The DobberProspects Organizational Rankings have returned.
This year the contributing writers include Senior Associate Editor Hayden Soboleski, Associate Editor Jokke Nevalainen, and senior writers Joel Henderson, Brayden Olafson, and myself.
Writing this article was a very time consuming endeavour as it is a massive project which required each writer to go over all 31 NHL teams and grade them. The grading system used was we each started with a top 10. Each player in the top 10 was given a grade and a point value.
A+ = 10
A = 9
A- = 8
and so on until
D= 1
This was the base points for each team. In addition, we included roster players 21-years-old and under on the NHL roster as bonus players. For example, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid provided 10 bonus points. The other criteria was we included other notable prospects beyond the top 10. So teams like Pittsburgh and Washington that have poor depth did not receive an bonus points for depth, but teams such as Philadelphia and Arizona etc. did.
The rankings were created prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and therefore do not include players drafted in Dallas. So to re-iterate – the data was gathered throughout June, though we did update player moves where we could.
The rankings are a consensus of each writer’s subjective and personal rankings to provide a more accurate and less biased overall rankings.
1.Philadelphia Flyers, A+
Rank (1)
The Flyers were the consensus number one ranked team. GM Ron Hextall has done a tremendous job of acquiring a bevy of good to elite prospects at every position. The top 10 scored high across the board, they received a healthy boost from their U-21 roster talent as well as bonus points for their depth beyond the top 10. – Peter Harling
One of the deepest and most dangerous pipelines in hockey, the Flyers are primed for success on the front and back end. The plethora of high-end prospects in their system, not to mention the ones ALREADY contributing in the NHL, could potentially lead to the Flyers trading one or more of them away in exchange for high-end help now. Brayden Olafson
They continue to lead the way with depth and options. Lots of talent who will have solid NHL careers. This team will be the next one to surprise and grab a division title soon. – Joel Henderson
One of the deepest and most dangerous pipelines in hockey, the Flyers are primed for success on the front and back end. The plethora of high-end prospects in their system, not to mention the ones already contributing in the NHL, could potentially lead to the Flyers trading one or more away in exchange for high-end help now. – Jokke Nevalainen
Top 10 Prospects
- Carter Hart
- Morgan Frost
- German Rubtsov
- Philippe Myers
- Isaac Ratcliffe
- Sam Morin
- Oskar Lindblom
- Wade Allison
- Tanner Laczynski
- Felix Sandstrom
U-21 Roster Players: Nolan Patrick, Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim
Other notable prospects: Matt Strome, Carsen Twarynski, Maxim Shusko, David Kase, Nicolas Aube-Kubel
2018 Draft picks by round: 1: Joel Farabee (14th), Jay O’Brien (19). Round 2: Adam Ginning (50). Round 3: None. Round 4: Jack St. Ivany (112). Round 5: Wyatte Wylie (127), Samuel Ersson (143). Round 6: Gavin Hain (174)> Round: Marcus Westfalt (225).
Rank (3.8)
The Coyotes ranked second overall by three writers and as low as 10th by one. Top prospect Dylan Strome centered a line with Nick Merkley and Lawson Crouse in the AHL and the trio were dominant. The Coyotes top 10 list is good, but not great; the overall ranking was boosted by the U21 roster players led by Calder Candidate Clayton Keller. – Peter Harling
Those who were able to stick around for the final third Arizona 2017-18 campaign were able to catch a glimpse of the realization occurring in the desert. After consistently owning the top tier of lists similar to this, the Coyotes are close to turning a profit on their investment over the last four or so draft classes – Jokke Nevalainen
Those who were able to stick around for the final third Arizona’s 2017-18 campaign were able to catch a glimpse of the realization that occurring in the desert. After consistently owning the top tier of list similar to this, the Coyotes are close to turning a profit on their investments over the last four or so draft classes. Brayden Olafson
Add another top end talent to this roster at this year’s draft. The second half of 2017-18 showed that the talent isn’t too far away. Everyone is still 23 and under. – Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Dylan Strome
- Nick Merkley
- Pierre-Olivier Joseph
- Kyle Capobianco
- Tyler Steenbergen
- Brayden Burke
- Adin Hill
- Ryan MacInnis
- Filip Westerlund
- 10 Merrick Madsen
U21 Roster Players: Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer
Other Notable Prospects: Lawson Crouse, Cam Dineen, Cameron Crotty , Nate Schnarr, Mario Kempe, Conor Garland, Mackenzie Entwistlem, Hudson Fasching
2018 Draft picks by round: 1 Barrett Hayton (5). Round 2. Kevin Bahl (55). Round 3 Jan Jenik (65), Ty Emberson (73). Round 4 Ivan Prosvetov (114). Round 5 Michael Callahan (142), Dennis Busby (145). Round 6 David Tendeck (158). Round 7 Liam Kirk (189)
Rank (4.2)
Ranked as high as second by one writer and as low as 17 by another, there is a difference of opinion by some. The fact is, their top 10 is good but lacks an elite franchise player as does their roster players under 21. The overall depth is excellent as Carolina was very successful under Ron Francis in acquiring prospects and picks. Carolina has a top pick in the coming draft and unless they trade it away should be able to add that super star player the likes of Andrei Svechnikov that they are lacking. Peter Harling
It’s tough to say who will jump out of this group of maybes. Carolina set themselves up well with establishing a young core of defenders but they certainly could use another superstar or two up front. – Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Martin Necas
- Warren Foegele
- Jake Bean
- Julien Gauthier
- Janne Kuokkanen
- Aleksi Saarela
- Nicolas Roy
- Lucas Wallmark
- Roland McKeown
- Valentin Zykov
U21 Roster Players: Noah Hanifin, Sebastian Aho, Hayden Fleury
Other notable prospects: Stelio Mattheos, Eetu Luostarinen, Jeremy Helvig, Andrew Poturalski, Callum Booth, Alex Nedeljkovic, Morgan Geekie
2018 Draft picks by round: 1 Andrei Svechnikov (2). Round 2 Jack Drury (42). Round 3 None. Round 4 Luke Henman (96), Lenni Killinen (104). Round 5 None. Round 6 Jesper Sellgren (166). Round 7 Jacob Kucharski (197) – Total, 8
Rank (4.6)
The Canucks ranked high despite not having a contribution from Cam Robinson. I ranked them the highest at second overall while the lowest rank was 11th. The Canucks have corner stone prospects at each position with Pettersson, Boeser, Juolevi and Demko leading the way. With another top 10 pick coming up, look for the Canucks to add potentially a center or a defenseman. If the Canucks can lure back big Nikita Tryamkin it would be a huge boost as well. With the Sedin twins stepping aside, it opens up two top-six roster positions and a hefty chunk of cap space. Look for the Canucks to add an impact player in the off season. Peter Harling
There is hope. A roster can have a very different look to it adding even three top players. Vancouver still has lots of work to do, but replacements for the Sedin brothers aren’t far away. Fans know this though… they’ve been waiting for a few years. This could be a big draft year for Vancouver too. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Elias Pettersson
- Thatcher Demko
- Olli Juolevi
- Jonathan Dahlen
- Adam Gaudette
- Kole Lind
- Michael DiPietro
- Jonah Gadjovich
- Guillaume Brisebois
- Petrus Palmu
U21 Roster Players: Brock Boeser, Jake Virtanen
Other notable prospects: Zack MacEwan, Nikolai Goldobin, Cole Cassels, Nikita Tryamkin, Jalen Chatfield, Tyler Motte.
2018 Draft picks by round: 1 Quinn Hughes (7). Round 2 Jett Woo (37). Round 3 Tyler Madden (68) Round 4 None. Round 5 Toni Ultunen (130). Round 6 Artyom Manukyan (186). Round 7 Matthew Thiessen. – Total, 6
Rank (5.6)
Toronto ranks high on the strength of the elite NHL talent on the roster in Matthews, Marner, and Nylander. The top 10 list may lack potential star power, it has good depth and their AHL affiliate the Marlies are hot off their first Calder Cup Championship in which Andreas Johnsson put on a dominant performance as playoff MVP. Peter Harling
This city got a taste of the level of talent which is coming. Toronto has options moving forward and fans are finding out why the Marlies have been exciting prospect watchers. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Timothy Liljegren
- Andreas Johnsson
- Carl Grundstrom
- Garret Sparks
- Joseph Woll
- Jeremy Bracco
- Adam Brooks
- Dmytro Timashov
- Miro Aaltonen
- Mason Marchment
U21 Roster players: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Travis Dermott, Kasperi Kapanen
Other notable prospects: Eemeli Rasanen, Yegor Korshkov, Andreas Borgman, Cale Rosen
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Rasmus Sandin (29). 2 Sean Durzi (52). 3 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (76), Riley Stotts (83). 4 Mac Hollowell (118). 5 Filip Kral (149). 6 Pontus Holmberg (156). 7 Zachary Bouthillier (209) Semyon Kizimov (211) – Total 9
Rank (6.9)
The Flames were scored highly across the board with an outlying low score of 12. The top 10 lacks any real outstanding upside or high end prospect at this time, but the depth is impressive. The Flames have good strength in goal with Parsons and Gillies and great depth on defense despite the recent loss of Adam Fox, who they were not going to be able to sign. Tkachuk and Bennett (not to mention Mark Jankowski who is just 23) give them two high scoring roster players as well as extended top 10 prospect depth. Despite not having much in high end draft picks, the Flames are a deep prospect team. Peter Harling
Flames brass will be heavily criticized for some of the decisions they’ve made in the last calendar year including the one that ended up costing them a potential lottery pick in this year’s entry draft. On the bright side though, the teams’ pipeline remains jammed full of high end prospects that are ripening faster than the Flames will be able to get them into the lineup. Brayden Olafson
They have three or four really good defencemen who will have solid NHL careers just waiting for an opportunity and some goalies with real potential. Calgary swung for the fences with some boom or bust offensive talent which will make Stockton very fun to watch next year. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Juuso Valimaki
- Tyler Parsons
- Jon Gillies
- Rasmus Andersson
- Oliver Kylington
- Dillon Dube
- Andrew Mangiapane
- Matthew Phillips
- Glen Gawdin
- Spencer Foo
U21 Roster players: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett
Other notable prospects: Adam Ruzicka, D’Artagnan Joly, Eetu Tuulola, Morgan Klimchuk
2018 Draft picks by round: 1 None. 2 None. 3 None. 4 Martin Pospisil (105), Demetrios Koumontzis (108), Milos Roman (122). 5 None. 6 Mathias Emilio Pettersen (167). 7 Dmitri Zavgorodny (198). Total – 5
Rank (8.4)
GM Steve Yzerman and his scouting staff have done an outstanding job as the draft finding great value picks that consistently develop into NHL players. The Lightning top 10 don’t have a prospect graded above a B+, but the depth is good beyond the top 10 and having Sergachev on the roster is a big bonus to their overall score as well. A testament to their depth is that the Lightning traded away prospects Libor Hajek and Mitchell Stephens and still have excess prospects. Another fact not to be forgotten is that Yani Gourde was a Calder contender but does not score on our rankings as he is already 25-years-old. Peter Harling
A wave of skilled prospects in the Lightning system is growing in Syracuse where a successful year for multiple AHL rookies gave Steve Yzerman the confidence to trade away two of his top-prospects to the Rangers in the deal for Ryan McDonagh, and JT Miller. For now the wave is serving as a purge for some of the loose ends in the Lightning system, but it won’t be long before several of them are making offensive contributions with the Lightning. Brayden Olafson
They are the kings of drafting depth. Need some third and fourth liners to out perform other team’s third and fourths? Tampa has about 10 on the way. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Anthony Cirelli
- Cal Foote
- Taylor Raddysh
- Boris Katchouk
- Mathieu Joseph
- Matt Peca (now with Montreal)
- Connor Ingram
- Mitchell Stephens
- Alex Volkov
- Dominik Masin
U21 Roster Players: Mikhail Sergachev
Other notable players: Otto Sompi, Alex Lipanov, Erik Cernak, Tanner Richard, Alex Barre-Boulet, Oleg Sousonov, Adam Erne.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 None. 2 Gabriel Fortier (59). 3 Dmitri Semykin (90). 4 Alex Green (121). 5 Magnus Chorna (152). 6 Cole Koepke (183). 7 Radim Salda (206), Ty Taylor (214) – Total 7
Rank (9.5)
One of the more volatile ranked teams receiving grades of three, four, seven, 13, and 24 the Jets maybe should be higher but that 24 score brings them down. The fact is, the Jets have a AHL defenseman of the year, and Rookie of the Year in Niku, and the AHL Rookie Of The Year in Appleton, a top goalie prospect in Comrie, the top prospect is Vesalainen, and a bonafide super star on the roster in Patrick Laine. The Jets have good depth as well for a very good prospect pool. Peter Harling
This is what fans hope for. Top tier talent being good at the same time. This is a prime example of how you draft, and more importantly, how you develop some of your potential. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Kristian Vesalainen
- Jack Roslovic
- Eric Comrie
- Sami Niku
- Mason Appleton
- Brendan Lemieux
- Tucker Poolman
- Nic Petan
- Dylan Samberg
- Logan Stanley
U21 Roster Players, Patrick Laine, Kyle Connor
Other notable prospects: Luke Green, Michael Spacek, Jansen Harkins, J.C. Lipon, Mikhail Berdin
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 None. 2 David Gustafsson (60). 3 Nathan Smith (91). 4 None. 5 Declan Chisholm (150), Giovanni Vallati (153). 6 Jared Moe (184). 7 Austin Wong (215). – Total 6
Rank (9.6)
The Avs were pretty consistently ranked with some very good top end talent. On the roster they boast several young guns in Jost and Girard. In the system they have more top end skill in Makar, and Timmins coming. Where the Av’s lack is in depth; as you work your way down the top 10 there is a drop off and the outside the top 10 is weak. Peter Harling
Continue to build. Continue to build. Continue to build. Trading for Girard gives Colorado a number of guys who love to move the puck up the ice. Speed kills. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Cale Makar
- Conor Timmins
- Vladislav Kamenev
- A.J. Greer
- Shane Bowers
- Nicolas Meloche
- Spencer Martin
- Ty Lewis
- Cam Morrison
- J.C. Beaudin
U21 Roster Players: Tyson Jost, Samuel Girard
Other notable prospects: Nick Henry, Denis Smirnov, Adam Werner
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Martin Kaut (16). 2 None. 3 Justus Annunen (64), Sampo Ranta (78). 4 Tyler Weiss (109). 5 Brandon Saigeon (140), Danila Zhuravlyov (146). 6 Nikolai Kovalenko (171). 7 Shamil Shmakov (202) – Total 8
Rank (10)
The Islanders are another team that had a wide varying opinion in the rankings receiving scores of five, six, 10, 12, and 17. Having the Calder winner in Barzal gives them a big boost. The top 10 is good with the goalies and Bellows and Ho-Sang at the top, but there is a drop-off after seven. The Islanders have long been a team that struggled to draft and develop well, but things seem to finally be taking a turn for the better on Long Island. Peter Harling
With Barzal, Beau, and Ho-Sang still counting for this, Islanders might be giving their team fits for a long time. Lots of potential means lots of disappointment in they continue to miss the playoffs. Potential stars throughout their system. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Ilya Sorokin
- Kiefer Bellows
- Josh Ho-Sang
- Linus Soderstrom
- Devon Toews
- Sebastian Aho
- Michael Dal Colle
- David Quenneville
- Anatoli Golyshev
- Mitch Vande Sompel
U21 Roster Pplayers: Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier
Other notable prospects: Parker Wotherspoon, Otto Koivula, Robin Salo
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Oliver Wahlstrom ( 11), Noah Dobson (12). 2 Bode Wilde (41), Ruslan Iskhakov (43). 3 Jakub Skarek (72). 4 Jacob Pivonka (103). 5 Blade Jenkins (134). 6 None. 7 Christian Krygier (196) – Total 8
Rank (11.2)
The Blues have had some pretty big hits from their scouting department recently with promising looking prospects in Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Klim Kostin who fell into their laps in the 2017 draft. The Blues lack impact U21 roster players but do have two in Tage Thompson and Vince Dunn. Outside of their top prospects, they lack some depth overall. The writers were very consistent in the ranking for the Blues as well. Peter Harling
So they missed the playoffs, big whoop. They have top-six talent and offensive defenders to come which will calm the hearts of Blues fans. It would be a huge boost to them if Husso hit his potential too. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Robert Thomas
- Jordan Kyrou
- Klim Kostin
- Jordan Schmaltz
- Jake Walman
- Ivan Barbashev
- Samuel Blais
- Ville Husso
- Erik Foley
- Nolan Stevens
U21 Roster Players: Vince Dunn
Other notable prospects: Tanner Kaspick, David Noel, Evan Fitzpatrick, Adam Musil
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Dominik Bokk (25). 2 Scott Perunovich (45). 3 None. 4 Joel Hofer (107). 5 Hugh McGing (138). 6 Mathias Laferriere (169). 7 Tyler Tucker (200). – Total 6
Rank (11.6)
The top two prospects of Henrik Borgstrom and Owen Tippett give the Panthers top 10 a good overall score, as the bottom drops off somewhat. There are two roster players under 21, but Jared MCann and Denis Malgin fail to move the needle significantly. Our writers scored the panthers pretty consistently with one out layer of a 19th overall. Aleksi Heponiemi had a monster season in the WHL, but the club opted to not sign 2016 second round pick (38th overall) Adam Mascherin and that my be a regrettable decision in the future. Peter Harling
The Panthers have a few high-end prospects in Borgström, Tippett and Heponiemi but there’s a big drop-off after them. Mascherin is currently their next best forward prospect but he’s decided not to sign with the Panthers which is a big loss for them. Gildon is their best defenseman prospect and there’s not much behind him, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them draft a defenseman in the first round this summer. Montembeault is their top goalie prospect but they could add another goalie in the draft for more depth in that position. A successful strategy for them has been drafting older European prospects like Mamin and Repo late in the draft. Jokke Nevalainen
They are still a very young team. They’ve managed to sneak in some older prospects near the back end of the draft and make sure the cupboards are competitive. Heponiemi caught a lot of people by surprise with his vision. Joel Henderson
A somewhat peculiar situation on Florida’s Suncoast as top prospect and former second-round pick Adam Mascherin has decided that he will refuse to sign a contract with the Panthers. While obviously a disappointing revelation for the Cats, it’s a major testament to the depth that currently has their pipeline overflowing, not to mention a youthful charge already in the lineup. Brayden Olafson
Top 10 Prospects
- Henrik Borgstrom
- Owen Tippett
- Aleksi Heponiemi
- Jayce Hawryluk
- Sam Montembeault
- Max Gildon
- Dryden Hunt
- Jonathan Ang
- Maxim Mamin
- Patrick Bajkov
U21 Roster Players: Jared McCann, Denis Malgin
Other notable prospects: Riley Stillman, Sebastian Repo, Josh Brown
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Grigori Denisenko (15). 2 Serron Noel (34). 3 Logan Hutsko (89). 4 None. 5 None. 6 Justin Schutz. 7 Cole Krygier (210), Santtu Kinnunen (207). – Total 6
Rank (14)
The Bruins have a hotly contested prospect pool according to the contributing writers. I ranked them sixth overall on my own list, the highest was fifth. On the other hand they were also score 22nd and the lowest ranking was 27th! For me, I like the top 10 despite the fact I see it lacking a true super star, but the depth is strong. The Bruins get a massive boost with Charlie McAvoy as a U21 player giving them a significant boost, not to mention Brandon Carlo and Jake DeBrusk as well. Look for several Bruins prospects to make the jump soon in the likes of JFK, Ryan Donato, Anders Bjork, and don’t forget that Alex Khokhlachev is tearing up the KHL. Peter Harling
The easy answer for armchair GM’s is to make fun of the 2015 first round, but Boston has been one of the best depth drafters in the league. Lot of talent which will roll into the NHL. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Ryan Donato
- Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson
- Anders Bjork
- Trent Fredric
- Zach Senyshyn
- Urho Vaakanainen
- Jack Studnick
- Peter Cehlarik
- Alex Khokhlachev
- Jeremy Lauzon
U21 Roster Players: Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Jake Debrusk
Other notable players: Jakub Zboril, Matt Grzelcyk, Daniel Vladar, Joona Koppanen, Jeremy Swayman.
2018 Drft picks by round. 1 None. 2 Axel Andersson (57). 3 Jakub Lauko (77). 4 Curtis Hall (119). 5 None. 6 Dustyn McFaul (181). 7 Pavel Shen (212). – Total 5
Two scores of 18 overall brought the devils down and the highest rank of seven was the only top 10 ranking. The Devils overall score gets a big boost with Nico Hischier, Pavel Zacha, and Jesper Bratt on the active roster. The top 10 list tops out with Mike McLeod; who is far from a sure fire NHL player, and the bottom half thins out pretty quick with little to no help beyond the top 10. Peter Harling
Honestly. I think this team has swung and missed on a number of occasions. They have been saved by unreal trades. Joel Henderson.
Top 10 Prospects
- Michael McLeod
- Jesper Boqvist
- John Quenneville
- Joey Anderson
- Fabian Zetterlund
- Blake Speers
- Nathan Bastian
- MacKenzie Blackwood
- Reilly Walsh
- Jeremy Davies
U21 Roster Players: Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha
Other notable players: Marian Studenic, Aarne Talvitie, Colby Sissons.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Ty Smith (17). 2 None. 3 None. 4 Xavier Bernard (110). 5 Akira Schmid (136), Yegor Sharangovich (141). 6 Mitchell Hoelscher (172). 7 Eetu Pakklia (203). Total – 6
Rank (15.8)
The Buffalo Sabres have been in rebuild mode for a long time, and finally winning a draft lottery could indicate the turning of the page going forward. Adding Rasmus Dahlin at the 2018 Draft will be a big step in the right direction, but he won’t need to be the saviour as they already have Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt in place. The big hole remaining to be filled will be a goalie. Peter Harling
A lot of weight will still be placed on Nylander to rebound, but some goal scoring fire power is on the way. They need to continue to add forwards who are terrific defensively too. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Casey Mittelstadt
- Alex Nylander
- Brendan Ghule
- Rasmus Asplund
- Cliff Pu
- Will Borgen
- Justin Bailey
- Nick Baptiste
- Dan O’Regan
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
U21 Roster Players: Jack Eichel, Tage Thompson
Other notable players: Eric Cornel, Linus Ullmark, Victor Olofsson, Jacob Bryson, Casey Fitzgerald, Marcus Davidson.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Rasmus Dahlin (1). 2 Mattias Samuelsson (32). 3 None. 4 Matej Pekar (94), Linus Lindstrand Kronholm (117). 5 Miska Kukkonen (125). 6 None. 7 William Worge Kreu (187). – Total 6
Rank (17)
The Hawks have been a Champion or contender for close to a decade now and as a result have had a low draft selection, or none at all as they have traded some away to remain a contender. Hard to argue with the strategy as they have multiple Cup Banners, but the pipeline is a little thin. The Hawks have done a good job of scouting and a great job of recruiting, using their winning pedigree to lure some top free agents via the NCAA and Europe to supplement the roster. Peter Harling
Consistent contenders just wanna fill in the depths of the roster year in and year out. If this season is any indication, Chicago might be in trouble for a while. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Henri Jokiharju
- Dylan Sikura
- Matthew Highmore
- Ian Mitchell
- Victor Ejdsell
- Tim Soderlund
- Chad Krys
- Andrei Altybarmakyan
- Artur Kayumov
- Joni Tuulola
U21 Roster Players: Alex DeBrincat
Other notable players: Lucas Carlsson, Jakub Galvas, Maxim Shalunov, Alexander Fortin.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Adam Boqvist (8), Nicolas Beaudin (27). 2 None. 3 Jake Wise (69), Niklas Nordgren (74). 4 Philipp Kurashev (120). 5 Mikael Hakkarainen (139). 6 Alexis Gravel (162). 7 Josiah Slavin (193). Total 8
Rank (17.2)
The Jackets received a high mark of 11, two 14 ranks, a 21 and a low of 26 overall. The roster players of Werenski and Dubois give the Jackets a big boost but their top 10 depth is weak and tops out on Abramov, who I am Bullish on but it remains to be seen if he can translate his prolific offense to the pro level, let alone the NHL. In hind sight, picking Dubois over Puljujarvi seems to have been the correct decision. Peter Harling
This might be the sneakiest list of hidden potential. If a couple of Texier and Stenlund work out, Columbus will have some options. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Vitali Abramov
- Alex Texier
- Gabriel Carlsson
- Jon Davidson
- Vladislav Gavrikov
- Andrew Peeke
- Alex Fortier
- Kevin Stenlund
- Calvin Thurkauf
- Kole Sherwood
U21 Roster Players: Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois
Other notable prospects: Paul Bittner, Sam Vigneault, Elvis Merzlikins.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Liam Foudy (18). 2 Kirill Marchenko (49). 3 Marcus Karlberg (80). 4 None. 5 None. 6 Tim Berni (159), Veini Vehvilainen (173). 7 Trey Fix-Wolansky (204). Total – 6
Rank (17.4)
The Rangers are a team on a rebuild fast-track. After their Stanley Cup winning window has potentially closed in the Henrik Lundqvist era, the Rangers are performing one of the faster and more promising rebuilds in recent memory. The additions of picks and prospects recently after years of spending draft pick currency has the team back on the uptick. Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson, Libor Hajek and future starting goalie Igor Shesterkin headline the promise of the future. The Rangers headed into the 2018 NHL entry draft armed with three more first round picks as well. The writers were very bunched together in their scoring as all were within in six spots consistently. The lack of U21 roster players failed to add any bonus points and the overall depth is limited as well. Peter Harling
They added some potential pieces at the trade deadline, so the competition will hopefully bring strength, especially defensively. Joel Henderson
Yet another team who has quietly restocked their prospect cupboard with impressive talents including those selected out of the top-15. Exchange rates for some Ranger-rentals returned Howden, Hajek and Rykov, all who could make an NHL impact within a couple of seasons. Brayden Olafson
Top 10 Prospects
- Lias Andersson
- Filip Chytil
- Igor Shesterkin
- Libor Hajek
- Brett Howden
- Ty Ronning
- Anthony De Angelo
- Ryan Lindgren
- Neal Pionk
- Sean Day
U21 Roster Players: None
Other notable prospects: Tim Gettinger, Patrik Virta, Yegor Rykov, Adam Huska, Ryan Gropp, Boo Nieves.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Vitali Kravtsov (9), K’Andre Miller (22), Nils Lundkvist (28). 2 Olof Lindbom (39). 3 Jacob Ragnarsson (70), Joey Keane (88). 4 Nico Gross (101). 5 Lauri Pajuniemi (132). 6 Simon Kjelberh (163). 7 Riley Hughes (216). Total – 10
Rank (17.4)
Despite being the youngest team with only one draft and an expansion draft to add prospects, the Knights are far from the worst on our list. Our writers ranked them overall from 15 to 21, as they had a stellar first NHL Draft with three first round picks; and they got some great value from the expansion draft as well. GM George McPhee has done an exceptional job of building for the future as well as icing a immediate competitive team. He has far exceeded all expectations. Peter Harling
Top 10 Prospects
- Cody Glass
- Nick Suzuki
- Erik Brannstrom
- Nikita Gusev
- Nick Hague
- Malcolm Subban
- Jake Leschyshyn
- Oscar Dansk
- Lucas Elvenes
- Jack Duggan
U21 Roster Players: Alex Tuch
Other notable players: Philip Holm, Maksim Zhukov, Dylan Ferguson, Tomas Hyka
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 None. 2 Ivan Morozov (61). 3 None. 4 Slava Demin (99), Paul Cotter (115). 5 Brandon Kruse (135), Connor Corcoran (154). 6 Peter Dillberatore (180), Xavier Bouchard (185). 7 Jordan Kooy (208). Total – 8
Rank (18.4)
Despite owning a well-earned reputation as Draft Lottery Winners, the Oilers have only two U21 roster players, and a top 10 list that thins out quickly after Kailer Yamamoto. Having McDavid on the roster gives them a big boost, but their highest rank among the writers was 14 with two scores at 25 and 23. Peter Harling
After a disappointing season where, c’mon, we all know it, the Oilers will draft first overall yet again, their system includes some nice pieces at both ends of the ice. While lacking in depth, Bear and Yamamoto are excellent prospects and can give Edmonton fans hope that not all hope is lost on Milan Lucic’s contract. Brayden Olafson
There are a couple of real gems and a big wish list after that. They have done well recently past the third round to shoot for the moon. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Kailer Yamamoto
- Ethan Bear
- Caleb Jones
- Tyler Benson
- Kirill Maksimov
- Cooper Marody
- Stuart Skinner
- Dylan Wells
- Ostap Safin
- Apeli Rasanen
U21 Roster Players: Connor McDavid, Jesse Puljujarvi
Other notable prospects: Dmitri Samorukov, Phil Kemp, Ryan Mantha, Joseph Gambardella.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Evan Bouchard (10). 2 Ryan McLeod (40), Olivier Rodrigue (62). 3 None. 4 None. 5 None. 6 Michael Kesselring (164). 7 Patrik Silkanen (195). Total – 5
Rank (20.6)
The Sens are a tire fire of an organization right now, with a meddling owner that is alienating alumni like Daniel Alfredsson and creating management turmoil, to wives filing restraining orders against each other to sexual assault charges to the Assistant GM. The team needs a new rink and now they have the potential of tanking and surrendering a lottery pick to Colorado, which could end up being Jack Hughes. The Sens are poised to lose current franchise super star Erik Karlsson and need to start looking at the future for hope, and the current prospect pool isn’t that inspiring. Peter Harling
They … have some options. I didn’t include Chabot on this list and he will certainly help. Imagine the return they could have had for Big Erik. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Logan Brown
- Colin White
- Drake Batherson
- Filip Gustavsson
- Alex Formenton
- Filip Chlapik
- Gabriel Gagne
- Christian Jaros
- Christian Wolanin
- Nick Paul
U21 Roster Players: Thomas Chabot
Other notable prospects: Marcus Hogberg, Aaron Luchuk, Ben Harpur, Ville Pokka, Filip Ahl, Mikael Wilkstrand.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Brady Tkachuk (4), Jacob Bernard-Docker (26). 2 Jonny Tychonick (48). 3 NOne. 4 Johnny Gruden (95). 5 Angus Crookshank (126). 6 Kevin Maddolese (157). 7 Jakov Novak (188), Luke Loheit (194). – Total 8
Rank (21.2)
The Wings had a wide range of opinion on their rankings from a high of 15, to a low of 28. The Wings are a team on the rebuild to be sure and have just Dylan Larkin as a U21 roster player to boost their score. The top 10 lacks a high end prospect but has depth. The Wings have not had a top 10 NHL Draft pick in a long time before 2017, and will pick early again in 2018 and the Wings have the Vegas first round pick as well. Peter Harling
There’s a reason Babcock left. Lots of middle of the road talent. Sorry Detroit, you’ll be fun to watch but maybe not fun to cheer for come playoffs for a while. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Michael Rasmussen
- Tyler Bertuzzi
- Evgeni Svechnikov
- Dennis Cholowski
- Vili Saarijarvi
- Givani Smith
- Jared Coreau
- Filip Hronek
- Joe Hicketts
- David Pope
U21 Roster Players: Dylan Larkin
Other notable prospects: Keith Petruzzelli, Filip Larsson, Kasper Kotkansalo, Gustav Lindstrom, Dominic Turgeon, Dylan Sadowy.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Filip Zadina (6), Joe Veleno (30). 2 Jonatan Berggren (33), Jared McIsaac (36). 3 Alec Regula (67), Seth Barton (81), Jesper Eliasson (84). 4 Ryan O’Reilly (98). 5 None. 6 Victor Brattstrom (160). 7 Otto Kivenmaki (191). – Total 10
Rank (21.8)
The Stars scored pretty low as a result of having an underwhelming top 10 group outside of Miro Heiskanen. The roster lacks any U21 players to boost the score and their overall depth is weak. Fortunately for Dallas they have several roster players recently graduated in Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie, Esa Lindell, and Julius Honka that are all under 25-years-old which diminishes the sense of urgency to rush and develop their current prospect pool. Despite the fact their AHL affiliate had a long playoff run reaching the AHL finals, there is little help on the brink of joining the big club in big D from Texas. Peter Harling
There certainly is some disappointment with this potential but Dallas could have some size coming with their skill real soon. I don’t know if even Dallas fans are ready for how good Heiskanen is. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Miro Heiskanen
- Denis Guryanov
- Valeri Nichushkin
- Colton Point
- Jake Oettinger
- Jason Robertson
- Riley Tufte
- Roope Hintz
- Gavin Bayreuther
- Nicholas Caamano
U21 Roster Players: Noen
Other notable prospects: Jason Dickinson, Brett Davis.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Ty Dellandrea (13). 2 Albin Eriksson (44). 3 Oskar Back (75). 4 Adam Mascherin (100), Curtis Douglas (106). 5 Riley Damiani (137). 6 Dawson Barteaux (168). 7 Jermaine Loewen (199). Total – 8
Rank (23.8)
The Wild have a big three in the top 10 that really boost their ranking. After that there is a big drop off and the problem is their best prospect (Kirill Kaprizov) is under contract in the KHL and may never end up in the NHL. Having Eriksson-Ek on the roster helps their ranking but the lack of depth cannot be ignored. Peter Harling
There is going to be some turnover soon, which means some real opportunity for new blood. Their goaltending depth will be fun to watch. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Kirill Kaprizov
- Luke Kunin
- Jordan Greenway
- Louis Belpedio
- Dmitri Sokolov
- Andrei Svetlakov
- Mason Shaw
- Ivan Lodnia
- Carson Soucy
- Kaapo Kahkonen
U21 Roster Players: Joel Eriksson-Ek
Other notable prospects: Sam Anas.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Filip Johansson (24). 2 None. 3 Jack McBain (63), Alexander Khovanov (86), Connor Dewar (92). 4 None. 5 Simon Johansson (148), Damien Giroux (155). 6 Shawn Boudrias (179). 7 Sam Hentges (210). Toyal – 8
Rank (25)
The Ducks were one of the most consistently scored team, receiving overall scores of 20, 26, 26, 26, and 27. They have no under 21 roster players, after Sam Steel there is a drop off and the overall depth is not impressive. The Ducks roster is in win now mode with veterans Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler up front and are supported by quality young players like Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, Nick Ritchie, and John Gibson. Peter Harling
Anaheim continues to draft depth defenders who could make some NHL noise, but their forward group might be in a lot of trouble soon. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Sam Steel
- Jacob Larsson
- Troy Terry
- Max Jones
- Maxime Comtois
- Antoine Morand
- Josh Mahura
- Kevin Roy
- Marcus Pettersson
- Andy Welenski
U21 Roster Players: None
Other notable prospects: Julius Nattinen, Ollie Eriksson-Ek, Kalle Kossila, Tyler Soy, Jack Kopacka, Kevin Boyle.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Isac Lundestrom (23). 2 Benoit Olivier-Groulx (54). 3 Balke McLaughlin (79), Lukas Dostal (85). 4 Jackson Perbix (116). 5 Roman Durny (147). 6 Hunter Drew (178). 7 None. – Total 7
Rank (25)
The Predators have a pretty weak prospect pool in that it lacks a lot of high-end upside. The Predators lucked out in the 2017 Draft having Tolvanen fall in the draft giving them a top 10 prospect with the 30th overall pick. With Tolvanen and Fabbro the Preds have two solid prospects but trading away Sam Girard and Vlad Kamenev may have long term consequences. Peter Harling
They seem to know exactly which offensive defensemen will turn out. They got real lucky last summer with Tolvanen and for now, they are that contender who will continue to draft depth. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Eeli Tolvanen
- Dante Fabbro
- Alex Carrier
- Emil Pettersson
- Patrick Harper
- Yakov Trenin
- David Farrance
- Grant Mishmash
- Thomas Novak
- Rem Pitlick
U21 Roster Players: None
Other notable prospects: Tyler Moy, Anthony Richard.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 None. 2 None. 3 None. 4 Jachym Kondelik (111). 5 Spencer Stastney (131), Vladislav Yeryomenko (151). 6 None. 7 Milan Kloucek (213). – Total 4
Rank (25.6)
The Kings have a solid prospect in Gabe Vilardi, who likely will be a rookie on the roster this coming season. Beyond that the talent level takes a dip, but the Kings do have some depth. They don’t get much help from U21 roster players as Adrian Kempe is the only one. The Kings scouting staff has done an excellent job of finding value picks late in the draft and they will need to rely on that more in the future. Peter Harling
Another team who will be searching for the stars to fill in some gaps soon. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Gabe Vilardi
- Kale Clague
- Jaret Anderson-Dolan
- Cal Peterson
- Jonny Brodzinski
- Mike Amadio
- Paul Ladue
- Matt Villata
- Mikey Anderson
- Mike Mersch (now with Dallas)
U21 Roster Players: Adrian Kempe
Other notable prospects: Spencer Watson, Austin Wagner
Markus Phillips, Jacob Moverare, Drake Rymsha, Matt Luff, Michael Eyssimont, Boko Imama.
2018 Draft picks by round. 1 Rasmus Kupari (20). 2 Akil Thomas (51). 3 Bulat Shafigulin (82). 4 Aidan Dudas (113). 5 David Hrenak (144). 6 Johan Sodergran (165). 7 Jacob Ingham (175). – Total 7
Rank (26.2)
Montreal scored poorly overall with my own rank giving them a boost as I ranked them 20th. The next highest score was 25 and they received one 31 score as the worst in the NHL. Montreal has one U21 player in Victor Mete that barely moves the needle, the top 10 is thin at the top and the overall lack of depth is a concern. Montreal has acquired multiple picks I the 2018 Draft which they desperately need to replenish a weak prospect pool. Peter Harling
Any sort of detailed look into the Habs’ prospect pipeline is quickly frightening. The Canadiens have had relatively positive year’s in the NHL recently and have failed to hit on their later first-round picks, or subsequent picks for that matter. The team is looking like it will be giving Scherbak every opportunity to succeed in the fall, but himself and Poehling, the future looks bleak. Brayden Olafson
God, help them . Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Nikita Scherbak
- Ryan Poehling
- Noah Juulsen
- Joni Ikonen
- Will Bitten
- Charlie Lindgren
- Josh Brook
- Michael McNiven
- Cayden Primeau
- Jake Evans
U21 Roster Players: Victor Mete
Other notable prospects: Michael McCarron, Rinat Valiev, Cale Fleury and recently-signed Matt Peca.
2018 NHL draft picks by round. 1 Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3). 2 Jesse Yvonne (35), Alexander Romanov (38), Jacob Olofsson (56). 3 Cameron Hillis (66), Jordan Harris (71). 4 Allan McShane (97), Jack Gorniak (123). 5 Cole Fonstad (128), Samuel Houde (133). 6 None. 7 Brett Stapley (190). – Total 7
Rank (28)
San Jose has been a low drafting team for years as they have been a contending team under the Joe Thornton and Brent Burns era. After years of low drafting and traded draft picks the prospect pool is pretty shallow. Timo time came to the Sharks giving them a young addition and a boost to their overall score but the top end of the prospect pool is underwhelming as is the overall depth. Peter Harling
They have begun the slight re-tooling of the roster and it will continue but the cupboard isn’t so deep. Lots of potential but I wouldn’t bet on a lot of them. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Josh Norris
- Dylan Gambrell
- Jayden Halbgewachs
- Rudolfs Balcers
- Mario Ferraro
- Noah Rod
- Alex “Sasha” Chmelevski
- Rourke Chartier
- Maxim Letunov
- Noah Gregor
U21 Roster Players: Timo Meier
Other notable prospects: Julius Bergman, Ivan Chekhovich, Scott Reedy.
2018 NHL Draft picks by round. 1 Ryan Merkley (21). 2 None. 3 Linus Karlsson (87). 4 Jesper Weatherby (102). 5 none. 6 Zachary Emond (176), John Leonard (182). 7 None. – Total five
Rank (28.9)
The Cup Champions have been contenders for a decade; they have won multiple Presidents Trophies, and traded picks to make playoff runs. They finally had a payoff and not a moment too soon as there is little help coming from the prospect pipeline. Washington has a top goalie prospect to look forward to in Ilya Samsonov, and not much else. Jakub Vrana gives them a boost as a roster player but Washington received three 30th overall scores and a high of 24.HH
Peter Harling
Top 10 Prospects
- Ilya Samsonov
- Riley Barber
- Jonas Siegenthaler
- Lucas Johansen
- Conor Hobbs
- Christian Djoos
- Garrett Pilon
- Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
- Shane Gersich
- Travis Boyd
U21 Roster Players: Jakub Vrana
Other notable prospects: None
2018 NHL Draft picks by round. 1 Alexander Alexeyev (31). 2 Martin Fehverary (46), Kody Clark (47). 3 Riley Sutter (93). 4Mitchell Gibson (124). 5 None. 6 Alex Kannook-Leipert (161). 7 Eric Florchuk (217). Total – 7
Rank (30.6)
We ranked the Penguins dead last in four out of five of our overall rankings. Only one writer had another team last (Montreal) and he ranked Pittsburgh 29th. With the exception of Daniel Sprong, there really is nothing to see here. The Penguins have no U21 roster players and no depth. Back-to-back Stanley Cup Banners are hanging in Pittsburgh and the cost was the future as the Pens traded away picks and prospects to make that happen. I am sure they have no regrets, but there are hard times ahead. Peter Harling
This team really drops off heavily when it comes to prospects. Lucky for them, they don’t need too many new bodies for a few years. Just hold the fort for a little while longer. Joel Henderson
Top 10 Prospects
- Daniel Sprong
- Tristan Jarry
- Zach Aston-Reese
- Lukas Bengtsson
- Dominik Simon
- Adam Johnson
- Casey DeSmith
- Teddy Blugers
- Sam Miletic
- Jean-Sebastian Dea
U21 Roster Players: None
Other notable prospects: Jordy Bellerive, Kasper Bjorkqvist
2018 NHL Draft picks by round. 1 None. 2 Calen Addison (53), Filip Hallander (58). 3 None. 4 None. 5 Justin Almedia (129). 6 Liam Gorman (177). 7 None. Total – 4