Rachel KryshakMar 24, 2026, 07:30 AM ETCloseRachel Kryshak is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She’s worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.Multiple Authors
play0:29Roger Mcqueen finds the back of the netRoger Mcqueen finds the back of the net
play0:23Charlie Stramel scores goalCharlie Stramel scores goal
play0:41Porter Martone finds the back of the netPorter Martone scores goal
play0:47Cole Hutson lights the lampCole Hutson tallies goal vs. Senators
James Hagens scores goal (0:44)James Hagens scores goal (0:44)
Some of those players are polished and NHL-ready, producing at high rates in other leagues, while others are early in their development with a high ceiling. Each represents hope, a possible answer to a roster hole, or, in the best-case scenario, a foundational piece of a Stanley Cup contender.
To be considered a prospect for this list, the player must be under 23 and not an established NHL player. Generally, that means fewer than 50 games in the current season. But in the case of someone like Michael Misa, who has played only 30 games but very clearly has an established roster spot with the Sharks, those players would be ineligible for this list.
Here is a look at the top prospect in each team’s pipeline, what they do well, where they need to grow, and a look at reasonable NHL timelines and expectations.
McQueen is a 6-foot-5, right-shot center with the handling skill of a first-line playmaker, a sniper’s release, and defensive instincts among the best outside the NHL. The toolkit is undeniable and has been tested against tougher competition this season at Providence College.
McQueen attacks with a wonderful skating posture, full-wingspan dekes that bait defenders before beating them, cross-body wristers, and passes through layers to teammates in space. All of this from a player who throws hits on the forecheck and battles with genuine aggression.
After a wonderful freshman season at Providence, McQueen earned Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors with 11 goals and 16 assists, and he continued to demonstrate projectable two-way play. If McQueen stays healthy and continues to develop the way he has in his first college season, he has a real chance to be a star in the NHL.
Roger Mcqueen finds the back of the netRoger Mcqueen finds the back of the net
He plays at high pace and has a game built on elite processing and edge work. He floats through neutral-zone traffic with effortless crossovers and weight shifts, creating time and space. He’s a dual-threat offensive center, with high-end playmaking and a shot that has taken a real step forward this season, doubling his goal output and winning the Hockey East scoring title.
What separates Hagens from other undersized pivots is the professional detail in his two-way game. He patrols passing lanes, anticipates breakouts and supports the puck in positions that allow for quick-strike offense without cheating the defensive side.
Hagen’s motor, intelligence and ability to drive play project him as a legitimate top-six center in Boston as soon as next season. The B’s signed him to an AHL deal Monday.
The offensive ceiling has room to grow, but the defensive floor is already high. Buffalo will have a minutes-eating defender with a combination of size, skating, and high-end defensive capability who will likely be ready for the 2027-28 season. As a righty, Mrtka also helps an imbalanced Buffalo blue line and should allow either Owen Power or Rasmus Dahlin to move back to their natural side.
This was a lost season for Parekh, and he would benefit from playing a major role in the AHL, where he can run the power play. His offensive toolkit remains arguably the best among all defensive prospects in the game.
The IIHF World Junior Championship offered a reminder of his capabilities, with five goals and 13 points, shattering the Canadian record for points by a defenseman at the event. The ceiling remains a power-play quarterback and top-four dynamo who can be a game changer. But the Flames cannot afford to keep mismanaging his development the way they did this season.
Nadeau is built to be a scoring winger at the NHL level. His shot is a combination of power, deception and accuracy, combined with a release that goalies have trouble picking up. That shot has seen him average more than half a goal per game in his first two seasons in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves.
Adding to his threatening offensive profile is his high-end awareness. He picks apart defensive structures, scans the ice and exploits passing lanes. His two-way game has taken a massive developmental step forward, and he has become a consistent penalty killer and is trusted in high-leverage situations.
At 5-foot-10, 172 pounds, the physical limitations see him lose board battles and get muscled off 50/50 pucks, and he lacks net-front presence against bigger defenders.
The good news is Carolina doesn’t need him to be a power forward; they need a difference-making goal scorer. If he continues to develop his two-way game and find the open space in the offensive zone, Nadeau projects as a top-six scoring winger — exactly the type of player the Hurricanes need — as soon as the 2026 playoffs.
Frondell is built like a tank and shoots like a sniper. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he is physically mature for his age (he’ll turn 19 in May), leaning on opponents, throwing reverse hits, and winning position at the net front with a physicality that will serve him well in the NHL.
He’s a quality off-puck player, which has only improved with his experience in the SHL, Sweden’s top league. He reads the play, pushes pace to beat defensemen to rebounds and deflections and gets himself to the quiet areas, where he only needs a moment to beat goaltenders. His shot is versatile, blending power, accuracy, a good one-timer from the flank and impressive hand-eye coordination for tip-ins.
Frondell scored 20 goals for Djurgårdens IF in 43 SHL games as an 18-year-old, which is fourth all time for a player at that age. After a dominant performance at the World Juniors, he made significant development strides offensively, scoring 10 goals in his final 18 SHL games and showing improved playmaking ability.
He played mostly on the wing, which is the best spot for him to start in the NHL while his skating develops. Frondell is not particularly explosive or elusive, and adding that will give him more space to make plays. At his floor, he’s a top-six scoring winger and power-play weapon who rides shotgun with Connor Bedard. At his ceiling, he’s a force up the middle of the ice in Chicago’s top six and takes the rebuild to the next level.
He’s unlikely to become a top-six driver, but the tenacity, two-way detail, and compete level project a middle-six, all-situations forward who elevates every line on which he plays. In a league that increasingly values players who do the hard things right, Brindley’s game translates, though he’ll likely be a fourth-line player at least to start.
We could’ve picked a number of Blue Jackets prospects here, but it is rare that a 21-year-old goaltender puts up the numbers that Ivanov is registering in the KHL. He has exceptional post-to-post movement, a quick glove hand and an unconventional “just make the save” competitiveness blended with modern technique.
After posting a .911 save percentage with HC Sochi last season, Ivanov moved to SKA St. Petersburg this season and has taken another step. He posted a .927 save percentage and three shutouts across 29 games and was named to the KHL All-Star Game at 21 years old.
Ivanov studies Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and if you’re going to emulate goaltenders, there are certainly worse ones than those two.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said the organization believes Ivanov is ready, and he confirmed his intention to come to North America when his KHL contract expires after this season. His size (6-foot) will always invite skepticism, but Ivanov covers ground he has no business reaching via anticipation and sheer will. He has genuine starting potential in the NHL once he adjusts to the North American game.
Hemming’s shot is high-end, with the ability to fire off either leg and the ability to shoot through defenders’ triangles off the rush. Dallas gave him a brief AHL look to open the season before reassigning him to Barrie, where the OHL version of Hemming reemerged immediately. He produced 62 points in 45 games, with his shot volume jumping to nearly four shots per game and his playmaking emerging as a secondary weapon.
Danielson is one of the better skaters among center prospects in the NHL pipeline. He possesses a long, smooth stride with good edgework and agility.
His two-way play is the foundation of his game. He competes hard everywhere, supports the play, reads passing lanes and has been effective on both the penalty kill and power play with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. Danielson is a smart, connective playmaker rather than a dynamic one, and his impact tends to show up in the details of his game.
The offensive ceiling is the biggest question, but his statistical profile projects him to become a middle-six forward whose two-way play sees him play tough matchups. There’s a path to becoming a legitimate second-line center who anchors both ends of the ice and makes the players around him better. He has the skating ability to become an offensive play driver.
The Hobey Baker winner parlayed his dominant college career into a trade from Tampa Bay to Edmonton, where the Oilers’ development staff immediately identified what makes him special: the ability to find soft ice in the offensive zone and finish.
Howard has split this season between the NHL (five points in 28 games) and AHL Bakersfield (38 points in 36 games), showing the kind of shoot-first mentality and transitional intelligence that suggest he can be a 30-goal scorer with the Oilers. Howard’s skating helps him get to spots to shoot, especially with his ability to deftly stickhandle at full speed.