What NHL franchise has the best prospects? That can be a difficult and subjective question to answer.

To give it our best shot, the senior staff at DobberProspects has collaborated to give our personal rankings for each team. With that we have established a consensus ranking.

Peter Harling (Content Manager) has put together a team consisting of Cam Robinson (Managing Editor), Jokke Nevalainen (Director of European Scouting), Tony Ferrari (Director of North American Scouting), Brayden Olafson (Jr. Associate Editor), and Pat Quinn (Associate Editor).

The process for the final rankings consisted of each writer submitting their teams prospect rankings. Every NHL team scored no less than a top ten prospects. However, to find organizations that have depth as well as quality, we allowed writers to include additional prospects  (up to a top 15) if they felt they were fantasy relevant. Another bonus we awarded teams was if they had roster players under 21-years-old that had established themselves as NHL players, such as Andrei Svechnikov. Players older than 25-year-old were excluded. For the players ranked, they would be scored between 1-10, a ten being a potential franchise player. The total of all the scores determine the overall team score.

This Series of articles will release the results in a count down of five to six teams per article, revealing the teams overall score, each writers score, top prospects, and an overview or outlook of the future.

Incase you missed previous rankings you can find them on our Organizational Rankings Page

In the second edition the count down covers teams ranked 25-20

25. St. Louis Blues – 51

Brayden – 44.8

Peter – 58

Tony – 52.4

Cam – 38.5

Jokke – 52

Pat – 60

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Jordan Kyrou, C/RW – Played final 28 games in the NHL. He has arrived.
2. Scott Perunovich, D – Two time NCAA Champion and WJC Bronze, could add a Calder.
3. Klim Kostin, RW – Best AHL season to date earned his NHL debut. He is close.
4. Nikita Alexandrov, C – Monster performance at WJC for Russia.
5. Joel Hofer, G – Won starting job for Canada at WJC, Gold Medal, and Best Goaltender.
6. Tyler Tucker, D – Big two-way defender will turn pro.
7. Ville Husso, G – Rebound season after injury filled 2018-19 season.
8. Keean Washkurak, C – Eclipsed the PPG pace in D+1 season. Poised for a monster year.
9. Hugh McGing, C – College grad will make his pro debut in AHL.
10. Alexei Toropchenko, RW – Struggled to find offense as a rookie in AHL.

Other players who received votes

Jake Walman, Mitch Reinke, Nolan Stevens, Niko Mikkola, Evan Fitzpatrick, Erik Foley, Colten Ellis

Roster players 21 and under:

Robert Thomas, C

Overview

Other than Colten Parayko, the Blues have had little success drafting NHL players outside of the second round in the past decade. They hope to buck that trend with their 2018 draft where they selected Hofer, McGing, Laferriere, and Tucker between rounds four and seven. The prospect pool is pretty shallow, but there is some very good players at the top. Kyrou already has 44 career games and is starting to look like a NHL regular. NCAA Hobey Baker winner Scott Perunovich will make his NHL debut after dominating college hockey with University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Blues second first round pick from 2017 Klim Kostin has been developing well in the AHL and is primed for a roster spot with the Blues as well. St. Louis has plenty of depth in goal with World Junior star Joel Hofer, and the more seasoned Ville Husso and Evan Fitzpatrick. The 2019 Stanley Cup Champions could find themselves further down the rankings next year if Perunovich and Kyrou graduate to full time NHL players as expected.

24 Calgary Flames – 51.75

Brayden – 57.7

Peter – 49

Tony – 51.3

Cam – 46.5

Jokke – 44

Pat – 62

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Juuso Valimaki, D – Entire season lost to ACL injury.
2. Jakob Pelletier, LW – has exceeded 1.0 PPG in every season in the QMJHL.
3. Matthew Phillips, C/RW – Junior scoring sensation has found production at AHL level.
4. Mathias Emilio Pettersen, C – 6th round pick playing in NCAA signed and is ready for AHL.
5. Dmitri Zavgorodny, LW – Monster year with Alexis Lafreniere, missed WJC due to injury.
6. Dustin Wolf, G – Posting crazy numbers in the dub, could be future starter.
7. Glenn Gawdin, C – Improved on impressive rookie season in AHL, earned a shot in NHL.
8. Adam Ruzicka, C/W – Good rookie season, but needs more development.
9. Eetu Tuulola, RW – Has size and skill to be an effective bottom six power forward
10. Martin Pospisil, C – Agitator and pest lost games to one-punch KO and concussion.

Other players to receive votes:

Ilya Nikolaev, Milos Roman, Tyler Parsons, Jon Gillies, Lucas Feuk, Luke Philp, Demetrios Koumontzis.

Roster players 21 and under:

Dillon Dube, C

Overview

Calgary has depth at center and in goal but the clear top two prospects are defenseman Juuso Valimaki and winger Jakob Pelletier. Matthew Phillips and Glenn Gawdin are scoring their way onto the roster in the AHL and both will be competing for a role with the Flames in training camp. Fast rising prospect Dmitri Zavgorodiny gained a lot of buzz playing with Alexis Lafreniere, he also had a monster audition for the Russian WJC roster at the Canada Russia super series and was a lock for the team before an injury. He will make the jump to the AHL as will Mathias Emilio Pettersen. The flames are thin at defense but have been using free agency to address that need. Last year they added Lerby and this year have signed Johannes Kinnvall who just notched 40 points in 51 games with HV71 in the SHL. The biggest addition may come from Connor Mackey, signed out of Minnesota State University after a 24 point junior season. There is a log jam of prospects in goal, Jon Gillies is rebounding from injury trouble as the senior of the bunch. Tyler Parsons has struggled at the pro level after an impressive OHL career with the London Knights. Dustin Wolf is the best goalie to come through the Everett Silvertips since Carter Hart. Wolf was named the WHL Goalie of the Year and could be a future NHL starter.

23 Toronto Maple Leafs – 53.8

Brayden – 50.7

Peter – 45

Tony – 57.3

Cam – 51.5

Jokke – 52

Pat – 66

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Nick Robertson, LW – OHL leading goal scorer notched 55 goals in 46 games for Petes.
2. Timothy Liljegren, D – 21-year-old had breakout season in third year of AHL.
3. Nicholas Abruzzese, C – Harvard freshman posted 44 points in 31 games.
4. Mikhail Abramov, C – Undersized, skilled Russian had breakout D+1 season in QMJHL.
5. Jeremy Bracco, RW – Production dipped in third AHL season, four goals in 44 GP.
6. Joseph Woll, G – Won starting job in AHL as a rookie. 
7. Semyon Der-Arguchintsov, C – Undersized and will need to bulk up to play pro.
8. Ian Scott, G – Lost year due to injury, but has tremendous upside.
9. Mikko Kokkonen, D – Developing well in Liiga, has a high floor but low ceiling.
10. Riley Stotts – Unsigned prospect has aged out of WHL and future is unclear.

Other players to receive votes:

Egor Korshkov, Adam Brooks, Joseph Duszak, Mac Hollowell, Filip Kral, Max Veronneau, Kalle Loponen

Roster players 21 and under:

Rasmus Sandin, D

Overview

Toronto has had good success in signing free agents from Europe recently in Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen and Ilya Mikheyev last summer. They hope to continue that trend with additions of Alexander Barabanov and possibly this years top free agent, Mikko Lehtonen. Lehtonen was signed after the writers submitted their rankings, but he would likely be ranked second or third overall. Shortly after signing with Toronto he was named the KHL Defenseman of the Year. While Barabanov will compete for a roster spot, Lehtonen is all but guaranteed a top four role right out of the gate. The Finnish left-shot defensemen lead the KHL in defense for goals, assists and points. His resume includes Gold Medals with Sweden from the WJC and WC and is a SHL league Champion as well. Nick Robertson is looking like first round value with a 2019 second round pick. Timothy Liljegren and Jeremy Bracco are pushing for NHL jobs in Toronto or elsewhere. The Marlies won a Calder Championship and since have graduated several key prospects. The pipeline has dried up somewhat and the Marlies currently have several veterans occupying roster spots.

22. Nashville Predators – 54

Brayden – 56.3

Peter – 53

Tony  – 59.8

Cam – 43

Jokke – 53

Pat – 59

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Philip Tomasino, C – 100 point season in OHL, has one more year where he will dominate.
2. Eeli Tolvanen, LW – Found consistency in second half of season with 21 points in 24 games
3. David Farrance, D – Ready for NHL now but returning to Boston U. For senior season.
4. Egor Afanasyev, LW/RW – Scored over a PPG in USHL and OHL.
5. Connor Ingram, G – Recalled to NHL but still waiting to play first career game.
6. Patrick Harper, C – Turning pro after four strong seasons of NCAA with Boston Terriers.
7. Yakov Trenin, C/W – May have won full time NHL job after winning a fight with Zdeno Chara
8. Rem Pitlick, C – Undersized Pitlick had impressive rookie AHL season.
9. Frederic Allard, D – Not enough progression after three AHL seasons.
10. Jeremy Davies, D – Sleeper prospect is underrated and has considerable potential.

Other players to receive votes

Alex Carrier, Grant Mishmash, Anthony Richard, Semyon Chystyakov, Marc Del Gaizo, Tanner Jeannot, Jachym Kondelik, Juuso Parssinen

Roster players 21 and under:

Dante Fabbro, D

Overview

In his draft year, top prospect Tomasino was considered as a high energy, two-way player with a high compete level. In his D+1 season he expanded his scouting report to include dynamic offensive player by breaching the 100 point mark in a short season in the OHL. He has one more year of junior eligibility where he should dominate the OHL, star for Canada at the WJC and further develop his offensive skills and confidence. There were high expectations for Eeli Tolvanen after his breakout 36 point season in the KHL, six points at the WJC, four points at the World Championship and nine points at the Olympics after he was drafted in 2018. He then came to North America but failed to live up to lofty expectations and has two seasons in the AHL. His extra development time seems to be paying off as he found his offensive game in the second half of the season and may be ready to contribute with the Predators. David Farrance hopes to follow his former Boston Terrier teammate Dante Fabbro into the NHL, but not until after his senior year. After this top three ranked prospects there is some subjectivity among the organizations remaining prospects and uncertainty. 

21 Dallas Stars – 56.5

Brayden – 58.9

Peter – 50

Tony – 58.6

Cam – 57.5

Jokke – 43

Pat – 60

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Jason Robertson, LW – Has overcome skating concerns and made his NHL debut.
2. Thomas Harley, D – Offensive defenseman produced at point per game pace in OHL.
3. Ty Dellandrea, C – Finished OHL career with 70 point season and WJC Gold with Canada.
4. Jake Oettinger, G – Made 38 starts as AHL rookie, has future starting goalie upside.
5. Albin Eriksson, RW – Played on five different league teams and internationally.
6. Nick Caamano, RW – Sophomore progression lead to NHL debut
7. Riley Tufte, LW – Big players develop slower, but needs to find offensive production soon.
8. Joel L’Esperance, RW – 24-year-old on cusp of cracking NHL roster.
9. Adam Mascherin, LW – Suffered significant decline in second pro season.
10. Oskar Back, C – Limited minutes in SHL resulted in low production.

Other Players to Receive Votes:

Colton Point, Riley Damiani, Curtis Douglas, Rhett Gardiner, Jacob Petterson, Jakob Stenqvist

Roster players 21 and under:

Miro Heiskanen, D

Overview

Jason Robertson was the consensus top prospect. Concerns about his skating have been addressed and the big winger was rewarded with his first NHL game. Thomas Harley has the potential to run a power play in the NHL in the future and is a modern day NHL defenseman. The future in goal looks secure with Jake Oettinger, a first round pick from 2017 is highly decorated with team USA at World Junior and U-18 and has a NCAA Hockey East Championship. Albin Eriksson and Oskar Back are struggling as teenagers to get important playing time in the SHL. Riley Tufte and Adam Mascherin are starting to trend in the wrong directions and are in need of rebound seasons if they hope to make it to the NHL. The graduation of Miro Heiskanen and Denis Guryanov combined with the defection of Julius Honka left holes in the prospect pipeline.

20 Vegas Golden Knights – 56.8

Brayden – 55.2

Peter – 59

Tony – 52.1

Cam 56.5

Jokke – 56

Pat – 62

Prospect Depth Chart

Top Ten Prospects

1. Peyton Krebs, C – 17th overall pick is a top ten talent but fell due to Achilles injury.
2. Nicolas Hague, D – Split season in NHL and AHL and actually produced more at NHL level.
3. Lucas Elvenes, RW – Hot start as AHL rookie with 20 points in first 13 games.
4. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW – Limited points in limited minutes in KHL. Signed through 2021-22
5. Nic Roy, RW – Rediscovered his offensive touch in Vegas and finished year in NHL.
6. Ivan Morozov, C – 20-year-old progressed through every level, VHL, MHL and KHL.
7. Jack Dugan, LW – Top NCAA scorer and Hobey Baker finalist signed to play pro.
8. Kaedan Korczak, D – Big physical defenseman that can score and has offensive upside.
9. Isaiah Saville, G – 19-year-old was a starting goalie in NCAA and backed up Knight at WJC.
10. Dylan Coghlan, D – Regressed offensively in second season in AHL

Other players to receive votes:

Connor Corcoran, Brandon Kruse, Jimmy Schuldt, Valentin Zykov, Ben Jones, Brayden Pachal, Jake Leschyshyn, Zach Whitecloud

Roster players 21 and under:

Cody Glass, C

Overview
Considering Vegas has only three Entry drafts, their prospect pool is rather competitive. Their first draft in 2017 with three first round picks really set the franchise up for success. Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom were all excellent picks. Suzuki and Brannstrom were traded to acquire Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone for immediate support. Despite their loss, they still boast Nic Hague Lucas Elvenes and Jack Dugan from that draft who are currently in their top ten prospects. Vegas has also been active in recruiting prospects via free agency securing the rights to Vegas native Gage Quinney, and defensemen Dylan Coghlan, Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud.  More help could be found in the future if Dorofeyev and Morozov continue to develop in Russia and eventually sign to come to North America. As one of the higher spending teams, they will be looking for some cap friendly contributing contracts in the near future.

In the next edition we rank team 19-14