Video
Ranking the NHL’s best prospect pools | Full Episode
Hockey
Ranking the NHL’s best prospect pools | Full Episode
The Athletic Hockey Show›
Apr 10, 202652:3310.9K views
On today’s episode, the guys deep dive into Scott’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings, an annual list that includes evaluations of roughly 500 prospects and sorts the league’s farm systems from No. 32 to No. 1, and discuss why there were only two teams in the conversation at the top of the list, the rest of the top 10, and some of the biggest risers and fallers this season.
0:00 Intro
1:03 The process of creating the NHL prospect pool rankings
3:09 Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks for No. 1
8:46 How did Anton Frondell’s NHL debut change things?
11:43 Calgary Flames at No. 3
15:19 Alexander Zharovsky and the Montreal Canadiens at No. 9
19:45 Finding gems in the late-first, early-second rounds is a gamechanger
22:55 Minnesota Wild fall to No. 23
28:28Columbus Blue Jackets fall to No. 17
33:01 Pittsburgh Penguins rise to No. 16
40:57 Philadelphia Flyers rise to No. 8
45:29 Boston Bruins rise to No. 19
For more Athletic Hockey Show content:
- Join The Athletic Hockey Show Discord Server: discord.gg/UDmeAnvFB5
- Follow The Athletic Hockey Show wherever you listen to podcasts: podfollow.com/the-athletic-hockey-show-a-show-about-the-nhl
Follow our hosts on Bluesky:
Max Bultman: bsky.app/profile/mbultman.bsky.social
Mark Lazerus: bsky.app/profile/marklazerus.bsky.social
Jesse Granger: bsky.app/profile/jessegranger.bsky.social
Sean Gentille: bsky.app/profile/seangentille.bsky.social
Sean McIndoe: bsky.app/profile/downgoesbrown.bsky.social
Hailey Salvian: bsky.app/profile/haileysalvian.bsky.social
Scott Wheeler: bsky.app/profile/scottcwheeler.bsky.social
Chris Peters: bsky.app/profile/chrismpeters.bsky.social
Follow our hosts on X:
Max Bultman: x.com/m_bultman
Mark Lazerus: x.com/MarkLazerus
Jesse Granger: x.com/JesseGranger_
Sean Gentille: x.com/seangentille
Sean McIndoe: x.com/DownGoesBrown
Frank Corrado: x.com/frankcorrado22
Hailey Salvian: x.com/hailey_salvian
Corey Pronman: x.com/coreypronman
Chris Peters: x.com/chrismpeters
Scott Wheeler: x.com/scottcwheeler
- .com/hockeyshow
-Photo credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Frequently asked
Where can I watch this?
Press play above — the video streams right here. The free Spot Sports app also queues clips like this one alongside your followed teams and athletes.
Where is Ranking the NHL’s best prospect pools | Full Episode from?
From the The Athletic Hockey Show channel. Tap the channel link below the title to browse more uploads.
How long is this video?
52 minutes.
