This article is part of our Prospects Analysis series.
Top 100 NHL Prospects: December '14 Edition
By Jon Litterine, RotoWire.com
With the NHL season nearly a third of the way over, it's time to update our list of the top 100 prospects in the NHL. With nearly 20 players having graduated, there has been a ton of movement on the list since our last update. Our final update of the season will come in early March right after the trade deadline. And for those asking, had they been eligible, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel would comfortably have been numbers one and two on this list, respectively.
(Notes: Players with 25 games or more of regular season NHL experience are not included. All stats as of December 12, 2014)
1) Jonathan Drouin (F-TB)
2) Anthony Mantha (F-DET): Recently made AHL debut after missing early part of the season with a fractured tibia.
3) Teuvo Teravainen (F-CHI)
4) Nikolaj Ehlers (F-WPG): Still dominating QMJHL (47P in 23GP) even without Drouin's help.
5) John Gibson (G-ANA): Expected to head to AHL when he returns from a groin injury in the near future.
6) Andrei Vasilevskiy (G-TB): Starting to find his game in first pro season in AHL.
7) Max Domi (F-ARI)
8) Sam Bennett (F-CGY): Hopeful to make season debut after shoulder surgery in late February or early March.
9) Derrick Pouliot (D-PIT)
10) Griffin Reinhart (D-NYI)
11) Alexander Wennberg (F-CBJ): Started season in NHL but struggled, recently demoted to AHL.
12) Darnell Nurse (D-EDM)
13) Michael Dal Colle (F-NYI)
14) William
Top 100 NHL Prospects: December '14 Edition
By Jon Litterine, RotoWire.com
With the NHL season nearly a third of the way over, it's time to update our list of the top 100 prospects in the NHL. With nearly 20 players having graduated, there has been a ton of movement on the list since our last update. Our final update of the season will come in early March right after the trade deadline. And for those asking, had they been eligible, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel would comfortably have been numbers one and two on this list, respectively.
(Notes: Players with 25 games or more of regular season NHL experience are not included. All stats as of December 12, 2014)
1) Jonathan Drouin (F-TB)
2) Anthony Mantha (F-DET): Recently made AHL debut after missing early part of the season with a fractured tibia.
3) Teuvo Teravainen (F-CHI)
4) Nikolaj Ehlers (F-WPG): Still dominating QMJHL (47P in 23GP) even without Drouin's help.
5) John Gibson (G-ANA): Expected to head to AHL when he returns from a groin injury in the near future.
6) Andrei Vasilevskiy (G-TB): Starting to find his game in first pro season in AHL.
7) Max Domi (F-ARI)
8) Sam Bennett (F-CGY): Hopeful to make season debut after shoulder surgery in late February or early March.
9) Derrick Pouliot (D-PIT)
10) Griffin Reinhart (D-NYI)
11) Alexander Wennberg (F-CBJ): Started season in NHL but struggled, recently demoted to AHL.
12) Darnell Nurse (D-EDM)
13) Michael Dal Colle (F-NYI)
14) William Nylander (F-TOR)
15) Pavel Buchnevich (F-NYR): 21P in 32GP in KHL as 19-year-old.
16) Josh Morrissey (D-WPG): Scheduled to be Team Canada's number one defenseman at the upcoming World Juniors.
17) Nicolas Kerdiles (F-ANA)
18) Jake Virtanen (F-VAN): Looks sharp (9G, 23P in 20GP in WHL) since returning from offseason shoulder surgery.
19) Sam Reinhart (F-BUF): Didn't look remotely ready for NHL action during early season stint with Sabres.
20) Sonny Milano (F-CBJ)
21) Anthony Duclair (F-NYR): Has shown flashes of all-world skill during early season action with Rangers.
22) Kerby Rychel (F-CBJ)
23) Connor Hellebuyck (G-WPG): Making a mockery of AHL (2.30 GAA, .932 save percentage) in first pro season.
24) Nick Ritchie (F-ANA)
25) Kasperi Kapanen (F-PIT)
26) Brady Skjei (D-NYR)
27) David Pastrnak (F-BOS): 19P in 20GP as 18-year-old in AHL. Recently made NHL debut.
28) Bo Horvat (F-VAN)
29) Nicolas Petan (F-WPG)
30) Shea Theodore (D-ANA)
31) Curtis Lazar (F-OTT)
32) Haydn Fleury (D-CAR): Has struggled at times for Red Deer (WHL).
33) Robby Fabbri (F-STL)
34) Samuel Morin (D-PHI): Is already better than the majority of the defensemen that the Flyers dress on a nightly basis.
35) Ty Rattie (F-STL)
36) Oscar Dansk (G-CBJ): Really struggled in first taste of AHL action and was demoted to ECHL.
37) Mike Matheson (D-FLA)
38) Shayne Gostisbehere (D-PHI): Out until late February with ACL surgery. Made NHL debut before injury.
39) Jon Gillies (G-CGY): With a 1.90 GAA and .938 save percentage, continues to prove he has nothing left to learn in Hockey East.
40) Mirco Mueller (D-SJ)
41) John Klingberg (D-DAL): Has been a godsend for the Dallas blueline.
42) Alex Tuch (F-MIN)
43) Danny Kristo (F-NYR)
44) Malcolm Subban (G-BOS)
45) Travis Sanheim (D-PHI): Has shown a dynamic element while playing for Calgary (WHL).
46) Kevin Fiala (F-NSH)
47) Jakub Vrana (F-WSH)
48) Kevin Hayes (F-NYR): Continues to rapidly improve and show a ton of patience with the puck for the Rangers.
49) Danny O'Regan (F-SJ): After dreadful sophomore season, is dominating Hockey East (21P in 15GP) while playing alongside Eichel.
50) Brett Ritchie (F-DAL)
51) Zach Fucale (G-MTL)
52) Teemu Pulkkinen (F-DET)
53) Brendan Perlini (F-ARI)
54) Josh Ho-Sang (F-NYI)
55) Ryan Pulock (D-NYI): Has 9G and 14P in 24GP in first pro season for Bridgeport (AHL).
56) Charles Hudon (F-MTL): Leading AHL in scoring (27P in 25GP) in first pro season.
57) Anthony DeAngelo (D-TB)
58) Julius Honka (D-DAL)
59) Joel Armia (F-BUF): Much better second AHL season.
60) Madison Bowey (D-WSH)
61) Nikita Scherbak (F-MTL)
62) Ville Pokka (D-CHI): Has really impressed (11P in 20GP) for Rockford (AHL) since arriving from NYI in Nick Leddy trade.
63) Nikolay Goldobin (F-SJ)
64) Kevin Roy (F-ANA)
65) Hunter Shinkaruk (F-VAN)
66) Ivan Barbashev (F-STL)
67) Adam Erne (F-TB)
68) Mark McNeill (F-CHI): Surprisingly putting up big numbers (16P in 15GP) for Rockford (AHL).
69) Ryan Hartman (F-CHI)
70) Oliver Bjorkstrand (F-CBJ)
71) Rocco Grimaldi (F-FLA)
72) Nick Schmaltz (F-CHI): Not surprisingly, has shown to be a terrific playmaker early during freshman season at North Dakota.
73) Emilie Poirier (F-CGY)
74) Seth Griffith (F-BOS)
75) Sven Andrighetto (F-MTL): Was recently rewarded with a call up and made NHL debut after continued solid play in Hamilton (AHL).
76) William Karlsson (F-ANA)
77) J.T. Compher (F-BUF)
78) Marko Dano (F-CBJ)
79) Andreas Athanasiou (F-DET)
80) Hudson Fasching (F-BUF)
81) Alexander Khokhlachev (F-BOS)
82) Steve Santini (D-NJ): Has been out since late October with wrist injury. Still holding out hope of playing in World Juniors.
83) Henrik Samuelsson (F-ARI): Having a rough go of it (9P in 21GP in AHL) in first pro season.
84) Dylan Larkin (F-DET)
85) Thatcher Demko (G-VAN): Very inconsistent during sophomore season at Boston College.
86) Scott Harrington (D-PIT)
87) Adam Clendening (D-CHI)
88) Mark Jankowski (F-CGY)
89) Ian McCoshen (D-FLA)
90) Michael McCarron (F-MTL): Has rebounded tremendously (15G, 29P in 21GP) after abysmal first OHL season.
91) Jason Dickinson (F-DAL)
92) Remi Elie (F-DAL)
93) Morgan Klimchuk (F-CGY)
94) Scott Laughton (F-PHI): Seems destined to be a third-liner and penalty killer at NHL level.
95) Pontus Aberg (F-NSH)
96) Adrian Kempe (F-LA)
97) Jake McCabe (D-BUF)
98) Mario Lucia (F-MIN)
99) Connor Brown (F-TOR)
100) Nicklas Jensen (F-VAN): Is slowly running out of chances.
DROPPED OFF
Radek Faksa (F-DAL)
Matt Grzelcyk (D-BOS)
Brandon Gormley (D-ARI)
Max Reinhart (F-CGY)
Devin Shore (F-DAL)
Bill Arnold (F-CGY)
GRADUATED
Evgeny Kuznetsov (F-WSH)
Johnny Gaudreau (F-CGY)
Aaron Ekblad (D-FLA)
Andre Burakovsky (F-WSH)
Oscar Klefbom (D-EDM)
Mathew Dumba (D-MIN)
Nikita Zadorov (D-BUF)
Leon Draisaitl (F-EDM)
Dmitrij Jaskin (F-STL)
Jake Allen (G-STL)
Calle Jarnkrok (F-NSH)
Filip Forsberg (F-NSH)
Vladislav Namestnikov (F-TB)
Nathan Beaulieu (D-MTL)
Vincent Trocheck (F-FLA)
Jamie Oleksiak (D-DAL)
Damon Severson (D-NJ)
Reid Boucher (F-NJ)
