As part of our Prospect Week at ESPN Insider, we’re breaking down the progress of each team’s prospects, highlighting the player making the most progress and the prospect closest to making an impact at the NHL level. Tuesday's edition focused on the eight teams of the Metropolitan Division.
Here are the thoughts from scouts, GMs and executives on the Pacific Division’s best prospects:
Preseason ranking: The Ducks have been sliding down Corey Pronman’s annual organization rankings as some of the young players have graduated to the NHL level. This year, the Ducks checked in at No. 22, with the additions of Max Jones and Sam Steel in the draft viewed positively.
Prospect making the most progress: Troy Terry, C/W, University of Denver (NCAA)
Terry has now joined T.J. Oshie as American hockey players making names for themselves with incredible shootout moments on the international stage. He helped lift Team USA to world junior championship gold, highlighting his progress as a player since the Ducks grabbed him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.
“Troy has taken huge strides in his development as a player," said Ducks director of player development Todd Marchant. "It was evident at the world juniors this year. If you really watched that team and that tournament, he got better and better as each game went along.
"The more confidence he’s playing with, the more he can make plays out of nothing. He makes plays in tight. He’s not afraid to take the puck inside. ... You can see his vision and poise on the power play.”
The Ducks want to see Terry get stronger but love his skill level and hockey sense. His production wasn’t just for Team USA. In his second season in Denver, he has 22 points in 20 games.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Jacob Larsson, D, Frolunda HC (SHL)
Larsson got a little taste of the NHL this season and is currently playing in Sweden, where he has three points in 14 games. The Ducks believe he’s close to being an NHL player and like what they saw in his brief NHL time this season.
“You could see the hockey sense; you could see that he was starting to adapt to some of what he learned in the NHL this year,” Marchant said. “He’s such a smooth skater with great vision, and he moves the puck well. He makes people around him better, that’s a great quality to have.”
He’s a defenseman who can play in any situation, as evidenced by his heavy usage for Sweden in the world juniors.
Preseason ranking: It’s been a rough go this season for the Coyotes, but this system is loaded with young talent, including Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, which pushed the Coyotes to No. 2 overall.
Prospect making the most progress: Clayton Keller, C, Boston University (NCAA)
Things are going just about as well as they could for Keller since the Coyotes grabbed him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He’s putting up big numbers for Boston University, where he has eight goals in 13 games as a freshman. He was one of the best players for Team USA during its run to a gold medal during the world juniors.
Keller led the Americans with 11 points in seven games and was a shooting machine, finishing the tournament with 28 shots on goal.
He’s going to be really good for the Coyotes.
“He was one of the youngest players in the draft, and he’s grown leaps and bounds in terms of his maturity,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said. “His game is coming along as much as we’d hoped and expected. He’s been put in the discussion for our roster for next year.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Dylan Strome, C, Erie Otters (OHL)
Strome is doing exactly what the Coyotes hoped when they returned him to junior hockey, putting up 24 points in 11 games for the Otters.
In the world juniors, he captained Team Canada and played for a gold medal, finishing with 10 points in seven games. The Coyotes have the points leader for both Team Canada and Team USA from that tournament in their system.
“Going back down, he’s been the dominant 200-foot player we wanted him to be,” Chayka said. “When you draft a player third overall, you don’t just want a one-trick pony. You want a 200-foot player with leadership attributes who can make an impact on the organization for a long time. His development is on path to be an elite No. 1 center.”
Preseason ranking: Matthew Tkachuk provided the high-end talent in a system that had enough depth to finish No. 9 overall.
Prospect making the most progress: Tyler Parsons, G, London Knights (OHL)
Parsons is piling up big-game experience while developing as a goalie prospect for the Flames, playing for a Memorial Cup last year and then helping Team USA win gold at the world juniors. That’s as big a stage as a 19-year-old goalie can compete upon, and it’s invaluable for his development.
He was the No. 54 overall pick in the 2016 draft and the second goalie taken. So far, the Flames like what they have in Parsons.
“His compete level, quickness, he’s a little unorthodox, but he never gives up on plays. You think he’s going to get scored on, and out of nowhere he makes a save,” said Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy.
He’s not your prototypical NHL goalie in terms of size -- where goalies all seem to be in the 6-foot-4 to 6-6 range all of a sudden -- but at 6-1, size isn’t a concern for the Flames.
“He’s not huge, but he’s competitive and quick and reads plays really well and battles to find pucks,” Conroy said.
In 18 games this season with London, Parsons has a 12-2-2 record and .920 save percentage.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Mark Jankowski, C, Stockton Heat (AHL)
Few prospects have had to deal with the scrutiny that Jankowski has dealt with since the Flames went off the board to grab him with the No. 21 overall pick in 2012, but nearly five years later, he’s closing in on his NHL opportunity. After four seasons at Providence, the 6-4 Jankowski is putting in his first full season in the AHL, and the numbers are strong. He has 25 points in 31 games for the Heat, and during a recent visit to see Stockton play, Conroy saw a player who might have been the best forward on the ice.
“I walked out thinking, we have a player here,” Conroy said. “His overall game is getting better and better each game. ... He’s tall, he’s got smooth hands, he’s got skill, and he’s almost at a point per game in the American League.”
The Flames liked his training camp and the fact that he was willing to continue his development in the AHL rather than burn a year on his contract by forcing the Flames' hand to play him in the NHL.
Calgary always knew it was going to be a process with Jankowski, and the payoff may be coming soon.
“He’s put himself in the mix,” Conroy said.
Preseason ranking: The addition of Jesse Puljujarvi kept the Oilers in the top 10 at No. 8, and their organizational depth continues to get better.
Prospect making the most progress: Tyler Benson, LW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
The Oilers grabbed Benson with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2016 draft, and his production has taken off in the WHL. After putting up 28 points in 30 games during his injury-shortened draft season, he already has racked up 42 points in 33 games this season.
“Last year, he probably didn’t play a game where he was even 90 percent,” said Oilers director of player personnel Bob Green. “He’s had a good year, and it’s taken him half a year to feel comfortable.”
The Oilers are also excited about the development of center Aapeli Rasanen, taken in the sixth round last year. He’s been productive in the USHL with 16 points in 20 games, and he moved up the depth chart for Finland during the world juniors. He’s a strong defensive player who is starting to round out his game.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Jujhar Khaira, C, Edmonton Oilers
Khaira is just now getting his shot in the NHL after developing his game in the AHL, where he had 18 points in 24 games for the Bakersfield Condors. He’s already registered his first NHL goal, and what started off as a reward for strong play in the AHL could develop into more.
“He’s big and strong, and he can skate,” Green said. “We’ve been pushing him to work on his skill and make good, solid plays with the puck. He’s done that in the American Hockey League, and it’s started to translate to more production now.”
The coaches in Bakersfield spoke highly of his development this season, which helped lead to his promotion.
“We want to give him an opportunity to see where he’s at,” Green said.
Preseason ranking: Trying to win Stanley Cups at the cost of trading away prospects and first-round picks resulted in a drop in prospect ranking to No. 29.
Prospect making the most progress: Kale Clague, D, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
For the second consecutive draft, the Kings didn’t have a first-round pick, but the early returns on their first pick in the 2016 draft have been strong, and it’s a good thing for the Kings, since organizational depth on defense is a real need.
“He’s one of those millennial puck movers -- he defends well because he skates so well,” said Kings director of player personnel Mike Futa.
Clague’s offensive production has taken a step forward this season to where he’s playing near a point-per-game pace with 23 points in 27 games.
“His play with the puck makes him a natural guy for the power play. He has to work on his shot, but he has a good shot. It can be stronger,” Futa said. “He kills penalties, he’s the first over the boards on the power play and is one of the key guys at such a good program.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Paul LaDue, D, Ontario Reign (AHL)
After drafting LaDue in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, the Kings put on a full-court press to make sure he signed with them after three years at North Dakota, rather than becoming a college free agent.
In April, they signed him to a one-year entry-level contract and have liked his progress as a first-year pro with the Reign. He has 15 points in 30 games, and Futa called him a sponge in terms of implementing the developmental instruction he receives from the Kings.
LaDue had a strong training camp and got heavy exhibition minutes from Darryl Sutter before leaving for the AHL. It likely won’t be a long AHL stay for the 24-year-old North Dakota native.
“He’s an elite skater,” Futa said. “There’s no fear when he goes back for pucks and retrievals. He plays with bite. ... He makes plays and he defends. It is all fueled by his competitive nature.”
Preseason ranking: The lack of depth behind Timo Meier, Jeremy Roy and Nikolay Goldobin dropped the Sharks from No. 19 to No. 24.
Prospect making the most progress: Dylan Gambrell, C, University of Denver (NCAA)
After sending their first-round pick to the Bruins for Martin Jones, the Sharks didn’t pick until No. 60 overall in the 2016 draft, and are happy with the player they grabbed in that spot in Gambrell. He’s been productive for DU, where he has 21 points in 19 games after finishing last season with 47 points in 41 games.
“He’s got a real good shot,” said Sharks director of scouting Tim Burke. “He’s a playmaker, but he’s also defensive conscious, too.”
He’s overcome an early-season injury, and the Sharks really like how well-rounded his game already is early on in his college career.
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Nikolay Goldobin, LW, San Jose Barracuda (AHL)
This is year No. 2 in this spot for Goldobin, who continues to wait for his extended NHL shot. After scoring 21 goals in the AHL last season, he has 25 points in 32 games this season, and the 21-year-old Russian prospect is just about ready for prime time.
“He’s probably ready to come up right now,” Burke said, pointing out that a rookie-heavy forward group might be working against him in San Jose. “We’re going to need him in the lineup; we’ll need his offense.”
Burke noted Goldobin’s improved overall game, especially defensively. The Sharks have noticed that he’s also around the net more this season.
“We didn’t want to put him up right away,” Burke said of the 2014 first-round pick. “We wanted him to earn it, and he has.”
Preseason ranking: GM Jim Benning has progressed in adding young talent to the organization, with defenseman Olli Juolevi helping the Canucks finish No. 13 overall.
Prospect making the most progress: William Lockwood, RW, University of Michigan (NCAA)
Lockwood didn’t put up big numbers while playing for the U.S. national development team, but the Canucks saw a player with speed and a good shot along with more offensive upside than he was showing and grabbed him in the third round of the 2016 draft. Since then, his offensive game has started to come alive at the University of Michigan, where he has 13 points in 18 games, including seven goals.
“Going to U of M and playing higher up the lineup, he’s got his confidence, skill-wise," Benning said. "He’s been a guy that has caught our eye that’s going to be a prototypical, new-style NHL player. He has courage to get to the net, he’s got speed to get in on the forecheck and get into the hard areas and back pressure. He comes back hard, and his details of the game are real good.”
Prospect closest to making an NHL impact: Jordan Subban, D, Utica Comets (AHL)
The younger brother of P.K. Subban and Malcolm Subban, Jordan slipped to the fourth round of the 2013 draft in large part because of his size, but his 5-9 frame hasn’t prevented him from putting up points in the AHL. He already has nine goals this season in 33 games, and should blow past last season’s point total of 36 points without too much trouble.
Like most young defensemen with strong offensive instincts, his game needs to work in terms of how to defend at the pro level, but the Canucks are pleased with his progress so far.
“He can really shoot the puck from the point. He can walk the line; he gets his shots through from the point,” Benning said. “He’s gotten physically stronger. You see these type of players now all around the league that aren’t big guys, but they’re good skaters, they can transition the puck and they’re good on the power play. He’s that type of player.”