If the Philadelphia Flyers are to make any noise in the 2025-26 season, some up-and-coming prospects will need to steal the spotlight and show some progress.

Aside from the surprise Trevor Zegras, the Flyers simply did very little to inspire confidence in their increasingly impatient fanbase for the new year.

Goalie Dan Vladar should at least partially stabilize a league-worst goaltending group, but players like Christian Dvorak and Noah Juulsen are little more than temporary, short-term replacements for outgoing players like Scott Laughton and Erik Johnson.

The rest of that mission, however, is left up to the prospects, and especially the ones who need to prove themselves and secure an NHL future. Those players will go a long way for the Flyers if they can achieve the necessary result.

No. 3: Helge Grans

Defenseman Helge Grans finally made his NHL breakthrough for the Flyers last season, picking up an assist and appearing in his first six games in the big leagues.

Logically, the next step would be for the smooth-skating 6-foot-3 Swede to build on that and make the Flyers outright in 2025-26, even if he doesn't play every single night.

Grans, 23, just re-upped with the Flyers for two years at a $787.5k cap hit, so there's time for him, but the opportunity may never be greater.

Rasmus Ristolainen continues to struggle to stay healthy, and Jamie Drysdale has not shown much improvement on the right side, either.

With Oliver Bonk and Spencer Gill coming up the pipeline, the pressure is back on Grans to build on his 2024-25 campaign and establish himself.

A thin right side for the Flyers gets even thinner if he can't make it.

No. 2: Samu Tuomaala

The Flyers have had some nice drafts in recent seasons, adding wingers like Denver Barkey, Shane Vansaghi, and Jack Murtagh to the cupboard.

Flyers' Jett Luchanko No Longer Guelph Storm Captain; OHL Trade Coming?In an interesting new twist, top Philadelphia Flyers center prospect Jett Luchanko is no longer the captain of his junior team, the OHL Guelph Storm.

Samu Tuomaala, who was once thought to be a big piece for the future, has stalled in his development, thanks in large part to nagging injuries.

The undersized 22-year-old Finn has yet to to make his NHL debut or score 20 goals in an AHL season. Tuomaala did have 11 goals and 32 points in 46 games this season, but his season was ended by injury for the second year in a row and his -19 rating was the worst on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Flyers do have an opening for a winger, but that, by all accounts, is expected to be filled by either Alex Bump or Nikita Grebenkin.

If Tuomaala can't at least insert himself into the conversation by the end of training camp this fall, the last year of his entry-level deal will come and go without much fanfare.

No. 1: Emil Andrae

Emil Andrae quickly became a fan-favorite in a dismal season for the Flyers thanks to his heady play and poise with the puck, though a hot start ultimately flamed out due to an injury, inconsistent play, and re-assignments to and from the AHL.

This season, the 23-year-old will have a new NHL head coach in Rick Tocchet, and he's on the last year of his entry-level deal. A fellow undersized, similarly-skilled defenseman in Erik Brannstrom couldn't establish himself under Tocchet in Vancouver last year, and Andrae will face the same challenge.

Andrae will have to ward off Juulsen, one of Tocchet's favorites from Vancouver, Egor Zamula and Dennis Gilbert for a roster spot; only two can reasonably make it.

The Flyers have all the time in the world to wait for their younger prospects, but for the three mentioned above, it might be now or never.

Ryan Shea has spent the previous two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has played 70 combined games, compiling three goals and six points.

He has been mostly used in a depth role as the Penguins' seventh/eighth defenseman, but there have been times when he has needed to play on an every-night basis due to injuries. The Penguins brought him back for the 2025-26 season on a one-year contract, and he is set to compete for that seventh spot again during training camp.

There's a chance he could win the third pairing spot on the left side, but he will have to beat out some of the other players jockeying for that spot, including Alexander Alexeyev, Ryan Graves, and Owen Pickering. Parker Wotherspoon would likely be in that spot if the Penguins were trying to contend this year, but since the team is rebuilding, he'll be in the top four.

Shea played 39 games last year (579 5v5 minutes), and when he was on the ice, he had a 48%  expected goals rate, 49% shot attempts rate, and a 48% scoring chances rate. Both of his goals that he scored last season came in the same game against the New York Rangers on February 23.

He needs to be better at defending in his own zone this year since that part of his game regressed last year. If Shea does that, the Penguins will have a reliable seventh defenseman that they can trust to come in for a few games at a time and hold down the fort. 

It's the role that Chad Ruhwedel had on the right side for several seasons with the Penguins. He was the perfect seventh defenseman for them and was always steady when he played. That's what the Penguins need in Shea for this season. 

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Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

At No. 4, we tackle the final of the three 2025 first-round picks by the Penguins in Ben Kindel, who, arguably, has a higher ceiling than any other prospect in the organization. 

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#4 F Benjamin Kindel

When Ben Kindel's name was called to the podium as the Penguins' 11th overall selection at the 2025 NHL Draft, it came as a bit of a surprise to many. Several draft boards and fan predictions had the Penguins selecting players like Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Justin Carbonneau, all of whom were ahead of Kindel in most mock drafts.

But after the selection, a little bit more digging by the hockey masses begged the question of why Kindel wasn't rated top-10 to begin with. 

One of the first reasons that might stand out is his size. At 5-foot-10, 176-pounds, he is a bit undersized and could stand to add a bit more weight as he develops. There is also the factor of whether or not his game will translate to the NHL level.

But everything else? The talent, skills, smarts, and production are hard to ignore.

Kindel, now 18, finished the 2024-25 his WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen with 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games, which was good enough for seventh in league scoring - just one point behind teammate Oliver Tulk. He also played with fellow Penguins' prospect Tanner Howe, who tore his ACL in April and will be out through the end of the calendar year.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Forward Prospect Continues To Build Two-Way GameHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

He is most known for his vision and playmaking ability, and he knows how to create offense and drive chance generation. He can feed teammates with perfect seam passes, he can generate from along the walls by winning a ton of puck battles, and he has versatility in terms of his two-way game.

Kindel also knows how to exploit the offensive zone and force defenders into mistakes. His anticipation is at a high level, he creates space, and he has a sneaky good shot that could translate to the NHL level.

But perhaps his best attributes are flaunted in transition and in his pace of play. His skating is an underrated aspect of his game, as he can carry the puck for days and has the hockey sense to find teammates with precision. His ability to play center and wing is also a plus, and whether he can be a center at the NHL level - obviously - remains to be seen.

Slick finish from Benjamin Kindel to give Canada a 1-0 lead over Sweden. Real nice sequence by Matthew Schaefer leading up to the goal #2025NHLDraft#HlinkaGretzkyCuppic.twitter.com/ajW5Zu8k3r

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) August 8, 2024

At the end of the day, however, this guy's ceiling is pretty high, and his floor isn't low, either. Kindel already excels at some of the details and "threads" of the game, and his strong all-around toolset makes it hard to see him failing to fit into at least an effective middle-six NHL player.

And that is what makes him intriguing as a prospect. Sure, the Penguins have two NHL-ready forwards in Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, and they both have the potential to be high-end complementary players as part of the Penguins' future.

But Kindel is, really, the only Penguins' forward prospect with star potential. If he reaches his peak potential, he's someone who could be hovering right around or just below point-per-game, and - paired with an elite player - could perhaps elevate even further.

It is too early to tell exactly what kind of NHL future Kindel will have with Pittsburgh. But, by all accounts, there is a lot to look forward to in terms of his development and his potential to be a core piece of the Penguins' future.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Young Goaltender's Stock Keeps RisingHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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The list so far:

- No. 5: G Sergei Murashov
- No. 6: D Owen Pickering
- No. 7: F Tanner Howe
- No. 8: G Arturs Silovs
- No. 9: G Joel Blomqvist
- No. 10: F Tristan Broz
- No. 11: F Will Horcoff
- No. 12: F Mikhail Ilyin
- No. 13 F Filip Hallander
- No. 14: F Bill Zonnon
- No. 15: F Melvin Fernstrom
- No. 16: D Emil Pieniniemi
- No. 17: F Avery Hayes
- No. 18: F Cruz Lucius
- No. 19: D Finn Harding
- No. 20: D Peyton Kettles

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New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt has blossomed into a legitimate star, and he took his game to a whole new level in 2024-25. In 81 games this past season, the 2016 sixth-round pick posted 21 goals and set new career highs with 67 assists and 88 points. 

This was only the latest excellent campaign from Bratt, as it was also the fourth season in a row that he had at least 73 points. Now, he has been rewarded for it. 

Bratt has made the NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list, securing the No. 45 spot. With this, he has been ranked ahead of other NHL stars like Brandon Hagel, Brady Tkachuk, Clayton Keller, Jason Robertson, and Alex Ovechkin.

Bratt Pack stand up!

Jesper Bratt is our #⃣4⃣5⃣ player right now!@NJDevils | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/mzvWRtxUzO

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) September 7, 2025

Being ranked as one of the NHL's best players is a major compliment, and Bratt has certainly earned it. He has only been getting better with each season that passes, and it would not be surprising if this continues during the 2025-26 season. 

Devils Sign 4 Players To PTOsNow that it is September, the NHL is starting to see teams sign players to professional tryouts (PTOs)

The NHL’s 2025-26 season is close at hand, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we're continuing our player-by-player series in which we analyze expectations for each Sabres player this coming year.

The Sabres need to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs, but as individuals, each Sabre has their own expectations to live up to. 

We’ve made our way through Buffalo’s goalies and defensemen in this series. And in today's file, we’re breaking down Sabres second-line center Ryan McLeod, who is entering Year 1 of a four-year contract extension. McLeod is coming off a career-best year on offense, but Buffalo needs at least as much from him as he delivered in 2024-25. Let's shine the spotlight on McLeod and see how difficult it will be to clear the competitive bar he's set for himself.

Player Name: Ryan McLeod

Position: Center

Age: 25

2024-25 Key Statistics: 79 games, 20 goals, 53 points, 16:50 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary: $5-million

2025-26 Expectations: Slowly-but-surely, McLeod has been establishing himself as a valuable part of Buffalo's present and future. Last season, he posted career-highs in goals, assists and points. And now, as he begins his first year at a pay raise to $5-million per season, McLeod has to deal with heightened expectations.

As it stands, McLeod has been pencilled-in as Buffalo's second-line center, with veteran wingers Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch as his likely linemates. McLeod may not be a household name just yet, but he's one of Buffalo's core talents moving forward, and his contributions in the secondary scoring department will help decide how successful the Sabres are going to be next season.

McLeod is getting a more than 100 percent raise on his 2024-25 salary of $2.1-million, and while it's unfair and not realistic to expect his goal total will rise to 40 goals, it's well within the right of Sabres management to want to get 25-30 goals and between 60-70 points.

Ultimately, McLeod is going to hit a ceiling as a point-producer. However, he's still not in his prime just yet, and he has to demonstrate he's deserving of the investment Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has made in him. It's true that progress isn't always linear, but this is where Buffalo winning enough games to be a playoff team is so important. If the Sabres are winning their way into a wild card spot, it won't matter exactly how many goals and points McLeod generates. 

And by the same metric, if the Sabres are losing more games than they're winning, it won't make a lick of difference how much offense McLeod puts up. He has to show Buffalo management they made the right decision to make him one of their core talents.  

McLeod doesn't have any no-trade protection for the first two years of his current contract -- and even when he does, it's only a limited NTC that allows him to veto a trade to one of five teams of his choosing. If Buffalo isn't a playoff team this year, there's a decent chance he doesn't finish his contract as a Sabre.

But for now, at least, McLeod's destiny is in the hands of himself and his teammates. With a strong season as an individual and a key component for Buffalo, McLeod can count on job security in Western New York. And. without sustained success, he's probably going to be an ex-Sabre sooner or later.