For this week, we are going to look at some skaters and goalies in the AHL who have had good starts to 2025-26. I’m going to focus on players under the age of 25 who were highly-touted prospects, but will make note of any veterans or late-round pick prospects who might deserve a look in the NHL.
We will also avoid listing any players who were recently sent down to the AHL or called up to the NHL (e.g., Isaac Howard, Logan Mailloux, Oscar Fisker-Molgaard and Connor Clattenburg).
Quinn Hutson – (23.8) (F) – Edmonton Oilers 17-8-8-16
Hutson was undrafted and signed by the Oilers out of Boston University after their 2024-25 season. He played two NHL games with Edmonton at the end of 2024-25 with no points. He’s had a good start to his pro career in Bakersfield of the AHL. He is the older brother of Cole and Lane.
Roby Jarventie – (23.2) (F) – Edmonton Oilers 13-7-4-11
Jarventie managed just two AHL games for all of 2024-25, and this might be his last chance at the NHL before he heads back to Europe. He’s probably behind Isaac Howard and Hutson for a call-up to the Oilers, but he needs to stay healthy and play some AHL games before that happens. He’s had an impressive start to this campaign after missing so many games.
Viljami Marjala – (22.8) (F) – Edmonton Oilers 17-3-12-15
Marjala was a 5th-round pick in 2021 by the Buffalo Sabres, but the Sabres didn’t sign him at the deadline, so Edmonton signed him as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He scored 52 points in 54 games with TPS in the Finnish Liiga during the 2024-25 season. There is some offensive talent here.
Matvei Gridin – (19.7) (F) – Calgary Flames (17-8-12-20)
Gridin started the year in the NHL with the Flames and played four games with one goal. He’s a rookie pro who was drafted 28th overall in 2024 by the Flames. He has a lot of offensive talent, but can be a little inconsistent in other parts of his game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some more NHL games in 2025-26.
Rory Kerins – (23.6) (F) – Calgary Flames (16-7-12-19)
In his past 79 AHL games, Kerins has 40 goals and 40 assists. He played five NHL games with Calgary in 2024-25 and posted four assists. He played two games in 2025-26 and was pointless. He was a 6th-round (174th overall) pick in 2020 by Calgary. He cleared waivers in October at the start of 2025-26.
Hunter Brzustewicz – (20.9) (D) – Calgary Flames (19-4-7-11)
He was the 75th overall pick in the 3rd round in 2023 by the Vancouver Canucks, but was acquired by the Flames in the Elias Lindholm trade. He had 92 points in 67 OHL games in 2023-24 and 32 points in 70 AHL games in 2024-25. He could be behind Danil Miromanov for the next call-up on defense if and when the Flames might need someone. He could be a regular in 2026-27 in the NHL.
Jagger Firkus – (21.5) (F) – Seattle Kraken (16-8-11-19)
Seattle selected Firkus 35th overall in the 2nd round in 2022. He played 69 games in the AHL as a rookie in 2024-25 and put up 15 goals and 21 assists. He should see a few NHL games at some point if he keeps up his level of play.
Tyson Jugnauth – (21.7 (D) – Seattle Kraken (16-2-7-9)
The undersized defender was drafted 100th overall in the 4th round in 2022 by Seattle. He put up 89 points in 65 games in the WHL as a 20-year-old in 2024-25 and is in his rookie pro campaign in 2025-26. If he can defend and produce some offense, he has a chance to get some NHL games sooner rather than later.
Danil Gushchin – (23.7) (F) – Colorado Avalanche (12-9-2-11)
Guschin was acquired from the San Jose Sharks for Oscar Olausson and was put on waivers at the start of 2025-26, but cleared.
He was the 76th overall pick in the 3rd round in 2020 by San Jose and has played 18 games over three seasons with the Sharks and putting up two goals and three assists. In the AHL, he has 37 goals and 25 assists in his past 67 games. He’s a small forward who might find it difficult to get separation at the NHL level, but he’s a pretty skilled forward.
Isak Posch – (23.8) (G) – Colorado Avalanche (7-2-0, 92.1%)
The Avalanche signed Posch out of St. Cloud State University after the 2024-25 season. He moved from Sweden to play in the USHL in 2021-22 and pursue the US college route. He is currently the fourth goaltender on the depth chart in Colorado.
Thomas Milic – (22.6) (G) – Winnipeg Jets (5-2-2, 92.1%)
Milic was a 5th round pick of the Jets in 2023 and had a losing record in 2024-25 (5-12-2) for the first time since they started tracking his goaltending stats in 2017-18. He’s had a good start to 2025-26 and has been called up to the NHL to back up Eric Comrie while Connor Hellebuyck is out with his injury. He should get a start or two.
Lukas Cormier – (23.6) (D) – Vegas Golden Knights (16-4-10-14)
Cormier was drafted in the 3rd round (88th overall) in 2020 by Vegas and is one of their rare draft picks that they still have on their roster. He missed most of 2024-25, playing just 19 AHL games with nine assists. He’s healthy and has had a great start to 2025-26. He has some offensive talent, so it might take an injury to Shea Theodore for him to get some NHL games sooner rather than later. He might be behind Dylan Coghlan for any other injury on the back end.
Tuomoas Uronen – (20.6) (F) – Vegas Golden Knights (13-7-2-9)
Uronen was a 6th-round pick (192nd overall) in 2023 by Vegas. As a 19-year-old, he had 38 goals and 52 assists in 63 games with Kingston of the OHL in 2024-25. Not many 192nd overall picks do as well as he has done early on in their AHL careers. The question will be, if he can sustain even close to this production the rest of the year?
Erik Portillo – (25.2) (G) – Los Angeles Kings (5-1-1, 91.5%)
Portillo played one game in 2024-25 with Los Angeles in the NHL and kicked out 28 of 29 shots on goal for the win. He’s the third goalie on the depth chart behind Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. He’s an injury away from getting NHL time.
Nick Lardis – (20.3) (F) – Chicago Blackhawks (17-9-9-18)
Lardis hit the fantasy radar even more in 2024-25 after posting 71 goals in 65 games with Brantford of the OHL. He was drafted in the 3rd round (67th overall) in 2023 by Chicago, and he’s looking like a legitimate NHL prospect.
Kevin Korchinski – (21.4) (D) – Chicago Blackhawks (18-0-12-12)
Korchinski was the 7th overall pick in 2022 and played 76 NHL games as a 19-year-old rookie in 2023-24, where he struggled and put up just 15 points. He struggled even more in 2024-25 with two points in just 16 NHL games and 27 points in 56 AHL games. He didn’t win a roster spot in the NHL for 2025-26 and has been in the AHL all year. Some young blueliners in the Chicago system have passed him but the good news is that he is still only 21.
Drew Commesso – (23.3) (G) – Chicago Blackhawks (5-5-2, 91.9%)
Commesso was the 46th pick in the second round of the 2020 draft by Chicago. That high a pick for a goalie has hopes that he will be your team’s starter one day. Commesso turned pro after the 2022-23 campaign with Boston University and has been kind of stuck in the AHL since. He’s played 89 AHL games with a record of 41-36-10 and a save percentage of 91.3. He should be in the NHL sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Spencer Knight kind of told us that they don’t see Commesso as the future starter in the NHL.
Remi Poirier – (24.1) (G) – Dallas Stars (5-5-2, 91.8%)
Poirier was the 185th pick in the 2020 draft (6th round) by the Stars. In 97 AHL games since turning pro, he’s had a record of 48-37-8 and a save percentage of 90.8. He deserves a shot as a backup in the NHL, but it might not be with Dallas in the short term.
Sasha Pastujov – (22.3) (F) – Anaheim Ducks (16-5-9-14)
Pastujov was drafted in the 3rd round (66th overall) in the 2021 draft by Anaheim. In his past 59 AHL games, he has posted 22 goals and 37 assists. That doesn’t include a 12-game ECHL stint where he had 16 points to begin the 2024-25 season. The Ducks are pretty loaded with young talent at the NHL level, so it might take a few injuries to get him some NHL time.
Tim Washe – (24.2) (F) – Anaheim Ducks (16-7-7-14)
Washe was undrafted and turned pro at the end of 2024-25 when he signed with the Ducks after playing at Western Michigan University. He had 38 points in 42 games in his last year of college. He’s an older rookie pro, so he could get some NHL time if he’s a little more defensively responsible than some of the younger forwards in contention.
Luca Cagnoni – (20.9) (D) – San Jose Sharks (16-4-10-14)
Cagnoni joins the other smaller defenders on this list. He was the 123rd overall pick (4th round) in 2023 by San Jose. In his 80 AHL games, he has posted 20 goals and 46 assists, which is pretty impressive for such a young player. He saw six NHL games at the end of 2024-25 and had two assists. His NHL future is no different than the others listed here. Defend well when not producing, and he can have an NHL future.
Quentin Musty – (20.3) (F) – San Jose Sharks (17-5-9-14)
Musty was chosen 26th overall in 2023 by the Sharks and is in his rookie pro season. In his last 86 OHL games, he produced an impressive 73 goals and 88 assists, which was good for 161 points. His NHL future is likely to start sooner rather than later.
Igor Chernyshov – (19.9) (F) – San Jose Sharks (17-8-7-15)
Chernyshov was drafted 33rd overall (2nd round) in 2024 by the Sharks and came over to North America for a year of junior hockey in the OHL in 2024-25. He played just 24 games but produced 19 goals and 36 assists. That would be a pace for 57 goals and 108 assists over 72 games. He turns 20 in about a week. He should see some NHL games by the end of 2025-26.
Daniil But – (20.7) (F) – Utah Mammoth (16-8-6-14)
But was the 12th overall pick in 2023 by Arizona/Utah. He played in the KHL in 2024-25 as a 19-year-old and produced nine goals and 19 assists in 54 games. He’s a big (6-6, 216 lbs) forward who will need to use his size effectively to succeed at the NHL level. He’s not far off.
Artem Duda – (21.6) (D) – Utah Mammoth (14-0-8-8)
Duda was drafted 36th overall (2nd round) in 2022 by Arizona/Utah. He came to North America in 2024-25 and played 70 AHL games, where he had six goals and 23 assists. He spent the 2023-24 season as a member of the Toronto Metro University in USports, which was not a usual NHL path for a young high pick.
In a month or two, we will check in on these players and perhaps add a few others.
Thanks very much for reading. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know in the comments or on Twitter @gampbler15.