Hockey season is on the horizon and NHL training camps are underway. An abbreviated preseason begins Saturday before the 84-game campaign starts Sept. 29.
Preseason hockey can offer a fun introduction to a newly drafted prospect or provide a springboard for a young player to earn a roster spot. Here's one prospect from every team worth checking out this preseason.
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Anaheim Ducks
Tristan Luneau. The 22-year-old blue-liner has an opportunity to claim a top-four role. Luneau has excelled in the AHL and has appeared in 14 NHL games over the last three seasons.
Boston Bruins
James Hagens. The 2025 seventh overall pick is likely to be an NHL regular after briefly drawing into the Bruins' playoff lineup. Whether he plays in the top six or in a more sheltered bottom-six role remains to be seen. Hagens' four-goal game at Boston's prospect tournament Monday is a stellar start.
Buffalo Sabres
Jiri Kulich. OK, this is stretching the definition of prospect, as Kulich has 75 NHL games on his resume - but the Czech forward's 2025-26 season ended Nov. 1 due to blood clot issues. Kulich is healthy and ready to reclaim his spot in the Sabres' top six.
Calgary Flames
Samuel Honzek. The 2023 first-round forward has struggled with injuries in his short career. Honzek missed most of last season after sustaining a knee injury in a collision with a teammate in November. The Slovakian has made the Flames' roster out of camp in back-to-back years and could surprise early on.
Carolina Hurricanes
Bradly Nadeau. The 21-year-old ranks third in the AHL with 59 goals over the past two seasons. Nadeau has a good shot at making the jump to full-time NHL action with Seth Jarvis out to start the year.
Chicago Blackhawks
Roman Kantserov. The Blackhawks have high hopes for Kantserov after a 36-goal, 64-point campaign in the KHL at 21 years old. His production is in line with Kirill Kaprizov at the same age. Chicago needs Kantserov to be a difference-maker right away given Connor Bedard's early-season absence.
Colorado Avalanche
Zachary L'Heureux. Colorado acquired L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov from Nashville for a package including Jack Drury in June. The former first-round pick is a fascinating winger who's racked up 81 points and a whopping 266 penalty minutes in 100 career AHL games. L'Heureux requires waivers beginning this year.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Luca Del Bel Belluz. The 22-year-old registered 58 points in 55 AHL games last season but managed only one assist in 14 NHL contests. Del Bel Belluz is knocking on the door, and Isac Lundestrom's injury could provide him with the opportunity to make the Blue Jackets out of camp.
Dallas Stars
Dylan Hryckowian. The younger brother of Stars forward Justin Hryckowian, Dallas signed Dylan as a collegiate free agent in March. Dylan had similar production at Northeastern to Justin and could be on a comparable NHL timeline.
Detroit Red Wings
Nate Danielson. The 2023 ninth overall pick played 28 games with Detroit last season but was sent back down in January. The forward needs to play his way into the Red Wings' lineup soon.
Edmonton Oilers
Devon Levi. It wasn't long ago that Levi was regarded as one of the best goaltending prospects in the sport. He won Goaltender of the Year in both of his NCAA campaigns and was stellar for Canada at the world juniors before that. Levi's pro tenure hasn't gone as smoothly, but there's a real opportunity in Edmonton with Frederik Andersen unavailable to begin the season.
Florida Panthers
Cooper Black. The 6-foot-8 goaltender took a big step last season, becoming an AHL starter. Florida appears to trust Black as the next man up with no veteran No. 3 under contract.
Los Angeles Kings
Carter George. A two-time starter for Canada at the world juniors, George will battle for AHL games with Hampton Slukynsky as both begin their pro careers. They're both highly regarded prospects who could play their way into the NHL soon. The Kings' goaltending tandem is one of the oldest in the NHL, and both are pending free agents.
Minnesota Wild
Charlie Stramel. The Michigan State product was primed to jump onto the NHL roster late last season, but the forward broke his ankle in the Spartans' final game. Stramel was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which recognizes the most outstanding player in men's college hockey.
Montreal Canadiens
David Reinbacher. The 2023 fifth overall pick made his NHL debut in April. Reinbacher is soon to turn 22 and has lost some shine, having missed a chunk of time after sustaining a knee injury in the 2024 preseason. A positive showing would be big for the defenseman's chances of becoming an NHL regular by season's end.
Nashville Predators
Vitali Pinchuk. The Predators landed Pinchuk, the top European free agent, in April. A lot has happened since, so his arrival may fly under the radar. The 24-year-old Belarusian tallied 66 points in 65 games in the KHL last year.
New Jersey Devils
Amadeus Lombardi. One of Devils general manager Sunny Mehta's first moves was acquiring Lombardi from the Red Wings for a fourth-round pick. The forward has been productive in the AHL for two seasons. He requires waivers, so he's likely to secure a spot on the roster and make his NHL debut.
New York Islanders
Victor Eklund. Islanders fans got a taste of Eklund's game when he debuted in New York's season finale in April. The buzzsaw of a winger could displace a veteran in the top nine with a good preseason.
New York Rangers
Alberts Smits. The Rangers drafted the Latvian blue-liner fifth overall in June with an eye toward him potentially making the team out of camp. Smits looked the part of an NHLer at the Olympics and Worlds, and he's physically ready at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds.
Ottawa Senators
Carter Yakemchuk. The 2024 seventh overall pick can make a serious push for a full-time role with the Senators. The defenseman was productive in the AHL and even made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, registering two assists in Game 4 against the Hurricanes.
Philadelphia Flyers
Jett Luchanko. Porter Martone is obviously Philadelphia's top prospect, but we already saw him excel in the playoffs in the spring. Luchanko is much more of a wild card. The 2024 first-rounder made the Flyers out of camp each of the past two years before the forward was returned to the OHL.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Ville Koivunen. Yet to establish himself as an NHL regular with two goals in his NHL career, Koivunen signed a surprising eight-year, $32-million extension in August. The 23-year-old requires waivers to be sent down, and Pittsburgh has a logjam of forwards. He's shown flashes and is one of the more intriguing young players to watch in the coming years given the Penguins' bet on him.
San Jose Sharks
Ivar Stenberg. The Sharks' second overall pick was lauded for his NHL readiness before the draft. Now he gets to show it. Stenberg could line up with a number of players, possibly even Macklin Celebrini.
Seattle Kraken
Jake O'Brien. After back-to-back OHL campaigns with over 90 points, O'Brien is primed to begin his pro career. Under the old rules, O'Brien would be NHL- or OHL-bound this season. Now, he's eligible to play in the AHL at 19 years old. O'Brien could make a case for an NHL gig immediately given Seattle's continuing lack of dynamic offense.
St. Louis Blues
Justin Carbonneau. The Quebec native opened NHL preseason scoring last year before putting up 51 goals in the QMJHL. An electrifying scorer, Carbonneau could produce some fun moments ahead of his rookie pro campaign.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Benjamin Rautiainen. A huge wild card, Rautiainen became the first player since 2008 to score over 70 points in the Finnish league. The 21-year-old could be the latest mid-round gem unearthed by the Lightning.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Gavin McKenna. Leafs fans will get a first look at June's No. 1 pick in game action Saturday as Toronto takes on the Canadiens in split-squad action. McKenna had some early struggles adjusting to the NCAA a year ago, so the forward's preseason play will be under even greater scrutiny.
Utah Mammoth
Tij Iginla. The 2024 sixth overall pick tore up the WHL last season with 41 goals and 90 points in 48 games. Iginla can be sent down to the AHL but could jump straight into Utah's top nine with a strong preseason.
Vancouver Canucks
Braeden Cootes. Don't forget Cootes made the Canucks out of camp last year at 18 years old. With third overall pick Caleb Malhotra at Boston University rather than camp, eyes will be on the 2025 first-round forward to see if he can once again impress early.
Vegas Golden Knights
Trevor Connelly. A rare Golden Knights first-rounder who remains in the organization, Connelly scored over a point per game last season in the AHL and should get an NHL debut sometime soon. That could come in Vegas' opener if he has a great preseason.
Washington Capitals
Ilya Protas. Cole Hutson will get plenty of love, so let's highlight the younger Protas. The 6-foot-5 behemoth was a top AHL player as a rookie and looked promising in his four-game NHL stint in April. The preseason may determine if Protas starts at center or is shifted to the wing.
Winnipeg Jets
Viggo Bjorck. The 5-foot-9 forward could immediately be the Jets' fix at second-line center. Winnipeg drafted Bjorck eighth overall in June. He looked a step above his peers at the Jets' prospect tournament last weekend.
