I always look forward to these, as they are an interesting snap shot of where the 32 teams are right now in terms of their pipeline. I think highly of Scott Wheeler, I certainly prefer him to guys like Corey Pronman, who is the other prominent prospect writer for The Athletic. Wheeler is late this year, but things will kick off tomorrow, per his Twitter account.
Last year, he had the Flames pool at #13, but you can probably expect quite the jump this year. Here's the Flames top 15 from last year:
1. Zayne Parekh, RHD
2. Matvei Gridin, RW/LW
3. Samuel Honzek, C/LW
4. Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD
5. Etienne Morin, LHD
6. Jeremie Poirier, LHD
7. Henry Mews, RHD
8. Aydar Suniev, LW
9. Rory Kerins, C
10. Arseni Sergeyev, G
11. William Stromgren, LW
12. Andrew Basha, LW
13. Jacob Battaglia, LW/RW
14. Yan Kuznetsov, LHD
15. Luke Misa, C
Things will be very different this time, obviously. Poirier and Battaglia are gone, Kuznetsov will surely be considered graduated. With our last draft class as well as the three recently acquired prospects coming in, this pool is loaded. Where do you expect this group to come in, league-wise? Top 5, probably?
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I will update this post once the teams come in:
28. Colorado Avalanche (LINK)
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (LINK)
30. Edmonton No Goods (LINK)
31. Dallas Stars (LINK)
32. Florida Panthers (LINK)
Last edited by devo22; 03-13-2026 at 11:59 AM.
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If he considers players who are no longer Calder candidates be ineligible, Kuz, Gridin and Parekh likely come off. But added will be Reschny, Wytenbach, Wiebe, Castagna, Curran plus whoever the Flames draft.
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Would he consider the top 4 graduated? Maybe not Brzus at least. If he did, there’s an argument the pool is not as strong even with the new guys like Reschny, Potter and Wyttenbach who I imagine would be the top 3.
Skaters: To be considered a prospect, a skater must be under 23 years old and not established as a full-time NHL player with their club. The latter qualifier is the arbitrary section of the criteria. There, I trust my judgment for whether or not a rostered NHL player could still play games outside the NHL more than I trust any predetermined games-played cutoff. Preference for inclusion as an NHL prospect is more likely to be given to teenagers than 22-year-olds.
Goalies: To be considered a prospect, a goalie must be under 25 years old and not currently established as one of their NHL club’s two go-to options. This age criteria is more reflective of the typical goalie trajectory, allowing for the continued consideration of a small number of 23- and 24-year-old goalies.
Kuznetsov has played 48 NHL games this season, he'll be off the list. Brzustewicz is in the AHL right now, I doubt he can be considered a full-time NHLer. Same probably goes for Gridin.
Teams in front of Calgary had pretty strong pools, with a couple blue chip prospects, which Wheeler’s rankings tend to weigh heavier. Many of those teams drafted higher than the Flames last year, so I think the team will be in the top 10 but probably just.
Always an interesting look at the system.
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Teams in front of Calgary had pretty strong pools, with a couple blue chip prospects, which Wheeler’s rankings tend to weigh heavier. Many of those teams drafted higher than the Flames last year, so I think the team will be in the top 10 but probably just.
Always an interesting look at the system.
Maybe someone can call me out on being biased, but I think Parekh (if considered a prospect still), Reschny, and Wyttenbach would all be considered blue chippers.
Teams in front of Calgary had pretty strong pools, with a couple blue chip prospects, which Wheeler’s rankings tend to weigh heavier. Many of those teams drafted higher than the Flames last year, so I think the team will be in the top 10 but probably just.
Always an interesting look at the system.
The only top five team from his rankings last year picking at the top of the draft is Chicago.
So Calgary will add a blue chip and a lot of his top teams last year won't.
Maybe someone can call me out on being biased, but I think Parekh (if considered a prospect still), Reschny, and Wyttenbach would all be considered blue chippers.
Absolutely, they are, but does he rank them as higher blue chips than Mrtka, Martin, obrien, etc — teams who’s prospect systems were ranked higher than Calgary’s last year and they drafted higher.
I think Parekh has to be graduated, with the way Calgary is using him, but maybe he expects some AHL time next year like us… so we’ll see.
I just like his takes as they seem reasonable and don’t over rank our system based just on analytics.
If he considers players who are no longer Calder candidates be ineligible, Kuz, Gridin and Parekh likely come off. But added will be Reschny, Wytenbach, Wiebe, Castagna, Curran plus whoever the Flames draft.
Gridin and Parekh could still be calder eligible next season. Unless they get injured though they'll probably both make the handful of games needed before the end of the year.
To make Wheeler’s top 5, a team needs to have elite blue-chip prospects (almost always drafted top-5). So I wouldn’t expect the Flames to crack the top 5 until after the 2026 draft. I’m guessing they’re in the 6-9 range in this ranking.
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If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
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With Gridin and Bru back on the roster likely for the rest of the year all 3 of those 2 and Parekh have 18 games this year with 20 games left giving each guy the potential of playing 38 games in the NHL this year. Will all 3 graduate from the prospect rankings for the summer?
With Gridin and Bru back on the roster likely for the rest of the year all 3 of those 2 and Parekh have 18 games this year with 20 games left giving each guy the potential of playing 38 games in the NHL this year. Will all 3 graduate from the prospect rankings for the summer?
Our inclusion/exclusion has always been somewhat subjective.
If you asked me right now I'd say all three are included (Parekh, Gridin and Brzustewicz).
But that can can change in the final 20 games.
Crazy that all three have played 18 games and could get a max of 38.
I'd say a ranking of establishment level would be ...
1. Gridin (top six role)
2. Parekh (because of PP time, but more and up and down)
3. Brzust (less established)
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To make Wheeler’s top 5, a team needs to have elite blue-chip prospects (almost always drafted top-5). So I wouldn’t expect the Flames to crack the top 5 until after the 2026 draft. I’m guessing they’re in the 6-9 range in this ranking.
Last year, these teams' systems were all ranked ahead of Calgary and probably worth debating whether he moves Calgary's system up past these with the addition of Reschny, Potter and Wyttenbach:
San Jose (Misa, Dickinson, Bystedt, Chernyshov, Ravensburgen)
Chicago (Levshunov and Nazar will graduate, but they add Frondell)
Detroit (Kasper may graduate, replaced with Bear)
Columbus (Mateychuk might graduate, but added Jackson Smith)
Utah (No major graduates, added Desnoyer)
Nashville (Added Martin; no major graduates)
Seattle (Added O'Brien; no major graduates as Catton likely stays)
Buffalo (Mrtka added; no major graduates except Rosen who was their #4)
Anaheim (Added McQueen; Sennecke probably graduates)
I'm curious where he slots in Montreal. Demidov probably graduates and they didn't have a first rounder last year, but drafted Zharkovsky in the second round, and they still have a solid system with Reinbacher, Fowler and Hage.
Washington and Minnesota were also ranked above Calgary, but Leonard will be a big hit to Washington and Guerin gutted Minnesota's with the Buium and Jiricek trade (who arguably would have dropped this year anyway), so those two systems have to fall behind the Flames'.
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Kuznetsov has played 48 NHL games this season, he'll be off the list. Brzustewicz is in the AHL right now, I doubt he can be considered a full-time NHLer. Same probably goes for Gridin.
Honzek probably would have graduated, but for injury.
The theory is that it gets 32 times as many ad views, I suppose.
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‘You see in Calgary, [Ryan] Huska is no joke. It’s good. He’s really set on a specific model defensively. If you can be reliable, you have the freedom to play offence.’
—Ethan Wyttenbach
1. Zayne Parekh, RHD (assuming he gets to 25 games) 2. Matvei Gridin, RW/LW (assuming he gets to 25 games) 3. Samuel Honzek, C/LW 4. Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD (assuming he gets to 25 games)
5. Etienne Morin, LHD (Struggled in his first year in the AHL) 6. Jeremie Poirier, LHD
7. Henry Mews, RHD (Season ending injury)
8. Aydar Suniev, LW (Very average in the AHL)
9. Rory Kerins, C (Didn't crack the lineup, passed through waivers)
10. Arseni Sergeyev, G
11. William Stromgren, LW
12. Andrew Basha, LW (Struggled in his first year in the AHL) 13. Jacob Battaglia, LW/RW 14. Yan Kuznetsov, LHD
15. Luke Misa, C
If Calder candidates aren't eligible:
1. 26' CGY 1st
2/3. Wyttenbach
2/3. Reschny
4. Potter
5. 26' VGK 1st
Then take your pick from the 26' 2nds, Stockselius, Mews, Basha, Curran, Othmann, Morin, Zarubin, Castagna, Suniev, Stromgren, and Wiebe.
The Carolina Hurricanes have always given themselves a lot of lottery balls. They haven’t drafted high, but they’ve tended to collect mid-round picks, haven’t shied away from smaller players as the consensus has swung away from them and have drafted their fair share of Russians. All of those things come with mixed results, but the Canes have shown they’re willing to play in the margins.
Their 18 ranked players are the most so far in the countdown, despite having just one first-rounder among them. I considered ranking big Russian defensemen Alexander Siryatsky and Roman Bausov here as well, but I just want to see a little more of both first.
The Devils’ pool lacks a top prospect up front, but they have a star goalie (as well as another who is intriguing), multiple legit D prospects and some peripheral forwards who could play games.
The Wild’s pool looks a heck of a lot different today than it has in recent years after graduating Jesper Wallstedt and Danila Yurov, and trading Zeev Buium, David Jiricek and Liam Öhgren. They were unable to supplement their pool with any talent of that quality after trading their first-round pick in the 2025 draft as well.
That’s the cost of doing business when you add one of the game’s best players and try to push in the NHL, but it does come with a cost. If playoff success follows, they’ll be able to live with it — like the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning all have.
All five of the picks they did make last June in Los Angeles are making their debuts on this list, though, which isn’t always the case. And that, plus the progress of their 2023 first-rounder, does prevent their system from completely bottoming out after the recent changes.
I did think about ranking them a little lower in this year’s countdown, however.
It has been a long time since the Lightning hit on a prospect at the draft, and their two best prospects at the moment were selected by other NHL teams.
Still, they have a few relevant prospects among their 11 ranked here and a few others who are intriguing, even if it’s a relatively weak pool.
The Golden Knights traded their first-round picks in 2022 and 2025 before the draft, and dealt the two first-rounders they took in 2023 and 2021 after the draft. That leaves Trevor Connelly as the lone first-rounder in their pool. Behind him, they have a couple of solid goalies and some relevant forwards, but the cupboards are completely bare on the back end — none of their 13 ranked prospects here are defensemen following the trade of Abram Wiebe’s rights to Calgary.
Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler give the Senators two legit right-shot D prospects and, in the former, maybe an offensive catalyst if he can put it all together. But a focus on pro-style, pro-built role player types outside of Round 1 over the years has left the rest of Ottawa’s pool with a group of players who could potentially become fourth-liners or depth D — potential bunt singles instead of home runs, if you will.
The Kings have a glaring hole down the middle in their pool and lack a star prospect. But they do have three solid defense prospects (including two giants) and two solid goalie prospects.
Moving out Calum Ritchie and Will Zellers hurt the Avalanche’s pool. So did making just three picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. And their fall in the rankings is the predictable result.
Colorado’s pool is still notably stronger than the ones that slotted behind it, though, and the first five of its 10 ranked prospects here are solid players and prospects.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ pool is led by Easton Cowan, who is the most accomplished prospect to appear in the countdown so far. (A minority would maybe prefer 2025 Hobey Baker winner Ike Howard, but the consensus would favor Cowan.) Behind him, though, while they have several prospects who’ve either already played games or project to, none of their prospects ranked 2-12 here realistically project as more than fourth-line/third-pairing options even at the end of their development.
In is Ike Howard. Out are Sam O’Reilly and Shane Lachance. And that, combined with not picking in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, leaves the Oilers’ pool in about the same spot it has been for years now, which is among the league’s shallowest.
The Stars are one of two teams that had just eight prospects make my list this year (the fewest in the league). And after graduating Lian Bichsel to the NHL, there’s no guarantee any of those eight are future NHLers. Their two top prospects are talented wingers with some flaws, too. I have time for some of these names, though.
The Florida Panthers’ cupboards were already empty, and then they didn’t pick in the 2025 NHL Draft until the fourth round. They haven’t drafted in the first round in four consecutive drafts now, and while they still have a few prospects worth keeping an eye on, you’re hoping they make the NHL and contribute rather than expecting it.
Scott Wheeler's Prospect Pool Rankings 2026
