Every NHL Team's Most Underrated Prospect & Carter Sotheran Showing Upside
The WHL and OHL playoffs have started, putting a whole new group of prospects under the microscope.
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Welcome to the THW NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our great team of writers.
In today’s edition, we have a look at every NHL team’s most underrated prospect, Carter Sotheran’s success with the Portland Winterhawks, Raphael Lavoie's promising AHL comeback, and much more!
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Now on to the good stuff…
Every NHL Team’s Most Underrated Prospect
April 1, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
The sport of hockey has never been in a better position, with stars Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, Auston Matthews, and others leading the NHL into financial growth, bringing in fans from across the globe. In addition to the superstars, the talent among youth has never been better, with the league bringing in top prospects in recent seasons such as Jack Hughes, Owen Power, Connor Bedard, and others who have helped it take the next step in professional sports. Now, it is time to look at lesser-known prospects who could have an NHL impact in the future.
Flyers’ Prospect Carter Sotheran Showing NHL Upside
April 1, 2024 by Justin Giampietro
Very early, the Philadelphia Flyers‘ 2023 NHL Entry Draft is looking like a home run. With a potential superstar talent in Matvei Michkov, a potential starting netminder in Yegor Zavragin, and two possible middle-of-the-lineup players in Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey among a couple of other potential NHLers in goaltender Carson Bjarnason and winger Alex Ciernik, the Flyers seemingly did well with nearly all of their picks.
Oilers’ Raphael Lavoie Turning Heads With AHL CondorsÂ
April 1, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers bounced back from an atrocious start and are now in a strong position heading toward the postseason with just 10 games to go in the regular season. After some major decisions that altered the team in 2023-24 — including a change behind the bench that saw Kris Knoblauch named head coach, as well as sending Jack Campbell to the American Hockey League (AHL) after a horrible start and replacing him with Calvin Pickard — the Oilers are on a path to success. While they are focused on building momentum as they finish off the season, one player in the AHL has been making his presence known.Â
Kings Prospect Report: Clarke, Conmy, 2024 Draft & More
April 1, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
The Los Angeles Kings had one of the best prospect pools in hockey just a few years ago, with recent high selections such as Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Gabriel Vilardi, and more. Now, almost all of these draft picks are in the NHL, either with the Kings or traded elsewhere. Nonetheless, there are a few names to keep an eye on.
Blues Will Benefit From Jimmy Snuggerud Staying in College
April 2, 2024 by Ethan Carter
With the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the St. Louis Blues selected forward Jimmy Snuggerud out of the United States National Development Program (USNDP). He has since played two seasons at the University of Minnesota and contributed to two U.S. World Junior teams, including the gold medal-winning 2024 squad. After Minnesota was eliminated from the tournament in a loss to Boston University this past weekend, he’s had a decision to make.
Coyotes Seeing Waves of Youth Towards End of Season
April 1, 2024 by Cooper Krigbaum
Similar to many sports seasons, NHL teams experience plenty of ups and downs throughout the gruelling season. That includes the Arizona Coyotes, who have not had things easy during the 2023-24 season. It’s been quite the rollercoaster from going to a playoff spot towards the latter half of 2023 to losing 14 games in a row. However, that hasn’t stopped the excitement around the team, as they have young players at all levels growing rapidly.
Latest THW Draft Prospect Profiles:
Sam Dickinson
Alexander Zetterberg
Adam Jecho
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More Draft & Prospects stuff from THW:
Draft History - 2011 NHL Draft Top 10: Where Are They Now?
Rookie Report - Minnesota Wild Rookies Show Bright Future
Prospect Rankings - The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects - Midseason Rankings
Draft Coverage - Baracchini’s Top 96 March Rankings
2024 NHL Mock Draft - THW Prospect Corner Top 16 Mock Draft 2.0