Ranking every NHL team's 2024-25 prospect pool

1. San Jose Sharks (2023: 10th)
Key prospects: Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Yaroslav Askarov

The Sharks have a bright future, and while they're still a few years away from making serious progress forward, we're about to get a glimpse of what the future holds in just a few short weeks. Since June 28, the Sharks added a No. 1 center in Macklin Celebrini, a future top-pairing defender in Sam Dickinson and one of the top goaltending prospects in the game in Yaroslav Askarov, & Will Smith also looking like a future star. They still need some extra defensive depth, but the future is bright for the Sharks.

2. Montreal Canadiens (2023: 9th)
Notable prospects: Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher

It's been a rough few seasons since the Canadiens made there Stanley Cup Finals run 2021 - but better days are surely coming. Ivan Demidov is a future top-line winger; they've got as much defensive depth as anyone; they've also got a high-end goalie prospect in Jacob Fowler. It's seriously an exciting time to be a fan of this group.

3. Anaheim Ducks (2023: 3rd)
Notable prospects: Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, Beckett Sennecke

The Ducks still finished 30th in the NHL, but Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger and Lukas Dostal all saw their first serious NHL duty, making up a big portion of the team's core. And yet, the Ducks still have a bucketload of quality talent on the way, aided by their third overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft when they took Beckett Sennecke. The acquisition of Cutter Gauthier via trade was also a huge add for the team looking to strengthen there rebuild. The Ducks have at least one notable prospect at every position, which is really exciting.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets (2023: 4th)
Notable prospects: Cayden Lindstrom, David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk

The Blue Jackets have a bit of everything on the blueline, David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk are both high-end options, while Charlie Elick and Stanislav Svozil could both find spots somewhere in the lineup, too. That's after ignoring Andrew Strathmann, Samuel Knazko and Luke Ashton, among other notables. Up front, Cayden Lindstrom, Gavin Brindley and Jordan Dumais give them a nice boost to a group that already has Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson, among others. They're just missing out on a goaltender with a serious chance at being an impact guy, even though Sergei Ivanov has looked good in the KHL.

5. Detroit Red Wings (2023: 7th)
Notable prospects: Simon Edvinsson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

The Detroit Red Wings boast one of the most impressive pipelines in all of hockey, with some serious depth at every position. For starters, Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are two of the best defensive prospects in all hockey right now. Then you throw in recent first-rounders Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Marco Kasper up front, and two of the best goaltending prospects in the game in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, and you've got a group that's primed for a bright future. The Red Wings aren't too far away from being playoff-bound once again.

6. Minnesota Wild (2023: 5th)
Notable prospects: Jesper Wallstedt, Zeev Buium, Danila Yurov

The Minnesota Wild already had a top-10 prospect pool in the NHL. Then, among others, they stole Zeev Buium at No. 12, took Ryder Ritchie in the second round and somehow landed Aron Kiviharju in the fourth round. The rich got richer. Seriously, I love the depth of this team. You've got a goalie in Jesper Wallstedt; you've got a mobile, top-pairing defender in Buium; Riley Heidt and Danila Yurov are both future top-six threats, and that's only just scratching the surface.

7. Chicago Blackhawks (2023: 1st)
Notable prospects: Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar

Chicago's top three prospects - Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar - are in their own category. I believe highly in all three and think they'll be impact players for years to come. The Hawks have one of the most dynamic and speedy farm systems of any team in the league, and even if just four or five become impact NHLers, that'll be huge.

8. Buffalo Sabres (2023: 2nd)
Notable prospects: Jiri Kulich, Devon Levi, Konsta Helenius

The Sabres got high-end forwards in Jiri Kulich, Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund. They've got a bit of defensive depth in Adam Kleber and Maxim Strbak. They even have a deep goaltending crop, with Devon Levi, Scott Ratzlaff, Topias Leinonen and Ryerson Leenders all in the system. Few teams have as many NHL-caliber options in their stable ready to go.

9. Seattle Kraken (2023: 13th)
Notable prospects: Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, Jagger Firkus

Seattle Kraken have amass an impressive prospect pool. Shane Wright and Jagger Firkus both look to be big pieces in the long term, and I expect Jani Nyman, Ty Nelson, David Goyette, and Niklas Kokko to all become NHLers. The 2023 draft had some interesting pieces, but they then snagged one of the most exciting prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft in Berkly Catton with the first pick in 2024.

10. Utah HC (2023: 12th, as Arizona Coyotes)
Notable prospects: Tij Iginla, Dmitri Simashev, Maveric Lamoureux

The club made Tij Iginla - the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla - its first pick at No. 6 in Vegas before selecting the energetic Cole Beaudoin later on Day 1. Add in some high picks over the past few years and the promotion of youngsters Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther to full-time duty and you've got a group with some potential to get excited about.

11. Carolina Hurricanes (2023: 14th)
Notable prospects: Alexander Nikishin, Bradly Nadeau, Scott Morrow

12. St. Louis Blues (2023: 16th)
Notable prospects: Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg

13. Nashville Predators (2023: 11th)
Notable prospects: Tanner Molendyk, Joakim Kemell, Matthew Wood

14. New York Rangers (2023: 20th)
Notable prospects: Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, EJ Emery

15. Calgary Flames (2023: 17th)
Notable prospects: Zayne Parekh, Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato

16. Philadelphia Flyers (2023: 8th)
Notable prospects: Matvei Michkov, Oliver Bonk, Jett Luchanko

17. Winnipeg Jets (2023: 18th)
Notable prospects: Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert, Colby Barlow

18. Dallas Stars (2023: 15th)
Notable prospects: Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque, Lian Bichsel

19. Washington Capitals (2023: 21st)
Key prospects: Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, Ivan Miroshnichenko

20. Vancouver Canucks (2023: 22nd)
Notable prospects: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Tom Willander, Artūrs Šilovs

21. New Jersey Devils (2023: 6th)
Notable prospects: Anton Silayev, Seamus Casey, Lenni Hämeenaho

22. Los Angeles Kings
Notable prospects: Brandt Clarke, Liam Greentree, Alex Turcotte

23. Toronto Maple Leafs (2023: 24th)
Notable prospects: Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, Topi Niemelä

24. Pittsburgh Penguins (2023: 28th)
Notable prospects: Rutger McGroarty, Joel Blomqvist, Ville Koivunen

25. New York Islanders (2023: 31st)
Notable prospects: Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, Jesse Pulkkinen

26. Florida Panthers (2023: 29th)
Notable prospects: Mackie Samoskevich. Linus Eriksson, Justin Sourdif

27. Colorado Avalanche (2023: 23rd)
Notable prospects: Calum Ritchie, Mikhail Gulyayev, Sean Behrens

28. Vegas Golden Knights (2023: 26th)
Notable prospects: Trevor Connelly, Brendan Brisson, Matyas Sapovaliv

29. Edmonton Oilers (2023: 25th)
Notable prospects: Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, Sam O'Reilly

30. Ottawa Senators (2023: 27th)
Notable prospects: Carter Yakemchuk, Mads Søgaard, Zack Ostapchuk

31. Boston Bruins (2023: 32nd)
Notable prospects: Mason Lohrei, Fabian Lysell, Dean Letourneau

32. Tampa Bay Lightning (2023: 30th)
Notable prospects: Conor Geekie, Isaac Howard, Ethan Gauthier