Ranking the 2024-25 Upper Deck Series 1 Young Guns

2024-25 Series 1 Young Guns feature zero sure things but plenty of players with a reasonable shot at stardom. I would bet that a few of the names between 1-10 on my list will break out, and maybe a couple more in the 11-20 range. I just wouldn’t be willing to bet on which of the players it will be.

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  1. Logan Stankoven • Stars • C
    Logan Stankoven is tiny by NHL standards (5’8″). But that is less of a concern for a forward, and The Stank (which I propose needs to be his nickname if it is not yet) is already showing an impressive ability to produce NHL offense. After putting up 14 points in 24 games in 2023-24, The Stank has seven points through six games in 2024-25. I particularly like that nearly all of those points have come at even-strength. It will be hard to keep him off the power play at this rate, which obviously could kick his numbers up another notch.
  2. Lane Hutson • Canadiens • D
    Canadiens fans seem ready to go ahead and declare Lane Hutson a star. No one doubts that the slight (158 pounds!) Hutson has the puck and offensive skills to be a major driver in the other team’s zone. Corey Pronman at The Athletic writes, “Few defensemen walk the line and see the ice as he does. When he gets the puck…you see he can break down defenses at a high level with his skill, feet and elite brain. The question as he continues to face NHL competition will be his defending.” Defense is not a major factor when it comes to the level of interest in the hobby, so as long as Hutson puts up plenty of points, his rookie cards will be in demand.
  3. Olen Zellweger • Ducks • D
    Olen Zellweger’s outlook is similar to Hutson’s: He’s an undersized, offensive d-man with the potential to create a lot of scoring but will have to show at least acceptable defensive chops to earn big minutes.
  4. Cutter Gauthier • Ducks • LW
    The Flyers liked Cutter Gauthier’s offensive upside enough to take him with the fifth overall draft pick in 2022. But something—and almost no one except Gauthier knows what—happened after the draft that led to Gauthier informing Philly he would never sign with them and then cutting off all contact with the organization. So Gauthier was dealt to Anaheim, with whom he has skated in his first five NHL games as of this writing. Like the top three on this list, it is Gauthier’s offensive upside that prospect watchers like. He scored 38 goals in 41 games with Boston University in 2023-24. Unlike the top three, Gauthier has good size.
  5. Bradly Nadeau • Hurricanes • RW
    Bradly Nadeau is just 19 years old and is starting 2024-25 in the AHL. He put up 46 points in 37 games with the University of Maine last year. Pronman rates his shot as NHL-ready but wonders if Nadeau’s propensity to stay out of the middle will be an issue in the National.
  6. Jesper Wallstedt • Wild • G
    Minnesota believed in Jesper Wallstedt enough to use a 20th overall pick on him in 2021, and he has been progressing well since. Pronman rates him as the best under-23 goalie and Matthew Zator has Wallstedt only behind Yaroslav Askarov on his list of top goalie prospects. Wallstedt has put together two solid but unspectacular seasons in the AHL and remains there as 2024-25 gets underway. Barring injury to Minnesota’s current NHL tandem, it could be tough for Wallstedt to see much NHL action this year, but he could arrive for good in 2025-26.
  7. Matt Rempe • Rangers • F
    Matt Rempe’s jaw-dropping size and eagerness to throw his weight and fists around made him an instant favorite for many Rangers fans. Don’t look for him to be more than an intimidator and giver of copious power plays to the opposition, but if he can skate well enough to stick around in the NHL, he will maintain a cult following.
  8. Marat Khusnutdinov • Wild • F
  9. Gavin Brindley • Blue Jackets • F
  10. Scott Morrow • Hurricanes • D
  11. Liam Ohgren • Wild • F
  12. Mavrik Bourque • Stars • F
  13. Matt Villalta • Coyotes • G
  14. Lukas Cormier • Golden Knights • D
  15. Frank Nazar • Blackhawks • F
  16. Brad Lambert • Jets • F
  17. Brennan Othmann • Rangers • F
  18. Joshua Roy • Canadiens • F
  19. Shakir Mukhamadullin • Sharks • D
  20. Zachary Bolduc • Blues • F
  21. Logan Mailloux • Canadiens • D
  22. Luca Del Bel Belluz • Blue Jackets • F
  23. Brendan Brisson • Golden Knights • F
  24. Nikita Chibrikov • Jets • F
  25. Sam Colangelo • Ducks • F
  26. Akil Thomas • Kings • F
  27. Ethan Del Mastro • Blackhawks • D
  28. Zach Dean • Blues • F
  29. Cutter Gauthier/Logan Stankoven checklist • Ducks/Stars
  30. Josh Doan • Coyotes • F
  31. Emil Lilleberg • Lightning • D
  32. Zack Ostapchuk • Senators • F
  33. James Malatesta • Blue Jackets • F
  34. Arshdeep Bains • Canucks • F
  35. Kyle MacLean • Islanders • F
  36. Justin Brazeau • Bruins • F
  37. Mason Morelli • Golden Knights • F
  38. Ruslan Iskhakov • Islanders • F
  39. Gage Goncalves • Lightning • F
  40. Landon Slaggert • Blackhawks • F
  41. Ivan Fedotov • Flyers • G
  42. Yan Kuznetsov • Flames • D
  43. Graeme Clarke • Devils • F
  44. Maxwell Crozier • Lightning • D
  45. Cameron Crotty • Coyotes • D
  46. Jack St. Ivany • Penguins • D
  47. Collin Graf • Sharks • F
  48. Pierrick Dube • Capitals • F
  49. Jason Polin • Avalanche • F
  50. Marshall Rifai • Maple Leafs • D

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