That roster included rookie goalie Jordan Bennington, a third-round pick in 2011, who this postseason produced a Conn Smythe-worthy performance. Key additions: Adam Fox (RHD), Kaapo Kakko (RW),Patrick Newell (RW), Matthew Robertson (LHD) Somewhere, even as you read this, an NHL general manager is fidgeting. Additionally, there is a significant amount of speed up front, beginning with Jesper Boqvist, 2016 first rounder Mike McLeodand AHL-proven winger Brandon Gignac, who was one of the top scorers on a thin Binghamton squad. The Blue Jackets traded away a pair of their future pieces to the Ottawa Senators when they acquiredMatt Duchene in Feb. 2019, and then they saw a handful of other rising players at the top of the pipeline make the transition to the parent club. Subban's top five quotes: 'I dont play for New York', 2018-19 rank: 3rd This low ranking may come as a surprise to some since the Stars tend to stay protective over their high picks and prospects; Dallas has drafted at least one player in the first round in 11 straight drafts, including two in 2017 (one being game-breaking defenseman Miro Heiskanen). Don't expect the league to pity the Lightning for a dearth of prospects considering the team is overloaded at the NHL level and in the midst of revelry from its second Stanley Cup. Because no team that has horded picks, building super deep and talented farms has ever had sustained, longterm success from the philisophy The obsession with moving out high draft capital for short term help that will likely be gone when this team's window opens is not really a route to build a contender - and claiming it is the only way to The B/R ice hockey team got together in the aftermath of the Lightning's championship to take a look at where all 31 teams stand in terms of their farm systems, just days before the 2020 NHL draft. Any team that loses multiple premier prospects to graduation is going to take a fall in preseason rankings, so it helps to look at Buffalos talented pool with perspective. Meanwhile, with the NHL team's goaltending situation uncertain, prospects Ian Scott and Joseph Woll could be long-term solutions. Karlsson (C) Goalie Ilya Samsonov, a first-round pick in 2015, had an inconsistent rookie AHL season but is expected to once again challenge Vitek Vanecek for the lions share of Hersheys netminding duties. Trades on the NHL level haven't helped the long-range pipeline scenario for the Coyotes. Another first-rounder, 2018's Ty Dellandrea, has top-line center potential, and goalie Jake Oettinger is also rising. The big Russian is an excellent two-way defenseman who can excel in any situation and fellow 2018 draftee Martin Fehervary is both mobile for his size and a physical defensemen in Swedens SHL. There are too many examples of teams that stockpile high-ranking prospects, only to either misuse them or keep them blocked in the minors. 5. Now that thenucleus has formed, the Canucks can patiently follow the progress of an impressive tier of potential point-producing defensemen like Olli Juolevi, Toni Utunen, Jett Woo, and Jack Rathbone. Key additions:Taro Hirose (LW, UDFA), Albert Johansson (LHD), Oliwer Kaski (RHD), Ryan Kuffner (LW, UDFA), Robert Mastrosimone (LW), Moritz Seider (RHD) On the plus side, the logjam should create furious competition to separate the haves and the have-nots. The hockey world still awaits the coming-out parties for wingers Denis Guryanov and Riley Tufte, two former first-rounders. Current GM Chuck Fletcher has yet to part with any of Philadelphias prized prospects, many of whom should finally advance from the college or junior ranks to Lehigh Valley, which iced one of the AHLs older lineups last year. Log in here. Swedish wunderkind Adam Boqvist highlights this talented group of defenders for his obvious flair and blistering shot. He's a high-energy goal scorer with an explosive first step, good puck-handling skills and a lethal wrist shot. Better with age: The top 32 moments of Sidney Crosby's career. Additionally, they added a premier playmaking center in Trevor Zegrasthis year and a hard-working scorer in Brayden Tracey via the first round of thisyears draft. Of all their prospects, Zegras has the highest star potential and should be groomed to take over for aging captain Ryan Getzlaf. He'll be a No. LA | MIN | MTL | NSH | NJ | NYI MORE: Best draft class for every NHL team. Another sixth-round selection, Matthew Phillips, produced 38 points for Stockton more than most AHL rookies from his 2016 draft class. On the blue line, 2018 first-round pick Ryan Merkley is an offensive standout. Not far behind is center AlexNewhook, who is a blur on skates, had 42 points in 34 games as a college freshman and was named the NCAA's top freshman for 2019-20. Three of their best prospects U.S. Olympian forward Troy Terry and defensemen Josh Mahura and Marcus Petterssonwere picked outside the first round. In the end, however, whichever concept drives a teams overarching building strategy ultimately is measured by what the players become and how well the team performs with them. MORE: 'Im just prepared for anything': Jets' Patrik Laine says he isn't sure what future holds, 2018-19 rank: 14th A first-round pick in 2019, center Ryan Suzuki is an excellent passer and a good skater with a knack for finding the right positions on the ice. Josh Norris came in a trade for Erik Karlsson and is a fast center with offensive punch and scored 31 goals in the AHL. The system that produced Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko in 2019-20 doesn't figure to be slowing down. Because it was about a year ago when his managerial acumen was questioned simply for lengthening the Matt Duchene saga longer than the fans wanted it to go. Not to mention he has a high-revving motor in a tough-to-contain 5'7", 162-pound frame. What separates the Bolts from most of their competitors is that most of their best prospects are AHL proven and ready for NHL duty. That's especially true on the blue line, as the club can look to K'Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, Zach Jones and Matt Robertson. Of course, any lineup could use a big-bodied presence to cause havoc in the low slot, and few prospects do it better than power winger Serron Noel, who in his third year led Oshawa in goals (34), assists (47) and points (81). Take the 2015 draft for example the Flames only had five picks and none in the first round, yet still walked away with three impressive NHL roster players in defensemen Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylingtonand winger Andrew Mangiapane. Winger Martin Kaut is a sturdy playmaker who was among the AHLs top teenage scorers last season and Shane Bowers, a 2017 first-round pick of Ottawas acquired in the Matt Duchene deal, was one of Hockey Easts top two-way centers; heis signed to play this season with the AHLs Colorado Eagles. The wing is the organizations position of strength, as Taylor Raddysh (18) and Boris Katchouk (11) both reached double-digit goal totals as first-year AHLers, and used the2019 first-round pick on Footes younger brother Nolan, who led the WHLs Kelowna Rockets with 36 goals in 66games. Traded/not signed:Brett Davis (C), Liam Hawel (C), Markus Ruusu (G). OK, we know. But gambles in each of the last two drafts, coupled with the rapid promotion of 2014 and 2015 draftees, have sprung a few leaks in the good ole prospect pool. Graduated: Miro Heiskanen (LHD), Roope Hintz (LW) Only one of Tampa's top 10 prospects was a first-round pick. The first half of their listed players have impeccable prospect resumes, beginning with shot-stopping machine Spencer Knight, who at 13th overall became the highest goalie taken at the draft in nearly a decade. A pair of impressive 1999-born Finnish wingers produced excellent post-draft campaigns, as Eetu Pakkila was the leading goal scorer in the Jr. A SM-Liiga, and center Aarne Talvitie was among the best NCAA freshman scorers and the key to Finland capturing WJC gold before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. Brett Leason's 'most fun year of hockey' now continues with the Capitals, 2018-19 rank: 26th Benning and staff also scooped up feisty forward Nils Hoglander from Swedenand speedy center Tyler Madden from Northeastern who tied for fourth in freshman scoring in Hockey East. Liam Foudy and Kirill Marchenko, both of whom have top-six talent and blend skating with high-level skill sets. The Ducks' profile is driven by the presence of one high-end talent in Trevor Zegras, who was picked ninth overall in 2019 andtopped B/R's recent listof the league's best prospects. Players who appeared in 26 or more NHL regular-season games last season are not eligible, nor are players with at least 50 career NHL contests. As Bob Dylan would say, the times they are a changing, especially on Long Island. Although Cozens is the lone forward within the pipeline with star potential, the system as a whole is well balanced and offers the parent club immediate relief when necessary. Continue reading this article and more from top writers, for only $9.99/mo. Still, the addition of two young stars in power forward Dylan Cozens and smooth puck rusher Ryan Johnson are acceptable consolation prizes for the aforementioned promotions of Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt, who spent all of last season in the NHL. Matthew Traded/not signed: None. Still, the cupboard is far from bare, as newly-acquired power winger Brady Tkachuk headlines a balanced depth chart with multiple early-round picks. As odd as the timing was, firing GM Paul Fenton after less than two years seemed like the appropriate course of action even if it had to happen shortly after the draft. What roles they are given, even if limited in scope and scale, will be monitored closely, especially if the team hits a funk. 3. And if you see a familiar name missing from this list, it most certainly is Swedish defenseman Filip Johansson Minnesotas first-round pick in 2018 who many believe was drafted a good round or two higher than expected and showed stagnation in his development overseas. They have quality European forwards in Vitalii Abramov, Alexander Texier, Jonathan Davidsson and Kirill Marchenko, but the youth and talent level up at the parent club increases the likelihood they end up elsewhere. MORE:Quinn Hughes 'as valuable as anyone' playing a style his own. But count on Ron Hextall as being one of the few who has been patient enough to actually go through with the process of stockpiling picks and allowing them to develop properly. Their organizational depth chart below the NHL level is thin on elite prospects, with controversial playmaker Ryan Merkley the obvious choice to earmark as their lone potential star. So if you're buying NHL prospect stock, here's the place to dump your cash. At a time when prospects are generally afforded a longer leash to develop, neither has moved the needle enough to validate their draft position, let alone to earn a top-6 or top-9 role with Dallas. Vancouveradded a bulldog of a competitor in Russian-trained winger Vasily Podkolzin, who was the 10th pick in June although he likely stays overseas for at least another season. Not far from Kakko in terms of game-breaking skills is winger Vitaly Kravtsov, who before the age of 20 established himself as a top-line player in the KHL. TRADE GRADES: Sabres buy low on Jeff Skinner's high-end scoring help. Center Robert Thomas is looking more and more like a steal from the late part of the 2017 draft's first round, where the Blues also plucked skilled power winger Klim Kostin. Is it only a coincidence that Denvers Emilio Pettersson, their sixth-round pick from last year, was one of the nations top freshman scorers? MORE: How the Matt Duchenetrade gave Avalanche much-needed direction. Undrafted sniper Alex Barre-Boulet took it a step further by tying for a league-best 34 tallies as a rookie. Kaprizov still has a year left on his KHL dealand it looks like Boldy will stick around the college ranks for the next season or two. The 2017 second rounder was our ninth-ranked prospect a year ago but sat out the entire 2018-19 season due to concussion symptoms. But his blend of size, speed and creativity should fit nicely with New Jersey's up-tempo attack. On the bright side, the Oilers AHL farm team in Bakersfield had its best season since moving from Oklahoma City in 2015. Much like Calgary, however, the Sharks were rewarded with fantastic post-draft seasons from several later-round picks, such as winger Ivan Chekhovich (third in QMJHL scoring), Joachim Blichfeld(WHL scoring champion and Player of the Year) and Sasha Chmelevski (second in OHL playoff scoring). It's easy to lose track of how many general managers talk about the importance of building a deep farm system. All three should be top threats for their respective nations at this years IIHF World Junior Championship. Unfortunately for the general public, they tend to keep us in the dark about the inner workings, which is why its up to us to figure out where theprospects stand and how each teams success with player development can be measured. With all that said, and without further ado, heres a look at my final 160 rankings for the 2021 NHL Draft. 1. 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