1 netminder Jonathan Quick. Key additions: Adam Fox (RHD), Kaapo Kakko (RW),Patrick Newell (RW), Matthew Robertson (LHD) Additionally, there is a significant amount of speed up front, beginning with Jesper Boqvist, 2016 first rounder Mike McLeodand AHL-proven winger Brandon Gignac, who was one of the top scorers on a thin Binghamton squad. MORE:The best No. As alluded to, a significant part of the job entails overseeing the farm system of an organization, which in this context is defined as the organizational talent playing with affiliated minor league teams or the young players who have been drafted but are still either in college or suiting up with a junior-level franchise. Others may have higher-profile individuals, but it is our estimation no one has more quality young talent across the up-and-coming board than the Kings, who won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 but have fallen on mediocre times since, winning exactly one playoff game in six years. Benning and staff also scooped up feisty forward Nils Hoglander from Swedenand speedy center Tyler Madden from Northeastern who tied for fourth in freshman scoring in Hockey East. Peyton Krebs, a 2019 first-rounder. Key additions: Spencer Knight (G), Vladislav Kolyachonok (LHD) The reward turned out to be big-bodied center Kirby Dach, who can be a heck of a set-up man and groomed to one day replace captain Jonathan Toews. In addition to Byfield, the team has five other A-rated prospects and 10 B-rated prospects, both coming in as high-water marks for our entire ranking. And it's not like GM Steve Yzerman traded all of them away. The Ducks' profile is driven by the presence of one high-end talent in Trevor Zegras, who was picked ninth overall in 2019 andtopped B/R's recent listof the league's best prospects. 2018-19 rank: 30th And although mums the word on the health of 2017 first-rounder Gabe Vilardi, he still is one of the top playmakers among all NHL prospects. Key additions: Anttoni Honka (RHD), Chase Priskie (RHD), Patrik Puistola (RW),Ryan Suzuki (C) Graduated: Jonas Siegenthaler (LHD) Traded/not signed: None. News was more promising out of Sweden, where German-born goal scorer Dominik Bokk was third among SHL teenagers with eight goals and 23 points for Vaxjo. NHL free agency 2019: Complete list of all 31 teams' UFA, RFA players, 2018-19 rank: 6th Any significant reduction in scoring from the season prior counted against the prospect while those who were among the team or league leaders in production by position benefitted. What separates the Bolts from most of their competitors is that most of their best prospects are AHL proven and ready for NHL duty. Another first-rounder, 2018's Ty Dellandrea, has top-line center potential, and goalie Jake Oettinger is also rising. Key additions: Joe Duszak (RHD),Ilya Mikheyev (RW, UDFA), Nick Robertson(RW) Jets fans probably aren't used to seeing their prospect pool ranked so low. Ilya Sorokin in goal, but his would-be NHL debut this season was scuttled by the pandemic. 1 prospect in hockey and one of the most complete wings to enter the league immediately following his draft in some years. An exceptional playmaker who can score as well thanks to his good vision and hands, he's shown advanced awareness and can be trusted in all three zones on the ice. He may be followed into the big time by 2019 draft pick Thomas Harley, who's durable and a superior skater. Hughes wont be a prospect for long, as hes expected to make the immediate jump to the NHL and likely center one of the Devils top two lines. A busy offseason has added some legitimacy to the Blues' annual quest for the Stanley Cup, and they still own several of the game's premier prospects. Additionally, the Canucks have two tremendous goaltending prospects in Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was the AHLs top goalie in leading the Checkers to the Calder Cup and the play of power-play quarterback Jake Bean (44 points in 70 games) along with the drafting of right-shot playmaker Anttoni Honka soften the blow from trading Adam Fox to the Rangers. Steve Yzermans tenure as Detroits general managers got off to a questionable start when he bypassed conventional draft wisdom and took two-way defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth overall pick. How about one of Finlands premier playmakers in Aleksi Heponiemi, who as a 20-year-old in the SM-Liiga tallied 46 points in 50 games. The big Russian is an excellent two-way defenseman who can excel in any situation and fellow 2018 draftee Martin Fehervary is both mobile for his size and a physical defensemen in Swedens SHL. Can the Lions fix their defense? Also there's forwardJanne Kuokkanen, who arrived from Carolina for Sami Vatanen. Down the middle, the Jets could use an infusion of top-end talent, although Finlands Santeri Virtanen and Swedens David Gustafsson, a pair of mature European two-way pivots, need to continue upwards in their development. Take the 2015 draft for example the Flames only had five picks and none in the first round, yet still walked away with three impressive NHL roster players in defensemen Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylingtonand winger Andrew Mangiapane. GM George McPhee may have moved center Nick Suzuki to Montreal for Max Pacioretty last season, but he was gifted two elite prospects at the 2019 draft in center Peyton Krebs and winger Pavel Dorofeyev. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen spent 2019-20 in the ECHL and AHL and had three shutouts in 15 wins with a 2.53 goals-against average. NHL Power Rankings: Teams with the best 5-year window By Adam Gretz Aug 23, 2021, 1:53 PM EDT Getty Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window) In With Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault leading the way, Byfield wont have to take on a top role, so hopefully the Kings can get him into positions to succeed early on. Is Oilers' Evan Bouchard ready to take on a full-time role? Traded/not signed: Daniel Bukac (RHD), Ryan Donato (RW, MIN), Cedric Pare (C). Center Sam Steel was huge for the AHLs San Diego Gulls in their run to the conference finals, as was rugged two-way winger Maxime Comtoiswho made the Ducks out of training camp last season and was one of the NHLs better rookies before a back injury. Winger Logan Brown was a 2016 pick, but has also thrived in the AHL with 70 points. Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato on newest Canadiens forward Cole Caufield, 2018-19 rank: 4th C prospects showcase the upside to make the NHL, but either need more development time or are more likely to fill out depth roles. LA | MIN | MTL | NSH | NJ | NYI MORE:Islanders face bumpy transition from Tavares era but it's not all bleak. Shocking. The situation looked a lot more promising for the Wild before KHL stud Kirill Kaprizov made it clear he's in no rush tothe NHL. And players are only considered for prospect status if they are 25 or younger. He scored 47 goals and 102 points for the OHL's London Knights in 2019-20 and was on Washington's return-to-play roster but didn't appear in any games. There is, however, a bit of uncertainty with several of their former first-round picks, as both Denis Guryanov (2015) and Riley Tufte (2016) are still a ways away from meeting post-draft expectations. Behind him, defenseman Josh Mahura is a potential top-pair talent who's split two seasons between the NHL and AHL. In the interest of evaluating only prospects who I believe have even a remote chance at the NHL, the rankings are capped at a maximum of 20 players. Naturally, the teams that rank lowest in the league will feature shorter lists of players, while the teams with the best prospect pools will feature 20. They're in addition to 2018 first-rounder Ty Smith, who's a future power-play point man. Traded/not signed: Petter Hansson (LHD). Finnish teenagerVille Heinola has all the makings of a top-pairing defenseman thanks to his demeanor and intelligence, and he's joined at the position by Dylan Samberg and Declan Chisholm, among others. So with all that in mind, I give you early look at the Consolidated Draft Rankings for the 2021 Entry Draft. Are PSG better off without Neymar in big games? Vancouveradded a bulldog of a competitor in Russian-trained winger Vasily Podkolzin, who was the 10th pick in June although he likely stays overseas for at least another season. That said, 20-year-old Barrett Hayton is a piece to build a future around. Greer (LW) There's alsoa string of the best young defensemen the European elite leagues have to offer in Nils Lundkvist, Yegor Rykovand Tarmo Reunanen, the latter bouncing back from multiple injuries to lead all under-21 rearguards in scoring in Finlands SM-Liiga. Key additions: Nolan Foote (LW) Perunovich He uses his 6'2", 190-pound frame to protect the puck, finds advantageous spots on the ice and has a good wrist shot with a quick release. These kids are trending in the right direction and have shortened their path to the NHL, which also shouldnt be a problem for skilled 2019 first-rounder Jakob Pelletier, who classifies as one of the toughest competitors at any level and can get to the show on his work ethic alone. TRADE GRADES: Sabres buy low on Jeff Skinner's high-end scoring help. The fact that Stevie Y acquired Ryan McDonagh and is reportedly involved in a deal for Erik Karlsson without gutting his farm system speaks volumes about the quality of both his staff and their prospects. The constant winning in Nashville has skyrocketed expectations to the point where Predators hockey is the main show in thefootball-crazed town. The thing is, Detroit's farm system before the 2018 draft already included solid pieces in two-way center Michael Rasmussen, puck movers Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom and Dennis Cholowski, and goalie Filip Larsson. Defenseman Juuso Valimaki, their top pick in 2017, is both physically and mentally ready to handle the rigors of the AHL, where Calgary has patiently nurtured a handful of NHL-capable players. NHL free agency: Recapping what all seven Canadian teams did this offseason, 2018-19 rank: 1st Meanwhile, defensemanNoah Dobson, a 2018 draftee, did arrive on Long Island and appeared in 34 games. 4. Cheveldayoff also deserves credit for making deadline deals without surrendering any of his prized prospects from either the minors or abroad. Systems are most often graded on the backs of their top three or four prospects, but I also place a good deal of value on the depth of systems. Without taking it from a personal level, and also ignoring fan allegiances, there are players on this list who are held in higher regard than others. a top-six forward, top-four defenseman or long-term starting goaltender). Yet still, thefuture is extremely bright. Age There is a large pool ofplayers who can qualify as prospects, so to simplify the list we eliminated any player who is no longer eligible for the Calder Trophy from a playing age standpoint, which according to the league is essentially 25 and under before training camp in September. Defenseman Josh Brook is a capable puck-mover who plays well under duress, and he scored 89 points in 59 games in his final junior season before spending 2019-20 in the AHL. Some believechampionship rosters can be constructed through formulas and analytic innovation, while others lean towardthe old school method of eyeballing the kids who stand out and getting them to buy into a culture that focuses on exceeding expectations rather than simply meeting them. Point production a prospects development can be measured in a variety of ways, but their production on the traditional or analytic scoresheet always represents the lowest-hanging fruit. Still, the cupboard is far from bare and the organizations reputation for developing draftees into quality full-time players tells us they likely have additional diamonds in the rough who can answer the call at a moments notice. The promotions last season of Carter Hart and winger Oskar Lindblom played a role in the drop from last years ranking, but Fletcher and staff did well at the 2019 draft by getting elite playmaking potential in defenseman Cam York and winger Bobby Brink, plus hard-shooting defender Ronnie Attard. Goaltending also was part of the teams success this year and 2017 first-rounder Jake Oettinger appears to be the favorite to shadow Ben Bishop until the starting job is his. However, the strength of the organizations depth lies within the forward ranks, and with a dash of Finnish flavor to boot. As solid as those two prospects are, however, the organization hasnt had a legitimate home-grown No. The hockey world still awaits the coming-out parties for wingers Denis Guryanov and Riley Tufte, two former first-rounders. No team has stockpiled prospects in as great a number as the Kings. Matthew It's tough to evaluate a depth chart when the team has only two offseasons in its history. Traded/not signed: Brendan Guhle (LHD,ANA), Alex Nylander (RW, CHI). Don't expect the league to pity the Lightning for a dearth of prospects considering the team is overloaded at the NHL level and in the midst of revelry from its second Stanley Cup. Graduated: None star potential) received favorable grades, as did teams with a significant amount of post-draft prospects with impressive numbers (regardless of sample size) against adult-age competition in either the National Hockey League or the American Hockey League. Montreal received career seasons from defensemen Josh Brook (75points in 59 WHL games), Alexander Romanov (eightpoints in sevenWJC games), and AHL rookie Cale Fleury (23 points in 60 games), and that was before they loaded up at the 2019 draft with additional two-way types.