative with the puck, and on his best nights, he looks phenomenal.

But then he tries to do too much and falls into poor decision-making and lags behind the pace of the game.

It's frustrating.

We need to see a lot more of the former player and a lot less of the latter.

More notable Predators prospects: When you graduate Zach Benson to the NHL and trade Matthew Savoie for a guy who isn't a prospect, your prospect pool drops.

That's just how it works and we're pretty sure the Sabres are fine with that).

There's still a good bit of value here, though, and these guys will continue to help even as the Sabres push their way up the rankings in the NHL.

We'd describe the Sabres' prospects as a shallow but broad pool rather than a deep poolthere's a lot of them, but it's more similarity in player types rather than adding a variety of player types and depth to draw from.

Konsta Helenius is the top guy now that Benson and Devon Levi are no longer prospects, and we like his game.

He was underrated by some due to being a smaller guy, but so many of his tools are practically NHL-ready.

His hockey sense is high-end and makes him effective at both ends of the ice, allowing him to anticipate the flow of play and be where he needs to be.

Add effective and even occasionally deceptive puck skills to that and you see why the Sabres like him.

Other Sabres prospects to watch: The Red Wings are one of a few prospect pools on this list that can be described as quite deep but without any truly star-potential prospects (at least, who count as prospects anymore) which frankly is fine.

A deep pool means both assets to build out your roster and assets to deal to get those star-quality guys.

Now that Simon Edvinsson doesn't count as a prospect anymore, the top guy in the Wings' system is Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who feels like he was destined to be a Red Wings pick.

European winger who is relentless on the forechecksound familiar? Although he has a bit of a development ramp ahead of him before he makes the NHL, there's so much to like about Brandsegg-Nygard's game.

To name a few: his tenacity, his physicality, great release and high-end skating ability.

Other Red Wings prospects to watch: The Stars' prospect pool is the opposite of several teams ahead of them on this listthere's not as much depth as other teams, but they have several high-end talents who earned them this ranking.

That's not even including recent graduates to the NHL, including Wyatt Johnston, whose breakout season surprised everyone but really shouldn't have.

Their top guy here is Logan Stankoven, our dark horse Calder candidate.

Do we think he's going to beat Celebrini? No.

Do we think he's going to push Celebrini and others, and should be a Calder nominee barring disaster? Yes.

He's got such a high hockey IQ, and he pairs that intelligence with shooting and passing skills that make him a danger to opponents just about anywhere on the ice.

Add to that his nonstop motor on the forecheck and you've got an annoying (and that's a compliment) threat that's going to be important to the Stars for a long time.

More intriguing Stars prospects include: It must be weird to be the Capitals now.

On the one hand, you have aging stars, one of whom is chasing a Gretzky record and will probably catch it.

On the other hand, that's going to put a rebuild on holdbut hey, why rebuild when you can try to retool, right? That seems to be the popular approach in the NHL these days.

Prospects like Ryan Leonard will help with that retool.

Leonard is back at Boston College after a phenomenal freshman season, and even without former linemate Will Smith, we anticipate even higher offensive totals for his sophomore year.

He's smart, with an absurd hockey IQ, and pairs it with great puck handling and passing skills.

We would like to see him refine the playmaking aspect of his game further, though.

Other Capitals prospects we're watching: "The Hurricanes draft intelligently" is perhaps an obvious statement, but it deserves pointing out.

The only reason they're so far down this list is because they like to take on high-risk high-reward projects.

I can't blame them, as I tend to lean in that direction.

If you get enough picks several of them are bound to pan out, after all.

It's just math.

The Canes' top guy is Alexander Nikishin, a Russian defenseman who has one more year before he can come over from the KHL.

There was some chatter he might come over early like Matvei Michkov, but that didn't pan out, and that's finehe'll just be an even more well-rounded player when he does arrive.

His elite physicality, high-end shot and offensive production will make him a tantalizing addition to the Canes' defense corps when he does arrive.

Other intriguing Canes prospects: The Blues haven't fully given in to the rebuild yet, but when they do they'll already have a nice stable of prospects to turn to.

They've taken the approach of more is more, rather than selecting for specific needs or frequently trading up for who they consider blue chip top guys.

We'll see how that works out in the long run, but there are several players in their pool we like.

Obviously at the top of that list is Dalibor Dvorsky, who made the right decision coming over to play in the OHL last season.

His offensive production ramped up and so did his confidence.

We love his shooting and puck handling, and think those aspects of his game will translate nicely to the NHL; he's got good instincts and a high hockey IQ.

Other intriguing Blues prospects include: Despite being a newer team, and still striving to establish a foothold in the league, the Kraken have managed to put together an impressiveand impressively deepprospect pool that feels like a good harbinger for the organization's future.

There's no position where there isn't someone we like, and often more than one player.

For the purposes of this exercise, we're no longer counting Shane Wright as a prospect, since he's been too up and down the last couple seasons, but as we expect him to break out this season consider that a nice cherry on top.

WHL product Berkly Catton is in the top slot for Seattle.

There's very little that the Spokane Chiefs center doesn't do well.

His skating is fantastic, his puck skills are elite, and he's a slippery, deceptive playmaker.

His physical game doesn't match the rest of his skill set, but we're confident he'll find a way to mitigate its effects with time.

We'd like to see him improve his detail game, both in improving consistency of how accurate passes are and when he chooses to engage opponents, but as far as refining details go, if that's what we're focusing on it's a pretty good situation.

Other Kraken prospects we're watching: Thanks to an impressive offseason, the Flames have made significant strides in filling out their prospect pool.

If you have to rebuild, you could do far worse than this.

Some of their prospects will require a little more baking than others, but they'll be worth the wait.

Especially the first one on our list.

Our pick for the top Flames prospect is Zayne Parekhwe've raved about him in the recent past.

The kid is going to be a phenomenal NHL defenseman.

Nearly every skill in his toolbox is elite, with hockey sense and puck skills that surpass most.

We'd like to see him improve his play in his own end, and engage more physically, but we have faith that will come with time and patience.

Other notable Flames prospects: The Wild's prospect pool may not be filled to the brim with blue-chip prospects, but it has incredible depth.

It seemed like every time we turned around at the draft over the last few years, the Wild were selecting players we liked.

It's their high-end guys, including goalie Jesper Wallstedt (likely heir to Marc-Andre Fleury?), that put them over the top here.

One in particular had us on the edge of our seats back in June.

It feels silly to say that someone was a steal at 12th overall, particularly this soon after his draft, but it's hard not to feel that way about Zeev Buium.

Minnesota snagged a defenseman who was a top-end talent in the 2024 draft far later than he should've gone off the board, looking at what he brings to the table.

His hockey sense alone is phenomenal, allowing him to read the ice and anticipate the play at a higher level than most other players out there.

He puts that into action with terrific passing and the ability to shut down opponents.

More intriguing Wild prospects: Is it ever going to stop feeling weird to write about this team as the Utah Whatever-They-Decides rather than the Arizona Coyotes? Hasn't yet.

Regardless of their name and location, their prospect pool is effectively the sameand it's one of the best in the league.

Don't be shocked if this team is in the playoffs sooner than later, given their prospect depth and some of the offseason acquisitions they've made.

No surprise that Tij Iginla is at the top of the list here.

For what is essentially a new franchise, having Iginla in the system is a game-changer, and this would be true even if he didn't have the famous father he doesit's all about the play.

His hockey sense, creativity, and shooting and passing skills are elite, and we saw a shift from pure scorer to someone who recognizes he can and should be a playmaker as well.

We can't wait to see the steps he takes this WHL season.

Other notable players in the system: The rebuild certainly is rebuilding in Columbus, and they barely edge Utah for the number six spot.

Their last several draft classes have left me agape with the talent and depth they've managed to add.

It sets them up for a solid future, both in terms of players who will no doubt be significant pieces of the lineup moving forward and players who will be valuable trade assets.

Who falls into which category? Well, that's up to the players and the argument they make for themselves.

The top guy in their stable is Cayden Lindstrom.

What an addition to a prospect pool already head and shoulders above most, even as players like David Jiricek and Adam Fantilli stopped counting as prospects.

Lindstrom is smart, he's creative, he's got the puck skills and the skating to support him using that intelligence at top game speedshe's going to be a powerhouse.

There is some mild concern about injury, but we're excited to see where he goes from here.

More Blue Jackets prospects to keep an eye on: There's light at the end of the tunnel for the Flyers, both in terms of their playoff chances and their prospect pool.

Whether that light is a success or an oncoming train remains to be seen.

A big part of which direction swings is how well they develop and incorporate the prospects in their prospect pool.

To be crystal clear: the Flyers are in fifth on these rankings due in no small part to Matvei Michkov.

He isn't the only valuable piece in their puzzle, but he is a load-bearing one; expect to see them slide back down our rankings after he graduates to full-time NHLer.

Michkov is a highly skilled player, but don't expect his offensive numbers to rip apart the league in his first season.

He's a cerebral guy and his anticipation is stellar, and regardless of whether he struggles to adjust to the North American game this season, he's going to be a terrific NHLer for a long time.

Other Flyers prospects we recommend keeping an eye on: The Anaheim Ducks have a very deep prospect pooland as they should, given that they haven't made the playoffs in six years.

Their approach to drafting isn't necessarily to take the best player available at every pick, but to find players who fit their organizational identity and have projectable NHL dimensions.

Mobility, creativity, and physicality are clear priorities.

It is for that reason that their acquisition of Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers, choosing to cut loose oft-injured defenseman Jamie Drysdale, wasn't a surprise.

Gauthier will be a key NHL piece before long.

Ducks management has already said they don't plan to manage his workload like they did with Leo Carlsson (who no longer counts as a prospect) last season, so don't be surprised if you see Gauthier relied on early and often.

Goal-scoring is a hallmark of his game, and he's relentless without the puck as well.

Other guys who intrigue us from the Ducks pool: In other years, this Montreal Canadiens group might be in the first or second spots on this list.

Their prospect pool is deep and well-rounded and has several guys who are on the verge of becoming NHL regulars as well as several project prospects who could, with the right development, really shine.

In short, they're in an excellent position to possibly compete soon.

To no one's surprise, at the top of their list is Russian winger Ivan Demidov.

His skill is astounding, and if it weren't for some (grading on a curve here) struggles with his skating he would be tied with Michkov right now as far as top Russian prospects go.

You can't defend him.

His hockey sense is sublime, and he's able to put that vision into action, creating space and setting up plays for teammates.

Notes on other top Habs prospects: It was clear as day that the Chicago Blackhawks were going to crash into the league's basement as the Toews-Kane-et-al's era of domination came to an end.

To be clear, they're still therebut if their prospect pool is utilized properly, they may not stay that way for long.

Connor Bedard doesn't count as a prospect anymore, having played nearly a full NHL season (thanks, broken jaw) and won a Calder trophy.

And yet their prospect pool is strong enough that removing him from the list didn't make a dent in their ranking.

Mobility alongside skill is a priority for the Blackhawks' scouting department; good skating, in general, is a priority, obviously, but it is most often paired with agility, or with speed.

The Blackhawks want players who can get up ice and get around, if not through, their opponents.

This of course shows up in their forwardshello, speedy Oliver Mooreand it shows up in their defense corps as well, most notably recent addition Artyom Levshunov.

The former Michigan State defenseman is the Blackhawks' current top prospect, and his footwork and stick skills should serve him well at the pro level this season.

Notes on their other top guys: It was a fight between the Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks for this top spot, but the Sharks' late-August acquisition of Yaraslov Askarov from the Nashville Predators put them over the top.

When you add a world-class goalie prospect to a prospect pool that already makes other teams weep, there's nowhere to go but first.

It's an embarrassment of riches for the Sharks, with Askarov, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, and Quentin Musty waiting to take their place on the NHL Roster.

And that's just the top five.

If we were to talk about all of the Sharks' quality prospectslet's add Igor Chernyshov, Luca Cagnoni, Filip Bystedt, et aland break down their strengths we'd be here all day.

It's one of the best prospect pools, if not the best, in recent memory.

Will that translate to NHL success? Too many factors are at play to know for sure.

What we do know is that having arguably the best goalie prospect, and the best skater prospect, out there right now sets them up to make a good run at a strong future.

Some notes on their top guys:.

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