Top Five Prospects: Evan Barratt, Nicolas Beaudin, Colton Dach, Drew Commesso, NHLLukas Reichel Key Graduates/Subtractions: Brandon Hagel, Philipp A new start with Chicago could revive his offensive flair. Since the majority of players on these lists are relatively unproven by NHL standards, it isnearly impossible for them to validate their draft position before ever earning a regular shift specifically those picked in the first round. He may, however, need to make an exception this year; two-way defenseman Rasmus Sandin, the 29th overall pick in 2018, is coming off a splendid rookie reason for the Marlies in which he registered 28 points in only 44 games and added 10 more in the playoffs. Landing the No. The Jets appear deep on the blue line and more sparse when it comes to prospects at forward, though the ones who are there appear promising. Age There is a large pool ofplayers who can qualify as prospects, so to simplify the list we eliminated any player who is no longer eligible for the Calder Trophy from a playing age standpoint, which according to the league is essentially 25 and under before training camp in September. For starters, Columbus'best prospect is a 24-year-old goalie who appears to be quite happy playing in Switzerland (wouldn't you?). The hockey world still awaits the coming-out parties for wingers Denis Guryanov and Riley Tufte, two former first-rounders. 2018-19 rank: 5th graduate to the NHL. By doing so, they acquired more blue-chip assets in four months than they did in the previous 10 years combined. In addition to Byfield, the team has five other A-rated prospects and 10 B-rated prospects, both coming in as high-water marks for our entire ranking. Liam Foudy and Kirill Marchenko, both of whom have top-six talent and blend skating with high-level skill sets. He's followed at the top of the list by 2019 first-rounder Philip Tomasino, who had 40 goals and 100 points in 62 games with two OHL teams in 2019-20. The defense, already at an elite level in Dallas, has Heiskanen, John Klingbergand Esa Lindell, plus the additions of one-man breakout Thomas Harley at the draft and NCAA standout Gavin Beyreuther, who looked very good in limited NHL action. Key additions: John Beecher (C) 2018-19 rank: 13th Jonathan Toews on next season, Blues winning Cup: 'No part of me that was happy', 2018-19 rank: 11th Traded/not signed: Gustav Olhaver (C). The constant winning in Nashville has skyrocketed expectations to the point where Predators hockey is the main show in thefootball-crazed town. Here are the top ten prospects in the Kings farm system post-draft. 1. Quinton Byfield, C Byfield was the consensus number two pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Despite the Kings having a wealth of centerman prospects in their system, the Sudbury Wolves forward was the right pick. While there is often fluidity in these organizational rankings, with players graduating quickly and changing the face of the system sometimes dramatically on a year-to-year basis, this is how the NHL prospect pools stack up as we gear up for the 2020-21 season. Not far from Kakko in terms of game-breaking skills is winger Vitaly Kravtsov, who before the age of 20 established himself as a top-line player in the KHL. On the wing, Kristian Vesalainen is the real deal too. If there is one sleeper in the bunch, its probably tough two-way center Josh Norris, a 2017 first-round pick acquired from San Jose in the Erik Karlsson deal. The only thing the system is lacking is a bonafide No. Remember, it was GM Jim Rutherford who traded his 2017 first rounder for pugilist Ryan Reaves, only to use his second rounder in that same draft on defensive defenseman Zach Lauzon, who wasnt even offered a contract. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen spent 2019-20 in the ECHL and AHL and had three shutouts in 15 wins with a 2.53 goals-against average. Continue reading this article and more from top writers, for only $9.99/mo. Graduated: Dennis Cholowski (LHD), Filip Hronek (RHD), Michael Rasmussen (C) He'll be a No. Ranking NHL prospect pools: Top prospects, breakouts, pipeline status and more for all 31 teams in 2020-21 Alex Turcotte is one of the top prospects in a loaded MORE: For polarizing talent Brady Tkachuk, rewards outweigh the risks. An underwhelming draft summed up by the puzzling selection of Swedish scoring winger Simon Holmstrom in the first round,should not detract from the overall quality of the Islanders farm system. Winger Martin Kaut is a sturdy playmaker who was among the AHLs top teenage scorers last season and Shane Bowers, a 2017 first-round pick of Ottawas acquired in the Matt Duchene deal, was one of Hockey Easts top two-way centers; heis signed to play this season with the AHLs Colorado Eagles. A pair of potential top-six forwards, Ilya Nikolayev and Jakob Pelletier, and a goaltender, Dustin Wolf, were plucked in the 2019 draft. Feb 9, 2021 Welcome to the 2021 edition of my ranking of every NHL teams prospect pools. Also there's forwardJanne Kuokkanen, who arrived from Carolina for Sami Vatanen. On top of adding a new No. He is a former prospects writer for ESPN.com and worked briefly for the Associated Press and McKeens Hockey. Meanwhile, with the NHL team's goaltending situation uncertain, prospects Ian Scott and Joseph Woll could be long-term solutions. Suffice to say that if you're a fan of hockey in Southern California and your tastes lean more toward L.A. than Anaheim, there's a lot to look forward to. MORE: Best draft class for every NHL team. The formula for building and maintaining a contending team differs from franchiseto franchise, yet even the regime change and recent Stanley Cup triumph hasnt altered a program that continues to favor building from the net outward. The Avs seem to be on the cusp of Western Conference dominance thanks to a powerhouse top line featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog who areall original Colorado draft picks. The biggest improvement, however, is on defense, where they have amassed quality puck movers whoactually know how defend. If there is any pressure on center Dylan Strome to live up to the expectations of a third overall pick, you wouldn't have noticed it while watching him dominate the AHL last year. The Sabres have officially run out of excuses. Slick center Rasmus Kupari was one of the top teenage point producers in the SM-Liiga, and second rounders Akil Thomas (2018) and Arthur Kaliyev (2019) were two of only nine 100-point scorers in the OHL last season. He's followed by another potentially special talent on the blue line in Finnish export. Behind him, defenseman Josh Mahura is a potential top-pair talent who's split two seasons between the NHL and AHL. LW Alexis Lafreniere, No. B prospects have a higher likelihood of becoming NHL regulars and contributors. Your eyes don't deceive you. Raphael Lavoie has high-end skill and a quick-release shot that make him dangerous. The obvious answer may be that fact that the Coyotes dont mind promoting their notable youngsters within one or two years after being drafted, which was the case for Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, and several others. MORE: How Bruins overcame botched trades in blueprint back to NHL's best. If a player has no totals listed, this means that he has not played in a regular season game in the NHL. Brett Leason's 'most fun year of hockey' now continues with the Capitals, 2018-19 rank: 26th There were 223 prospects selected across 7 rounds. They're in addition to 2018 first-rounder Ty Smith, who's a future power-play point man. Carolina already isn't far from elite status in the NHL, and it's only getting better with what's coming. The state of hockey in Steel City took a turn for the worse this past season,and some of the issues aging roster, expensive contracts, onrushing division rivals, thin prospect pool are symptomatic of a franchise on the brink of collapse. That said, winger Samuel Poulin was picked 21st overall in 2019 and is a good all-around player with no glaring weaknesses. Jets fans probably aren't used to seeing their prospect pool ranked so low. The immediate graduations of Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt may have hurt the Devils' overall ranking, but defenseman Ty Smith has the potential to be their first franchise defender since Scott Niedermayer. His pass-first acumen would be the perfect compliment to the blistering shot of speedy winger Owen Tippett, the 11th overall pick in 2011. The time it takes for the collective to take that experience and translate it to NHL success remains to be seen, but history certainly is on Anaheims side. Its a tad unfair to ding an organization that came within one win of a second Stanley Cup this decade and had GM Don Sweeney named the NHLs Executive of the Year. GOLDEN STANDARDHow Vegas became the most successful expansion team in sports history. A big man at 6'1", 207 pounds, Tippett played seven games and scored an NHL goal in 2019-20,while Denisenko is an elite skater and puck-handler. New regime. Nonetheless, the key takeaway is that the Senators are in fact drafting better than most teamsand the stinginess of their deep-pocketed owner shouldnt detract from that. Alex Barre-Boulet has lit up the AHL with 61 goals and 124 points in two seasons after five years in the QMJHL. Winger Logan Brown was a 2016 pick, but has also thrived in the AHL with 70 points. Knight is committed to Boston College, but the severity of Floridas goaltending situation, even with the addition of prized free agent Sergei Bobrovsky, may keep his underclassmen days at The Heights to a minimum. Already an ESPN+ subscriber? In terms of the sleeper category, dont be surprised ifcenter Riley Damiani leapfrogs Ty Dellandrea on the depth chart. Key additions: Anttoni Honka (RHD), Chase Priskie (RHD), Patrik Puistola (RW),Ryan Suzuki (C) Constructing the league's deepest prospect pool hasn't been easy, as the Flyers haven't won a playoff round in six years. A forgettable season doesn't appear to be over anytime soon, as several remaining uncertainties require closure, specifically the one surrounding Erik Karlsson's future. Swedish sniper Emil Bemstrom wore out opposing goalies in the SHL to a tune of 23 goals in 47 games and hulking Russian winger Kirill Marchenko is a two-way player who is a threat to score while shorthanded. The 2017 second rounder was our ninth-ranked prospect a year ago but sat out the entire 2018-19 season due to concussion symptoms. On defense, critics are raving about Mikey Andersons development andfirst-round quality in second rounderKale Clague and 2019 first-round pickTobias Bjornfot withthe former gunning for a top-6 spot on opening night andthe latter the favorite to be Swedens No. Lastly, Russian-born 2019 draftees Yegor Spiridonov and defenseman Artemy Knyazev, were minute-eating mainstays for their under-18 national team. Graduated: None And adding a crown jewel in 2020 No. Of course, the bulk of the heavy lifting is being done by excitable forwards Cody Glass and Nick Suzuki, and puck mover Erik Brannstromthe trio of 2017 first rounders that McPhee wouldn't part with at the last trade deadline. While there is often fluidity in these organizational rankings, with players graduating quickly and changing the face of the system sometimes dramatically on a year-to-year basis, this is how the NHL prospect pools stack up as we gear up for the 2020-21 season. The organization also appears to be high on defenseman Josh Mahura, a third-rounder in 2016 who showed advanced puck-moving abilities during a 17-game midseason stint. This group, along with two stud goalie prospects,Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro, represent a sizable chunk of the organizations future, one that already includes established NHL producers like Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. The re-tool in Los Angeles has been pretty deliberate, but the Kings all of a sudden own a couple of quality pieces that form a sturdy foundation for the future. Draft ranking Every ranking has a little bit of bias. B prospects have a higher likelihood of becoming NHL regulars and contributors. Vasili Podkolzin is 19 and a powerful, two-way forward who'll reach the NHL sometime in 2020-21. Players who appeared in 26 or more NHL regular-season games last season are not eligible, nor are players with at least 50 career NHL contests. Others may have higher-profile individuals, but it is our estimation no one has more quality young talent across the up-and-coming board than the Kings, who won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 but have fallen on mediocre times since, winning exactly one playoff game in six years. Defense always has been a Kings' hallmark, and both Kale Clague and Mikey Anderson have just scratched the surface of their top-pairing potential. Traded/not signed: Filip Ahl (LW), Jordan Hollett (G). Detroit also owns a pair of confident three-zone puck movers in Gustav Lindstrom and Albert Johanssonand won a key free-agent derby by luringformer Western Michigan defenseman Oliwer Kaski away from Finland, where he was the top-scoring blueliner in the SM-Liiga. Rest easy, Blue Jackets fans. You can click on the headings of the tables to sort the information. When it comes to the future, it's the Connor McMichael era. Graduations: Sammy Blais (C/W),Robert Thomas (C) 1 prospect in hockey and one of the most complete wings to enter the league immediately following his draft in some years. They also drafted one of the best teenage goal scorers in Oliver Wahlstrom, and defenseman Noah Dobson has Norris Trophy potential. Heis recovering from hip surgery but is expected to be with the AHLs Rochester Americans for most of the season. There's lots to like across the board for the Flyers, who were the Eastern Conference's No. But gambles in each of the last two drafts, coupled with the rapid promotion of 2014 and 2015 draftees, have sprung a few leaks in the good ole prospect pool. Their organizational depth chart below the NHL level is thin on elite prospects, with controversial playmaker Ryan Merkley the obvious choice to earmark as their lone potential star. Cheveldayoff also deserves credit for making deadline deals without surrendering any of his prized prospects from either the minors or abroad. He scored 47 goals and 102 points for the OHL's London Knights in 2019-20 and was on Washington's return-to-play roster but didn't appear in any games. The opening round of the 2021 NHL Draft is now quickly approaching and is set for June 23. But what should compound the issue for opponents is the fact that they also own the two best defensiveprospects in all of hockey former NCAA standout Cale Makarand WHL playoff hero Bowen Byram. Traded/not signed: None. 'Im just prepared for anything': Jets' Patrik Laine says he isn't sure what future holds, Recapping what all seven Canadian teams did this offseason, St. Louis, the Blues and the Stanley Cup come together in perfect harmony, Maple Leafs, Senators six-player swap is a win-win as Zaitsev, Ceci start anew, Phil Kessel excited to begin next phase in Arizona: 'I think it's going to be great', Even an offseason ACL tear suffered by promising defenseman, Flames secure goaltending tandem, re-sign David Rittich to two-year deal, Mike Babcock, Bruce Boudreau and 4 other NHL coaches on the hot seat in 2019-20, Comparing the San Jose Sharks to well actual Sharks, The top 32 moments of Sidney Crosby's career. 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