With the NHL season around the corner, teams are evaluating what they have from a prospect standpoint. Here's a look at each Central Division team's prospect pool heading into the 2018-19 NHL season, including the top players in the system.
Some ground rules:
• Players listed as "A" prospects project more comfortably into impact roles -- that is, players who will fit into top scoring lines or top-four defenses and goalies with starter potential. "B" prospects are players who project comfortably as everyday NHL players but don't project as comfortably to make a big impact. That's not to say the B prospects can't develop into larger roles in the future; it's just what I see for them for right now.
• Players not listed simply didn't meet the very high threshold set by the A and B parameters. That doesn't mean I don't think they'll make it or that they can't develop into better prospects. I just set a high bar for the players included in this section.
• Players are considered prospects until they've lost rookie status (using the Calder Trophy eligibility threshold).
• I also have listed one prospect for each team who I think is most likely to help the NHL roster this season, along with one "breakout prospect" who I think could take the biggest step forward this season in his development.
Here's a peak at the Central Division.
Atlantic
| Metropolitan | Pacific
Chicago Blackhawks
A prospects: Adam Boqvist and Henri Jokiharju
B prospects: Dylan Sikura, Jake Wise, Niklas Nordgren, Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell, Victor Ejdsell and Artur Kayumov
The Blackhawks are in an unfamiliar position, coming off of a season in which they missed the playoffs and had a chance to draft inside the top 10 for the first time since selecting Patrick Kane first in 2007. They also compiled extra draft picks, including Nashville's first, and started doing some patchwork on a prospect system that had thinned out quite a bit. As a result, the pool is deeper and better than it was a year ago.
Boqvist is the new No. 1 prospect in the system, boasting a high ceiling as a talented offensive-minded defenseman. He is headed to the OHL this year to play for the London Knights and must get used to the North American style of game, which Boqvist has admitted had been a tough adjustment for him. Meanwhile, the Hawks have another promising blueliner in Jokiharju, who could push for a roster spot this season after some solid development time with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. The defensive pipeline also includes another puck-mover in Beaudin and the underrated Mitchell, who has progressed remarkably over the past year at Denver. That's a pretty strong quartet at a position of need for Chicago.
Up front and in net there is far less to write home about, which is less concerning with the emergence of Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat. As of now, the most promising forward up front looks like Dylan Sikura, who was among college hockey's most productive players over the past two years. There are others who could have a chance to filter in over the next few years, like big-bodied scorer Victor Ejdsell, speedy Jake Wise, undersized scorer Nordgren, talented Russians Kayumov and Andrei Altybarmakyan, as well as AHL ace Matthew Highmore.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Victor Ejdsell
2018-19 breakout prospect: Andrei Altybarmakyan
Colorado Avalanche
A prospects: Cale Makar and Conor Timmins
B prospects: Martin Kaut, Vladislav Kamenev, Sampo Ranta, Shane Bowers and Ty Lewis
The Avalanche's blue line of the future looks pretty strong with the especially skilled Makar and high-end, two-way defender Timmins in the fold. They might not provide immediate help -- Makar is returning for a second collegiate season at UMass, and Timmins has dealt with concussion symptoms all summer -- but they both have top-four potential. Beyond them, the Avs' pipeline lacks depth, but it's getting better.
Having acquired both Bowers and Kamenev when they traded away Matt Duchene, the Avs' farm system got a nice boost in the center department. The question is if either will manage to break into a more established role down the middle or on the wing. The team also landed versatile winger Kaut in the first round of the 2018 draft. While they picked him earlier than I would have, he showcased some solid playmaking skills in a strong draft season, suggesting he could be a good middle-six winger down the line.
The Avs have a group of young players contributing at the NHL level already, which is great for their future. There's still a fair amount of building that needs to be done in their farm system to continue filtering players to the NHL level to support their younger core, but it's in far better shape than it was heading into last season.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Conor Timmins
2018-19 breakout prospect: Sampo Ranta
Dallas Stars
A prospect: Miro Heiskanen
B prospects: Ty Dellandrea, Albin Eriksson, Jason Robertson, Colton Point and Jake Oettinger
According to reports, the Stars were completely unwilling to part with Heiskanen in a potential trade that could net them Erik Karlsson. Whether you agree with that strategy, it shows just how high the hopes are for Heiskanen. Outside of Rasmus Dahlin, he's the best defensive prospect not currently in the NHL. He was a top-pairing defenseman in the Finnish league at 18, played big minutes at the Olympics, and he was a big contributor to Finland's World Championship team. He is very much the real deal, and he could be the team's future No. 1. That's a big piece to have in your system, no matter what.
Outside of Heiskanen, there might not be as many legitimate star prospects, but there are some pretty good ones. Last year's first-rounder Dellandrea went way earlier than most anticipated, but he's a really strong prospect who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. The Stars have a pair of really intriguing goalies in Point and Oettinger, who were strong performers in the NCAA last season. Point is headed to the AHL this year, while Oettinger is back for another year at Boston University. Patience will be required with both, but having two quality goalie prospects is tough to achieve.
Meanwhile, there are several other players in the system that boast good upside with plenty of development work ahead of them, including Robertson, Eriksson, Adam Mascherin, Denis Guryanov and Riley Tufte, the latter two of whom are first-round picks who need to show much more this season than they have in the past few years.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Miro Heiskanen
2018-19 breakout prospect: Jake Oettinger
Minnesota Wild
A prospect: Kirill Kaprizov
B prospects: Jordan Greenway, Louie Belpedio, Luke Kunin, Simon Johansson, Filip Johansson and Dmitri Sokolov
There isn't much by way of depth in the Wild's prospect system right now, and I didn't love their first draft under new general manager Paul Fenton, who has a tremendous draft record over his career as Nashville's assistant GM. That said, the Wild have one of the very best players not presently in the NHL with Kaprizov. The sooner they can get him to report the better, but plenty of uncertainty remains with when -- if ever -- the KHL sniper will sign with Wild.
Beyond that, there is a lot of intrigue. Greenway did a nice job in his brief time with the Wild at the end of last season and also managed to be one of three NCAA players to play for Team USA at the Olympics. His big frame and strength could make him a force down the line. Kunin, the team's first-rounder in 2016, had a serious injury last year that sets him back a bit developmentally, but he still has good middle-six potential. Belpedio is a solid two-way defenseman with a strong work ethic, which could prove helpful for Minnesota's blue-line depth.
On the back end, the team also selected Filip Johansson in the first round this year -- and I wasn't a huge fan of the pick. Having seen Johansson again this summer, he looked better than in previous viewings, but he's a guy who I think they'll be waiting on for at least a few years. The same goes for Simon Johansson (no relation). To me, there are just a few too many question marks for a prospect system that might need to be tapped into sooner than later, as the Wild figure out where exactly they're going next as an organization. Despite my being down on Minnesota's 2018 draft, Fenton is a pretty good option as a builder to start making this prospect system a bigger factor in the team's future.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Jordan Greenway
2018-19 breakout prospect: Dmitri Sokolov
Nashville Predators
A prospect: Eeli Tolvanen
B prospect: Dante Fabbro
With the NHL club contending for the Stanley Cup, the Predators' prospect pool has thinned out in a significant way. Prospects were part of trades for both Kyle Turris and Ryan Hartman that took away some of the more promising individuals in a farm system that has routinely produced talent for the NHL roster.
While the Preds lost several pieces, they didn't lose either of their top two prospects, with Tolvanen looking like he has the potential to be a top-six scoring winger after a brilliant post-draft season in the KHL in 2017-18. The team also continues to have high hopes for former first-rounder Fabbro, who opted to return to Boston University for another year, with little room on the Preds' blue line presently. While there aren't a ton of easily projected B prospects in the mix, the next tier has enough players with upside that patience and good development can still bring out their best. Players such as Yakov Trenin, Patrick Harper, Spencer Stastney, Vladislav Yeryomenko, David Farrance, Jachym Kondelik and Jack Dougherty still have plenty to prove and could round out nicely over the next few years.
While the Preds' system is especially shallow right now, they don't have much need for prospect depth, with several core players locked up long term and the team putting forth a serious push for the franchise's first title. They can afford to be especially patient with their prospects these days.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Eeli Tolvanen
2018-19 breakout prospect: Yakov Trenin
St. Louis Blues
A prospects: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Klim Kostin
B prospects: Dominik Bokk, Ville Husso, Scott Perunovich and Nolan Stevens
The Blues recently promoted head scout Bill Armstrong to assistant GM, but they made sure he'll still be running the team's scouting department. It's what he does best, and he's been on a roll lately with what the Blues are putting together. Despite the fact that St. Louis still has a roster that can compete in the tough Central Division, it has stocked the cupboard full of high-quality prospects that could filter into major roles in the very near future.
At the top of the system, Thomas and Kyrou have been dominant offensive players in the junior ranks. Kyrou has high-end puck skills and creativity, while Thomas has an advanced hockey IQ and elite vision. Both should figure into the NHL plans sooner than later, and I wouldn't be shocked to see either make an immediate impact once they get there. But there's more to this system than those two elites.
Kostin has tremendous upside and already has a North American pro season under his belt, having played for San Antonio last year as an 18-year-old. Bokk is another creative, shifty forward who is likely heading back to play for defending Swedish league champion Vaxjo with a more established role on the pro roster. On top of that strong talent up front, the team has a top-end goaltending prospect in Husso, who impressed in a major way at the AHL level last season and gives the club a good insurance policy for Jake Allen in the long term. The blue line is a little thinner, but there remains some intriguing potential there with players such as Jake Walman and Perunovich, who have some good offensive instincts.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Jordan Kyrou
2018-19 breakout prospect: Jake Walman
Winnipeg Jets
A prospect: Kristian Vesalainen
B prospects: Mason Appleton, Dylan Samberg, Sami Niku, Tucker Poolman, Kristian Rychel and David Gustafsson
Most of Winnipeg's recent top draft picks already have made the NHL roster, so it's hard to maintain a strong prospect system. That said, the Jets still have some really interesting options below the NHL level and players who have really taken off over the past year. Appleton is a prime example, as he was a top performer in the AHL after two fair college seasons. Samberg, who made the U.S. National Junior Team and helped Minnesota Duluth win a national championship last year, was another breakout performer.
At the top of the team's system, however, is 2017 first-round pick Vesalainen. He's a heady player who has good enough skill and a commitment to playing at both ends of the ice. On top of that, he has a big, strong frame and looks like another gem of a draft pick for a team that doesn't miss a whole lot. On the back end, there is plenty of intrigue. The aforementioned Samberg is taking significant steps forward, while former first-rounder Logan Stanley has been treading water a bit. Stanley still has time to keep developing, but it's looking like his ceiling lands him as a bottom-pairing guy long term. Meanwhile, there is Poolman -- who just barely retains prospect eligibility -- and Niku, both of whom have shown at the professional level that they might be ready for more responsibility and more established roles when they become available. Niku had a tremendous AHL season last year, his first in North America.
The Jets are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, which makes the fact that they still have some good filler in their prospect system even more impressive. This team's commitment to the draft has paid off in ways most teams can only dream of.
2018-19 NHL-level impact prospect: Sami Niku
2018-19 breakout prospect: David Gustafsson