The Metropolitan division was once regarded as a murderer’s row of NHL franchises because of the sheer depth of all those teams and the readiness to compete for Stanley Cups. Since the realignment, they have won their fair share, but have since been overtaken by the Atlantic as the toughest division in the game. 

Now, with each team in the division reloading their prospect crops, we are looking at another stretch where the division could become another tricky one to navigate for the participating teams. 

Here, we take a look into each team’s top prospects and how they figure into their plans now, in the future and what their outlook for their careers and near futures could look like. Let’s have a look!

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Carolina Hurricanes

Alexander Nikishin, LHD

It seems every year, the Carolina Hurricanes get at least a draft steal or two, and Nikishin is no exception. The 2020 third round pick finally made the trek from the KHL and played playoff games with the Canes last season. He is clearly NHL-ready after dominating campaigns in Russia. He has the perfect blend of skill, size and smarts to become a true number one defenceman in the NHL. 

Offensively, his booming slapshot makes him a threat from the top of the powerplay and he has the vision to use the threat of a pass to his advantage. He is aggressive on the rush and will join the transition while having a strong enough stride and first step to get in the defensive position in time to prevent a scoring chance. His path to top powerplay minutes may be blocked by Shayne Gostisbehere this season. But he is an injury or a slump away from getting his look. He should become a fixture on the penalty kill and log big minutes at five-on-five. 

Nikishin has all the makings of a top defenceman not just on his team, but one in the league. If he reaches his ceiling, this will be another notch in a long list of Carolina Hurricanes draft day two masterclasses. 

Bradly Nadeau, C

Nadeau is an intriguing prospect with some true dark horse upside for the Hurricanes. While he may be left on the outside looking in when the pre-season concludes, he should be on the shortlist in the case of an injury to one of the many one-way deals the team has. 

Nadeau set the AHL ablaze with 58 points in 64 games in his professional rookie season with the Chicago Wolves. In college, Nadeau was one of the most dangerous skaters in the country when he had the puck and was always a threat to use his lightning quick release to beat goalies before they could react. In the AHL, he was threatening when off the puck as well. Using the threat of a shot from his off winger for a one-timer is something defenders have to respect, and that could be utilized at the NHL level to free up the other many lethal options the big club has. 

Nadeau might be on the outside looking in for now, but his upside is tremendous if he is utilized correctly, even if he might be more of a top-six or bust type of player. 

Timur Mukhanov, C

Mukhanov is a minuscule forward who lacks size but is the stereotypical undersized winger who has incredible skills with the puck and the vision to quarterback a transition. As a younger player in the KHL, he didn’t get the same looks an older player of his stature would. In order to give fantasy managers and the Hurricanes more confidence in his development in Russia, he will need to be granted more opportunities with his club. If not, the best hope for him to develop into the player they drafted him to be might be to convince him to make the leap to North America sooner than imagined. 

Justin Poirier, RW

Poirier was a wild card pick for the Hurricanes when they chose him in the 2024 draft. He torched the QMJHL with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and topped the 50 goal plateau in his last season. The knock on Poirier was that as an undersized forward his lack of straight line and breakaway speed could be detrimental, as those are traits players his size should possess. Nonetheless, Poirier’s upside as a middle-six forward could be a few years out. Similar to Nadeau, he could be waiting for injuries in the lineup in a couple of years to break through, but it is not out of the question that he becomes a strong secondary scorer with powerplay upside moving forward. 

Nikita Artamonov, RW

Artamonov has a nifty skill set to go with a high end drive that makes him a candidate to crack the NHL roster when he is ready to come to North America. He does not possess one trait that makes him special, but he does everything well from defending in his zone to generating offence and shooting, he has all the mechanics to become a fan favourite in Carolina. Once he makes the jump to North America, a spot on the roster could be his to lose. 

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Columbus Blue Jackets

Cayden Lindstrom, C

Lindstrom was selected fourth overall by the Blue Jackets and for good reason. He has all the makings of a top-line centre in the NHL with his blend of size and his skill that has seemingly caught up to his size. Lindstrom missed all of last regular season with a herniated disc in his back that prevented him from playing in most of the playoffs as well. The good news for Lindstrom is he was able to suit up for Medicine Hat at the Memorial Cup and looked no worse for wear. 

He is a centre with strong offensive instincts and tools such as a heavy shot and great vision to make the first pass on the breakout. He is always a threat with a quick shot or a nifty catch and release that poses danger for opposing netminders. Like Dobber outlines with breakout thresholds, Lindstrom could take a while to reach his potential because of his size. But larger players of his caliber do not come by very often and could take off a few years down the line. He has tremendous value in all fantasy formats if he can hit that apex within a few seasons. 

Jackson Smith, LHD

Certainly the most offensively gifted defenceman in the 2025 draft outside of Matthew Schaefer, Smith logged 54 points and appeared in every regular season game for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL this past season. He has a rare elusive style for a 6-4 defender but has the offensive instincts you would expect from a smaller offensive defender in the league. He already has a great defensive foundation that he could make an impact in the NHL sooner than later and find himself quarterbacking a top powerplay unit. Of course, with the massive obstacle of Zach Werenski in the way. 

Luca Pinelli, LW

Pinelli makes the jump to professional hockey this season after a successful OHL career. He will start the season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. His aggressive and dogged playing style is one coaches love to see out of their young players. He loves to generate energy on the forecheck and brings defensive responsibility and effort to his game as well. Pinelli does not project as a big time player in the NHL, but his style lends itself to making him an effective middle-six forward whose upside exceeds that of just plain offence. 

Luca Del Bel Belluz, C

Del Bel Belluz already has two years of AHL experience under him and has shown he has a great offensive floor that will lend itself to his making the Blue Jackets this season. He has a couple of goals in training camp and has impressed team brass with a high end motor that has him as a constant offensive threat and one that will not cost the team defensively. If he does not make the opening night roster, it should not be long before he starts seeing NHL minutes in a permanent arrangement.

Jordan Dumais, RW

The Blue Jackets got a steal in 2023 when they drafted Dumais in round three of the draft and he proceeded to explode the following season for Halifax of the QMJHL. He jumped from the 109 points in his draft year to 140 for the Mooseheads with 54 of those tallies being goals. Dumais has long been seen as an undersized forward with skating issues that have held him back. He looks ready to take another step after posting 11 points in 21 contests last season in the AHL.

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New Jersey Devils

Simon Nemec, RHD

If there’s one part of their system where the Devils are set, it is on the defensive side of the puck, and Nemec has led the way for a few seasons. It has not been all sunshine and roses for the former second overall pick as Nemec had requested a trade at one point, but he looks poised to finally crack the big roster, for good this time. His improvement in all three zones reinforces the idea he could grow into the top pairing defenceman the team drafted him to be. Of course, with too many cooks in the kitchen, such as Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, Nemec could be limited in his opportunities on the powerplay, especially with the former inking a large contract with an AAV of nine million. Still, Nemec will see big minutes in the future and will certainly factor into the special teams in some capacity, but here’s hoping he is in the NHL to stay this time around. 

Seamus Casey, RHD

Another piece in the glut of defensive talent the Devils have accrued, Casey got a taste of NHL action last season and shone in his short stint. Still, his undersized 5-10 frame lends a whole different set of issues when it comes to being an NHL defenceman. He is a great puck mover and has excellent skating mechanics that thrive in the offensive zone. On that side of the puck, he is ready to go. Defensively, he has plenty of work to do. He needs to bulk up from his current 163lbs, but once he does that he has the potential to become a top-four defenceman in the NHL. The opportunity may only be afforded on a team with less of a log jam on their back end, especially considering his play style is one the Devils have in abundance. 

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW/RW

Selected back before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gritsyuk was a selection of the Devils in the 2019 NHL Draft, the same year they took Jack Hughes with the first overall pick. After spending an extended time in Russia, the Devils and Gritsyuk finally put pen to paper to bring him over to North America. Gritsyuk is a unique player with a skillset that allows him to play anywhere in the lineup. He can be used in a checking role or with the team’s top line stars. It will be interesting to see where the Devils figure Gritsyuk into their attack, as he could become a valuable player for their flexibility in 2025-26 and in the distant future. 

Anton Silayev, LHD

Silayev’s towering presence and reach screams a Nikita Zadorov type of player who can bully players and push them to the low danger parts of the perimeter of the ice. He doesn’t offer much in the way of offence, but with a glut of offensively gifted defencemen in the system, Silayev could fit in nicely to pair with Nemec or Casey as a safety valve on that pairing. Still, for fantasy managers, he screams the type of player who can rack up peripheral stats and help you win an extra category or two in deeper multicategory formats on the usual. 

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New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer, LHD

Despite only appearing in 17 regular season games this season, Schaefer staved off Michael Misa as the first overall selection. Defencemen who possess the caliber to be a first overall pick do not come along very often, with the last ones being Owen Power in 2021, Rasmus Dahlin in 2018, and Aaron Ekblad in 2014. It does not happen very often, but the hype around Schaefer makes this pick justified. 

Schaefer is a 200-foot stud in all three zones and stands to become a number one defenceman should he hit his potential ceiling. Defensively, Schaefer is incredibly effective in his own end. He uses his body to close out lanes and his stick to block what he cannot cover. He has great awareness of where the puck is and has great gap control, in large part because of his excellent skating technique. 

Offensively, he is a stud. He has shown to be a tremendous option on the powerplay with great vision and is not afraid to rip a shot through traffic. While he will carry most of his fantasy value for his fixture on the power play in the future, he will log big minutes and be used in all situations for the Islanders. He is a cornerstone for the franchise moving forward. 

Viktor Eklund, C

Eklund has an intriguing blend of skill and tenacity that lends itself to him becoming a potential fan favourite down the line for his team. He brings it every night and does not cheap out on the defensive side of the puck. He likes to get in lanes and forces attackers to the perimeter, all in spite of his 5-11, 161lbs undersized frame. 

Once Eklund gets another year under his belt in Sweden and puts on a little more weight, he should contend for a spot in the Islanders lineup and will surely become an effective point getter, and maybe bonus points for leagues that count hits. His tenacity will endear himself to his teammates and the fans almost immediately. 

Cole Eiserman, LW

There are not many players of Eiserman’s ilk who lack the defensive ability who even general managers like Lou Lamoriello cannot resist. After falling to pick 20 in the 2024 NHL Draft, Lou took a swing on the American, who was a prolific goal scorer for the USNTDP in his draft year. 

Heading into the draft year, many viewed Eiserman as a candidate to dethrone Macklin Celebrini as the consensus number one pick in the draft. That did not materialize, as concerns over his commitment to team defence arose as the season dragged on, and he did not recover, to the point where he was not even a top-15 pick. 

Still, Eiserman finds himself in an organization with a rising tide of young talent, and a spot next to Mathew Barzal to covet. Once he can get caught up to speed on the defensive side of the puck to the point where he is not a liability and can show that he is consistently engaged, watch out. Because he’s coming for a spot on the top powerplay and he could be as dangerous as the come with the man advantage in the entire league. 

Maxim Shabanov, RW

Shabanov is an interesting case who could be a boom-or-bust factor for the Islanders this season. On the one side, his diminutive figure at 5-8, 157lbs could be a problem when going up against larger heavier competition, especially if he is to find himself on Barzal’s flank on the right side. However, his lengthy sample of success in the KHL gives reason for optimism. Cracking the 50-point and 20-goal thresholds for two consecutive seasons shows that even as a smaller player, Shabanov can thrive when playing in those sheltered situations, albeit, in a league much friendlier to that softer and smaller skill that he provides. 

Signing a one year entry-level deal with the Islanders, this season will be very high stakes for the winger to cement himself as a boom and not a bust. He will be given every opportunity to succeed as a high skill player playing with other high end young talents. He could become a high-upside point scoring winger in a similar ilk to Artemi Panarin, or he could find himself on the opposite end of the spectrum spoken in the same breath as Nikita Gusev. Only time will tell. 

Cal Ritchie, C

Acquired in the Brock Nelson trade to Colorado, Ritchie immediately stepped in as one of the organization’s top prospects prior to this year’s draft. Being shoved down the pecking order a bit, Ritchie is still looking every bit like the NHL calibre prospect he promised from his draft year. He has the ceiling of a player who could break through and be a top line stud for the Islanders, but the more likely scenario is he is a swiss army knife type of player who spends the bulk of his time in the middle-six providing great value as a depth scorer behind the top dogs. Still, Ritchie has a lot to play for this season with the organization, and how he fares will determine a lot about his future on Long Island as a top contributor. 

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New York Rangers

Gabriel Perreault, RW

Perreault is the injection of youth and talent the Rangers desperately needed from their prospect system this upcoming year. Despite the fact he will start the season with the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL, Perreault comes into this season with a ton of promise. With 48 points in 32 contests last year in the NCAA, 16 of which being goals, Perreault could add another element to this Rangers offence. His elusive nature and strong puckhandling lend himself to be a deceptive player who could play a prominent role as a winger on the wall. He is a very cerebral player who has all the offensive tools a team could want out of a young player. He should be on the shortlist for call ups should injuries plague the Rangers forward group in 2025-26. Once he gets a grip on a spot in the lineup, I would bet he will not relinquish it. 

Scott Morrow, RHD

Similar to Perreault, Morrow is another skater who could provide an impact and cheap depth should an injury occur sooner than later. Acquired from Carolina in the K’Andre Miller trade, Morrow stands out as someone who can be an effective contributor in all three zones. He has great vision and seamlessly breaks pucks out from behind his net and proceeds to join the rush on the play. He has all the makings of a top-four defenceman who will contribute on both special teams in a big way. The question is when and just how much, with the likes of Adam Fox blocking the path to truly unleashed minutes. 

Brennan Othmann, LW

Othmann has grown in a few ways since being drafted by the Rangers. Offensively, he made a seamless transition into the AHL after dominating in the OHL for a few seasons especially after his draft year. Othmann has all the makings of a skater who can contribute to a team, become a fan favourite, especially among his fantasy owners in multicategory formats. The best of all worlds. But he has not been afforded the opportunity just yet. The former first round pick is 22 years old now. He is slowly reaching the territory of “if not now, then when?” and that question should be answered sooner than later and will be evident when injuries strike to see what the organization thinks of this progress. 

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Philadelphia Flyers

Porter Martone, RW

The Flyers took a bit of a risk with their first round pick this year by taking Martone, but it is certainly a risk worth taking. Martone was dominant last year in the OHL in large part because of his size and skill that blend together seamlessly. While he plays with an edge, he has silky smooth gloves that allow him to work his way out of danger and cause a threat in front of the net. Martone’s net front presence is dangerous too with his tall body. He sometimes gets a little too reckless with the body, causing him to take unwarranted penalties. The risk in this becomes if he is going to spend a lot of time in the press box similar to that of Tom Wilson or players with longer suspension histories, or if he could put that behind him to become one of the premier power forwards in the game. It certainly feels like boom or bust for Martone. And if you’re betting on the player in a vacuum, you tend to lean boom. 

Denver Barkey, C

Barkey captained the London Knights to yet another Memorial Cup title. He topped the 100-point plateau in 2023-24 and was in that ballpark pace wise this year as well. He showed some times of being dominant with the puck. He carries it with conviction and sometimes it feels like you cannot take the puck off of his stick. Other times, he feels too light to be playing against bigger competition when he gets left on the outside looking in off board battles and cannot get in the inside track. Barkey stands to become a middle to bottom-six scoring forward if he continues on his current trajectory, but has the upside of a top-six centre if he is given the time to properly develop in Lehigh Valley. 

Jett Luchanko, C

Luchanko is an intriguing prospect in his own context within the organization. The Flyers traded up their pick to grab him, while the Minnesota Wild snatched Zeev Buium, who many view as a potential number one defenceman one day. The upside of Luchanko for the Flyers is his style. He plays the classic Philadelphia Flyers hockey where he uses his motor to drive the play and never takes a shift off. Still, with a decent offensive ceiling of a potential 70-80 point player, Luchanko is likely the type of player who plays up and down the lineup and can play in all sorts of configurations. His versatility will be a great asset for the team moving forward.

Oliver Bonk, RHD

Bonk is an incredibly intriguing defenceman. He is not one who will blow the hinges off the door with his offensive prowess, but his responsible cutting edge style for his game at his age is certainly interesting as he looks to take a step into professional hockey this season. Bonk has plenty of outcomes to where he could finish his development. Without the offensive tools, however, it is unlikely he becomes a number one defenceman or even on a top pair, but as a mobile number three or four defenceman, he could carry immense value in multicategory formats. 

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Pittsburgh Penguins

Rutger McGroarty, LW

Perhaps no young player gets as much flak as McGroarty did for how he demanded his way out of Winnipeg prior to last season. He found himself land in Pittsburgh where he was still not able to find his way onto a roster desperate for youth to find their way on board. He finished the season on the big club, however and spent some time on a line with Crosby.

Now, McGroarty finds himself in a prime position to make an impact on this year’s edition of the Penguins. With the team in a transition phase, there is a lot of room for young talent, and players like McGroarty aren’t exactly plentiful. Still, it is likely Ville Koivunen gets a look ahead of him given who was sent out the door to acquire him. With Malkin entering the last year of his contract, and with Rust and Rakell likely out the door should the team flounder in Gavin McKenna’s draft year, there should be room for him on the roster, if not now, later in the season where he will make an immediate multicategory impact for fantasy managers. 

Benjamin Kindel, RW

As the Penguins look to rebuild on the fly with only a few years at most left in the Sidney Crosby era, Kindle represents a very Kyle Dubas-esque pick of skill over size. Kindel is a very smart offensive player who is a distributor at heart, but can score goals as well. He won’t overpower the defence, but rather deceive them to find the soft parts of the ice and create an advantageous opportunity, which he usually capitalizes. Still at least a couple of years out, Kindel will have to bulk up to crack the roster, but he is coming at the right time when the youth movement in Pittsburgh will be in full swing. 

Ville Koivunen, LW

Perhaps the player this organization has the most riding on given he was the main piece in the Jake Guentzel trade, Koivunen is a candidate for top-six minutes right away this season. He joined the Penguins to end last year and tallied seven assists in eight appearances. While the most NHL-ready prospect of the group, he likely does not have the highest upside. He lacks the play driving ability some of the other prospects in the system have. He will become a critical piece for their flexibility, as he will be a piece that can play up and down the lineup. His upside on his own is not great, but it is serviceable and could skyrocket if he finds himself on a line with Sidney Crosby sooner than later. All tides rise with Sid the Kid. 

Owen Pickering, LHD

PIckering dipped his toes into the professional waters in 2024-25 spending most of the season in the AHL, but got a 25 game look in the NHL, which has allowed him to possibly work his way onto the opening night roster. His offensive numbers have never been eye popping, but he certainly contributes in every facet of the game. He will be a slow riser in the organization who will find his way to top-four minutes, and that all starts with making the opening night roster and growing as the youth movement progresses. 

Bill Zonnon, LW

Zonnon is the kind of winger coaches love. He bangs and grinds along the walls. He never takes a shift off and plays all three forward positions. The bane of versatility, Zonnon will become a swiss army knife style of player at the top level. He will have no trouble making an NHL’s bottom six, but it is yet to be seen how much more he could push for. 

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Washington Capitals

Ryan Leonard, RW

The MVP from last year’s World Junior’s and maybe the heir apparent to becoming the king of multicategory formats, Leonard is well on his way to becoming an absolute star in the NHL. A prime candidate for the Calder, Leonard is set to step into a prominent role right away. He scored 30 goals in the NCAA last year, as well as five in his seven games at the WJC. Leonard also loves the physical side of the game. He hits a ton and loves to grind the opponent down by blocking shots and engaging in battles. His upside is that of a point-per-game player who can stuff the categories across the board. The upside is tremendous with little to no risk. He is a surefire NHLer who will establish himself this year. The time is now for Ryan Leonard. 

Andrew Cristall, LW

Next to Leonard, Cristall has the highest upside of anyone in the organization at his core. He is a great playmaking winger with a high IQ. If he has the puck, chances are you’re not getting it until he decides to give it up, and at times feeling like it’s glued to the tape. Cristall has a heavy shot and generates offence in abundance. Defensively, Cristall leaves a lot left to be desired with sometimes a lackadaisical attitude, but sometimes engages in the battles that are necessary to winning the puck back, where skaters like him are the ones defencemen are trying to find on the breakouts. 

Cristall’s offensive upside far outweighs the other blemishes he has on his game. Once he cracks an NHL roster, if he can reach his upside, the sky is the limit and he could become one of the premier offensive wingers in the league. 

Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW

Miroshnichenko has all of the offensive tools to become a truly dynamic player in the league. He has improved on criticisms about his compete level and seems to have found his rhythm, bringing him to the precipice of becoming a full-time NHL player. He has also improved greatly since his draft year in his own end, making him a candidate to become a fixture in the lineup, and it will happen as soon as this season. He may have to wait for an injury, but the opportunity is waiting in the weeds and is there for the taking. 

Cole Hutson, LHD

Hutson had a tremendous 2024-25 season, clicking at over a point-per-game with Boston University. His offensive game does not need much in the way of refinement. He has great vision from the point, is a fantastic distributor on the powerplay and can effectively break the puck out from his own end, all traits necessary for a powerplay quarterback at the NHL level. Of course, as is the case with a lot of players of this ilk, is the defensive liability. He is often overzealous in his end and can seem trapped there at times, even if the pressure is not immense for a long period of time. Much like his brother Lane, Hutson stands to become a great offensive defenceman in the league, but the work will need to be put in for him not to be a liability. 

Lynden Lakovic, RW

Lakovic is an intriguing player because the foundation of his game shows a very high floor style of play. He shoots the puck quite a bit and uses his 6-4 frame to bully players off the puck. He is a great player in transition, and one whose size clearly has not affected his ability to gain traction and accelerate. He has seen a meteoric rise in production from his draft minus-one season, so this next season will be big to see if he can create a repeat performance to present a higher upside than maybe was initially imagined for him. 

Ilya Protas, LW

Of course, I’ve tried to keep a limit on how many players from each prospect pool are presented here, but alas, it would be a sin to not discuss what a rise Ilya Protas has seen in many circles. 

His 50 goals and 124 points with Windsor of the OHL turned heads and has shown the previous season in the USHL has paid dividends. He is a quickly improving winger and gives the Capitals and their fans a dark horse player to be greatly excited about moving forward. Once he graduates from the OHL, it will be interesting to see how much more he can improve among the prospect pool. He will need to improve his stride to be better in acceleration, but if he can do that, he adds another layer to a Capitals prospect pool already burgeoning with depth. 

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Thank you for reading the Metropolitan prospect preview! It should be an interesting season, and of course, a couple of seasons to see how this crop grows and re-establishes this division as a murderer’s row of assassins. 

Sean Crocker