Eight Boston College Eagles Named to The Hockey News Top 100 NCAA Players to Watch Leave a comment

The few freshmen in line to play on this team are touted players, a first round pick in Michael Hage, a late round pick/USNTDP guy in Christian Humphreys, and a possible first round pick in Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen. Only Hunter Hady or Will Felicio could be in the lineup as a skater as an undrafted freshman. This is a more veteran team than what Michigan is used to and I think they will benefit from it.

Prospects #90-81

He can receive a contract extension on July 1, 2025, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Either way, the three-time MVP will reap the benefits of being the NHL’s best player since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015. Florida claimed the defenseman off waivers in 2021 from Carolina, and he has since flourished into https://gambibet.org/mobile/ a legitimate top-pair defender. He quickly rose to the top of the Panthers’ blue line and is now one of the most underrated defensemen in the league. The Panthers captain trails only Tkachuk on the team in playoff points with 17 in as many games. His 164 faceoff wins rank third out of all skaters, and he’s winning 53.4 percent of his draws.

Boston College Men’s Hockey Announces Captains For 2024-25 Season

No, for Pastrnak, it was never a question of how high he might reach — it was simply whether his success was a product of his environment or whether that environment was a product of him. In one sense, it’s no surprise Sidney Crosby remains among the game’s best, even after all these years. In another, it is a signature achievement, one more in an absurdly long line of them, that the Pittsburgh Penguins captain has managed to stay at this level for this long. No. 87 has made a habit of authoring resurgent campaigns just when the hockey world begins to write him off. It’s what he did when injuries threatened to derail him early in his big-league tenure, Crosby eventually returning with a century season that earned him his second Art Ross.

Stanley Cup Final: Ranking the top 10 impact players in Panthers vs. Oilers

• Boisvert is a big center (6-foot-2) with tons of skill with the puck and above average skating.
• Aaron Ekblad’s play has regressed over the past two seasons, but he is still a strong defensive presence.
• He battles well against larger players and his low center of gravity makes him harder to knock off the puck than you would expect.
• The Senators didn’t have a strong group overall, but with three high-end left-handed defensemen, with preference going to the two home-grown ones, he was the odd man out and played on the third pair with more limited time.
• His defensive impacts are impeccable, and he has started to elevate his offensive game lately as well.
• He’s great at identifying the open lanes and attacking with force to take advantage of an opportunity.
• His tools make him very well suited as a center at the next level with good size, a coveted right-handed shot, good defensive habits (kills penalties quite well), and solid faceoff results.
• He is one of the most underrated players in the game and has a huge impact on the team each night.

Calum Ritchie has great puck skills and sometimes it looks like he’s glued the puck to his stick while carving through defenders or when he’s on a breakaway. His tools make him very well suited as a center at the next level with good size, a coveted right-handed shot, good defensive habits (kills penalties quite well), and solid faceoff results. He has the tools to be a top-6 forward, but his offensive game will need to continue to grow if he wants to reach that level of play in the NHL. Ritchie missed pieces of the past two seasons with injuries, but his play down the stretch in the OHL last season was phenomenal. Despite missing nearly all of his draft-1 season to injury, Michael Hage has established himself as a high end prospect, and was drafted 21st overall. He has a really well-rounded tool kit as a 6-foot-1 center who skates well, has excellent skill with the puck and can create chances at will in the USHL.

Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Panthers

He plays well in all situations, including dominating on the power play and shutting things down on the penalty kill. Sebastian Aho has quietly crept his way into the superstar-caliber player conversation. He is one of the most underrated players in the game and has a huge impact on the team each night. He has developed into a perennial Sekle Trophy candidate while also being a 70-point center.

Goals Against Average

Hutson sees the ice really well and was dominant offensively through two NCAA seasons. He earned a quick two game NHL tryout with Montreal at the end of last season and looked dangerous so expect him to be a difference maker on the backend there very soon. Cowan is a quick and hardworking winger whose offensive production skyrocketed in the OHL last season, nearly doubling his production from the prior season in fewer games. The skill and skating were always there, but his ultimate offensive potential was the biggest question. He has gone a long way to putting that question to rest this year so keep an eye on Cowan as he finishes his junior career and enters the pros very soon.

Brandt Clarke, RD, Los Angeles Kings

• Clarke will likely never be the best defensive defender, but the amount of offense he provides will make that an afterthought for most of his NHL career.
• Tkachuk’s clutch run in the playoffs was the cherry on top of a sensational first season in Florida.
• His skating is so strong and his motor runs high enough that even in games where he’s quiet offensively, he still provides a ton of value on the defensive end.
• Regardless, his defensive impacts are outstanding, and is a regular 60-point player even without playing a full season.
• Reinhart was the OT hero in Game 4 for the Panthers against the Rangers, showing an element of clutchness to his game.
• Denton Mateychuk is a dynamic offensive defenseman who excels with the puck and can control the play from the point.
• Faber was acquired by the Wild in a trade that sent Fiala to the Kings, and since then, Faber’s development has been fantastic.

He’s a top-three goaltender in the league, coming off a season where he posted a 2.34 GAA, .934 SV% and a 38.7 goals saved above expected. He looked like an absolute star in the KHL last year, once again being loaned to HK Sochi, one of the league’s bottom teams. I expected he would land a well-deserved top-six spot with SKA St. Petersburg next season, but the Flyers managed to get him signed and Michkov will make his NHL debut much sooner than expected. He’s a serious contender for the Calder Trophy next year, especially if the Flyers put him in a position to succeed.

• He led the league in goals, assists, and points as a 17-year-old and he’s got a wicked shot and the speed to be an absolute terror in transition.
• Sam Reinhart might be Florida’s most dangerous offensive option to put the puck in the net.
• Over the last three years, Stamkos has been one of the top point producers and had drug his team into battle every night.
• He enters this season with one year left on his contract with the Leafs, and it could be Nylander’s final season in Toronto.
• He brings great offensive skills and has some of the best possession metrics on his team last season.
• There is no denying that the Wild have become immensely more fun to watch since Kaprizov came over from Russia.

THE NHL’S TOP 50 PLAYERS: 10-1

Joshua Roy has proven just about everyone wrong ever since he was drafted 150th overall in the 2021 Draft. He became one of the best goalscorers in the entire CHL in his final seasons there and was excellent for Team Canada at the World Juniors, winning two Gold medals. Roy is incredibly competitive, responsible defensively, and protects the puck extremely well. He has shown that he only gets better when the games get important, which is an invaluable attribute to have as someone who projects as a top-nine winger in the NHL. There was a time when Joakim Kemell was seen as the second-best prospect in the 2022 Draft.

Andrew Cristall, LW, Washington Capitals

This season, Clarke has been the best offensive defender in the entire AHL, earning himself a callup to the NHL in January. Clarke will likely never be the best defensive defender, but the amount of offense he provides will make that an afterthought for most of his NHL career. Gauthier has great size, skating, and has the effort and ability to become a great defensive forward. Axel Sandin Pellikka is a right-handed offensive defenseman who has been an offensive leader in the SHL as a teenager. Sandin Pellikka had a great showing for Sweden at the World Juniors in his draft year, improving his draft stock considerably.

Logan Stankoven, C, Dallas Stars

The New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning lead the charge with six players each in the top 100, while the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers failed to get anyone on our list. Positionally, centers continue to dominate, with 34 of 100 slots and six of the top 10. Defensemen accounted for 28 of 100 spots, while nine goalies made the top 100 (and only one in the top 25). As for the wings, left wings win this round, with 18 in the top 100 compared to 11 right wings. Ullmark’s play was a big reason the Bruins broke the regular-season records for most points and wins last year. The Boston goaltender was sensational in net, leading the league in wins (48), GAA (1.89) and SV% (.938) en route to his first Vezina win.

• Not only was he an excellent defensive option, he also led the Rangers in playoff scoring with 20 points in 16 games.
• The Irish have hung around .500 because they had a great goalie but now that goalie, Ryan Bischel, has moved on.
• I saw the massive frame and good skating and understood why he would be drafted in the first round (29th overall in the 2022 Draft), but I didn’t expect him to develop so well, so quickly.
• On paper, it may be difficult to pull apart why exactly Makar stands out from the other new-school rovers in the league, the Hugheses and the Foxes.
• One thing he and Michkov have in common is a difficulty earning minutes in the KHL as a draft eligible player.
• He’s upped the ante even more of late, growing into peak form over the past two seasons with a pair of 100-point campaigns and 97 goals over that span, too.

With many awards finalists and proven playoff performers in the mix this spring, who comes out on top? We start with a player who scored more goals this season than anyone in the past 30 years. The Robin to McDavid’s Batman, Draisaitl is a world-class talent who would be the best player on 30 other teams. The German center finished with 52 goals and a career-high 128 points last season, giving him now three years with at least 50 goals and four seasons with at least 100 points. Draisaitl is regarded as the best passer in the league, and rightfully so with his slick dishing ability.

The Best NHL Players Of 2024, Ranked

He led the team in those categories and was second in shots while playing less than 20 minutes per night. He is a very good winger with physical elements to his game, making him a versatile option for deployment. The problem for Notre Dame is that their roster of skaters has degraded significantly, no longer able to prevent themselves from getting caved in and totally unable to score goals. The Irish have hung around .500 because they had a great goalie but now that goalie, Ryan Bischel, has moved on. They do have two seemingly competent replacement options, Owen Say (good numbers at Mercyhurst) and Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP goalie/4th round pick) and I generally trust that ND will have good goaltending. Not sure, and any decline from that caliber could seriously tank this team further with no obvious improvement in their scoring talent.

Kids’ hockey game halted as parents brawl in the stands

He didn’t last very long and didn’t leave the biggest impact, but he’s still just 19 so every bit of pro experience and guidance he soaked up in those weeks was time well spent. Your votes will help highlight the athletes who are making the biggest impact this season, showcasing the talent and dedication of the best players in the league. Join us in recognizing the exceptional performances of these hockey heroes and contributing to the ongoing excitement of the NHL. Last season, Makar became the second-fastest defenseman to reach 300 career points, and he did so in just 280 games.

His goal-scoring ability is unmatched in today’s league, and on top of that, he was a nominee for the Frank J. Selke Trophy last season as well. Artemi Panarin had the best season of his career last season and finished fourth in scoring league-wide. He has always been among the most productive wingers around the league, but took a huge step this season scoring 49 goals and shattering his career-high of 31 goals before that. On top of that, it was his first time hitting the 100-point mark, and while he was on pace to do it plenty of times, he hasn’t been able to push that number until now. A career year from William Nylander earned him not only a massive contract extension but also a high spot on this list. He has scored 80+ points in each of the last three seasons and has back-to-back 40-goal seasons.

Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings

But you can see it when he’s gliding through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, when he darts into the offensive zone and dances around the opposition, a whirling dervish of deception and offensive instincts. He is a high-end winger who has one of the best shots in the game, and when fitted with strong linemates and good chemistry, he thrives as an impactful player. He is good on the backcheck but isn’t a strong defensive player with pressure, but his puck-handling skills make him reliable to be iced at all times. The young defenseman took a bit of a step back last season with the Red Wings, but still played great defensive hockey and showed his physical side, too.

• For my money, he was the most talented offensive creator on the backend in the 2024 Draft, however, Parekh’s defensive game leaves a lot to be desired.
• A huge breakout year for Sam Reinhart propelled him up this list, and if he can replicate this kind of season and prove it isn’t a one-and-done kind of year, he will continue to shoot up the list.
• The 24-year-old is one of the most promising young goaltenders, coming off a season where he posted a 2.42 GAA and a .916 SV%.
• It’s all of it, all together, the versatility that’s turned him into the stuff of defender’s nightmares.
• Both are fantastic two-way options and while Theodore produced more offense, Pietrangelo specializes in the defensive department.
• With former Bruins star Patrice Bergeron out of the league, you can easily argue that Barkov is the best two-way center in the game.

Last season was a positive one for Lambert who looked like a top young player in the AHL. The past two years, however, have been a different story as Bystedt continues to show more offensive skill which he is then rewarded for with a larger role on the team which then leads to more offensive production. Bystedt played eight AHL games last Spring with the San Jose Barracuda and looked excellent.

While some will look just at the point total and question if he he reaches the level of a strong first-line center, his defensive impacts are his biggest strength. Since being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche, Devon Toews has developed into an excellent defenseman to support all of the superstars on the team. He has had impressive point totals, and incredible defending, and has earned Norris Trophy votes in three straight seasons before last season.

McDavid can take over games and has fared well against even the toughest defensive matchups through the first three rounds. The Panthers will throw the kitchen sink at him, but McDavid is just operating on another level right now. Draisaitl could be the No. 1 guy on many teams around the NHL, but in Edmonton he has Connor McDavid as a teammate. Draisaitl gives the Oilers a truly elite finisher, both at five-on-five and on the power play. After notching 41 goals in the regular season, he has 10 goals this postseason, which is second in the NHL and would be first on the Panthers. What makes Draisaitl so key in this series is that, although he’s earned a reputation as a prolific goal-scorer, he’s no pushover in the physicality department.

He’s a massive power forward (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) who is incredibly quick and difficult to knock off the puck. His size advantage is part of what makes him a nearly immovable object in the WHL, but he also has great hands, a strong shot, and really good puck protection instincts. His defensive game has looked significantly improved over the years and I think his offensive totals would have earned him a bit more attention this season if he hadn’t dealt with consecutive finger and back injuries. Logan Stankoven is a fearless competitor who is willing to make tough, physical plays and isn’t shy about throwing his body around either. He played full time in the AHL last season for the Texas Stars and looked dominant as a first year pro. Not only did he scoring more than every other top prospect in that league in his time there, but he was actually the leading scorer for the entire league in January before earning a run of play in the NHL.

But as a result, they still don’t have a very rich senior class and they didn’t pursue the portal to accent this group. Thus it still feels like they’re a year away, especially in adding another huge freshman class, one that doesn’t have a lot of drafted players nor obvious top tier USHL stars. PSU should still be decent and competitive in a tough B1G but seems more like an ongoing retool while they grow and develop the 14 freshmen and sophomores on the roster.

Marchand is still a pesky winger, but he’s more notably known for his ability to drive offense and be a sensational defender. After a 67-point campaign last year, it will be intriguing to see how Marchand produces without his longtime center, Patrice Bergeron. I saw the massive frame and good skating and understood why he would be drafted in the first round (29th overall in the 2022 Draft), but I didn’t expect him to develop so well, so quickly. Lamoureux has made some really big strides in a positive direction since being drafted, with his play improving in all phases of the game. We turned to our Sportsnet Insiders for an answer, asking them to untangle the whirlwind of sticks, skates, and bodies flying around the sheet, and rank the top 50 players in the NHL at this moment. Not just the best forwards or defenders, not just the best offensive-minded phenoms or shutdown talents, but the best — full-stop.

Here, in the twilight of his career, he’s still doing it, altering his game to keep up with a league that seems to be running a hundred miles-per-hour faster than it did when he was in his prime. Whether that’s enough to pull the team around him back into playoff relevancy remains unclear. But coming off another summer of roster tweaks, with a new young linemate to mold into an ideal wingman, it would be foolish to count Crosby out. Aleksander Barkov has taken over as the top two-way center in the NHL now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, and on top of that, has found strong offensive consistency over the past three seasons. During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Barkov had some of the toughest matchups possible and did an excellent job shutting down the top players on all of the teams he faced on the path to winning the Stanley Cup.

He scored 22 points through 43 regular season and playoff games with Dallas, and should be a serious contender for the Calder Trophy next season. For my money, he was the most talented offensive creator on the backend in the 2024 Draft, however, Parekh’s defensive game leaves a lot to be desired. Some may be worried about his lack of production in the WHL, but anyone who saw Danielson play in the NHL Preseason last Fall should know he’s well on his way to becoming a high-end NHLer. He’s got the size, skating, shot, and skill to be an impactful player in all areas of a hockey game and I will be a massive Danielson apologist until he’s a full time NHLer in the near future. Few centers in junior hockey enter their draft year as well-rounded as Nate Danielson.

There may be an adjustment upsizing to a starter’s workload if they want him to play 35 games but I like that get for the Nittanys. PSU’s high-event, high-scoring style really rests on having a good goalie so if they can get this right, that’s a huge boost. Glass, but certainly not least (especially with the other Sharks on this list), we have the newest addition to the Sharks in Yaroslav Askarov. Following the theme of young prospects who want out of their current situations, Askarov asked to be traded out of Nashville after Jose Saros’ extension was signed this offseason. He proved that last season in the AHL for the Milwaukee Admirals and has the power and reaction speed to command his crease at a high level. He will undoubtedly be fighting for the starting job against Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood, but his ceiling as a goalie is one of the best out there.

Anton Silayev was the story of the year early on last season, going from an unknown defender in Russia’s junior system last year to an elite defensive prospect who was tearing up the KHL. After scoring just 18 points with the Seattle Thunderbirds the season before, Iginla flourished with the Kelowna Rockets. His game relies heavily on speed and he’s able to do a ton of damage on the rush at the junior level because of it. Iginla has an excellent wrist shot as well, but he isn’t the most gifted playmaker or physical guy. Denton Mateychuk is a dynamic offensive defenseman who excels with the puck and can control the play from the point.

After taking huge steps in his game over the past two seasons, Josh Morrissey has entered the conversation of one of the best defensemen in the league. With 145 points over the last two seasons, being a strong defensive presence for the Jets, and earning a fifth- and seventh-place finish in Norris Trophy voting, he has really emerged as a true number-one defenseman. One of the best shorthanded players in the league, while also having good offensive numbers and playing a physical, gritty game, Brad Marchand is the heartbeat of the Boston Bruins. Robert Thomas had a big breakout year last season, scoring 86 points, but even more impressively, 60 assists, which only 16 players accomplished last season.

The Cougars have been loaded with talent for the past two seasons so it’ll be very interesting to see how Heidt looks once he makes the jump to pro level in another year. Marat Khusnutdinov is an undersized center who is known for his excellent vision and hockey sense as well as his refined defensive game. He never gives up on a play and works incredibly hard on both the forecheck and the backcheck, often re-gaining possession for his team entirely on his own. Khusnutdinov finally broke through in the KHL two seasons ago, earning a large enough role to demonstrate his talents, and he rewarded his coaches by scoring 41 points in 63 games.

• Experience will be something this team can lean on, as only two of the projected twelve forwards are freshmen and there’s also lots of experience on defense.
• From being a throw-in in a trade and being waived, to now in the Top 50 for the best players in the league is remarkable.
• I think his offensive versatility and his potential while attacking off the rush will make him an excellent addition for the Kraken.
• He has a great shot and playmaking vision but could use some work on his speed to help him separate from defenders on the rush.
• Doughty’s leadership, experiences, and impact on every game make him a valuable asset, and he is still one of the top two-way defensemen in the game.
• Molendyk’s edgework makes him incredibly mobile in all directions, capable of acting on new information at a moment’s notice.

On top of the offense, Barzal is one of the best skaters in the league and puts in good work defensively as well. Not many would have been able to predict Gustav Forsling to make this kind of list even just a few years ago. From being a throw-in in a trade and being waived, to now in the Top 50 for the best players in the league is remarkable. Forsling is a great shut-down defenseman and was given a heavy workload in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on the path to winning a Stanley Cup, and received eight third-place votes for the Conn Smythe.

Throw him on the left wing, or the right, or down the middle — regardless, Rantanen’s proven able to get to his game and inflict his offensive will . And yet, plying his trade in the shadow of two superstars in Colorado, you could argue he’s flown under the radar relative to what he’s done in this league. Players like these two don’t come around often, and where Brady thrives is in the physicality department. He provides strong offense, and set a new career-high in goals last season, but took a bit of a step back in point production after some nagging injuries throughout the season.

Because the boring vets can be found on the waiver wire at any time unless you play in a 32-team league. Aleksander Barkov is arguably one of the Panthers’ biggest threats on both ends of the ice. After all, Barkov won the Selke Trophy this season as the best defensive forward in the NHL. As harassing as Barkov can be on the defensive end, he’s just as dangerous when he’s got the puck on his stick.