{"id":501393,"date":"2026-03-13T14:45:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/501393\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T14:45:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:45:34","slug":"tij-iginla-no-1-montreal-canadiens-among-leaders-in-buttons-top-50-nhl-affiliated-prospects-ranking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/501393\/","title":{"rendered":"Tij Iginla No. 1, Montreal Canadiens among leaders in Button\u2019s Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects ranking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla<\/a> has had a mammoth season in the Western Hockey League, propelling him to the No. 1 spot on TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button\u2019s top 50 list of NHL-affiliated prospects.<\/p>\n

Iginla was the first-ever draft pick by the Utah Mammoth<\/a> franchise in 2024, going sixth overall after a 47-goal, 84-point season in 2023-24. <\/p>\n

However, double hip surgery ended Iginla\u2019s year early last season after just 21 games. Now healthy, he has 40 goals and 85 points in 44 games in 2025-26 as Kelowna prepares to host this year\u2019s Memorial Cup. Iginla also helped Canada win bronze at the World Juniors with eight points in seven games.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a tour de force,\u201d said Button of Iginla. \u201cHis brain, his skills, his ability to impact a game in so many different ways \u2013 and he\u2019s just getting better. <\/p>\n

\u201cPlayers are going to love playing with him in the NHL.\u201d <\/p>\n

The No. 2 ranked player on Button\u2019s list is centre Anton Frondell<\/a>, who was selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> in the 2025 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

Frondell has 19 goals and 27 points in 41 games with Djurgardens of the SHL this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrondell understands what is required to try and get on the right side of any situation in the game,\u201d said Button. \u201cWith the puck, without the puck, defensively and offensively, penalty kill, power play. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe just gets it front to back and everywhere in between, and he\u2019s competitive. When I watch Anton play, I see so much of Sasha Barkov\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 18-year-old shone at this year\u2019s World Juniors with five goals and eight points in seven games as he helped Sweden capture the gold medal, the country\u2019s first at the tournament since 2012. <\/p>\n

The No. 3-ranked player is Michigan State winger Porter Martone, who is skating in his first NCAA season after being selected sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> in June\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

Martone has 23 goals and 46 points in 32 games this year after spending the previous three seasons with the OHL\u2019s Brampton Steelheads.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s everything I thought he\u2019d be,\u201d said Button of Martone. \u201cHe reminds me a lot of Corey Perry<\/a>. And like Corey Perry<\/a>, he has that guile. They know how to get opponents off their game, unsettled, get the focus away from what their focus needs to be and yet never lose their focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to Porter. When you put it all together, it\u2019s unique and you want that on your team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martone captained Canada to bronze at the 2026 World Juniors while scoring six goals with nine points in seven games.<\/p>\n

Coming in fourth is Hershey Bears forward Ilya Protas<\/a>, the younger brother of current Washington Capital Aleksei Protas.<\/p>\n

Protas, a third-round pick by Washington in 2024, has seen his stock rise since being drafted.<\/p>\n

In 2024-25, Protas scored 50 goals with 124 points in 57 games with the OHL\u2019s Windsor Spitfires, including five goals and 25 points in 12 playoff games.<\/p>\n

This season as a rookie in the AHL, the 19-year-old, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds, has 24 goals and 48 points in 57 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kid is a hell of a player,\u201d said Button of Protas. \u201cHe\u2019s a damn good player in the American Hockey League. He\u2019s big, rangy, smart, competitive and honestly, he is just still in the growing stages of his game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rounding out the top five is goaltender Trey Augustine, a 2023 second-round pick (41st overall) of the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> who is in his third season with Michigan State. The Red Wings actually have two goalies in the top 20 of Button\u2019s list \u2013 Sebastian Cossa<\/a>, currently playing for the AHL\u2019s Grand Rapids Griffins is ranked No. 19.<\/p>\n

Button has also identified two players who are on the rise and could climb next year\u2019s ranking in Boston College forward Dean Letourneau (No. 13) and Barrie Colts defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson (No. 17).<\/p>\n

Letourneau was drafted 25th overall by the Boston Bruins<\/a> in 2024 out of St. Andrew\u2019s College and struggled to make the jump to the NCAA last season.<\/p>\n

As a rookie in 2024-25, the towering forward (6-foot-7 and 229 pounds) had just three assists in 36 games. This season, the 20-year-old has bounced back as a sophomore with 19 goals and 35 points in 34 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was never able to get his footing last year,\u201d said Button of Letourneau. \u201cThere was too much growing in every area of his life, where he came from at St. Andrew\u2019s College, stepping up to that level. And there was a lot of growing pains, literally and figuratively, for Dean Letourneau last year at Boston College.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you watch him play and you see the physical maturity and his legs underneath him, he\u2019s assertive, he\u2019s sure of himself and he imposes himself and he becomes a really, really difficult player to play against.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aitcheson has had a big season as the Colts\u2019 co-captain, scoring 27 goals with 64 points in 51 games after being taken 17th overall by the New York Islanders<\/a> in June\u2019s NHL draft. At the World Juniors with Canada, he had one goal and four points in seven games in a bronze-medal effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just absolutely love the way he plays,\u201d said Button. \u201cThe way I describe Kashawn is he\u2019s in it to win it. Everything in his game is just enthusiasm, competitive spirit and he\u2019s no fun to play against. He\u2019s a dyed-in-the-wool competitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where Canadian NHL teams are concerned, the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> lead Button\u2019s annual ranking with four prospects (Michael Hage at No. 6, Alexander Zharovsky at No. 20, David Reinbacher<\/a> at No. 28 and Bryce Pickford at No. 38) and are tied with three other NHL teams for the league lead. Had this list been published at the start of this week, the Habs would have had been the outright leader with five.<\/p>\n

Goaltender Jacob Fowler<\/a> \u2013 who was originally Button\u2019s No. 3-ranked prospect overall – was brought up from the AHL\u2019s Laval Rocket on Wednesday as a regular call-up and looks to be a Bell Centre mainstay for a while. Skating in his first professional season, Fowler is 19-7-1 with a .916 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average in 27 appearances with the Rocket.<\/p>\n

Button credits Fowler, who was taken in the third round by Montreal in 2023, for helping to get the Canadiens\u2019 season back on track in December when he was recalled with both Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes<\/a> struggling at the time.<\/p>\n

In his first stint with Montreal, Fowler went 4-4-2 while recording a .902 save percentage and 2.62 GAA in 10 appearances before he was returned to Laval in mid-January. On Wednesday, he made 32 saves in a crucial 3-2 Canadiens win over the Ottawa Senators<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s elite and he\u2019s unflappable,\u201d said Button of Fowler. \u201cI think there\u2019s three requirements for a goaltender to be elite. No. 1, you need to really have high IQ and be able to read the game and anticipate the game. And I think Jacob has that.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. 2, I think he\u2019s got the athletic skills and everything that goes with being a good goaltender, from the quickness to the mobility, the footwork, hands, arms, everything that goes with it.<\/p>\n

And No. 3, and this is really important, he\u2019s just poised and settled. There\u2019s no busy feet. He\u2019s not trying to be Fred Astaire in the net. He\u2019s just calm. Everything is calm around him. He doesn\u2019t create problems for himself, and by extension, his team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rounding out the Canadian NHL team contingent in Button\u2019s ranking are the Calgary Flames<\/a> with two prospects (Cole Reschny at No. 24, Ethan Wyttenbach at No. 39), and the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> (Braeden Cootes<\/a> No. 30) and Edmonton Oilers<\/a> (Isaac Howard<\/a> at No. 37) with one each.<\/p>\n

Coming up empty in the Top 50 this season are the Ottawa Senators<\/a>, Winnipeg Jets<\/a> and Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Winnipeg Jets<\/a> have some prospects, (but) not in that elite category,\u201d Button explained. \u201cThe Ottawa Senators<\/a>\u2019 Carter Yakemchuk<\/a> has shown some real good signs, but is not quite there yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then we get to the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> \u2013 and when we talk about \u2018have-nots,\u2019 they define that. The cupboard is bare, there\u2019 no question about it. They\u2019re trying to acquire some draft picks to try to get that cupboard a little bit more filled, but the reality of the situation for the Maple Leafs there are no prospects. There\u2019s nobody that\u2019s coming in there to give some hope, to give the team a lift with respect to youthful enthusiasm and skill. It just doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big part of the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>\u2019 future is going to be acquiring picks and then making good on the draft picks, much like the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> have done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craig Button\u2019s 2025-26 Top 50 NHL-affiliated Prospects<\/p>\n

RKPlayerPosAgeNHL2025-26 TeamDraftRdPickGPGP1Tij IginlaLW\/C19UtaKelowna (WHL)2024164440852Anton FrondellC18ChiDjurgardens (SHL)2025134219273Porter MartoneRW19PhiMichigan St. (NCAA)2025163223464Ilya ProtasC19WshHershey (AHL)20243755724485Trey AugustineG21DetMichigan St. (NCAA)2023241312.06.9306Michael HageC19MtlMichigan (NCAA)20241213512497Cole HutsonD19WshBoston U. (NCAA)20242433410328Brady MartinC\/RW18NshS.S. Marie (OHL)202515196219Caleb DesnoyersC18UtaMoncton (QMJHL)20251441217410Roman KantserovRW21ChiMagnitogorsk (KHL)202324461346211James HagensC19BosBoston C. (NCAA)20251732214212Sergei MurashovG21PitWilkes-Barre (AHL)20224118302.15.92213Dean LetourneauC20BosBoston C. (NCAA)202412534193514Egor SurinC\/LW19NshYaroslavl (KHL)202412256153715Charlie StramelC21MinMichigan St. (NCAA)202312134194416Igor ChernyshovRW20SJSan Jose (AHL)202423341133317Kashawn AitchesonD19NYIBarrie (OHL)202511752276418Adam JiricekD19StLBrantford (OHL)202411651175319Sebastian CossaG23DetGrand Rapids (AHL)2021115322.02.92620Alexander ZharovskyRW19MtlUfa (KHL)202523455143821Julius MiettinenC20SeaEverett (WHL)202424047317222Dmitri SimashevD21UtaTuscon (AHL)2024163282923Radim MrtkaD18BufSeattle (WHL)2025193813224Cole ReschnyC18CgyN. Dakota (NCAA)20251183253325Konsta HeleniusC19BufRochester (AHL)202411446144326Vaclav NestrasilRW18ChiU. Mass (NCAA)202512532122827Max PlanteLW20DetM-Duluth (NCAA)202424736224728David ReinbacherD21MtlLaval (AHL)2023154652229Leo Sahlin WalleniusD19SJV\u00e4xj\u00f6 (SHL)20242533121130Braeden CootesC19VanPrince Albert (WHL)202511541215331Jake O\u2019BrienC18SeaBrantford (OHL)20251849248132Emil HemmingRW19DalBarrie (OHL)202412942245733Sam O\u2019ReillyC19TBKitchener (OHL)202413252276134Jackson SmithD18CBJPenn State (NCAA)202511432112535Victor EklundRW19NYIDjurgardens (SHL)20251164262336Benjamin RautiainenC\/LW20TBTappara (SM Liiga)2025410856227337Isaac HowardLW21EdmBakersfield (AHL)202213133163538Bryce PickfordD19MtlMedicine Hat (WHL)202538152437939Ethan WyttenbachLW19CgyQuinnipiac (NCAA)2025514436245740Michael HrabalG21UtaU. Mass (NCAA)2023238272.02.93541Joshua RavensbergenG19SJPrince George (WHL)2025130432.58.91742Carter BearLW19DetEverett (WHL)202511348346843Roger McQueenC19AnaProvidence (NCAA)202511034112644Cameron ReidD18NshKitchener (OHL)202512153135245Eric PohlkampD22SJDenver (NCAA)2023513237173646Justin CarbonneauRW19StLB-Boisbriand (QMJHL)202511956507847Jagger FirkusRW21SeaCoachella (AHL)202223555205248Liam GreentreeRW20NYRWindsor (OHL)202412647346549Maxim MasseRW19AnaChicoutimi (QMJHL)202436659489650William HorcoffLW19PitMichigan (NCAA)2025124352336<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla has had a mammoth season in the Western Hockey League, propelling him to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":501394,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[4759,5,4],"class_list":{"0":"post-501393","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-apple-news","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-nhl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116222410113389594","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=501393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/501394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=501393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=501393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=501393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}