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New York Times
05-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL future watch: Which prospect in each team's pipeline had the most promising season?
It's what every NHL organization wants to see in its prospect pipeline: the player who shows promise that they could one day be ready for the next step and more responsibility at a higher level. As the 2024-25 hockey season winds down, these prospects have emerged and shown what they could have to offer — enough to possibly change the way their organization perceives them or solidify their future star status. Advertisement Which prospect in each NHL team's pipeline had the most promising season? The Athletic posed that question to its NHL staff, stipulating that while short-term call-ups this season are eligible, the prospects should not have spent most of the season in the NHL. In response, we heard about top prospects who showed they could make the leap, hidden gems who could earn bigger opportunities and players who showed they are on the precipice of making an NHL impact. Here are the picks. Colangelo was a second-round pick of the Ducks in 2020. The 23-year-old spent three up-and-down seasons at Northeastern before jump-starting his development path with a terrific solo season at Western Michigan. He's carried the momentum into his first pro year, initially leading the AHL's San Diego Gulls in scoring during his time there and then giving Anaheim a boost following his promotion. Colangelo has eight goals in 24 games and is thriving on a line with Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish as they've emerged as a go-to offensive line down the stretch. Honorable mentions: Tristan Luneau, Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg. — Eric Stephens Sam Colangelo cleans up in tight, doubling Anaheim's lead to 2 late in the first!#FlyTogether — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 2, 2025 The Bruins acquired Zellers' rights from the Avalanche in the Charlie Coyle trade. Zellers is a scorer — the kind the Bruins really need. Through 48 games, the Green Bay Gamblers forward had scored a USHL-leading 44 goals. The left-shot forward will be a freshman at North Dakota in 2025-26. Zellers' next step is to build the rest of his game. — Fluto Shinzawa Ostlund has been playing as Rochester's first-line center and was recently named the AHL's rookie of the month. Despite starting with one point in his first 12 games and dealing with an early-season injury, Ostlund has 36 points in 44 games. Coaches consistently praise his leadership, toughness and 200-foot game. The 2022 first-round pick looks on track to be a potential impact NHL player with another year of development. — Matthew Fairburn Advertisement The Flames' top prospect had a monster season in the OHL, again, with 33 goals and 107 points to finish in the top five in league scoring as a defenseman. Flames fans have been counting down the days until Parekh joins the NHL. Honorable mention goes to Jacob Battaglia, who scored 40 goals in the OHL and just signed an entry-level deal last week. — Julian McKenzie THE SPIRIT STRIKE FIRST🦅✨@NHLFlames prospect Zayne Parekh connects with Kristian Epperson on the back door, and Epperson buries it to give @SpiritHockey an early 1-0 lead!🚨#OHLPlayoffs | @CHLHockey | #Flames — Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 3, 2025 Nadeau, the No. 30 pick in the 2023 draft, has leaped over every barrier in his progression as a player. He jumped from the BCHL to Hockey East last season, scoring 19 goals and 46 points in his one season with Maine, and his move to the AHL has been met with similar success. His 27 goals with the Chicago Wolves are the most of any rookie in the league and are tied for eighth overall. It's a total made even more impressive by the fact he had just one goal in his first nine games — and had had 26 in the last 49. His one-timer is made more efficient by the fact that he plays his off-side, making him a weapon at even strength and on the power play. — Cory Lavalette The Blackhawks had high hopes for Rinzel, a 2022 first-round pick, but it wasn't until this season at the University of Minnesota that he really took off. He added some size to his frame, and that allowed him to elevate everything else. He was among the top defensemen in college hockey this season and the early returns in the NHL look promising. — Scott Powers A year ago, Nabokov took the KHL by storm as a rookie, breaking Ilya Sorokin's record for the youngest playoff MVP in history. As the first goalie off the board in the 2024 draft, many wondered if he could repeat his magical season. Nabokov answered a lot of questions with another stellar year, posting a .923 save percentage in 49 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The only question now is when he comes to North America. Nabokov's contract expires at the end of this season. Avalanche backup Scott Wedgewood still has another year left on his deal. Perhaps Nabokov comes over immediately and gets AHL experience before eventually joining Mackenzie Blackwood as a tandem in 2026-27. — Jesse Granger Del Bel Belluz, a second-round pick (No. 44) in 2022, had a respectable first pro season in 2023-24, but he's taken a big stride forward this season, not just at AHL Cleveland but during his first extended NHL run early in the season when the Blue Jackets endured a wave of injuries. Del Bel Belluz had two goals, six assists and a plus-2 rating in 15 games with Columbus. There have been concerns about Del Bel Belluz's strength and his skating, but he showed significant improvement after skating last summer with fitness expert Gary Roberts, a former NHL player. Del Bel Belluz plans to work with Roberts and several other NHL players this coming summer. An NHL career is well within his grasp. — Aaron Portzline Advertisement Martino, a third-round pick in 2021, started his senior season at Clarkson with a pedestrian 9 points in his first 15 games. But the winger exploded for 42 points over his last 24 games, finishing the season with 25 goals and 26 assists in 39 games (after scoring 25 goals in his first three seasons combined). He was sixth in the NCAA in scoring, ahead of the likes of Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Martino signed an entry-level deal with the Stars on March 24, a deal that will start in the fall. — Mark Lazerus Expectations were high for Sandin Pellikka after a standout season in the SHL a year ago, but he met them anyway, posting one of the most productive seasons for a junior defenseman in the league's history and playing a major role on a playoff team. He also repeated as the best defenseman at the World Juniors. Once his season ends, all eyes will be on a jump to North America, and whether Sandin Pellikka will go straight to Detroit or spend time with AHL Grand Rapids. — Max Bultman Matt Savoie and Sam O'Reilly have arguably managed the two best seasons among Oilers prospects, so let's go elsewhere since they're Nos. 1 and 2 in the pipeline. Jonsson (158th pick, 2022) had what's being viewed within the organization as a remarkable campaign. He posted a .922 save percentage for BIK Karlskoga, which earned him top goalie honors in the Allsvenskan. That's quite the accomplishment for a 21-year-old in Sweden's second-best league. The 6-foot-5 Jonsson is now pushing Eemil Vinni for the distinction as Edmonton's best goalie prospect behind current organizational No. 3 Olivier Rodrigue. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman When it comes to the prospect pool, the all-in, all-the-time Panthers will take any positive signs they can get, and Devine's development over the past two seasons with Denver (40 goals, 73 assists in 87 games) certainly qualifies. He's become a well-rounded offensive player, and he could well wind up as a solid complementary NHL piece. Not bad for a guy who was taken at No. 221 in 2022. — Sean Gentille With apologies to Liam Greentree, who's had a monster OHL season, the 19-year-old Slukynsky is at least a rival to Carter George as L.A.'s goalie of the future. Slukynsky was a fourth-round draft selection in 2023. Slukynsky, a freshman at Western Michigan, has backstopped the program to its first NCAA Frozen Four. While he split duties with graduate student Cameron Rowe for much of the year, Slukynsky is the backbone of the team's title chase. He's posted a 17-5-1 record, 1.92 GAA and .923 save percentage after starring in the USHL. — Eric Stephens The easy answer would be Zeev Buium, the Wild's top prospect and Hobey Baker finalist who is expected to jump to the NHL after the Frozen Four. Hunter Haight has been impressive with 19 goals in his first pro season, too. But Stramel's year with Michigan State was the most promising considering his previous struggles at Wisconsin. The transfer last summer paid off, with Stramel playing a first-line role on one of the country's top teams. He regained his confidence and identity as a player. Stramel is returning to MSU for his senior year, but this was a great step in his development. — Joe Smith Kapanen, 21, broke camp with the Canadiens but, after limited usage through 12 games, was loaned to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), where he played under former longtime NHLer Olli Jokinen. And he played a ton. There were 39 U22 players to play at least 30 games in the SHL this season, and of that group, Kapanen was by far the most efficient scorer with 35 points in 36 games. In fact, he would still be the leader in points per game if you upped the age limit to U24, and he was second among U25 players in the league. Kapanen was recalled by the Canadiens on Wednesday and should get an opportunity to help in their late playoff push. — Arpon Basu Advertisement The 20-year-old and 2023 first-round pick stayed on a trajectory that gives him a strong chance to be in Nashville's 2025-26 opening-day lineup. He was named a WHL All-Star after collecting 47 points and finishing with a plus-25 rating in 49 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He provides hope for what has become a subpar Predators defense corps. — Joe Rexrode Casey, who played college hockey in Michigan, made his pro debut this season and made the Devils' roster out of camp. He is currently with the NHL club, though he's only played 10 games with New Jersey this season. He's had four goals and five points in those 10 games, plus another 18 points in 30 AHL games. That's all encouraging for a 21-year-old defenseman who was a second-round pick in 2022. — Peter Baugh You're going to be scrutinized when you're the only first-round pick the team has made since 2019. Eiserman has not just lived up to the hype, he's welcomed it — an exuberant freshman year at Boston University, with 23 goals in 37 games, plus a key utility role for Team USA at the World Juniors has made everyone around the Islanders eager to see what Eiserman can do in the future. — Arthur Staple Perreault is the Rangers' top prospect, and though his numbers at Boston College took a slight dip, he still was one of the premier players in college hockey. He had 48 points in 37 games with BC, as well as 10 points at the World Juniors. He made his NHL debut Wednesday, playing 13:38 and was a minus-1. Drew Fortescue, Perreault's college teammate, could have been another candidate here. So could Noah Laba, who recently signed out of Colorado College. He's finishing the year in the AHL on an amateur tryout. — Peter Baugh Halliday has emerged as the Belleville Senators' leading point producer in his first full season at the AHL level with 16 goals and 44 points in 63 games. That came after he earned nine points in seven games in Belleville's playoff run last year. A big-bodied presence with untapped potential at the professional level, he's certainly played his way into consideration for a roster spot next season. Expectations were already high for Carter Yakemchuk next season, but they will now also be for Halliday after this year. — Julian McKenzie The Flyers believe that the 21-year-old Bump, a fifth-round pick in 2022, could be one of the steals of that year's draft. Bump has led Western Michigan to an appearance in the Frozen Four and was named NCHC Forward of the Year with 23 goals and 47 points in 40 games. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Minnesota native brings some needed size and finish to the Flyers' prospect pool, and the club is under the impression he'll be ready to turn pro when his sophomore season concludes. — Kevin Kurz The best in the NCHC! Alex Bump is the NCHC Forward of the Year! #BroncosReign — WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) March 20, 2025 Murashov entered the season as a very good prospect, but wasn't considered the Penguins' best prospect. That may have changed. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable season. He is 11-1-0 at the AHL level with a .916 save percentage and a 2.63 GAA. In the ECHL, he went 17-7-1 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA. To say the least, Pittsburgh is very excited about him. — Josh Yohe Advertisement The Sharks' system is stacked, including Collin Graf, who made the quick leap from standing out in the AHL to holding a regular spot in San Jose, and Luca Cagnoni, an undrafted WHL free-agent defenseman who earned an audition with the big club in his first pro season. But we'll go with Dickinson, the No. 11 pick in 2024, who has been one of the best defensemen across junior hockey after leading OHL power London with 91 points in 55 regular-season games. He's only in his age-18 season (he turns 19 in June), so it'll be interesting to see if he can make the Sharks' roster next fall or spend a fourth year in a league he's outgrown. — Eric Stephens Catton dominated the WHL (again) in his draft-plus-one season and is poised to make a deep playoff run as the captain of the Spokane Chiefs this spring. Enormously creative, Catton represented Canada at the World Juniors and looks like a player who could threaten to break camp with the NHL team next fall. For a team that's short on elite talent, Catton is tracking to be precisely the sort of impact player the club was hoping for when they selected him in the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft. — Thomas Drance A week ago, Blues fans wondered if 2022 first-round pick Snuggerud would turn pro or return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season. They can breathe a sigh of relief after Snuggerud signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club. He had 24 goals with the Gophers this season (the sixth most in the NCAA), and with Dylan Holloway now week to week with a lower-body injury, he's stepping right into a top-six role with the Blues. He scored his first point in his second game Thursday. — Jeremy Rutherford Jimmy Snuggerud collects his first NHL point with his dad in attendance! 💙 — NHL (@NHL) April 4, 2025 Howard took a big step for a second consecutive season under head coach Adam Nightingale at Michigan State University, emerging as one of the top offensive players in college hockey, really working on his game and earning a top-10 finalist nod for the Hobey Baker Award. Howard now looks well-positioned to begin his pro career. He projects as a potential top-nine secondary scorer and power-play contributor. — Scott Wheeler The Leafs' prospect pool has been decimated and there are so few players with genuine NHL potential. Luckily, their most recent first-round pick, Danford, spent this season developing into exactly the type of defender the Leafs currently covet. His defensive game and skating improved as he took on the added responsibility of being named Oshawa Generals captain. Danford constantly threw thunderous hits and made intelligent plays with the puck, looking more like a pro by the game. His offensive numbers don't jump off the page, sure. But his 6-foot-2 frame does. And that he paired that frame with an ability to shut down the best opposition forwards this season speaks to his growth. — Joshua Kloke Lavoie's promising season paid off with an NHL entry-level contract this week, as the Utahns signed him Wednesday after a breakthrough campaign with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL. Taken late in the third round of Utah's first draft last June, Lavoie now looks like he should have been a first-rounder. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he's always had NHL-ready size, but his offense — with 55 points in 60 games this season — really took off in his draft-plus-one season. He's a good skater for his size and projects as a top-four shutdown defenseman, but if the offense keeps improving, he could be even more. Maybe even the steal of the draft. — James Mirtle We have signed 2024 third round draft choice, defenseman Tomas Lavoie to an entry-level contract. 📰: — Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 2, 2025 While Jonathan Lekkerimäki was a dominant AHL goal scorer, and Tom Willander thrived in a top pair role at Boston University, Elias Pettersson's accelerated development curve and unique profile is the biggest Canucks game changer in their prospect system. Pettersson is a hulking defensive defender, with exceptional skating ability, deceptive levels of offense and real physical edge in his game. He's a throwback shutdown defender, with the skill and speed to fit seamlessly into the contemporary NHL game. That's a difficult player type to find, and changes the complexion of what the Canucks blue line can develop into over the next few years. — Thomas Drance Lindbom is having a brilliant debut season in North America, playing incredibly well behind a struggling Henderson Silver Knights squad. Despite playing behind a last-place team in the AHL, the 21-year-old has looked composed and impressive all season. Not only is his .914 save percentage significantly higher than that of his more experienced goalie partner, Akira Schmid (.886), but it's the highest by a Silver Knights goaltender since Logan Thompson in 2021-22. He has elevated himself into the conversation for Vegas' goalie of the future. — Jesse Granger Advertisement It'd be easy to pick Ryan Leonard, who led the NCAA in goals, then jumped into the NHL lineup. The same goes for Cole Hutson, who starred at Boston University and at the World Juniors. Our pick, though, is Cristall, a crafty, playmaking winger who produced points at a better rate than anyone else in the CHL, including mega-prospect Gavin McKenna and potential No. 1 pick Michael Misa. Cristall isn't big, and his skating isn't great, but everything else points to him turning into a top-six player. — Sean Gentille Walton was the 187th player taken in the 2024 draft. Almost everything he's accomplished since that time makes you wonder how he lasted that long. The 6-foot-6 forward more than doubled his OHL point production this season, finishing with 92 points in 66 games after posting 43 points in his draft season. Some of Walton's scoring cooled off down the stretch, with 22 points in his last 25 games, but the smooth skater has been productive for Sudbury early in the OHL playoffs. It's rare for a forward of his size to possess such a slick offensive toolkit; Walton is doing his best to emulate the greats, watching Tage Thompson clips in his spare time and building his own highlight reel. — Murat Ates (Top photos of Isaac Howard and Jimmy Snuggerud: Nick King / Lansing State Journal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images and Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Bruins Prospect William Zellers Could Be Big Surprise
It was a franchise-altering trade deadline day for the Boston Bruins. Bruins general manager traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, and Charlie Coyle on March 7. This was after they had already traded Trent Frederic, Max Jones, and Justin Brazeau. For Coyle, the Bruins received Casey Mittelstadt, William Zellers, and a conditional 2025 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche. They also sent their 2026 fifth-round pick to Colorado in the move. The #NHLBruins have acquired forwards Casey Mittelstadt and William Zellers, as well as a 2025 second-round pick, from Colorado in exchange for Charlie Coyle and a 2026 fifth-round pick.📰: — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 7, 2025 Mittelstadt is the biggest name Boston got from the Avalanche in this deal. While the 26-year-old has had a bit of a down season this year, he is also coming off back-to-back seasons where he had at least 57 points. However, Bruins fans should get to know Zellers, as he has the potential to be a big surprise for the Original Six club. Zellers, 18, is currently in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers and is demonstrating his scoring potential. In 40 games with the Gamblers this season, the winger has a USHL-leading 37 goals and is second in the league with 58 points. This is incredible offensive production from the 2024 third-round pick, and he is undoubtedly a great addition to a Bruins prospect pool that needs serious help. However, Zellers still has much more work to do before he is ready for the professional level. He is committed to playing at the University of North Dakota next season, and all eyes should be on him once he makes the jump to the collegiate level. If the 5-foot-10 forward can translate his offensive success from the USHL to the NCAA, it will only create more hype surrounding him. Overall, the Bruins have picked up a promising prospect in Zellers through the Coyle trade. It will be interesting to see how much an impact he can make with the Bruins later down the road, but his remarkable play at the USHL level is undoubtedly encouraging. Recent Bruins News Bruins' Don Sweeney Reveals Reason For Brad Marchand Trade Bruins Trade Mass. Native Marc McLaughlin Bruins Trade Brandon Carlo To Maple Leafs In Surprising Deal Boston Bruins Acquire Defenseman From Buffalo Sabres Bruins Trade Brad Marchand To Panthers In Shocking Deal Bruins Trade Charlie Coyle To Avalanche In Big Move
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phantoms jump into 2nd place with win over Capitols
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown Phantoms beat the Madison Capitols 5-2 to take over 2nd place in the Eastern Conference standings on Wednesday night. The Phantoms pull one point ahead of the Capitols prior to the final two games of the series at the Covelli Centre. Michael Mesic (15 goals this season) netted two goals on the night while Luke Osburn (6), Adam Benak (15) and Brecken Smith (6) also scored for the Phantoms attack. Youngstown goaltender Melvin Strahl saved 11 of 13 shots as he notches his USHL-leading 26th win in net. Youngstown has won 11 of the last 13 games to move to 31-16-0-1 overall with 65 points on the season. They will again host Madison on Thursday, Mar. 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phantoms pull away for sixth straight win
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown Phantoms scored three times in the third period to beat the Green Bay Gamblers on Friday night at the Covelli Centre. Scoreless entering the third period, the Phantoms scored twice in less than two minutes to take control of the game before adding an empty netter to seal to victory. Ryan Rucinski, Jack Hextall and Matti Butkovskiy all scored for the Phantoms as goalie Melvin Strahl registered 21 saves to add to his USHL-leading 25 wins. With the win, the Phantoms move to 31-15-0-1 with 63 points on the season after winning 11 of the last 12 contests. Youngstown hosts Green Bay again on Saturday night with a 6:05 PM puck drop. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
