NHL future watch: Who’s the fastest-rising prospect in each team’s pipeline?

It’s what every NHL organization wants to see in its prospect pipeline: the player who takes the next step and shows they’re ready for more responsibility and a look at a higher level. Now, a month-plus into the 2024-25 hockey season, these rising-stock prospects have started to emerge.

Who’s rising the fastest for each team?

The Athletic posed that question to its NHL staff, stipulating that while very recent call-ups are eligible, the prospects should not be current full-time NHLers.

In response, we heard about top picks ready to make the leap, hidden gems earning bigger opportunities and players on the precipice of making an NHL impact. Here are the picks.

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Sam Colangelo, RW: Beckett Sennecke, the No. 3 draft pick this year, is their top prospect and he’s off to another good start with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. But it’s been nothing but an upward trajectory for Colangelo, a second-round pick in 2020 whose development at Northeastern appeared to stall. The 22-year-old transferred to Western Michigan for his senior season and had a terrific year in helping lead the Broncos to the NCAA tournament. Colangelo has built on that. He scored in his NHL debut at the end of last season and lasted until the final week of training camp before being sent to the AHL. While the San Diego Gulls are struggling to win games like their NHL parent club, Colangelo is leading them in goals (eight) and is second in points (12). — Eric Stephens

Georgii Merkulov, C: The left-shot center was leading AHL Providence with two goals and nine assists for 11 points through Thursday. This is not out of the ordinary. Merkulov was Providence’s No. 1 scorer in 2023-24 with 65 points in 67 games. But so far, Merkulov has not transferred his AHL results up top. His accelerated trajectory comes more from the NHL team’s struggles. The Bruins are desperate for offensive punch, so perhaps the 24-year-old’s moment is coming. — Fluto Shinzawa

Prokhor Poltapov, LW: Poltapov, the No. 33 pick in the 2021 draft, is developing into an NHL-level player who can blend skill with a tenacious playing style. The 21-year-old has seven goals and nine assists in 24 games playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. He recently signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him there through the 2026-27 season, but he’ll be 24 years old and NHL-ready when that contract ends. The Sabres should be excited about what he’s becoming. — Matthew Fairburn

Jacob Battaglia, LW: The Flames’ recent second-round pick is off to a hot start in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs. His 14 goals and 30 points have him in the top five in goals and top 10 in points among OHL scorers. The Flames loved his size and ability to play in the corners when they had the chance to draft him this summer. Scouting director Tod Button likened him to a junkyard dog. And now he’s looking like an intriguing riser in the Flames’ prospect pipeline. By the way, we’re not sure if that spiritual healer he visited before being drafted told him he’d be doing so well in the OHL. — Julian McKenzie

Favourite draft story today: Jacob Battaglia visited a spiritual healer at Christmas who told him they saw the city of Calgary in his future.

“Word of a lie, I’m not making this up. She told me she says, she feels Calgary, somewhere in Canada…” pic.twitter.com/guRKaCPpfW

— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) June 29, 2024

Nikita Artamonov, LW: The Hurricanes might have the steal of the 2024 NHL Draft in Artamonov. Despite being projected as a first-round pick by several draft analysts, Artamonov fell into Carolina’s lap in the second round at pick No. 50. His start to the KHL season surely has the league’s other 31 teams wishing they’d taken a chance on the Russian winger. Artamonov, who turns 19 tomorrow, is second in the KHL in goals with 13 and tied for sixth in points with 22 for Torpedo through 27 games. — Cory Lavalette

Sam Rinzel, RHD: When the Blackhawks selected Rinzel with the No. 25 pick in the 2022 draft, some thought it was a reach. The Blackhawks knew at the time they’d have to be patient with Rinzel’s development. He had size and could skate, but he was raw otherwise as a defenseman. Now a sophomore at Minnesota, he’s starting to put it all together. He’s gotten stronger, has a better sense of how to play position and is consistently producing. He could soon too join the Blackhawks’ young and promising defensive group. — Scott Powers

Calum Ritchie, C: Ritchie is Colorado’s top prospect, and I’d still argue he’s the fastest-rising in the pool. After scoring his first NHL goal in his brief, seven-game stint with the Avalanche to begin the season, Ritchie returned to the Oshawa Generals and picked up right where he left off. He’s averaging two points per game, currently on a 56-game pace of 112 points. Even after missing the first 12 games of the OHL season, he should still end up amongst the league’s scoring leaders. — Jesse Granger

Luca Marrelli, RHD: Marrelli was a third-round pick (No. 86) last June, but he’s making that look like a steal so far this season with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is second among blueliners in the OHL in goals (nine) and points (25), and is tied for fourth in assists (16). The defenseman leading the league with 29 points is Sam Dickinson, who was the No. 11 pick by San Jose — 75 picks higher — than Marrelli in June. The Blue Jackets have drafted 14 defensemen in the last five drafts, so the competition within the organization is intense. But Marrelli is beginning to separate. — Aaron Portzline

Lian Bichsel, LHD: With Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque all having graduated in the past two seasons, there aren’t a lot of prospects left knocking on the door in Dallas. But Bichsel, the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft, is easily the closest. The hulking 6-foot-6 defenseman is getting his first full season in the AHL and is adapting well to the smaller ice surface in North America. He’ll need more time to develop, but the Stars have a history of calling players up at the right time and putting them in a position to succeed, so Bichsel likely won’t get the call until he’s truly ready. — Mark Lazerus

Emmitt Finnie, C: Detroit’s best prospects this season have been AHL goalie Sebastian Cossa and SHL defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, but since both are first-rounders with established pedigrees, let’s go with Finnie here as the biggest riser. The 2023 seventh-round pick has been outstanding in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, putting up 27 points through his team’s first 17 games — and wearing the captain’s “C” to top it off. Finnie has been noticeable at Detroit’s prospect events the last two years, a strong skater who displays two-way responsibility and a good shot as well. If he’s able to keep up this kind of production, the Red Wings may have a find here. — Max Bultman

Noah Philp, C: It’s hard to know what to expect from a player when he misses the previous season. That’s why Philp’s rise should be considered meteoric. Though he was making significant inroads with the organization during his rookie pro campaign in 2022-23, Philp opted to sit out last season for personal reasons. As a 26-year-old with limited experience, Philp was viewed as a long shot to make the Oilers out of camp in the eyes of coach Kris Knoblauch. Instead, he excelled in the preseason and got to the last day of cuts. Philp made a lasting impression and was recalled when Connor McDavid sustained an ankle injury last month. He even recorded an assist in his NHL debut on Oct. 31. He’s gone from an unknown to a realistic depth option for the team in the second half. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman

Hunter St. Martin, LW: It’s worth noting that the Panthers’ prospect pool could be in better shape. So it goes when you spend a few years in win-now mode — and we somehow doubt Bill Zito and Co. regret any of it. St. Martin, though, has opened some eyes with Medicine Hat. A sixth-rounder in 2024 who signed an entry-level deal after a strong camp, St. Martin has 17 goals in his first 17 WHL games this season and looks great on mega-prospect Gavin McKenna’s wing. — Sean Gentille

Liam Greentree, LW: The Kings’ No. 26 pick in 2024 is powering the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires with 33 points, which is among the league leaders. Brandt Clarke was their last first-round pick in 2021 so the selection of Greentree was important for Los Angeles after trading away previous first-rounders for Kevin Fiala and Pierre-Luc Dubois. A 6-foot-3 power forward with terrific hands, Greentree is more of a playmaker who can score goals as he uses his long reach to create space for himself against defenders. He’s already had 11 multi-point efforts among his 18 games, including back-to-back four-point nights against the Oshawa Generals and Guelph Storm. — Eric Stephens

Zeev Buium, LHD: There’s plenty of excitement around 2022 first-round pick Danila Yurov, but his return from offseason surgery has led to a slow start in the KHL. So the pick is puck-moving defenseman Buium. The 18-year-old will be vying for a second straight gold medal for the United States at the World Junior Championship and a second straight NCAA championship with the University of Denver. The 2024 first-round pick has 10 assists in 11 games for the Pioneers and on Friday had a hat trick against North Dakota. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Wild sign him immediately after his sophomore season ends. — Michael Russo

Sam Harris, LW: Coming off winning an NCAA championship as a freshman, University of Denver forward Harris entered the weekend leading the top-ranked team in the country with 10 goals in 10 games as a sophomore, just four fewer than he scored all of last season. He entered the weekend riding an eight-game point streak and was named the NCHC forward of the week last week. The fifth-round, No. 133 pick in 2023 is already looking like a good value pick. — Arpon Basu

😤Sam Harris buries the one timer! #MidcoSports | #GoPios | @DU_Hockey pic.twitter.com/UR2iXlob8y

— Midco Sports (@MidcoSports) November 16, 2024

Matthew Wood, RW: Forward Joakim Kemell and defenseman Tanner Molendyk are rising as well and should have key roles in Nashville before too long, but Wood, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft, is an enticing possibility as a top-six forward in future Predators lineups. He played college hockey at UConn last season, transferred to powerhouse program Minnesota this season and has three goals and 14 points in 11 games for the Golden Gophers. He’s got the size at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds and could eventually be an answer down the middle. — Joe Rexrode

Seamus Casey, RHD: Casey, a second-round pick in 2022, had an impressive enough preseason to break camp with the NHL club, and he provided some early offense for the Devils, scoring three goals in eight NHL games. The team sent him down to AHL Utica after its defensive corps got healthier. He’s continued his offensive output at the lower level. He has nine points in eight AHL games this season. — Peter Baugh

Isaiah George, LHD: In his first pro season, the fleet-skating left defenseman was headed for a developmental assignment in the AHL. After an early injury kept him to just four games at that level, the Islanders summoned George to fill in on their decimated blue line. And he has more than held his own, playing 24 minutes in two of his first four games and playing capably against Connor McDavid on Tuesday. The 20-year-old has opened many eyes in a short time. — Arthur Staple

Brett Berard, LW: Berard had a solid preseason for the Rangers, sticking with the NHL club until late in camp. The 22-year-old led the AHL club with 25 goals in 2023-24 and has six in 13 games to start 2024-25. He could be in position for an NHL call-up if the Rangers have an injury in their top-nine forward group. With the team set to face a cap crunch in coming years, he and other players on entry-level contracts will likely get plenty of opportunity. — Peter Baugh

Lucas Ellinas, C: The Senators’ prospect pool is in need of a refresh, mostly because their most prominent ones have either already graduated to the big club or haven’t shown enough in their development stages just yet. But Ellinas could be one to watch. The Sens’ fourth-round pick from last summer’s draft is already a third of the way to matching his production from last season with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. He has some size and scoring ability in his game, too. Ottawa would certainly benefit from a jump in Ellinas’ development to help improve its pipeline. — Julian McKenzie

Emil Andrae, LHD: Recalled on Oct. 27 due to Cam York’s upper-body injury, Andrae is making a strong case to stay on the roster even when everyone is healthy. The former second-round pick was arguably the Flyers’ best player on Tuesday in their 4-3 shootout win over the Sharks skating on the top pair with Travis Sanheim, running the top power-play unit, and generating a handful of scoring chances. His play lately may help ease the concerns over Jamie Drysdale’s stalled development (he’s currently out too with a minor upper-body injury), because right now Andrae — also an undersized yet mobile playmaker — looks like the more well-rounded, NHL-ready defenseman. — Kevin Kurz

Tristan Broz, C: The Penguins’ second-round pick in 2021 is gaining plenty of traction in the organization. He has progressed nicely over the last couple of years at the University of Denver and, in his first 12 games with Wilkes-Barre (AHL), has produced six goals and eight points. This is a prospect whom the Penguins like quite a bit. The franchise is in bad need of pure goal scorers and, in Broz, it would appear that such a player is on the way. — Josh Yohe

San Jose Sharks

Sam Dickinson, LHD: How do I not pick Yaroslav Askarov? He’s torching the AHL once again with the San Jose Barracuda. But it feels like he’s only an injury or trade away from being in the Sharks’ net. When thinking of the rising aspect, I’m leaning toward Dickinson. Sure, the London Knights defenseman is no diamond in the rough as the 11th pick of the 2024 draft, but the smooth blueliner is the top-scoring rearguard in the OHL and the leading scorer for the league’s premier franchise with 11 goals and 29 points. Dickinson is at 1.81 points per game, which is well above the 1.03 he was at in his breakout 2023-24 season. — Eric Stephens

Eduard Sale, RW: If Sale were a North American player drafted out of the CHL, he wouldn’t even be eligible to compete in the American League. As a result of the NHL-CHL transfer agreement, we very rarely see 19-year-old players like Sale become major AHL contributors. That’s what makes Sale’s first handful of AHL games — two goals and eight points in eight contests to begin his North American professional career — so incredible. The skilled offensive winger, a late first-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft, is off to an astonishing start in the Coachella Valley. He’s shown incredible skill and the details in his game, long a concern for scouts with Sale, have been at a high enough level to maintain a significant role at the AHL level. — Thomas Drance

Lukas Fischer, LHD: When the 2024 draft ended last June, there was a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to St. Louis filling up with passengers, and the last one on was Fischer. A flight attendant then got on a microphone and said, “Let’s hear a round of applause for the newest St. Louis Blues player!” The fellow passengers applauded, and the plane took off. After a good camp with the Blues, Fischer’s young career is now taking off, too. The 6-foot-3, 184-pound defenseman, who is the son of former NHLer Jiri Fischer, was reassigned to the Sarnia Sting, where he was named captain this season. He had three goals and nine points in 10 games before being sidelined with an injury, but he’s expected back soon. — Jeremy Rutherford

Dylan Duke, LW: Questions follow you when you’re a 5-foot-10 winger with a bit of a stocky build and without dynamic skating. Duke, with his determined, net-front style, just keeps answering them — and endearing himself to coaches. He finished fifth in the NCAA in goals last season with 26, scoring almost all of them around the crease, and he has followed it up with a very respectable start to his pro career in the AHL. Don’t be surprised if he makes his NHL debut this season. — Scott Wheeler

Nikita Grebenkin, LW: There will always be questions about how players adjust to North American hockey, but the Russian winger is answering a lot of questions early in his rookie AHL season. Grebenkin plays with pace, physicality and fearlessness that can be a blessing and a curse in his game. He leads all Marlies rookies with nine points in 11 games. What’s notable is how that production is often the result of brazen confidence. He looks for opportunities many wouldn’t and uses his NHL-ready frame to get to dangerous areas. He needs to learn to play within a system in the defensive zone, but there’s plenty of promise for the fifth-round pick. — Joshua Kloke

Daniil But, LW: At 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds and only 19 years old, some of But’s physical gifts are immediately obvious. Yet it was slow going for him in the KHL last season, as he played sparingly for one of the top clubs (Yaroslavl Lokomotiv) and produced only 21 points in his draft-plus-one season. This year has been a different story, however, as But already has six goals and 15 points in 23 games, putting him third in KHL scoring among under-21 players. Selected at No. 12 in 2023, But went higher than most expected and is a bit of a project. It’s unknown when he’ll be in North America, but his size, coordination and high-end shot offer a compelling package now that he’s started to put it all together as a pro. His father, Anton, was a longtime KHLer himself and is now an assistant in Yaroslavl, so the pedigree is there. — James Mirtle

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW: Lekkerimäki had a solid training camp and showed well in the preseason, but the level he’s hit over the past three weeks is something different entirely. In his draft-plus-three campaign, Lekkerimäki had made the full-time transition to playing North American professional hockey seamlessly. After the start of his American League season was delayed by illness, Lekkerimäki arrived in Abbotsford like a lightning bolt. In his seven AHL games this season the 2022 first-round pick has produced at a point-per-game clip, with five goals and nearly 40 shots — a preposterous shot rate for any player, much less a winger his age. Since being called up to Vancouver earlier this week, Lekkerimäki has played a significant role on J.T. Miller’s wing and scored his first career NHL goal Thursday night in Vancouver. For a team that hasn’t even been able to produce a single game played from a draft pick since 2020, Lekkerimäki’s emergence as an NHL-level option could be a ceiling-raising development. — Thomas Drance

FIRST @NHL GOAL ALERT‼️

A lethal Lekkerimäki shot for his first career goal. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/aaLUQgIMX7

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 15, 2024

Mathieu Cataford, C: The Golden Knights’ third-round pick from 2023 has been tearing the QMJHL to shreds over the last two seasons. Cataford had an offensive breakout a season ago for the Halifax Mooseheads and has been even better this season with Rimouski Océanic. Cataford leads the league with 34 points (nine goals and 25 assists) through only 19 games. He’s on pace for a ridiculous 115 points this season, and appears more than ready to begin his professional career next year. — Jesse Granger

Andrew Cristall, LW: Cristall, a winger who was the 40th pick in 2023, came close to cracking the Caps’ opening night roster. “He’s constantly a scoring chance,” coach Spencer Carbery said. And he’s maintained that momentum back with WHL Kelowna. In his first 10 games, he’s put up a staggering 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) and bulldozed his way into the world juniors roster discussion for Canada. — Sean Gentille

Kevin He, LW: He caught my eye at training camp, earning praise in multiple reports. He played with an intriguing combination of feistiness, fearlessness and skill in high-traffic areas that instantly made the 2024 fourth-round pick a player of interest. But even his good training camp didn’t prepare us for what followed: 17 goals, 12 assists and 29 points in his first 19 OHL games for Niagara. He scored 31 goals last season and could obliterate that total by Christmas at this rate. — Murat Ates

(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic. Photos: Mike Stobe, Andy Devlin / NHLI; John Cordes/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)