The margins between simply reaching the NHL, staying in the NHL and truly becoming a long-term contributor is especially thin. There's a variety of factors at play that contribute to a player making it or not, from the salary cap to team structure.
But of course, the primary factor is the player himself. Teams will find a way if they think that player is the best option. In the end, as much as the team situation dictates a player's future, the player is the one who can ultimately make or break his career trajectory.
Each year, there are a series of prospects who are going to be under more pressure to take the next step forward. That doesn't necessarily mean making the NHL per se, but rather showing what they really can do and giving their current organizations more reasons to consider them for impact roles. Here are seven such players for the 2019-20 season.
Alexander Nylander, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Nylander was on this list last year, but his situation has drastically changed since that point. The former No. 8 overall pick was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Blackhawks for defenseman Henri Jokiharju. Nylander had not broken through with the Sabres and was in desperate need of a fresh start. And landing in Chicago may have been the perfect destination for him, as his father Michael played there.
This is the second year in a row the Blackhawks went out to find a former highly-regarded prospect who wasn't breaking through in his current organization. The lead on this very list last year was Dylan Strome, who was traded to the Blackhawks, reunited with former Erie Otters linemate Alex DeBrincat and had his breakout season with 51 points in 58 games with Chicago after the trade.
But Nylander is in a very different situation than his new teammate Strome, who played two extra seasons in junior before a sensational rookie season in the AHL. In a lot of ways, Strome's development -- while slower than others in his draft class -- better positioned him for his future. The same can't really be said for Nylander, who went straight to the AHL at 18 years old. With 20-20 hindsight, that may not have been the best thing for him, or for the Sabres.
Nylander played fine for his age in the AHL and had a great World Juniors in his draft-plus one season. The next season, however, he showed to almost no progression. In 2018-19, he got into a career-high 12 games with Buffalo and showed flashes of his NHL capabilities, posting two goals and two assists. Still, his lack of AHL production was a moderate concern. Over the years, there has also been a lot of discussion of Nylander's demeanor and his work ethic, too. He wasn't driving play in a meaningful way for a third-year AHL player, and there were times when he did not look especially engaged.
First-round picks do not move a ton. According to research from ESPN's Stats and Information, there were 22 first-round picks dating back to the 2006 NHL draft who were acquired by other teams before they made their NHL debut. Twelve of those players -- most notably Tuukka Rask, Ryan McDonagh and Filip Forsberg -- went on to become NHL regulars with varying degrees of success. Via data collected from Hockey Reference's NHL draft finder, among first-rounders who have appeared in at least one NHL game dating back to the '06 draft, 21 were traded after debuting with the team that drafted them but before their rookie status had expired. Ten of those players went on to become NHL regulars.
Looking through the names on that second list, a good result for the Blackhawks would be Nylander reaching a Brayden Schenn level of success. Schenn was similarly drafted high, traded before getting a chance to establish himself within the Los Angeles Kings organization and found a much better opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers. It still took Schenn a few years to find his NHL legs, and he was traded a year earlier than Nylander, but that was ultimately a positive result.
Nylander has been playing regularly with Jonathan Toews during the preseason, and Patrick Kane even played on his opposite wing in a few games. And he has not looked out of place playing alongside Chicago's more established players. If this is the way things are going to go with Nylander, the Blackhawks are setting him up for a pretty significant step forward in his career. There is no guarantee that Nylander can make this work long-term, but based on the position he's being put in, the blame will fall directly on his shoulders if it doesn't.
Eeli Tolvanen, RW, Nashville Predators
He's already been sent back to the AHL, which was not a surprise as the Preds have so many veterans to dress at forward, but the Tolvanen hype train has dwindled to more of a slow crawl at this point. That said, his situation is not make-the-NHL-or-bust. Tolvanen is only 20. This is all about how he needs to reestablish himself this season.
Tolvanen really looked like a draft-day steal, especially after performing at an incredibly high level in the KHL in his draft-plus-one season. He also dominated at the Olympics. Then last season rolled around, and his AHL production was well short of amazing. It's important to remember he was only 19 playing in one of the toughest leagues to score in for a player of any age, and he still had 35 points in 58 games. But given the way he played relative to his age peers in the KHL a season before, more was reasonably expected.
Tolvanen apparently got in much better shape this offseason, but he still needs to be quicker. Everything needs to be a bit faster for him to be able to produce at the rate he did overseas and as a pre-draft darling in the USHL. The Preds sending him down now allows Tolvanen a chance to prepare for the season ahead, regain his scoring touch and start fast. Nashville has a number of veteran contracts likely coming off the books next season, which should provide a rather soft landing spot for Tolvanen if he is unable to secure a longer-term call-up this year. So right now, this is viewed more as a building-block season as opposed to an arrival.
Kailer Yamamoto, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Yamamoto's last two years have been racked with injury, and that nine-game stint when he really wowed the Oilers in 2017-18 feels pretty long ago now. He has all of the tools to play within Edmonton's structure and desired pace, but there is real concern that the injuries have slowed his development and ultimate readiness for a spot on the big club. He still has two years left on his entry-level contract, so there is time, but if it means spending a good chunk of the season in the AHL and trying to become a more dominant player, that may not be the worst thing for the former first-rounder.
Olli Juolevi, D, Vancouver Canucks
Juolevi was on this list last year, too, but we're giving him a do-over since an injury limited him to just 18 games, over which he had 13 points for the Utica Comets in the AHL. It was a positive step in the right direction, but the former No. 5 overall pick remains under intense scrutiny. He is going to start the year in the AHL, as expected, but this entire year is essentially Juolevi's audition to show he deserves a spot in this Canucks' young core. How far away he is from being able to compete for a roster spot is still very much unknown, but once he's fully healthy and playing, the ticking clock is going to start sounding very loud.
Brendan Guhle, D, Anaheim Ducks
After being traded by the Sabres last season, Guhle handled himself pretty well in six games with the Ducks. He also landed in a place where there isn't a ton of competition to find a long-term spot on the blue line, so the door is wide open for the 22-year-old to establish himself as an NHL regular after playing in 29 NHL games over the last three seasons. This is the last year of his entry-level contract, and Guhle has always had the skill to compete, but now he may also have the maturity and opportunity he's essentially waited for over five years.
Denis Gurianov, LW, Dallas Stars
Gurianov has been an exercise in patience. There have been flashes of brilliance, but there were a lot of moments in his first two seasons in the AHL when he showed his age and inexperience. Now on the last year of his entry-level contract, the Stars are giving the 22-year-old an honest shot at making their lineup. He appeared in 21 NHL games last season but didn't make much of a dent. That said, he took massive leaps forward in the AHL, showing he can be relied on to produce. The Stars have a lot of veterans in their group, so if there was ever a year to be part of what's happening in Dallas, this is it for the former 12th-overall pick.
Samuel Morin, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Morin has appeared in just 24 games between the AHL and NHL over the last two seasons due to injury. Selected 11th overall in 2013, the 24-year-old is tied for the second-fewest NHL appearances among first-rounders in his draft class. He still has two years left on his second contract, which buys him time, but as he's trying to make his way to the team, others have jumped the line. It's just hard to see where the 6-foot-6 stay-at-home defender is going to fit in now, despite the organization's best efforts to get him to the NHL.