Fanbases who support bad NHL teams are a prospect writer\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n
We tend to get well-acquainted when a team flat-out stinks. That\u2019s why fans of bottom-feeders tend to love prospect pool rankings \u2013 they want something, anything to get them pumped for the future.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve spent the summer looking at every team\u2019s prospect pool, ranking the top 10 players in each pipeline. We\u2019ve also looked at the strengths and weaknesses, which can change year to year depending on how many players get sent to the NHL. The Minnesota Wild<\/a>, for example, had one of the best pipelines in hockey last year. But after sending five players to the big leagues, their farm system looks extremely thin. That\u2019s something that can be celebrated. They\u2019re clearly using their future assets both to try and win now, but also to acquire important assets, such as trading Zeev Buium and Liam Ohgren to Vancouver to land Quinn Hughes. <\/p>\n Today, we\u2019re looking at five of the most improved prospect pools in the NHL. Their placement here is based on DFO\u2019s recent 32-team pipeline ranking<\/a>, how many positions they improved upon since 2025-26. <\/a>Some teams needed just a few players to boost their ranking, while others have continued to amass some incredible depth:<\/p>\n 2026 Rank: 9th Thanks to some savvy trades and an influx of draft capital, the Blues have built a pipeline worth getting excited about. Betting high on Tynan Lawrence should pay off nicely, even if his draft season hit a few speed bumps. Justin Carbonneau was a brilliant grab in 2025, and Adam Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek has steadily become one of the most fascinating defensive prospects in hockey. <\/p>\n While St. Louis\u2019 pool might be light on elite superstar talent (three players make DFO\u2019s top 75 list<\/a>), the scouting department has clearly done its homework. They\u2019ve successfully targeted every area of need, stocking the system with quality wingers, reliable two-way defenders, and even a few decent goaltenders. This is a group that has both quality and quantity and I\u2019m excited to see what they\u2019re able to accomplish in the long-term (or even target on the trade front, such as the deal that brought Mason McTavish to Missouri)<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026 Rank: 4th The Preds had five picks in the first two rounds in 2025 and another two first-rounders this year. Huge glow-ups for 2024 first-round pick Yegor Surin and 2023 second-roudner Felix Nilsson really helped push the needle, too. The team took their big swing on NHL talent a few summers ago, and, for the most part, it didn\u2019t work. But they\u2019ve also managed to build one of the strongest prospect pools in hockey over the past couple of seasons. There have been some hits and misses, but for the most part, it feels like very few teams have the pure level of depth Nashville has.<\/p>\n You might even see a few of the players reach the NHL on a full-time basis this season, with Brady Martin, Ryan Ufko, and Tanner Molendyk all looking to make their marks sooner rather than later. It\u2019s still going to be difficult for Nashville to become competitive in the short run, but they built an identity on trying to get players who are tough to play against, and I love that for them.\u00a0Don\u2019t be surprised if Wyatt Cullen ends up looking like a massive steal after going 10th overall, too. <\/p>\n 2026 Rank: 15th The concept of Toronto landing the first-overall pick \u2013 and the right to draft a talent like Gavin McKenna<\/a> \u2013 was completely unthinkable a year ago. And yet\u2026 welcome to reality. Toronto got a game-changing forward in McKenna at No. 1, and then they followed it up with solid value the rest of the way back in June. And that came after the Leafs\u2019 AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, won the Calder Cup, with Artur Akhtyamov<\/a> and Ben Danford<\/a> showcasing some serious potential. Big seasons from Tinus Luc Koblar <\/a>and Harry Nansi<\/a> elsewhere didn\u2019t hurt, either.<\/p>\n Obviously, McKenna is the biggest reason why Toronto has progressed so quickly on the prospect front. And, honestly, it wasn\u2019t hard to beat what they had \u2013 Toronto has routinely fallen flat in our pipeline rankings. They\u2019ve been quite busy on the CHL and NCAA free agent front in recent years, with Bobby McMann being the obvious golden ticket (even though he\u2019s no longer with the organization). Could Toronto strike big again with recent additions like Vincent Borgesi, Brandon Buhr or Luke Haymes? We\u2019ll see. Toronto hasn\u2019t entered a rebuild yet, and with GM John Chayka at the helm, they must think they can compete again. McKenna helps, no doubt about it.<\/p>\n 2026 Rank: 5th It\u2019s no secret I love the Mammoth\u2019s pipeline. Utah might be the newest market in the NHL, but I\u2019m starting to think it won\u2019t be long until they\u2019re pushing for a Western Conference berth. They\u2019ve got two of the best forwards out of the CHL from last year in Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers<\/a>, with the pair leading a list of five future Mammoth stars in Daily Faceoff\u2019s top 75 affiliated skater\u2019s list<\/a>. Sebastian Cossa and Michael Hrabal are two top-end goalie prospects<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n And, boy! They\u2019ve got an absolutely MASSIVE prospect pool. And I don\u2019t mean strictly on the quantity front \u2013 they\u2019ve got five of the top 10 prospects standing 6-foot-5 and taller.<\/a> GM Bill Armstrong\u2019s handy work has received a ton of love from DFO this summer, and for good reason. They\u2019ve got solid options at every position, and one of the top prospects in the game in Iginla, too. It\u2019s going to be so much fun seeing this group grow.<\/p>\n 2026 Rank: 10th Yeah, the Canucks missed out on the first-overall pick after finishing dead last in 2025-26. But with the most-improved prospect pool in the game, they\u2019ll be fine. The team is still in the early days of their rebuild, but they\u2019re off to a good start after landing three of their top five prospects<\/a> by pick No. 33. It wasn\u2019t smooth sailing for all of Vancouver\u2019s pipeline \u2013 Jonathan Lekkerim\u00e4ki<\/a> definitely lost a bit of shine. But a big season from Braeden Cootes<\/a>, which included a stint in the NHL, definitely helped.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one thing the Canucks lack in their prospect pool, it\u2019s a top-end defender. Kirill Kudryavtsev<\/a> leads the way at No. 7, and Vancouver has only taken one (2026 seventh-rounder Samuel Eriksson) over the past two years. Sawyer Mynio<\/a> is decent, and I\u2019ve actually liked some of my Parker Alcos and Basile Sansonnens viewings. From the most part, though, there isn\u2019t a ton to love there. But, hey: Vancouver is going to suck again in 2026-27, and\u00a0Landon DuPont enters the year<\/a> as the top prospect. If Vancouver can snag him, maybe the post-Quinn Hughes era won\u2019t sting as much.<\/p>\n Just missed out: Calgary Flames (+7), Los Angeles Kings (+6), Detroit Red Wings (+5), Florida Panthers (+5)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fanbases who support bad NHL teams are a prospect writer\u2019s dream. 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2025 Rank: 17th<\/p>\n
2025 Rank: 12th<\/p>\n
2025 Rank: 24th<\/p>\n
2025 Rank: 15th<\/p>\n
2025 Rank: 28th<\/p>\n