Hossa
Registered User
A quick post-draft update. As always, a few players on the fringe of being graduated so will treat those that played the year in the NHL as graduated (eg. Jackson Lacombe) but not those that split time in the AHL (eg. Phil Tomasino and Dylan Holloway).
1. Mason Lohrei
An aggressive ranking for the former HFNHL seventh rounder, but Lohrei is the only prospect on this list with real star potential. His year on year development has been remarkable and in the playoffs he looked on the cusp of making a real impact in the NHL. Big, rangy, uniquely skilled and confident, with a defensive game that has improved rapidly since his transition to defence.
2. Dylan Holloway
All but graduated at this point, Holloway again split time between the NHL and AHL this past season, before finally finding his stride offensively in the playoffs with Edmonton. At this stage, Holloway profiles as a winger rather than a centre, and as a complementary type who gets in on the forecheck, but if the chemistry with Draisaitl holds up, he should settle in as a second liner in short order.
3. Lian Bichsel
Big, mean and physical, Bichsel had another somewhat adventuresome season, starting with a surprising push for a roster spot in camp with Dallas. From there he thrived in the AHL for six weeks, had a bumpy start when he moved to the SHL before going on a deep playoff run playing top minutes in Rogle as a 19 year old. Oh and he is banned from the Swiss national team. Bichsel has the size, skating and defence to play in the NHL soon. How much secondary offence he has will determine his value, but he is very close.
4. David Edstrom
Speaking of strong SHL playoffs, Edstrom's first full season in the SHL could not have gone much better overall, especially as he played an important role in Frolunda's own deep run in the playoffs. The regular season was strong too, as Edstrom racked up 19 points playing centre on a top team. He should centre the top line at the WJC in a few months. The profile with Edstrom remains the same, as a big centre who easily projects as a middle six centre who plays both special teams.
5. Bradly Nadeau
Making the sizeable jump from the BCHL to Hockey East, Nadeau burst out of the gates on a line with his brother, turning in one of the better freshman seasons in recent memory, even if it was sometimes overshadowed by the top line at Boston College. While I was not a fan of his signing after only one season, there is no question Nadeau's offence is legit, as he significantly improved over the year in terms of pace, physicality and creating in traffic.
6. Phil Tomasino
Tomasino has seemingly been on the cusp of graduation for three years now, but still found himself back in the AHL down the stretch after producing well in limited minutes with Nashville earlier in the year. The upside remains there for a complimentary second line winger, but Tomasino's inability to earn the coach's trust in Nashville suggests a trade is probably best for his long-term future.
7. Yegor Surin
The most recent first rounder, Surin is similar to Holloway in the way that he plays fast and with energy, but with a touch of Bichsel's reckless enthusiasm for physicality. Early impressions at development camp have been positive, and the hope is that Surin is able to find the same success this coming season in the KHL as teammates Daniil But and Dimitri Simashev did this past season.
8. Danny Nelson
Although a bit under the radar given he did not produce eye popping point totals and Notre Dame was a middling team, Nelson's freshman season was highly successful in that he hovered around a point per game most of the year, driving his own line in the second half as a very young freshman. While the hockey sense and compete remain minor flags, the tools and the progression are both highly encouraging, even if Notre Dame's development track record is not great.
9. Cole Beaudoin
The last of a quartet of toolsy potential middle six centres taken in the past two drafts, Beaudoin is probably the least naturally talented of the four - Edstrom, Surin and Nelson being the others - but of course is probably the hardest working of the three. Will be interesting to see if Emil Hemming ends up on his wing this season after being selected in the Import Draft.
10. Shai Buium
Sort of a forgotten prospect given others drew headlines at Denver and his brother is now the big name in the family, Shai had a breakout season as a junior, putting up 36 points, winning a second NCAA championship in three years and emerging as a shutdown defencemen in the second half. At 6'3" and with good hockey sense, the question with Buium in terms of upside remains with his feet, which have improved but remain average.
11. Topi Niemela
Not blessed with the same pure athletic tools of the defencemen above him, Niemela instead combines outstanding hockey sense with strong puck skills and good skating, and was surprisingly effective in his first season in North America putting up strong numbers in the AHL. Niemela still needs to fill out but he improved his physicality and played well on the powerplay with the Marlies, putting him in line for a call-up soon.
12. Carter Mazur
Another player with a relatively thin 6'0" frame, Mazur does not let that stop him from playing a physical, agitating game to go along with good skill, both in transition and around the net. His debut AHL season got off to a slow start after a training camp injury, but he closed strong, especially in the playoffs as he found chemistry with Marco Kasper. Should compete for a spot in camp with Detroit and ultimately find a home in the middle six.
13. Noah Laba
An aggressive ranking for an aggressive player, Laba broke out in a major way last season with Colorado College, scoring 20 goals and earning a range of honours, including a Hobey Baker nomination, NCHC First All-Star and Best Defensive Forward. A big centre who can really generate speed through the neutral zone, Laba may actually have sneaky upside given his rapidly improving offensive ability. Has a knack for scoring overtime winners too.
14. Juraj Pekarcik
If Pekarcik was born a few days later, he would have been a first time eligible in 2024 and might have snuck into the first round, given his production was similar to that of Michael Hage and Matvei Gridin. As a 6'2" winger with plus skating, Pekarcik indeed had a good season although interestingly he showed more of an inclination to create from the perimeter rather than drive to the interior, as he had in his breakout U18 tournament. Overall very raw, very talented and apparently off to the QMJHL next year.
15. Ryan Greene
It was a slightly underwhelming sophomore season for Greene, who hit the ground running as a freshman with Boston University but only modestly improved his production last year. While 36 points in 40 games is still an encouraging number, the impact seemed more inconsistent, perhaps as more of the offence became centred on Celebrini and Hutson. Still, this is a 6'1" centre with plus skating and good skill who has a good chance to stick in the NHL.
16. Anton Johansson
A virtual unknown when picked two years ago by Detroit, Johansson has seen his development take off since then, culminating in a breakout playoff with Leksands. An athletic 6'4" right shot defenceman, Johansson has very good hands and mobility, along with a strong shot from the point, that could give him powerplay upside down the line. The defending is still under development but the progress is encouraging.
17. Elias Pettersson
Another big and mobile defenceman, D-Petey as they call him ended up spending most of his D+2 season in the Allsvenskan, which was a slight disappointment even if he performed well there and at the WJC, before finishing off in the AHL. The path to the NHL for Pettersson is clear as a big, mobile and physical defenceman with enough skill to complement a more offensive partner well.
18. Landon Slaggert
The decision to go back for his senior year at Notre Dame seemed to pan out for Slaggert, who emerged as one of the best goal scorers in the NCAA and then finished the year strong in the NHL with Chicago. While his upside is probably limited, Slaggert brings skating, energy and enough skill to profile as a good bottom six forward, with a remote chance he squeezes out a couple Brandon Hagel-esque seasons (though I won't hold my breath).
19. Caedan Bankier
Another player who like Mazur got off to a tough start coming into the season with an injury and never quite found his stride as a rookie in the AHL, Bankier is still a toolsy centre who showed flashes of goal scoring upside as a rookie and has legit NHL upside as a third liner. Probably two years away though given the so-so start in Iowa.
20. Vsevolod Komarov
Komarov had a hell of a season in the QMJHL, winning both Defenceman of the Year and Playoff MVP, notching 69 points and making his second consecutive appearance in the Memorial Cup. Oh and he's 6'3"and everybody loves him. The feet are an issue though. If he picks up the pace quickly as a pro, he could rocket up this list with upside as a second pair defenceman, especially as a right shot.
Honourable Mention
- Oskar Jellvik: Sort of the forgotten prospect on Boston College, Jellvik quietly put up 42 points in 41 games as a sophomore, creating lots of offence across different lines. Average size and feet but plenty of skill and compete.
- Owen McLaughlin: Similar to Jellvik in a lot of ways, McLaughlin put up 39 points in 39 games as a sophomore at North Dakota, thriving as a playmaker. Plays quick but is average height and slight, making a move to the wing likely.
- Nikita Nesterenko: Yet another player who struggled out of the gate as an AHL rookie, Nesterenko's slow start was more surprising given he played three years of college and debuted already in Anaheim. Still, he is skilled and has size, and should compete for a spot in camp.
- Jonathan Myrenberg: Yet another defenceman who played a notable role in the SHL at a young age, Myrenberg is not quite as big as Bichsel, Johansson or Pettersson, but could have a bit more skill than D-Petey at least.
- Ryan Healey: Harvard was not very good last season, and on some nights Healey was their best (and even sometimes only) source of offence, even as a defenceman. That was great for his skills development, less so for his defensive play.
- Gage Goncalves: A steady riser who has little left to prove at the AHL level, Goncalves has a chance to break camp in Tampa Bay after a cup of coffee last season. The skill is there, the compete is good, but the pace remains a bit of an issue.
Goaltenders
1. Artur Akhtyamov
2. Jakub Malek
3. Hampton Slukynsky
4. Remi Poirier
5. Kevin Reidler
6. Nikita Tolopilo
7. Philip Svedeback
8. Melker Thelin
Separating these goalies out as none are significantly above the others, although the first three or four each could have a good case for the top twenty. Akhtyamov and Malek are the most likely to push for a starters job at some point, with Akhtyamov thriving wherever he's played the last two years and possessing great athleticism. Malek meanwhile was quietly one of the better goalies in Liiga this past year, for a team in Ilves that developed Lukas Dostal as well. Down the list, Svedeback maybe had the most disappointing season, as a big and athletic netminder who followed up a strong freshman season with a step back at Providence College.
1. Mason Lohrei
An aggressive ranking for the former HFNHL seventh rounder, but Lohrei is the only prospect on this list with real star potential. His year on year development has been remarkable and in the playoffs he looked on the cusp of making a real impact in the NHL. Big, rangy, uniquely skilled and confident, with a defensive game that has improved rapidly since his transition to defence.
2. Dylan Holloway
All but graduated at this point, Holloway again split time between the NHL and AHL this past season, before finally finding his stride offensively in the playoffs with Edmonton. At this stage, Holloway profiles as a winger rather than a centre, and as a complementary type who gets in on the forecheck, but if the chemistry with Draisaitl holds up, he should settle in as a second liner in short order.
3. Lian Bichsel
Big, mean and physical, Bichsel had another somewhat adventuresome season, starting with a surprising push for a roster spot in camp with Dallas. From there he thrived in the AHL for six weeks, had a bumpy start when he moved to the SHL before going on a deep playoff run playing top minutes in Rogle as a 19 year old. Oh and he is banned from the Swiss national team. Bichsel has the size, skating and defence to play in the NHL soon. How much secondary offence he has will determine his value, but he is very close.
4. David Edstrom
Speaking of strong SHL playoffs, Edstrom's first full season in the SHL could not have gone much better overall, especially as he played an important role in Frolunda's own deep run in the playoffs. The regular season was strong too, as Edstrom racked up 19 points playing centre on a top team. He should centre the top line at the WJC in a few months. The profile with Edstrom remains the same, as a big centre who easily projects as a middle six centre who plays both special teams.
5. Bradly Nadeau
Making the sizeable jump from the BCHL to Hockey East, Nadeau burst out of the gates on a line with his brother, turning in one of the better freshman seasons in recent memory, even if it was sometimes overshadowed by the top line at Boston College. While I was not a fan of his signing after only one season, there is no question Nadeau's offence is legit, as he significantly improved over the year in terms of pace, physicality and creating in traffic.
6. Phil Tomasino
Tomasino has seemingly been on the cusp of graduation for three years now, but still found himself back in the AHL down the stretch after producing well in limited minutes with Nashville earlier in the year. The upside remains there for a complimentary second line winger, but Tomasino's inability to earn the coach's trust in Nashville suggests a trade is probably best for his long-term future.
7. Yegor Surin
The most recent first rounder, Surin is similar to Holloway in the way that he plays fast and with energy, but with a touch of Bichsel's reckless enthusiasm for physicality. Early impressions at development camp have been positive, and the hope is that Surin is able to find the same success this coming season in the KHL as teammates Daniil But and Dimitri Simashev did this past season.
8. Danny Nelson
Although a bit under the radar given he did not produce eye popping point totals and Notre Dame was a middling team, Nelson's freshman season was highly successful in that he hovered around a point per game most of the year, driving his own line in the second half as a very young freshman. While the hockey sense and compete remain minor flags, the tools and the progression are both highly encouraging, even if Notre Dame's development track record is not great.
9. Cole Beaudoin
The last of a quartet of toolsy potential middle six centres taken in the past two drafts, Beaudoin is probably the least naturally talented of the four - Edstrom, Surin and Nelson being the others - but of course is probably the hardest working of the three. Will be interesting to see if Emil Hemming ends up on his wing this season after being selected in the Import Draft.
10. Shai Buium
Sort of a forgotten prospect given others drew headlines at Denver and his brother is now the big name in the family, Shai had a breakout season as a junior, putting up 36 points, winning a second NCAA championship in three years and emerging as a shutdown defencemen in the second half. At 6'3" and with good hockey sense, the question with Buium in terms of upside remains with his feet, which have improved but remain average.
11. Topi Niemela
Not blessed with the same pure athletic tools of the defencemen above him, Niemela instead combines outstanding hockey sense with strong puck skills and good skating, and was surprisingly effective in his first season in North America putting up strong numbers in the AHL. Niemela still needs to fill out but he improved his physicality and played well on the powerplay with the Marlies, putting him in line for a call-up soon.
12. Carter Mazur
Another player with a relatively thin 6'0" frame, Mazur does not let that stop him from playing a physical, agitating game to go along with good skill, both in transition and around the net. His debut AHL season got off to a slow start after a training camp injury, but he closed strong, especially in the playoffs as he found chemistry with Marco Kasper. Should compete for a spot in camp with Detroit and ultimately find a home in the middle six.
13. Noah Laba
An aggressive ranking for an aggressive player, Laba broke out in a major way last season with Colorado College, scoring 20 goals and earning a range of honours, including a Hobey Baker nomination, NCHC First All-Star and Best Defensive Forward. A big centre who can really generate speed through the neutral zone, Laba may actually have sneaky upside given his rapidly improving offensive ability. Has a knack for scoring overtime winners too.
14. Juraj Pekarcik
If Pekarcik was born a few days later, he would have been a first time eligible in 2024 and might have snuck into the first round, given his production was similar to that of Michael Hage and Matvei Gridin. As a 6'2" winger with plus skating, Pekarcik indeed had a good season although interestingly he showed more of an inclination to create from the perimeter rather than drive to the interior, as he had in his breakout U18 tournament. Overall very raw, very talented and apparently off to the QMJHL next year.
15. Ryan Greene
It was a slightly underwhelming sophomore season for Greene, who hit the ground running as a freshman with Boston University but only modestly improved his production last year. While 36 points in 40 games is still an encouraging number, the impact seemed more inconsistent, perhaps as more of the offence became centred on Celebrini and Hutson. Still, this is a 6'1" centre with plus skating and good skill who has a good chance to stick in the NHL.
16. Anton Johansson
A virtual unknown when picked two years ago by Detroit, Johansson has seen his development take off since then, culminating in a breakout playoff with Leksands. An athletic 6'4" right shot defenceman, Johansson has very good hands and mobility, along with a strong shot from the point, that could give him powerplay upside down the line. The defending is still under development but the progress is encouraging.
17. Elias Pettersson
Another big and mobile defenceman, D-Petey as they call him ended up spending most of his D+2 season in the Allsvenskan, which was a slight disappointment even if he performed well there and at the WJC, before finishing off in the AHL. The path to the NHL for Pettersson is clear as a big, mobile and physical defenceman with enough skill to complement a more offensive partner well.
18. Landon Slaggert
The decision to go back for his senior year at Notre Dame seemed to pan out for Slaggert, who emerged as one of the best goal scorers in the NCAA and then finished the year strong in the NHL with Chicago. While his upside is probably limited, Slaggert brings skating, energy and enough skill to profile as a good bottom six forward, with a remote chance he squeezes out a couple Brandon Hagel-esque seasons (though I won't hold my breath).
19. Caedan Bankier
Another player who like Mazur got off to a tough start coming into the season with an injury and never quite found his stride as a rookie in the AHL, Bankier is still a toolsy centre who showed flashes of goal scoring upside as a rookie and has legit NHL upside as a third liner. Probably two years away though given the so-so start in Iowa.
20. Vsevolod Komarov
Komarov had a hell of a season in the QMJHL, winning both Defenceman of the Year and Playoff MVP, notching 69 points and making his second consecutive appearance in the Memorial Cup. Oh and he's 6'3"and everybody loves him. The feet are an issue though. If he picks up the pace quickly as a pro, he could rocket up this list with upside as a second pair defenceman, especially as a right shot.
Honourable Mention
- Oskar Jellvik: Sort of the forgotten prospect on Boston College, Jellvik quietly put up 42 points in 41 games as a sophomore, creating lots of offence across different lines. Average size and feet but plenty of skill and compete.
- Owen McLaughlin: Similar to Jellvik in a lot of ways, McLaughlin put up 39 points in 39 games as a sophomore at North Dakota, thriving as a playmaker. Plays quick but is average height and slight, making a move to the wing likely.
- Nikita Nesterenko: Yet another player who struggled out of the gate as an AHL rookie, Nesterenko's slow start was more surprising given he played three years of college and debuted already in Anaheim. Still, he is skilled and has size, and should compete for a spot in camp.
- Jonathan Myrenberg: Yet another defenceman who played a notable role in the SHL at a young age, Myrenberg is not quite as big as Bichsel, Johansson or Pettersson, but could have a bit more skill than D-Petey at least.
- Ryan Healey: Harvard was not very good last season, and on some nights Healey was their best (and even sometimes only) source of offence, even as a defenceman. That was great for his skills development, less so for his defensive play.
- Gage Goncalves: A steady riser who has little left to prove at the AHL level, Goncalves has a chance to break camp in Tampa Bay after a cup of coffee last season. The skill is there, the compete is good, but the pace remains a bit of an issue.
Goaltenders
1. Artur Akhtyamov
2. Jakub Malek
3. Hampton Slukynsky
4. Remi Poirier
5. Kevin Reidler
6. Nikita Tolopilo
7. Philip Svedeback
8. Melker Thelin
Separating these goalies out as none are significantly above the others, although the first three or four each could have a good case for the top twenty. Akhtyamov and Malek are the most likely to push for a starters job at some point, with Akhtyamov thriving wherever he's played the last two years and possessing great athleticism. Malek meanwhile was quietly one of the better goalies in Liiga this past year, for a team in Ilves that developed Lukas Dostal as well. Down the list, Svedeback maybe had the most disappointing season, as a big and athletic netminder who followed up a strong freshman season with a step back at Providence College.
