Welcome to the 2024 edition of my annual ranking of all 32 NHL teams’ prospect pools.
This 31-day project counts down to the NHL organization with the best collection of prospects. It totals nearly 100,000 words of evaluation on nearly 500 prospects (each club’s top 15, plus honourable mentions where worthy), and will lead into this year’s top 50 drafted skaters and top 10 drafted goalie rankings. This page will update daily from Jan. 30 to Feb. 29 as we descend from prospect pool No. 32 to prospect pool No. 1.
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The rankings are broken down into team-specific tiers in order to provide you with a sense for the gaps between groups of prospects and potential fluidity within those groups. The tiers are not universal across the league and do not have pre-set boundaries or projections in an effort to avoid (as best I can) boxing prospects into black-and-white expectations.
While the work will regularly feature quotes and info from sources about these players, note that the evaluations and rankings (both of individual prospects and each team’s pool overall) are strictly my own and the byproduct of countless viewings (both on tape and in person) over several years. Wherever my exposure to a prospect is more limited, I will endeavour to be transparent and have relied more heavily on others.
As always, you should notice an emphasis on upside and skill in my rankings. These rankings are not based on proximity to the NHL. A player with top-of-the-lineup potential may rank higher than a player with NHL experience who projects into a depth role, even sometimes in cases where the former is less likely to reach his ceiling than the latter. Teams that have consistently swung on talent, instead of playing it safe, will tend to grade higher overall. I believe that approach should be the foundation of modern scouting and that, over time, teams that draft and develop for ceiling instead of projectability will pull away from the pack and distinguish themselves in a hard-cap league built on parity. The league’s most precious resource is homegrown talent capable of making more than a marginal impact while cost-controlled, particularly when depth pieces are so readily available through trades and free agency. My rankings should reflect that.
For more insight into my experience, my process, the things I look for and my potential biases and limitations, check out my guide to scouting. And for a second opinion on many of these players, check out the work of The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, whose NHL pipeline rankings were last released in August.
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Criteria
To be eligible for inclusion, a skater must:
- Be under 23 years old. We know that by the time a player turns 23, he is largely done with the steep upward progression we see in prospects and will begin to plateau.
- Not be a full-time NHL player. This is the arbitrary section of the criteria. Here, I trust my judgment for whether or not a rostered NHL player is still likely to bounce between levels more than I trust any pre-determined games played cutoff. Preference for inclusion as an NHL prospect is more likely to be given to teenagers than 22-year-olds.
- Either be signed to an NHL contract or selected in the entry draft, without the expiration of either of those rights. Players who are signed to AHL contracts are not considered.
To be eligible for inclusion, a goalie must:
- Be under 25 years old. This age criteria is more reflective of the typical goalie trajectory, allowing for the continued consideration of a small number of 23- and 24-year-old goalies who are very much still prospects.
- Not currently established as one of their NHL club’s two go-to options.
- Either be signed to an NHL contract or selected in the entry draft, without the expiration of either of those rights. Goalies who are signed to AHL contracts are not considered.
The Ranking
32. New York Islanders
After trading, graduating or aging out three of their top five prospects from last year’s ranking, an Islanders pool that already lacked upside now really shows it. They’ve got depth in B-minus prospects that a couple of other teams at the bottom of the list this year don’t, but they’re probably the only team in the league without a top-100 level prospect.
Read the full team breakdown here
31. Ottawa Senators
Progress made by a few mid-round picks with upside as depth options and solid pros isn’t enough to offset the graduating of Ridly Greig, the aging out of three B-grade prospects, and a 2023 draft class which — without a pick in the first three rounds — didn’t replace them. Add in the sunken cost of some poor selections and the Senators have work to do to rebuild a pool that isn’t far removed from being among the strongest in the league.
Read the full team breakdown here
30. Boston Bruins
Were it not for the graduation of Matt Poitras to the NHL at 19, the Bruins’ pool would likely rank a few slots higher. Without Poitras, though, their system is light on quality prospects, with a trio at the top and then a cluster of players who may become call-up types.
Read the full team breakdown here
29. Tampa Bay Lightning
Despite making only two picks in the first five rounds of the 2023 draft, the Lightning’s prospect pool ranking actually rises a little in this year’s countdown thanks to a bounce-back season from their top prospect and some positive steps from a couple of notable AHLers who are now knocking on the door.
Read the full team breakdown here
28. Toronto Maple Leafs
I debated ranking the Leafs’ pool a few spots higher in this year’s countdown based on depth, but after graduating Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson and Joseph Woll, and making just three picks in the 2023 draft (less than their allotted seven picks for the third straight year), their system has predictably taken a hit. Still, for what it lacks in premium talent, it does make up for in more depth than the other teams in this range.
Read the full team breakdown here
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27. Pittsburgh Penguins
The addition of their first legitimate top prospect in years and first top-15 pick in more than a decade helps give the Penguins’ pool a rosier outlook than in years past. Their system also has some underrated depth at the goaltending position. But the Pens still have one of the thinnest prospect pools in the sport, with a steeper drop-off after the first few names on their list than even some of the teams below them in this year’s countdown.
Read the full team breakdown here
26. Colorado Avalanche
Last year’s last-ranked pool moves up thanks to the addition of two new top prospects. The Avs’ group remains the thinnest in the league after its top three, though, after having made less than their allotted seven picks in four straight drafts and fewer players making their list than any other.
Read the full team breakdown here
25. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ pool is beginning to bear the brunt of their contention window. They’ve made just one draft’s worth of picks in the last two drafts and of the seven selections they did make, only two were in the draft’s first four rounds, the least of any team in the league during that span. One of those two picks, Reid Schaefer, has already been traded as well. Add in the prospects they do have not taking the kinds of steps you would have hoped for and it’s one of the weaker groups in the league.
Read the full team breakdown here
24. Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ pool is closer to league average than this ranking indicates, as this is the start of a new tier in the countdown where we begin to move from the league’s poorer pools into a group of fine but unspectacular ones. The Panthers’ pool actually has a number of prospects I’ve been fonder than most of over the years. It does lack the high-end talent of the league’s better pools, though.
Read the full team breakdown here
23. Vegas Golden Knights
For a reigning Stanley Cup champion, the Golden Knights actually have a pretty decent prospect pool. They’re missing a high-end talent and right-shot defensemen, but they’ve got a handful of solid prospects, decent depth at forward, some at-least-intriguing left-handed defensemen, and a number of goalie prospects of varying quality (you hope one of them becomes an option).
Read the full team breakdown here
22. New Jersey Devils
After back-to-back years as a top-five ranked pool, the Devils’ system is starting to look a lot different after graduating Luke Hughes, Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid, trading Shakir Mukhamadullin and their 2023 first-round pick (which the Sharks used to draft Quentin Musty), and aging out a number of others.
Read the full team breakdown here
21. Dallas Stars
After graduating Wyatt Johnston and trading their 2023 first-round pick (which would later be used to draft Theo Lindstein) for Nils Lundkvist, the outlook within the Stars’ pool has softened over the last couple of years. Still, it’s a middle-of-the-pack group that is closer to the few pools ranked in front of it than behind it. That’s led primarily by the continued stellar play of Logan Stankoven, but there are some others of varying degrees of interest as well.
Read the full team breakdown here
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20. Washington Capitals
Though they’ve aged out and graduated two of their top-five prospects from a year ago in Connor McMichael and Alexei Protas, the Capitals’ pool got a major boost from the top of its 2023 draft class with Ryan Leonard and Andrew Cristall, two players of first-round talent for me. The byproduct of that boost is a pool that — while still thinner than most the deeper you go — is actually in a better spot than it has been in years.
Read the full team breakdown here
19. New York Rangers
Though the Rangers made just five picks in the 2023 draft and just two in its first four rounds, the value of Gabe Perreault with the 23rd pick gives their pool a needed injection of high-end skill to complement the pesky nature of their other forward prospects. The fatal flaw is that both their NHL club and their pool are deepest at the same position: left-handed wingers (their top-five ranked prospects here are all left-shot wingers).
Read the full team breakdown here
18. Vancouver Canucks
The drafting of one top prospect, acquisition of a B or B-plus grade prospect, positive developmental steps for another top prospect, and rare re-introduction of another who at this time last year was in the NHL have combined to give the Canucks’ pool a boost even after moving out B-plus prospect Hunter Brzustewicz (who never actually made an appearance in the countdown) and C prospect Joni Jurmo.
Read the full team breakdown here
17. Los Angeles Kings
After graduating Quinton Byfield and Jordan Spence, aging out Samuel Fagemo, trading Rasmus Kupari and losing Tobias Bjornfot to waivers, the Kings’ pool, which has been a staple in the top 10 recently, has seen some of the most dramatic turnover in the league over the last year. Still, they’ve got a decent group led by one of my favourite prospects in the sport.
Read the full team breakdown here
16. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets’ pool is led by a core group of 5-7 prospects who match up well against a few of the teams ranked in front of them in this year’s countdown. But a relative lack of depth beyond that nucleus keeps it an above-average, good-but-not-great pool on the whole. Still, it’s definitely closer to the top 10 than the bottom 10.
Read the full team breakdown here
15. Calgary Flames
The Flames’ pool is defined by its quantity of B-plus prospects, which really runs 7-10 deep (a couple more than any other team so far and comparable to several of the teams in front of them) thanks to a good 2023 draft, strong results in the late-first round, a find in the seventh round, and the acquisition of Hunter Brzustewicz from the Canucks. They’re missing a true star prospect, but they’ve built a strong pool and there should be multiple solid NHLers coming.
Read the full team breakdown here
14. St. Louis Blues
After trading for Zach Dean and making nine picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, including three in its first round, the Blues’ collection of prospects has become one of the league’s better, climbing the rankings and entering the top 10 conversation. Their pool is now right there with the few teams in front of them in this year’s countdown.
Read the full team breakdown here
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13. Carolina Hurricanes
The stunted progressions of multiple prospects in the absence of an AHL affiliate has prevented a strong Hurricanes pool from taking a step up in the rankings, even after adding what looks like a promising 2023 draft class to their group of quirky and talented prospects.
Read the full team breakdown here
12. Seattle Kraken
After making four drafts’ worth of picks (28 selections) in their first three drafts, the Kraken, despite having graduated the highest of those picks (Matty Beniers), have quickly built a pool that is deep in quality and quantity. I considered more prospects for their top 15 than for any team before them in the countdown and more than multiple teams ranked in front of them.
Read the full team breakdown here
11. Minnesota Wild
After graduating Marco Rossi and Brock Faber and potentially giving up some value on their 2023 first-round pick (although they may have found a late-first-round talent with one of their second-rounders), last year’s top-ranked pool slides 10 spots. But it’s still a good, deep group led by one of the top goalie prospects in the sport and two first-round forwards from 2022, one of whom is having a tremendous season and might be entering star prospect territory.
Read the full team breakdown here
10. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens, after making more than their allotted seven picks in each of the last six drafts, have built a pool with as much quantity as any in the league. They’ve got legitimate quality coming on defence as well, a star goalie prospect and good overall depth at forward. The lack of a star prospect up front is the difference between them having one of the very best pools in the league, though.
Read the full team breakdown here
9. Arizona Coyotes
Despite having graduated Logan Cooley, a 12-pick 2023 draft class led by two unique and complicated first-rounders helps keep the Coyotes’ pool as one of the better groups in the league. They’ve got three, debatably four legitimate forward prospects, two and debatably three or four legitimate defence prospects, and one of the higher upside goalie prospects in the sport, plus potential depth players throughout.
Read the full team breakdown here
8. Nashville Predators
The Predators pool is as deep in quality prospects at the top as some of the pools ranked ahead of them in this year’s rankings, with seven really quality prospects and eight first-rounders in their group, as well as depth beyond the 15-player limit on these lists. None of those picks were in the top-10, though, and they’re that true star/premium prospect away from having a top-three pool.
Read the full team breakdown here
7. Chicago Blackhawks
Even after three significant NHL graduations, the Blackhawks still have one of the league’s top pools. Had Kevin Korchinski gone back to junior and played for Canada at the world juniors, it would have even remained a top-five one. With two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, and multiple seconds in each of the next three drafts, their cupboards should remain among the league’s most well-stocked for the foreseeable future as well.
Read the full team breakdown here
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6. Philadelphia Flyers
Even after trading Cutter Gauthier and graduating Cam York, Tyson Foerster, Egor Zamula and Samuel Ersson, the Flyers’ pool rises year over year thanks to a strong 10-pick 2023 draft class led by one of the best prospects in the sport (I’ll save his ranking for my upcoming 2024 top 75 drafted skaters list). Their group lacks the depth of some of the teams slotted behind them here (the Blackhawks, Preds and Habs come to mind) but Michkov’s star power makes the difference.
Read the full team breakdown here
5. Anaheim Ducks
Despite graduating Leo Carlsson (who never appeared on this list), Pavel Mintyukov and Lukas Dostal, aging out Jackson LaCombe, and trading Henry Thrun, the Ducks’ pool remains one of the better in the league thanks to the addition of Cutter Gauthier and eight more selections after Carlsson in the 2023 draft (six of which I like), including three second-rounders.
Read the full team breakdown here
4. San Jose Sharks
After acquiring prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin and Henry Thrun via trade and making nine picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, including two in the first round (which they used to select the No. 5 and No. 18 prospects on my board with picks No. 4 and No. 26), the Sharks’ pool has significantly improved year over year.
Read the full team breakdown here
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
Though Adam Fantilli bypassed the list, they graduated Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov, and they lost Liam Foudy to waivers, the Blue Jackets hold as the third-ranked pool in the league for the second year in a row thanks to the addition of seven other 2023 picks after Fantilli (six of which I liked) and the reintroduction of Kent Johnson because of his 10-game AHL stint in November. Their pool’s top-five prospects stack up well against anybody’s and they’ve got players of consequence at all six positions.
Read the full team breakdown here
2. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings’ pool is led by half a dozen higher-end prospects and followed by legitimate depth in numbers right through to the end of the list. They don’t have a top-10 forward prospect but they’ve got two top-10 D prospects, they’re the only organization in the league with two top-10 goalie prospects, and there are another two (or three) forwards who are going to be really solid NHL players, plus several others who’ve got a chance to play games.
Read the full team breakdown here
1. Buffalo Sabres
Even with a young NHL core already made up of Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson and Peyton Krebs, a group that made them the No. 1-ranked pool in this countdown just two years ago, the Sabres have another wave coming, this one led by Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Matt Savoie, Devon Levi, Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen. This version of the pool wasn’t the clearcut choice for No. 1 in the countdown, but its top six or seven prospects are as strong as any group in the league and they’ve got B and B-plus prospects behind them well into the double digits on their list.
Read the full team breakdown here
(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic. Photos: Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images; Steve Babineau / NHLI via Getty Images)
