Metropolitan Division Prospects to Watch in 2024-25...The Last Two Drafts Have Been Good for the Metro

From another future Russian star to a sniper with a shot like Auston Matthews, these are some of the best prospects from teams in the Metropolitan 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. After running through the Pacific, Central and Atlantic, we finish with the Metropolitan Division.

New Jersey Devils - Arseni Gritsyuk, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

It’s been a few years since Arseni Gritsyuk was drafted by the New Jersey Devils (2019, 129th overall), but he has quickly risen to become one of their top prospects. He was likely selected in the fifth round due to the “Russian factor” as he’s followed the same trajectory as many young Russians before entering the NHL. He’s now 23 years old and would be a seasoned veteran at this point if not for a Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) contract preventing him from coming over to North America (for reference, Jack Hughes is 23 and he already has 321 games under his belt).

Arseni Gritsyuk of Russia at the 2022 Olympics (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

When Gritsyuk does eventually make the trek to the Prudential Center, he should quickly become a fan favorite. One of the most electrifying players in the KHL right now, he has consistently increased his production in the league since his debut in 2020-21. He had a career-high 19 goals last season and is on pace for 23 with eight in 23 games so far this season. Mostly known for his speed and goalscoring ability, he has also shown a bit of his playmaking side recently as well.

While Gritsyuk likely won’t hit the heights of another later-round pick in Kirill Kaprizov when he gets over here, he could still become a valuable piece of the Devils in the future. Fans will just have to be patient for his arrival as he won’t be in New Jersey until at least 2025-26.

New York Rangers - Gabe Perreault, Boston College (NCAA)

Gabe Perreault has generated a lot of buzz since he was drafted 23rd overall in 2023. Coming off a dominant 53 goals and 132 points with the US National U18 Team and another 18 points at the 2023 U18 World Championship (where Team USA won gold) in his draft year, he entered the college realm at Boston College for the 2023-24 season. The Quebec native continued to thrive in the NCAA, notching 19 goals and 60 points in 36 games. He was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award and won another gold medal with Team USA, this time at the World Juniors where he scored three goals and 10 points in seven games.

The slick playmaker is off to another strong start in his sophomore year at Boston College, with five goals and 10 points in six games so far. As his 120 assists over the last two seasons in the NCAA and National Team Development Program (NTDP) show, his vision and playmaking are his strongest attributes. He is one of those rare playmaking wingers who can drive a line when his center isn’t the strongest at distributing the puck. He also has NHL bloodlines as his father is long-time veteran and faceoff specialist Yannic Perreault, who played 859 games over 14 seasons.

Carolina Hurricanes - Justin Poirier, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)