With the top-50 prospect list complete and seasons underway worldwide, here’s a compact ranking of each NHL team’s prospect pipeline for 2025–26. Inclusion: players under 23 with fewer than 50 NHL games. Rankings reflect cumulative projected NHL value across each club’s eligible prospects; ties favor higher-quality talent.
32. Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ recent Cup pushes drained their pipeline. Gracyn Sawchyn is the clear best prospect with middle-six upside; Jack Devine and Shamar Moses offer depth potential; Marek Alscher projects as a future bottom-pair defense option.
31. Tampa Bay Lightning
A modest pool without Conor Geekie eligible. Sam O’Reilly projects as a two-way middle-six center; Ethan Czata and Ethan Gauthier profile as third-line contributors; Dylan Duke is NHL-ready as a checking, middle-six forward.
30. Dallas Stars
Limited recent draft capital, but Cameron Schmidt brings high-end skating and scoring upside. Samu Tuomaala should be a bottom-six NHLer soon; Emil Hemming and Brandon Gorzynski offer depth potential. Aram Minnetian projects as a No. 4/5 defenseman.
29. Edmonton Oilers
Three near-term NHL projections but little beyond that. Isaac Howard has 30-goal upside if used with McDavid/Draisaitl; Matt Savoie is a high-end complementary forward; Beau Akey is the lone defensive NHL prospect with transition tools.
28. Colorado Avalanche
Pipeline hit after trades, but Gavin Brindley and Sean Behrens have middle-six upside. Mikhail Gulyayev is an intriguing two-way defender who needs North American development. Ilya Nabokov could be a 1A/1B NHL goalie.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs
A physical, intelligent draft profile. Easton Cowan has scored NHL minutes and projects as a second-line scoring pest; Ben Danford looks like a middle-pair shutdown defender. Harry Nansi and Miroslav Holinka have increased value; Luke Haymes and Tyler Hopkins provide depth prospects.
26. Vegas Golden Knights
Some NHL-capable names, though Vegas often trades picks. Trevor Connelly is a likely top-six option; Jakob Ihs-Wozniak’s playmaking depends on skating gains. Matyas Sapovaliv and Mathieu Cataford offer bottom-six depth. Carl Lindbom is a strong AHL goalie with starter potential.
25. Ottawa Senators
Pipeline tilted to defense. Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler project as top-four blue-liners (Yakemchuk with PP upside, Hensler as a shutdown option). Tomas Hamara, Gabriel Eliasson and Jorian Donovan are depth pieces. Lucas Beckman could grow into a 1B goaltender.
24. New Jersey Devils
Balanced system with defensive and goaltending promise. Anton Silayev and Seamus Casey project as middle/bottom-pair defenders; Mikhail Yegorov is a legit goalie prospect. Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance and Ben Kevan could become third-line offensive options.
23. Los Angeles Kings
Three goaltending prospects (Carter George, Hampton Slukynsky, Petteri Rimpinen) anchor the pool. Liam Greentree has top-six upside if skating improves; Kristian Epperson, Koehn Zimmer and Kenny Conners project as bottom-six forwards. Henry Brzustewicz offers creative future defense value.
22. Winnipeg Jets
Value-adding late picks produced depth. Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert look like middle-six contributors; Colby Barlow, Nikita Chibrikov and others offer depth. Elias Salomonsson and Sascha Boumedienne are projected middle-pair defenders with different upside profiles.
21. Vancouver Canucks
Four legitimate impact prospects. Braeden Cootes projects as a middle-six center; Jonathan Lekkerimaki has scoring talent but needs strength; Tom Willander looks like a middle-pair shutdown defender. Alexei Medvedev is a promising goaltending prospect.
20. Buffalo Sabres
A dip after recent graduations of top names. Radim Mrtka is a top defensive prospect; Adam Kleber profiles as a No. 4/5. Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund and Brodie Ziemer provide middle-six upside up front.
19. New York Rangers
Gabe Perreault and Scott Morrow are the crown jewels — Perreault as a top-six scorer, Morrow as a middle-pair puck driver. Malcolm Spence and Brennan Othmann offer third-line depth; EJ Emery projects to a defensive depth role.
18. Boston Bruins
James Hagens (No. 7 pick) boosts the pool with first-line center potential. Fraser Minten is a middle-six fixture; William Moore and Fabian Lysell should contribute in the middle of the lineup. The system lacks defensive and goaltending depth.
17. Nashville Predators
Well-rounded across positions. Brady Martin and Matthew Wood project as second-line players; Ryker Lee is a boom-or-bust skill piece. Tanner Molendyk, Andrew Gibson and Jacob Rombach offer defense depth. Jack Ivankovic could be a future NHL goalie.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins
Ben Kindel is advancing rapidly toward top-six scoring minutes. Ville Koivunen made the NHL jump as a middle-six secondary scorer. Complementary forwards (Rutger McGroarty et al.) and defenders Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering have top-four upside if mistakes decrease.
15. Carolina Hurricanes
Bradly Nadeau is a reliable top-six projection; Nikita Artamonov and Felix Unger Sorum offer middle-six potential. Ivan Ryabkin is a high-upside power-forward candidate. Kurban Limatov and Dominik Badinka provide middle-pair defensive upside; Semyon Frolov could be an NHL platoon goalie.
14. Detroit Red Wings
A deep list of near-term NHL projects. Emmitt Finnie made the roster early; Axel Sandin-Pellikka is already top-four capable. Carter Bear, Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard provide middle-six promise. Trey Augustine and Sebastian Cossa form an elite goalie duo prospectually.
13. Minnesota Wild
Smart drafting yields many translatable talents. Zeev Buium is already a power-play QB and on track as a top-pair defender; Jesper Wallstedt gives potential goalie stability. Danila Yurov and Liam Ohgren are near-term middle-six pieces; David Jiricek has graduated but underscores the system’s strength.
12. Seattle Kraken
A forward-heavy pool with two top-end offensive prospects in Jake O’Brien and Berkly Catton. Several complementary forwards (Eduard Sale, Jani Nyman, Oscar Molgaard) could slot into middle-six roles. Blake Fiddler is the best defensive hope; three goalie prospects present varying upside.
11. Columbus Blue Jackets
High-end top prospects keep Columbus just outside the top 10. Cayden Lindstrom is a top-six driver when healthy; Jackson Smith projects as a top-four defender. Stanislav Svozil and Charlie Elick offer depth; Sergei Ivanov and Pyotr Andreyanov have platoon-starter potential in goal.
10. St. Louis Blues
A forward-rich system with Justin Carbonneau, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky projecting as NHL scorers. Otto Stenberg, Tomas Mrsic and Juraj Pekarcik provide bottom-six depth. Adam Jiricek and Theo Lindstein could form an effective middle-pair defensive tandem.
9. Washington Capitals
Four players are on track for impactful minutes. Ryan Leonard is NHL-ready; Lynden Lakovic and Ilya Protas project as middle-six scoring wingers. Cole Hutson could become a top-four defender; Milton Gastrin and Eriks Mateiko look like reliable bottom-six pieces.
8. Calgary Flames
Top prospects Zayne Parekh and Samuel Honzek are with the NHL and delivering. A group of middle-six forwards (Cullen Potter, Matvei Gridin and others) provides scoring depth. The defensive pool has depth pieces but lacks a truly elite top-six forward projection.
7. Philadelphia Flyers
A physical, hard-to-play-against profile. Porter Martone projects as a top-six dual-threat if skating improves; Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump offer middle-six scoring. Oliver Bonk and Carter Amico anchor a defense with shutdown potential. The system leans toward gritty, two-way players.
6. Anaheim Ducks
Youth and a surprising NHL push. Beckett Sennecke is already middle-six with top-line upside; Roger McQueen is a high-upside center. The Ducks are deep on defense (Tarin Smith, Tyson Hinds, Noah Warren), and Damian Clara could be an NHL backup goalie.
5. Montreal Canadiens
Ivan Demidov is a special top-line offensive prospect; Jacob Fowler projects as a starting goalie. David Reinbacher has second-pair upside if healthy. Several middle-six forwards and depth pieces round out a pipeline capable of sustaining contention.
4. Chicago Blackhawks
Lottery picks reshaped Chicago’s future. Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel are top-four defense prospects; a forward group led by Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore and others supplies multiple projected NHL regulars. The organization has quantity and several high-ceiling center options.
3. Utah Mammoth
Former Coyotes assets translated into a well-stocked pool across positions. Dmitriy Simashev stands out as a 6‑6 defensive mammoth with shutdown upside. Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers offer middle-six offense; Michael Hrabal profiles as a future platoon goalie.
2. New York Islanders
Three first-rounders fueled a major jump. Matthew Schaefer is already an elite NHL defenseman prospect. Victor Eklund and Cal Ritchie carry top-six scoring potential; Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson and Daniil Prokhorov add middle-six depth. Kashawn Aitcheson and Jesse Pulkkinen could anchor the blue line.
1. San Jose Sharks
The top-ranked pool reflects heavy representation in the top-50. Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson are already impacting at the NHL level and project as future stars. Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov have middle-six potential; Joshua Ravensbergen offers platoon-goalie upside. A deep collection of high-end prospects makes San Jose the class of the class.
Notes: Rankings are projections based on age, current level, tools and expected development paths. Prospect lists change with trades, injuries and NHL debuts; this snapshot reflects the 2025–26 outlook under the stated eligibility rules.
