Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2026 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations on nearly 500 prospects, runs from March 9 to April 8.

The Predators have a claim for the deepest pool in the league, with 16 prospects drafted in the first two rounds in their system and double-digit first-rounders (the most of any organization). That puts them in the top five, and I debated ranking them as high as third on the back of it. But they’re an A-plus prospect away from being the true cream of the crop.

2025 prospect pool rank: No. 8 (change: +3)

Tier 1 1. Brady Martin, C, 19, Soo (No. 5, 2025)

Martin is a well-rounded, fearless, workhorse, pro-style forward whose combination of competitiveness and strength has endeared him to people around the OHL and NHL. He has played huge, all-situations minutes for the Soo the last two years, often clocking 25-plus minutes as a forward, and then wore a letter for Canada at U18 worlds and was one of their best players at both U18s and the World Juniors despite suffering a shoulder injury. He also made the Preds out of camp this fall, and while his numbers haven’t popped in his post-draft campaign in the Soo, he has been playing through the shoulder issue for much of it and played at a 39-goal, 86-point pace in his draft year.

He plays extremely hard, plays in the guts of the ice, his effort level and physicality get A grades and he stays involved in all three zones, constantly seeming to make things happen and have an impact on shifts and games. He’s strong on his feet and finishing checks, plays on instinct more than smarts, delivers some of the hardest hits I’ve seen in junior hockey and does it seemingly every game without being a dirty player. He has good hands and reflexes on tips and redirects around the net. He has some raw power and should continue to get even stronger. He has a B and C game that allows him to consistently impact games in a variety of desirable ways. While I wouldn’t call his skill or skating extremely dynamic (his feet are average from a standstill), he’s very talented, regularly attacking at and challenging defenders with his hands and middle-lane drive and beating goalies with his quick release (he has an NHL shot already). So he’s not just a worker type with secondary skill; there’s some play-driving and individual playmaking to his game as well. He’s going to have a long career as a productive up-and-down-the-lineup player in the NHL and should be an excellent and unique top-six forward (whether as a center or winger) in his prime. There’s some untapped potential yet with him and his development curve as well. He’s very early in it, and while he’s a quick skater and a very powerful player, both of those things still have another level. I don’t think there’s a more competitive, honest, stick-to-it, high-motor player in the game. He’s consistent, brings it every shift, can play the back post and net-front on the power play, and his teams miss his identity when he’s not in the lineup.

2. Ryker Lee, RW, 19, Michigan State (No. 26, 2025)

Lee was one of the top players on a Shattuck St. Mary’s U18 team that had three players drafted two years ago, and was the most purely skilled player in the USHL last season. After getting a taste of the USHL two springs ago, he was Madison’s leading scorer as a rookie in the league (albeit as a late birthday who turned 18 in the fall) and really popped with the puck on his stick at the Chipotle All-American Game as well. This season, he made some of the prettier plays made all year in college hockey as a freshman as well. And while he had an up-and-down tournament with Team USA at the World Juniors, turning over pucks trying to do too much, he was a standout at the World Junior Summer Showcase and finished his freshman year with 30 points in 35 games as Michigan State’s fourth-leading scorer behind the three players who made up their top line.

Lee is an extremely talented offensive winger with elite hands who can take and beat defenders one-on-one with his individual skill level and isn’t afraid to be cheeky and try things. I’ve seen him score some gorgeous goals, dancing defenders or lifting pucks in tight, and I’ve seen him set up some pretty assists. He’s a crafty offensive forward who can make plays inside the offensive zone, off the rush and on the half-wall on the power play. He thinks the game at a very advanced level offensively. His skating could use another step, and his play off the puck defensively could use some rounding out (he has a great stick defensively on lifts), and that, combined with his average size and competitiveness as a winger, did cause debate as to whether he was a first-rounder for some teams despite having clear first-round skill. I think the Preds were smart to take the swing on his offensive gifts. His nickname is “The Wizard,” and he lives up to it. The lightning-quick, puck-on-a-string hands. The shiftiness. The clairvoyant vision and eyes on the back of his head. The touch and finesse on passes. The feel. The natural release. He has a great energy about him and loves the game. Not that long ago, he was 5-foot-7, and now he’s 6 feet, and he still has room to grow and get stronger. If he can improve his skating (he performed well at the combine, which was promising of progress he has already made on that front after his growth spurt), he has the top-six talent/star potential that the Preds’ pool is missing a little of.

Lee is one of my favorite prospects, and his ranking here is indicative of that.

3. Yegor Surin, C, 19, Yaroslavl (No. 22, 2024)

Surin is a talented and multi-dimensional offensive player who really took off in the second half of the MHL regular season and into the playoffs in his draft year, becoming one of the most impactful forwards in the league as an August birthday who was one of the youngest players on my draft board. I ranked him a little lower than where the Preds took him (41st when he went 22nd), but he had late-first momentum late in the year, and the Preds certainly weren’t alone in viewing him in that range. Last year, though he played just eight minutes and change per game in the KHL, he scored 12 goals and 21 points in 60 combined regular-season and playoff games with Lokomotiv and was utterly dominant when back in the MHL as an 18-year-old. He took a big step this year as well, playing 13-15 minutes per game and registering 37 points in 57 regular-season games, good for second among U20 skaters in the league and supported by excellent two-way results in his usage (Lokomotiv outscored the opposition 42-20 with Surin on the ice at even strength).

Surin is a good skater who plays with plenty of pace and tempo to hunt and win pucks or push play down ice. He’s also now listed just below 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, but has the individual skill of a smaller player. He can play all three forward positions. He excels on the flank on the power play because of his plus vision and a dangerously quick release from midrange. He’s very physical and plays with a real chip on his shoulder. He can frustrate with his lack of discipline at times, whether by trying to be too cute at five-on-five, attempting unnecessary one-on-one plays, or by taking careless penalties (scrums after the whistle, interference trying to be sly, high hits, stick infractions, etc.). Some of it you can live with because he’s competing for possession and battling for pucks or looking to play the body, but there are instances in a game where he’s reckless in his decision-making on and off the puck (though he has made progress on the discipline front in the KHL). His skill, size, tools and fire make him very appealing, and I thought about ranking him ahead of Lee. He thrives playing on instinct and has a lot of projectable elements. He’ll be a top-nine forward with some skill and competitiveness. Of note: His KHL contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.

4. Matthew Wood, RW, 21, Nashville/Milwaukee (No. 15, 2023)

Wood has begun to establish himself as an NHL player with the Preds, but the five games he has played in the AHL this year have kept him eligible for what will likely be the last time.

Wood was the youngest player in college hockey in his draft year (he was, for a moment, the only 17-year-old) and stepped right in to become an impactful offensive player and eventually the leading scorer on a decent UConn team (albeit as a winger after playing mostly center in Jr. A, though he’s comfortable at all three forward positions). His counting stats as a sophomore took a bit of a hit, moving from 34 points in 35 games to 28 points in 35 games, but most of that was the byproduct of a much weaker UConn team (he still led the team in scoring by five goals and six points) — although it did highlight concerns some have about his ability to be a driver/his need to play with other good players who can get him pucks. Last season, after a transfer to Minnesota, he played to a point per game as the Golden Gophers’ second-leading scorer and was cut as a returnee to Team Canada ahead of the World Juniors before signing and registering one point in six NHL games. This year, he has flirted with 20 goals as a rookie.

His statistics were always projectable, but there are parts of his game that felt less projectable. That point-per-game production as a freshman came a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades. He also found ways to get his looks in a limited role at the World Juniors in Gothenburg, even if they didn’t bring him back because they weren’t sure where he fit in the lineup, and they had questions about his skating/pace (ultimately, they probably could have used his scoring/skill).

What Wood is, though, is a rangy, multi-dimensional shooter and goal-scoring forward who has silky hands for 6-foot-4 (considering the long stick he uses, he has superb control on the toe of his blade out wide and the heel in tight to his feet), a marksman’s shot inside the offensive zone (both through a natural shooting motion and his one-timer) and a sixth sense for arriving around the net/slot at the right time. He protects the puck well out wide to his body, does a good job holding onto pucks for that extra second required to walk into his spots without needing bursts of speed to get there and can also slip and navigate pucks through traffic against reaching sticks. I’ve seen him support play well defensively off the puck, though that area is not a strength of his game.

He has quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly and he has a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. He has also worked to up his work rate. But he’s slow out of the blocks, which results in some wondering if he can go from being the 20-25-goal, 40-something point forward we all expect him to be to the 30-30-60 one that moves the needle a little more. When he keeps his feet moving in puck protection, he draws a ton of penalties, but he doesn’t have a ton of pace, and he’s not ultra-competitive or a driver. He’s better suited as a playmaker and finisher than a power-forward type (he’ll never be that), but he has become more competitive over time (a little more than he gets credit for). I like the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks, and I believe he has second line/PP upside even without the speed. There’s some risk he doesn’t take that next step, though, too.

5. Tanner Molendyk, LHD, 21, Milwaukee (No. 24, 2023)

An incredibly mobile defenseman, Molendyk uses light edges to adjust and shape to coverage with ease in all four directions. He evades pressure and walks the line beautifully and effortlessly, displaying comfort on his heels and inside and outside edges. He’s also a competitive defender on both sides of the puck who plays tight, active gaps to use his feet to be disruptive, step up in transition and kill plays early. In his draft year, he drove results with the Saskatoon Blades, helping them into the third round of the WHL playoffs while playing behind 21-year-old overage defenseman and captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere on the power play. Two years ago, though a couple of injuries impacted his post-draft season and cost him a top-four role on Team Canada at the World Juniors as an 18-year-old, he was one of the best defensemen in junior when healthy and finished with 66 points in 66 combined regular-season and playoff games while playing to a plus-51 rating. Last season, after nearly making the Preds out of camp, Molendyk wore a letter and played on Canada’s first pair at the World Juniors in advance of a trade from Saskatoon to Medicine Hat, and then won a WHL title as the team’s No. 1 defenseman. This year has come with a bit of an adjustment at the AHL level — where he has played 16-17 minutes per game — in terms of the size piece, but his skating should still get him to where he wants to go.

I don’t think anyone who has watched Molendyk closely would be surprised if he becomes an effective all-situations, play-steering No. 4-5 defenseman on the back of his mobility, comfort and consistent decision-making. He plays quickly, leads entries and exits with his feet, makes quick passes under the first layer, has poise under pressure and defends at a high level because of his feet. He has also worked to show more skill on the puck and up his activity level over the last couple of years. He really does have tremendous edges and is very smooth in possession. He’s an elite skater and was one of the best players in the CHL. He can influence the game in all areas (in-zone defense, getting back to pucks, breakouts, entries, lock-up rush defense, offensive zone creation, etc.). He needs to be a little stronger on pucks/in battles at times, but he plays hard and defends at a high level for an average-sized, 5-foot-11/6-foot D.

6. Cameron Reid, LHD, 18, Kitchener (No. 21, 2025)

Reid was a breakout star for the Rangers last year, playing big minutes to 0.8-0.9 points per game and wearing a letter in his draft year after a strong rookie season the year prior (despite playing the second half injured). I also liked him at the OHL Top Prospects Game (where he had three assists on four West goals and also wore a letter). He wasn’t as productive for Kitchener in its playoff run to the conference finals, but he was being asked to do a lot for that team, and the Rangers went as far as they could. This year, he was named Kitchener’s captain and played to a point per game on a top team. He did have some uncharacteristic struggles defending and with some sloppiness at the World Juniors, though (it’s not like him to get caught out of position or beat one-on-one).

He’s a good athlete and smart, engaging and well-liked. He’s a plus skater whose game is shaped by his movement and mobility. He can influence play with his feet, whether that’s defending and closing gaps, escaping pressure, transporting pucks or getting open and active off the puck. He’s a heady, offensively capable player, but he doesn’t chase it for the sake of the points. He also defends really well, with a good stick and sense for timing and disruption. He has been a major driver of two-way results for the Rangers in tough minutes. I see a modern defenseman. He reminds me a little of young Blue Jackets D Denton Mateychuk. I’m a big fan of the skating-smarts combo he brings. There are some who wonder if he’s dynamic enough offensively at 6 feet, but he’s an excellent player.

Tier 27. Jack Ivankovic, G, 18, Michigan (No. 58, 2025)

Ivankovic is a small but top-end goalie who has played at a consistently excellent level for Hockey Canada, the Steelheads and now Michigan, and has the high-end tools across the board that you look for in a 5-foot-11/6-foot netminder. He plays an incredibly calm, controlled, positional style, especially for an undersized goalie, staying square to shooters, getting set early, holding his edges and controlling his rebounds so well it can look like he’s not moving in the net (and when he does move too much and loses his posts, he battles to get back into his spots and get to pucks on scrambles). His goalie IQ and anticipation are elite. But he’s also ultra-competitive, mobile and athletic, fighting for pucks in the crease and regularly getting to pucks he shouldn’t. Add in strong puck-playing ability, excellent hands and dexterity and dialed-in tracking, and you have a goalie who consistently steals games. Despite being smaller, he’s also great down low and up high, staying on his feet long enough so that guys can’t pick corners on him, but also quick to drop down and kick out pucks.

Ivankovic is a very impressive goalie, and while his save percentage last year (which hovered around .900) didn’t look glossy and he wasn’t great in the playoffs for the Steelheads, I thought they struggled in front of him, and the Oshawa team they played in the first round had a lot of firepower. I believe in him as a future NHL goalie. He was head and shoulders above all of the other goalies at U18 worlds last year and stopped 27 of 29 shots in the two U Sports games (.931, the best in camp) at Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp last year, which isn’t captured in his data. He also performed well at two World Juniors, even if he wasn’t the starter in either (that’s coming at next year’s tournament). Plus, there’s at least some hope he’ll get an inch or two and have a late growth spurt (he wears size 12.5 shoes and his dad, Frank, is 6-foot-5). I’m a believer and really liked the pick for the Preds.

8. Ryan Ufko, RHD, 22, Nashville/Milwaukee (No. 115, 2021)

Don’t let the size (he’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds in the AHL and 6-foot and 174 pounds in the NHL) fool you. Ufko plays bigger than he looks, with a sturdy base and a willingness to engage in bumps/physical engagements. That helped him make the jump to the college level relatively easily as a freshman (when he finished third on UMass in scoring and held his own defensively as a freshman who was asked to do a lot) and it helped him continue to impact play at both ends and produce as a sophomore and junior (the latter as UMass’ captain) despite having to share offensive opportunities he would have gotten elsewhere with top offensive defenseman Scott Morrow. They also helped him make the jump to the pro level and continue to look like himself against bigger, stronger competition in the AHL last year, and then take a huge step this year to emerge as a top defender in the league and even make some plays and perform well in his first taste of the NHL.

Ufko’s smarts (his planning, reads, anticipation and awareness) define him and complement his competitiveness. While he’s not a flashy skater despite his strong overall statistical track record and legit skill, he has made some pretty plays this year. His puck-moving starts with the quick decisions he makes to advance play up ice, his efficient puck management and how fast he plays without being super fast himself. He steers and influences play through calculated aggression, knowing when to skate it and when to pass, an understanding of spacing inside the offensive zone and heady little plays under pressure or along the boards. He’s consistently involved at both ends and has proven he can drive results and compete in the USHL, NCAA, AHL and now NHL with the best in his age group.

9. Fedor Svechkov, C, 22, Nashville/Milwaukee (No. 19, 2021)

Svechkov had for years looked like a legitimate prospect in his age group and at the MHL (which included a 16-shot performance three years ago!) and second-tier VHL levels in Russia, but he wasn’t able to really establish himself in the KHL with two different teams (SKA and then Spartak) before he made the jump to North America. Since arriving, though, he has established himself within the organization, first in the AHL where he looked more like himself right away, producing as a rookie center who averaged about 15 minutes per game, and then last year playing 17-18 minutes per game to nearly a point per game in the AHL and earning his first NHL opportunities with the Preds (who he played well with). He has taken another step toward establishing himself in the NHL this year as well, and now it’s about proving he can be more than just a guy with the big club.

I think he has benefited from the smaller ice surface, where his heady game was always going to work better.

He doesn’t have high-end scoring touch or enough skating (his stride extends back through his toes, hunching him over his skates, instead of back and out through the arches of his feet) to elevate his projection from everyday NHL center to a potential impact one, but there’s a lot to like about his makeup and future as a contributing third-liner. His defensive awareness and intelligent, efficient offensive game make him an intriguing player. Though he has work to do in the faceoff circle, he’s otherwise a very complete player with a knack for disrupting and lifting pucks, sound positioning and an understanding of how to support the play and lead it in the right direction. He stays available for his linemates and involved through the neutral zone without needing to be fast. He does a good job creating separation with his go-to stop-up to force defenders off him and allow him to attack back into the space they’ve left behind. He has managed to produce at a consistently high level over the years despite lacking that star quality that most first-round forwards possess. He makes a lot of quick, smart plays with a good understanding of spacing. I don’t want this to position him as unskilled, either. He’s capable of carrying the puck and making plays in the offensive zone. But the real strength of his game is in its subtleties and intellect.

10. Zachary L’Heureux, LW, 22, Milwaukee/Nashville (No. 27, 2021)

After missing the first couple months of his year four seasons ago rehabbing a hip injury that had become debilitating for him, L’Heureux was a force for the Mooseheads after returning and has progressed nicely while playing to his fearless identity up levels ever since. The timing of the injury was a shame, because I thought he was one of the best players at Hockey Canada’s summer showcase for the World Juniors in Calgary that year and I think he would have had a real chance of making the Halifax team that won gold had he been healthy (even with some of the issues with on-ice discipline that have followed him, he would have made a lot of sense as a bottom-six guy). He didn’t lose any of his identity as a pest/drink-stirrer when he made the jump to the AHL, either, and was productive and impactful while being one of the league’s penalty minutes leaders (which comes with some drawbacks, but coaches have learned to live with it because he also pulls his team into the fight). He has begun to establish that identity in the NHL now, too, while also learning where the line is as he has gotten older. I’d still like to see him spend less time in the box than he does, but it’s positive that he didn’t change his style once he started playing against bigger, stronger competition. He’s someone that opposing teams are aware of and hate playing against.

When L’Heureux plays within himself, he’s a powerful, talented, heavyset winger who is a lot to handle and difficult to knock off the puck. His stride can look a little choppy, but he’s strong through his pushes to attack defenders, and then he has the dexterity to play through sticks and feet as well as the shot to score (when he leans into his snap shot, it really whips off his stick quickly). When he’s ramped up and engaged, he’s a pesky, physical, hard-on pucks winger who can barrel at, or through, opponents to the middle third of the ice, win back possession on lifts and battles and impose himself on the game. And while he can be his own worst enemy at times, he’s always going to have to walk a fine line. I view him as a hard-to-play-against third-line contributor who gives a line some skill (he’s quite talented) and sandpaper and could move up the lineup to play off skilled linemates in a pinch as well. He also doesn’t have to play in a top-nine role to impact a game and could be an in-your-face fourth-liner (which not a lot of first-rounders have to fall back on). With the right coaching, he has what it takes to be a valuable and unique player for the Predators.

11. David Edstrom, C, 21, Milwaukee (No. 32, 2023)

Edstrom was a steady riser in his draft year three seasons ago, and though he has been dealt twice since then, he has continued to develop in line with what you’d expect out of him. In his draft year, he was one of Sweden’s best players as their first-line center at U18 worlds after a good season split between Frolunda’s J20 and SHL team, establishing himself as a borderline-dominant player against his peers and demonstrating he could hang against men. Post-draft, he played a regular role in the SHL and centered Sweden’s third line (though they were used like a second line at times) at his first World Juniors, helping them to a silver medal again playing alongside his U18 worlds linemates of Otto Stenberg and Felix Unger Sorum (he was the least impressive of the three and a little quiet, but was also 18). Last year, reunited once more with Stenberg and Unger Sorum, Edstrom centered the Swedes’ top line as a returnee, made some big plays in the tournament, had a goal disallowed and played a lot (he led all Swedish forwards in average ice time at around 21 minutes). He has also continued to establish himself in the SHL as a teenager. This season, as a 20- and 21-year-old rookie, he has played 17 minutes per game in Milwaukee and has positioned himself as one of the team’s top penalty killers.

His stride is a little stilted, and he’s not a great skater (I think it was overrated in his draft year by some, and he has talked to me about the need to continue to work on it), but he’s good in a very effective kind of way. He’s not a skill guy or a power or smarts guy, but he has each in his game, which blends to allow him to take pucks off the wall to the inside and then execute in congested areas in ways you wouldn’t necessarily expect out of a 6-foot-3 player. He’ll make a soft-area play one shift, a play in tight to his body the next, and then drive out of those plays the next. At an early age, it’s also clear he has a really mature understanding of how to use his size to his advantage without being a super heavy or forceful player (it’s very subtle uses of his length and puck protection). He looks to dictate with his length and knows how to position himself against defenders. He’s decent on entries and will hold pucks, but can also play off his linemates. He’s not a natural playmaker, but he makes smart plays and functions off a variety of linemate types well. His wall game is good, and the net-front on PP suits him, though he probably doesn’t end up on an NHL power play. He’s not mean, but he protects it really well and takes pucks to the net.

It’s not flashy, but Edstrom projects as a solid fourth-line center who can contribute at five-on-five, on the penalty kill and fill in higher with good players in a pinch.

12. Joakim Kemell, RW, 21, Milwaukee/Nashville (No. 17, 2022)

Kemell feels like he’s older than he is because it feels like he has been around forever. This is already his fourth AHL season and the fifth year in which he has played pro games. He appeared in three World Juniors (Edmonton at 17 before it was canceled, Edmonton again in the summer at 18 and Halifax while still 18) without even actually playing in his 19-year-old tournament because he was full-time in Milwaukee. After an excellent age-adjusted year in his draft year and excellent age-adjusted production in his jump to the AHL three seasons ago, Kemell was productive with Milwaukee two years ago for his age, registering 41 points in 67 games (third among U20 AHL players behind only Shane Wright’s 47 points and Jiri Kulich’s 45). He hasn’t taken that next step over the last two seasons, though, and hasn’t seemed to be able to win over the Preds’ coaching staff against some of his peers like Svechkov and L’Heureux.

Kemell is a shot-creating winger who excels with the puck on his stick, can carve through coverage to take the play from the flanks to the interior and possesses quick, light hands. Those tools enable him to take advantage of his dangerous NHL-level wrister and one-timer, both of which he can get off quickly from a variety of stances and at a variety of tempos and both of which pop. On the puck, he’s fairly agile through cuts and changes of direction, can threaten and plays an intentional, attacking style. Against his peers, he was always competitive and borderline powerful as well, though he can’t play that same way against pros.

Off the puck, he also plays with some energy and is competitive despite his 5-foot-11 frame and lack of explosive straight-line speed. I’d like to see him slow down and utilize his linemates a little better than he does, as he’s actually a heady playmaker when he opens his plane of sight, but part of what makes him interesting is his insistence on creating his own looks (even if that comes with some forcing it) to use his shot.

He has some work to do to add a little more variety and pace to his game, and there’s a chance he just tops out as a tweener, but he could become a middle-six secondary scorer and PP2 winger in the right circumstances. The clock is starting to tick on him taking that next step in Nashville, though.

Tier 313. Felix Nilsson, C/LW, 20, Rogle (No. 43, 2023)

Nilsson was one of the more productive U18 players in Sweden’s J20 ranks in his draft year and one of the most productive U20 players in the SHL last year (his 22 points were tops among all U20 forwards, ahead of first-rounders like Edstrom and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård). And he took another step this year, registering 40 points in 52 games as Rogle’s leading scorer and the league’s most productive U21 player.

He’s a very nimble player on the attack, regularly taking defenders on angles and cuts and beating them laterally to make outside-in or inside-out plays. He has also slowly added muscle to a once-thin frame (he’s now listed at 6-foot and 190-or-so pounds). He’s a very smart player in possession of the puck, with a knack for problem-solving and processing the game one step ahead of the development of the play to compensate. He first caught my eye at the fall Five Nations tournament in Plymouth in his draft year (it was a shame he wasn’t able to play at U18 worlds due to injury) and turned himself into a player scouts were intrigued by but couldn’t fully place or project. His shot is just average, and there are questions about whether he’ll be able to score enough to play in the NHL someday, but he’s a slick, crafty player with finesse skill, talent in distribution and enough of a willingness to take pucks from the perimeter to the inside. There are times when he needs to make more finishing plays and be harder on pucks, but I’ve been increasingly impressed with his play off the puck. His puck play has always been his calling card (with an ability to knife and cut and a dangerous release even if it lacks pop), but he also gets up and under sticks, he tracks, he has a good stick on lifts/takebacks and he keeps his feet moving without the puck and skates off the puck to get pucks back. On the puck, he’s more of a passer than a shooter, but sees the game really well, and he has gotten faster to improve his speed from average to above average.

It feels like he has flown under the radar, but he’d be a top-10 prospect for just about every other team in the league and a top-five one for a bunch of them.

14. Reid Schaefer, LW, 22, Milwaukee/Nashville (No. 32, 2022)

Schaefer is a straight-line, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, net-driven, north-south, shooting winger. With repeat viewings over the last few years, I’ve developed a greater appreciation for his ability to manufacture for himself as more than just a powerful chip-and-chase guy who can rip it (though those things are his foundation). Though we didn’t get to see it at the World Juniors after he fell from the fourth line to a bit of a 13th-forward role, and his statistical profile from the WHL and AHL doesn’t scream NHLer, Schaefer has a projectable game with a high floor and has come a long way in a short period (he began his draft year as a C-rated skater by NHL Central Scouting). His statistical profile has also been influenced by the depth of his teams (both with a Seattle Thunderbirds team that was one of the WHL’s best and deepest in back-to-back years, winning the WHL title, and on a top AHL team to start his career in Milwaukee). Last season, he was off to a strong start with the Admirals, and his production had upticked before suffering an upper-body injury in December (I believe it was his shoulder). This season, he has started to get fourth-line NHL reps. Schaefer is a well-built, 6-foot-4, 220-plus-pound winger who plays like his size and offers pro traits and approach. I didn’t view him as a first-rounder, but he’s a hardworking push-and-pop player who can skate, can downhill and offers some punch and a different element to whatever line he’s on. He tops out as a fourth-liner because he lacks some of the finer skills and processing to be more than that, but he might become an effective role player.

15. Alex Huang, RHD, 18, Chicoutimi (No. 122, 2025)

Huang is a talented defenseman who was heavily recruited by top NCAA programs before he decided to go the QMJHL route via Chicoutimi (which took him with the No. 5 pick in the Q draft). There were 14 prospects who were locks for the Preds’ list, which left just one spot open on the ranking. There are multiple players in the honorable mentions who others would nominate for No. 15 here over Huang, but I’ve always had a soft spot for him.

He was named the top defenseman in Quebec’s competitive U18 AAA loop and created a ton of offense from the back end for the Sagueneens two seasons ago as a 16-year-old rookie (after also helping Canada White to gold at U17s). He also played well for Canada at the Hlinka, registering four points in five games and making some important plays. His production didn’t uptick like I thought it would last season, though. I expected him to have a close to point-per-game season in the QMJHL in his draft year with Chicoutimi, and he finished with 44 points in 75 combined regular-season and playoff games (which is still very respectable and included a strong second-half where he played 25-30 minutes in the second round of the playoffs against the Memorial Cup hosts from Rimouski). He has taken that step I was looking for this year, though, finishing second among QMJHL D with 70 points in 62 games while playing big minutes on a top team.

He has also shown some two-way value and that he isn’t just an offensive type, developing other areas of his intelligent game and playing to positive results. But a so-so U18 worlds in a depth role on Canada’s blue line softened his second- or third-round case for some I think, and there are times when he can look a little soft.

I still like a lot of what his game offers, though. Huang is a righty with skill, hockey sense, decent skating (I know it’s an area he has worked to improve, but I don’t see it as a major issue) and overall intelligence. He’s an agile adjuster on his edges and a clever and talented player on the puck who sees the play develop early, identifies and finds lanes before the opposition as a passer and has made some nice skill plays in the Q over the last two seasons. He can carry it, play it with finesse and poise and make guys miss (though I don’t think this is as high-level a tool as I thought it was; he does move well on the puck). He angles well, can play in small areas and make little slip passes, will jump into the rush, has good offensive instincts and has some poise. But he has also struggled against bigger competition at times. His game defensively is mostly about his stick and positioning, but I believe his talent, vision, problem-solving and planning could translate up levels into a smooth and smart depth NHL D in the modern game. He’s also a summer birthday. I wrote last year that “I expect him to be a riser post-draft if he goes in the mid-to-late rounds,” and I believe that is what he has done.

Honorable mentionsTeddy Stiga, C/LW, 19, Boston College (No. 55, 2024)

When I asked two staff members at the NTDP about Stiga midway through his draft year, one called him the most underrated player on the team, and the other simply said, “Teddy Stiga is just a hockey player.” That latter line, as ambiguous as it is, feels rather fitting. Scouts had a tough time putting a finger on a projection for Stiga to start his draft year because while he was a likable and talented player, he was a 5-foot-10 winger who didn’t wow people as a 16-year-old the year prior. He isn’t necessarily an NHL mold or archetype, but he stirs the drink on the ice. Whatever line he’s on is usually the one that’s clicking, and his game took off in the second two-thirds of his draft year. Coming into that year, there were questions about which non-James Hagens/Cole Eiserman forward would separate themselves from the other ‘06s at the program, and, for me, Stiga emerged to establish himself as a slight cut above Brodie Ziemer and Max Plante (who I also like, are both good players in the age group, and have taken bigger steps since). Last year, as a freshman in college, that progression continued, and he was a strong contributor in the top six of an Eagles team that ranked first in the country for much of the year, producing just below a point per game. After starting as a scratch as an 18-year-old at the World Juniors, he also climbed his way from 13th forward to the fourth line and eventually the third line, scoring the golden goal in overtime against the Finns and playing with his usual pace and intention. His sophomore year has represented a bit of a plateauing on a weaker Eagles team, though, and while he wore a letter as a returnee at the World Juniors and had some chances there, he struggled to break through in Minnesota as well.

Stiga is a strong skater who is good on entries and can lose his man spinning off coverage on the wall inside the offensive zone. He always seems to be in the mix of the play offensively on his line and producing and making plays when they’re there to be made. He has a great feel for the game and on-ice awareness. He plays with pace, competitiveness and an active disposition. He’s consistently noticeable and will take pucks to the net or go there to push for rebounds. He engages. He’s a good skater who keeps his feet moving on and off the puck. He has some skill and craft and has shown some real creativity, with sneaky vision, at times. Add in gifts as a small-area player with noticeable handling and finesse skills, some spins, and he’s intriguing. There are times when he needs to bear down and finish more, though, too. He has caught my eye in most of my viewings over the last two and a half years, plays with some jump, seems to make plays in transition and inside the offensive zone and seems to fit with talented players. There is some risk that he just becomes a good college player and then AHL player, though.

Aiden Fink, RW, 21, Penn State (No. 218, 2023)

A two-time AJHL champion and one-time scoring champion and MVP, Fink was prolific at the Jr. A level in his draft year, registering 49 goals and 110 points in 69 regular-season and playoff games, while also having played his way onto the World Jr. A Challenge all-star team with 12 points in six games for Canada West — which combined to earn him a seventh-round selection despite a tricky makeup. That production didn’t slow down at Penn State, either, continuing to make him a source of intrigue and a challenging projection. Fink had a point-per-game freshman year, leading Penn State in goals (15) and points (34) in 34 games. He was the fourth-leading scorer in college hockey as a sophomore last year, registering 53 points in 40 games, strengthening his statistical profile and continuing to prove that he can make his game/frame/style work en route to the Frozen Four. He wasn’t quite as productive this year (38 points in 30 games), but he also missed a chunk of the first half to a broken thumb.

He’s a small (5-foot-10, now 170 pounds) but talented player with high-end puck skills, craftiness in possession, an NHL release and a great sense of spacing and timing inside the offensive zone. His skating is also awkward, with bent ankles that ride his inside edges. But he also has fairly quick feet and can get around the ice with his hurried skating. He’s going to need time to get stronger (he lost his fair share of battles even in the AJHL, and while he’s up an inch and 10 pounds at Penn State and has played hard for them, he still has some limitations defensively). I liked him as a mid-round swing and liked him even better where the Predators took him (No. 218) with one of the final picks of the draft. He may not make it or might top out as a AAAA guy who is highly productive in the AHL, but he might surprise some people with how far he goes as well.

Andrew Gibson, RHD, 21, Milwaukee (No. 42, 2023)

The final cut (prospect No. 101 if you will) for my 2023 draft board, Gibson is a player I’ve actually had a lot of time for despite leaving him off. He was a projected second-round pick, and the Red Wings took him there. He impressed on a Canadian blue line that otherwise struggled at U18 worlds in Switzerland three springs ago and developed quickly into one of the OHL’s top two-way, shutdown defensemen. By all accounts, he was also a standout in his first rookie tournament with the Predators as well. Last year, though the production still didn’t look like future NHLer production, he played hard minutes for the Soo and then Generals en route to an OHL final, as well as Team Canada at the World Juniors. This year, as a rookie in the AHL, he has played 16-17 minutes per game and has chipped in on the second PK unit when needed.

There’s a lot to like. He’s big (6-foot-4, over 200 pounds). He’s a strong athlete who shoots right, skates and moves well and has learned to play to command his ice defensively against the rush and in his own zone with his length and physicality (he looks like a pro). He drove results on a poor Soo team as a rookie after playing his 16-year-old season in the Jr. A NOJHL (where he led the league’s defensemen in points and won its defenseman of the year award). He can involve himself at both ends, and while his play with the puck can simplify under pressure, he has shown he can move pucks and get his shots through (he has some instincts on activations, and his puck play is fine even if it’s not a strength).

Gibson looks like a man, is reliable and trustworthy, can penalty kill, can kill plays and plays physically. He’s a strong skater who knows who he is, defends well, has a good stick and can support his partner. He projects as a big, strong right-shot who could someday be a No. 7-8 D.

Jacob Rombach, LHD, 19, Minnesota (No. 35, 2025)

Rombach is a big, strong left-shot D who played for Team USA at the Hlinka (where he was good) and the World Junior A Challenge (where he was OK) and had a solid season for Lincoln that finished with him playing 22 minutes per game for them in the playoffs, eating tough minutes at five-on-five and on the PK to positive results. As a freshman at Minnesota this year, Rombach played just 14:39 per game but was fine on a poor team.

He’s a decent backwards skater who has a good stick, manages and closes gaps effectively and makes good, smart decisions with the puck, which is all you can really ask of a player his size. He’ll occasionally draw in pressure and step past with the puck, and can go back and get pucks as well, though his puck play is quite ordinary on the whole. He’ll give away the odd puck and has some limitations when he doesn’t have time to survey, but he does a good job shoulder-checking and picking up on what his next play should be and has obvious defensive upside. He has a chance to develop into a depth NHL D, though I felt 35th was a little high.

Miguel Marques, RW, 20, Maine (No. 87, 2024)

Marques is a shifty player who came into his own in his draft year — at least offensively — as Lethbridge’s leading scorer. I thought he had a chance to become a 90-point guy in the WHL last year, though, and his production plateaued due to some practical issues he has actually putting the tools in his game to their best use, as well as injury troubles. While he had a decent freshman year at Maine this year, registering 10 goals and 23 points in 33 games (fourth on the team in scoring), he’s now expected to be on the move again through the transfer portal.

Marques is an elusive, playmaking, crafty handler and distributor who functions as the primary carrier on his lines and has a way of pulling opposing players in and then making plays to the weak side of coverage. And while he’s a smaller winger (5-foot-11, 184 pounds), he has some sneaky strength and can play hard off the puck and finish his checks. He can make plays at speed or really slow the game down to his liking. He has slippery one-on-one skill but can also attack right at defenders. There’s deception and patience to his game. He doesn’t have the premiums of high-end skating (even though he plays with tempo) or size, though, and his play selection can frustrate at times.

Daniel Nieminen, LHD, 20, Pelicans (No. 163, 2025)

Nieminen is an excellent skater who has been an important top-six defenseman for Finland’s ’06 age group internationally. He played at the last two World Juniors, playing on the top pairing with captain Aron Kiviharju on this year’s team (he was Finland’s player of the game in the semifinal loss to Sweden). He has also played good minutes in Liiga over the last two years, including in the playoffs, often logging 18-22 minutes. He didn’t get a pro call-up with the Pelicans or even into Mestis games in his draft year, which I think hurt him becoming a late-rounder in his first crack at it, but he led all under-18 D in scoring at its top junior level, played to excellent on-ice results, and then proved his skating and two-way play could work against men last season to get picked. His mobility and skating drives his game, with an ability to get back to pucks, pull away from pressure, gap up and defend well with an active stick and also a competitive spirit. He has shown some skill and poise on the puck, absorbing pressure as well. He’s not a dynamic offensive type, but he can make plays against his peers and should always have value in transition (both ways).

Viktor Norringer, LW/RW, 19, Muskegon (No. 127, 2024)

Norringer, a Boston University commit, averaged 17-18 minutes per game as a rookie in the USHL this season and played to just above a point per game (48 in 46 games) with the Lumberjacks. He’s an August birthday, 6-foot-4, 200-plus-pound right-shot winger, and that makes him worth knowing at minimum. The Preds selected him as an overager after he played some in the SHL last year and was one of the most productive players at the J20 level with Frolunda. He has an NHL shot, with some real pop off his blade and a good first-touch into his catch-and-shoot motion. He can hammer the one-timer, too, and has puck protection skill. Pace and consistency are the questions in terms of the NHL.

Viggo Gustafsson, LHD, 19, AIK (No. 77, 2024)

A depth defenseman for Sweden at the last two World Juniors, the 6-foot-2, 190-something-pound Gustafsson has a wide base to his stride, is strong but not quick, and will beat the first layer and make a good first pass, keeping his head up. He’s a tricky eval. He profiles as a stay-at-home type who defended well enough in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, playing 16-17 minutes as a teenager, to get signed by the Preds and come over to Milwaukee. I’ve often wondered, though, if he tops out as an AHL defender.