Early 21-22 prospects ranking:
7-way tie for 1st: Dugan, Morozov, Brisson, Miromanov, Thompson, Korczak and Cormier are all neck and neck IMO and Dorofeyev isn't too far off from being in that pack. I think Dorofeyev tops out as a 3rd liner, though (albeit a good one).
You may say it's a cop out and it definitely is. Every one of these guys save Miromanov, Thompson and Dorofeyev are all a bit raw.
Elvenes getting hurt in the first 2 games of the season all but killed his chances of seeing a call up. Quinney had a bad camp and can't stay healthy. I haven't given up on Cotter yet, and Jones will probably wind up as a 4C in the NHL somewhere if not in Vegas. Leschyshyn and Rondbjerg will both stick around as possible 13/14th forwards the next 2 seasons. Leschyshyn is starting to remind me of Bellemare.
Notables from the rest:
Forwards: Dean showed some nice hands in the prospects tournament and it's easy to see why he went in the 1st round. Hallum is way too good and too fast for the USHL - can't wait to see what he does in Michigan next year. If there's one big unknown prospect to watch it's him. Demek has made an immediate impact centering one of the Oil Kings top lines.
The D prospects: Pachal has bounced back after a rough year, Diliberatore continues to look solid, and Chayka is looking good so far in Guelph. He just turned 19 so he'll be able to jump right in to Henderson next year.
Goalies: Ferguson still looks good, and has taken the Henderson backup job for now. Saville is off to a good start, winning NCHC goalie of the week twice already. Vikman already has 2 shutouts for Vancouver, and at 6'3 his long legs help cover a lot of net. Lindbom has been playing well for Djurgårdens the past 2 weeks.
Edit: and I just want to add - it must be pretty nerve-racking to be one of their top prospects, when every year there's persistent rumors and a very realistic possibility of being traded before getting your shot. I hope this Eichel drama ends soon, no matter which team he gets traded to.