Hockey Prophets

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Matthew BeniersMichigan vs Arizona State (NCAA)11/14/2020Does everything so well, including getting deep into his own zone and playing solid defense to win back pucks. He is highly aware at all times, shows excellent anticipation with and without the puck, and is constantly looking for ways to produce and help his team.

 

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Number of Notes

Number of Games Noted
1,437 9,299 319
Brian Fogarty Top Prospects By Team

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#29: Vancouver Canucks

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 28

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 0

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 1

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 145th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Anthony Romani (56th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Tom Willander (6th)

System Score: 1.5

 

Vancouver's prospect system is caught in a vortex of a lack of top-end draft picks in recent years and the graduation of top prospects from earlier drafts like all-world defenseman Quinn Hughes and promising lightweight winger Nils Hoglander. The Canucks recently traded their 10th overall draft pick from the 2019 draft Vasili Podkolzin--who has scored just 35 points in 137 NHL games--for a fourth-round pick, but Vancouver's more recent first-round selections appear to be on the cusp of NHL play and should soon supplement the nascent Stanley Cup challenger.

In the 2024 draft, Vancouver did not make a selection until their 93rd-overall pick of forward Melvin Fernstrom, but they also managed to add overage forward Anthony Romani with a sixth-round pick who is coming off a huge, breakout year for North Bay in the OHL. 

Brian Fogarty Top Prospects By Team

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#30: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 30

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 1

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 0

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 138th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Conor Geekie (21st)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Roman Schmidt (118th)

System Score: 1

 

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the most consistently powerful hockey clubs of the last decade, and they have shed multiple draft picks and prospects to maintain that level of excellence. In fact, had they not traded one of their top defenders for a package of picks, a young NHL defender and a top 25 forward prospect in Conor Geekie, the Lightning system would rank even lower than 30th overall. 

The Bolts have had two first-round picks in the last seven years. They selected Nolan Foote 27th overall in 2019, and Isaac Howard 31st overall in 2022. Foote was traded to the New Jersey Devils and has struggled to stick in the NHL, while Howard is coming off a great year with the Michigan State University and will play at least one more year in the NCAA. Not only have they had only a couple of first round picks, they have been equally spare on second and third-round picks, too. In the last four NHL drafts, Tampa has had only four total picks in the first three rounds, one of whom was the aforementioned Howard. 

Brian Fogarty Top Prospects By Team

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#31: Florida Panthers 

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 27

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 0

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 0

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 154th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Simon Zether (104th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Matvei Shuravin (71st)

System Score: 1

 

Lifting the Stanley Cup is much easier when it is not full of prospects, and the Panthers skating around the rink a few months ago were well appreciative of the absence of several junior and college players clinging to the rim. Much like those in Boston, the cupboards in Sunshine, Florida are remarkably empty with only two prospects ranked within the top 100 on either the forwards or the defensemen lists. One key difference between the Bruins and the Panthers is named Anton Lundell, the Finnish center that Florida selected 12th overall in 2020 and has since became a mainstay in the starting lineup with 216 NHL games thus far (in which he has scored 112 points). Despite having four first-round picks since the 2018 draft, the Panthers have not had a first-rounder since they took Mackie Samoskevich in 2021. In fact, the highest pick they have used in the past three drafts 58th overall in 2024 which they used to select Linus Eriksson.

 

Brian Fogarty Top Prospects By Team

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#32: Boston Bruins 

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 30

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 0

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 0

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 177th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Dean Letourneau (55th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Elliott Groenewold (150th)

System Score: 1

 

A running theme for the lowest-ranking systems will be the sacrifice of the prospect pool for Stanley Cup success. The Bruins prospect system can be held up as the defining example of the deprivations that prospect pools suffer through in order to keep the NHL team stocked with top-caliber players vying for championships. Since the 2018 draft (note: players taken before the 2018 draft are likely beyond the 24-year-old cutoff for Hockey Prophets prospect consideration), the Bruins have had just three first-round picks, and the highest of the three was 21st overall in 2021 (Fabian Lysell). The Bruins have seen a few of their recent picks finding their way to the NHL (John Beecher, 30th overall in 2019; Mason Lohrei, 58th overall in 2020; Matthew Poitras, 54th overall in 2022) but they have generally seen little help from their past several drafts.