Montreal Canadiens top TSN’s Core 4 U-24 team ranking for second straight year

The Montreal Canadiens are repeat champions…on paper.

But will Montreal’s status as the back-to-back No. 1 team in TSN’s annual Core 4 U-24 rankings lead to something special on ice?

The Canadiens, suddenly in the midst of six losses in seven games, marked last year’s lofty standing by making the playoffs for the first time in four years.

What’s next for a team headlined by a pair of projected superstars: 21-year-old left defenceman Lane Hutson and 19-year-old right winger Ivan Demidov?

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button and FloHockey’s NHL Draft & Prospect Analyst Chris Peters assessed every NHL team’s collection of assets 23 or younger (as of regular season’s start Oct. 7) – blending evaluations of current level of play with projected further development to assign 2025-26 grades.

Players are labeled AAA (superstar), AA (elite), A (No. 1 goalie, top-pair defenceman, first-line forward) or B (tandem goalie, top-four defenceman, top-six forward) or C (backup goalie, depth defenceman, bottom-six forward).

Listed are all players rated B or better, with C players included only to round out Core 4 lists.

Hutson was rated a B player in 2023, an A player in 2024, and is now AAA – in the wake of a Calder Trophy-winning season.

“We finally got it right,” says Button. “It was in front of our eyes all the time. He’s a unicorn. Nobody else plays the game like he does. He speeds the game up, he slows it down, he makes it go sideways.”

Demidov has gone from AA to AAA over the past two seasons in our ranking.

“He’s wired to be a difference-maker ,” says Button. “The fire burns hot in him.”

For Peters, the presence of two AAA players – Hutson and Demidov – plus an A-level goalie in Jacob Fowler gives Montreal a slight edge over No. 2 Chicago’s stacked U-24 list, which goes an unprecedented 15 players deep, from AAA to B.

“Fowler has always been one of the best, if not the best, goalies at every level he has played,” says Peters. “He projects as a No. 1 goalie in the NHL, and while no position is more difficult to project, he’s as close as you get to a sure thing in goal.”

Fowler has a .924 save percentage with Laval and shares the American Hockey League lead with three shutouts this season.

Of course, Connor Bedard, tops the list for Chicago. He has rebounded from a disappointing sophomore season to maintain his AAA status and make a highly publicized bid for the Canadian Olympic team.

He had three goals against Calgary on Tuesday to give him 13 for the season, one behind Nathan MacKinnon’s league-leading 14.Bedard is backed up on the Blackhawks by AA centre Frank Nazar, three A players (centre Anton Frondell, plus right defencemen Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov) and a whopping 10 potential top-six forwards.

Rounding out the top three teams is AAA centre Macklin Celebrini’s San Jose Sharks, the only team with three A-level teenagers: Celebrini, 19, A left defenceman Sam Dickinson, 19, and A centre Michael Misa, 18.

Celebrini, like Bedard, had three goals Wednesday, his coming against Utah – and including the overtime winner.Fourth-ranked Anaheim is engineering one of the biggest turnarounds from last season, largely on the strength of AAA centre Leo Carlsson and AA left winger Cutter Gauthier, with a surprise contribution from 19-year-old A right winger Beckett Sennecke.

Newly signed $10-million AA centre Logan Cooley heads up Utah’s fifth-ranked Mammoth group of eight players ranked B or better.

Of significance is that the New York Islanders, never ranked higher than 20th previously, check in at No. 7 this year – largely on the shoulders of Matthew Schaefer, the 2025 first-overall pick who has earned AAA status during a magnificent rookie season.

The only other Canadian team in the top 10 is Ottawa, who could be in for a fall next year since their two best U-24 players will age out: left defenceman Jake Sanderson and centre Tim Stutzle are both 23.

Here are the rest of Canada’s teams:

– No. 20 Calgary has one A player, 18-year-old right defenceman Zayne Parekh, and four more teenagers among a collection of six B players, including University of North Dakota centre Cole Reschny.

– No. 23 Toronto boasts the only AA player on a Canadian U-24 list outside of Montreal and Ottawa, with 22-year-old left winger Matthew Knies scoring at a point-per-game pace in his third NHL season.

– No. 24 Winnipeg also has six B-rated players, led by 23-year-old right winger Cole Perfetti.

– No. 26 Vancouver has one A player, 20-year-old right defenceman Tom Willander, who is in his first pro season after being drafted 11th overall in 2023.- No. 28 Edmonton has a thin U-24 group – not surprising, considering its positioning as a Stanley Cup-or-bust team. Left winger Matt Savoie, 22, is a B player.

Last in the 2025 ranking is Vegas, a team perennially in win-now mode. Its rankings over the four years reflect that reality: 2022-23 (30th), 2023-24 (32nd), 2024-25 (25th) and 2025-26 (32nd).

A final note: Three players in the team-by-team capsules are listed as 23 years old because ages are as of Oct. 7, but have since turned 24: the New York Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere, Los Angeles Kings’ Alex Laferriere and New Jersey Devils’ Dawson Mercer.

Up next: Core 4 U-24 Top 50 Players, coming Thursday, Nov. 20.

The Top 32 Core 4 U-24 Teams

(Statistics through Nov. 17)

1. Montreal Canadiens (1)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Lane HutsonMontrealLD21AAA192162. Ivan DemidovMontrealRW19AAA194143. Juraj SlavkovskyMontrealRW21A19694. Jacob FowlerLaval (AHL)G20A92.01.924
5. Kaiden GuhleMontrealLD23A5126. Michael HageMichigan (NCAA)C19B148197. Alexander ZharovskyUfa (KHL)RW18B186158. Oliver KapanenMontrealC22B197119. Zach BolducMontrealLW22B194610. David ReinbacherLaval (AHL)RD21B703

2. Chicago Blackhawks (6)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Connor BedardChicagoC20AAA1820262. Frank NazarChicagoC21AA165123. Anton FrondellDjurgarden (SWE J20)C18A198134. Sam RinzelChicagoRD21A1713
5. Artyom LevshunovChicagoRD19A170106. Sacha BoisvertBoston U (NCAA)C19B9197. Oliver MooreChicagoC20B6138. Nick LardisRockford (AHL)LW20B155149. Vaclav NestrasilU-Amherst (NCAA)RW18B1371510. Roman KantserovMagnitigorsk (KHL)RW21B27172911. Marek VanackerBrantford (OHL)LW19B19182612. Mason WestFargo (USHL)C18B101913. Jack PridhamKitchener (OHL)RW20B1891914. John Mustard
 Providence (NCAA)C19B1171215. Nathan BehmKamloops (WHL)RW18B211331

3. San Jose Sharks (2)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Macklin CelebriniSan JoseC19AAA1910272. Will SmithSan JoseRW20A197173. Michael MisaSan JoseC18A7134. Sam DickinsonSan JoseLD19A1412
5. William EklundSan JoseLW22A155126. Yaroslav AskarovSan JoseG23B113.09.9067. Joshua RavensbergenPrince George (WHL)G18B172.73.9158. Igor Chernyshov
 San Jose (AHL)LW19B146109. Quentin MustySan Jose (AHL)LW20B1431110. Kaper HalttunenSan Jose (AHL)RW20B1245

4. Anaheim Ducks (7)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Leo CarlssonAnaheimC20AAA1911262. Cutter GauthierAnaheimLW21AA1912223. Beckett SenneckeAnaheimRW19A196134. Mason McTavishAnaheimC22A19311
5. Roger McQueenProvidence (NCAA)C19A11286. Stian SolbergSan Diego (AHL)LD19B13037. Eric Nilson
 Michigan St. (NCAA)C18B10138. Olen ZellwegerAnaheimLD21B19269. Pavel MintyukovAnaheimLD21B1803

5. Utah Mammoth (13)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Logan CooleyUtahC21AA199152. Dylan GuentherUtahRW22AA198153. Caleb DesnoyersMoncton (QMJHL)C18A7144. JJ PeterkaUtahLW23A19613
5. Tij Iginla
 Kelowna (WHL)LW19A911186. Daniil ButTucson (AHL)LW20B147137. Dmitry SimashevUtahLD20B19018. Michael HrabalU-Amherst (NCAA)G20B92.68.911

6. Detroit Red Wings (3)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Lucas Raymond
 DetroitLW23AA175202. Trey Augustine
 Michigan St. (NCAA)G20A91.32.9483. Simon EdvinssonDetroitLD22A19364. Axel Sandin-PellikaDetroitRD20A1925
5. Marco KasperDetroitC21B19336. Emmitt FinnieDetroitC20B19487. Max PlanteM-Duluth (NCAA)LW19B1420238. Carter BearEverett (WHL)LW18B165149. Michael Brandsegg-NygardGrand Rapids (AHL)RW20B62310. Eddie GenborgTimra (SM Liiga)RW18B2071311. Sebastian CossaGrand Rapids (AHL)G22B41.75.939

7. New York Islanders (28)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Matthew SchaeferNY IslandersLD18AAA197152. Cal RitchieNY IslandersC20A9003. Kashawn AitchesonBarrie (OHL)LW19B1915314. Victor Eklund
 DjurgardenRD19B1819
5. Cole EisermanBoston U (NCAA)LW19B8686. Daniil ProkhorovMoscow (KHL)RW18B12117. Danny NelsonNotre Dame (NCAA)C20B1247

8. Ottawa Senators (8)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Jake SandersonOttawaLD23AA193132. Tim StutzleOttawaC23AA1910193. Carter YakemchukBelleville (AHL)RD20B15294. Logan HenslerWisconsin (NCAA)RD19B1137

9. Minnesota Wild (5)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Brock FaberMinnesotaRD23AA20392. Zeev BuiumMinnesotaLD19AA203103. Jesper WallstedtMinnesotaG22B62.10.9244. Danila YurovMinnesotaRW21B1523
5. Liam OhgrenMinnesotaLW21B7006. Adam BenakBrantford (OHL)C18B1910347. Aron KiviharjuHIFK (SM Liiga)LD19B1425

10. Washington Capitals (12)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Ryan LeonardWashingtonRW20AA19382. Cole HutsonBoston U (NCAA)LD19A125163. Milton GastrinMoDo (SWE)C18B165124. Ilya ProtasHershey (AHL)LW19B14510
5. Lynden LakovicMoose Jaw (WHL)LW18B2017276. Terik Parascak
 Prince George (WHL)RW19B1916317. Ivan MiroshnichenkoHershey (AHL)LW21B200

11. Philadelphia Flyers (15)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Matvei MichkovPhiladelphiaRW20A18492. Porter MartoneMichigan St. (NCAA)RW18A107143. Tyson FoersterPhiladelphiaRW23B14474. Yegor ZavraginSt. Petersburg (VHL)G20B112.48.924
5. Oliver BonkLehigh Valley (AHL)RD20B6. Alex BumpLehigh Valley (AHL)LW21B154137. Jack NesbittWindsor (OHL)C18B167188. Jett LuchankoGuelph (OHL)C19B7211

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (10)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Adam FantilliColumbusC20AA196132. Cayden LindstromMichigan St. (NCAA)C19A8123. Kent JohnsonColumbusLW22B18254. Denton MateychukColumbusLD21B1847
5. Jackson SmithPenn State (NCAA)LD18B12286. Pyotr AndreyanovMoscow (VHL)G18B52.2.9247. Evan GardnerSaskatoon (WHL)G19B182.62.9078. Luca MarrelliCleveland (AHL)RD20B

13. Nashville Predators (24)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Brady Martin
 S.S. Marie (OHL)C18A102112. Egor SurinYaroslavl (KHL)LW19A2811213. Cameron ReidKitchener (OHL)LD18B183174. Jack Ivankovic
 Michigan (NCAA)G18B142.08.914
5. Tanner MoldenykMilwaukee (AHL)LD20B11046. Matthew WoodNashvilleRW20B136107. Ryker LeeMichigan St. (NCAA)RW18B1037

14. Los Angeles Kings (18)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Brandt ClarkeLos AngelesRD22A20292. Quinton ByfieldLos AngelesLW23A204173. Alex Laferriere*Los AngelesRW23B205104. Carter GeorgeOwen Sound (OHL)G19B153.13.899
5. Hampton SlukynskyW. Michigan (NCAA)G20B122.95.8826. Liam GreentreeWindsor (OHL)RW19B1412247. Henry BrzustewiczLondon (OHL)RD18B177118. Voytech CiharKarlovy Vary (CZE)LW18B2236

*Note – Alex Laferriere was 23 at the start of the regular season on Oct. 7

15. Carolina Hurricanes (11)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Seth JarvisCarolinaRW23AA197182. Logan StankovenCarolinaRW22B195103. Jackson BlakeCarolinaRW22B194134. Charlie CerratoPenn State (NCAA)C20B14420
5. Bradly NadeauChicago (AHL)LW20B7376. Nikita ArtamonovN. Novgorod (KHL)
 RW19B8247. Semyon FrolovMoskva (MHL)G18B71.83.929

16. Dallas Stars (9)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Wyatt JohnstonDallasRW22AA1911212. Emil HemmingBarrie (OHL)RW19B82153. Mavrik BourqueDallasC23B19264. Lian BischelDallasLD21B1913
5. Cameron SchmidtVancouver (WHL)RW18B201430

17. New Jersey (4)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Luke HughesNew JerseyLD22AA181112. Dawson Mercer*New JerseyRW23B189163. Simon NemecNew JerseyRD21B184124. Anton SilayevN. Novgorod (KHL)LD19B2801
5. Mikhail YegorovBoston U (NCAA)G19B123.73.887

*Note – Dawson Mercer was 23 at the start of the regular season on Oct. 7

18. St. Louis Blues (20)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Jimmy SnuggerudSt. LouisRW21A195112. Jake NeighboursSt. LouisLW23B8673. Dalibor DvorskySt. LouisC20B9224. Justin CarbonneauB-Boisbriand (QMJHL)RW18B181823
5. Adam JiriceckBrantford (OHL)RD19B187216. Colin RalphMichigan St. (NCAA)LD20B10127. Theo LindsteinSpringfield (AHL)LD20B1513

19. Buffalo Sabres (14)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Owen PowerBuffaloLD22A18272. Radim MrtkaSeattle (WHL)RD18A7063. Zach BensonBuffaloLW20B8084. Jiri KulichBuffaloLW21B1235
5. Konsta HeleniusRochester (AHL)C19B165126. Noah OstlundBuffaloC21B11357. Josh DoanBuffaloRW23B195128. Devon LeviRochester (AHL)G23B92.96.891

20. Calgary Flames (16)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Zayne ParekhCalgaryRD19A11012. Matt CoronatoCalgaryRW22B19593. Cole ReschnyN. Dakota (NCAA)C18B122114. Matvei GridinCalgary (AHL)LW19B14614
5. Jacob BattagliaKingston (OHL)LW19B1910156. Samuel HonzekCalgaryLW20B18247. Cullen PotterArizona St. (NCAA)C18B1228

21. Pittsburgh Penguins (31)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Ben KindelPittsburghC18A17572. Harrison BrunickePittsburghRD19B9113. Sergei MurashovPittsburghG21B21.52.9384. Will HorcoffMichigan (NCAA)C18B141318
5. Ville KoivunenPittsburghLW21B11026. Bill ZonnonB-Boisbriand (QMJHL)RW19B2007. Emil PieniniemiWheeling (ECHL)LD20B—

*Note – Emil Pieniniemi was suspended for refusing to report to the ECHL

22. Seattle Kraken (20)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Berkly CattonSeattleC19A13032. Matty BeniersSeattleC22B182123. Jake O’BrienBrantford (OHL)C18B199384. Julius MiettinenEverett (WHL)C19B181228
5. Ryker EvansSeattleLD23B5126. Jagger FirkusCoachella Valley (AHL)RW21B14818

23. Toronto Maple Leafs (17)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Matthew KniesTorontoLW22AA195222. Easton CowanTorontoRW20B11143. Victor JohanssonOskarshamn (SWE)LD19B7034. Ben Danford
Brantford (OHL)RD19C706

24. Winnipeg Jets (22)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Cole PerfettiWinnipegRW23B4122. Brayden YagerManitoba (AHL)C20B15283. Sascha BoumedienneBoston U (NCAA)LD18B12244. Elias SalomonssonManitoba (AHL)RD21B1505
5. Edison EngleBrantford (OHL)LD18B182146. Colby BarlowManitoba (AHL)LW20B1512

25. Boston Bruins (30)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. James HagensBoston C (NCAA)C18A114112. Will MooreBoston C (NCAA)C18B11253. Dans LocmelisProvidence (NCAA)C21B14584. Will ZellersNorth Dakota (NCAA)LW19B12711

26. Vancouver Canucks (23)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Tom WillanderVancouverRD20A11032. Braeden CootesSeattle (WHL)C18B105153. Jonathan LekkerimakiVancouverRW21B4114. Alexei MedvedevLondon (OHL)G18B122.08.926

27. New York Rangers (19)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Alexis Lafreniere*NY RangersLW23B204122. Gabe PerreaultNY RangersLW20B3013. Will CuylleNY RangersLW23B206114. EJ EmeryNorth Dakota (NCAA)RD19C1124

*Note – Alexis Lafreniere was 23 at the start of the regular season on Oct. 7

28. Edmonton Oilers (27)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Matt SavoieEdmontonLW21B21252. Issac HowardBakersfield (AHL)LW21B1023. Maksim BerezkinYaroslavl (KHL)LW23C281104. Beau AkeyBakersfield (AHL)RD20C101

29. Colorado Avalanche (26)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Ilya NabokovMagnitigorsk (KHL)G22B152.60.8932. Gavin BrindleyColoradoC/RW21B17473. Max CurranEdmonton (WHL)C19B217254. Mikhail GulyayevOmsk (KHL)LD20C2602

30. Tampa Bay Lightning (32)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Sam O’ReillyLondon (OHL)RW19B199202. Dominic JamesTampa BayC23C9143. Conor GeekieSyracuse (AHL)C21C113114. Ethan GauthierSyracuse (AHL)RW20C902

31. Florida Panthers (29)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Linus ErikssonTimra (SM Liiga)C19B19022. Kirill GerasimyukCharlotte (AHL)G22B31.99.9143. Mackie SamoskevichFloridaRW22C19294. Jack DevineCharlotte (AHL)RW22C13612

32. Vegas Golden Knights (25)

PlayerTeamPos.AgeGradeGPGPTS1. Trevor ConnellyHenderson (AHL)LW19B2132. Carl LindbomVegasG22C53.18.8743. Mateo NobertB-Boisbriand (QMJHL)C18C208254. Jakob Ihs-WozniakLulea (SWE)C18C1722