The path to the NHL is never a straight line for a prospect. Whether a player is selected first overall or in the later rounds of the draft, there are several factors that affect a player's ability to make the NHL roster out of training camp.
An obvious hurdle is opportunity: is there even an open spot on the depth chart at the position they play? But there are other realities too.
Is the player physically capable of moving up to the NHL level? Can the player be trusted to play in a variety of roles?
I’m not sure if there’s room in the league this season for all of the prospects I’m about to present, but I do believe they will at least compete for a job and have a chance to break camp with their teams.
In no particular order of expectation or ranking, here are some rookies I’m monitoring at NHL main camps, which open this week.
(Note: Some of the forwards on this list are natural centres, but, as everyone is aware, rookies entering the league are sometimes asked to play the wing until they earn their stripes and then move to their natural position.)
Gavin McKenna, left-shot forward, Toronto Maple Leafs
This one is as straightforward as it gets for me. McKenna did a fantastic job preparing for the combine last spring.
He added strength and weight between the end of his season at Penn State and the combine, so he tested very well. Now, McKenna, the Leafs and the fanbase are all excited to see how he'll slot into the lineup.
I recognize why some people believe he would be best suited to start in the middle six of the lineup, but I think McKenna is going to force the coaches to play him in an elevated role out of the gate — perhaps riding shotgun with Auston Matthews as a combination playmaker/goal scorer on Toronto’s top line.
Ivar Stenberg, left-shot forward, San Jose Sharks
You could cut and paste what I said about McKenna and put it here for the second overall pick. Stenberg has already proven he can produce offence at the pro level in Sweden (43GP-11G-22A) and at the men’s world championship (8GP-4G-4A) representing his home nation.
San Jose is a team on the rise and Stenberg can slot into their top-six forward group immediately. When he isn’t providing offence he’s fully committed to defence.
Alberts Smits, left-shot defenceman, New York Rangers
Out of all the defencemen selected in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, Smits has the highest floor and is the most likely to be comfortable transitioning to the NHL game. The six-foot-three, 210-pound, two-way defenceman has already competed at the pro level in Finland and Germany and represented his home nation, Latvia, at the world juniors, Olympics and World Championship.
Nikita Klepov, left-shot forward, Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are going to be interesting to watch this season. They had an eventful off-season to say the least and might need an extra affordable offensive option to install into their group.
Klepov is coming off a fantastic junior season playing for Saginaw in the OHL, where he produced 37G-60A and was deployed in all situations.
Roger McQueen, right-shot centre, Anaheim Ducks
There could be an open slot on one of Anaheim’s forward lines for a centre and McQueen could compete for it. How many teams would love to have a chance to insert a six-foot-six, 200-pound rookie into their lineup, if he’s ready?
The short answer is 31 other teams. The Ducks will be hoping he's ready to take a step.
Viggo Bjorck, right shot forward, Winnipeg Jets
I just returned from watching Bjorck compete at the Prospects Challenge in Gatineau and he was one of the most complete young guns at the event. He can play both centre and the wing and has the advantage of being trustworthy in all situations.
He provides more than just offence, plays fast and has elite hockey sense and offensive vision. He’s exactly what the Jets need on their roster.
Brayden Yager, right-shot forward, Winnipeg Jets
Yager appeared to have some synergy working alongside Bjorck at the prospects tournament. More importantly, Yager looks stronger than he was a year ago and better prepared to compete for an NHL job.
Yager, like Bjorck, can be deployed in a variety of roles and has a firm understanding of how to play the game the right way on and off the puck.
Anton Silayev, left-shot defenceman, New Jersey Devils
Silayev is an outlier in many ways. First of all, he’s a massive human being (six-foot-seven, 211 pounds).
Secondly, he’s an elite skater for his size and has the ability to play his off-side as a left-shot. The Devils tend to struggle with injuries throughout the season, so having this dynamic shutdown defenceman in the bullpen provides the organization with a reliable option.
Silayev won’t produce much offence, but he will keep the puck out of his net and launch the attack efficiently.
Oliver Bonk, right-shot defenceman, Philadelphia Flyers
Bonk’s first season at the pro level got off to a slow start last year when he suffered an injury that kept him out until December, but once he settled in he appeared comfortable at the AHL level and on the cusp of being NHL ready. Bonk is a two-way defenceman who recognizes when and when not to take chances offensively.
He can also play the bumper on the power play, which is unique for a defenceman.
Roman Kantserov, left-shot defenceman, Chicago Blackhawks
I was heavily criticized in some circles when I discounted Kantserov’s value in the Hawks' system last year. There’s no doubt in my mind that Kantserov can move the needle offensively.
He produced 36G-28A in the KHL last year and finished with a plus-22 rating in the regular season. His playoffs fell off pretty dramatically though (4G-4A in 15GP paired with a minus-1 rating).
Kantserov is listed at five-foot-10, 176 pounds. He has the ability to play with pace and create offence, but his three-zone detail will be tested in the NHL.
All I require is for him to be average on the defensive side. His offensive upside would win out in that scenario.
Sebastian Cossa, left-catching goalie, Utah Mammoth
Cossa is a first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings (15th overall in 2021) who the Mammoth acquired in trade this past summer for the 23rd overall selection at the June draft. He’s been simmering in the minors and is coming off a season that resulted in a 26-8-4 record, 2.33 GAA and .915 save percentage with Grand Rapids in the AHL.
The six-foot-six, 215-pound goalie could push for north of 30 games for the Mammoth this season.
Trey Augustine, left-catching goalie, Detroit Red Wings
Part of the reason Cossa was traded out of Detroit was that Augustine is arriving after a fantastic NCAA career at Michigan State. He’s entering his first full year of pro hockey.
Will the six-foot-one, 190-pound netminder push John Gibson or Daniil Tarasov for playing time this season? Either way, Augustine is the goalie of the future for the Wings.
Andrew Cristall, left-shot forward, Washington Capitals
The Caps selected Cristall in the second round (40th overall) in 2023. He was a prolific scorer in junior and continued playing to his identity in his first year of pro last season.
Cristall contributed 20G-40A in the AHL. Some prognosticators have concerns about Cristall’s skating and overall detail.
I’m the opposite. I believe in his character and drive.
It’s only a matter of time before he suits up in the NHL.
Braeden Cootes, right-shot forward, Vancouver Canucks
Cootes broke camp with the Canucks last year before being sent back to junior. Vancouver selected Cootes 15th overall in 2025, and the five-foot-11, 186-pound, right-shot centre might have to slide to the wing to make the Canucks this fall, but he will migrate to his natural position eventually.
Cootes is an infectious player who empties the tank shift after shift and can be deployed up and down the lineup.
James Hagens, left-shot forward, Boston Bruins
Hagens fell into the Bruins' lap at the 2025 draft, where they got him seventh overall. Now, the five-foot-11, 194-pound forward is well-positioned to earn an NHL roster spot.
Hagens had a brief stint in the AHL and with the Bruins at the end of last season after he produced 23G-24A in 34 NCAA games at Boston College.
Radim Mrtka, right-shot defenceman, Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres' first-round pick in 2025 (ninth overall) is entering his first full year at the pro level. Mrtka is a giant (six-foot-six, 218 pounds) right-shot defenceman.
He contributes secondary offence, but if he’s going to have a chance at breaking camp with the Sabres he will need to concentrate on using his size and length to kill plays defensively and keep things simple with the puck on his stick.
Bradly Nadeau, right-shot forward, Carolina Hurricanes
With Seth Jarvis out long-term recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, there will be an extra spot in the lineup at camp and Nadeau has an opportunity to slide into it. Nadeau’s offensive upside is what the Canes will value most.
At the AHL level last season, he produced 27G-29A in the regular season and followed it up with 7G-10A in the playoffs.
Victor Eklund, right-shot forward, NY Islanders
The Islanders selected Eklund 16th overall in 2025. That draft class has already provided New York with Matthew Schaefer and it also has belligerent defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson close to arriving as well.
Eklund pushes the pace offensively and has a chance to provide the Islanders with the spark they desperately need. After his season ended in Sweden last spring he arrived in the AHL for his first taste of North American pro hockey and contributed 3G-7A in nine regular season games.
Kasper Halttunen, right-shot forward, Ottawa Senators
Halttunen was acquired by the Senators in the trade that also brought William Eklund to Ottawa from the San Jose Sharks. Halttunen was selected in the second-round (36th overall) by the Sharks in 2023.
He’s easily defined. Halttunen is a shooter.
He rips pucks from the weak-side flank on the power play and is never shy about aggressively directing pucks on net from anywhere in the offensive zone. Halttunen produced 16G-19A in his first pro season last year playing in the AHL for the San Jose Barracuda.
If Halttunen is going to have a chance at breaking camp with the Senators he will have to earn the trust of the coaching staff with his overall detail, and play the game consistently faster.
Tomas Galvas, left-shot defenceman, Pittsburgh Penguins
Galvas is a fascinating prospect. He was passed over twice before finally being drafted this past June, when the Penguins got him 54th overall.
The 20-year-old left-shot defenceman has competed at the pro level in Czechia and represented his home country at the World Junior and World Championships. He’s capable of quarterbacking a power play and moves pucks efficiently without sacrificing defensive detail.
Sam O’Reilly, right-shot forward, Tampa Bay Lightning
I’m not sure there will be room on the Lightning roster for O’Reilly in his first year of pro hockey, but I’m positive the reigning OHL MVP will push for an opening night roster spot. O’Reilly was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers 32nd overall in 2024, but was acquired by Tampa Bay in the trade that sent the signing rights to Ike Howard to the Oilers.
In my opinion, O’Reilly is the next coming of Anthony Cirelli for the Bolts. It’s just a matter of time.
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