#nhl-prospects

#nhl-prospects

former fourth overall pick back in 2023 Will Smith is starting to write his own story in San Jose, and is slowly becoming one of the more electrifying and exciting young prospects in hockey. Smith, who was selected as a very promising young forward out of Boston College, is now becoming one of the most integral and rapidly-developing prospects in the Sharks prospect pool, and with what he is already doing this season doesn't seem to be getting enough recognition.

Heineman scored two more goals on Thursday night versus Detroit and looks more than comfortable playing alongside Bo Horvat on the Islanders' top line. That's five goals in seven games. The 23-year-old was off to a blazing start with Montreal last season before being in a freak car accident in Salt Lake City. The injury sustained prevented the winger from having a breakout season and made him expendable to Montreal when Darche zeroed in on him to acquire Dobson.

Perhaps no one on this year's 25 Under 25 list has more to prove this season than San Jose Sharks prospect Yaroslav Askarov. After all, this year is exactly why he requested a trade out of Nashville. Over the next nine months, Askarov has the opportunity to prove that he can be an NHL starter, or at the very least, that he has the chops to make it in the NHL.

Samoskevich became a full-time NHL player this season for Florida with some very good stretches of play. He's a talented winger with a lot of NHL offensive traits. He's a quick skater with very good hands who can create scoring chances with speed. He also has an excellent shot and is a threat to score from range. Samoskevich has improved his effort over time, but he does still tend to stay too much on the outside of the offensive zone. He projects as a middle-six scoring winger.

Calgary defenseman Zayne Parekh made his NHL debut last season and played only one game but left a lasting impression. He debuted on April 17, 2024, against the Los Angeles Kings. It was a memorable game for him as he scored his first NHL goal o 20 minutes of action but was also a +3. That gave the youngster confidence heading into this season to grab a permanent role on the blue line.He is Calgary's top prospect on defense

According to his agent, Alex Ovechkin is set to return to DC in the next few weeks and all is normal. [THN]

"(The roster) is always fluid because of eligibility, injuries, et cetera. So I don't think it's fair to ever say, always, you know, we are absolutely done or we're not done, I think, because there's too many factors that can happen."

Hagens was noticeable in just about every shift during the four-day camp, and made a good first impression by opting to take part in Monday's on-ice session while operating on just two hours of sleep.