This article is part of our The Kids' Table series.
When it comes to NHL prospects, more than those of pretty much any other league, the team that drafts you plays a major part in whether you go on to have a successful career. Often, the teams with high draft picks have a lot of holes and need whatever player they're drafting to step in immediately, but sometimes that's not the case. Sometimes, those players end up not quite fitting the system or not responding to the coaching staff the way a top pick ought to. A lot of this is unpredictable, but we as fantasy hockey players need to identify these prospects in order to weed out the good eggs from the bad ones.
In 2010, Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter were picks No. 4 and No. 5 by the Blue Jackets and Islanders, respectively. They've now both moved on to different organizations, and with good reason. Johansen, who was widely expected to explode this season, wasn't very happy with how management handled his restricted free agency this offseason, nor did he seem to get on with new coach John Tortorella, and now he's a Predator. The Islanders refused to give Niederreiter a real shot, ultimately trading him in 2013, and he's become a serviceable forward for the Wild.
There's no way anyone saw this coming back in 2010, but that's how things go in the NHL. So in order to target guys who won't fall into situations like these, we must first identify which teams offer the best
When it comes to NHL prospects, more than those of pretty much any other league, the team that drafts you plays a major part in whether you go on to have a successful career. Often, the teams with high draft picks have a lot of holes and need whatever player they're drafting to step in immediately, but sometimes that's not the case. Sometimes, those players end up not quite fitting the system or not responding to the coaching staff the way a top pick ought to. A lot of this is unpredictable, but we as fantasy hockey players need to identify these prospects in order to weed out the good eggs from the bad ones.
In 2010, Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter were picks No. 4 and No. 5 by the Blue Jackets and Islanders, respectively. They've now both moved on to different organizations, and with good reason. Johansen, who was widely expected to explode this season, wasn't very happy with how management handled his restricted free agency this offseason, nor did he seem to get on with new coach John Tortorella, and now he's a Predator. The Islanders refused to give Niederreiter a real shot, ultimately trading him in 2013, and he's become a serviceable forward for the Wild.
There's no way anyone saw this coming back in 2010, but that's how things go in the NHL. So in order to target guys who won't fall into situations like these, we must first identify which teams offer the best situations. (Sidebar: Please forgive me if I say "situation" a lot – I'm from New Jersey, and not too far from the shore.) Typically, the teams selecting in the top five offer great opportunities for prospects. Occasionally, the... situation... is bleak. Here are a handful of NHL teams whose prospects you should target moving forward, with a look at who's under contract (or highly likely to be retained as a restricted free agent).
Boston Bruins
Forwards under contract (or RFA) past 2017:Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Matt Beleskey, David Pastrnak, Jimmy Hayes, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Spooner
Defensemen under contract (or RFA) past 2017:Zdeno Chara, Adam McQuaid, Dennis Seidenberg
Goaltending situation: Stable (Tuukka Rask, Malcolm Subban)
The Bruins aren't necessarily the No. 1 team when it comes opportunity, but they're one of the few perennial contenders who are actively rebuilding, yet still competing. They've made numerous trades to get younger and have freed up plenty of cap space in the process. The cap might not factor into prospecting much, but it helps that the Bruins can surround their young talent with more experienced free agents. There's a chance Brad Marchand and Loui Eriksson are resigned, but with all the youth the Bruins have, it won't be worth spending money on players past their prime.
Although Chara and McQuaid are locked up, there's a chance they won't be on the roster down the road. The aging Seidenberg has three years left on his deal. The only blueliner of the bunch who's really proven he deserves a long-term deal is Torey Krug.
Boston is pretty much set down the middle with Bergeron and Krejci, and Ryan Spooner figures to be their best option to center the third line. That means the Bruins will be looking to fill out the wings, which will give recently drafted prospects Zachary Senyshyn and Jake DeBrusk a chance to make a difference as early as 2017-18. On defense, Brandon Carlo seems like the obvious replacement for Chara, considering his size and skating ability.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards under contract (or RFA) past 2017:Joffrey Lupul, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Peter Holland
Defensemen under contract (or RFA) past 2017Dion Phaneuf, Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly
Goaltending situation: Unclear (James Reimer, Jonathan Bernier, Garret Sparks)
The Bruins and Maple Leafs will certainly rekindle their rivalry a bit in three years or so, as the Leafs are going through a rebuild of their own. Toronto went out and got Mike Babcock in the offseason, and that roster is likely to be completely gutted by the trade deadline. There aren't really any top-six forwards who aren't signed long term, unless you're still banking on Nazem Kadri reaching his full potential (which has some Leafs fans very exhausted, might I add). Those slots will be filled by youngsters, most notably William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and whoever Brendan Shanahan & Co. select in the top five of the 2016 draft.
The blue line is most appealing in terms of potential fantasy targets, though. Morgan Rielly will likely stick around, but the rest of the gang will definitely be gone by 2017, which should free up at least a couple of spots, assuming Toronto spends some money on a few veteran defensemen down the line. Travis Dermott instantly sticks out, as he's the most promising Leafs defensive prospect not playing professional hockey. Stuart Percy is still only 22, so there's no need to write him off just yet; he's having a decent season for the Marlies and will likely make Toronto's top six out of camp next year.
The goalie situation is pretty bleak (though Optimus Reimer has played well this season), as there aren't really any top-tier goaltending prospects in the Leafs' pipeline. However, Garret Sparks has played well in the AHL and showed well in some NHL action this season, so he may be a guy to keep an eye on.
If you participate in the school of thought that Toronto is going to land Steven Stamkos, you're surely also excited to see what the players mentioned above can do with an elite center. Lupul will either be bought out or traded, while JvR and Bozak offer a decent top-six forward and third-line center, respectively. That leaves a lot of spots up for grabs – here's looking at you, Frederik Gauthier and Dmytro Timashov.
Carolina Hurricanes
Forwards under contract (or RFA) past 2017: Jordan Staal, Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask
Defensemen under contract (or RFA) past 2017: Justin Faulk, Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce
Goaltending situation: Wide open (Cam Ward, Eddie Lack)
It's hard to find a team with less talent than Carolina. The Hurricanes have really struggled with their aging core over the past six seasons and it's only recently starting to show how bad it can make the team. Carolina has shown improvement this season, which is good, but outside of Lindholm and Rask, they hardly have any forwards worth keeping. Eric Staal will certainly sign elsewhere and his brother Jordan will demand a trade to that franchise, so that leaves Skinner, who is still just 23 years old. Carolina's selected defensemen high in the last couple of drafts, so a forward in 2016 makes way too much sense, and the 'Canes will likely put themselves in position to get a top-10 pick once again for a 2016 draft that projects to be deep.
There aren't many elite forward prospects coming up through this pipeline anytime soon, either. (Relax; I love Sebastian Aho and Lucas Wallmark too). So your best bet is to wait for another to come around this June.
As far as defense is concerned, Carolina 's system is riddled with promising prospects; Haydn Fleury, Ryan Murphy, Roland McKeown and of course Hanifin, while the only real lock for their top six moving forward is Faulk (and probably Hanifin too). Target those names if you're seeking blue-line help down the road.
In net, the current Hurricanes are by turns old and uninspiring. Ward is an unrestricted free agent after this season and Lack hasn't done anything to prove he's a long-term option, which leaves Daniel Altshuller and Alex Nedeljkovic as prime candidates to step in gradually over the next few seasons. The 'Canes will eventually turn things around, and you'll want to have their goalie when that happens.
New Jersey Devils
Forwards under contract (or RFA) past 2017: Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Michael Cammalleri
Defensemen under contract (or RFA) past 2017: Adam Greene, Adam Larsson, John Moore, Damon Severson
Goalie Situation: Rock solid (Cory Schneider)
The Devils may be in the thick of the playoff race, but they're hugely lacking in the forward department. The absence of skill in New Jersey's top six has haunted the offense since the team's big post-2012 turnover. They've implemented the right system through coach John Hynes and have got the elite goaltender in Cory Schneider, so all New Jersey has to do is find some quality forwards to regain elite status in the the Eastern Conference.
We should expect Kyle Palmieri to sign a lengthy extension sometime soon, but between him, Zajac, Henrique and Cammalleri, there still isn't much. (Camm is having a hell of a season, but is still 33 years old.) This leaves massive voids both down the middle and on the wings; Zajac is probably better suited on the third line, while Henrique is a fringe top-sixer. Pavel Zacha and John Quenneville each made their respective WJC teams, but didn't show much. Matt Lorito is tearing it up in the AHL for Albany; he's in the mold of Tyler Johnson, undersized yet tenacious. Joe Blandisi has bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL, but seems like a lock for bottom-six duty.
The long and the short of it is this: The Devils will need someone to step up into those forward spots, and someone will emerge from the group. It's hard to pinpoint who, but if history has shown us anything over the last 10 years, it's that Lou Lamoriello's draft picks haven't worked out. Ray Shero has done well in his small sample size, so keep an eye on the Devils' 2016 selections as well as the development of Blake Speers and Colton White.
