THW NHL Prospects & Draft Substack - Sept. 12, 2023
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 every NHL teams’ top prospect, two pieces on Minnesota Wild prospects, assessing the Red Wings pipeline depth, a look at the Blue Jackets Traverse City prospect tourney roster, a Maple Leafs prospect report, and the best prospects by nationality.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Every NHL Team’s Top Prospect – 2023-24 Preseason Update
September 10, 2023 by Logan Horn
For every NHL team, prospects are always coming and going. As they finish off their junior, college careers or make the jump over from their European leagues, they all have the same goal, to someday leave their mark on the NHL. The pressure and attention surrounding these players is magnified if they are going to be a real crucial piece for their respective franchises for years to come.
Minnesota Wild’s Prospect Report: Yurov, Khusnutdinov & Ohgren
September 11, 2023 by Tyson McKay
As we near the start of prospect tournaments and pre-season skating in the NHL, other leagues around the world have already kicked off their regular season campaigns. For fans of the Minnesota Wild, keeping track of all of their prospects can be a daunting task when you realize just how many different leagues they can be found in around the world. This article serves as a launching point for what will be a weekly piece where fans can find the latest news about what their future favorite Wild players have been up to. While this week is dominated by Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) content from Russia, expect it to evolve rapidly as other leagues get underway.
Wild Prospects to Watch in Tom Kurvers Showcase
September 12, 2023 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
As NHL training camps draw near, the Minnesota Wild are preparing to host a prospect showcase this coming weekend, Sept. 15-17. It’ll take place at the Wild’s practice facility TRIA Rink, part of the Treasure Island Center in St. Paul, just a five-minute drive from the Xcel Energy Center.
The Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase is named after the Wild’s former assistant general manager who passed away in 2021 from lung cancer at the age of 58. This weekend not only the Wild but the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks will put on display their promising young prospects.
Red Wings Prospect Watch: Assessing Depth, Needs & Rising Stars
September 11, 2023 by Tony Wolak
Later this week, the Detroit Red Wings will host the 24th-annual NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City. There, a collection of Red Wings prospects will take on their peers from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
With the tournament on the horizon and training camp following soon after, it’s a good time to re-evaluate Detroit’s prospect depth. The last time we did so was prior to the 2023 NHL Draft, which saw the Red Wings add five top-60 prospects.
Blue Jackets’ 2023 Traverse City Tournament Roster
September 11, 2023 by Mikhail Bryan
Later this week, the Columbus Blue Jackets will head north to Traverse City, Michigan, to partake in the annual Traverse City Prospect Tournament. Coached by Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber, they will be joined by the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. The Blue Jackets open up on Thursday, Sept. 14, with a 3:30 p.m. game against the Maple Leafs. They will face the Red Wings on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. after having a day off on Friday. On Sunday, the Blue Jackets will finish the weekend with an 11 a.m. game vs. the Stars.
Maple Leafs’ Prospect Report: Grebyonkin, Cowan & Traverse City
September 12, 2023 by Andrew Forbes
For the big club, the preseason is just around the corner and players are attending their respective camps. For others, like some NHL prospects in the KHL, the season is already underway and we can check in on games that actually matter.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting set to build on a season that saw them crack the second round of the playoffs and will be looking to do so with some new faces to open the campaign. While some were brought in through free agency, others will be jumping the ranks to the NHL roster.
The Best NHL Prospect From Each Country
September 9, 2023 by Logan Horn
With the NHL’s 2023-24 regular season just around the corner, I thought I’d round out my offseason prospect coverage with a ranking of the best NHL prospects from each country. I am only including players who have been drafted by NHL teams and who I believe have a realistic chance at becoming meaningful contributors in the NHL someday.