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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Gabe Perreault might be the only forward in the Rangers pipeline with legitimate top-six upside. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
New York Rangers<\/p>\n
Gabe Perreault, LW <\/p>\n
Power winger Jaroslav Chmela\u0159 deserves a nod as an under-the-radar prospect who recently earned a call-up, but Perreault has to be the choice. He may be the only forward in the pipeline with legitimate top-six upside, and he\u2019s showing why in his first full pro season. The 20-year-old needs to work on his \u201cphysical maturity,\u201d as Rangers coach Mike Sullivan put it, before being deemed NHL-ready. However, it hasn\u2019t hindered his production with AHL Hartford, where he leads the team with 17 points (10 goals and seven assists) in 20 games. An Eastern Conference scout called him \u201ctoo smart\u201d for the AHL. \u2014 Vincent Z. Mercogliano<\/p>\n
Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n
Stephen Halliday, C<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old continues to generate positive momentum after a successful rookie camp and a solid start in his second pro AHL season. And with injuries plaguing the Senators, Halliday has been called up to play center in recent games. Even some brief spells on the power play. For a prospect pool that isn\u2019t considered among the league\u2019s best, Halliday is making the most of his NHL time, which is a win for the Senators. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n
Ty Murchison, LHD<\/p>\n
The easy answer would be Porter Martone, whose stock has already risen at Michigan State after the Flyers picked him No. 6 in the 2025 draft. But let\u2019s instead go with Murchison, who was a surprise call-up a week ago. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Murchison has not only leapfrogged other defensemen in the organization, but he was also given a chance over ineffective veteran Egor Zamula, too. He won\u2019t ever be a star, but could still develop into a solid NHL depth guy. \u2014 Kevin Kurz<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n
Will Horcoff, LW<\/p>\n
The 24th pick in the 2025 draft, Horcoff was obviously a player the Penguins liked when they drafted him in June. They love him now. The 6-foot-5 forward is tied as the NCAA\u2019s leading goal scorer this season, putting on quite a show playing for Michigan. While Horcoff is probably a year or two away from being NHL-ready, the Penguins are excited about his development and delighted that his goal-scoring touch is further along than anyone could have anticipated. The Penguins believe this player has the potential to become a top-six mainstay at the NHL level. \u2014 Josh Yohe<\/p>\n
San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n
Joshua Ravensbergen, G<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old Ravensbergen is one of the three goalies Canada brought to its World Juniors selection camp. Taken with the 30th pick in the 2025 draft, the Prince George Cougars goalie leads all WHL netminders with 16 wins and sits in the top five in save percentage (.921) and goals-against average (2.50). \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n
Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n
Jake O\u2019Brien, C<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien is the OHL\u2019s second leading scorer and is having a thoroughly dominant draft-plus-one campaign for the Brantford Bulldogs. The big, skilled center was invited to Team Canada\u2019s U20 training camp and could slot into a scoring-line role, especially if fellow Kraken prospect Berkly Catton, who is currently injured, isn\u2019t released by Seattle to participate in the tournament. \u2014 Thomas Drance<\/p>\n
St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n
Adam Jiricek, RHD <\/p>\n
The Blues liked the Czech defenseman so much that they selected him at No. 16 in 2024 even though he was recovering from multiple injuries. Then he went to the OHL\u2019s Brantford Bulldogs and dealt with more injuries. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said the goal this season was for him to just get on the ice and stay healthy. Jiricek has done that and more. He has 10 goals and 29 points in 25 games, he made the Czech roster for World Juniors, and the Blues believe he has true No. 1 defenseman potential. \u2014 Jeremy Rutherford<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n
Benjamin Rautiainen, C<\/p>\n
Liiga doesn\u2019t carry the same weight it used to, but what Rautiainen has done at that level the last two seasons is still undeniably impressive for his age. He\u2019s got a chance to lead the league in scoring as a 20-year-old fourth-round pick. He\u2019s got twice as many points as the nearest U21 player, and is significantly outproducing recent near-point-per-game seasons from players his current age, such as Ville Koivunen and Jani Nyman, who are both in the NHL now. He\u2019s average-sized, but his hands and skill level get high marks. \u2014 Scott Wheeler<\/p>\n
Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n
Tinus Luc Koblar, C<\/p>\n
Koblar, 18, has gone from being the last pick in the second round of the 2025 draft to, in the words of his Leksands coach Johan Hedberg, potentially the SHL team\u2019s \u201cbest player by the end of the year.\u201d That\u2019s an incredible jump, considering there was a possibility Koblar would play Under-20 hockey this season. Instead, the skilled but pesky playmaking center\u2019s quick adaptation to the pro game suggests any NHL future could come sooner than anticipated. \u2014 Joshua Kloke<\/p>\n
Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n
Daniil But, LW<\/p>\n
But, drafted No. 12 in 2023, has had an auspicious transition to North America. The hulking 6-foot-6 winger was producing at a near-point-per-game clip in the AHL, which has recently earned him a call-up. But hasn\u2019t looked out of place in Utah\u2019s top six, flashing exciting hands and skill, while registering one point in seven games. \u2014 Harman Dayal<\/p>\n
Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n
Braeden Cootes, C<\/p>\n
The Canucks\u2019 first-round pick at the 2025 draft, Cootes\u2019 scoring rate has taken a step forward in his draft-plus-one campaign in the WHL, and he was recently named to Team Canada\u2019s U20 training camp (where he\u2019s expected to make the World Junior team as an 18-year-old). Cootes is skilled and fast, has mature details in his game and brings leadership qualities to boot. He\u2019s clearly on the fast track and trending toward being a full-time NHL player as a teenager as soon as next season. \u2014 Thomas Drance<\/p>\n
Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n
Braedan Bowman, RW<\/p>\n
The undrafted 22-year-old wasn\u2019t on many radars before this season, but Bowman has taken an opportunity and run with it for the Golden Knights. He parlayed a red-hot start in the AHL into the chance to play with Jack Eichel on Vegas\u2019 top line when Mark Stone went out with an injury. He took advantage immediately with four goals in his first six games, and has played well enough to hold onto the spot, even with Stone back in the lineup. \u2014 Jesse Granger<\/p>\n
Washington Capitals<\/p>\n
Ilya Protas, C<\/p>\n
At some point soon, the Capitals will have two Protases (or \u201cProti\u201d) on the roster. Ilya, the younger brother of top-sixer Aliaksei, is a similar player \u2014 enormous and enormously skilled \u2014 and he\u2019s having himself a nice season as a 19-year-old with AHL Hershey. A third-round pick in 2024, he had a seven-game goal streak in November, leads the team in goals and points, plays in all situations and generally seems close to NHL-ready. Spencer Carbery has taken note, too. \u2014 Sean Gentille<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets<\/p>\n
Elias Salomonsson, RHD<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Salomonsson showed promise in his recent four-game NHL call-up. His outlet passes were crisp, his read of the defensive zone was solid and he put up the same kind of mediocre possession numbers as Winnipeg\u2019s more veteran third-pairing defensemen did. There were mistakes, too, including giveaways that led to scoring chances, but it\u2019s a big deal that Salomonsson stepped up and didn\u2019t look out of place. \u2014 Murat Ates<\/p>\n