NHL farm system rankings: Best, worst prospect pipelines for 2018-19, from 1 to 31

The road to success in any major team sport begins with drafting and developing players that will fit a given model. 

Some believe championship rosters can be constructed through formulas and analytic innovation, while others lean toward the “old school” method of eyeballing the kids who stand out and getting them to buy into a culture that focuses on exceeding expectations rather than simply meeting them.

In the end, however, whichever concept drives a team’s overarching building strategy ultimately is measured by what the players become and how well the team performs with them. Metrics to measure success vary, but sometimes the best way to judge a team’s prospect is to objectively ask the question, “What is this player’s ultimate potential?”

SN's TOP 50: Ranking the NHL's best prospects for 2018-19

In the following rankings, the zone of consideration for all 310 prospects is Calder Trophy (NHL rookie of the year) eligibility — between 18-26 years old and no more than 25 combined NHL regular season games played. Teams with multiple prospects who possess superior talent (i.e. star potential) received favorable grades, as did teams with a significant amount of post-draft prospects with impressive numbers (regardless of sample size) against adult-age competition in either the National Hockey League or the American Hockey League. The reason is simple: It’s a lot easier to light up a junior hockey league than to do the same against men in the NHL or AHL.  

Several players who ranked highly in personal pre-draft rankings were afforded a longer leash in the event of a perceived plateau in development. Eventual draft position did not factor in these rankings, and we should all come to accept the fact that there is no example of the first 10 players picked in a draft (in any sport) who turned out to become the 10 best pro players from that draft. The ninth overall pick rarely becomes one of the best players in his draft class, let alone an NHL star.

NHL DRAFT 2018: Team-by-team grades | Winners and losers

1. Buffalo Sabres

​The Sabres have officially run out of excuses. The league isn't out to get them, nor is some black cloud hovering over the franchise. They have two of the league's premier prospects in Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt, in addition to sniping winger Alex Nylander. This trio represents Buffalo's last three first round picks, so the law of averages says at least two of them should join current Sabre Jack Eichel to form the foundation of what could be one of the league's most potent attacks.

MORE: How Rasmus Dahlin will fit with Sabres, help fast-track rebuild

2. Philadelphia Flyers

It's easy to lose track of how many general managers talk about the importance of building a deep farm system. But count on Ron Hextall as being one of the few who has been patient enough to actually go through with the process of stockpiling picks and allowing them to develop properly. Constructing the league's deepest prospect pool hasn't been easy, as the Flyers haven't won a playoff round in six years. Yet still, the future is extremely bright. Not only for the young stars already playing the NHL, but also for selecting elite youngsters outside of the top 10 like goalie Carter Hart, center Morgan Frost and super-slick winger Joel Farabee.

3. Vancouver Canucks

Patience is far from a virtue in a hockey-crazed town like Vancouver, as poor performances on the ice have cost jobs and kept fans away from the arena. But brighter days most certainly are ahead for this once-dominant franchise, and drafting elite playmakers like winger Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes to help feed pucks to snipers like Brock Boeser and Jonathan Dahlen will shorten the time it takes to rekindle local interest. Additionally, the Canucks have two tremendous goaltending prospects in Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro. And defenseman Olli Juolevi continues to possess top-pairing potential even though a back injury will keep him on the sidelines for a few months.

MORE: Quinn Hughes 'as valuable as anyone' playing a style his own

4. Carolina Hurricanes

The regime change in Carolina that cost Ron Francis his job as general manager doesn't change the fact that the Hurricanes already owned an arsenal of identifiable blue-chip prospects. Bringing uber-sniper Andrei Svechnikov into the fold is the cherry on top for a pipeline that already included exciting center Martin Necas, future No. 1 goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and puck rusher Adam Fox. It won't be long before these kids start imposing their will on NHL competition. Additionally, the Canes have a bunch of AHL-seasoned blue-chippers, plus kids like Warren Foegele and Lucas Wallmark, neither of whom didn't look out of place during their respective NHL call-up.

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5. St. Louis Blues

A busy offseason has added some legitimacy to the Blues' annual quest for the Stanley Cup, and they still own several of the game's premier prospects. Center Robert Thomas is looking more and more like a steal from the late part of the 2017 draft's first round, where the Blues also plucked skilled power winger Klim Kostin. Roadrunner Jordan Kyrou, a second-round pick in 2016, won the OHL's MVP award, and AHL goalie Ville Husso was outstanding this season and is NHL-ready. You also should expect defenders Jake Walman and Jordan Schmaltz will see some time with the big club.

6. Colorado Avalanche

When is the right time to admit GM Joe Sakic knows what he's doing? Because it was about a year ago when his managerial acumen was questioned simply for lengthening the Matt Duchene saga longer than the fans wanted it to go. In the end, however, Sakic made out like a bandit, turning his maligned center into three stud prospects in centers Shane Bowers and Vladislav Kamenev and defender Samuel Girard. The Avalanche already own two premier young defensemen in Conor Timmins and Cale Makar, but the crown jewel of Sakic's prized assets is Ottawa's unprotected 2019 first-round pick, which may end up being the first overall pick.

MORE: How the Matt Duchene trade gave Avalanche much-needed direction

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

Your eyes don't deceive you. Only one of Tampa's top 10 prospects was a first-round pick. And it's not like GM Steve Yzerman traded all of them away. It's just that he's made up for some clunkers from Round 1 with multiple home runs in the later rounds, beginning with center Anthony Cirelli, who was a top player for their AHL affiliate and was on Tampa's postseason roster. What separates the Bolts from most of their competitors is that most of their best prospects are AHL proven and ready for NHL duty. The fact that Stevie Y acquired Ryan McDonagh and is reportedly involved in a deal for Erik Karlsson without gutting his farm system speaks volumes about the quality of both his staff and their prospects.

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8. Florida Panthers

There's no rest for the weary, as teams that already hate playing against the talent-heavy Panthers have to face the reality that the Cats have even more skill on the way, mostly in the form of forwards. Center Henrik Borgstrom leads Florida's crew of playmaking neophytes, and speedy winger Owen Tippett is good enough to make the club out of camp for the second year in a row. Additionally, Florida owns two puck-possession monsters in wingers Grigori Denisenko and Aleksi Heponiemi, with the latter posting a WHL-best 90 assists — the most in the league by a player of any age in 21 years.

9. New York Rangers

No team took to the trade route to beef up their prospect cupboard as much as the Rangers, who for the first time in 14 years appear committed to a lengthy rebuild. By doing so, they acquired more blue-chip assets in four months than they did in the previous 10 years combined. Game-breaker Vitaly Kravtsov has the potential to become the type of homegrown star winger the Rangers haven't owned since Steve Vickers nearly 45 years ago. They also have three excellent center prospects in Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Brett Howden, and Igor Shestyorkin is one of Europe's top young goalies. The biggest improvement, however, is on defense, where they have amassed quality puck movers who actually know how defend.

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10. Detroit Red Wings

Isn't it amazing how one weekend at the draft can improve an organization's chances at being relevant again? Well if anyone should know, it's Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who in 1989 was part of Jimmy Devellano's staff that produced one of the greatest draft classes in NHL history. The thing is, Detroit's farm system before the 2018 draft already included solid pieces in two-way center Michael Rasmussen, puck movers Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom and Dennis Cholowski, and goalie Filip Larsson. Now Holland added two potential franchise players in winger Filip Zadina and center Joe Veleno, plus roadrunner Jonatan Berggren.

MORE: Checking in on the Red Wings' improving rebuild

11. Winnipeg Jets

Jets fans probably aren't used to seeing their prospect pool ranked so low. But that's the price you pay for being a Cup contender while promoting blue chip prospect after blue chip prospect. The waters are far from murky, however, as they have two of the AHL's best youngsters in late-round 2015 draftees Sami Niku and Mason Appleton, in addition to owning elite Finnish sniper Kristian Vesalainen. The Jets are so young at the NHL, so some of these kids will either get moved or blocked into the ECHL. Nonetheless, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done a great job building a powerhouse through mostly the draft, but he's going to have to mine the later rounds for more talent as his team competes for a title.

MORE: Jets' window to win depends on three unanswered questions

12. Boston Bruins 

Yes, the Bruins could have had Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor instead of Zach Senyshyn and Jakub Zboril. But does it even matter anymore? The Bruins are an elite team who not only graduated game-changers to the NHL level, but also own quality top-end prospects flooding their pipeline. Forward Ryan Donato lit the league up during his brief call-up and should be a Calder Trophy candidate this year, and they have three excellent two-way center prospects in Trent Frederic, Jack Studnicka and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson. And speed demon Jakub Lauko was picked late in the third round this past draft but has the tools to develop into a dangerous top-six threat.

MORE: How Bruins overcame botched trades in blueprint back to NHL's best

13. Ottawa Senators

A forgettable season doesn't appear to be over anytime soon, as several remaining uncertainties require closure, specifically the one surrounding Erik Karlsson's future. Any trade involving their aforementioned captain should have a profound impact in Ottawa's prospect pool, which took a bit of a body blow when they traded Jonathan Dahlen for the now-retired Alex Burrows, plus throwing in 2017 first-rounder Shane Bowers in the Matt Duchene trade. Still, the cupboard is far from bare, as newly-acquired power winger Brady Tkachuk headlines a balanced depth chart with multiple early-round picks. The trade of Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh netted top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson and a first-round pick that was used to select hard-shooting puck rusher Jacob Bernard-Docker, who will team up with a similar defender in Johnny Tychonick when the duo plays at North Dakota next season.

MORE: For polarizing talent Brady Tkachuk, rewards outweigh the risks

14. New York Islanders

New regime. New prospects. New captain. As Bob Dylan would say, the times they are a changing, especially on Long Island. Franchise center John Tavares bid adieu to the Isles, leaving the team in the hands of 21-year-old star Mathew Barzal. But incoming GM Lou Lamoriello has a history of rebuilding teams from the ground up, and with Barzal as the centerpiece, the Islanders own several blue-chip prospects who should limit the amount of suffering the fan base is expected to experience. Goaltending has been a problem on the Island for several years, and Russian Ilya Sorokin has nothing left to prove in the KHL. They also drafted one of the best teenage goal scorers in Oliver Wahlstrom, and defenseman Noah Dobson has Norris Trophy potential.

MORE: Islanders face bumpy transition from Tavares era — but it's not all bleak

15. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks under GM Bob Murray have done exceptionally well at the draft, so they've earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their prospects, specifically those picked in later rounds. Three of their best prospects — U.S. Olympian forward Troy Terry and defensemen Josh Mahura and Marcus Pettersson — were picked outside the first round.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs

Hitting big on elite first-round picks William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in three consecutive drafts between 2014 and 2016 has put the Maple Leafs in the proverbial sweet spot all hockey organizations want to be in — young and dominant. But they also did well with some of their other picks, which helped fuel a championship for their AHL affiliate. The title run had a significant Swedish aroma to it, as puck mover Tim Liljegren and forwards Andreas Johnsson, Carl Grundstrom, Pierre Engvall and Dmytro Timashov each played critical roles in the Marlies' first ever league crown. But the best of their Swedish-trained prospects could be recent first-rounder Rasmus Sandin, a mature yet gifted playmaker who was one of the 2018 draft's best all-around defenders.

MORE: Maple Leafs' best line combinations with John Tavares

17. Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers took a step backward last season but still own some of the league's better prospects, beginning with dazzling puck magician Kailer Yamamoto, who last year made the squad out of camp and is expected to do the same in October. Evan Bouchard was a wise choice at 10th overall in 2018 because he gives Edmonton a much-needed playmaking dimension from the blue line, and 2015 draftee Ethan Bear arguably is the most NHL-ready of the remaining youth on defense. The Oilers are deep in goal as well, as backstops Stuart Skinner and Olivier Rodrigue are two of the CHL's top netminding prospects. And watch out for speedster Kirill Maksimov, who dropped the quietest 80-point season among 2017 draftees.

MORE: The truth about Nail Yakupov, an imperfect prospect set up to bust

18. Montreal Canadiens

A critical need for centers throughout the organization was addressed in each of the last two drafts, and this next generation of Canadiens should be good enough to eventually bring the Habs back to respectability. They do, however, lack a bona fide blue-chip prospect on defense, and 2017 seventh-rounder Cayden Primeau appears to be the brightest option that replaces a fragile Carey Price.

19. New Jersey Devils

The immediate graduations of Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt may have hurt the Devils' overall ranking, but defenseman Ty Smith has the potential to be their first franchise defender since Scott Niedermayer. Speedy center Michael McLeod needs a strong AHL season to help validate being the 12th overall pick in 2016. But his blend of size, speed and creativity should fit nicely with New Jersey's up-tempo attack. And keep an eye on Finnish two-way center Aarne Talvitie, a late-round pick who, like Bratt, has a diverse skill set that compliments his tireless effort.

MORE: Best draft class for every NHL team

20. Minnesota Wild

The situation looked a lot more promising for the Wild before KHL stud Kirill Kaprizov made it clear he's in no rush to the NHL. Making matters worse was Luke Kunin's season-ending ACL tear, followed by Minnesota's puzzling move at the 2018 draft when they went off the board to draft an average defense prospect like Filip Johansson in the first round. It appears for now that power forward Jordan Greenway is the only blue-chip prospect with a serious chance to make the team out of camp.

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21. Calgary Flames

Time will tell if the steep price in draft picks the Flames paid to land defenseman Travis Hamonic will be worth it, but the parent club is oozing with youth, with more on the way. Defenseman Juuso Valimaki, their top pick in 2017, is both physically and mentally ready to handle the rigors of the AHL, where Calgary has patiently nurtured a handful of NHL-capable players. They received strong minor-league seasons from 2015 draftees Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington, and speedy Dillon Dube was a game-changing two-way forward his entire major junior career.

22. Vegas Golden Knights

It's tough to evaluate a depth chart when the team has only two offseasons in its history. But Vegas under GM George McPhee have done well in filling gaps with quality prospects. Of course, the bulk of the heavy lifting is being done by excitable forwards Cody Glass and Nick Suzuki, and puck mover Erik Brannstrom — the trio of 2017 first rounders that McPhee wouldn't part with at the last trade deadline. They also have two players with NHL potential in two-way center Ivan Morozov and hard-shooting blueliner Nicolas Hague. This low grade is more for a lack of depth, which should change shortly thanks to all the picks the Golden Knights own in next year's draft.

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23. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks' season was the hockey equivalent of a cold shower, as they missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Little by little, however, they’ve drafted and developed NHL-caliber players, albeit none of their current kids are on the level of a Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews. The strength of the Hawks' farm system lies within the defense, which is led by four blue-chip rearguards acquired with their top two picks in each of the last two drafts. Swedish wunderkind Adam Boqvist highlights this talented group of defenders for his obvious flair and blistering shot. But don't overlook playmakers like Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell, Henri Jokiharju and Ryan Shea. All four can run a power play, and the law of averages says at least one of these kids will be worthy enough to one day replace Duncan Keith.

24. Los Angeles Kings

The re-tool in Los Angeles has been pretty deliberate, but the Kings all of a sudden own a couple of quality pieces that form a sturdy foundation for the future. Center Gabe Vilardi shook off an early-season injury to become the OHL's best player in the second half, and Finnish pivot Rasmus Kupari has Vilardi's creativity while owning excellent speed and agility. Defense always has been a Kings' hallmark, and both Kale Clague and Mikey Anderson have just scratched the surface of their top-pairing potential

25. Arizona Coyotes

Few teams ice an NHL team with as many former blue-chip prospects as Arizona, which in turn has diminished the collective quality of the youngsters they have developing in the pipeline. If there is any pressure on center Dylan Strome to live up to the expectations of a third overall pick, you wouldn't have noticed it while watching him dominate the AHL last year. There is a noticeable drop in upside after Strome and 2018 top pick Barrett Hayton, although diminutive winger Nick Merkley had a fine season in Tucson despite being hampered by injuries.

MORE: Coyotes can be 2018-19's Devils or Avalanche (with a little luck)

26. Dallas Stars

On paper, the Stars look pretty healthy when it comes to prospect depth. There is, however, a bit of uncertainty with several of their former first-round picks, as both Denis Guryanov (2015) and Riley Tufte (2016) are still a ways away from meeting post-draft expectations. Still, you can make a strong argument that Finnish stud Miro Heiskanen was the more dominant teenage European defender over Rasmus Dahlin, as Heiskanen won the SM-Liiga Defenseman of the Year award. And it's ironic that Dallas had to make two trades to land goalie Jake Oettinger in the first round of the 2017 draft, only to see 2016 fifth rounder Colton Point pass him on the depth chart. The Stars also left a lot of talent on the table to take two-way center Ty Dellandrea with the 14th pick in this year's draft.

27. Nashville Predators

While it's perfectly fine to believe the Cup-contending Predators were built at the draft table, the truth is that their three best skaters — Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban — were acquired via trade. They caught a huge break last year when Finnish sniper Eeli Tolvanen inexcusably fell to them late in the first round, and after a Stanley Cup Final appearance no less. Outside of Tolvanen and likely four-year collegiate puck mover Dante Fabbro, the kids down on the farm won't be challenging for either top-four or top-six roles any time soon. Still, most of their best prospects are in college, so they don't have to worry (for now) about losing them for nothing.

MORE: The best No. 1 and 2 overall duos in NHL Draft history

28. Columbus Blue Jackets

Rest easy, Blue Jackets fans. Your team at the NHL level is young, exciting and loaded with star-caliber players south of 25 years old. But gambles in each of the last two drafts, coupled with the rapid promotion of 2014 and 2015 draftees, have sprung a few leaks in the good ole prospect pool. For starters, Columbus' best prospect is a 24-year-old goalie who appears to be quite happy playing in Switzerland (wouldn't you?). They also traded away their first rounder in 2017, and took a huge gamble drafting athletic speedster Liam Foudy at 19th overall in 2018. Defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and Andrew Peeke are former high-round picks who likely will never see power-play time or anchor a top or middle pairing. They have quality European forwards in Vitalii Abramov, Alexander Texier, Jonathan Davidsson and Kirill Marchenko, but the youth and talent level up at the parent club increases the likelihood they end up elsewhere.

29. Washington Capitals

Although it may seem like the Capitals go through every draft with only a handful of picks, the truth is that they've quietly assembled a pretty decent crop of future NHLers. The only problem is that it’s comprised mostly of goalies and defensemen. Netminder Ilya Samsonov is in the mix here in North America after a stellar career in Russia, and the Caps are loaded with mobile defenders, including 2018 first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev and puck distributor Lucas Johansen. The forward ranks, however, are critically thin, partly because of the traditional practice of loading up the AHL squad with older veterans. Eleven of Hershey's top 13 scorers from a year ago were 24 years or older.

MORE: Every team gets do-over in NHL re-draft, 2012 edition

30. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks seem to always make the most out of late-round picks, but first-rounders from 2013 (Mirco Mueller) and 2014 (Nikolay Goldobin) no longer are with the organization. They also moved their first pick of 2016 in the Martin Jones trade, and took a huge gamble this year by taking troubled two-way defender Ryan Merkley at 20th overall. There is youth aplenty at the NHL level, but it's hard to justify calling any one of their non-NHL prospects a blue chipper.

31. Pittsburgh Penguins

Habitually trading away first-round picks and notable prospects to fuel multiple Stanley Cup run has it plusses and minuses, with the downside being the inability to replenish or refresh the depth chart with players that can actually play. The Penguins, driven by a core group of 30-somethings, are perilously close to witnessing the zenith of what has been a decade's worth of championship-caliber hockey. Sure, you might hit on a quality mid-rounder here and there like Jake Guentzel, and 2018 draftees Filip Hallander and Calen Addison are the best two picks the Pens have made in several years. But not having the assets to trade for or draft players remotely capable of being considered heir apparents for Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin paints an ominous picture for their fans.

Steve Kournianos is the founder of TheDraftAnalyst.com, a blog dedicated to the NHL Draft. He is a former prospects writer for ESPN.com and worked briefly for the Associated Press and McKeen’s Hockey. He also covered the Boston Bruins, the AHL and Hockey East for SportsTicker, and was a minor league baseball editor for Howe SportsData.