The 2025-26 Series 1 Young Guns feature one near-sure-thing and a whole bunch of interesting players to keep an eye on. There is a ton of offensive talent in this group, but it comes packaged with potential stumbling blocks for many of the players.
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- Ivan Demidov • RW • Montreal Canadiens
19 year old Ivan Demidov is the clear headliner of this strong group. He elicits superlatives from prospect experts like “elite puck skills,” “incredibly talented,” and “sneaky-good playmaking instincts.” Even the purely quantitative model at Hockey Prospecting seems to gush about Demidov, projecting him as a lock to be a star and including names like McDavid, Gretzky, and Lemieux in his top comps. No one doubts that Demidov’s puck handling, creativity, and passing are world-class. He is the heavy early favorite to take home the 2025-26 Calder Trophy. The only note of caution analysts give is Demidov’s “slightly odd skating“; He’s “a bit knock-kneed…but gets around OK.” It is difficult for even average skaters to pile up points in today’s NHL, but there seems to be a consensus that Demidov will pull it off. - Zayne Parekh • D • Calgary Flames
Zayne Parekh spent the last two seasons torching the OHL to the tune of 66 goals, 137 assists, and 203 points in 123 games, so his offensive potential is obviously tantalizing. Corey Pronman says Parekh’s “brain operates differently from other players in how he sees the ice and can take an extra second with the puck to create a scoring chance.” Logan Horn notes Parekh “constantly involves himself on offense” and has “Quinn Hughes-like offensive upside.” Parekh wasted no time scoring a goal in his first NHL game. His offense is clearly more than NHL-ready, but there are serious concerns about Parekh’s inconsistent defensive engagement and lack of physicality. Parekh is starting 2025-26 with the Flames. - Dalibor Dvorsky • C • St. Louis Blues
Dalibor Dvorsky lit up the OHL as an 18 year old in 2023-24. In 2024-25 he posted a respectable 45 points in 61 AHL games and skated in his first two NHL contests. Scouts love his puck control, vision, and shot but do not love his lack of quickness. Dvorsky’s ability to compensate for that might determine if he ends up as a top-line or middle-six type producer. He is starting 2025-26 back in the AHL. - Artyom Levshunov • D • Chicago Blackhawks
Artyom Levshunov is said to have “an incredibly exciting toolkit” that feeds expectations he will become a true top-pair NHL D-man. Elite Prospects says Levshunov is “quick, nimble, explosive, able to keep up with the play going forward, backward, sideways – you name it…And with a shot that he can fire in-stride and passing skill to match, he’s always a threat to make something happen in open ice.” Levshunov likes to get involved in the offense at all times, which can get him into trouble. “Maybe it’s easier for forwards because they just go forward, play offense,” Levshunov recently said. “(Defensemen have) to play defense and offense both. Sometimes, it can be difficult to have balance with that.” He is starting 2025-26 in the National; how quickly he finds that balance will go a long way in determining if he sticks there all year. - Ryan Leonard • F • Washington Capitals
Ryan Leonard is said to have high-end compete, motor, energy, etc. – “He never takes his foot off the gas.” He is an intense player who constantly hunts the puck and loves to throw the body. He also has NHL-caliber offensive chops, though there is no consensus on just how much offense to expect from Leonard. Hockey Prospecting‘s model projects his offense to be in the excellent range (think Dylan Strome and Kevin Fiala) rather than elite. - Gabe Perreault • F • New York Rangers
No one questions that Gabe Perreault possesses exceptional vision and playmaking abilities. Logan Horn writes that Perreault “looks like someone who could be a power play specialist at the next level with great skill and smarts in the offensive zone. He can pick apart opposing defenses with pin-point passes, creative dangles and sly fakes.” However, plenty of questions do remain about whether Perreault’s lack of size and strength will prevent those compelling skills from flourishing at the NHL level. - Oliver Moore • F • Chicago Blackhawks
Oliver Moore is regarded as a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect. Projections vary anywhere from a bottom-six NHL forward all the way to a middle-six NHL forward! - Luca Cagnoni • D • San Jose Sharks
Luca Cagnoni is another prospect whose offensive talents are electric but who will have to overcome a lack of size and strength for them to take off in the National. Opinions vary wildly on whether he will be able to do that. Logan Horn can see Cagnoni “on the Sharks’ second pairing and earning significant power play minutes,” while Corey Pronman did not even include Cagnoni on his most recent ranking of the top 139 players under 23. - Jimmy Snuggerud • F • St. Louis Blues
Jimmy Snuggerud’s biggest strength is a wicked shot that is both heavy and deceptive. There are questions about his skating. Scott Wheeler says Snuggerud is “viewed as more of a 20-30 goals and 50-60 points guy than as a future all-star.” - Noah Ostlund • F • Buffalo Sabres
- Sam Rinzel • D • Chicago Blackhawks
To the eyes of prospect watchers, Noah Ostlund and Sam Rinzel have intriguing offensive upside. However, the purely objective model at Hockey Prospecting is not high on their offensive production so far. - Matthew Wood • F • NashvillePredators
- Joakim Kemell • F • Nashville Predators
- Niklas Kokko • G • Seattle Kraken
- Olivier Rodrigue • G • Edmonton Oilers
- Ivan Demidov/Artyom Levshunov checklist
- Jani Nyman • F • Seattle Kraken
- Cameron Lund • F • San Jose Sharks
- Elias Pettersson • D • Vancouver Canucks
- Colton Dach • F • Chicago Blackhawks
- Ville Koivunen • F • Pittsburgh Penguins
- Rory Kerins • F • Calgary Flames
- Jakub Skarek • G • New York Islanders
- Matthew Robertson • D • New York Rangers
- Jack Finley • F • Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jacob Melanson • F • Seattle Kraken
- Ryan Suzuki • F • Carolina Hurricanes
- Carter Mazur • F • Detroit Red Wings
- Ozzy Wiesblatt • F • Nashville Predators
- Ian Moore • D • Anaheim Ducks
- Dylan Duke • F • Tampa Bay Lightning
- Donovan Sebrango • D • Ottawa Senators
- Justin Robidas • F • Carolina Hurricanes
- Marc Gatcomb • F • New York Islanders
- Ethen Frank • F • Washington Capitals
- Rodrigo Abols • F • Philadelphia Flyers
- Riley Duran • F • Boston Bruins
- Skyler Brind’Amour • F • Carolina Hurricanes
- Victor Ostman • G • Seattle Kraken
- Nikita Tolopilo • G • Vancouver Canucks
- Karsen Dorwart • F • Philadelphia Flyers
- Quinn Hutson • F • Edmonton Oilers
- Michael Callahan • D • Boston Bruins
- Jacob Quillan • F • Toronto Maple Leafs
- Tim Washe • F • Anaheim Ducks
- Jacob Gaucher • F • Philadelphia Flyers
- Parker Ford • F • Winnipeg Jets
- Sam Morton • F • Calgary Flames
- Owen Sillinger • F • Columbus Blue Jackets
- Dominik Shine • F • Detroit Red Wings
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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 draft position, player age (the younger the better), and NHL performance to date.
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