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Welcome, for a third straight year, to Prospect Tiers, our natural evolution of Player Tiers — the massive annual undertaking of colleagues Dom Luszczyszyn, Shayna Goldman, Sean Gentille, Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance to build “the best list of hockey’s best.”

The goal of Prospect Tiers is similarly simple: Project where the league’s young players and prospects will end up in Player Tiers.

The execution of Prospect Tiers, though, differs from how I put together my personal lists in that it isn’t really meant to be mine at all.

It starts with me slotting 125-150 of the league’s under-23 talents into the different tiers that make up Player Tiers (MVP, franchise, all-star, star and support) but it’s finished by handing that shell over to NHL contacts. That panel, which was made up of 15 scouts and executives this year, is then given free rein to suggest adjustments in an effort to produce a more consensus view of the pool of players.

After two years of doing this, I’ve got a better sense of the way the league already views the players.

“To be honest, looks pretty defensible,” wrote back one scout before providing some minor nitpicks.

“I don’t think anything really pops out at me as obviously way off. It’s good placing overall,” wrote another before doing the same.

“Looks pretty good. When you see the list like this, you realize the guys you were wrong on and the guys you guessed right,” reflected a third.

Some scouts had no feedback at all this year.

“Looks pretty accurate. You’ve done a good job. Nothing looks off,” wrote one.

But most had plenty of feedback (in some cases, I get notes back on the placement of double-digit players), and guys were moved up and down after returning answers and going back and forth with everyone.

Before we jump in, note that the following names were considered or generated some conversation but ultimately didn’t get enough love for Tier 5C projections: Forwards Cole Beaudoin, Charlie Stramel, Jett Luchanko, Brayden Yager, Jack Nesbitt, Cayden Lindstrom, Ilia Morozov, Otto Stenberg, Ivan Ryabkin, Marek Vanacker, Sandis Vilmanis, Felix Unger Sorum, Alex Bump, Gavin Brindley, Lenni Hameenaho, Kieron Walton, Jagger Firkus, Mathis Preston, Markus Ruck, Quentin Musty, and Jani Nyman, defensemen Luca Cagnoni, Theo Lindstein, Bryce Pickford, Tanner Molendyk, Sascha Boumedienne and Maveric Lamoureux, and goalie Semyon Frolov.

Here’s where this year’s tiers landed, with commentary from sources throughout.

Tier Tier 1 — MVP Tier 2 — Franchise Tier 3 — All-Star Tier 4 — Star Tier 5 — Support

Team ANA BOS BUF CAR CBJ CGY CHI DAL DET EDM LAK MIN MTL NJD NSH NYI NYR OTT PHI PIT SEA SJS STL TBL TOR UTA VAN VGK WPG WSH

Pos 20 C G LHD LW RHD RW

Age 18 19 20 21 22

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Tier 1 — MVP

A top 10 player. Someone who is very likely to get serious trophy consideration at season’s end and whom championship-caliber teams are built around. The best player on almost any team in the league.

That I moved Celebrini up from 1B to 1A without a single note of pushback from any of the scouts surveyed speaks volumes. He’s viewed as a future Hart Trophy winner and potential best player in the world, and is already (!) a Tier 1C player in Player Tiers. There’s an innevitability to Celebrini that the league only ever feels with a select few players.

There are just four D in Tier 1 of Player Tiers this year: Cale Makar (1B), Quinn Hughes (1B), Zach Werenski (1C) and Rasmus Dahlin (1C). There were just two a year ago (Makar and Hughes). By moving Schaefer firmly into the tier, his projection is now, after just one season, being set at future-best-D-in-the-world. And get this: After I slotted him in 1B, the only feedback I got was one scout who said he thinks he’s 1A, which would actually place his projection above current Makar/Hughes!

That kind of belief in a player and person, at just 19 (he’s still technically eligible for this year’s World Juniors!), is rare enough. In a defenseman? Practically unheard of.

The league feels that this is where pre-shoulder injuries Bedard was headed and while the pair of injuries to different shoulders have raised some yellow flags, nobody is quite ready to call them red and downgrade him, either.

There are three forwards in Tier 1C in Player Tiers this year and he’s not a natural comp for Aleksander Barkov or Celebrini but there’s a path for him to become a David Pastrnak-level scorer.

I initially slotted Carlsson in 2A, which was already two letter grades higher than where the league had him in the Prospect Tiers the previous years. But two scouts felt he and Bedard were equals (or that Carlsson might actually be the better of the two) and when I asked if that meant I should lower Bedard into 2A or raise Carlsson into 1C to put them together, the feedback I got was to raise Carlsson.

Tier 2 — Franchise

A top 30 player. Someone who is the best player on a contending team or second best on a championship-caliber team. An unquestionably elite player.

On the back of last season (Hutson was on my Norris ballot), I initially slotted Hutson in 2A. But one scout argued that was “way too high” and used his playoff performance against Carolina as justification. “He’ll need to prove he can handle heavy forecheck pressure and also defend better. Too much of a one-zone player (to be a top 10-12 D in the league),” the scout said. That was the lone voice I heard from on Hutson so I didn’t get too carried away with downgrading him but I did move him down a letter grade.

Personally, I’m not convinced the five D in Tier 2B of Player Tiers this year (Adam Fox, Jake Sanderson, Matthew Schaefer, Miro Heiskanen, Moritz Seider) are better than Hutson now, so I don’t think a rise into 2A where I started him is at all out of the question.

Tier 2 — Franchise

MTL

LHD

22

McKenna makes his debut in Prospect Tiers in Tier 2C. Just two of the scouts surveyed commented on his slotting, with one saying he “could move up” and another saying “I would not put McKenna or Stenberg in 2C at this point. They are not meaningfully different from 3A.” He sits tight where I started him as a result.

There are two Tier 2C wingers in Player Tiers this year and I don’t think that level is at all out of reach for McKenna in his prime. I don’t think a Tier 2B guy like Mitch Marner is unattainable either, but he’ll have to prove he’s not a drag defensively in order to win the league over.

Tier 2 — Franchise

TOR

LW

18

Stenberg, Michael Misa and Will Smith are all viewed as in a tight race to become the Sharks’ No. 2 forward behind Celebrini, but there seems to be a slight preference in the consensus for Stenberg at the moment. One scout felt he should be in 3A with Misa and Smith, but another felt he could be in 2B instead of 2C. This became the sweet spot.

Tier 2 — Franchise

SJS

RW

19

Martone’s excellent freshman year and, maybe even more importantly, his strong play in the NHL at the end of the regular season in particular, really sold the league on his status as one of the game’s future top power forwards.

Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson, who are both Tier 2 wingers in Player Tiers this year, feel like attainable — if a little lofty — projections for Martone.

Tier 2 — Franchise

PHI

RW

19

Tier 3 — All-Star

A top 60 player. Someone who wouldn’t be the best player on a contender, but would be an important part of any contending or championship core. A strong top-line forward, above average No. 1 defenseman, or borderline top five goalie.

I started Fantilli in Tier 2C, which is where the league slotted him in each of the last two Prospect Tiers. I didn’t think the 59 points in 82 games he had last year moved the needle on his projection in either direction. But a third season in that range did alter the view of some.

“Fantilli feels a little high. Good player and will get paid, but is his production going to be high end?” wrote back one scout.

Tier 3 — All-Star

CBJ

C

21

Demidov has been a bubble guy between 2C and 3A for three years now and that holds after his 62-point rookie season. He’s viewed as one of the premier young wing talents in the game but some wonder if he’ll be more of a point-per-game version of that than a guy who can touch 100 here and there.

For reference, this year’s 3A wingers in Player Tiers were: William Nylander, Seth Jarvis, Sam Reinhart and Jake Guentzel.

Tier 3 — All-Star

MTL

RW

20

After playing at a 71-point pace in 2024-25, Cooley played at a 65-point one in 2025-26. The league still views him as one of the top young centers in the game and a projected stud but they’re unsure if he can climb as high as 2C.

Wyatt Johnston and Robert Thomas were Tier 3A and 3B centers in Player Tiers and that level feels very much within reach for Cooley.

Tier 3 — All-Star

UTA

C

22

There wasn’t a single center who slotted into Tier 2 in Prospect Tiers this year, so Misa is in some pretty good company here in 3A. Now it’s up to him to build on the momentum of his strong play to close out his rookie season. If he does, he can help the Sharks take a step.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

C

19

Smith’s projection hasn’t changed in three years of Prospect Tiers now, which probably means he’s in the right place. The continued development of his game off the puck will determine whether he reaches or potentially exceeds this projection, because the offense will be there.

I wonder a little about William Nylander (Tier 3A in Player Tiers this year) as a bit of a projection for Smith, with Kyle Connor (Tier 4A) as another outcome range.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

C

21

There was no sophomore slump for Gauthier and his projection moves from high-end Star to high-end All-Star after a 41-goal, 69-point season. His combination of size, skating and scoring make him a rare commodity in the NHL.

Tier 3 — All-Star

ANA

LW

22

Slafkovský was between 3B and 3A for some scouts but his 30-goal, 73-point fourth season helped him stay where I initially slotted him here.

“The Slafkovský one is funny to me, he is basically an all-star but he’s kind of the third wheel on the line!” wrote one scout.

Tier 3 — All-Star

MTL

RW

22

Sennecke’s rapid climb in Prospect Tiers continues after his 60-point rookie season. There aren’t many 6-foot-3 wingers with his puck skill, which even makes finding a comp for him in Player Tiers tricky. He could be a unique player in the league in his prime.

Tier 3 — All-Star

ANA

RW

20

The top five D from the 2026 draft class all debut in Tier 3B. “That’s a big group of 3B D — with a fine tooth comb you could possibly move a name or two up and/or down,” wrote one scout, but nobody made a case on who those D would be.

If I had to pick one of the 2026s to move up, it would Reid, who was my top-ranked D of the bunch pre-draft and looked the part at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Shea Theodore is a Tier 3B D in Player Tiers this year who could work as a projection.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SEA

RHD

19

The top five D from the 2026 draft class all debut in Tier 3B. “That’s a big group of 3B D — with a fine tooth comb you could possibly move a name or two up and/or down,” wrote one scout, but nobody made a case on who those D would be.

Šmits is viewed as one of the safest of the bunch, but I’ve argued he has more talent than people realize too — and also more things to work on than people say.

Tier 3 — All-Star

NYR

LHD

19

The top five D from the 2026 draft class all debut in Tier 3B. “That’s a big group of 3B D — with a fine tooth comb you could possibly move a name or two up and/or down,” wrote one scout, but nobody made a case on who those D would be.

Carels’ combination of skating, strength and physicality give him the tools of an NHL stud and remind me a little of Charlie McAvoy.

Tier 3 — All-Star

CGY

LHD

18

The top five D from the 2026 draft class all debut in Tier 3B. “That’s a big group of 3B D — with a fine tooth comb you could possibly move a name or two up and/or down,” wrote one scout, but nobody made a case on who those D would be.

Rudolph was obviously the first of the group picked but multiple surveys I’ve done have produced mixed feedback on that from other teams. His skill level is viewed as high-end but average skating and competitiveness have at times been used to slot him toward the back of that group of five for some.

Tier 3 — All-Star

BUF

RHD

18

The top five D from the 2026 draft class all debut in Tier 3B. “That’s a big group of 3B D — with a fine tooth comb you could possibly move a name or two up and/or down,” wrote one scout, but nobody made a case on who those D would be.

If I had to pick one of the 2026s to move down, it would Verhoeff right now. I have concerns about his reads and feet but he has pedigree and some backers too.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

RHD

18

Buium’s defensive results in the NHL have been poor so far and have raised some minor questions about his ultimate projection, but he was a better freshman college D than Verhoeff and people had a hard time slotting him below the 2026 D, who everyone felt were in the right spot. Such is the dichotomoy of trying to slot different-aged players who’ve played at different levels. There’s still a lot of belief in both Buium’s offense and in improved defense.

Tier 3 — All-Star

VAN

LHD

20

I thought Parekh was going to be a topic of great debate after his mixed first NHL season but his slotting produced zero feedback from scouts (likely helped by the offense he did show in the AHL and at the World Juniors). His talent and track record are unimpeachable but there have always been questions about his defending and lackadaisical look (think Evan Bouchard and Erik Karlsson with one hand on their stick and a little aloof at times). He might have the widest range of potential outcomes among the 3B defensemen.

Tier 3 — All-Star

CGY

RHD

20

Michkov moves down an entire number grade from 2B to 3B after a tumultuous sophomore year. If 51 points is things going as poorly as you could have imagined for him — so much so that longtime questions about his fitness off-puck play were proven to be real issues — than we’re clearly talking about a talent. But the league also clearly wants to see him fix some obvious flaws before believing again that the talent will supersede. If those things persist evaluators won’t even care if he becomes an 80-point version of that player, because he won’t be viewed as a winning player.

Tier 3 — All-Star

PHI

RW

21

Frondell’s strong NHL showing at the end of the season helped him hold his Tier 3B projection for a second straight year. Some evaluators view him as more of a winger than a center and wonder if he has the playmaking and pace typical of All-Star calibre players, but his shot is viewed as a major weapon.

Tage Thompson is obviously bigger but in terms of a 3B guy who has had questions about center versus wing and consistency throughout his career with the shot as the one constant, there’s at least a thin line to draw there.

Tier 3 — All-Star

CHI

C

19

Malhotra was a bubble guy between Tier 3C and Tier 3B for me and that was reflected in the feedback I got. One scout felt “he is not above Desnoyers at this point” but others gave him the slight edge.

Tier 3 — All-Star

VAN

C

18

Fowler is viewed as one of the best young goalies in the game. He has performed like one across five years and four different levels and has yet to have the down season that almost every goalie his age does along the way.

Tier 3 — All-Star

MTL

G

21

I’ve been a passionate believer in Benson over the years and I thought when I started him in Tier 3C that I was giving back some of that to the consensus in search of common ground. Then one scout made an impassioned case for him to move up to Tier 3B and I didn’t need much more convincing than that.

“Benson should be in the same tier as Michkov. If you canvassed 32 GMs and asked if they’d rather have Benson or Michkov, what percentage would pick Benson? It’s actually not close for me,” argued the scout.

Tier 3 — All-Star

BUF

LW

21

I consider myself a major proponent of Björck’s but I couched it a little by slotting him in Tier 3C to start. Then three different scouts went to bat to have him moved up a letter grade and I didn’t have to be talked into it. His combination of smarts, strength and skill have clearly given the league confidence that he’ll succeed at his size as a center.

“Björck is better than both Malhotra and Desnoyers but we need to have this year to prove it,” wrote one scout. Wrote another: “My only concern is a bit about Viggo Björck. I really like him very much and think he might be a bit underrated on your list.”

Tier 3 — All-Star

WPG

C

18

Hagens’ skill and skating have always drawn praise and he still had a strong post-draft season but there seems to have been some slight softening on him. This adjustment from 3A to 3C didn’t produce any feedback and I didn’t expect it to. He’s still in the All-Star tier so I wouldn’t read too much into it..

Clayton Keller is a 3C guy in Player Tiers this year that feels attainable for Hagens.

Tier 3 — All-Star

BOS

C

19

Iginla put his hip surgeries in the past and looked like one of the top young offensive talents in the game again last season, pushing him into the All-Star tier for the first time. He’s going to get an opportunity to make Utah’s team this season and everyone is back to thinking he’s on a path to becoming a frontline point producer with his combination of attack mentality and high-end shooting, handling and skating.

Martin Necas is probably the closest Tier 3C comp from Player Tiers this year.

Tier 3 — All-Star

UTA

LW

20

I initially placed three D in Tier 3C together (Dickinson, Artyom Levshunov and Šimon Nemec) and scouts advocated for two of them to move back to Tier 4A. Nobody said a word about Dickinson, who has some work to do but maintains his fringe All-Star projection on the back of his size, skating and pedigree.

Jackson LaCombe is a Tier 3B D in Player Tiers this year who Dickinson should try to reach for.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

LHD

20

Evaluators like Desnoyers and expect him to become an excellent NHL center. He may not have the flash of some of the other forwards in this range but that’s why Tier 3C fits.

Tier 3 — All-Star

UTA

C

19

One of just two goalies in Tier 3, Ravensbergen’s combination of size and tools have always gotten scouts excited and he added 58 regular-season and playoff games with a combined .919 save percentage to his ledger last season in the WHL.

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

G

19

Tier 4 — Star

A top 100 player. Someone who would be a strong piece within a contending or championship core, but not a go-to option. An average top-line forward, below average No. 1 defenseman, or top 10 goalie.

I felt Perreault’s play down the stretch with the Rangers last season warranted raising his projection from Tier 4A to Tier 3C this year but one scout made a point to disagree.

I’d drop Perreault into the same tier as Ryan Leonard and Jimmy Snuggerud — those three are pretty close in my opinion,” the scout wrote back.

I thought a recalibration from 3B to 3C was appropriate for Levshunov but three scouts encouraged me to move him down to 4A. One scout didn’t view him as All-Star caliber. Another said he has “significant question marks.” His IQ is that question mark for folks and it’s a warranted projection risk.

Jakob Chychrun is a Tier 4A D in Player Tiers for the first time this year with some early-career paralells to Levshunov in terms of the rough around the edges athlete who took some time to find his peak performance level.

Nemec has been a bubble guy between the bottom of Tier 3 and the top of Tier 4 for three years now and I’ve tended to try to make the 3C case but have typically received pushback from scouts who wonder if he’ll defends well enough to go beyond Star.

A so-so rookie season has softened some evaluators on Catton. Now he has to show them why that’s unfair and should have held his previous Tier 3 projection. He has the skill and skating to do it.

Mateychuk is a well-liked player and is one of the only young D in the league who has had positive three-zone results early in his career in recent years. If he can take a big step, the Josh Morrissey profile comes into play and Morrisey is a Tier 3 player all day. The consensus seems to like Mateychuk more as a bubble guy between Tier 3 and Tier 4, though.

Leonard is a universally respected player for his combination of power, intensity, work ethic and scoring. He has always been very projectable and his 22-goal, 49-point rookie pace last season was early proof of concept of that. Getting to 35-40 goals and 60-70 points will be his next test, and he’s going to have to prove he can do it on a team whose wings are as crowded as any in the league right now with Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, or wait until they move on so that he can become more of a go-to guy/get the PP1 minutes you need to go from Star to All-Star.

The younger Protas’ ascension continues after another excellent rookie season, this time becoming one of the top young players in the AHL right away. He’s huge and highly skilled and while the Caps’ depth chart is crowded up front and he may slot in as more of a bottom-sixer this year in his rookie season in the NHL, league evaluators expects him to become a Star.

Snuggerud has climbed a letter grade in consecutive years of Prospect Tiers now. His 60-point pace (on the eighth-lowest scoring team in the league) in his rookie season last year felt like it flew under the radar but evaluators like this player.

Gridin leapfrogged Tier 5 and the bottom and middle of Tier 4 altogether with his breakout rookie campaign in the AHL and then NHL last year. He wasn’t just a junior hockey playmaker who could make a few plays in the NHL for people anymore; he showed he could slow it down and make a lot of plays on a team that lacks that kind of talent. Now he’s in some pretty high-end company in Tier 4A — and nobody pushed back on this slotting.

Kantserov was a bubble guy for Prospect Tiers a year ago. Now, after leading the KHL in goals, he’s viewed as one of the top players outside of the NHL and a legit Calder Trophy candidate this season. He has got speed and scoring but he’s also stronger and more competitive than people probably gave him credit for.

Kyle Connor/Nikolaj Ehlers are the current Tier 4A line to draw for Kantserov (he’s harder than them but you’re hoping he becomes close in quick-strike ability).

Hrabal has always had a lot of fans for his demeanor, size and tools. Last season his consistency and habits really aligned with the talent and upside to make him one of the top goalies in college hockey. His elevation in Prospect Tiers is indicative of that.

I initially slotted Hutson in Tier 4A, but one scout argued he should move a letter grade down to 4B. The scout said: “Cole Hutson has to prove it a bit more to be above (Pavel) Mintyukov but I am starting to believe he has top four upside. Is his usage going to be too different from Axel Sandin Pellikka?”

Still, the consensus was that Hutson’s play in the NHL late last year warranted elevating his projection and the debate was about how much. This was the more modest calculation for a player type that league types tend to want to see prove it at every level.

I initially placed Cullen in Tier 4B but moved him up a letter grade following feedback. Scouts think there’s still a lot to be determinded with Cullen but still feel that the bubble between Star and All-Star was more where he belonged. If he can become a center, which is how USA Hockey used him at the World Junior Summer Showcase — and how the University of Minnesota intends to — that could help move his projection into the All-Star range too.

There are some paralells between he and Mat Barzal (who’s a Tier 4A center in Player Tiers this year).

Murashov has won a lot of people over with his play in the AHL (career .917 save percentage in the regular season and .930 in the playoffs) and he debuts in prospect tiers by leapfrogging Tier 5 altogether. There is some wonder if he’ll be a true No. 1 but there’s a lot of belief in him becoming a No. 1A/1B goalie.

I slotted O’Brien in Tier 4A to start but mostly because I expected the league to have him there. Then one scout wrote back “I’m not sold on O’Brien,” and frankly neither am I. His combination of skill and poise gives him a Star projection, and he’s smart off puck, but there is reason to wonder about his lean build and whether he’ll be hard enough to produce like you need to in order to elevate into the All-Star tier. That slots him more appropriately as a Tier 4B/C projection than a Tier 4A one for now.

Nazar’s combination of skill and skating have allowed him to play at a 56-point pace across his first two NHL seasons. That has moved him from a Tier 5 to a solid Tier 4 projection. Scouts generally expect him to take another step, too. Some of them wonder if he has the two or three steps he’d need to go beyond a Tier 4, though.

Mintyukov was viewed as a bubble guy between Tier 4C and Tier 4B for scouts. Two raised questions about him here, while one said he belonged in the same tier as Cole Hutson, which is where he ultimately landed after Hutson was downgraded to 4B. Despite his new contract, the rest of the league still wants to see Mintyukov put it all together across 82 games and make good on the promise he showed in his rookie year. The tools are there. The consistency hasn’t been.

Gustafsson is a well-liked D for his combination of size, consistency, physicality, tools and overall impact on the ice, but there are at least minor questions about his ultimate offense in the NHL (he runs the power play for the ’08 Swedish age group but isn’t viewed as that type for the NHL level) and his forward skating. He projects as an excellent two-way D and those guys typically land in Tier 4.

Philip Broberg is a Tier 4B D in Player Tiers this year that Gustafsson should be trying to reach for.

I wondered if, after slotting Lin in the same tier as Gustafsson, I was going to get some pushback and have to lower him into Tier 4C. When I did my scouts survey ahead of the draft, some viewed them as in the same tier while others felt Gustafsson was in a different tier. But that feedback didn’t come from the scouts surveyed this time around and so he stays put. I’m a big believer in Lin and think he has a clear path to end up where Mateychuk (who is 4A now) got to after also starting in 4B .

Yakemchuk has slotted into the same tier three years running now. If you’re a glass-half-empty person, that might speak to a lack of upward progression. if you’re a glass-half-full type, that might speak to a player who has lived up to his initial assessment nicely. Both are true. His offense, size and physicality remain the selling points and questions about his feet persist.

After Yegorov failed to replicate the success of his partial freshman year at BU, his progression was downgraded a letter grade this year. One scout would have moved him down to 4C and didn’t like his viewings, but others still believe in his high-end traits and point to the difficult season BU had in front of him.

Augustine’s Hobey Baker finalist season and second consecutive Big Ten goalie of the year award have again helped solidify him as a top goalie prospect. Now the stoic, calm and controlled Red Wings prospect will have to prove himself in the AHL. He doesn’t have the high-end size or freak athleticism teams drool over, but he’s universally well-respected for his consistency.

Zharovsky is viewed as one of the most skilled young wingers in the game after his breakout post-draft season last year, leapfrogging Tier 5 altogether. I started in him in Tier 4C but two scouts felt he belonged a letter grade higher. “I’d move Zharovsky to 4B, especially with (Wyatt) Cullen and (Roger) McQueen in those tiers,” one scout said. “He’s proven more and has high skill.”

McQueen had some fervent backers ahead of the draft and then had a decent year between college and the AHL while (importantly) staying healthy. He didn’t explode at Providence but he was a top player for them and I slotted him in Tier 4B this year on the back of that thinking I might be a little low on him and have to raise him. Then the feedback was actually that he should maybe be in 4C right now.

I’m a big fan of Kulich’s but he hardly played last year and so it’s hard to make any adjustments to his projection. He sits tight as a result. Whether or not that one-timer of his can get him onto PP1 will determine his ceiling offensively but he has a path to being the Sabres’ first-line center at five-on-five and playing with Tage Thompson as well.

After an excellent year both in college and at the World Juniors (where Hage looked like a top player in his age group in both), Hage moves from the Support tier to the Star tier for the first time. Two scouts wondered if he should be in Tier 4B as well and I would have eagerly moved him there if they were more sure about but both ultimately decided it’s probably a little early and worth waiting to see if he can take another step this year to close out his college career.

Regardless, he’s trending in the right direction and winning people over right now.

After surprising some to make the NHL and then impressing as a rookie in the league, Kindel jumps from Tier 5 to Tier 4 and moves into a Star projection this year. A couple of scouts, like with Hage, wondered about moving him into 4B as well before deciding that it might be a little early for that. He has piqued the curiosity of some around the league, though, and could continue to improve his projection.

Wright’s production took a step back last year, his name started floating around in the trade rumor mill, and the league has softened on him accordingly. After being viewed as a middle-of-the-pack star in his first two years on Prospect Tiers, he’s now viewed as a bubble guy between the upper end of Support (5A) and the lower end of Star (4C). This slotting gave him the benefit of the doubt but the most common note was from scouts who think he’s a solid player but wonder if he’ll produce enough.

I’ve always been a big fan of Helenius’ but that hasn’t always been reciprocated in the consensus around the league. After strong showings in the NHL and at men’s worlds last year, he’s now viewed as a potential future Star. I think he has a case for 4B, too.

Chernyshov rises into the Star tier after a strong rookie season in the AHL and NHL. There was some debate about 4B versus 4C for Chernyshov which is a positive sign that there may still be room for him to elevate his projection. If he becomes a Star, that’s a huge win for a second-round pick and could help elevate the Sharks’ core.

Sandin-Pellikka’s first season in North America was a perfectly respectable one. He was one of the youngest D in the league for 68 games and scored seven goals before going down to the AHL. But there were also some speed bumps that slowed down the momentum he had coming out of a very exciting year in the SHL. Scouts like his offense and his competitiveness but naturally wonder about that next level, so low-end Star makes sense.

I figured Belchetz would be a 4C guy for some and a 5A guy for others but gave him the benefit of the doubt with this initial slotting on the back of his unique tools and makeup. To my surprise a little after he lingered on draft day until No. 17, nobody pushed to move him to 5A either.

Simashev showed more offense than some were expecting in the AHL last season and evaluators project him as an excellent two-way D even if they don’t see that kind of offense in his NHL future.

Travis Sanheim is a Tier 4C D in Player Tiers this year and a projection that feels attainable for Simashev.

Andreyanov didn’t make the jump to the KHL that some hoped he would last year and while his numbers in the VHL and MHL remained strong, they didn’t look first-round-goalie-pick-strong. This slotting still places him as a top-seven goalie proispect in the sport but next season will be important for him to take that next step or some may start to downgrade his projection and move him more into the Tier 5 bucket with guys like Yegor Zavragin, Tobias Trejbal, Jack Ivankovic and Semyon Frolov.

The league has softened on Lawrence but he still went 11th and those I spoke to believed he belonged here with Belchetz and company from his ’08 age group. “Lawrence gives me a bit of pause in that tier,” one scout did write, though. He’s well-liked for his pacey, hardworking game but some wonder about Star offense.

I’m a huge proponent of Klepov’s but I started him in Tier 5A expecting that that’s where the league would place him. Then multiple scouts felt he had Star potential and I was quick to move him up. His skill level has garnered a lot of respect over the last year.

Tier 5 — Support

A top 150 player. Someone who would offer strong support to a contending or championship core, but wouldn’t be an integral piece within it. A below-average top-line forward, a strong No. 2 defenseman, or an above average starter.

Reinbacher has lost as a letter grade in consecutive years of Prospect Tiers now. I started him in Tier 4C when I sent around my initial buckets but three scouts felt Support was the more appropriate projection than Star.

Said one scout: “Reinbacher is closer to off than being a Star for me. He has not been the same since being injured.”

Tier 5 — Support

MTL

RHD

21

The pendulum in the league has swung toward covetting length and mobility above all else, so I slotted Silayev into Tier 4C to start for that reason. The league has begun to turn on him after two disappointing post-draft seasons in the KHL, though.

Said one scout: “What are you seeing with regards to Silayev’s performance in the KHL that suggests he’s going to be a ‘Star’ other than that he’s 6-7?”

He’s going to have to bounce back in the AHL and have the kind of season Simashev did (or at least close to it) to win people back.

Tier 5 — Support

NJD

LHD

20

Rinzel didn’t take a step last year after taking one in each of the couple before it and finishing so strong in the NHL in 2024-25. I initially slotted him in Tier 4C for this year but multiple scouts felt he was more of a Support guy than a potential Star.

Tier 5 — Support

CHI

RHD

22

I held Martin in Tier 4C in my initial version of Prospect Tiers this year largely because I know he played through his shoulder injury all of last year and I felt when healthy (including on Canada’s first line at the World Juniors before he re-aggravated it) that he looked like himself. The scouts I surveyed were less forgiving though and felt he had a bad year, especially for a No. 5 pick.

“Compare Jett Luchanko and Brady Martin’s 2025-26 season without looking at the names, then tell me which one is the star and which one is off the list,” wrote one scout, precipitating the slight adjustment down to 5A for now.

Brock Nelson and Ryan O’Reilly are current Tier 5A guys in Player Tiers who aren’t necessarily stylistic comps for Martin but are heartbeat of their team types.

Dvorský is a well-liked player for both his intangibles (attention to detail, stick, defensive habits) and his skill level (one-timer, touch, finesse). I’m a fan, and so is most everybody else in the league. The question has always been about pace and whether he has what it takes to go from very good NHL player (which he will become, maybe as early as this year) to a true Star type. That he has held at 5A is indicative of that place he’s in.

Eklund is a universally respected player for his blend of skill and work ethic. Travis Konecny is a name that people (Eklund included) toss around as an absolute best-case scenario, but evaluators also want to see him score more. Konecny is currently a 4C player in Player Tiers, but it’s hard to register as a Star if you’re a 15-20 goal guy, even if you rack up assists and bring a ton of off-puck value/some rat to you.

Tier 5 — Support

NYI

RW

19

Yurov is a fascinating eval. He was a top player in Russia all the way up and is coming off a 27-point rookie season. He’s positioned to be a top-six center for a playoff team as a sophomore and maybe even their quote-unquote No. 1 center. But slotting as a No. 1 center and being that are two different things and he’s widely viewed as more of a future high-end complementary piece to that true No. 1 or No. 2 forward than actually becoming that.

I’m a huge Ritchie fan, and it’s hard not to be. He has size and skill, he can shoot it and he does some practical things very well (the down low guy on the PP, etc.). He paced for 16 goals and 38 points as a rookie last year and I think he gets to 45-50 this year. He can play center or the wing. He’s going to be an excellent player for the Islanders for a long time. Can he be a top player or is he just more of a really good piece of the puzzle? That’s what evaluators have often wondered.

Reschny didn’t put the puck in the net himself as much as some wanted to see as a freshman last year, but he was one of the best players in junior hockey in the second half of the season prior, still had a very good first season at NoDak and again looked the part of a top player in his age group at the World Junior Summer Showcase this summmer. He’s a smart, hardworking, talented center whose big believers toss around Seth Jarvis (3A in Player Tiers this year), but some also wonder if he has the skating to become that. He has a definite path to a 4C or 4B projection though and I could see him earning that from scouts this season.

The guys everyone likes but who lack a Star quality offensively often end up with a high-end Support projection in Prospect Tiers. And that’s Kasper, particularly after what was viewed as a bit of a plateau or step back last year.

Carbonneau’s size-skill-shot combo give him a path to the Star tier but he’s viewed as an imperfect player and a player type evaluators aren’t sure is a winning type. I think people have been too harsh on him and his game over the years, frankly.

Pavel Dorofeyev is a current Tier 5A winger with some paralells to Carbonneau.

Tier 5 — Support

STL

RW

19

Bear is a skilled and hardworking player who has been both a producer and a driver at the junior level and will now test himself against men this season. One scout pushed for him to be in Tier 5 but the bubble between a high-end Support guy and a low-end Star was where he settled. Average skating has often been what holds evaluators from getting too excited about a player they all have time for.

Josh Doan (Tier 5B in Player Tiers this year) has some similarities to Bear in average or below average athleticism propped up by work ethic and skill.

Tier 5 — Support

DET

LW

19

Nadeau is a sub-6-foot winger with all of the tools you look for in a potential Star version of that player — skill, skating, shooting — and has produced like one in his age group. And yet the first part of that last sentence is something the league returns to in viewing him more as a bubble guy between Support and Star. He has the tools to prove them wrong in the NHL but it sounds like he’s going to have to do that because he has held here for three straight years of this project now.

Tier 5 — Support

CAR

RW

21

Brandsegg-Nygård is a big, strong, physical, competitive winger with a scoring tilt who projects to be an up-and-down-the-lineup top-nine scorer. However, some wonder if he’ll score enough to rise into the Star tier. Is he a 25-goal guy with that desirable profile or a 35-goal guy with that desirable profile? There’s a big difference between the value of those two players in the NHL even if the gap isn’t huge.

Tier 5 — Support

DET

RW

20

Savoie has the speed, skill and work ethic to be an effective top-nine contributor. He might be a regular linemate for Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl this year, too. Some point to size and average IQ as potentailly holding him back from taking that next step beyond a legit Support player, though.

Tier 5 — Support

EDM

RW

22

All Lardis has done in the AHL and OHL over the last couple of years is produce at the very top of his age cohort. He has high-end speed to support his skill and shot too. But a 5-foot-11 winger really has to score to move beyond Support and into Star and that’s the next hurdle he’ll have to show he can clear before the league truly believes in the production at lower levels. The good news is he score 10 goals in half a season in the NHL last year as well.

Tier 5 — Support

CHI

LW

21

Hermansson has Star skill. Evaluators are in agreement on that. His hands, shot and quality on the puck are high-end. But scouts just want to see everything else get more consistent before they project him there because they’ve watched a lot of players with his profile fizzle and not reach their potential. The consensus seemed to be to start him in 4C or 5A with the caveat that he’s one of the only Support players who could really point in a big way in the NHL if he hits.

Tier 5 — Support

LAK

LW

18

One scout argued for Hemming in Tier 4 but others just wanted to see him put it — his tools with the production and longevity that indicate he can be a force with them — all together for a longer stretch first.

Tier 5 — Support

CBJ

LW

18

Evaluators didn’t love Mrtka’s post-draft season last year and he moves down into a Support projection as a result. Everyone sees the value in his length, skating and poise. They also want to see him take charge offensively and defensively more.

Tier 5 — Support

BUF

RHD

19

Multiple scouts felt Aitcheson had the “potentail to move up” from 5A to 4C but even after his OHL Defenseman of the Year season nobody was quite ready to put him there. Average skating and IQ have usually been small nitpicks people have but I wonder if the crowd of young D prospects on Long Island is now in the back of people’s minds as well. Both Matthew Schaefer and Malte Gustafsson are lefties, too. I do think there’s a world where Aitcheson could be better than Gustafsson, but I and others aren’t prepared to rank him higher at the moment.

Tier 5 — Support

NYI

LHD

19

Smith has all of the tools you look for in a Star defenseman (the athleticism, skating, puck skill, shot, length) but the decision-making/reads miscues remain a minor concern in projecting him there for some.

Thomas Chabot is the current Tier 5A D with the closest profile to Smith’s but that would be an absolute best-case scenarios.

Tier 5 — Support

CBJ

LHD

19

Willander is an interesting debate because he was one of the youngest D in the NHL last season and people use that and his skating to argue on his behalf, but his results were also very poor and his puck play has never been high-end. A really solid Support tier D seems like the best-case outcome for him and maybe the most likely.

Tier 5 — Support

VAN

RHD

21

Salomonsson has flown under the radar but those who’ve watched him closely see the physical tools (natural physicality, excllent size and skating) and project him as a potential two-way stud. He also showed quite well in the NHL late last season.

Tier 5 — Support

WPG

RHD

21

Jiříček was one of the top D in the OHL last year and has been a top player for the Czechs internationally. One scout felt he might have the potential to get to the Star tier. But others are less convinced and so the bubble of Tier 4 and Tier 5 felt like the appropriate middle ground. I wonder, if not for the injury history, if the league would have been more ready to place him in a Tier 4 projection at this stage.

Still, after a big season of full health he played his way onto Prospect Tiers after the injuries kept him off a year ago.

I’ve wondered a little about Filip Hronek (currently a Tier 5A D in Player Tiers).

Tier 5 — Support

STL

RHD

20

Evaluators have always had time for Östlund, endeared to him like all of his coaches have been by his skating, smarts, work ethic and consistency game to game. But the league also wondered for a long time if his body (forever lean) would limit him and if he’d score enough (he has never been much of a shooter). After scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games with the Sabres last season (while playing to positive two-way results), they’re feeling more and more confident and felt he warranted a 5B or 5A projection now after two years in 5C. One scout who argued for 5A said he felt he should be closer to Kulich and Helenius (who are in 4C). “He got big praise in their second half surge last year from coach,” said one scout.

One of the trends I’ve noticed in compiling Prospect Tiers over the last three years is that the league is much more likely to push to move D down and forwards up, leaving fewer D in the higher tiers and holding them down longer before they’re confident in them at the NHL level. Almost every D featured here had an opponent who felt they should be lower. Solberg was one of only D whose initial slotting (5B) didn’t produce any opinions about downgrading a letter grade. He was also one of the only D who had multiple scouts go to bat for being higher, resulting in his move into 5A.

Said one scout: “Solberg has flashed potential to move up.” Said another: “Solberg is above Reinbacher right now. His development is progressing well and his team will make room for him.”

Tier 5 — Support

ANA

LHD

20

Bleyl’s monster season in Moncton and excellent skating ability won a lot of league evaluators over last year and he followed it up with a strong showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase. One scout I spoke to for Prospect Tiers felt he defends to passively and worried about that in the NHL but a couple of others actually argued he should be moved to 5A after I started him in 5B. The jump to college on a deep team will be another important test for him this year.

Tier 5 — Support

NSH

RHD

18

Minten is an interesting one to project out because he has already proven he can center top players in the NHL or anchor a bottom-six line and yet there are also legitimate questions about his ultimate offense and whether he’s just a well-rounded, smart, 200-foot center whose next step is from the 17 goals and 35 points he registered last year to somewhere in the 20s for goals and 40s or low 50s for points.

Still, two scouts went to bat for raising him from where I initially thought he belonged in 5B/5C. “Fraser Minten should be much higher,” one scout said. “Minten already played 3C minutes against really tough competition and brought a decent bit of physicality. I don’t see why the projection would be lower than 3C on a Cup quality team, and that player is extremely valuable.”

Brock Nelson would be the current Tier 5A center in Player Tiers for Minten to reach for.

As one scout put it: “I’m a little worried about Cristall with his team because of all of the new bodies they brought in.” When I’m ranking players for my twice-a-year drafted prospects list, I try to focus exclusively on my personal view and projection of the player. In Prospect Tiers, though, the league is often thinking about a player’s path and opportunity. And nobody has more of a crowd on the wings right now than the Capitals. Does Cristall deserve an NHL opportunity based on how he played in the AHL last year and how he has looked in a couple of NHL preseasons? Absolutely. But he also needs to be a top-nine/PP winger and those jobs are hard to come by in Washington these days. His slotting in 5B couches that in. There was some debate about 5C as well.

Tier 5 — Support

WSH

LW

21

Reid was the captain and No. 1 D on the Memorial Cup champs last year and is well-liked for his skating, smarts and his personality. He did have a tough World Juniors, though, and that, plus his average size and lack of dynamic offense, put him in the 5A/5B conversation. One scout did make a case for him to stay in 5A but this seemed to be the consensus.

Tier 5 — Support

NSH

LHD

19

Eiserman is a pure sniper who has been a constant source of criticism (some fair, some not, as tends to be true). Because people view him as imperfect, he has always had to score a ton in order to maintain his status. Last year, though he led the Terriers in goals and finished strong in the AHL, his season was just uneven enough (a disappointing World Juniors, production that didn’t take a step from his freshman year) for scouts to say some version of “see!”

He has the ability as a shooter to outscore his slotting here but the league may be hard on him if he doesn’t.

Tier 5 — Support

NYI

LW

20

Command is viewed as a potential premium Support piece. He’s expected to be a very good NHL center who can play with anybody, drive play, and do a lot of the things coaches covet. His ultimate offense is the question.

O’Reilly was the most complete forward in junior hockey last season, winning a third OHL title and second Memorial Cup plus OHL regular season and playoff MVP awards. In the process, he moved his projection from a winning future third-line center to a winning future second-line center for some. That pushes him into Prospect Tiers and leapfroggs him past Tier 5C. Two scouts wondered if he should be in 5A instead of 5B, too, but neither were prepared to push him there. “O’Reilly’s going to end up higher but his spot is good for right now. So much internal momentum with his club as a top prospect,” said one scout.

Surin is a skilled and competitive center who took a big step last season, finishing second in U20 scoring in the KHL behind Alexander Zharovsky, and winning a second Gagarin Cup. The Predators have a crowd of young forwards who are going to be vying for a limitted number of top-six jobs in the coming years but Surin expects to factor in when his contract expires May 31, 2027.

Letourneau has had some critics dating back to his St. Andrew’s College days pre-draft and the sharks circled after his difficult freshman year but he responded with a monster sophomore bounce-back last season. There were scouts that wanted to push him to both 5A and 5C from here but his skill for a big man remains the selling point. There’s some boom and bust to his profile but the reward could be pretty tantalizing and his debut in Prospect Tiers is earned. He’s going to be a priority for the Bruins, too.

Cowan’s skill and work ethic made him a decorated junior player, have carried him to NHL regular and made him the Calder Cup-winning Marlies’ second-leading scorer once the Leafs’ season concluded. His off-puck habits and on-puck IQ are stills works-in-progress but as he develops the belief is that he’ll be a valuable Support piece.

Tier 5 — Support

TOR

LW

21

Lee is one of the most purely skilled U23 handlers in the sport. Average size and skating have held him back in the consensus from a Star projection but it was important that he proved he could still make highlight reel plays at the college level last season and he earned a letter grade projection upgrade off it. I think he’s capable of being one of college hockey’s leading scorers this year and if he does accomplish that I imagine he’ll move into the Star tier next year.

Tier 5 — Support

NSH

RW

19

You’ll notice that a lot of the highly skilled but imperfect wingers end up above Tier 5C but don’t get enough love to push into Star projections. Connelly has the talent to become a Tier 4 player and had a really positive year coming off a knee injury last season in the AHL. The lack of prospects in Vegas bodes well for the opportunity he’ll be likely to get once they deem he’s ready, too. His skating and hands are both obviously high-end. But the league will want to see them have success in the NHL before they elevate him to a Star projection, fairly or unfairly.

Tier 5 — Support

VGK

RW

20

Liam Ruck debuts without his brother Markus in Prospect Tiers. That lines up with the pre-draft consensus that favored Liam. There are questions about Liam’s skating and wiry frame and whether his junior production will translate in the NHL but smarts, skill and work ethic could get him there and that’s reflected in his slotting. One scout did suggest 5B was maybe a letter grade high but everyone felt he belonged in Support somewhere to start.

Tier 5 — Support

PIT

RW

18

Tier 5B felt like the natural spot for Novotný for evaluators. His strength, skating and shot are going to make him a really solid NHL winger. His IQ with the puck is a minor nitpick for some (he can tunnel vision a little).

Tier 5 — Support

VAN

RW

19

Hurlbert’s smarts, production and multi-positional success won him some fans last year. One of those fans argued he has Star potential. But others think his skating could be a limitter and want to see him have NCAA success first (he also struggled to generate at the World Junior Summer Showcase, which supported their hesitancy to slot him in Tier 4 at the moment).

Tier 5 — Support

DET

LW

18

One of just two players to leave Prospect Tiers and then return, Wood’s 17-goal, 30-point rookie season in 71 games helped his proof of concept. Evaluators have always liked the skill and shot he has for his length but most have also been critical of his pace and competitiveness. Showing he could do it helped assuage concerns. Now he has to take another step and become the 30-goal version of himself.

Tier 5 — Support

NSH

RW

21

Brunicke had some ups (his camps with the Penguins) and downs last year (a disappointing World Juniors) across the WHL, AHL and NHL levels but it was a net positive season for him on the whole and there’s still a lot of belief out there that while he’s still a little raw in some areas both defensively and offensively, his skating and two-way transition game are going to carry him.

He’s a hugely positive development story for the Penguins as a second-round pick already.

Tier 5 — Support

PIT

RHD

20

Villeneuve is a difficult player to slot at the moment as the league is polarized on his defending and injuries. But nobody’s polarized about the offense and it’s high-end enough that my initial slotting of him into Tier 5B didn’t produce any feedback (to my surprise).

Tier 5 — Support

CHI

LHD

18

Brzustewicz is a player I’ve always been high on, so I’m happy to see him make his debut in Prospect Tiers after some sneaky-good player in the NHL last season with the Flames. He has the skating the brain to become a top-four D in the league.

Tier 5 — Support

CGY

RHD

21

Lakovic was 5C last year and then was limited to 22 games last season, and so I figured I’d just hold him where he was until a couple of scouts suggested he belonged in 5B and one in particular made a strong case for him. In the games he did play he was dominant on a rebuilding Moose Jaw team, scoring 18 times (a 56-goal pace across 68 games, which would have been second-best in the league behind Tij Iginla’s 58-goal pace). He has real tools and has them in a 6-foot-4 package. His challenge, like Cristall’s, will be the wing depth with the Capitals.

Tier 5 — Support

WSH

LW

19

After Plante wasn’t on last year’s list, I started the Hobey Baker winner in Tier 5C this year before a couple of scouts felt he could maybe move up a letter grade. He doesn’t have the body but his blend of skill, smarts and work ethic have a way of winning people over.

“Plante intrigues me a lot for upward movement,” wrote one scout.

Tier 5 — Support

DET

20

20

Zavragin is one of the top young goalies in Russia, and while he’s not viewed as a true Star goalie prospect and lacks one of the elite tools that gets people really excited about a goalie’s upside, he’s widely considered a very, very good prospect and potentially the future of the Flyers’ net.

Another skilled winger who frustrates league evaluators and was going to have to keep producing to avoid a pile on from critics, Lekkerimäki’s NHL struggles are ripe for their picking now. I moved him down a letter grade to 5B after last season and that wasn’t enough for several scouts. Said one: “We’re not Lekkerimäki fans…” Said another: “I’m a little worried about Lekkerimäki with his team due to being overexposed up their lineup. He’s not a great fit.”

The vultures are circling on him now and it’s up to him to show he can do what he did at lower levels in the NHL: score. Because otherwise he’ll be viewed as a slow, average-sized, low-compete winger.

Tier 5 — Support

VAN

RW

22

I left Korchinski in 5B for a second year in a row to start but the league is really low on the 2022 No. 7 pick, who has struggled to take that next step since debuting in the league as a teenager. “Korchinski is closer to a bust than on this list,” said one scout, prompting the move to 5C.

Tier 5 — Support

CHI

LHD

22

Danielson has always been well-liked by scouts and he’s going to be a good player in the league. But you have to put the puck in the net and despite slow and steady, overall positive development for him since the draft, he still isn’t scoring enough and that’s reflected in the league’s view of his projection. Between the NHL and AHL last year, he scored five goals in 46 games. There’s a crowd of good young players in Detroit and it’s hard to imagine him featuring in a truly prominent offensive role. He could become a Support piece, though.

After a historic Liiga season, Rautiainen makes his deserved debut in Prospect Tiers. He’s a skillled playmaker who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 draft as an overager and has become a top player outside the NHL.

Cootes is a well-liked player who evaluators project comfortably as a third-liner. He made his NHL team, was a top player on a top team in the WHL after his trade from Seattle to Prince Albert and will be a returnee and leader on this year’s World Junior team, but some wonder if he’ll have enough offense to be more than a Support guy.

A year ago, Howard was coming off a Hobey Baker season and a forced move from Tampa Bay to Edmonton. There was some wonder, even then, if he would stick in the NHL as a first-year pro, though, and then he didn’t. Despite producing 54 points in 50 combined regular-season and playoff games in the AHL as a rookie, Matt Savoie won the job that was available. Some wonder about his skating for his size. Others see a top-six-or-bust profile and wonder. This year will be critical for him. He needs to hold a top-six job — and there’s one there for the taking.

Tier 5 — Support

EDM

LW

22

But has been a bubble guy between 5C and 5B in all three years of Prospect Tiers but he’s solidly a Tier 5 guy for the league either way. His first season in North America went about as expected, too. He was productive and successful in the AHL and he started to find his footing in the NHL. His blend of size, skill and scoring has always intrigued teams. Is he going to be a complementary but unique third-liner or an impactful and unique top-sixer, remains the question.

“But intrigues me a lot for upward movement,” said one scout.

Tier 5 — Support

UTA

LW

21

Greentree is a big, strong, skilled winger but the league has been consistent in its uncertainty about his pace and a desire for him to be harder. He has also plateaued a little since his 100-point draft year in the OHL earned him a first-round selection. He has some potential but he’s going to have to play with the right linemates and in the right role to reach it and there is some doubt.

Tier 5 — Support

NYR

RW

20

The league and I both didn’t know what to do with Finnie. He obviously played 82 NHL games last season, including a good chunk on a team’s first line. But some wonder if he has the next developmental step in him that others his age do or if he’ll just be a really good role player. The hope would be that he can become a Zach Hyman type, who has been a Tier 4 and Tier 5 stalwart in Player Tiers. That small chance/benefit of the doubt after last year was enough to get him onto Prospect Tiers this year as opposed to just off.

McGroarty took a step in his second year in the AHL, producing 34 points in 30 games and then finishing second on Wilkes-Barre in playoff scoring. But evaluators are still waiting on him to take that next step to the NHL and both Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen are now ahead of him with the Rucks, Will Horcoff and Bill Zonnon not far behind. That makes this season a critical one for him to prove he has the pace to make the full-time jump to the NHL.

Tier 5 — Support

PIT

LW

22

Nordmark is a frustrating, mercurial player whose talent (skill, hands, shot) is higher-end than many of those in Tier 5 but who also has many deserved critics for his come-and-go, low-pace, often-selfish game. He’s a boom-or-bust prospect who lands in 5C to start as a result.

Tier 5 — Support

ANA

LW

18

Geekie was one of the last cuts for Prospect Tiers last year and I left him off in my initial list this year before a couple of scouts felt he could be a 5C guy following his 59 points in 57games in the AHL.

“Geekie should be a player this year, would have him in the same bucket as Howard,” wrote one scout.

Tier 5 — Support

TBL

LW

22

Despite missing much of the first half of his last junior season last year with a knee injury, Zonnon makes his debut in Prospect Tiers after a strong finish in the AHL playoffs (seven points in his first 11 pro games during the hardest time of the year and consistently noticeable game-to-game). He’s the definition of a solid future Support player.

With Matthew Wood, Moore is one of just two players to leave Prospect Tiers and then return. After being a bubble guy a year ago, he re-enters following his first full pro season. It included nine points in nine AHL games and a quick promotion to the NHL. His worldclass speed has always been his calling card. Now he has to prove he can produce with it.

Potter had a chance at a 40-point sophomore year before his season was ended by a shoulder injury. He has now transferred to Michigan State for his junior year as a 19-year-old and should be a top-line forward on a top team plus a top-nine one for Team USA at the World Juniors. Elite speed and legit skill define his game but scouts have been critical of his play style and effectiveness. This will be an important season for him to show he can be a top player in college hockey across a full season and earn his entry-level contract.

Barkey showed quite well in 53 regular-season and playoff games for the Flyers last season, endearing himself to the organization and its fans with his dogged play style and establishing himself as a presumptive regular heading into this year. His ultimate offense has always been a question but his effectiveness and work ethic never have been. This elevation into Prospect Tiers is well-earned.

Tier 5 — Support

PHI

LW

21

Öhgren’s NHL underlyings aren’t kind to him but he has looked like a top player at lower levels (AHL, SHL, his age group internationally), is now viewed as an NHLer by the Canucks, and has shown at times in the NHL that there’s something there. That’s enough for a Tier 5C nod this year after two years as a bubble guy who just missed.

Tier 5 — Support

VAN

LW

22

Horcoff exploded in his first full season of college hockey, particularly in the first half. He finished with 25 goals in 40 games, tied for second in the country. His pace proved a bit of a challenge at the World Juniors but his timing, shot, size are a really interesting combination of tools for a player to have and have turned enough folks into believers for him to move firmly into Tier 5. I started him in Tier 5C after the league excluded him last year. Then he got moved to 5B following feedback.

One scout even felt he should be a Tier 4. “I was blown away with (Horcoff’s) performance last season— and that’s in the backdrop of the toughest NCAA year ever. Is there a little Mark Stone in him?” the scout said.

Tier 5 — Support

PIT

LW

19

Nestrasil wasn’t a name that came up in consideration for Prospect Tiers a year ago (typically only the consensus top 20 or so prospects from the previous draft do and he was just outside that group) but he has earned his way in after an excellent freshman year at UMass. The league views him as a potential winning player type who can drive a third line or play an unsung hero role on a top-six one with his length, stick and work 200-foot game.

Tier 5 — Support

CHI

RW

19

Wyttenbach led college hockey in scoring as a freshman and couldn’t be kept off Prospect Tiers as a result. He was also a standout at this summer’s World Junior Summer Showcase, signaling that he wasn’t a fluke. Fairly or unfairly, though, 5-foot-10/11 wingers are always going to have to prove it for longer and at more levels before they get a Star projection from the league. That he’s even on here — and that his placement didn’t produce any pushback — a year after he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft says a lot. A repeat of last year as a sophomore and he’ll climb higher, I’d guess, too.

Tier 5 — Support

CGY

LW

19

Bonk’s smarts made him a first-round pick, top OHL D and two-time Canadian World Junior. He had a respectable rookie season in the AHL as well and was better than his production. Average feet and offense have at times been questions not in terms of whether he’ll become an NHL D but whether he’ll be a true top-four one or more of a No. 5.

Tier 5 — Support

PHI

RHD

21

Jiříček has become a bit of a flash point. Here’s a top-10 pick who’s big right-shot D with a big point shot and some commanding qualities when he’s on, but some major flaws (feet going backwards and decision-making/reads) that may be prohibitive altogether. After two trades and real difficulties with NHL speed, he was almost left out of Prospect Tiers. This season is viewed as make or break for him.

“David Jiříček is an AHL player at this point, I don’t see him being on this list,” one scout said.

Tier 5 — Support

PHI

RHD

22

Hensler stays put after missing the second half of last season due to a leg injury. The league has always had a tough time with his projection, liking the tools but not the way/consistency with which he uses them. Those guys typically start with a 5C projection and then either prove they can put it all together or fall off completely and become vanilla third-pairing types.

Tier 5 — Support

OTT

RHD

19

There has been a wait to see if the Ducks make room for Luneau and give him a full season run in the NHL to see if he can do at the game’s highest level what he battled through injuries to do in the QMJHL and then AHL. It appears this season he’ll get that chance.

One scout said he has flashed some potential to potentially move up for his organization as well.

Tier 5 — Support

ANA

RHD

22

Bichsel is already one of the heaviest D in the league and a regular on a top team, which makes him a unique and rare commodity. But Dom’s model views him as a No. 5 at the moment and even if you expect him to improve and become a top-four guy, the top-end outcomes with his makeup like Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov have never made it into Tier 5 of Player Tiers. This would be a very positive outcome. His closest comp in Player Tiers this year might be Mattias Samuelsson, who is a 5C guy.

Tier 5 — Support

DAL

LHD

22

Ivankovic is a small but universally respected goalie who has done nothing but perform, blending good quickness with both IQ and competitiveness. He’s going to have to continue to prove it up levels but there’s belief that he will.

A Jet Greaves (a current Tier 5B goalie) outcome feels attainable for Ivankovic.

The consensus top goalie prospect in the 2026 draft, Trejbal is rawer and younger than the other goalies who made Prospect Tiers this year but he has the tools to develop into a legit NHL goalie. He’s also going to a program in UMass that has a good track record with its netminders.

All ages listed above reflect the player’s age as of Oct. 1, 2026.