Pipeline Rankings: Who has the NHL’s best prospects?

[upbeat music] This is the Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series.

[upbeat music] Hey, everybody.

Max Boltman here alongside The Athletic's Corey Pronman for another episode of The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series, and it's a fun one, Corey.

Uh, it's your annual pipeline rankings, all 32 teams ranked.

We're gonna go over pretty much all of them here today.

Uh, and it, it's, it's one of the most, I think, important exercises because it's a window into the future of, of the, what these teams have on the way and, and in place.

I, I think that's a key distinction for people to keep in mind here.

One big difference between you and Scott is you are ranking all you 23 players, including the established NHL players.

You are gonna hear the names Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Leo Carlsson today.

Uh, and that has a big influence at the very top of this list.

But we're gonna start at the back half, Corey.

We're gonna start with the teams who frankly don't really mind being, uh, at, at the back half of this list because most of the bottom six teams, uh, are the best teams in the league.

Colorado's at 32, Edmonton's at 31, Dallas at 30, Vegas at 29, the Florida Panthers are at 27.

These are the teams we expect to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.

Uh, and, and really, uh, there, there are, um...

You know, I didn't mention the reigning Stanley Cup champion, Carolina.

There are other top teams in the league, but these are teams that are okay with not having, you know, relatively speaking, top prospects.

The one possible exception to that might be the Edmonton Oilers, though.

Uh, because they're a team who, yes, they have Connor McDavid, yes, they have Leon Draisaitl, yes, they're going for it, but things are a little tepid there, and it's not a loaded system right now.

[upbeat music] This is the Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series.

[upbeat music] Hey, everybody.

Max Boltman here alongside The Athletic's Corey Pronman for another episode of The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series, and it's a fun one, Corey.

Uh, it's your annual pipeline rankings, all 32 teams ranked.

We're gonna go over pretty much all of them here today.

Uh, and it, it's, it's one of the most, I think, important exercises because it's a window into the future of, of the, what these teams have on the way and, and in place.

I, I think that's a key distinction for people to keep in mind here.

One big difference between you and Scott is you are ranking all you 23 players, including the established NHL players.

You are gonna hear the names Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Leo Carlsson today.

Uh, and that has a big influence at the very top of this list.

But we're gonna start at the back half, Corey.

We're gonna start with the teams who frankly don't really mind being, uh, at, at the back half of this list because most of the bottom six teams, uh, are the best teams in the league.

Colorado's at 32, Edmonton's at 31, Dallas at 30, Vegas at 29, the Florida Panthers are at 27.

These are the teams we expect to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.

Uh, and, and really, uh, there, there are, um...

You know, I didn't mention the reigning Stanley Cup champion, Carolina.

There are other top teams in the league, but these are teams that are okay with not having, you know, relatively speaking, top prospects.

The one possible exception to that might be the Edmonton Oilers, though.

Uh, because they're a team who, yes, they have Connor McDavid, yes, they have Leon Draisaitl, yes, they're going for it, but things are a little tepid there, and it's not a loaded system right now.