As NHL teams push towards the playoffs, many talented hockey prospects are already competing in their respective playoffs in other leagues.
Major junior leagues are embarking on a two-month playoff journey, culminating in the Memorial Cup starting May 22. In the NCAA, 16 teams are vying for a spot in the Frozen Four final on April 12 in St. Louis.
Playoffs are also underway in professional European leagues.
For NHL teams out of playoff contention, fans are eager to see which prospects could join the team next season. Playoff-bound teams also rely on their prospect pipelines for cost-effective, high-impact players on entry-level contracts.
With playoffs intensifying globally, we`re using this week`s power rankings to assess notable prospects for each of the 32 NHL teams.
1. Washington Capitals (47-15-9) Ryan Leonard is considered a prospect ready to contribute to an NHL team immediately after his college season. The 2023 eighth-overall pick is competing for a national title with Boston College and his physicality could boost the Capitals lineup. Ilya Protas, younger brother of Aliaksei Protas, excelled in his OHL debut with Windsor, scoring 124 points. Washington drafted Ilya in the third round last year, mirroring their selection of Aliaksei in 2019. Additionally, Andrew Cristall (40th overall, 2023) led the WHL with 132 points, and Cole Hutson (43rd overall, 2024) became the first defenseman in almost 20 years to lead the World Junior Championship in scoring. The Capitals` prospect pool is exceptionally strong.
2. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4) Elias Salomonsson, a 2022 second-round pick, debuted professionally in North America with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and impressed. The right-handed defenseman, turning 21 this summer, could contend for an NHL roster spot next season.
3. Dallas Stars (46-21-4) Emil Hemming, the 29th overall pick last year, joined the OHL`s Barrie Colts from Finland this season. The winger finished strongly with eight points in his last eight games and is part of a strong Colts team with playoff aspirations.
4. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9) Liam Greentree, the 26th pick in 2024, showed significant progress in his first season after being drafted. He ranked third in OHL scoring with 119 points, behind Michael Misa and Ilya Protas.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8) Trevor Connelly, a 2024 first-round pick, won gold with Team USA at the WJC but faced an injury-affected freshman season at Providence College. He aims for a stronger sophomore year.
6. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3) Ilya Nabokov, 22, has been a top KHL goalie for two seasons. While the timing of Russian players moving to North America is uncertain, Nabokov, a second-rounder last summer, could potentially join the Avalanche next season.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4) Bradly Nadeau leads AHL rookies in goals with 27. This is an excellent performance for the 19-year-old, drafted 30th overall in 2023. Defenseman Scott Morrow, a 2021 second-rounder, also had a standout AHL rookie season and earned an NHL call-up in March.
8. Florida Panthers (43-25-3) Jack Devine, a 2022 seventh-round pick, is aiming for a second consecutive NCAA title with Denver in his final college season. The determined winger is expected to continue his NHL pursuit in the AHL next year.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3) The Maple Leafs prioritized keeping Easton Cowan (28th overall in 2023) at the trade deadline. His potential remains that of a top-six forward, and he will be focused on helping London win the Memorial Cup in 2025 after reaching the final last year.
10. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7) As the Blues contend for a playoff spot, there`s speculation if Jimmy Snuggerud could join them. The University of Minnesota junior, drafted 23rd overall in 2022, led the Golden Gophers in goals (22) and assists (27) this season.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5) Isaac Howard, the 31st pick in 2022, made significant offensive strides in his NCAA junior year. He scored 26 goals for Michigan State, leading a team where no one else exceeded 12 goals. He will be a key offensive player as the Spartans aim for the Frozen Four.
12. Edmonton Oilers (41-25-5) Matthew Savoie, drafted ninth overall by Buffalo in 2022 and traded to Edmonton, has displayed offensive promise as an AHL rookie. Despite a recent cooling period with Bakersfield, Savoie recorded 14 points in a 12-game span from late January to early March.
13. Calgary Flames (34-25-11) Zayne Parekh is a top offensive defenseman prospect. The ninth-overall pick in 2024 achieved his second straight 33-goal season with Saginaw and his 107 points made him only the 10th defenseman in OHL history to reach 100 points, the first since Ryan Ellis in 2010-11.
14. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5) The discussion for hockey`s top prospect likely involves a Montreal-affiliated Russian forward and Minnesota`s Zeev Buium. Buium surprisingly fell to 12th overall last June. Similar to Brock Faber`s immediate impact after joining the Wild from college two years ago, Buium is expected to make a similar impact once his pursuit of a second NCAA title with Denver concludes.
15. Vancouver Canucks (34-26-12) Jonathan Lekkerimaki, the 15th pick in 2022, is now with the Canucks and scored a crucial goal this week against New Jersey. His 19 goals in 32 AHL games highlight his scoring ability and successful adaptation to North America.
16. New Jersey Devils (38-28-7) The Devils` future blueline is intriguing. They have Simon Nemec, the second-overall pick from 2022, currently in Jersey, along with offensive right-handed Seamus Casey (2022 second-rounder), and the towering Anton Silayev (10th overall last June). Silayev`s size and skating ability give him rare potential. It remains to be seen if all will be Devils in two years.
