The Young Player on Every NHL Roster with the Highest Upside | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sarah Rodriguez Carolina Hurricanes, Seth Jarvis
The Hurricanes just keep pumping out talent through their system, and they have another potential star ready for a breakout in the 21-year-old Jarvis. His production took a small step backward in the second year of his career, mainly due to a big drop in his shooting percentage (all the way down to just 7.5 percent), but the talent is there for him to be a star in the Carolina lineup. He is off to a great start this season with four goals and seven total points in his first seven games.
Columbus Blue Jackets, Adam Fantilli
The Blue Jackets probably were not expecting Fantilli to be available with the No. 3 overall pick in 2023, but he fell right into their laps. At this point, everything with him is based on potential and projection, but he is the most anticipated and hyped prospect to enter the Blue Jackets lineup since Rick Nash was picked No. 1 overall all the way back in 2002, and Fantilli will probably even exceed that level of hype and anticipation. He is a potential franchise player.
New Jersey Devils, Jack Hughes
There is no need to overthink this pick. Hughes is the Devils' best player. He is one of the best players in the NHL. He is still only 22 years old. His best days are still right in front of him. He has helped turn the Devils not only into a Stanley Cup contender, but also one of the most exciting teams in the league. The latter is something nobody has ever said about the New Jersey Devils. That alone makes him a special talent.
New York Islanders, Simon Holmstrom
The Islanders are an older team and do not have a particularly strong farm system, but Holmstrom is an intriguing player, even if flawed. He hasn't really played a big role in the NHL yet, but he has NHL skill and can be very creative in the offensive zone. Oliver Wahlstrom could also be the pick here, but something just has not yet clicked there for him and the Islanders.
New York Rangers, Kaapo Kakko
The Rangers have two recent top-two picks on their roster in Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere, and while neither has really blossomed into a star or an impact player yet (which is very concerning), they still have some upside and have shown the potential to be stars. While Lafreniere has the bonus of being a No. 1 overall pick, Kakko might have the higher upside at this point. He is better at driving possession, he is better at generating shots on his own, and he doesn't need to rely strictly on a high shooting percentage to generate offense. If one of those two ends up becoming a star, Kakko might be the better bet.
Philadelphia Flyers, Joel Farabee
The Flyers' prized building block is 2023 first-round pick Matvei Michkov. But he is still at least a year away from making his NHL debut, let alone an actual on-ice impact. In the meantime there are still a few young players on the roster who might have a chance to still be around in Philadelphia the next time the Flyers are good. That includes Farabee, who is still trying to find some consistency and his place in the NHL. Through his first three years, he has scored at a 20-goal, 40-point pace over 82 games, which is solid scoring for a top-nine forward. But it still feels like he has another level he can reach.
Pittsburgh Penguins, no qualified players
The Penguins are the oldest team in the NHL and have one of the thinnest farm systems, resulting in what might be one of the bleakest long-term futures when looking at the next five years. They still have a core that should be competitive in the short-term, but there are no young players on the roster who figure to be key contributors. Samuel Poulin is probably the most intriguing prospect in the farm system, but he is far from a sure thing at the NHL level. Brayden Yager, the team's 2023 first-round pick, probably has the most potential of any player in the prospect pool. Defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph is the youngest regular on the NHL roster, but has not yet established any consistency.
Washington Capitals, Rasmus Sandin
There is not much to like about the Capitals roster in the short-term or the long-term. It is an aging team that has rapidly slowed and doesn't have the best crop of young talent coming through. But the Caps did make a nice pickup at last year's trade deadline to get Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a first-round pick. He might not be a star, but he should at least be a good top-four defender who can bring some offense from the back end.