24. VANCOUVER
TOP TEN PICKS – 1
TOP 20 PICKS – 4
TOP 50 PICKS – 7
Any time you have a major trophy winner under 25, you automatically jump out of the bottom tier even if the overall U25 pool is thin. Hughes squeaked into the group as a late 1999 who turns 25 in October. Expect Hughes to be a difference-maker for the next decade, so his “age” is a non-factor in that regard. The Canucks have decent prospect depth up front considering the lack of top-50 picks in the system but with the possible exception of Lekkerimaki, the group lacks blue-chip potential. There is a need to hold onto high picks over the next couple of years and add some forwards with top-six potential. Losing a relatively young former top-ten pick in Podkolzin for peanuts doesn’t help the ranking.
23. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
TOP TEN PICKS – 0
TOP 20 PICKS – 3
TOP 50 PICKS – 5
There are question marks up front, and the Islanders will hope that Eiserman develops quicker than Wahlstrom – two goal-scorers who need to round out their overall games. Wahlstrom is still working on it. Nelson may carve out a bottom-six center role but the club lacks a young pivot with top-two upside, and that will need to be addressed in the next couple of drafts. The strength of this prospect group is on defence, and the left side in particular. George has decent NHL upside yet he sits fourth on the LD depth chart. Depth on right defence is a common need among NHL teams, and after Dobson, the Islanders are thin on the right. The club will be looking to add a quality prospect in goal in next year’s draft.
22. DALLAS
TOP TEN PICKS – 0
TOP 20 PICKS – 2
TOP 50 PICKS – 6
For Dallas to make the top 20 despite having no top-15 picks is a testament to great drafting. If Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen were each two weeks younger, they would be eligible for this list, and Dallas would be top ten in U25 talent with just one top-15 pick. Wyatt Johnston at 23rd overall and Logan Stankoven at 47 in the 2022 draft, the Stars look to have hit the jackpot again with draft steals just as they accomplished with grabbing Robertson at 39th overall in 2017. Picks like that can keep a team in contention, and the Stars have a history under Jim Nill of finding gems outside of the top 20. The Stars will be looking to add depth on the wing in upcoming drafts
21. LOS ANGELES
TOP TEN PICKS – 3
TOP 20 PICKS – 3
TOP 50 PICKS – 6
Byfield’s emergence as one of the NHL’s best U25 forwards lifted the Kings out of the bottom tier despite the lack of surefire NHL prospects. Does Alex Turcotte finally start reaching some of his potential as a top-five pick in a strong draft class? Look for Brandt Clarke to start making an impact at the NHL level this season as a former top-ten pick, and help spark the power play. If Liam Greentree reaches his full potential and Jakub Dvorak can emerge as a shutdown NHL defender, there is decent overall upside in this group but question marks remain. There are no surefire center prospects, and at least one will need to emerge as Anze Kopitar winds down his career.
20. CAROLINA
TOP TEN PICKS – 2
TOP 20 PICKS – 3
TOP 50 PICKS – 10
When a former first-round pick is fourth on your U25 center depth chart, you are doing something right. The Canes are deep down the middle on the NHL roster and in the system. They also have impressive depth on defence, including on the right side where teams often lack talent. Badinka, Morrow, and Heimosalmi are all solid prospects on the right. Carolina drafted several prospects in later rounds in the past three drafts who would have been higher picks if they weren’t playing in Russia. Trikizov, Perevalov, Kol, and Shokhrin all have plenty of skill but there is some unknown with all of them. If they come over and adopt top North American rinks they could prosper.
19. CALGARY
TOP TEN PICKS – 1
TOP 20 PICKS – 3
TOP 50 PICKS – 9
New GM Craig Conroy recognized a couple of years ago that the farm system was decimated, and he has done an admirable job of restocking the system as it was clear that the club wasn’t a Cup contender. Two positions in particular are now well stocked – left wing and right defence. While the club lacks offensive game-breakers up front (with the possible exception of Coronato), there are several forwards with top-six potential if their development goes well, and that includes Suniev, who is fifth on the left-wing depth chart. Parekh, Mews, and Brzustewicz all have solid offensive instincts. Parekh is the real plum, though, and he has the potential to be a point-per-game power-play quarterback. the future has brightened considerably in Calgary.
18. NEW YORK RANGERS
TOP TEN PICKS – 2
TOP 20 PICKS – 4
TOP 50 PICKS – 8
The emergence of Lafreniere in last year’s NHL playoffs was a stark reminder that players can have different development paths. He now looks like an emerging star and worthy of being the top selection in the 2020 draft. The same can’t be said for Kakko as of yet if the light switch goes off as it did for Lafreniere, the Rangers will be a force. Perreault only bolstered his stock with a stellar freshman season at BC. Bedard and Othmann both finished top five in AHL rookie scoring. There are only so many spots for all of the club’s promising wingers. The Rangers may consider dealing a winger or two in the future to bolster depth at center.
17. ST. LOUIS
TOP TEN PICKS – 2
TOP 20 PICKS – 5
TOP 50 PICKS – 12
Winning a Stanley Cup is the goal of every team but in the salary cap era, success often leads to cap issues as players look to cash in. GM Doug Armstrong soon recognized that the club wasn’t destined for more success, and in the past three years has made a concerted effort to rebuild the youth through trades, the draft, and offer sheets. Armstrong managed to wrestle both Broberg and Holloway from Edmonton, and the Blues will have at least ten elite U25 assets in the system. Selecting Jiricek in the top 20 was a gamble given his serious knee injury but the Blues needed to fortify right defence. They will be looking to add at least one more high-end defence prospect in next year’s draft as they’ve failed to find a replacement for Alex Pietrangelo.
