They landed some great prospects with each pick, but my favorite of the bunch, Jiri Kulich, was the last one they selected at 28th overall. Kulich burst onto the scene at the U18 World Junior Championship just before the 2022 Draft where he scored nine goals in just six games. He is great at finding soft spots in defensive coverage and setting up for a rocket of a one-timer. Trevor Connelly is a skilled winger with dynamic skating and a high-effort two way game. His hands are really quick and he plays with a ton of deception which made him one of the most dangerous offensive players in the entire USHL last season. He was a clear first round talent with some top-six potential, but the off-ice noise is loud enough still that his ultimate NHL potential is a bit up in the air.

Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars

Adam Jiricek is very engaged physically, and has a penchant for taking big point shots. Jiricek produces a ton of chances on offense from the blueline, readily activating into play to support his teammates and keep the puck moving. Unfortunately, his excitement to join the play offensively means that he takes a lot of risks, leaving himself in really poor positions to recover defensively if things don’t go according to plan. Jiricek is really great at scanning the play off puck and he persists through pressure quite well so I think he will be able to cut down on the over-the-top risks in time. I like him as a two-way defensive prospect and his right-handed shot and 6-foot-2 frame will help him out on draft day. Hunter Brzustewicz is an offensive defender who skates incredibly well and has a lot to give offensively.

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Augustine’s return gives MSU a high floor, because they can project to get very solid goaltending most nights from one of the more talented NHL goalie prospects in the world. Augustine was a huge piece of MSU’s success as I was not terribly high on the defense they played in front of him and returning the netminder is a coup. Losing Levshunov, who signed with the Blackhawks after being drafted (may spend the year in the AHL), was a big blow and will be the big challenge for Nightingale’s staff.

Liam Öhgren, LW, Minnesota Wild

The veteran netminder also thrived during the regular season with a 2.37 goals-against-average and .915 save percentage. However, this is likely the most lethal offense that he has faced throughout the postseason. Considering Bobrovsky’s track record, it’s possible that Bobrovsky will be one of the top x-factors that will determine how this series plays out.

• Miroshnichenko made the move to North America last year, scoring roughly half a point-per-game in the AHL and skating in a handful of NHL games.
• He has a great shot, but more often than not he scores goals because he slipped his defender and managed to find the space and time necessary to score a goal.
• McGroarty won’t lead your team in scoring, but he’ll do a whole lot of other things at a very high level.
• The Panthers are known for their structured systems that make scoring a pain, but at the end of the day, you need an elite goaltender as the last line of defense.
• In the ensuing offseason, he was signed by the Canucks and loaned to the SHL where he played with Örebro HK and led all U20 SHL players in goals and points.
• The 24-year-old is coming off a second consecutive 40-goal campaign, finishing with over 100 points for the first time in his career.

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Oliver Bonk is a strong two-way defender who has the size and skating NHL teams look for, and the hockey sense to be a meaningful contributor in the modern NHL. He anticipates play really well, and is vocal with his teammates, coordinating play at both ends of the ice. Bonk isn’t a highly skilled defender so I don’t think he’ll be fighting for lots of power play minutes with Jamie Drysdale, but I expect he’ll be a strong second pairing defender who can tilt the ice in Philly’s favor. He has the size that NHL general managers dream of, and he has great puck skills and shooting mechanics for a player of his size. His skating has grown on me over the past two seasons, with enough speed and agility to really use his size to his advantage, powering through defenders and protecting the puck well. It may be a little while before we see him playing in the NHL, but I’m sure Utah is more than willing to wait as they look to establish themselves in the league.

Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars

What makes Mikko Rantanen so indomitable, so uncontainable, is the sheer breadth of his skillset. It’s not just that he can walk in, square up, and wire pucks past the league’s best like it’s nothing. It’s not only that he can just as easily play facilitator to one of the all-world teammates buzzing around him. It’s not just the size and strength, the six-foot-four, 215-pound frame that makes him a chore to push off the puck. Nor is it the way he makes up for a lack of top-end speed with a deceptive grace that lets him fly right by the opposition all the same. It’s all of it, all together, the versatility that’s turned him into the stuff of defender’s nightmares.

Brandt Clarke, RD, Los Angeles Kings

If one of their two goalies pans out, I expect ND to be annoying and defensively sound enough to scrape towards .500. Either way I don’t really see an NCAA path here because this roster looks even more questionable than the one that wasn’t close to the tourney last year. Your Lucius and Whitelaw types are out the door and are replaced with old, experienced college hockey transfers from Minnesota State-esque schools. From RIT they snagged the likely goalie for this season (Tommy Scarfone) and 1st Team All-AHA forward Cody Laskosky.

Prospects #60-51

The Red Wings haven’t given Edvinsson a chance to stick in the NHL just yet but he’s really close to breaking through and I can’t imagine him spending longer in the AHL than the NHL next season. Detroit’s log-jam on the left side of defense has slowed his NHL trajectory a little, but I think letting him become a near dominant force in the AHL was a good call. Cutter Gauthier was the player whose draft stock rose the most following the 2022 NHL Draft Combine where NHL scouts and general managers were impressed by his maturity, physical strength. He showed that he was committed to becoming a pro center, but that won’t likely be asked of him now in Anaheim where he’ll likely flank one of Leo Carlsson or Mason McTavish.

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Slavin has received Norris Trophy votes in eight straight seasons, which is every year outside of his rookie season, where he also earned Calder Trophy votes. Slavin is such an underrated defenseman, and should arguably be higher on this list. Not only is Guentzel a great goal-scorer, but he was also among the league’s best in possession numbers. In his first two seasons in the league, he has established himself as a goal-scoring, speedy forward with great offensive skill, but is also quite reliable defensively. For a while, it looked like he could challenge for the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2024 playoffs, but the Stars fell to the Oilers and didn’t make it to the Stanley Cup Final. With only 164 games so far, some may want to see a longer sample, but he has been outstanding so far.

Igor Chernyshov, LW, San Jose Sharks

However, he potted 36 goals yet again, marking the fourth time in the last five years the Hurricanes center posted at least 30 goals. His knack for finding the back of the net is paired with a solid defensive presence, making the Finn one of the league’s top centers. He posted 66 points in 67 games in the regular season before contributing 26 points in 20 games in his first playoff run, culminating in a Stanley Cup win. He looked like the franchise star the Golden Knights were expecting him to be when they traded for him two years ago. Similar to Heiskanen, McAvoy has always provided the Bruins with strong, two-way play on the blue line.

He can receive a contract extension on July 1, 2025, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Either way, the three-time MVP will reap the benefits of being the NHL’s best player since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015. Florida claimed the defenseman off waivers in 2021 from Carolina, and he has since flourished into a legitimate top-pair defender. He quickly rose to the top of the Panthers’ blue line and is now one of the most underrated defensemen in the league. The Panthers captain trails only Tkachuk on the team in playoff points with 17 in as many games. His 164 faceoff wins rank third out of all skaters, and he’s winning 53.4 percent of his draws.

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Infamously, he seems to be injured right around the trade deadline each year, giving the Golden Knights more cap space to add, and then he returns to the playoffs. Regardless, his defensive impacts are outstanding, and is a regular 60-point player even without playing https://gambibet.org/ a full season. On top of that, he has had some incredible playoff performances with Vegas, including a hat-trick in the Stanley Cup-clinching game as the captain. Since joining the Maple Leafs, John Tavares has played some of the best defensive hockey of his career.

• This is a more veteran team than what Michigan is used to and I think they will benefit from it.
• Kemell had some inconsistent play in the Liiga since, but has largely been effective in the AHL in parts of two seasons there.
• He has become an important part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ top-six, and has been an excellent playoff performer for the team, who has struggled to score in the postseason over the last few years.
• Matthews regressed a tad last season, going from 60 goals to 40 and 106 points to 85.
• An elusive skater with incredible hands to match, Huston is the definition of a puck, moving defenseman with elite offensive abilities.
• His defensive game has looked significantly improved over the years and I think his offensive totals would have earned him a bit more attention this season if he hadn’t dealt with consecutive finger and back injuries.

Marchand is still a pesky winger, but he’s more notably known for his ability to drive offense and be a sensational defender. After a 67-point campaign last year, it will be intriguing to see how Marchand produces without his longtime center, Patrice Bergeron. I saw the massive frame and good skating and understood why he would be drafted in the first round (29th overall in the 2022 Draft), but I didn’t expect him to develop so well, so quickly. Lamoureux has made some really big strides in a positive direction since being drafted, with his play improving in all phases of the game. We turned to our Sportsnet Insiders for an answer, asking them to untangle the whirlwind of sticks, skates, and bodies flying around the sheet, and rank the top 50 players in the NHL at this moment. Not just the best forwards or defenders, not just the best offensive-minded phenoms or shutdown talents, but the best — full-stop.

24 Fantasy hockey top 250 player rankings

As the team pushed closer to making the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, Larkin was injured and the team fell apart in his absence. Larkin has scored at a point-per-game pace over the last three seasons and has been a very strong defensive presence for the Red Wings over that span as well. On top of being offensively strong, Kempe had excellent possession numbers and played very well defensively. Dustin Wolf has officially taken the reins as the starting goaltender for the Calgary Flames after Jacob Markstrom left this past off-season. He may be an undersized goalie, but his athleticism and positioning make him the best rookie goalie in the National Hockey League. He’s going to face a lot of shots and a lot of adversity, especially on a poor Calgary team.

• The 6’4” Latvian goaltender has the skill and athleticism to prove he belongs in the NHL.
• The Panthers’ defense will certainly have their hands full in the Stanley Cup Final considering that they have to slow down Connor McDavid and company.
• After a 67-point campaign last year, it will be intriguing to see how Marchand produces without his longtime center, Patrice Bergeron.
• McDavid is undoubtedly one of the frontrunners for the Conn Smythe entering the Stanley Cup Final.
• He has two 40-goal seasons in the past three years and has been the top forward on the Predators as they come out of a quick re-tool.
• He’ll surely be a fan favorite type in the NHL someday, likely as a middle-six winger or a bottom-six center.
• He looked like the franchise star the Golden Knights were expecting him to be when they traded for him two years ago.
• He has made the move to North America and absolutely schooled the OHL last season with the Sudbury Wolves.

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Last season was a positive one for Lambert who looked like a top young player in the AHL. The past two years, however, have been a different story as Bystedt continues to show more offensive skill which he is then rewarded for with a larger role on the team which then leads to more offensive production. Bystedt played eight AHL games last Spring with the San Jose Barracuda and looked excellent.

His consistency, effort, speed, and skill make him a coach’s dream even though he may not have the dynamic offensive qualities of some of his peers. Lambert’s skating ability is elite and gives him a standout skill that will translate to the NHL someday. He also has great puck skills and can make great passes or dekes while at his remarkable top speed.

• It’s not just his improved finishing that makes him exciting, it’s his strength, speed, and motor.
• Cale Makar, a defenseman with remarkable offensive talents, continues to impress with his vision and ability to control the game from the blue line, earning accolades and respect from fans and peers alike.
• The New York center is an elite driver on offense and has a wicked shot that helps put pucks in the back of the net.
• For anyone who hasn’t looked for college hockey content beyond MGoBlog, it is sparse.
• He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up, making their jobs much easier.
• By his own standards, it was a bit of a down year last season in both goals and points, which is saying something of its own considering he was seventh in points and 14th in goals league-wide.
• Along with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, the smooth-skating winger forms the most dominant forward trio in hockey.
• Tkachuk plays with an ample amount of physicality, and will likely do his best to get under the skin of the opposition.

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Experience will be something this team can lean on, as only two of the projected twelve forwards are freshmen and there’s also lots of experience on defense. Tim Lovell, Jacob Truscott, Ethan Edwards, and Tyler Duke are all juniors, seniors, or 5th year players. Luca Fantilli, who may suit up as the 7th D or could be on the third pair, is also a junior.

He is one of the biggest bounce-back candidates moving forward and is very likely to move up the list. Through two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Mattias Ekholm has an outstanding 59 points and has a plus-minus rating of +72. Of course, offense comes a bit easier with the Oilers, but it is his defense that has been the biggest stand-out part of his game.

On a middle-of-the-pack team like the Blues, Thomas has been one of, if not the single brightest spot on the team and general manager Doug Armstrong is going to build around him on the forward group for a long time. After two 40-goal seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Alex DeBrincat has struggled to get back to that mark since being traded to the Senators and then the Red Wings. With 27 goals in each of his past two seasons, there is still a lot of hope that he will bounce back to his 40-goal self, and there is a good chance he does.

Snuggerud is a responsible defensive player which is impressive for a winger with so much offensive potential. Tom Willander is a high end skater, which allows him to carry the puck out of his own zone and lets him take some risks offensively while still recovering quickly enough on the back-check. His skating is so strong and his motor runs high enough that even in games where he’s quiet offensively, he still provides a ton of value on the defensive end. I liked what I saw from Willander in the NCAA last season, and I think he’s going to be a very talented two-way defender for the Canucks. After a solid showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer of 2022, Quentin Musty was considered by many to be the best U.S. born prospect in this draft class. After an up and down draft year, Musty has silenced many doubts after he tore up the OHL last season.

On top of scoring goals and an impressive point total, he is a solid two-way player who can take on additional responsibilities. Bo Horvat has turned into a dependable 30-goal, 70-point two-way center that the New York Islanders can rely on in any situation. With Selke Trophy votes in two of the last three years, his defensive play has been on notice, and that is part of what makes him so valuable to the strong defensive team, the Islanders.