September is the most optimistic time of year for NHL fans.

Fan bases will throw out generous projections for how many points their team could get and where they’ll finish in the standings. It’s also the time to daydream about which promising young player on your team may finally put it together and reach their potential. Which blue-chip young talents are facing that pressure to step up in 2025-26? Today, we’ll be focusing on first-round-selected players still under 23 who need to prove themselves in the NHL this year. The older a player in this bracket is (meaning there’s less runway left for development) and the higher their draft day expectations were, the more likely they are to end up on this list.

This is not meant to be a list of “disappointments” — and I wouldn’t even go as far as to say that they’re facing make-or-break seasons — but there are real expectations that need to be met. These situations are all different and individual — some players have significantly higher ceilings than others on the list, or some are younger with more development time left.

Owen Power, LD, Buffalo Sabres

Drafted No. 1 in 2021
2024-25 stats (NHL): 79 GP, 7G-33A-40P

The Sabres need Owen Power to take the step from “promising young defenseman with upside” to a legitimate, high-end No. 2 behind Rasmus Dahlin. Power’s first three years in the NHL haven’t been bad by any means — he’s averaged more than 22 minutes per game and scored 111 points in 242 career games — but he has a lot more to give.

With the puck, Power already has an advanced, impressive skill set. He is a smooth skater, a poised puckhandler and has terrific IQ and vision as a passer. He ranked 17th among all NHL defensemen for five-on-five points last season.

Where Power has disappointed to some extent is with his lackadaisical, mistake-prone defensive play. He has poor microstats when it comes to defending the rush, his compete level in physical battles is a frustrating weakness, and he isn’t always positionally sound.

Those are all valid question marks, but Power deserves the benefit of the doubt. People were quick to overreact and label Dahlin and Victor Hedman “busts” during the first 2-3 seasons of their respective careers. Highs and lows should be expected for young defensemen adjusting to the NHL, especially when you’ve been saddled with inferior partners like Power has. Henri Jokiharju and Mattias Samuelsson are Power’s most common defense partners over the last two seasons, which simply isn’t enough help.

I’m not overly worried about Power’s up-and-down play considering that context, but he must take a significant step forward this season. Michael Kesselring, the centerpiece of the JJ Peterka haul, is projected to play with Power on the second pair. Kesselring doesn’t have a ton of top-four experience, but he’s far more talented than Power’s past partners.

Power turns 23 in November and is entering the second year of an $8.35 million AAV contract. In other words, he’s at the age/experience level where a No. 1 pick should break out, and his lucrative contract only adds to the lofty expectations.

Matt Savoie, RW, Edmonton Oilers

Drafted No. 9 in 2022
2024-25 stats (AHL): 66 GP, 19G-35A-54P

Between Corey Perry, Evander Kane and Connor Brown, the Oilers lost three key top-nine wingers from last year’s playoff run, with Andrew Mangiapane the only established free-agent replacement. You could argue Edmonton only has two proper top-six caliber wingers (Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) on its roster right now, and that number drops to one if RNH plays third-line center rather than the wing. All of that is to say that the Oilers desperately need more secondary top-nine scoring help on the wing to emerge, and that’s where at least one, if not both, of Matt Savoie and Ike Howard need to break out this season.

Savoie, acquired from Buffalo in a swap for Ryan McLeod, was a highly touted top-10 pick in 2022. He excelled in his first pro season last year, producing 0.82 points per game in the AHL and looking comfortable during his five-game NHL cameo. The 21-year-old is a quick skater, has deft playmaking touch and is a tenacious competitor, which helps him win battles and make up for his undersized 5-foot-9 frame. He’ll have a clear opportunity to crack the Oilers’ top nine this season and will likely get an early look with one of Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid.

The Oilers need Savoie to pan out long-term. Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins are well into their 30s, and besides Howard, their pipeline lacks forward prospects who are close to NHL-ready with top-nine potential.

David Jiricek, RD, Minnesota Wild

Drafted No. 6 in 2022
2024-25 stats (AHL): 31 GP, 2G-8A-10P

The Wild gave up a hefty package that included four draft picks (a first-, second-, third- and fourth-round selection) to win the David Jiricek sweepstakes, after the defender had a falling out in Columbus. Jiricek, a toolsy 6-foot-4 right-shot with exciting offensive tools and a robust physical game, was only OK during the 2023-24 season, which he split between the NHL and AHL, and is coming off a down year last season where he only produced 10 points in 31 AHL games.

Jiricek has played professional hockey in North America so long that it’s easy to forget that he’s still only 21 (22 in late November). There’s no pressure for him to immediately become a top-four defenseman, especially with Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon logging huge minutes on the right side blue line ahead of him, but Jiricek at least needs to show that he’s on an upward development trajectory to justify the haul that Minnesota surrendered to acquire him.

If Jiricek can stay healthy and play steady third-pair NHL minutes (while proving that his skating isn’t an insurmountable hurdle), that would go a long way in giving the Wild confidence that he’s trending in the right direction.

Simon Nemec, RD, New Jersey Devils

Drafted No. 2 in 2022
2024-25 stats (NHL): 27 GP, 2G-2A-4P

Simon Nemec burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old rookie in 2023-24 and immediately profiled as a future blue-line cornerstone. He was remarkably smooth on breakouts, both with his puck carrying and sharp outlet passes. He handled the puck in all three zones with a precocious level of poise and calmness, making heads-up decisions and passes as if he were a 10-year veteran. Nemec’s game wasn’t very flashy, but he was so polished, mature and efficient with his two-way play, and he did it in a significant role, averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game.

Simon Nemec i see you pic.twitter.com/mwuH0JEjsm

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) February 13, 2024

Unfortunately, last year represented a major step back.

Nemec lasted just nine games with the big club at the start of the season before being demoted to the minors. He had almost zero trust all year from Sheldon Keefe, who heavily sheltered him with just 14:59 of average ice-time per game and very soft matchups. Nemec looked tentative at both ends of the rink and was regularly exposed defensively. The Devils got crushed during Nemec’s five-on-five shifts, controlling just 38 percent of expected goals and being outscored 17-8.

Fortunately, he was able to end the year on a high note. Nemec was thrust into playing big minutes against the Hurricanes in the playoffs because of the club’s blue-line injuries, and rose to the occasion with rock-solid performances. It was also revealed that he had been playing through a shoulder injury he sustained at an Olympic qualifier game for the entire season, which at least partially explains his sophomore slump.

The Devils have a fascinating logjam on the right side of their defense with Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic all under contract for at least the next three years. It’s critical that Nemec bounces back this year and proves that he deserves to be part of the long-term solution. And he has a prime opportunity to do it right out of the gate because Kovacevic had knee surgery in May and may not be ready to start the season.

I’m a believer in Nemec’s talent (I don’t think you can accomplish what he did as a 19-year-old rookie without being a special player), but it’ll be incumbent on him to re-establish himself as a quality, full-time NHL defenseman this season.

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild

Drafted No. 20 in 2021
2024-25 stats (AHL): 27 GP, 9-14-4, .879 sv%

Jesper Wallstedt is on a mission to prove that last year’s disappointing campaign was just a fluke.

For years, the 22-year-old Swede was up there with Yaroslav Askarov as arguably the best goaltending prospect on the planet. It was for good reason, too — Wallstedt thrived in the SHL in his draft-plus-one season and performed admirably despite being one of the AHL’s youngest goaltenders on defensively permissive Iowa Wild teams in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Wallstedt was expected to be NHL-ready last season, with Minnesota running a rare three-goalie rotation to begin the season. However, the Wild immediately ran into injuries and were yo-yoing their prized goalie prospect up and down from the minors for salary cap purposes before he even had an opportunity to get a big-league start. Wallstedt got lit up for 12 goals in his first two AHL starts of the year and never really recovered, finishing with an ugly .879 save percentage in the minors.

Nobody saw a step back like that coming. Wallstedt had been the epitome of consistency and reliability up until that point. You might expect a goaltender with raw, explosive tools mixed with some technical holes to experience volatile highs and lows, but Wallstedt was thought to be different because his best traits are how technically sound and polished he is.

This year, Wallstedt will be leaned on to graduate to the NHL and serve as Filip Gustavsson’s full-time backup. There are reasons to believe he can bounce back: His long-term track record is terrific, he was interrupted by injuries last year, and the Iowa team in front of him was porous defensively. Sticking in the NHL and providing average or better backup performances would go a long way toward convincing the Wild that he’s still their goalie of the future.

Brennan Othmann, LW, New York Rangers

Drafted No. 16 in 2021
2024-25 stats (AHL): 27 GP, 12G-8A-20P

Entering his draft-plus-five season, the clock is ticking on Brennan Othmann to become a full-time NHL player. It’s unlikely that he’ll ever develop into a true top-six forward — his AHL production profile is good but not elite, and his foot speed is below average — but he has other tools that could translate well to a bottom-six NHL role.

Othmann’s work rate, physicality and competitiveness are endearing. He gets under opponents’ skin and has a clear edge to his game that gives him an identity. The 22-year-old has a dangerous shot, and his hands are surprisingly good, which could give him the ability to contribute offense at a third-line level. Othmann failed to score a goal and only registered two assists in 22 NHL games last season, but he was snakebitten finishing-wise and didn’t look out of place at all. He was still noticeable at times with his pesky, in-your-face playing style and his underlying numbers were decent, with the Rangers generating more shots, scoring chances and goals than they surrendered during his five-on-five shifts. That’s notable because the Rangers were a mediocre five-on-five team last year.

The Rangers would surely love to see Othmann take the next step and provide value as a secondary scorer with some snarl and energy.

Fabian Lysell, RW, Boston Bruins

Drafted No. 21 in 2021
2024-25 stats (AHL): 52 GP, 11G-23A-34P

For a long time, Fabian Lysell’s development was tracked with a microscope because, quite frankly, the Bruins didn’t have any other blue-chip prospects. Lysell was Boston’s only first-round selection in a four-year span from 2019 to 2023, as the organization went all in each year to extend its Cup contention window. The Bruins have transitioned to a retool, and while the club’s prospect pipeline has significantly improved over the last 18 months and taken some pressure off Lysell to hit, it would be a huge bonus if the speedy, slick right winger can pan out as an NHL top-nine winger.

Lysell has tantalizing skating and puck-handling ability that allow him to make dynamic plays off the rush. The problem is that his offensive impact can be inconsistent, and when he’s not scoring, there’s almost nothing else he can add as an undersized 5-foot-11 winger who is perimeter-oriented and lacks a high motor. Lysell took a promising step in 2023-24 when he scored nearly a point per game in the AHL, but he took a disappointing step back this year, finishing ninth among Providence forwards with a modest 34 points in 52 games.

Boston’s middle-six forward group is one of the worst in the NHL; it desperately needs some dynamic offensive skill. If Lysell can’t stick as a full-time NHL player this year, considering how little competition he’s facing, chances are that he’ll never become a big league player.

(Top photo of Jesper Wallstedt: Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)