With the exception of those still playing in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs and CHL's Memorial Cup, the season is over for most NHL prospects. It's time to dole out some recognition to the prospects who had exceptional campaigns among their peers. This isn't necessarily to name the best prospect in the game or who has the best professional projection, but rather recognize the merits of this past season with an eye to what it means for the future.
There were a lot of worthy candidates who earned runner-up status, but my "Prospect of the Year" is without a doubt Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.
The 2018-19 season was owned by Makar in the prospect world. The 20-year-old ascended to the top of our midseason top 50 ranking of NHL-affiliated prospects, and the rest of the season continually strengthened that designation. When the Avalanche were in the middle of a tough opening-round series with the Calgary Flames, they did not hesitate to drop Makar into the lineup. And he looked like he'd been with the team all season.
Makar is just a special player. There are few defensemen in the NHL today who skate as fast as he can end-to-end while making plays at top speed and who can play a very well-rounded game. During the 2017-18 season, Makar showed flashes of his special ability. But he wasn't consistent, his defense was closer to average and he clearly needed to get physically stronger. Makar helped Canada win gold at the World Junior Championship in 2018, but was a seventh defenseman with limited ice time (despite being on the top power play). He had eight points in seven games, but there was more for him to tap into.
Makar knew he wasn't ready for the big time when his freshman campaign ended, so he opted to stay in school and master the level he was at. The decision paid off.
The Calgary native absolutely dominated the NCAA, tallying 16 goals and 33 assists in 41 games while guiding the Minutemen to the national championship game and the best season in school history by a country mile. His 49 points was just one shy of tying for the national scoring lead and marked the highest total for a defenseman in the NCAA since 2010-11. He earned the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player, becoming just the fourth sophomore and seventh defenseman to earn the college game's highest individual honor. He was the only logical choice based on the way he led UMass to unprecedented heights.
He was inserted into the lineup in Game 3 of the Avs' first-round series. He played 14:19 and managed to score his first NHL goal which stood up as the Game winner. The Avs won each of Makar's first three games, with the blueliner earning an assist in the clinching game in his hometown against the team he grew up cheering for. He'd finish the playoffs as Colorado's second-most productive defenseman with six points while averaging 17:22 of ice time. He's a top-four option immediately next season and should be high on a lot of people's Calder Trophy watch lists.
There were times this season when I wondered if it was at least possible we were overhyping Makar. But as the season progressed, it was clear what he was doing was special in every regard. His early success with the Avs only strengthened any argument about his star potential.
So much about his game is elite. It all starts with the skating, but he also has a very good shot and incredible vision. He snaps pucks off quickly for passes and makes great reads. Defensively, he has vastly improved as he always keeps good gaps, closes on forwards quickly and is a dynamo at puck retrievals and zone exits. Makar has the ability to be physical, but he keeps that area of his game simple. Everything is about getting the puck and getting it up the ice as quickly as possible. Few have done it better outside of the NHL than he has.
If he continues on this development arc, he is going to have a long and successful career, and the Avalanche will have a franchise defenseman for years to come.
RUNNERS-UP
Emil Bemstrom, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets
47 games | 23 goals | 12 assists
Selected at 117th overall in 2017, Bemstrom was very, very under the radar coming into the season. But the 19-year-old would score 23 goals -- one fewer than Elias Pettersson scored a year prior and tied for the third-most scored by a U20 player in Swedish Hockey League history. Bemstrom was also a top performer at the World Junior Championship and during the SHL playoffs, where he helped Djurgardens reach the final. With good skating ability and a terrific shot, Bemstrom should be able to compete for an NHL spot next season, as he just signed his entry-level deal with Columbus.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Buffalo Sabres
53 games | 38 wins | .920 Sv% | 2.50 GAA | 6 shutouts
Finland native Luukkonen was nothing short of dominant for Sudbury in what will likely be his only OHL season. UPL also dominated the World Junior Championship, backstopping Finland to gold with a .932 save percentage while earning a tournament all-star nod. He's a massive goalie at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, but he is also very explosive. Offseason hip surgery may slow his progress, but the 20-year-old looks like he could be an impact goalie in the NHL in the relatively near future.
Nick Suzuki, C/W, Montreal Canadiens
59 games | 34 goals | 60 assists
After being part of the Max Pacioretty trade this summer, Suzuki also got traded during the OHL season, going from Owen Sound to the Guelph Storm. Between the two teams, the 19-year-old put together a spectacular season, registering 94 points. Suzuki led the OHL playoffs with 42 points -- averaging 1.75 points per game -- on the way to winning both the league title and playoff MVP award. With elite vision and playmaking abilities, Suzuki is on track to help the Habs sooner rather than later.
Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders
56 games | 15 goals | 37 assists
As good as Dobson was last year, he's been better in his draft-plus-one season. After being traded from defending QMJHL and Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst, Dobson helped Rouyn-Noranda earn the league title in 2018-19 with a strong 52-point season. And he was even better in the playoffs, finishing tied for third in postseason scoring with 29 points in 20 games and being named the playoffs' MVP. The 19-year-old is already such a high-end defender, but he's adding more and more dynamic elements to his offensive game, which suggests a greater long-term upside as a true two-way blueliner.
Kirill Kaprizov, RW, Minnesota Wild
57 games | 30 goals | 21 assists
Kaprizov is the youngest player in KHL history to lead the KHL in goal scoring (30 goals), helped lead CSKA to the Gagarin Cup with 14 points in the postseason and is now one of the youngest players representing Russia at the Men's World Championship at 22 years old. It will still be a little while before the Wild see him in the NHL as he remains under KHL contract, but there's no questioning that he continues to get better with each passing year.