Rachel Doerrie, ESPNOct 24, 2024, 07:00 AM ET
CloseRachel Doerrie is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She’s worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.
The NHL prospect pipeline rankings for all 32 went out last week, which looked at each team’s future from a broad perspective. This week, it’s the top 50 team-affiliated prospects — the best players outside the NHL, but who have been drafted by an NHL team.
As with the pipeline rankings, players who are rookies but are expected to play primarily in the NHL this season are excluded (that includes players like Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Conor Geekie). Some players listed here are currently with their NHL team, but are not expected to remain there throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Not every team has a prospect on this list, though a handful of teams have multiple prospects in the top 50, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks.
Here’s the top 50 as it stands in October, 2024:
1. Ivan Demidov
RW/C, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
NHL team: Montreal Canadiens
Drafted: No. 5, 2024
Demidov is supremely talented, a true difference maker. His elite skill set gives him the highest probability of becoming a superstar in the NHL. There’s a good chance he blossoms into an elite offensive talent, notching more than a point per game for a decade in the NHL.
The most talented player outside of the NHL, without a doubt.
2. Artyom Levshunov
D, Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
NHL team: Chicago Blackhawks
Drafted: No. 2, 2024
The ceiling is high with Levshunov, whose game is raw on both sides of the puck but who possesses the potential to be a two-way difference maker.
He is comfortably projected to be a top-pairing defenseman who dictates play. He’s likely a year or two away from a big role on the Chicago blue line, but there is reason to…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/41961178/nhl-2024-25-prospects-rankings-top-players-scouting-analytics
Author : Rachel Doerrie
Publish date : 2024-10-24 11:21:42
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