The Metropolitan has continually been one of the NHL's most competitive divisions. Home to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion and the past three Presidents' Trophy winners, most of the Metro teams are geared up for now as opposed to the future. That makes for some lighter prospect pools.
Despite that, there are still some exciting prospects within. Continuing our series of early progress reports for each team's prospect pipeline, here's a look at what the Metropolitan has to offer, including our way-too-early 2018-19 watch for players who can make an impact a year from now.
If you missed our run through the Atlantic, click here.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have so many young players on their NHL roster, you'd think they'd be running out of prospects. While there are only a few higher-end futures in the pipeline presently, with Jake Bean and Martin Necas possessing the highest upside, there is still some solid depth to provide Carolina some flexibility down the line.
Bean is the blue-chipper of the group as he'll play for Canada at the World Juniors and is having another great season in the WHL, but there are a few other players taking big steps in that league this season. Stelio Mattheos, a third-rounder in 2017, is averaging nearly 1.5 points per game for the Brandon Wheat Kings, a big step forward from his previous WHL season. Hudson Elynuik, another third-rounder, is also having a big season for Spokane. Over in Europe, Necas has been performing well since being sent back to Brno in the Czech league. He should be a prominent forward for the Czech World Junior team as well. Over in the OHL, Jeremy Helvig has been a bit of a surprise, as he's one of the top goaltenders, with a .920 save percentage.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have done a nice job of building an AHL pipeline that continues to help players reach the NHL. The Charlotte Checkers are a top-10 team in the AHL right now, while keeping their roster young. First-year pro Warren Foegele has been excellent with 12 goals, tied for most among AHL rookies, in 17 games. Additionally, Janne Kuokkonen is one of only seven players under 20 in the AHL this season, and is tied for the lead among players in that age bracket with 12 points in 14 games. He'll get a break from the pros to join a strong Finland roster for the World Juniors. There is still a lot of NHL-caliber upside in the minors with Nicolas Roy, Lucas Wallmark, Alex Nedeljkovic and Aleksi Saarela among the most promising.
2018-19 watch:
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus is already getting big contributions from young players, with Pierre-Luc Dubois graduating from prospect status, and others like Gabriel Carlsson and Sonny Milano looking like they'll have a chance to do that this season. That will take a bit from the depth of their system, but you never mind that if the players are making your own NHL roster.
In the junior ranks, Vitaly Abramov is having a strong season even after being traded from Gatineau to Victoriaville in the QMJHL. He is averaging 1.54 points per game and should figure prominently into Russia's plans at the World Juniors. The Jackets also added to their system by signing Halifax captain Maxime Fortier, who is lighting it up in his final junior season, with 38 points in 28 games. Another player to potentially watch at the WJC is Andrew Peeke, who made Team USA's camp amid a strong sophomore season for Notre Dame, which has been one of college hockey's best teams. Meanwhile, in the OHL, Kole Sherwood has been playing especially well for the Kitchener Rangers.
At the AHL level, things aren't going as well. The Cleveland Monsters are struggling with 18 points through 19 games. On the bright side, Paul Bittner appears to be taking a step forward in his development after taking a break from hockey last season, which is promising. He's a big winger that was a big scorer in junior. Goalie Matiss Kivlenieks might be the most intriguing player on the roster there, as he made the rare jump from USHL to the pros after signing as a free agent. There's a lot of work to be done there with him, but he's getting good reps at a tough level of hockey at age 21.
2018-19 watch: While he's getting some opportunities this season, pencil in Gabriel Carlsson for a more substantial role in 2018-19. There should be enough roster movement this offseason when Carlsson is more likely to establish himself in the lineup. Keep in mind, this is his first full season in North America and will still have two years left on his entry-level deal after this one. Once the Jackets get healthy, they can make sure Carlsson is getting more substantial reps in the AHL to prepare for a bigger role in the near future.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils have been fun to watch this season thanks to the influx of young talent on their roster. There is still some pretty solid depth behind that group of youngsters. Michael McLeod is the top prospect outside of the NHL presently, and is in the right place after recovering from injury. He's averaging a point per game in the OHL and will be a big part of Canada's World Junior team.
There are several players in Europe that will remain worth watching. I had a chance to see Mikhail Maltsev at the Canada-Russia series this year, and he was a persistent offensive threat. He has bounced around leagues in Russia, but I expect him to play a substantial role for the Russian World Junior team. 20-year-old defenseman Yegor Rykov has been getting a big opportunity with SKA St. Petersburg, which has been one of the top clubs in the KHL this season. Jesper Boqvist has been hurt a lot of the season, but should be relied on by Sweden at the World Juniors. Meanwhile, Aarne Talvitie did not make Finland's WJC camp, but is ripping up the Finnish Junior A ranks in preparation for his coming to North America to play for Penn State next season.
Bringing it back to this side of the pond, the Devils have a few high-performing players in the college and junior ranks, particularly among defensemen. Colby Sissons is having a nice campaign in the WHL, production-wise. Jeremy Davies has been particularly strong for Northeastern University, where he is averaging nearly a point per game. Harvard freshman blueliner Reilly Walsh earned an invite to Team USA's WJC camp after a strong showing through 10 games. Meanwhile, in the AHL, John Quenneville has produced at a solid clip through 11 games.
2018-19 watch: McLeod seems poised to be the next young Devils forward to make an impact at the NHL level. Getting hurt in training camp was a bit of tough luck, but it gives McLeod a chance to refine his game at the junior level. There is some good talent in Mississauga, with McLeod's younger brother Ryan and Owen Tippett, who was recently returned to the junior ranks by Florida, in their forward group. Getting to play in a second World Juniors should be valuable experience as well, as McLeod will likely play an even bigger role this time around.
New York Islanders
With the emergence of Mathew Barzal and Joshua Ho-Sang as impact players at the NHL level, the Islanders' system has graduated their top-tier prospects. That said, there's some good depth and a few emerging players that keep this pipeline decently stocked with future NHL talent.
Ilya Sorokin has been a high-performing goalie in the KHL over the past two seasons, and will be part of the team of Russians at the Olympics, if they decide to go as "Olympic Athletes of Russia" since their nation won't be recognized in Pyeongchang. If the Isles can ever get him to come over, one assumes he can take over the No. 1 job, but his KHL contract still has a few years left on it. In the AHL, Swedish defenseman Sebastian Aho has made an immediate impact in his first North American pro season, and is the league's top-scoring defensemen among rookies. Also on D, Devon Toews and Mitchell Vande Sompel have been bright spots. Meanwhile, 2014 No. 5 pick Michael Dal Colle is still trying to find his way with Bridgeport.
In the junior ranks, Kieffer Bellows has been scoring at a high rate for the Portland Winterhawks. He is expected to make Team USA after being part of the gold medal team last year. Additionally, the Isles may have an intriguing prospect in David Quenneville, who is averaging 1.22 points per game in the WHL as a defenseman. While he did not make Canada's WJC camp, he was very good in the games I saw at the Canada-Russia series this year. Speaking of World Juniors, Otto Koivula is likely to make the Finnish World Junior team amid a solid season with Ilves in Liiga play.
2018-19 watch: I'd bet the Isles would love to get Sorokin over here now, but since that's not happening, Aho is a pretty interesting option. Assuming he continues this level of play in the AHL, Aho could make a good enough case for the Isles to let some of their pending free agent defensemen walk. The AHL is a tough league for a young defenseman, but Aho has made the transition look easy. He's probably already a strong recall option if the Isles run into injury trouble.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have started getting their prospect pipeline restocked after years of slim pickings. There is still a ways to go, but having two first-rounders in last year's draft certainly helped a lot. Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil have started their seasons with strong showings in the Swedish Hockey League and AHL, respectively. Chytil has been a bit of a surprise, making the Rangers out of camp and then continuing to produce at the AHL level despite his youth. Meanwhile, Andersson is showing progress from his draft season in the Swedish league, posting 13 points in 20 games so far. Both are expected to represent their respective nations at the World Juniors.
Outside of the top two, there's still top goaltending prospect Igor Shestyorkin, who has been downright dominant in the KHL this season. He's only 21 and still under contract in Russia, so it may be a little while before we see him in the NHL. Also on the goaltending front is Adam Huska at UConn. He's had a few tough games this season, but has been mostly good for the Huskies, and is seeing a lot of pucks in his second collegiate season.
The Rangers also have a few prospects to watch in the junior ranks. Tim Gettinger is still a pretty raw player, but you have to like his size and overall upside as he is having a nice season in the OHL. Defenseman Sean Day, who is a bit of a wild card still in terms of what he'll be, is producing at a decent rate for the Windsor Spitfires. Meanwhile, 2016 seventh-rounder Ty Ronning is really lighting up the WHL, with 27 goals in 30 games for the Vancouver Giants. I'm still not sure about his NHL upside, but he's putting himself in a good position right now.
Lastly, while the Hartford Wolf Pack is struggling in the standings, some prospects are getting valuable reps. Obviously, there's Chytil, but college free agent signing Vinni Lettieri has been a reliable producer and has some edge in his game. Meanwhile, Boo Nieves just earned a recall and others like Vince Pedrie, Ryan Gropp and Neal Pionk are among players that could figure into New York's plans a little further down the line.
2018-19 watch: I'm going to be particularly interested to see how Chytil does at the World Juniors this year. He should be a prominent player for what should be a competitive Czech team. Getting him against his own age group after playing so well against pros might be a nice measuring stick for where he's at right now. That said, I think the way he has progressed already from his draft season suggests he could be ready to make an NHL impact sooner than later.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have done a spectacular job drafting and developing talent. A number of young players are getting substantial NHL minutes already -- including the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, Nolan Patrick -- but there are still plenty of players in the system who could figure into the team's long-term plans.
Morgan Frost, the club's other first-round pick from 2017, has been a dominant scorer in the OHL this season, with 42 points in 27 games. Also in the OHL, Matthew Strome appears to be taking a big step forward in his development. At the college level, Cooper Marody and Tanner Laczynski have been among the Big Ten's most effective forwards, while Wade Allison has been exceptional for Western Michigan and is looking more and more like a good pro prospect. Swedish prospect Olle Lycksell is getting moved up to the Allsvenskan to try his hand at pro hockey at 18. Carter Hart has been one of the top goalies in all of junior hockey this season, and should be Canada's No. 1 at the World Juniors. He has a ridiculous .956 save percentage through 14 games, which is obviously great, but particularly so in the high-scoring WHL.
The Flyers also have a really strong roster in the AHL in terms of prospects. Danick Martel already earned one call-up and has registered 20 points in 20 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. College free-agent signee Mike Vecchione has been one of the top rookies in the league, with 20 points through 23 games. Lehigh Valley has also been a valuable training ground for Samuel Morin, who seems to be getting closer to where Philly needs him to be and has seen a little AHL time. Also, Philippe Myers, Mikhail Vorobyev and Oskar Lindblom are getting important reps as they remain higher-upside prospects at the minor-league level.
2018-19 watch: There may have been an expectation that Lindblom would be on the Flyers this season after playing so well in the Swedish league last season. He ended up getting cut and is still finding his way a bit this AHL season. That said, the upside is there for him to break into a scoring depth role on a more permanent basis by next season. To do that, he may need to pick up the scoring pace a bit more at the AHL level, but I like his chances.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The price of these past two Stanley Cups has been a badly weakened prospect pool. You have to be fine with that as a Penguins fan. It also helps that the team's No. 1 and No. 2 goalies are both under 24, and a younger player like Jake Guentzel continues establishing himself as an impact player on the NHL roster.
Below the NHL level, it's just not a terribly strong group. That said, Daniel Sprong is having a strong AHL season to this point, as is 23-year-old Dominik Simon. The Pens' most productive prospects are actually a pair of guys they didn't draft but signed as free agents, Jordan Bellerive and Sam Miletic. Each is producing more than 1.4 points per game in the WHL and OHL, respectively. Linus Ohlund is also another prospect to watch. This is his first full pro season in Sweden and there's certainly some skill there for him to make an impact at 20. USHL defenseman Clayton Phillips is having a pretty productive season as well. He'll be headed to the University of Minnesota next season.
2018-19 watch: The Penguins have benefited from being able to pull players from the AHL to fill gaps in their lineup over the last few years. While there are fewer options like that, one would have to expect Sprong to benefit from a full season in the AHL. He was great in the QMJHL last season, but he needs to be challenged -- and will be. He already has 10 goals in 19 games, so the offense is translating. Sprong just needs to continue rounding out his game and he could make it back to the NHL soon enough.
Washington Capitals
Washington's pipeline doesn't have a lot of high-end talent, especially with the graduation of Jakub Vrana and expected graduations of Christian Djoos and Madison Bowie from prospect status. That said, there are a number of players getting their first taste of pro hockey with the Hershey Bears this season in the AHL, so now the Caps have a little more control over those players' development and can start figuring out where they might fit in long term.
One of the players that came into the season with some fanfare was 2015 fifth-rounder Connor Hobbs. The 20-year-old defenseman hasn't played since early November with an injury, which makes things tough to gauge. He had two points in 10 games before being sidelined. One of the bright spots so far has been Lucas Johansen, who has 12 points from the blue line in his first professional season. The 2016 first-rounder -- Ryan Johansen's little brother -- still has to work on his overall game, but he's off to a good start with the Bears. Jonas Siegenthaler is another one to watch, as the 20-year-old Swiss blueliner plays his first full pro season in North America.
In Europe, top goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov has dealt with injury and some limited minutes in the KHL with Metallurg. That said, he remains a high-end prospect and it seems more likely he comes to the U.S. next season. Another European pro to know is Axel Jonsson Fjallby, who is showing signs of progression for Djugardens and was invited to Sweden's World Junior camp. Meanwhile, forward Damien Riat appears to be playing at a similar level to his breakout 2016-17 campaign in the Swiss league.
2018-19 watch: There is a fair amount of roster uncertainty for the Capitals going into next season. They don't necessarily have the depth in the prospect pool to comfortably pencil in anyone for 2018-19. Players like Johansen and Hobbs could still figure into the conversation for call-ups and/or sneak into a depth role as early as next season. Also, Samsonov has expressed his desire to compete for the backup job next season, should he come over.