The 2022-23 Series 2 Young Guns are short on players currently logging a lot of NHL time. With some notable exceptions, many of the top names on this list require even more projecting than usual (as opposed to having early NHL success to go on) so we won’t know how strong of a group it is for quite some time. Upon release, my best guess is that it will shake out as an average collection of Young Guns. I don’t necessarily see any superstars emerging, but there should be more than a handful of good to excellent NHLers here.
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- Shane Wright • C • Seattle Kraken
It is a tough call between Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky for the top spot. Slafkovsky went first overall in the 2022 draft and Wright slid down to fourth, so the prevailing wisdom might be that Slafkovsky’s future is brighter. However, the purely objective model at Hockey Prospecting projects Wright as having a much better chance at turning into a star. If Wright does turn into a top player, it might be a ways down the line. After an eight-game trial with the Kraken, five games in the AHL, and a trip to the World Junior Championships, he was returned to juniors for more seasoning. He’s been filling up the scoresheet in the OHL, having registered 32 points in 18 games as of this writing. - Juraj Slafkovsky • LW • Montreal Canadiens
Slafkovsky managed to stick in the big league lineup for 39 games this season before suffering a season-ending injury. His introduction to the league was a little rocky, which is not surprising for an 18 year old. With his combination of size, puck skills, and wicked shot, Slafkovsky has the tools to turn into a star, but, as with Wright, he might take a while to get there. - Brandt Clarke • D • Los Angeles Kings
Hockey Prospecting likes Brandt Clarke’s chances of turning into a star better than any other player in this group of Young Guns. His season trajectory has gone much like Wright’s in that he made a brief NHL debut, played in a few AHL games, then the World Junior Championships, and then went back to juniors where he is enjoying lots of success. The defenseman is known for his ability to attack and create offense, evidenced by the 59 points he has racked up in just 30 OHL games this season as of this writing. Prospect expert Corey Pronman at The Athletic worries that Clarke’s skating might be an issue when it comes to defending, but Clarke has a real shot at putting up a lot of points at the highest level. - Jake Sanderson • D • Ottawa Senators
Unlike the first three guys, Jake Sanderson has enjoyed a mostly full NHL season so far, and the results have been extremely encouraging. He has earned a ton of trust from the Ottawa coaching staff, regularly skating heavy minutes against top players and contributing on both the power play and penalty kill. Sanderson has stated, “I try and focus on my defensive game first,” but as he quickly solidifies that aspect of his game, a decent amount of offense could follow. So far, he’s put up a respectable 29 points in 66 NHL games. (His dad Geoff Sanderson has a Young Guns card in 1991-92 Upper Deck—are there any other father/son duos who both have Young Guns?) - Andrei Kuzmenko • F • Vancouver Canucks
Andrei Kuzmenko is unique in this group of players because he is already 27 years old and putting up big numbers in the NHL. He has had many years of experience in the KHL and entered the NHL with seemingly no need for an adjustment period. He’s been better than a point per game so far with a real nose for finding the back of the net. - Dylan Guenther • RW • Arizona Coyotes
Dylan Guenther’s shot already rates as “high-end” and he had a promising 33 game debut in the NHL this season. He was then returned to juniors, but that likely had more to do with Coyotes’ contract gymnastics than it did with Guenther’s performance. - Wyatt Johnston • C • Dallas Stars
Wyatt Johnston is already an important piece of the Stars lineup and has a 21 goal (and counting) season under his belt, all before his 20th birthday. Those 21 goals lead all rookies. Taylor Newby at Dobber Prospects writes, “His play-making abilities have not slowed down on the big stage. Some areas he is really flourishing in are his forechecking pressure, creating turnovers, contributing to high-danger plays, and producing high-danger assists.” - Buoy • mascot • Seattle Kraken
I’m not sure how to compare a mascot to prospects, but my gut says this Buoy Young Guns could be a bit of a hit with collectors. - David Jiricek • D • Columbus Blue Jackets
David Jiricek was named the top defenseman at the 2023 World Juniors and has otherwise spent most of this season in the AHL. He has impressed Corey Pronman, who calls Jiricek “one of the most impactful teenage defensemen I’ve seen in the AHL in recent years.” Jiricek projects as a strong two-way player. He has put up 34 points in 44 AHL games as of this writing and has a good chance at being an NHL regular next season. - Kaiden Guhle • D • Montreal Canadiens
Kaiden Guhle was impressive in his first NHL season this year, though injuries limited him to 44 games. His defensive play is already a strength, but he is only expected to chip in occasionally on offense, which could limit hobby interest. - Slafkovsky/Wright checklist
- Dylan Holloway • C • Edmonton Oilers
- Arber Xhekaj • D • Montreal Canadiens
- Elmer Soderblom • RW • Detroit Red Wings
- Samuel Poulin • RW • Pittsburgh Penguins
- Filip Hallander • C • Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jakub Lauko • C • Boston Bruins
- Filip Kral • D • Toronto Maple Leafs
- Declan Chisholm • D • Winnipeg Jets
- Kevin Mandolse • G • Ottawa Senators
- Nikita Okhotyuk • D • New Jersey Devils
- Nils Aman • C • Vancouver Canucks
- Cole Reinhardt • LW • Ottawa Senators
- Ronnie Attard • D • Philadelphia Flyers
- Viktor Lodin • C • Ottawa Senators
- Adam Huska • G • New York Rangers
- Lucas Johansen • D • Washington Capitals
- Casey Fitgerald • D • Buffalo Sabres
- Nick Perbix • D • Tampa Bay Lightning
- Pavol Regenda • F • Anaheim Ducks
- Olle Lycksell • RW • Philadelphia Flyers
- Michael Eyssimont • C • Winnipeg Jets
- Dmitri Samorukov • D • Edmonton Oilers
- Reilly Walsh • D • New Jersey Devils
- Corey Schueneman • D • Montreal Canadiens
- Michael Carcone • F • Arizone Coyotes
- Cole Koepke • LW • Tampa Bay Lightning
- Brandon Baddock • LW • Montreal Canadiens
- Bokondji Imama • LW • Arizona Coyotes
- Filip Roos • D • Chicago Blackhawks
- Jesper Froden • F • Boston Bruins
- Grant Hutton • D • New York Islanders
- Ben Jones • F • Vegas Golden Knights
- Linus Hogberg • D • Philadelphia Flyers
- Hunter Drew • D • Anaheim Ducks
- Brandon Biro • F • Buffalo Sabres
- Mitchell Chaffee • F • Minnesota Wild
- Jayden Halbgewachs • F • San Jose Sharks
- Jon Lizotte • D • Minnesota Wild
- Ethan Prow • D • Buffalo Sabres
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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