15. WINNIPEG
TOP 10 PICKS – 1
TOP 20 PICKS – 6
TOP 50 PICKS – 11
This is a pivotal year for Perfetti – the only former top-ten pick in the system. He needs to secure a top-six position and flash that offensive potential that made him a high pick. McGroarty has asked to be traded and that hurts their overall mark as he was a top-15 pick but Valardi came over from Los Angeles and scored at a 38-goal pace. If he can stay healthy look for a big season from him. Lambert had an impressive pro debut, finishing second among all AHL rookies in scoring despite being one of the youngest players in the league. Winnipeg would be higher on the list if there was more talent in goal and on the blueline.
14. WASHINGTON
TOP 10 PICKS – 1
TOP 20 PICKS – 3
TOP 50 PICKS – 8
When your top-six U25 forward prospects all have legitimate top-six potential and only one of them is over the age of 22, there is hope for the future. Washington added 11 top-90 picks to the system in the past three drafts, a restocking that happened for the first time in over a decade as the club tried to contend each season with Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and John Carlson in their primes. Ryan Leonard is the crown jewel of the group but what keeps the Capitals out of the top ten is a lack of legitimate star prospects beyond him. That’s unsurprising considering that he’s the only U25 prospect selected in the top 15. Hutson, Parascak and Miroshnichenko all have intriguing upsides but there is some unknown with all three.
13. NEW JERSEY
TOP 10 PICKS – 4
TOP 20 PICKS – 5
TOP 50 PICKS – 8
New Jersey’s forward depth may not stack up to the likes of Nashviile and Winnipeg but when you have a 23-year-old franchise center and three defenceman under the age of 21 selected in the top ten, you have a terrific young base to build upon. Luke Hughes finished third in Calder Trophy voting and Nemec tied for 12th. Add on the shutdown potential of 6-7 Russian Silayev, and the back end is set for a decade. Where the U25 group suffers is having no one beyond Jack Hughes and Mercer having legitimate top-six potential. The club already gave up on Alex Holtz, and it always hurts when a top-ten prospect fails to make an impact.
12. SEATTLE
TOP 10 PICKS – 3
TOP 20 PICKS – 4
TOP 50 PICKS – 7
Will Catton, Beniers and Wright live up to their hype as top-ten selections? Does one of them move to the wing? Stay tuned. Considering that the Kraken have only participated in four drafts, it’s impressive that management has cracked the top 12 in U25 prospect depth with only seven top-50 picks in the system. The club has drafted well in the middle rounds and is one of the few clubs with enough U25 forward depth to list 18 forwards with legitimate NHL potential. The surprising decision at the 2024 draft was to choose another center with a top-ten pick after taking Beniers and Wright with top-four selections in 2021 and 2022. The club lacks a young defensive anchor and there were several intriguing ones available with the eighth pick. Mind you; it’s a process, and Seattle isn’t about to win the Cup next year. The Kraken took the player they thought was the best one available, and that’s never a poor decision for a young club.
11. NASHVILLE
TOP 10 PICKS – 0
TOP 20 PICKS – 4
TOP 50 PICKS – 13
The draft pick history tells a story. With no top-ten picks but 13 top-50 picks in the pipeline, the Predators have impressive depth at forward even if none turn out to be superstars. New GM Barry Trotz has been determined to build through the draft, selecting a dozen players in the top 100 in the past two drafts. The club now has at least a dozen legitimate NHL forward prospects in addition to Evangelista and Tomasino – a dramatic turnaround from five years ago when the forward crop was sparse. The defence crop features several undersized blueliners in Molendyk, Ufko, Del Gaizo, Stastney and Kolunummi, so it made sense to pick up Gibson this summer to help balance it out. Picking up Edstrom fortified the center depth but losing Askarov was a “net” loss in the U25 depth.
10. MINNESOTA
TOP 10 PICKS – 2
TOP 20 PICKS – 5
TOP 50 PICKS – 11
There is intriguing U25 talent at every position, and that overall quality depth earned Minnesota a spot in the top ten. Yurov made a huge jump as a 19/20-year-old, finishing top 20 in KHL scoring and confirming that he is one of the best prospects outside the NHL. Rossi also started to fill his enormous potential, going from one point in 19 NHL games to 41 as he earned a full-time NHL spot as a 22-year-old. Boldy is an established star, and if Ohgren and Ritchie can reach their potential, there are six legitimate top-six forward prospects in the pipeline. Buium could quarterback the power play and Faber is already a major minute muncher.
9. OTTAWA
TOP 10 PICKS – 5
TOP 20 PICKS – 5
TOP 50 PICKS – 14
Ottawa arguably had top-five U-25 depth a couple of years ago but several graduations and a lack of high picks in the last two drafts have eroded the young talent base Top-ten picks Stutzle, Tkachuk, Yakemchuk and Sanderson are the main reasons why the overall group remains in the top ten but there are some other solid players like Greig and Pinto who have already made impacts at the NHL level. If Norris can bounce back from his multiple shoulder surgeries the Sens are set down the middle for many years to come. Soogard has been inconsistent, but goalies can take many years to fully acclimate to the pro game.
