Central Division Prospects to Watch in 2024-25...There's Some Potential Star Power Here

From the son of an NHL legend to a brother trying to join his NHL star brother in the big league, these are some of the best prospects from teams in the Central Division.

There are a lot of exciting prospects in the world right now, and many more to come once the next NHL Draft is complete. The 2024-25 season is now underway for many leagues, and I thought it would be great to highlight some of them in a series of articles. I will be dividing this up into divisions to keep it manageable. We started with the Pacific, next up, the Central Division!

Dallas Stars - Christian Kyrou, Texas Stars (AHL)

Christian Kyrou was a star in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Erie Otters and Sarnia Sting before debuting in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season. He put together 38 goals and 137 points in 153 games, including a career-high 20 goals and 77 points in his final season split between the Otters and Sting.

In a league headlined by play drivers and elite skaters like recent Norris Trophy winners Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, Kyrou’s archetype is exactly what teams are looking for on their blue line right now. While he isn’t a generational talent in the realm of the aforementioned blueliners, he has the tools to be a very effective defenseman in the NHL. He is dangerous in transition and has elite hockey IQ when the play is in the offensive zone. He still needs to develop his defensive game, but that’s common with young defensemen that put up big numbers in junior.

In his first season in the AHL, Kyrou had a decent eight goals and 23 points in 57 games, but he clearly wasn’t the same dominant player he was in Erie and Sarnia. However, that shouldn’t be a red flag considering the AHL is miles ahead of the OHL in terms of talent and quality of opposition. He is off to a good start this season with three points in four games.

Utah Hockey Club - Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Tij Iginla wasn’t projected to be a top-10 draft pick at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. But after a strong showing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) that saw him score a career-high 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games and another nine goals and 15 points in the playoffs, the Utah Hockey Club saw fit to select him sixth overall in June. They made him the first-ever pick of the franchise and subsequently one of their top prospects.

Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets (Image: Tri-City Americans)

As everyone knows by now, Tij is the son of long-time NHLer Jarome Iginla, so he’s used to the fame his last name brings. It’s always difficult when your father was a notable NHL player, but he’s taken it in stride and has carved out his own identity so far. The only attributes that he has in common with Jarome are the intense work ethic he brings to every game and the willingness to initiate contact whenever possible. He isn’t a power forward, but more of a finesse-type player that beats teams with his quickness and shot rather than brute strength and physicality.

Jarome’s leadership qualities have also rubbed off on his son, as Tij was given the alternate captain’s “A” to begin this season with the Rockets. He has blasted off with six goals and 11 points in eight games so far, showing that his draft year was just the beginning of his rise to stardom.

Winnipeg Jets - Kevin He, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

From a high first-rounder to a mid-round pick, Kevin He has also gotten off to a strong start in his draft-plus-one year. Selected 109th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2024, he already has 11 goals and 20 points in ten games. While a goal-per-game pace is highly unsustainable, his four multi-goal games so far show that he has much more in the tank scoring-wise than many probably thought last season.

Known for his intense motor and forechecking skills, He has the tools to be a very effective third or fourth-liner in the NHL. His skating and willingness to drive the net are also some of his strengths, which could boost his potential even further if he can translate all of those skills to the next level. One thing is clear, he is showing early on that the Jets might have found a diamond in the rough in the fourth round.

Minnesota Wild - Riley Heidt, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

I still can’t wrap my head around why Riley Heidt fell to 64th overall in 2023. Yes, he’s 5-foot-11 and a bit undersized, but considering he doesn’t play like it and produces like an elite first-liner, he should have at least been a late first-round pick. In his draft year, he had 25 goals and 97 points for the Prince George Cougars in the WHL and followed that up with a career-high 37 goals and 117 points last season. Not to mention three goals and 19 points in the playoffs.