Number one on my list of the most desirable Young Guns found in 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 1 is the only player in the bunch widely expected to be a stand-out star in the National. While there is a steep drop-off in anticipated star power after the top spot, this crop of rookies is chock full of players with realistic chances at sustained, solid careers in the NHL. I’d say numbers two through 31 on my list all roughly fit that description, and a couple of them will probably out-play expectations and reach All-Star levels at some point.
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- Luke Hughes • D • New Jersey Devils
All the tools and signs are there for Luke Hughes to join his brothers as a potent creator of scoring chances. According to Corey Pronman at The Athletic, Hughes’ “skating is outstanding with special edge work and explosiveness, especially for a guy his size. He attacks with his feet…it’s…his elusiveness with his skating at the blue line that creates a ton of offense.” Hughes tallied 47 points, which was tied for second among rookies, while playing every game in 2023-24. Expect that production to increase, though entirely reaching the high bars set by Jack and Quinn might be expecting too much. - Matthew Knies • LW • Toronto Maple Leafs
- Brock Faber • D • Minnesota Wild
Had I gotten around to doing these rankings in a timely manner eight months ago, Brock Faber probably would have ended up close to the middle of the list. But then Faber broke out with an eye-opening 2023-24 campaign in which he played the fifth most minutes among all skaters and matched Luke Hughes point-for-point with 47. That level of offense was a surprise, so it will be interesting to see if Faber can continue producing points. At the very least, he already looks to be a legit big-minutes blueliner who should be a fan favorite playing for his hometown Minnesota Wild. - Sean Farrell • C • Montreal Canadiens
- Dustin Wolf • G • Calgary Flames
- Devon Levi • G • Buffalo Sabres
Dustin Wolf & Devon Levi are very similar prospects at this point to my eye. Goalies are of course tough to predict, and either player could still end up anywhere between a bust and a star. But they’ve both earned the right to get extended chances to show what they’re capable of at the NHL level. - Matthew Coronato • RW • Calgary Flames
- Simon Edvinsson • D • Detroit Red Wings
- Ridly Greig • C • Ottawa Senators
- Henry Thrun • D • San Jose Sharks
- Tyson Foerster • RW • Philadelphia Flyers
Tyson Foerster has displayed an impressive nose for the net, potting 23 goals through his first 85 NHL games. - Luke Evangelista • RW • Nashville Predators
- Yaroslav Askarov • G • Nashville Predators
Prospect prognosticators generally have Yaroslav Askarov rated ahead of Dustin Wolf and Devon Levi right now. I wonder if those prospect watchers are over-emphasizing Askarov’s size advantage, because when it comes to actually stopping the puck, Wolf and Levi have much better recent results. - Luke Hughes / Matthew Knies checklist
- Marco Kasper • C • Detroit Red Wings
- Jakob Pelletier • LW • Calgary Flames
- Will Cuylle • LW • New York Rangers
- Owen Beck • C • Montreal Canadiens
- Daniil Gushchin • LW • San Jose Sharks
- Vincent Iorio • D • Washington Capitals
- William Dufour • RW • New York Islanders
- Jet Greaves • G • Columbus Blue Jackets
- Wyatt Kaiser • D • Chicago Blackhawks
- Tyler Kleven • D • Ottawa Senators
- Samuel Bolduc • D • New York Islanders
- Tristen Robins • RW • San Jose Sharks
- Elliot Desnoyers • F • Philadelphia Flyers
- Egor Afanasyev • LW • Nashville Predators
- Drew Helleson • D • Anaheim Ducks
- Lukas Rousek • RW • Buffalo Sabres
- Aidan McDonough • LW • Vancouver Canucks
- Leevi Merilainen • G • Ottawa Senators
- Nikita Nesterenko • C • Anaheim Ducks
- Hunter McKown • F • Columbus Blue Jackets
- Matthew Kessel • D • St. Louis Blues
- Vincent Desharnais • D • Edmonton Oilers
- Jiri Patera • G • Vegas Golden Knights
- Olle Eriksson Ek • G • Anaheim Ducks
- Cole Guttman • C • Chicago Blackhawks
- Jonathan Gruden • C • Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jaxson Stauber • G • Chicago Blackhawks
- Cole McWard • D • Vancouver Cancuks
- Adam Ginning • D • Philadelphia Flyers
- Joona Koppanen • LW • Boston Bruins
- Arnaud Durandeau • LW • New York Islanders
- Spencer Stastney • D • Nashville Predators
- Milos Kelemen • F • Arizona Coyotes
- Akito Hirose • D • Vancouver Canucks
- Jake Livingstone • D • Nashville Predators
- David Gust • RW • Chicago Blackhawks
These rankings are based primarily on my interpretation of data and articles from Hockey Prospecting, The Hockey Writers, The Athletic, and various other media sites, as well as performance to date, player age (the younger the better), and draft position.
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