10 top prospects ready to make an impact for NHL teams in 2026-27

With NHL training camps and rookie tournaments just around the corner, it really feels like the hockey season is closer than ever to returning.

Last month, we took a look at 10 former first-round picks under pressure to take a step in 2026-27. Now, it's time to flip the script. Whether it’s a 22-year-old who has bided their time in the AHL, or a newly drafted prospect walking into an opportunistic situation, we're going to take a look at prospects who have a chance to show their NHL quality this season.

To narrow down the list of eligible players, we put some qualifiers in place. To start, players who have maintained their prospect status but are likely to step into obvious NHL opportunities right away, like Porter Martone, Anton Frondell, and Cole Hutson, were omitted for the sake of this e