The second annual Prospect Week begins with the best division in hockey. The Metropolitan Division has teams in various stages of their development, from those at the top who have used their own high-draft picks to build Stanley Cup contenders, to those at the bottom trying to do the same.
We’re taking our annual lap around the league at the midpoint, with insight from scouting directors and team executives, on the prospects making the most progress this season as well as those knocking on the door to make an NHL impact.
Here's how things stand for the eight teams in the Metro:
Preseason ranking: The Hurricanes were ranked No. 5 in Corey Pronman’s preseason organizational prospect rankings, even with the graduation of high-end defensemen Noah Hanifin and Jaccob Slavin.
Prospect making the most progress: Nicolas Roy, C, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
For the second straight year, Roy is in this spot.
He’s coming off a 48-goal season in the QMJHL, and the Hurricanes have been pleased with the continued development this season from the 6-foot-4 center taken in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.
“He’s picked up a step,” said Hurricanes assistant GM Mike Vellucci. “Being 6-4, he’s always been a great faceoff guy and responsible defensively. He’s a good net-front presence on the power play, good vision and hands. In the world junior, they used him for all key faceoffs, in the offensive zone and defensive zone.”
In his first 27 games this season, he had 16 goals and 23 assists.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Roland McKeown, D, Charlotte Checkers (AHL)
The Hurricanes have a talented young defense and more good defensemen coming. McKeown was a second-round pick in 2014, and is playing in his first full season in the AHL after four seasons playing for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs.
He’s not going to put up noticeable numbers -- he has seven points in 36 games in the AHL this season -- but the Hurricanes are happy with how he’s played during his first professional season. If Carolina ends up moving one of its higher-end defensemen to trade for a forward, McKeown should get a good look in the NHL.
“He’s a good skater, he has very good hockey sense,” Vellucci said. “He’s got a great stick and just does everything really, really well. He’s not a big offensive guy but he can play on your power play. He’s just a good, solid, responsible defenseman who can join the rush when he has to and make a good first pass.”
Preseason ranking: Columbus was No. 4 overall before the season, with GM Jarmo Kekalainen building a nice mix of depth and high-end prospects like Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Prospect making the most progress: Calvin Thurkauf, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Connecting on a prospect late in the draft can go a long way in building organizational depth, and the early returns for Thurkauf are strong. He was the No. 185 overall pick in the 2016 draft, and the Blue Jackets think they’ve got a good one.
After scoring 18 goals last season in 61 games for Kelowna, he reached that total in just 32 games this season. He also captained the Swiss team at the World Junior Championship.
“I knew nothing about him until we drafted him, I hadn’t had a chance to see him. Our scouts did a great job getting him in the later rounds,” said Blue Jackets development coach Chris Clark. “He plays a North American style game. He gets into the corners. The first game I saw him this year, on one of the first shifts I saw him play live, he got into the corner, dug the puck out, made a power move to the net, shot the puck off the pads and then got his own rebound. He’s got good hands and also has the wherewithal to know where the goals are going to be scored.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Oliver Bjorkstrand, W, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)
Bjorkstrand was a big part of Cleveland’s Calder Cup-winning run last spring, where he scored 10 goals in 17 playoff games. He was a third-round pick in 2013, and is close to earning a spot in the NHL if there’s ever the opportunity.
“He was a guy that we all thought would be in the NHL this year. It was his job to lose, but things happen and the team has been playing well,” Clark said. “A lot of young guys I’d like to see playing in Columbus haven’t got a chance because the team is playing so well.”
He’s not the biggest guy, but when he’s at his best, he’s effective going into corners and returning with the puck. The Blue Jackets haven’t seen it as consistently as they did last season when he was putting up big numbers in the playoffs.
“If he can get back to that, that’s his ticket,” Clark said. “You get him the puck anywhere in the slot, it’s a goal. You also need to go get the puck and not just be that one-dimensional scorer. He has that ability, he’s very good at it. It’s a process.”
Preseason ranking: Pronman slotted the Devils in at No. 19, noting the improved organizational depth from the past couple of years.
Prospect making the most progress: Joey Anderson, RW, University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
The Devils have been pleased with the play of Anderson after picking him in the third round of the 2016 draft. He won a gold medal with the Americans at the world juniors, which is always a great experience for a young player. In 19 games as a freshman, he has six goals and 12 assists.
He had two points in seven games in helping Team USA win gold.
“He’s such a hard worker,” said Devils director of amateur scouting Paul Castron. “Him and [Devils prospect] Blake Speers, they’re kind of similar. They’re high-energy kids who really compete, but also have the skills to play with good players and contribute at the same time. As much as they seem to be used almost in a defensive role, they also have a way of contributing offensively to help the team.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Blake Speers, RW, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Speers got a taste of the NHL earlier this season, with three games out of camp. The Devils were impressed with the training camp he turned in and rewarded him with a taste of the NHL. Coach John Hynes liked his ability to play up and down the lineup, along with his speed and instincts.
His playing time has been limited by a broken wrist since going back to junior, but he played for Team Canada at the world juniors, where he had three points in seven games. He has five points in five OHL games this season.
“He has a game that coaches trust. When you do that in the NHL, your chances of sticking around are pretty good,” Castron said. “He showed he can be responsible and be an energy player, but he is also an offensive player.”
Preseason ranking: Mathew Barzal headlined a group of prospects that kept the Islanders in the top 10, sitting at No. 7.
Prospect making the most progress: Mathew Barzal, C, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Islanders fans who watched the world juniors got a bit of a reprieve from a frustrating NHL season when viewing Barzal, who was great for Team Canada. He finished the tournament with eight points in seven games, and definitely caught the eye of the Islanders' front office with his play.
“His overall game has improved a lot,” said Islanders director of player development Eric Cairns. “He has that offensive gift to create offense out of nothing, and the sense and the instincts and mobility to do that.”
After giving him a taste of the NHL, the Islanders challenged Barzal to work on and improve his play away from the puck, in an effort to help him get the puck more than he does now. So far, the progress has been promising.
“His overall intensity -- being in the right spots, winning one-on-one battles -- we’re seeing it,” Cairns said. “We’re very happy with that progress.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Devon Toews, D, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)
If Islanders GM Garth Snow decides to move one of his NHL defensemen at the trade deadline, he’s got a good one just about ready to go in the AHL in Toews. Toews was a fourth-round pick in 2014 out of Qunnipiac University, and the Islanders have been patient in the development of the 22-year-old defenseman, but his chance at contributing in the NHL is getting closer.
“You can’t deny the steps he’s made this year,” Cairns said. “He’s able to create offense as well as play a reliable, responsible game defensively in his own end with good compete. He’s a very mobile player, with the way the game is now, you’ve got to be able to skate and he can do that.”
Preseason ranking: A lack of first-round picks recently has helped contribute to a system that was thin enough to finish No. 28 overall before this season.
Prospect making the most progress: Sean Day, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
The Rangers didn’t have a first- or second-round pick in the 2016 draft, and took a shot on the talented but previously disappointing Sean Day in the third round. The 6-foot-2, 19-year-old defenseman has made real strides since joining the Spitfires, and has already exceeded last season’s point total.
The Rangers did a ton of reconnaissance on Day before picking him, talking to anyone and everyone they could to get information on him. So far, they’re pleased with the progress he’s making.
“He has matured a lot, both as a person and as a player,” said Rangers assistant GM Chris Drury. “When he got traded out of Mississauga to Windsor, he took another step. [Spitfires co-owner and GM] Warren Rychel, who I played with in Colorado, he and their staff have done a great job with him.”
The biggest strides have come in his consistency, which is always a challenge for young players.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Boo Nieves, C/W, Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
The Rangers have been patient with Nieves, 22, since drafting him in the second round of the 2012 draft and see a player who has transformed physically after four years at the University of Michigan.
He got a taste of the AHL last season, where he produced five points in eight games. He also had a noticeable performance for the Rangers during the annual prospect tournament in Traverse City, Mich., in September. In 34 games this season with Hartford, he has three goals and 10 assists.
“He’s very fast, he’s a really, really good skater. He’s a big kid. It’s not like he’s a darter, he has some size to him,” Drury said. “He’s put on so much muscle and weight and he’s always been fast, now he’s even stronger. That’s really good. He’s been killing it on faceoffs, which is something everyone is looking for on the big club. He’s just a good all-around player down there and he’s playing in all situations.”
Preseason ranking: The Flyers continued their climb up the prospect rankings under GM Ron Hextall, with their depth and versatility as an organization earning them the No. 6 spot.
Prospect making the most progress: Oskar Lindblom, C/W, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
Lindblom is playing in a league in Sweden that isn’t easy on young players, and is putting up good numbers offensively, which is really impressive. Through 34 games, the 2014 fifth-rounder has 30 points, after putting up 25 all of last season in the same league. He has shown growth each season in that league, and the Flyers have noticed.
“He just does a lot of little things well,” said Flyers assistant GM Chris Pryor. “He’s good on the wall, he protects the puck, he plays the game the right way, he’s responsible. There’s no cheat in his game. He can play with good players, he has a net-front element and can go in the corners.”
He’s a tall, lean player who continues to get stronger and the reward is coming in more offensive production.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Robert Hagg, D, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
Hagg is one of those prospects whose name has been in the mix for years after the Flyers made him the No. 41 overall pick in 2013, and he’s now knocking on the door. He’s playing in his third AHL season and after two years as a minus player, is currently a plus-2.
The Flyers like the strides he’s made as a pro, and it won’t be long until he’s in the NHL.
“People don’t realize, Robert is still a young kid. He’s 22,” Pryor said. “I think he feels comfortable with playing the game here now and it shows. He’s made a big stride going forward. He’s playing with confidence. We’re very happy with the strides he’s taken so far.”
Hagg is not a flashy player and isn’t going to put up a ton of points, but defends well and can move pucks out of his own zone.
“He takes care of his own end,” Pryor said. “It’s taken Robert a little bit to find who he is. It does take time and he’s worked at it. Everything is coming together.”
Preseason ranking: Years of challenging for a Stanley Cup and moving picks to help make it happen led to a No. 27 ranking, which was actually an improvement over the last-place finish two years ago.
Prospect making the most progress: Kasper Bjorkqvist, RW, Providence College (NCAA)
The young Team Finland group had a disappointing finish at the world juniors, but the solid two-way play of Bjorkqvist caught the eye of the Penguins. He’s not a guy who is putting up crazy numbers in college, with three points in 15 games this season, but assistant GM Bill Guerin sees a young player who plays an NHL game.
“He’s not ultra talented but he has enough talent to make plays and score when he gets the opportunity. His hockey sense is really good,” Guerin said. “He’s a 200-foot player, he plays on the power play and kills penalties. Maybe he’s not lighting the world on fire but he has the attributes ... to be a solid NHLer for a long time.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Jake Guentzel, F, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Guentzel was just promoted to the NHL again, so his chance to become an impact player is right now. It’s his second NHL stint this season, and the Penguins were really impressed in how he produced when given the opportunity and then returned to the AHL and kept on producing. Sometimes players go into a funk after getting sent back down to the AHL, and Pittsburgh management saw none of that from Guentzel.
He’s second in the AHL in scoring this season, with 42 points in 33 games, and has three goals and two assists in six NHL games.
He was a third-round pick in 2013 and has overcome concerns about his size (5-foot-10) to produce as a pro.
“He’s what a lot of people would consider an undersized player but he has elite hockey sense,” Guerin said. “His compete level is very good. ... If you can play, you can play. If you have hockey sense and you compete, there’s a place for you in the league.”
Preseason ranking: Pronman wasn’t crazy about the pick of Lucas Johansen by the Capitals, contributing to the No. 26 overall ranking for an organization that has prided itself with drafting and development.
Prospect making the most progress: Jonas Siegenthaler, D, Zurich SC (NLA)
Siegenthaler had a rough go during training camp this year for the Capitals, in large part because of family concerns back home, where his dad was dealing with a health issue.
“He wanted to be there instead of here,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said.
Since then, the Capitals have been encouraged by his development. He had a big performance in the world juniors, where he scored six points in five games for Switzerland, showing that he could contribute on the power play.
“He has size, strength and the ability to defend,” MacLellan said. “He’s a good net-front presence, stops the cycle and makes a good first pass. He can play against good players and also move the puck. He has enough size (6-foot-3) and strength to do all that.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: F Jakub Vrana, Hershey Bears (AHL)
This is the second consecutive year Vrana has been in this spot. Since last year, he’s played 12 NHL games to go with his experience in the AHL, and scored his first NHL goal. His production in the AHL continues to be at a nearly point-per-game pace, and the 20-year-old Czech Republic native is close to taking the next step in his development.
He’s producing offensively, once he finds consistency in his play away from the puck, he’ll have a regular place in Barry Trotz’s lineup.
“It’s about making the right reads defensively when you don’t have [the puck],” MacLellan said. “It’s playing good along the wall in your own end. He has the speed, he has the shot, he has everything else on that side of it. It’s getting more responsible and not giving it back the other way.”