The fact that Stevie Y acquired Ryan McDonagh and is reportedly involved in a deal for Erik Karlsson without gutting his farm system speaks volumes about the quality of both his staff and their prospects. CenterJoseph Veleno made the jump from juniors to the AHL in 2019-20 and scored 11 goals in 54 games. MORE: How the Matt Duchenetrade gave Avalanche much-needed direction. The decision to take Dach over defenseman Bowen Byram was a bit of a surprise, but not as much as the post-draft trade of 2017 first-rounder Henri Jokiharju to Buffalo for finesse winger Alex Nylander, a former first-round selection himself. But being out of contention yielded trades that brought in high-end youngsters. The Penguins, driven by a core group of 30-somethings, are perilously close to witnessing the zenith of what has been a decade's worth of championship-caliber hockey. For starters, Columbus'best prospect is a 24-year-old goalie who appears to be quite happy playing in Switzerland (wouldn't you?). The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update 1 Los Angeles Kings. 2 Ottawa Senators. 3 Carolina Hurricanes. 4 New York Rangers. 5 Montreal Canadiens. 6 Colorado Avalanche. 7 Vancouver Canucks. 8 Philadelphia Flyers. 9 Florida Panthers. 10 Edmonton Oilers. More items Graduated: Rasmus Dahlin (LHD), Casey Mittelstadt (C) The Los Angeles system is forward heavy, with the vast majority of their best prospects being natural centers. and Marc Del Gaizo (UMass-Amherst) were two of the better underclassmen in Hockey East. How much longer it lasts, however, is something to ponder especially when you consider how bare the cupboard is. With a strong core of defense and goaltending prospects already solidified, the Capitals addressed the need for skill up front by taking slick playmaker Connor McMichael and cerebral 200-foot winger Brett Leason with their first two picks of the 2019 draft. One of the prospects with a legitimate chance to see significant NHL action this season is sniping winger Victor Olofsson, a former seventh-round pick who scored 30 goals as an AHL rookie plus two more in six NHL games. SCOTT PERUNOVICH, D, ST. LOUIS BLUES (+22) Last year: 90th. The big Russian is an excellent two-way defenseman who can excel in any situation and fellow 2018 draftee Martin Fehervary is both mobile for his size and a physical defensemen in Swedens SHL. Benning and staff also scooped up feisty forward Nils Hoglander from Swedenand speedy center Tyler Madden from Northeastern who tied for fourth in freshman scoring in Hockey East. The Sharks more than make-up for their trading of valuable assets by spanning the globe in search of late-round gems andundrafted free agents either coveted or obscure. MORE: Flames secure goaltending tandem, re-sign David Rittich to two-year deal, 2018-19 rank: 20thKey additions: Matthew Boldy (LW), Vladislav Firstov (LW),Mat Robson (G, UDFA), Nico Sturm (C, UDFA) Graduated: Henrik Borgstrom (C) Right winger Drake Batherson is a 2017 draft pick who was an AHL All-Star in 2019-20 and averaged better than a point per game. The top four scoring defensemen on theirAHL affiliate in Chicago that eventually went to the Calder Cup Final Erik Brannstrom, Nicolas Hague, Dylan Coghlanand Zach Whitecloud all are under 22-years-old. 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 road to success in any major team sport begins with drafting and developing players that will fit a given model. One of the bigger movers from last years list, the Blackhawks had luck on their side when they won the third pick in the draft lottery following a season in which they improved in the standings and nearly snuck into the playoffs. But as soon as Rangers brass pulls the draft-day trigger on the Quebec-born teenagerhe'll turn 19 on Oct. 11an already deep and talented pool of prospects will be filled to overflowing. Here are the top ten prospects in the Kings farm system post-draft. Still, a handful of young defensemen could ultimately provide Chicago's backbone on the blue line, namely collegiate standout Ian Mitchell and 6'4", 208-pound behemoth Alec Regula. Top Five Prospects: Evan Barratt, Nicolas Beaudin, Colton Dach, Drew Commesso, NHLLukas Reichel Key Graduates/Subtractions: Brandon Hagel, Philipp Women's Champ Week predictions: Which teams will win the auto bids in all 32 conferences? And speed demon Jakub Lauko was picked late in the third round this past draft but has the tools to develop into a dangerous top-six threat. Most of their recent draft picks had stellar seasons both in league and international play, with French-born forward Alexandre Texier leading the way after an excellent campaign in the SM-Liiga and difference-making play during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He's had a seven-game stint across two seasons in the NHL and has combined for 71 points in 121 games in the AHL. Florida Panthers. Alex Barre-Boulet has lit up the AHL with 61 goals and 124 points in two seasons after five years in the QMJHL. 2021 NHL Entry Draft Rankings First Round 1. Key additions:Victor Soderstrom (RHD) Additionally, none of the key offseason roster changes involved prospects going the other way, as trades for defensemen Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, plus getting signing rights for center Kevin Hayes, cost only a handful of picks. 15 overall pick (2019). Curious about the Senators' future? Traded/not signed: Brendan Lemieux (LW, NYR). Sooner than later, however, these kids are going to have to contribute in a big way. Lets check in on the farm system rankings before the draft. Of all their prospects, Zegras has the highest star potential and should be groomed to take over for aging captain Ryan Getzlaf. You also should expectdefenders Jake Walman and Jordan Schmaltz will see some time with the big club. Big winger Raphael Lavoieisa prospect to earmark for a bright future for the Oilersafter they stole him in the second round of the 2019 draft as is22-year-old center Cooper Marody whofinished second to Benson in scoring for Bakersfield. There always are disagreements, and teams have a history of going against Current GM Chuck Fletcher has yet to part with any of Philadelphias prized prospects, many of whom should finally advance from the college or junior ranks to Lehigh Valley, which iced one of the AHLs older lineups last year. Key additions: Nikita Alexandrov (C), Colten Ellis (G) Roadrunner Jordan Kyrou, a second-round pick in 2016, won the OHL's MVPaward, and AHL goalie Ville Husso was outstanding this season and is NHL-ready. 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. On paper, the Stars look pretty healthy when it comes to prospect depth. Helping that situation to a degree was the emergence of versatile 23-year-old winger Karson Kuhlman, who notched eight points in 19 games between the regular season and playoffs. The ninth overall pick rarely becomes one of the best players in his draft class, let alonean NHL star. Joseph Veleno made the jump from juniors to the AHL in 2019-20 and scored 11 goals in 54 games. TB | TOR | VAN | VGS | WSH | WPG. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Although there is a significant amount of force to that argument, the truth is that New Jersey is an organization on the rise and the prospect pool is deep enough to help fuel a sustained run towards perennial playoff contention. Teams with multiple prospects who possess superior talent (i.e. Game-breaker Vitaly Kravtsov has the potential to become the type of homegrown star winger the Rangers haven't owned since Steve Vickers nearly 45 years ago. 2018-19 rank: 29th If not, theres no harm in keeping the Marlies stocked for another Calder Cup run. Key additions: Vitalii Abramov (RW), Erik Brannstrom (LHD), Jonathan Davidsson (RW),Josh Norris (C), Mads Sogaard (G),Lassi Thomson (RHD), Max Veronneau (RW) GOLDEN STANDARDHow Vegas became the most successful expansion team in sports history. This method has not hurt the franchise at the gate or in the standings, as most of their long-shots and signees were impact players for their respective teams and still maintain Calder Trophy eligibility. On the blue line, Jett Woo has 112 points in his past two junior seasons and has a physical edge too. Still, a handful of young defensemen could ultimately provide Chicago's backbone on the blue line, namely collegiate standout Ian Mitchell and 6'4", 208-pound behemoth Alec Regula. Defense always has been a Kings' hallmark, and both Kale Clague and Mikey Anderson have just scratched the surface of their top-pairing potential. Ranking all 31 NHL prospect pipelines: Kings leapfrog Rangers for No. Still, Fenton may have been on the job for just over a year, but it looks like his 2019 draft, headlined by Boldy and playmaking winger Vladislav Firstov, should set his successor up for success in later years. Fellow Swede Rasmus Asplund is one of the better two-way centers among prospects, and the Sabres have several impressive college prospects such as in speedy winger Linus Weissbach, power-play specialist Jacob Bryson and punishing defender Mattias Samuelsson. Eleven of Hershey's top 13 scorers from a year ago were 24 years or older. A pair of impressive 1999-born Finnish wingers produced excellent post-draft campaigns, as Eetu Pakkila was the leading goal scorer in the Jr. A SM-Liiga, and center Aarne Talvitie was among the best NCAA freshman scorers and the key to Finland capturing WJC gold before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. He scored 40 points in 34 games as an NCAA junior and isn't far away. 6. 1 goalie prospect, but they do have some intriguing players in Lukas Parik and Jacob Ingham, among a few others who could develop. A mobile defense has always been a hallmark of Nashvilles prospect pool, and collegians David Farrance (Boston Univ.) Trades on the NHL level haven't helped the long-range pipeline scenario for the Coyotes. 1 and 2 overall duos in NHL Draft history. Despite some recent graduations and trades of the Rays top prospects, they still have a solid farm system and are one of the best in the league in developing talent. Buffalo also has in its possession one of the leagues top goaltending prospects in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was named the OHLs Most Outstanding Player and led Finland to gold at the world juniors. Center Sam Steel was huge for the AHLs San Diego Gulls in their run to the conference finals, as was rugged two-way winger Maxime Comtoiswho made the Ducks out of training camp last season and was one of the NHLs better rookies before a back injury. Players appearing in 25 games or less, even if combined over two seasons, were eligible. An exceptional playmaker who can score as well thanks to his good vision and hands, he's shown advanced awareness and can be trusted in all three zones on the ice. Key additions: Spencer Knight (G), Vladislav Kolyachonok (LHD) The constant winning in Nashville has skyrocketed expectations to the point where Predators hockey is the main show in thefootball-crazed town. Brannstrom was the main prize sent to Ottawa in the Mark Stone deal; however,that trade was telling as it revealed Vegasasan organization to be reckoned with both on the ice and down on the farm. Continue reading this article and more from top writers, for only $9.99/mo. Son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson stands out to many as the best well-rounded prospect of the 2022 draft. Key additions: None Back in the net, Spencer Knight was the best goalie in college hockey as a first-year player at Boston College and could be a future Florida mainstay. Not only did the Senators receive Calder Trophy-caliber rookie reasons from Brady Tkachuk and Colin White, but the ongoing rebuild allowed the likes of goalie Joey Daccord and forwards Drake Batherson, Logan Brown and speedy Alex Formenton, to experience the rigors of the NHL first hand. GM Kyle Dubas sure likes his speed and skill, which is obvious in the manner Toronto hasdrafted since hejoinedthe organization as an assistant general manager in 2014. Well if anyone should know, it's Red WingsGM KenHolland, who in 1989 was part of Jimmy Devellano's staff that produced one of the greatest draft classes in NHL history. Patience is far from a virtue in a hockey-crazed town like Vancouver, as poor performances on the ice have cost jobs and kept fans away from the arena. 12 Vols lose starting PG Zeigler to torn ACL, Out of dark, Rodgers vows decision coming soon, Survey: Vikes, Fins, Raiders top FA report cards, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, Red Wings lock up Larkin with 8-year extension, The triumph of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, A new home for Michael Thomas? Joining him high on the defense depth chart is an equally-excitable puck rusher and cerebral playmaker in Scott Perunovich, who will run Minnesota-Duluths power play as they look for a third straight NCAA championship. Hitting big on elite first-round picks William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in three consecutive drafts between 2014 and 2016 has put the Maple Leafs in the proverbial sweet spot all hockey organizations want to be in young and dominant. 2018-19 rank: 28th They also have three excellent center prospects in Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Brett Howden, and Igor Shestyorkin is one of Europe's top young goalies. Next up is flashy winger Grigori Denisenko, who wowed crowds in Vancouver at the most recent world junior championship with his stickhandling, danglesand a silky set of hands. A slow start from winger Ryan Donato likely convinced the Bruins to trade their best prospect to Minnesota for Charlie Coyle, and there wasnt much going on among the forwards once he left. Another impressive OHL prospect was hard-shooting Russian defender Dmitri Samorukov, who notched 28 points in 24 playoffs games helping Guelph advance to the Memorial Cup. 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